Cloth Diapers 2019

When my oldest was born in 2010, I used a "hybrid" diaper system called g-diapers that I had heard about.  This system appealed to me because I was completely intimidated by the idea of cloth diapering, but I wanted an option that did not include sending hundreds of disposable diapers to the landfill.  The idea of the hybrid system is that you have a cloth diaper cover with a waterproof layer, and inside it you use a disposable insert that is biodegradable and/or flushable.  The g-diapers also have an actual cloth diaper insert option, but as a first-time mom, I didn't feel ready for this.  I did eventually switch over to these cloth inserts, and I continued using them with my second child who was born in 2012.  With him, I also decided to try my hand a sewing my own cloth diapers out of a material called PUL (waterproof) and making inserts from a combination of Gerber prefold cloth diapers for the outer layer and a microfiber cloth for the absorbent core. 

Fast-forward to 2019 and baby number three.  The popularity of modern cloth diapers has risen considerably, making them more accessible.  Several friends who are/were cloth diapering moms had been pleased with their experience with "one size" diapers, which are adjustable to accommodate baby at almost any size throughout the diaper-wearing years without having to buy various sizes of diapers.  I looked at many of the brands my friends had recommended, but I found most of them to be rather expensive.  Being an avid Amazon Prime shopper, I decided to look to Amazon for an alternate solution.  I found some surprisingly affordable options but was, naturally, a bit skeptical.  Could these cheaper options really perform as well as the big-name brands, or would they be a waste of money?  I decided to put a few sets on my baby registry and see what happened.  I wound up receiving two different brands that are nearly identical styles, and I have been very pleased with both!  I was concerned that the one-size diapers would not fit my skinny-legged baby very well, but when I finally tried them around 1.5 months (9-ish pounds), they worked perfectly with no gaps or leaks.  After reading a few Pinterest hacks about how to make a one-size diaper work on a newborn, I think I probably could have started using them even sooner.  (Note: cloth diapers do make baby's bum a lot bulkier than disposable diapers, so you may have to size up on baby clothes, especially onsies.)  Here are the brands I have with a few details about each, although like I said, the two brands are nearly identical.

1. The brand I registered for on my baby registry was Alvababy.  These come with six diapers and 12 microfiber inserts.  I currently only use one insert at a time, but as baby gets bigger and wets more, I have the option of doubling up on the inserts for added absorbency.  These sets are $29.99 for the solid colors below and $32.99 for the prints.  That's roughly $5 per diaper cover with 2 inserts!  Really great deal compared to the big name brands. 



2. Wegreeco.  I didn't register for this brand, but I did receive them as a gift.  The only difference in this set and the Alvababy set is that instead of 12 microfiber inserts, these come with 6 bamboo inserts, plus a wet bag where you can place used diapers when you are away from home.  This set is $28.99. 


If you've never cloth diapered before, here is a short run-down of things that may be helpful to know. 

First, I like to use a diaper liner to make cleanup a bit easier.  I use these bamboo ones.

Basically, these look kind of like a used drier sheet.  You lay them on the inside surface of the cloth diaper and they catch most of the poop while letting pee pass through to the absorbent diaper.  Then, you just toss the liner, rather than having to wash poop down the toilet.  Speaking of which, I have also installed a diaper sprayer onto my toilet, but I haven't needed to use it yet, as breastfed newborn poop is completely water soluble and doesn't have to be washed off prior to laundering (and the liners catch most of it anyway).  I bought this Charlie Banana one because I was able to get it with a Target gift card, but there are cheaper brands on Amazon.


After I've changed a diaper and disposed of the diaper liner, I use an Ubbi diaper pail to store the soiled diapers until it's time to wash them.  (They have lots of cute design options.)  I also have the reusable diaper pail liners to avoid throwing out plastic bags.  They come in a two-pack so you can wash one each time you do a load of diapers, and still have the other one to put in the pail.



