Pocket Diapers: a Lovely review

I am so excited to finally have my first round of regular sized cloth diapers! I've been searching for a diaper that is functional as well as affordable. There are so many options out there, it can be pretty overwhelming. Having spent much time with cloth diaper gurus, I've learned what to look for in a diaper.

Affordability: Cloth diapers average between 15 and 30 dollars per diaper. While it is possible to spread out the cost of cloth buy buying 1 or 2 at a time, this just didn't work for me. I just couldn't justify spending that much money on one diaper no matter how much it would end up saving me.

Quality: You want your diapers to last. Good fabrics are the key. If I am going to make an investment in fluff, I want it to last through all my kids. Also, if your fluff holds up, you will be able to resell it and earn some of your investment back!

Ease of use: I pretty much have to hang my child upside down by the foot to change his diaper. I need a ready-to-go, fast snap diaper. When my son was a newborn, I loved AIO (all-in-one) diapers, but you have to buy those sized. I can't afford to keep buying a whole new stash with each size. I need the diaper to grow with the child.

I first looked into into Lovely Pocket Diapers for the price. 7 dollars for a pocket diaper with insert?! It just seemed too good to be true. I looked up every review I could find on these diapers. If I'm going to invest in fluff, it had better be good. I have yet to find a bad review on  these diapers and I can see why.

Initial thoughts upon receiving my diapers:

• Upon first inspection, the diapers appeared to have a good pul outer layer and micro fiber inner layer.
•  The snaps are plastic and seem to be punched straight through the fabric rather than pre-punched holes, so they should hold up nicely.
• Microfiber inserts have a silky feel when you first open up a new diaper. Don't worry, they fluff up and are very absorbant, but dont get bulk up.

 A month of diaper testing:
So far, I love my LPDs! 

• I hang my diapers out in the sun to dry. I was pleasantly surprised with how fast they dry.
• Using a wash without presoak, stains came out of the shells easily with no smell left behind. Soakers tend to hold onto light poo stains and mild smells, but that is easily remedied by a good presoak. 
• I was initially concerned that I might have issues with the opening for the inserts. I was afraid that the insert would slip out adn cause problems, but there has never been an issue and I now prefer it.

 I have become a huge fan of LPDs. The price of the diapers is unbeatable. The quality has exceeded my expectations. When I did have an issue with some loose leg elastic, I got a prompt response from the owner and excellent customer service. They make their customers feel like part of the family and are very personable. I could not be happier with my diapers or with the company.
I almost have a full stash for my son. I can't wait to start on my newborn stash for January!

Our first Bradley birth!

I went into labor 3 weeks early without any help. It all started August 2nd at 6 am. I had my typical sleepless night, but for some reason, I became really restless and couldn't fall back asleep for anything, so I got up. Spencer came home from PT about 7:30 am and was surprised to find me awake. I told him how restless I was feeling. When I went to the bathroom, I noticed tiny peach colored balls of mucus when I wiped. I showed Spencer and he didn't know what to make of it, so I texted my Midwife and asked her about it. She said it was my mucus plug starting to come out and not to worry about it, so I didn't.
I suddenly got the overwhelming urge to clean and rearrange everything in the house. Spencer was shocked by this, because I hadn't had the energy to do anything in months. I started cleaning things and every time I went to the bathroom, more mucus plug would come out as well as some blood clots. I also felt kind of crampy. Spencer was watching me closely and started texting our Doula to confirm his suspicions that I might be in early first stage labor. She thought I was and suggested we go walk around the mall to see if things would pick up.

 

That afternoon, we walked around for about an hour and a half and my contractions picked up enough that I could no longer walk during them. We kept our midwife and doula updated the whole time. Around 8 p.m., they arrived for my regular home visit and realized I was defiantly in labor. They left our birthing tub with us and went to find a hotel for the night, so they could be close by.
By 10:30pm our Doula arrived at the house to see how I was. She was surprised to see my labor signs all over the place. I was only dilated 2cm, but already showing signs of transition. I dilated very slowly, but remained in transition the whole time.
 
Labor itself was very long and hard. I kept moving from the bed to the bathroom to the birthing pool, but couldn't seem to get any sort of relief. There were almost no breaks in between my contractions and each one double and triple peaked. By the time I was at 9cm, I still had a lip of cervix left that wouldn't go away. They started putting ice inside to help reduce the swelling. That was painful. Everyone was shocked by how hard my labor was and by how well I was handling it. I felt like I was a big sissy and doing really poorly, but they were all very proud of me. I was in so much pain that I was begging for drugs, an epidural, a c-section, and once even death.
 
