Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Does It Ever Get Easier? And other beginner questions
This past week, at one of our cloth diaper workshops, I asked, as I always do after presenting all of the diaper styles, if anyone had any questions. One first-time mom-to-be asked "does it ever get any easier". To which I answered yes, it does. Yes, there is a lot to learn about cloth diapering, just as there is a lot to learn about pregnancy, child birth, post-partum recovery, and parenting. Having cloth diapered my two children, beginning in 2005, I can't remember when I DIDN'T know about cloth diapering, but, like any new skill, there is a learning curve.
I remember looking at a picture of a prefold and wondering how it worked and why it was called a prefold when it was flat, so without further ado, here are some questions to some very common beginner questions....
Does it ever get easier? Absolutely. My father-in-law has a great saying: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Cloth diapering does have a lot of specific terminology and care instructions, and it comes together very quickly as soon as you jump in. A lot of people are curious about cloth diapers and come to the decision to try it at different stages: some before they've delivered, some with young babies, others with babies starting to toilet train. Anytime is the right time to try cloth diapering. Simply get yourself some diapers, pour yourself a nice cup of tea (not required, but is sometimes nice) and take a deep breath, then say to yourself, "today is the day I start cloth diapering." Prepare your diapers as required by the manufacturer's instructions, and then put it on your baby. See how easy that was? You're doing it!
Why is a prefold called a prefold when it's flat? Until the 1950s, moms were using what are now known as "birds eye flat diapers", typically around three-feet-square. These diapers were made of a weave of cotton similar to medical gauze with an open-weave, meaning they weren't especially absorbent. These diapers were folded in such a way as to provide more layers between baby's legs, where wetting happens. Over time, the diapers were produced with the extra layers sewn in to the middle, creating a flat diaper with two seams and three panels, because it removed the need for extra folding, it is called a "prefolded diaper", or simply a prefold.
I'm pregnant and I don't know what kind of diaper to pick. What if it doesn't work for my baby? This is a VERY COMMON concern. Any cloth diaper style you find at Nurtured will work, it simply depends on the style as to how big your baby will need to be before the diaper fits well. Families are often concerned that a particular style won't work on a chubby baby or a skinny baby, and yes, there are some that work particularly well for those builds, but all diaper brands are generalized enough in fit that you shouldn't have a lot of trouble, regardless of the build of your baby. Normally, after going over all of the choices, families will have one or two brands that jump out as being more attractive for their needs. If you're nervous, we HIGHLY recommend buying even one or two of each style that interests you before the baby comes, that way you have them on hand to try when it feels right. If you want to try ALL of the diapers, we have two options: a sampler kit you can purchase and a cloth diaper experience program you can rent for two weeks. So often we hear "I meant to get started a lot sooner, but..." These are all great ways to make sure cloth diapering doesn't become a lost priority for your family.
This is just the beginning of your frequently asked questions. If there's anything you'd like to see us cover, please let us know!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Photo Catch Up Volume II
We're getting ready to change out our window display on Sunday, but before it goes, for those of you not in Halifax, here's what our spring display looked like - it garnered enough attention to be mentioned in The Coast's Shop Talk. These photos represent only one of our three windows, more to come!
:: branches, birds, nests, pots of flowers, and new eeBoo decor cards.
:: Birds by Karen, nest by Gillian, birdhouse by me (a lovely evening out at my friend Michelle's house, even if it was longer ago than I care to admit.)
:: Nest by me, birds by Gillian. The birds are nesting wooden eggs, a very popular gift and toy item for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Would also make a fantastic "egg dying" alternative for Easter - paint them up, put in a little eye hook, and use them as ornaments on an "Easter Tree".
:: Potted "tulips", which are actually tightly wound BabyLegs.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Out Of The Closet: Babywearing
Baby carriers, and indeed, babywearing, have been brought to the forefront of the news recently with the release of a "warning" by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the US. While I'm happy to see a broader discussion of babywearing starting to take place, I'm afraid that the ambiguity of the CPSC release will cause undue fears about particular styles of baby slings as unfortunately, what the CPSC release didn't cover was which types of carriers are affected: all baby carriers are NOT created equal.
While many baby carrier manufacturers have been pushing for stringent safety standards for baby carriers for many years, to date, none have been created in either the US or Canada.