As for washing, I'm pretty sure I was just winging it with my first two kids.  I've done some research recently (i.e. Pinterest links), and here's the basics I came across that really helped me get a better handle on things. 
1. Your regular detergent is fine.  You don't need anything special.  But if your baby has sensitive skin,  you might want to be mindful of that and go with a fragrance-free, gentle option. 
2. Use hot water and a cold rinse.  My machine doesn't give the option of selecting the temp for the rinse, so I assume it's always a cold water rinse.  The hot water is necessary to dissolve the detergent appropriately, as well as help dissolve any solids on the diaper. 
3. If you have a H.E. washer, which most of them are now, you'll want to do a "deep water" wash cycle.  My machine has a setting specifically for this, but if yours doesn't, you can trick your machine into using more water by adding a fluffy towel to the load. 
4. I wash everything all together... the diaper covers, the inserts, and the reusable diaper pail liner (turned inside out).
5. When it's time to dry, I air dry everything except the inserts (the absorbent part).  In the Florida humidity, these would take ages to dry.  I put them in the dryer on high heat with a clean, dry bath towel. 

Okay, that's all the advice I can think of for now.  I hope this helps someone who is considering cloth diapers.  Let me know (via Facebook) if you have any questions. 

Ellison's Birth Story

It is amazing to me the way that God’s providence is so evident in hindsight, especially in circumstances where it was hard to see while in the midst of a particular event.  In relation to Ellison’s birth, God’s gracious and meticulous control of the timing of everything is the thing that has struck me the most.  For the delivery of baby number three, my big prayer was that I would be able to go into labor naturally without needing to be induced, and that I would be able to go through the process of labor naturally without needing an epidural.  I know some of you think that’s crazy, but based on how smoothly my previous deliveries had gone, I really felt strongly this time that I wanted to go the “all-natural” route.  I had read up on every possible method of helping to facilitate this, but ultimately I knew it wasn’t totally in my hands because, let’s face it, I can’t make contractions start.  Because of my gestational diabetes (which I’ve had in all three pregnancies), I knew all along that the OBGYN midwives would ultimately decide when I would need to be induced, if labor had not yet started on its own.  Up until about week 38, I had been told that my due date, Saturday, May 4, would be the day to plan on being induced.  On Thursday, May 2, I had my final checkup with my midwife.  Everything was looking great with baby, and her size was measuring right on track (not huge).  I was already 4cm dilated, and I had my membranes stripped to possibly help labor start.  My midwife felt certain that my labor would start naturally before the weekend, but we needed to go ahead and schedule an induction in case it came to that.  I was pleasantly surprised when instead of Saturday, she recommended TUESDAY morning!  I was stunned that she was so willing to let me go past my due date by three days, as this had never been presented as an option up until this moment.  I left the office happy and confident that we were probably going to have a baby the next day.  Upon arriving home, I did all the things that are recommended to help labor start naturally, including walking a mile through the neighborhood and doing some yoga. 

Friday arrived.  I walked another mile through the neighborhood.  Rob had a sore throat and decided to make an appointment with the doctor to have it checked out.  I assumed it was just related to seasonal allergies.  I rode with him to his appointment, expecting that we would leave there and go wander the aisles of Target to get some more walking in without having to be out in the heat.  The doctor’s appointment was quick because Rob immediately tested positive for strep throat.  Our efforts at trying to start labor came to a screeching halt.  Rob would need to be on antibiotics for a full 48 hours before he would no longer be considered contagious.  Our fear, of course, was that if I went into labor within these 48 hours, he may not be allowed into the delivery room.  (In reality, I have no idea if this is the case, but it seemed plausible.)  This is when my emotions began to roller coaster like crazy.  We returned home for the day, with Rob quarantined in our bedroom, and me basically sitting around trying NOT to go into labor.  Rob’s parents picked up the kids from school to keep them until at least Sunday to help prevent anyone else from getting sick. 

Saturday was another day of sitting around the house. 

Sunday, Rob was feeling much better, and it had been nearly 48 hours, so he decided to go to church.  I decided to stay home, as my introverted self couldn’t stand the thought of having to answer the same questions over and over… “You’re still pregnant?!”… “When are you gonna have that baby?!” etc.   My emotional state could not have handled it that day.  Rob’s parents brought the kids to church and afterward went to the minute-clinic where they, too, tested positive for strep.  Holy cow.

Sunday night/Monday morning, my throat started feeling tight.  On a normal day, I would have ignored it, thinking again that it was allergy related, but in this case, I wanted to be on the safe side.  I scheduled a doctor’s appointment to get tested for strep.  The earliest appointment available was 11:30 Monday, but as there were no signs of labor at this point, time of day didn’t seem to matter.  I went to the appointment, tested negative (praise Jesus), and was put on antibiotics as a precautionary measure, in case I was actually in the early stages of strep.