 

Spencer did an amazing job coaching me. Even when my Midwife and Doula couldn't get me to focus, he did. He was with me through every contraction. He never stopped helping me. He even pushed people out of the way to get to me when I moved around.

My water broke in 2 stages. At first, it broke somewhere near the top and slowly leaked fluid. Once I started pushing, I burst the bottom of the bag and things moved very quickly from there. I tried to push in the birthing tub, but for some reason, I couldn't get a handle on pushing so I moved to the toilet and tried some more. I was able to get a grip and push properly from there. I had a small bm and then felt the head drop into the birth canal. We were afraid to get back into the tub and stop things again, so they moved me to the living room.

After trying a few different pushing positions, I ended up on the floor. Spencer sat in front of me, holding my hands to help me sit up while our doula supported my back. It didn't take long at all to push him out from there. Once I felt the ring of fire, I couldn't stop pushing. He came out so fast that I ended up with a third degree tear, despite my midwife's effort to support my perineum.
Once he was out, it took less than 5 minutes for my placenta to come out. My mom took our Doula's place with me and I rested on her while they cut the cord and checked the afterbirth. Shortly afterwards, I stood up and walked to the bed, so they could check me for tears. When they realized I had a third degree tear, they started making calls to find someone who could stitch me up. While waiting to find someone, Spencer helped me take a shower and redress.
We ended up needing to go to the hospital to be stitched, but it was a good thing. They checked my blood and realized my white count was way down, so they gave me iv antibiotics as well. While waiting for the iv to finish up, we all fell asleep. I was so glad it was all over. We finally got back home around 5am and went straight to bed.

As hard as everything was, I would not trade this experience for anything. I finally have the baby I never thought I could, and Spencer and I are closer than we've ever been. He was absolutely amazing. He was so strong and took charge of me when I would lose control. Even though it killed him to see me in so much pain, he never let me give up. This was the hardest and most beautiful experience of my entire life and I am forever changed because of it.

A special thanks to Kimberly Spencer, Jennifer Vines, Jade Chapman for being my birth team and to Carissa Gay for her amazing photography!

Children at Birth

Most people in our society would scoff or be appalled by the idea of a child attending the birth of a sibling. I am not one of those people. I am part of the group that believes it is important for older siblings to attend the birth of a new baby. Children who have attended the birth of a sibling have a better respect for and understanding of how much work it is. They are bonded in a unique way with the baby. The family feels more unified and are more closely bonded. Children can handle being at a birth, even a painful one, but you must prepare them.

You can't expect a someone, even an adult, to go into a birth unprepared and expect them to handle it well. Preparation is important. A child, on their own, cannot be expected to understand that the pain and work of labor are normal. All they see is Mama in pain and little baby is the reason for it. This can cause the child to be afraid of birth and resent their sibling. However, if you prepare them for what is to come, they will handle it beautifully. You need to show them birth videos so that they see what will happen. Show them pictures of a newborn, the placenta, etc. and explain what these things are. Talk to them and let them ask questions. Practice going through labor and birth with them, making the sounds and faces you might make. Have them make noises and faces with you. Explain that these things are normal and that the baby is not hurting Mama, she's just working really hard.

If your child shows you that they are uncomfortable or can't handle being there, then don't force them. Have someone there that can take them away or distract them if they can't handle it or decide they don't want to be there. Labor is a very long and physically demanding process and children have small attention spans. If you are laboring at night, let them sleep until it's time to push. If they are awake, let them come and go as they please. Have things that can distract them during your most difficult parts of labor, so you can focus on labor rather than them.

Give them something to do. If your child likes to be a big helper, let them be the one to get feed Mama ice chips or snacks, hold her drinking glass for her, wipe her forehead with a damp cloth, etc. If they want to be involved in the coaching, prepare them for it. They may want to help Mama make her noises. This can be a good source of comfort or comic relief for her. Children like feeling needing and this is a time when Mama will need a lot. After the birth, they can help in other ways too. If they are older, they can hold the baby for her while she's doing something. They can answer the door for your guests and play host. Even the little ones can bring her the things she needs, like handing her wipes when it's time to change baby or bringing her something to eat or drink. Let them pick the baby's outfit for the day or help rub the baby's back when it's time to burp. There is so much they can do to be helpers at any age.

