The Things You do for Love: My Life Without Ice Cream and Cheese

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Diva

As I started decorating the house for Christmas this evening, I started reminiscing about this time last year.  It was right around the end of December, I was six months pregnant with the lil’ Diva and was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.  YIKES!  So, yes, I suffered through the holidays without cookies and egg nog and CHOCOLATE!!!  I’m not going to lie, it was rough!  I was pregnant, for crying out loud and I had cravings.  All in all, in three months time (which felt like an eternity for more reasons than just the GD), it was all over and my sweet baby girl was here, and happy and most importantly, healthy.

Life with a newborn brought on a whole new set of challenges because lil’ Diva was not a happy baby.  She would cry and scream ALL. THE. TIME.  She was miserable from the time she nursed up to her next feed.  She would also spit up (and that is a nice way of putting it) ALL. THE. TIME.  The straw that broke the camel’s back was the weekend she refused to eat at all.  She would cry at the breast and pull away. I was beside myself.  I called every lactation consultant and fellow nursing mommy I knew and tried every suggestion thrown my way, but it was no use.  The diagnosis?  Reflux.  But I wasn’t buying it.

You see, on occasion, lil’ Diva would hive after eating, which is significant since her big sister is allergic to both milk and eggs.  I raised the question – could she be allergic to something I am eating?? But my pediatrician poo poo’d me.  I decided to take matters into my own hands, follow my mother’s intuition and on May 29th I decided to give up dairy for two weeks (I read it takes that long for your body to rid itself of the dairy and you had to abstain for a minimum of two weeks before seeing results) to test my theory.

Well, it worked.  Lil’ Diva was a whole new baby.  We went to see an allergist and had her officially tested for allergies but she tested negative.  She was only three months at the time and I was told that because she was so young that the test results were inaccurate.  The picture we took said it all, she was hiving and the allergist told me to continue with my dairy free diet until she was weaned.

Wait, what?!?!?! No ice cream?  No cheese?  This is a good time to tell you that I don’t eat meat, so I was basically becoming a vegan (well, almost).  I had no idea how I was going to keep this up for so long.  My plan was to allow her to self wean, which meant this could be awhile.

Fast forward seven months and it is Christmas time again, and here I am, dairy free.  No egg nog, no hot cocoa, no Christmas cookies, no pizza (I know that has nothing to do with the holidays but I really, really miss it).  I cringe just thinking about it.   Lil’ Diva is doing marvelously (well, she doesn’t sleep but that is a whole different blog post for another time) and I couldn’t be happier.  I wouldn’t change it for the world.  Breastfeeding is very important to me and I will do whatever it takes to allow her to continue for as long as she needs.

In my opinion, reflux is the go to diagnosis when no one knows why a baby is miserable.  It is the modern day “colic”.  My advice – follow your mother’s intuition.  Yeah, sure, it may mean a life without mudpie Blizzards and ultimate cheese nachos but it’s what we do…. as mommies…. for love.

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What’s in my Stash? November 2010 edition

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Diva

When first choosing cloth diapers, the options can be overwhelming.  There are so many choices!  Some people like to simplify and use one style but I like to mix it up a bit so my “stash” is quite diversified.  I dated this post because my stash can change as my baby changes.  You’ll notice I tend to shop WAHM (work at home mom) rather than the big brands.  It’s just a preference.  I like to support the WAHM community and I also love knowing my diapers are hand made custom for my baby.

So, what’s in my stash?  Well, you asked (or you didn’t but I’m sharing anyway) so here goes:

OsoCozy Prefolds – These are your basic diapers that you remember from days past except we no longer use pins, we use snappis to affix them and no more plastic pants.  I love prefolds because they are super trim and great to wear with a nice pair of wool longies.  I haven’t been reaching for them much lately because my daughter is mobile and doesn’t sit still long enough to wrestle them on her.

  • Why I love them: super trim, dries in no time, easy to store, economical, a good excuse to put those adorable wool longies on the baby.

Nubunz pocket diapers – I use 8 of these for my nighttime solution (stuffed with a microfiber insert and a hemp doubler) and 8 are for out and about or quick changes.  I like to refer to my Nubunz as the poor man’s Bum Genius:  Same great design but more than half the price.  I still love Bum Genius and I used them mainly for my older daughter for nighttime, but my wallet has a love affair with Nubunz.  Pocket diapers are great because you can control the absorbency by stuffing them with whatever works for your baby.  Some mamas use prefolds or microfiber or hemp or zorb or a combination of all the above.  Also, the inside layer wicks away moisture keeping baby’s bottom nice and dry (which is why I love them for nighttime and out and about).  Oh, and they don’t need a cover.  The outside is PUL (Polyurethane laminated) which keeps the diaper waterproof.