The CPSC release refers mainly to "bag style" sling carriers. Imagine a purse with elastic gathered edges and a shoulder strap. So in these carriers, you fold your baby into a "C" shape and place them at the bottom of a deep pocket. These are NOT the type of product you will find at Nurtured.
Those of us who are "boutique" retailers, WAHMs or small businesses are passionate about babywearing. We all have stories about how it made life SO.MUCH.EASIER. I've told countless parents when they come looking for advice on baby carriers exactly WHY I love a particular baby carrier, how I've used a particular baby carrier, and that I own every single one of the baby carriers we sell at Nurtured. We help parents with positioning, education, and follow up support. Just yesterday I spent an hour with a mom-to-be going over, in depth, every single baby carrier option we have. It is SO satisfying.
The benefits of babywearing are well documented: more contented, cry less, happier and more relaxed parents. Slings are also invaluable in facilitating breastfeeding!
1. Make sure your baby can breathe. Baby carriers allow parents to be hands-free to do other things, but you must always remain active in caring for your child. No baby carrier can ensure that your baby always has an open airway; that's your job.
a. Never allow a baby to be carried, held, or placed in such a way that his chin is curled against his chest. This rule applies to babies being held in arms, in baby carriers, in infant car seats, or in any other kind of seat or situation. This position can restrict the baby's ability to breathe. Newborns lack the muscle control to open their airways. They need good back support in carriers so that they don't slump into the chin-to-chest position.
b. Never allow a baby's head and face to be covered with fabric. Covering a baby's head and face can cause her to "rebreathe" the same air, which is a dangerous situation. Also, covering her head and face keeps you from being able to check on her. Always make sure your baby has plenty of airflow. Check on her frequently.
2. Never jog, run, jump on a trampoline, or do any other activity that subjects your baby to similar shaking or bouncing motion. "This motion can do damage to the baby's neck, spine and/or brain," explains the American Chiropractic Association.
3. Never use a baby carrier when riding in a car. Soft baby carriers provide none of the protection that car seats provide.
4. Use only carriers that are appropriate for your baby's age and weight. For example, frame backpacks can be useful for hiking with older babies and toddlers but aren't appropriate for babies who can't sit unassisted for extended periods. Front packs usually have a weight range of 8 to 20 pounds; smaller babies may slip out of the carrier, and larger babies will almost certainly cause back discomfort for the person using the carrier.
We're getting ready to say farewell to Jessica H., who is having a baby (number 2) in the next month. She's finding it harder to be on her feet all day, and so while we're leaving it open ended as to when she feels it's time, we're most likely going to be parting ways in the next week.
But, it gave us all an excuse to get together outside of work, to chat, drink tea and wine, eat delicious food, and it gave me an excuse to MAKE MORE CUPCAKES! I think it's becoming an addiction. (Pictured are Green Tea Matcha Cupcakes with Green Tea Glaze, pink fondant flowers and silver dragees and Chai Cupcakes with spiced sugar topping stenciled in a star shape).
We also all worked together on a common gift, a nautical-themed mobile for the new wee one's room. We all chose our items to be sure there were no duplicates, and that was it - no discussion of scale, material, colour, anything. Everything was worked on in secret and delivered to me Saturday night. I purchased a pair of birch knitting needles at my favourite yarn shop, Tangled Skeins in Dartmouth. Then, Scotian and I assembled, evaluated, disassembled, re-evaluated, restrung, and re-assembled the mobile until it was mobiley perfection. I'm happy to say we were all genuinely surprised and happy at how it turned out, and that the new-mama-to-be absolutely loved it.
And now for photos (taken by Gillian): :: Admiring the food but not wanting to touch it. Ready, Set, Go. Eat! I'm very disappointed I didn't try Roland's dip - I didn't know Roland made it or I would have dug in.
:: The mobile. I will post close ups later, but it contains a sparkly starfish (Karen), a lighthouse (April), a tiny seahorse (Simone), a bow-tie wearing barracuda (Jessica B.), a sailboat (Gillian), and a whale (Jessika), all made of cotton, polyester, wool felt, and salvaged material. For virtually no rules, it turned out really, really well, in my opinion! .
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