When a child witnesses the birth of a sibling, a very special and unique bond is created. Just as twins have a special bond, so will the older sibling and baby, even if that older sibling is very young. This isn't going to prevent sibling rivalry by any means, but it will make them bonded. No matter the age, they will always remember this experience. They will be proud that they got to help "born" the baby. The family, as a whole, will be uniquely bonded as well. Having your child at the birth of your baby will intensify the bond you already have with them. The hormones being produced during labor and right after birth that bond you to your baby, will also cause you to be more closely bonded to the child attending your birth as well.

If you are thinking about having your child at your birth, there are things you need to consider first.

Will your birth team allow you have children there?

Depending on where you will give birth, they may not be allowed to be around you at all. Some places may allow them to be with you only during labor and not while you are pushing. Some may only allow them to come in after everything is over. Be aware of your birth team's policies about children at birth.

Do you want your child to be there?

You need to seriously assess your own feelings about having your other children at your birth. Remember, you are going to be working very hard and they may be a huge distraction to you. Are they going to be a help or hindrance? Are you ok with them seeing you working so hard, crying, being in pain, or anything else that comes with labor and birth.

Are you going to be comfortable with your child seeing you in various stages of undress?

If you have never let your child see you naked, then this is something you need to think about. During labor, women being extremely hot and uncomfortable. Many start out fully dressed, but end up naked by the time they are ready to push. Think about how your child will feel about others seeing you this way as well as them seeing you like this. Boys tend to be more protective of their mothers and may be upset by others seeing you undressed. This is something you need to discuss with them and really listen to how they feel. If they've never been allowed to see you undressed, the sight of you losing your modesty will seem taboo to them. They may feel as though they are doing something wrong by seeing you that way and cause issues of it's own. Think very hard about what you and your child are comfortable with before making your decisions.

Does your child even want to be there?

Children change their minds about things on a daily or even hourly basis. One day they may want to be there for the birth and the next they may not. Listen to your child and keep an open mind. If you have chosen to have them there, let them have the freedom to come and go as they feel comfortable. They may start off not wanting to be there, but then change their minds as the baby is emerging. They may want to wait till the baby is out before seeing it. They may start off wanting to be there for all of it and get uncomfortable and leave or want to do something else for a while. Be flexible with them.

What will you do with them if you have to transfer?

If a complication arises and you have to be moved from your home or birth center to the hospital, what will you do with the older children? You need to have a back up plan for them whether it's sending them to a friend's house or having them come over or already be there to take care of them.

Carefully consider all your options and possibilities before you make any decisions. Talk to your children and evaluate each of them to see who will be able to handle your labor and birth. Have arrangements made for the ones who don't want to be there. Be prepared in case of transfer. Make sure your children are prepared. Being a part of your birth will be life changing for them, how you prepare them will determine whether that change will be good or bad.

A letter to family and friends.

Due to the impending arrival of our newest addition, my midwife has asked me to lay out some of the following rules for visitors, and asking for the following help as well. I don’t want to give anyone the impression that we do not appreciate your thoughts and well wishes, but the days and weeks following the birth are going to be very important to our family.

During the last weeks of pregnancy, we will no longer be recieving visitors as labor can occur at any time. Babies come when they are ready and we will need this time to rest and prepare for our new arrival without destractions. Also, please refrain from calling for updates. We will keep everyone posted as we see fit and even loving concern can be upsetting to a mother who is already anxious for labor to insue. Our house will be on lock-down in order to mentally and phyically prepare for this most important event.

During labor, our phones will be shut off and the door will be locked to anyone except our midwife and birth team. I will not have access to any form of pain relief, so it is imperitve that I stay as undisturbed as possible in order to focus on nothing but being in labor and having a healthy baby. We will announce the birth after the baby arrives and all necessary procedures have taken place.

I have no idea how I will feel immediatly after the birth. I do know that labor and birth are long and very physically demanding processes. We ALL will be exhausted and need lots of time to rest and recover. When we are ready for visitors, we will start making phones calls to individuals. Again, please wait for your call. We will all be recovering and getting aquainted, uninvited guests will not be welcomed.

During a homebirth it is easy for people to come under the impression that since there is no hospital involvement, mom does not need as extensive recovery, or baby can come into contact immediately with visitors. I encourage all of you to Google "babymoon". It is going to be very important that we have the time to adjust as a new family, and that Spencer, Jacen and I have a chance to adjust to the new family dynamics that having a new baby in the house brings. I will be needing time to get into a nursing routine as well, and be needing to catch up on sleep after who knows how long of a labor and birth.

