Monthly Archives: August 2014

Addicted to cloth

Posted in Reusable Nappies by

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Hello. My name is Mrs K and I am addicted to cloth nappies! There, I said it! They say that admitting it is the first step but do you know what, I don’t want to be cured!

I love my cloth nappies. Oh, I mean baby boy’s cloth nappies! I love the patterns and colours and the way they keep him without nappy rash (except when teething) and the absorbency and the fit and how we have never had a poo leak … I could go on forever. I also love how they could work out over time cheaper than disposables. I say could because anyone who uses cloth nappies knows that it is almost impossible to refuse either a cloth nappy bargain or a new print!

Take the recent limited edition Chaplin print by Bum Genius. Apparently it sold out in the UK in just 6 minutes! We were all warned that there would not be many arriving to these shores. It was in such high demand that some stockists ended up with draws just to decide who could buy one! Now, what’s a girl to do in these circumstances? Call upon family and friends in the USA of course! With the help of a very kind family member I am now the lucky owner of a brand new chaplin print. But do you know what, I don’t love it! I went to all the trouble of getting it and having it shipped over to me and when it arrived I have to say I was ambivalent at best. It is growing on me but I can’t bring myself to remove it from the packet just in case I can’t grow to love it! I need help I know!

These limited edition prints are in demand though. I saw a Tots Bots Royal Flush sell on eBay for £190 the other day! Bum Genius Irwin and Jules often sell for twice the rrp. The world has gone crazy! But people do say, something is only worth what someone will pay for it.

Now yes I do feel that I am addicted to cloth nappies but I would never pay over the odds. In fact the majority of my stash are eBay cheapies so maybe there is hope for me yet!

Are you addicted to cloth nappies? Have you ever paid more than you should have for a nappy?

image credit – http://www.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2014/08/are-you-addicted-to-something/

The misery of teething

Posted in Parenting by

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Baby boy is teething. It is not good at all. In fact I would go as far as say that it is hell! Teething has turned my already, to put it nicely, high maintenance child into a rosy cheeked, unsettled screamer!

He already has 3 teeth that came through with the same fanfare. This is the fourth and probably the worst. He just won’t be comforted.

I have tried many different so called teething remedies. Teething gel may as well be water and calpol, although it seems to just about take the edge off, doesn’t do much to settle him. I have been recommended teething granules but these are so hard to find they may as well be gold dust. In desperation I have even gone so far as trying amber beads!

I will admit to being extremely dubious about these but in all honesty they seem to be the thing that works the best. Baby boy was wearing them when tooth number 3 came through and it was by far the easiest. It may just be coincidence but who knows. Unfortunately, they came off his ankle a few weeks ago and I put them somewhere ‘safe’! I am planning a detailed search of the house tomorrow to find them!

I’m hoping that this tooth hurries up and pops through soon because quite honestly I don’t know how much more I can take of this. I want my normally high maintenance child back!

Do you have any teething tips?

image credit -http://www.howtobeadad.com/tag/teething

Baby buys – need vs want

Posted in Parenting by

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I attended a baby shower for my lovely sister in law today and it got me thinking about what you really need to buy for a newborn. There are plenty of lists online outlining the ‘essentials’ and people will always tell you not to buy too much because you won’t use it all (but should we listen to them?).

Emma’s Diary have put together a useful little list of the essential items a newborn needs:

Cot (plus mattress, sheets and blankets), Car seat, Pram/buggy/travel system, Six sleepsuits/ long sleeved suits, Six vests/ short sleeved suits, Two cardigans/ jacketsShawl or snow suit, Hat, mittens and bootees, Changing mat, NappiesBottles/teats/bottle brush (only needed if not breastfeeding), Nursing bra and breast pads, Loads of bibs, Plenty of towels/ flannels/muslin squares (for bathing and dribbles!), Loads of kitchen roll and cotton wool pads, Brush and comb.        www.emmasdiary.co.uk

When you read it there doesn’t seem to be much. Where are the cute little outfits, the bouncy chair, the high tech swing, the play gym, the cuddly toys etc? Apparently newborns don’t need these things. “Don’t bother with a baby bath” people say “just bath them in the sink” or “you’ll never dress them in outfits, you’ll just use sleepsuits for the first few months”. Fair enough, when you think about it newborns don’t actually NEED as much as you think but what about what you WANT?

Now be honest, did you really only WANT the bare essentials for your child or did you WANT to buy the cute outfits, the musical swing and the coordinating nursery? I’ll admit, we had a baby bath, a bouncy chair, a swing, lots of outfits, cute teddy bears etc. And I will also admit that we used them all! They may not have been essential but they were useful! I loved dressing baby boy in a different outfit each day and found the bouncy chair to be a godsend when I needed to eat. I was lucky and was either given a lot of items or was able to get them second hand so I didn’t have to spend a lot of money. I have found that even with ‘non essentials’ it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

We may not NEED to buy lots for our bundles of joy but sometimes we just WANT to.