I got in the car to leave the appointment at noon and realized I was starting to have contractions.  The REAL kind, not the Braxton Hicks I had been having for weeks.  I started timing with the digital clock in my car as I drove home.  They were seven minutes apart and intense enough that I winced a little with each one.  I came home and informed Rob and kept timing, thinking we would probably be staring at the timer for the better part of the afternoon.  Seven minutes apart quickly turned into two-and-a-half!  30-seconds long… 40-seconds… 50-seconds… 1-minute.  We live 30 minutes from the hospital, so we decided the smart thing to do was to at least go ahead and get to St. Augustine.  I didn’t want to check into the hospital too soon because I didn’t want to be strapped to monitors all day, so we discussed the idea of going somewhere close to the hospital to walk around a bit.  By the time we had driven the distance though, that idea was out the window.  Labor was coming on FAST, so we went straight to L&D at the hospital.  Upon arrival at 2:00, I was at least 7-8cm dilated, although the nurse couldn’t be sure because she didn’t want to risk breaking my water while checking.  Contractions were now intense enough it was work to walk down the hall to my next destination.  I was set up in a delivery room, attached to the monitor, given an I.V. port, and Rob procured the birthing ball I had requested.  (I had told him I wanted all the props that were available, but we only had time or need for the ball at this point!)  Contractions were coming strong and fast.  I sat and rocked on the birthing ball while Rob gave counter-pressure on my lower back.  My midwife Amy checked in with me and said she’d be in the hall staying out of my way until I needed her.  (She also was great about getting me detached from the monitor, even though I had been told I would need continuous monitoring the whole time.  I love how she trusted her gut rather than protocol.)  Rob and I went through a few more rounds of contractions on our own on the birthing ball.  I don’t know how many, but it seemed like only a few minutes had passed before I felt like it was time to get ready to push.  This is the part of labor that I had not ever experienced before due to my epidurals.  It is wild how your body just knows what to do!  In my case, instead of just feeling pressure internally, it was like I could feel baby Ellison’s head pushing onto the birthing ball!  We buzzed for the midwife; she and the nurses burst through the door and set up the room for delivery in a flash!  I was ready to go.  Amy thought she might break my water to help things along, but we were already past that being an option, as all she could feel was baby.  I had done my research on birthing positions, and I knew I didn’t want to lie on my back, so I used a position I had read about that looked the most useful and supported.  Again, I was incredibly pleased that Amy was supportive of me giving birth in whatever way I felt comfortable.  With the delivery bed in a fully-upright position (like a chair), I knelt on the bed, facing the upright part and using it for support.  It was surprisingly perfect.  It was just the right height for me to hook my arms over the top edge for support.  In a matter of minutes (maybe four contractions), my water broke and soon after Ellison was born!  The contractions and pushing were physically intense, but I was surprised at how mentally alert I felt.  I remember giving myself a little mental pep-talk after thinking it felt like baby wasn’t going to fit!  She, of course, did, because the female body is amazingly designed for birth.  She was passed up to me where I held her moist newborn body up against my chest.  As soon as the delivery process was over, I was amazed at how I felt.  Rather than being overwhelmed with pain, I felt empowered by what I had just done.  Yes, I was a bit sore from all that hard work, but it was so much more positive of an experience than I had ever expected.  I don’t want to gloss over it and make it sound like it was easy or pain free.  That’s not the case.  Labor is intense, no matter how your experience goes.  Mine just happened to be fast and furious!  I believe going into labor naturally without being induced and having an unmedicated birth helped my body do exactly what it was designed to do.  I was able to listen to its cues and do what it needed.  The hormones and oxytocin and adrenalin that flood a woman’s brain during labor are also pretty stinking amazing and do a great job of helping you to kind of forget the intensity of the pain you’ve just been through.  My recovery from this birth has also gone faster and easier than my previous two.  I give some of that credit to the fact that my body is more experienced with the birthing process now than it was as a brand new mom, but I also think going all-natural helped, as well.  I am incredibly thankful for this experience going the way that it did, and I could not have dreamed of it going any better. 

Taste and see!