I also do not know how I will feel as far as depression with my sudden drop in hormones, I may not want to be around anyone at all, or I might feel better with tons of company. If you are invited over, don't expect to be entertained or to stay very long. If you do not live nearby, you may just want to wait to visit. Plan to keep your visit under 30 minutes, if you are invited to come up. If I am feeling up to it, you may be invited to stay longer, but do not expect it.

If you have or have been around anyone who has been even the slightest bit sick, please stay away. Even if you have "allergies", you could be mistaking allergies for something else. You will be asked to wash your hands and use sanitzer as soon as you come in our house. Due to bleeding, breast-feeding and exhaustion, I will be staying in bed for the first few weeks. If you want to see the baby, you will have to come into our bedroom. Please do not ask to hold the baby. If I feel comfortable allowing you to hold the baby, I will ask you if you would like to. DO NOT put your mouth on my baby! The human mouth is the most unsanitary part of the body and I have a huge problem with ANYONE but the parents getting thier face near an infant (that includes grandparents).

When you do visit, anyone who is inspired to pitch in with household chores or bringing meals will be greatly appreciated. We will be needing:

- Someone to take Jacen outside or to the park to run off some of that energy.

- Help out by doing a household chore.

- Bring over a healthy meal, so we don't have to cook.

- Possibly run an errand.

Most of all what we will need help with is people helping so we can focus on Jacen and the new little one. Not company who will want to hold the baby while I entertain them. If you are offended by or disagree with any of our wishes, feel free to stay far away. We neither want nor need rude or difficult guests. This very special time for our family is irreplaceable and we do not want it to be ruined by poor company.

We do plan to video the birth. If I am able to remain modest, we will make a dvd for guests to watch while they are here. If you are given a copy, do not show it to everyone. This is a very special and private event and I do not want everyone to see me in such a way. Also, ask before you start taking pictures of the new baby. I may not want it to be photographed at the time for various reasons. If you are allowed to take pictures, do not post or tag them on the internet. This is for safety reasons. There are certain people I don't want to know what my child looks like or know anything about it. Feel free to ask me about this one and I will give a more detailed explaination. If I do allow you to post any pictures, it will be on an individual basis and you will be given rules.

Thank you for your support and cooperation during this very special time. After an extremely difficult start, we will finally be cemented as a family. The homebirth and method being used to bring this baby into the world, is imperative to this process. Thank you for being respectful of our needs.

Love and blessings,

Bonnie, Spencer and children

Why cloth diaper?

I knew even before I got pregnant that I wanted to cloth diaper. I was allergic to EVERYTHING as a baby, so my mom had to cloth diaper me. Back then, it was a pain in the butt and very messy. Now a days, cloth diapers have become very user friendly. In fact, there are more varies of cloth than of disposable! This became a huge problem when I started researching all the different kinds and styles. I was drowning in a sea of choices. I didn't know where to begin, so I began asking lots of questions. I hope this will be helpful to those who are considering going cloth.

What's the cost?

The following figures were calculated using an average price of name brand and store brand disposable diapers and wipes at a Walmart Super Center in Sterling, IL on 5/18/04. The number of diapers was calculated averaging the number of times a baby goes to the bathroom per day at different stages. Even though disposable diapers have a super absorbent core, they still should be changed every time the baby wets to prevent the growth of bacteria, which causes diaper rash. The low end of the diapers per day range was used in figuring all totals.
Disposable Diapers

0-3 months 10-12 diapers/day 90 x 10 = 900	Size 1 $.17/diaper $153.00
3-12 months 8-10 diapers/day 270 x 8 = 2160	Size 3 $.21/diaper $453.60
12-30 months 7-8 diapers/day 540 x 7 = 3780	Size 5 $.25/diaper $945.00
Total number of diapers 6840	Total Cost for Disposables $1551.60

Add another $200.00 for disposable wipes for a total of $1751.60 for 30 months of disposable diapers and wipes. This is per child.
The price for cloth diapers was figured using Infant size CPF diapers for the first 6 months and Premium CPFs from about 6 months until potty training. Plus the cost of 6 size small covers, 4 medium covers, and 4 large wrap style covers at $9.50 each. This should be enough diapers to do laundry every 3 days.