Did you go overboard when buying for your little one? Did you use it all?

image credit – http://www.pregnancy-baby-care.com/baby-needs.html

Babywearing – how I came to love it!

Posted in Babywearing by

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It seems as though babywearing is the new parenting trend. Gwen Stefani is rarely spotted without her Ergo baby carrier and even Peter Andre was spotted with a baby bjorn (albeit with bad positioning).

“Babywearing” simply means holding or carrying a baby or young child using a cloth baby carrier. Holding babies is natural and universal; baby carriers make it easier and more comfortable, allowing parents and caregivers to hold or carry their children while attending to the daily tasks of living.          http://www.babywearinginternational.org

Whilst pregnant I joined an online forum to discuss all things pregnancy. A number of experienced Mums extolled the benefits of babywearing. Not only did it leave Mums with free hands to get things done but apparently it resulted in calm, happy children, they explained. I was intrigued and so decided to find out more. I discovered that babywearing has been practised for centuries all around the world. Reading that carried babies often cry less, develop better and learn to be more confident in social situations was an interesting concept. I thought that I would give it a go, at least some of the time anyway.

During my research I came across what seemed like thousands of different slings each claiming to be the most supportive and comfortable and ranging from cheaply priced to ‘oh my goodness, I need a loan to buy that’! I eventually decided on a Moby wrap which is in essence a long piece of stretchy, jersey fabric. It came with good reviews online and despite looking extremely difficult to tie I was excited to use it. To learn how to put it on I watched many YouTube videos, one of the best being a tutorial by NaturallyThriftyMom How To: Moby Wrap Newborn Hug Hold, who gives step by step instructions using her own child in the demo. Obviously I practised using a cabbage patch doll and although I felt reasonably confident that I could tie it safely, I was a little hesitant to think that soon I would be using it with a real live baby!

That first month after baby boy was born I didn’t even consider babywearing. The pain from the caesarean was still there and I didn’t want to risk anything pressing against my scar. One night though baby boy just wouldn’t settle. He just didn’t seem to know what to do with himself and Mr K and I were quickly running out of ideas. I decided to try the Moby. It took me while to get it on and tied correctly but within seconds of baby boy being put in, held close to my chest, he stopped crying. It was a miracle. Within minutes he was asleep! Over the next few months the Moby became my go to accessory. I used it around the house, for walks to the shop and even used it to carry baby boy around The Baby and Toddler Show. We received mixed comments. A lot of people had never seen a stretchy wrap before and were intrigued, asking how it worked and was it complicated. Other people dismissed it straight away saying that they wouldn’t have the time or patience to put it on. A small number of people told me that I would spoil baby boy by carrying him too much! What nonsense!

I recently acquired 2 more carriers, a woven wrap and an Ergo (which I believe to be fake but that’s another story). The woven wrap is pretty much the same as the Moby except that it is made from a stronger, non stretchy material to enable me to carry baby boy as he gets heavier. The Ergo is what is called a soft structured carrier. It is done up using buckles and so is quicker and easier to put on. The Ergo is Mr K’s favourite whilst I love the brightly coloured woven wrap.

As baby boy grows I will need to learn how to do back carries to ensure comfort for both of us and despite YouTube having a number of videos for this, I think that I will need to visit my local babywearing group for guidance. For anyone considering babywearing I would seriously suggest looking online to see if you have a sling library/babywearing group in your local area as they can offer advice and support as well as allowing you to try different slings and carriers to determine which ones suit you and your child.

Mr K and I only tend to babywear now when out and about but the benefits are still numerous and I look forward to carrying for a good while yet.

Do you babywear? Which carrier do you use?

 

image credit- http://aajdaafrin.blogspot.com/

Under the weather

Posted in Uncategorized by

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Serious moan alert!!

Oh my goodness I feel like I have been run over by a train! I woke up this morning to a stuffy head and a runny nose but as the day has progressed I feel more and more zombie like. Constant sneezing, runny nose and banging headache. Yep you guessed it, I have a cold!

Normally when I have a cold or just feel generally ill I will dose myself up and lie back on the sofa to watch trashy TV. But now I have baby boy. I can’t just take a nap or try the age old remedy of a hot toddy (knowing full well that it won’t work but taking full advantage of ‘medicinal’ alcohol). I have to be a parent whether I feel like death warmed up or not. Baby boy seems to have sensed that I am not 100% today as well and is taking full advantage. He doesn’t want to nap and wants me with him at all times.

So I apologise for the moan, the boring topic and the extremely short post but I am off to take more cold and flu tablets washed down with very strong coffee!

image credit – http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/feeling-ill-have-some-chicken-soup/