Murphy's Laws for Moms

With all of the talk about gDiapers, I recently decided I would check them out for myself.  After all, if there's a way to make cloth diapering easier without all of the mess of the actual cloth diaper, I'll try it. Well, while I can see the benefit of using gDiapers (ease of use, limited laundering needed, stylish colors, and overall quality construction of the cover), I must admit that this is far from actually doing cloth diapers.  To begin with, the actual diaper portion of the gDiaper is a disposable insert.  The packaging states that the inserts are flushable; however, I can hardly imagine anyone actually being able to flush something this large down anything less than a commercial-grade toilet.  I, for one, was not willing to test this statement with my low-flow toilets.  Thus, I was stuck with the option of disposing of these diapers in the traditional method...straight into the trash, thus eliminating the actual purpose for using gDiapers (keep reading ...

**As a special note, this blog entry talks about some detail into things that happen with a woman's body after pregnancy.  It is not for the faint-hearted.  Proceed with caution! How many of us who have gone through labor and delivery came out of it thinking: "Oh yeah, that's EXACTLY like all of my friends said it would be!"  Well, I wasn't one of those people.  I was the person who came out of my labor and delivery saying, "REALLY?!  This is what my mother went through?  No wonder she didn't tell me!"  Then, after the first six weeks of Baby being home, I knew exactly why my mother never told me everything that would happen...she was afraid she wouldn't become a grandmother! Now, don't get me wrong.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE being a mother, and I'd never ask for anything - or anyone - else.  However, let's face it, labor, delivery, and those first few weeks are not like the movies or TV shows.  Labor lasts a lot longer (for those of us luck...

Breastfeeding is definitely an art.  Don't let anyone tell you that there's only one way to do it...that's simply not true.  And, the same goes with nursing in public.  I am blessed to live in an area of the country where breastfeeding is a proud symbol of being a mother.  Retailers, restaurants, and even public parks are all areas where I can safely go to nurse my baby without concern that someone will come tell me I can't be there.  Granted, I'm not one to flaunt my nursing.  I purchased my Hooter Hider and I try my best to conceal myself...although I must admit that my modesty went out the window after the problems I had breastfeeding during those first few weeks (if you haven't seen that post, please be sure to read it). Nursing in public isn't easy.  It takes coordination (which I don't have), skills (which I'm still developing), and patience (which I lose more of every year).  It also takes a lot of putting your own fears and embarrassment a...

Everyone needs a night out once in a while.  Whether it's a night on the town or just dinner and a movie, getting away can be a great stress reliever.  However, when a baby's involved, it can also be a stress maker. The first time I left my child at home with a sitter, I was both excited and terrified.  I had been planning for this event since even before my daughter arrived.  I had a charity gala to attend six weeks after my daughter's due date.  Tickets had been purchased.  I had my formal dress.  I made sure my husband would be available.  Everything was set.  Then...my daughter arrived in this world and I wasn't sure I'd be able to leave her. Leaving a child for the first time can be excruciating.  Not knowing how they're going to respond, if they'll eat, if they'll sleep, if it will mess up their schedule, etc. etc. etc.  These are all things that go through your mind (or at least mine).  When preparing for my night out, I...

Since I began my diaper cover reviews with my highest praise, I thought the obvious next review is the cover that receives my lowest praise: the Bummis Whisper Pant Nylon Pull-On. Now, if you're looking for a diaper cover with the greatest cost efficiency, then this is the cover for you.  At $6/cover, you can't beat the cost.  And, if your mother used cloth diapers, she'll probably tell you that this type of cover isn't so bad.  This is the diaper cover that everyone first thinks of when they think of cloth diapering.  It's the all nylon, completely pull-on, if-your-baby-poops-you're-going-to-regret-it diaper cover. Bummis makes some great covers, so please don't let this review stop you from looking at their other products, but you may think twice about purchasing this pant nylon pull-on. Just to show you how little this diaper does...my extremely frugal husband decided to purchase one of these in our first order because of the low cost factor.  His thought...

It's not often that I find a baby product for which I am truly thrilled about.  But, Thirsties V2 diaper covers are amazing!  This is my go-to diaper cover for all of those outfits I want Baby to wear all day.  Now, granted, a diaper cover doesn't always guarantee that an outfit will make it through the day, but I'd rather be wiping off spit-up than trying to bathe my baby on-the-go. The thing that I love best about Thirsties diaper covers is the fact that they incorporate so many different aspects that make a great diaper cover.  They are not only made in the USA, but they are made of material that doesn't allow a wet diaper to feel wet, even outside the cover (as some organic cotton covers will do). After considering the leak-resistant materials used, I then look at the construction of the diapers.  The diapers allow for growth - meaning that, even when my child is in those in-between stages and I have to go to the larger Cloth-eez diaper, I can still fit the ...

After researching all about cloth diapering, I learned a lot about the different covers, ways to fasten, cleaning, and everything else associated with the diaper except the actual diaper.  What goes under the diaper cover is by far the MOST important aspect of cloth diapering.  After all, it's what (hopefully) holds everything in.  I was amazed when my eyes were opened to the worlds of diapering differences. When people think of cloth diapering, many people look at what's available in the stores and then assume that Gerber is the primary brand for the prefolds and flatfolds.  And, while it may be true that Gerber is the leader in positioning amongst many store shelves, in my opinion, they are not the leader in quality and cloth diapering efficiency.  This is where Cloth-eez comes in. Let's start by taking a closer look at the Gerber diapers.  Just for this blog, we'll focus on the prefolds.  There are several different types of Gerber prefolds...