  • Why I love them: easy to use, can control absorbency, dries quickly since the inserts come out of the pockets, do not require an additional cover, one size diaper that can be used until potty learned.

Muttaquin fitted diapers (“Mutts”) – I love fitted diapers because they are super soft and squishy and easy to use. They are fitted to fit a baby with elastic around the legs and snaps or velcro to secure (no folding necessary).  I love Mutts because they are low rise and trim, yet absorbent.  They have a removable doubler which helps against leaks but helps cut down dry time in the dryer.  I find myself reaching for these most often because the prints are super cute and the design is perfect for my little girl’s bum.  Fitted diapers do need a cover, either PUL or wool.

  • Why I love them: adorable prints, nice fit, easy to use, quick dry time, another excuse to pull out my wool collection!

The Raven Tree fitted one-size diapers – My Raven Tree diapers are similar to the Mutts in that they are fitted, however the similarities end there.  The Raven Tree diapers are one size, which means they can be used from infancy up to toddler age.  There have three rows of snaps which allow you to adjust the rise of the diaper to fit your baby.  The Raven Tree diapers also have a removable doubler, but this WAHM uses zorb, which is magical when it comes to soaking up wetness.  These diapers are so bulletproof, I have used them during naptime and overnight and never have a leak.  I love my Raven Tree diapers but I think I will love them more when my sweet girl is a little bigger.  I find that on the lowest rise, the diaper can be more “fluffy” or cause more bulk.  This will not be the case when she is older.  I had an entire stash of Cuddlebuns one size fitteds for my older daughter when she was a toddler and they were a perfect fit.

  • Why I love them: In addition to the reasons I love my fitted Mutts, I love my Raven Tree diapers because the baby will not outgrow them and zorb!  Enough said!

Nana Bottoms All in Ones (AIOs) – All in ones are the closest you can come to a disposable diaper in ease of use.  It is a combination of the absorbent layers and a PUL outer cover all in one.  This is my husband and mother’s favorite diaper, which is why I have a half dozen of them on hand.  Super easy to use and the Nana Bottoms offer a great fit for a reasonable price.  Only downside of AIOs – they take forever to dry.  I usually run them in the dryer and then hang them overnight to finish drying.

  • Why I love them: Super easy for quick changes, Husband loves them.

So who wears all this fluff?  My beautiful 8 month old diva who is currently 16 pounds and 26 inches long!

Stay tuned for the next edition of “What’s in my stash”.  I’m sure it will continue to evolve!

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How it all Began

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Diva

I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I was lying in bed with my husband flipping through the pages of the latest Mothering magazine, when a picture of super cute diapers on a line caught my eye.  The article, “Dumping Disposable Diapers” (March/April 2008 issue – yes, I still have it), went into detail about all the different types of cloth diapers available.  I was mesmerized.  I had never thought about using cloth.  All I knew was that above all, I wanted the best for my daughter.  I breastfeed exclusively, delayed solids, only used homemade organic foods once solids were introduced but yet I was putting chemical filled diapers on her perfect little bottom.  I was hooked and I needed to know more.  I turned to my husband and said “I want to use cloth diapers on our next baby”.  He “yes, dear’d” me and we went to bed.

The next day, I started researching cloth diapers.  I found popular sites such as Diaper Swappers and began reading everything I could find.  The light bulb went off.  That night, before climbing into bed, I said to my husband “why do we have to wait to have another child to use cloth.  We still have a baby in diapers.  I want to try it”.  A little more reluctant than the night before, my husband agreed to give it a go with me.

That nod of encouragement was all I needed.  I woke up the next morning, magazine in hand, and went shopping.  I bought a lot of adorable dipes, but sadly none fit.  I didn’t know what I was doing yet so I went back to Diaper Swappers seeking help.  There I found a very sweet mama who walked me through everything and I am proud to call her a friend still today!  I got a good stash going and never looked back.

The main reason I chose to cloth diaper was because it was the best decision for my baby.  When she was born, I saw her as a pure, wholesome, blank canvas.  I was not about to fill her with chemicals, additives, etc.  I regret that I didn’t find cloth diapers sooner but once I did, I knew it was the right choice for my family.

When I became pregnant with my second child, it was never a question.  I was going to use cloth from birth.  I was excited about this too and enjoyed purchasing all those adorable newborn diapers.

My second daughter is 8 months old and I’m loving cloth more than ever.  More and more friends of friends started coming to me for cloth diaper advice.  I loved helping new mothers make the transition to cloth and had another light bulb moment.  I decided I wanted to teach cloth diapers to local mamas in the area and share my experiences online.  This is how this all began.  I’m so excited to get started!

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