Pumping
- Today I pumped for the first time. I got the pump yesterday and was going to pump this morning but my schedule just didn't permit. Greta went down for a nice long nap this afternoon so I pumped then. I must say, it was much easier than I expected. I only pumped for 10 minutes as I wanted to make sure Greta had enough for her next feeding. It wasn't painful at all and the milk seemed to flow pretty easily. One thing I can say, my child has the suction of a barracuda! Compared to her, the pump barely felt like it had any suction! I'm going to start building up my milk supply so that I can leave her for a few hours or Graham and I can go out.
Cloth Diapering
- A while back my doula started a workshop at Babies R Us about cloth diapering. While I was never able to attend the resulting discussion on their message board intrigued me so I researched the whole thing. I really couldn't see any downsides so I bought 13 fuzzi-bunz off of eBay and then bought cloth wipes, a hanging diaper pail, and the recommended detergent from another web site. We used newborn disposables until her meconium (sp?) stopped and also until her umbilical stump was pretty much dried up. It's been really easy and my favorite part is the cloth wipes. They stay warmer much longer from the wipe warmer and unless she has a MAJOR blowout you only need one wipe for even the messiest diaper vs several paper wipes. Graham likes that he doesn't feel like he's throwing away 25 cents every time he changes her. Each evening once she is down for her evening nap I throw the dirty diapers in the washer, run them through a cold rinse then a hot wash with detergent and then either that night or the next morning I pop them in the dryer and they are ready to go. The nicer cloth diapers (meaning those that are more like a disposable) are an investment but I figure we'll be diapering her for a while and we won't have to make this purchase again for future children. My child also loves to be a nudie baby when she gets her diaper changed. We've started letting her lay on her changing pad as long as she likes without a diaper on. I figure this is good for her bum and it makes her happy. I just stick an old fashioned cloth diaper under her to catch any accidents.
Bathing
- My doula mentioned to me that Mommy Baby bathing was a good idea if Greta was crying and we weren't able to console her. Once her umbilical stump fell off we decided to try this. It really makes bath time a whole lot easier. She's more comfortable because she's able to be more submersed and Graham and I aren't trying to contort her in all sorts of positions in the little bath tub to get her washed. She really enjoys bathtime. She can be so fussy but as soon as we put her in the tub she gets all relaxed and makes the cutest faces. I would post pictures but as it's Mommy Baby bathing...well you get the idea. I think she is definitely going to be a water baby and will enjoy the pool this summer. I can't wait! And lest you ask, so far she hasn't had any "accidents" in the tub.
Soothing
- All in all, Greta is not a fussy baby. But, she does have periods of fussiness in the evening. Gripe Water has become our salvation. It really calms her down and makes the evenings much more enjoyable for all of us. It's also great for her hiccups which she gets pretty often. And, to top it off, she LOVES the way it tastes.
Traveling
- Yesterday was the first day I really got out with Greta by myself. Our day started off at the Midwife/Doula's office to buy the aforementioned pump along with a lactation consultation. After we were done I decided to be adventurous and go to the mall. As it was nearing her feeding time I decided to try and feed her in the car. This worked rather well and we shopped for a bit then I fed her again before we left. We also visited Graham at work and showed her off to all our coworkers.
This first month has been a challenge but each week it has gotten easier. I'm looking forward to what next month will bring!
10 Responses:
I'm glad you like gripe water! That stuff saved our lives!! And I called Emma a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Three times she unclogged milk ducts for me! So, like you, pumping was nothing!
I'm jealous you can pump! I'm generally unresponsive to pumping so if we were to have a night out- babe would go in the sling along with us! Oh well... At least she could get the milk out!
I had no idea you were cloth diapering! That is so cool. :) We love it. Claire is mostly in Bumgeniuses now and We're planning to have Kissaluvs fitteds for the new baby. I just use All Free and Clear for our dipes- what detergent are you using? I saw all the special recommended detergents but also asked around and some friends I asked just use stuff (like ALL) from the grocery store. So far it seems to work fine. Other than that, we do the same thing- cold cycle, hot cycle, dry, DONE! It's so easy. I love it! :D
I'm using the Allens naturally detergent. It's quite concentrated so I use hardly any at all. The box I bought should last us forever! I decided to go with that detergent because the manufacturer (of fuzzi bunz) recommended it and I found several people who said they had problems with their diapers not absorbing after using regular detergents.
I love cloth diapering. Haven't done anything else with mine and it's sooo much cheaper for us. :)
Caleb showered with me and the boys take baths together which makes them so much happier.
What kind of pump did you get??? I would really love to get a Medela PIS! Luke is also a nakie baby - he loves bathtime and having his diaper changed. So if he was fussing, he will immediately settle. Glad things are getting easier for you and it will only get better from here on out - smiling, grabbing toys, laughing....
Well, pumping is only the first step. I was handy at pumping, but Kate didn't hold up her end of the bargain. Well, I never actually left her with just a bottle to tide her over. She might have had a different feeling then, but as it was, I didn't feel good about leaving her without testing it ourselves. Didn't so much work. :-)
I'm glad you're enjoying cloth diapering. I keep asking the older generation if they liked or enjoyed and I don't get a lot of positive answers. I spose things have progressed a bit since my mom's day, but I have to think that it would get a bit taxing over long term, especially doing it for multiple children. But, obviously, there are several people that you know who have a diff perspective, so I hope that it keeps being that wonderful! I have enough trouble getting our regular clothes laundered, dried, folded, and back into drawers, I can only imagine the difficulty I would have with diapers. Have you (or Rebecca) considered a diaper service? I am assuming they are still out there. I know that the Bailey grandparents gave diaper service to Josh's mom when she was going through it all.
Yes, I am hopeful Greta will take a bottle as well. You're right - pumping is only 1/2 the battle.
As far as the diapers I was kind of worried about the work but in all honesty, it's easier than I ever imagined it to be. The hardest part I think (for me at least) is just to remember to wash them each night. I asked my mom about cloth diapering (which she did for both my sister and I) and she gave me positive feedback and that was in the days of pins, plastic pants, etc. Cloth diapers really have come a long way. They certainly aren't for everyone but if you've ever been interested in it, I think you might find you like it.
I looked into diaper services and I couldn't find one. I also heard from people who did use them that they really don't save any money vs. disposables. I also wasn't sure if I wanted to use diapers on my child that someone else had used on theirs. Maybe it's just my squeamishness but I'd worry they weren't completely sanitized.
I never thought about that -- I thought it was like a dry cleaners -- your diapers get returned to you. I knew they were expensive, but I didn't know if they existed anymore. Well, it does sound interesting. It's certainly makes it more feasible to KNOW some cloth diaperers, that way we can get the down & dirty scoop. :-)
I actually prefer diaper laundry to regular laundry. ha! Although it has helped me to stay regular on regular laundry because I always think, "Well, while I'm at it, I might as well do a load of clothes!" so more gets done rather than less just because I'm "in the mode" so to speak. I love cleaning my diapers and then pulling them out all warm, fresh, and clean and getting them all back together and folded and ready for use again. For some reason I just find it really relaxing and fun and usually I am sooooo not a laundry person! It's one of those things where I sit on the couch with my basket of diapers and just relax while I fold/stuff them. So it's a nice break sometimes. :)
I don't know if there are any diaper services around here, but I feel the same as Kelley about them (expense and diapers being used by others etc).
Rachel,
My pump is an Ameda Purely Yours. From what I read, it's comparable to the Medela PIS. I ended up getting this particular one because it was recommended by my Doula and because of the positive reviews I had read. So far I really like it.
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