About two weeks ago, in the midst of a study on one of my favorite children's authors (Patricia Polacco), I read a book to my third graders called, Thank You, Mr. Falker.  The book opens like this:

“The grandpa held the jar of honey so that all the family could see, then dipped a ladle into it and drizzled honey on the cover of a small book.  The little girl had just turned five.  ‘Stand up, little one,’ he cooed.  ‘I did this for your mother, your uncles, your older brother, and now you!’  Then he handed the book to her.  ‘Taste!’  She dipped her finger into the honey and put it into her mouth.  ‘What is that taste?’ the grandma asked.  The little girl answered, ‘Sweet!’  Then all of the family said in a single voice, ‘Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book!’  The little girl knew that the promise to read was at last hers.  Soon she was going to learn to read.”

After this girl (who is Patricia herself) completes this lovely ceremony with her family at the age of five, she goes on to struggle with reading throughout all of elementary school, until, as you can probably predict by the title, she meets Mr. Falker.  He teaches her in a way that no one else ever has, and at long last, in fifth grade, printed words finally start to make sense to Patricia.  The book ends like this, with Patricia gleefully celebrating alone in her house:

“She spooned honey on the cover and tasted the sweetness, and said to herself, ‘The honey is sweet, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee who made the honey, it has to be chased through the pages of a book!’  Then she held the book, honey and all, close to her chest.  She could feel tears roll down her cheeks, but they weren’t tears of sadness; she was happy, so very happy.”

Beautiful story.  Even if my story ended there, it would be pretty great.  But that's not the end.

A few days after reading this book, I joined a small handful of ladies for coffee one evening to have some community time where we could sit and chat about our faith.  In the circle of six young women, I only had a preexisting relationship with one person.  The other four were essentially strangers to me, but I was certainly pleased to meet them.  One new friend and I (let's call her "Mary"), surprisingly, have several friends in common.  (As it turns out, she grew up in Putnam County where I now attend church.)  As she shared more about herself, she described that she is not a part of a church or other community of faith, that she doesn't know too much about the Bible, that she spent several years tagging along with a friend to a church youth group as a teenager, and that she really is just interested in having a place where she can talk about faith with other people, as there are not many people in her current life who are open to this topic of conversation.  I was already excited about all of the new relationships that were forming in our coffee circle and the future conversations I could imagine us all having, but I felt the Lord had put "Mary" and I in this group together for a particular reason.  It was a bit exhilarating!

As conversation drew to an end, Lisa, the friend who had invited us all together was chatting with "Mary" about the particular translation of the Bible that Lisa had brought with her.  It had been lying on the table, encircled by our various caffeinated beverages, throughout the evening.  Consequently, a drop of honey had landed on the cover.  I had taken notice of this earlier in the evening and thought to myself, "Oh, that's funny," thinking back to Patricia Polacco's lovely honey ceremony, but didn't make much of it.  Until this moment: Lisa was describing what an easy-to-read translation it was and how it is a great place to start if you are unfamiliar with scripture.  Lisa picked up the Bible and, being the mom-of-toddlers that she is, wiped the honey straight onto her shirt.  My internal dialogue started going NUTS!  "The honey ceremony!  This is crazy!  Is this really happening right now?"  Lisa passed her Bible to "Mary" to keep until the next time we meet, and then the most significant thought of the evening, which wasn't just a thought, but more a word from the Lord, entered my mind: "She needs to taste it.  She needs to TASTE IT!!!" 

Psalm 34: 8 "O taste and see that the LORD is good!"

This moment, I am convinced, was meant just for me and completely ordained.  Regardless of how well I explain it (and I'm sure I haven't actually done all that well), I am sure it will never be as astonishing to anyone else as it was to me in that moment.   I believe the Lord just wanted to reveal Himself in a private and personal way to me, to remind me that the relationship I have with Him is not merely a theoretical and abstract one, but rather one that is close and intimate.  He knows my innermost thoughts.  He knew that drop of honey would BLOW MY MIND. 

Upon returning to school, I also read a related Polacco book to my class called The Bee Tree.  This one ends like this:

“Grampa took Mary Ellen inside away from the crowd.  “Now, child, I am going to show you what my father showed me, and his father before,” he said quietly. He spooned the honey onto the cover of one of her books. “Taste,” he said, almost in a whisper. . . .
“There is such sweetness inside of that book too!” he said thoughtfully. “Such things...adventure, knowledge and wisdom. But these things do not come easily. You have to pursue them. Just like we ran after the bees to find their tree, so you must also chase these things through the pages of a book!”

This time, the idea was even more precious to me than it had been at first.  I was now reminded that we must pursue the Lord through the pages of His Word.   But if we do, adventure, knowledge, wisdom, and so much more, await us!

O TASTE AND SEE.