Cloth diapers - Most Economical Chinese Prefold Diapers with wrap style covers

0-6 months 36 CPFs 6 small size covers	$60.00 $57.00 total $117.00
6-30 months 24 CPFs 4 medium size covers 4 large size covers	$56.00 $38.00 38.00 total $132.00
	Total Cost for Cloth Diapers and Covers $249.00

The following chart shows that you can use even premium pocket style diapers and still save significantly over the cost of disposable diapers. It compares the cost of bumGenius One-Size diapers ($16.95 each when buying 12 or more diapers at once). BumGenius fit most babies from birth to potty training. This should be plenty of diapers and inserts to do laundry every 3 days.
Cloth Diapers - bumGenius One-Size (fits 8-35 lbs)

36 bumGenius $16.95 ea.	$610.20
	Total Cost for Premium Diapering System $610.20

Add $24.00 for 24 Cloth Wipes and Cloth Diapers cost you $273.00-$634.20 and they can be used for subsequent children as well.

Total Savings $1117.40-$1478.60

What are the health concerns?

The greatest concern for parents is to keep their baby’s skin dry, healthy and free from diaper rash. Many things can cause diaper rash. Prolonged wetness, lack of air circulation, soap, chemical and dye allergies, ammonia formed by bacteria that interacts with urine left sitting against the skin and the growth of microbes in the diaper area can all be irritating and cause rashes.

Some concerns about disposable diapers have been about dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The (FDA) Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby.

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54 % of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, 16 % having severe rashes. A study done by a disposable diapers manufacturing company (we won’t name the company, but it's one of the largest manufacturers) shows that the incidence of diaper rash increased from 7.1% to 61% with the increased use of throwaway disposable diapers.

Keep in mind that each baby is different; some parents will find their baby does perfectly fine with disposables while other parents may find their baby has some type of reaction to disposables.

On the other hand cloth diapers can cause rashes by not being changed enough or properly cleaned and sanitized after becoming soiled.

It is all a matter of personal preference, how your baby is reacting to a particular diaper and how you feel about other factors that come into play when deciding between cloth and disposables.

The best way to prevent diaper rash is to change diapers, cloth or disposable, frequently. While disposable diapers can hold large quantities of urine, this slight wetness is still against your baby’s skin, which can lead to rashes. Cloth diapers should be changed every time your baby wets and then the diaper should be properly cleaned so all bacteria that may be in the cloth is killed.


How does it effect the Environment?

There has been much debate over the impact of disposable diapers and cloth diapers on the environment. The pro-disposable diaper advocates say that the extra water used to wash cloth diapers is just as much of an abuse to the environment as the production and disposal of disposable diapers. But taking into consideration the following estimates you will probably agree that disposable diapers are much more harmful to the environment than cloth diapers.

It is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone. Although some disposables are said to be biodegradable; in order for these diapers to decompose, they must be exposed to air (oxygen) and sun. Since this is highly unlikely, it can take several hundred years for the decomposition of disposables to take place, with some of the plastic material never decomposing.

The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water. Pro-disposable advocates say that cleaning cloth diapers uses more energy and contributes to the load on sanitary sewer systems and potential water pollution. This view really makes no sense if you think about it. The amount of water used per week to wash cloth diapers at home is about the same amount consumed by an adult flushing the toilet four or five times daily for a week. Also, the greater amount of water and energy being used by diaper service companies to wash large amounts of cloth diapers multiple times; the per diaper impact on energy and water supplies is actually less than home washing.

Finally, when flushing solids from a cloth diaper down the toilet and washing the diapers in a washing machine, the contaminated, dirty water from both toilet and washing machine go into the sewer systems where they are properly treated at waste water plants. This treated waste water is much more environmentally friendly than dumping untreated soiled disposable diapers into a landfill.


How convenient are they?

With the newer style of cloth diapers that are on the market, disposable diapers are not much more convenient that cloth diapers. The new multiple layer, Velcro fastening cloth diapers are just as easy to put on and take off as disposables. Cloth diapers do not really need to be presoaked, or even rinsed out. Flushable liners can be used with cloth diapers that let you lift the soiled liner off the cloth and flush the liner and the poop down the toilet. If you don’t use liners, you can just dump the older baby’s solids down the toilet. Cloth diapers usually only add about 2 extra loads of laundry a week to your schedule.

Disposable diapers are more convenient when traveling because you can just throw the dirty diapers away without carrying them around for washing. Disposables also require fewer changes because of the super absorbent materials; but taking into consideration the increased risks of rash and the extra impact on the environment, your decision should be made with much thought.


What are the different types of cloth diapers?

　

Flats are a square piece of material with the same absorbency across the whole diaper. Most are a single layer, some are double. Flats wash easy and dry fast (great for hand washing and hang drying). Pins are simple to use with flats but a snappi will work as well. Flats are very trim but have to be changed often.

Prefolds are also a square piece of material but have a center strip of extra absorbency. You may see 4-8-4 or 2-6-2 indicators by different prefolds. This refers to the layers in each "section". On each of the outer sides would be 4 layers and in the middle would be 8, for example. Prefolds can be fastened with pins, snappi or trifolded and laid in a cover. They also are easy to handwash and dry. Cost is very low. New, high quality prefolds can be purchased for around $2.00 each. Prefolds are very versatile in that you can also use them as pocket stuffers.

Fitteds are a cloth diaper that also requires a cover but has elastic and fasteners on the diaper. Fitteds come in every material and cover imaginable. They can be fastened with snaps or aplix (velcro). The most common questioned asked by new cloth diaper parents is "why spend money on a cute fitted when it just has to be covered?" Valid question that I myself asked. It can be answered in a couple of ways: 1) we all like pretty underwear 2) you can let your little one go coverless and change them often. Fitteds are "easy" to make (easy meaning you can use materials you have in your house) and are therefore the biggest category of diaper made by WAHMs. Fitteds take longer to dry and need to be thoroughly washed and rinsed to prevent buildup.

Pockets are a simple 2 layer diaper. The outer layer is waterproof and the inner is a soft material for next to baby. A pocket is left at the top of the diaper for you to put in the absorbency between the outer and inner layers. You are free to adjust the thickness depending on your baby’s needs. Prefolds cause more bulk but are absorbent, whereas microfiber is super trim. The choices for inserts is limitless. You could even use a towel or receiving blanket if your left in a pinch. Pockets can also be used as covers or swim diapers. They dry fast and for the most part wash up easy. Buildup can occur on the inner layer and "material" can get trapped inside the pocket when washing.

All In Ones are the cloth diaper most similar to a disposable. Everything you need is there in the diaper- no stuffing, no cover required. All In Ones look very different across different brands. Some have the soaker sewn in, others have it partially attached outside the diaper to allow for quick-drying (you will see this referred to as QD). All In Ones can be very trim but others are quite bulky. AIO are easy to use for anyone (daycares, babysitters, dads!) but do have some washing drawbacks. They take longer to dry and can trap detergent and urine smells inside the soaker if not rinsed very well.



How do you care for them?

Each type of cloth diaper requires differant care. Basically, all cloth diapers need to be taken apart, rinsed out, and washed. After you use them for awhile, you'll find your own rythum when it comes to diaper care. It's not hard, if you know what to do. I found this guide online to all things cloth diaper: http://ultimateguidetoclothdiapers.com/#1

If you use flushable liners one top of the diaper, it will catch the poop and you won't have to worry about poopy stains.

Hospital Birth Plan

Before you touch me or do anything to me, you will discuss it with me and obtain my informed consent. When I say informed, I mean informed. Don't send anyone in to talk to me that does not know every single benefit and risk in detail as well as statistics.

 

If I decline something, which will most likely happen, be respectful and don't push it. No means no the first time.

 

Things you need to know:

 

I am using the Bradley Birth Method to give birth. I need total focus and concentration. If I need something, I will ask, otherwise don't bug me.

 

If you have a question, ask my husband or doula first. I like to be left alone.

 

If you want to take heart tones, you'll need a handheld Doppler. I'll likely be moving around a lot. Absolutely NO internal monitoring and no continuous monitoring.

 

I will be eating and drinking as I feel the need.

 

DO NOT offer me drugs or ask me to rate my pain. Make up a number if you have to.

 

Husband or I will be catching our baby. No touching me or the baby as it is emerging.

 

When I am pushing, stay silent and calm. Just sit back and watch me work. If I need you, I will let you know.

 

Baby is born, goes immediately on my chest, latches on, and stays there indefinitely.

 

Umbilical cord remains unclamped and uncut until I feel like cutting it. Then Husband will cut it. Don't ask, I'll let you know.

 

No routine Pitocin or cord traction unless I'm hemorrhaging. My placenta will come out when it's good and ready, possibly 1 to 2 hours. Don't freak out.

 

Feel free to take pictures and videos.

 

My baby is not to leave me at any time unless it is an emergency, then Spencer is to stay with baby at all times. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Do not do ANYTHING to baby without my permission. If I decline something, don't push it.