Using cloth nappies on a budget

Recently I was asked by a fellow mother at my local playcentre where I got my cloth nappies from and where I would suggest she shopped if she wanted to use cloth but on a budget. So I thought in reply to her question and for my own research I would compile a list of ways that you can use cloth nappies on a budget in New Zealand.

After lots of research and comparing of prices I have found a few ways that you can cloth nappy on the cheap. The best ways I have found is to go for a two part system, so cover with prefold, flat nappy or shaped insert or for pocket nappies. Please note that sometimes cheap doesn't always mean best quality, or best ethics when it comes to manufacturing of the nappies. It is up to you as the consumer to decide what you think is important.

For the two part system the idea is that you need less covers as you only need to change the cover when soiled or very wet. I recommend having two covers in use at the same time, so when you take one off you replace it with a new one and the old one is left to air out until next change. The absorbent inner will need to be changed each time, but covers(except pocket covers) can be used multiple times before needing to be washed.


So for the covers:
There are many options out there and it all depends on how much you want to spend.

For anywhere from $5-$10 you can covers from overseas on websites like Aliexpress. Most of these ship from china and it varies from brand to brand and also dependent on the type of cover you want. Most are one size fits most style, with some stores offering newborn sized as well. Simple covers to use over flat nappies or prefolds are generally cheaper than the pocket style covers.

Nappy Needz has a selection of covers ranging from $9 - 19 depending on style and colour you want to buy. The majority are sized so you will need to buy more as your baby grows but they are a good price for a good quality cover.

Retailers such as Nappy Heaven, Tweedle, Nappy obsession and Cheeky Cherubs all have branded covers which range from approx $22 up to about $30 depending on brand for OSFM or sized covers and about $18-22 for newborn sized covers.

Now for the absorbent part:

Flat nappies aka old fashioned flat nappies. 
These are a good option as you can fold them to go around your baby, to sit like a pad inside a cover, or to fit inside a pocket style nappy, the options are endless. They also dry fast as they are one layer. The best places to buy them are:
Baby stores like Baby Factory, Baby City or Nurtured. Approx $35 for 6
Nappy Needz: Cotton flats currently priced at $3 each or 6 for $16, Bamboo is $4 each or $22 for 6.
Kmart: 12 Pack of terry flats $20, so approx $2 each.

Prefolds:
These are sized so you may need to buy a few different sizes but it is all dependent on the baby and how you want to use them. If you want to pad fold them and use them laid inside covers or as an insert for a pocket nappy then you may only need one size with a few boosters(I will talk about these at the end) for heavy wetters or nigh time. If you are wanting them to be folded and fit around you baby like with the angel wing fold then you will most likely need to get a few sizes as you child grows.
Prefold prices generally range from $17 -$30 per pack depending on size, brand and fabric composition. Most are 100% cotton but a few do offer bamboo prefolds. Most come in packs of 6 as standard but some of the more well known brands come in packs of 3, such as Grovia.
You can buy them from:
NappyNeedz
Nappy Heaven
Tweedle
Cheeky Cherubs
Real Nappies

Sized/shaped inserts.
If you are going for a pocket nappy system, or don't want to have to worry about folding anything then Sized/shaped inserts are the way to go. You can buy these individually or in packs. You also can choose whether you want Microfiber, hemp, bamboo or cotton inserts. Price is between approx $3-$6 each for standard inserts, price varies on fabric composition and whether you buy individually or in a pack.
You can buy them from:
Aliexpress
Nappy Needs
Baby Its You

So that is all the individual components broken down. I recommend 6 covers and 18 sets of inserts/prefolds/flat nappies you may need more or less it all depends on how often you child needs changing, if you are using cloth overnight and how often you wash. Now for approximate costs. Below is a table based on approximate costs. I based the costs on the following calculations and assumptions:


6 covers + 18 flat nappies

6 covers + 54 prefold nappies (assuming you will require 18 of 3 different sizes)
I averaged the prices as prices vary with size and also chose the cheaper cotton prefold option when available. The prefold options are also listed as brands as they can be found at many different retailers for approximately the same price.

6 Covers  + 36 sized inserts (assuming your child will need 2 inserts per change as this is common especially for older children)

18 Pocket Covers + 36 sized inserts or 18 Nappy Needz prefolds
This is for those who want a system most like disposables where you remove the whole nappy(cover and insert) and replace it with a new one at each change. Please note that when pricing Baby Its You covers and inserts together I opted for buying covers and inserts separately, they do have bulk packs available which also help to save costs.

The following table has 3 cover options listed across the top with the inner/absorbent options labelled down the side.

Covers	Aliexpress	Nappy Needz	Nappy Heaven
Price for 6	$48	$108	$150
Flat Nappies
Nappy Needz	$96	$156	$198
Kmart	$88	$148	$198
Baby Factory	$153	$213	$255
Prefolds
Nappy Needs	$258	$318	$378
Real Nappies	$264	$324	$366
Grovia	$408	$468	$510
Inserts
Aliexpress	$156	$216	$258
Nappy Needs	$192	$252	$394
Baby its you	$235	$295	$337
Pocket Nappies	Aliexpress	Baby It's you	Nappy Heaven
	$144	$180	$450
Inserts
Aliexpress	$152	$288	$558
Nappy Needs	$288	$324	$594
Baby Its You	$331	$367	$637
Prefolds	$214	$350	$520

Prices in the table above are all approximations and are based on prices for April 2017.

Some last things to note when buying budget options:

Boosters or inserts are generally one in the same, just different names

Microfiber inserts should only be used in pocket nappies. This is because microfiber can draw moisture out of the skin when in direct contact causing rashes and other issues.

Bamboo, Hemp and cotton are all more absorbent than microfiber and less likely to cause issues with compression leaks.

Often on Aliexpress you can get better prices when buying in bulk lots.

Cheaper is not always better when buying nappies. Yes there are some that wash and wear really well, but then there are also some that don't. It's all about making informed decisions and knowing that you have made the right decision for your family.

If you find you have a heavy wetter, or you want to boost your nappies for night time use I recommend hemp, cotton or bamboo inserts/boosters. I successfully used one cotton prefold with one bamboo insert overnight for my son, though he was an average wetter, heavy wetters may need more boosters.

If you want to save more money then buying secondhand from places such as Facebook or TradeMe are good options. You can often pick up bulk lots of prefolds or flat nappies for cheap.

I didn't include a buying used option as prices vary depending on condition and brand of the nappies. Buying branded nappies secondhand is a very cost effective way of trialling nappies before forking out for a set  at full price. Opting for branded nappies or the more well known ones is one of the more expensive options as they do often come with a higher price tag. But if you prefer the styles offered with those nappies then secondhand is often the cheaper option.

While the initial outlay of cloth is a bit daunting, if you stick with it then you will save money as you will be buying less disposables.

The stores/websites linked within this post are only a few of the options available. There are too many to list them all.

Any questions just ask.

Links to where to buy:
Aliexpress
Baby Its You
Baby Factory
Baby City
Cheeky Cherubs
Kmart - instore only
Nappy Heaven
Nappy Needz
Real Nappies
Tweedle

The birth story of my second child...

It all started with a craving, spicy noodles(aka two minute noddles, instant ramen etc or whatever you call them in your country). I didn't really have cravings as such during my pregnancy unless you count all the tomatoes that I ate so me requesting that my partner pick up some spicy noodles was a rare request.

Monday January 11th and I was now officially a week overdue. At my midwife's appointment that day my blood pressure, heart rate(suffered from Tachycardia during my first labour/delivery so midwife checked to get a base rate), pee, everything was fine. My feet were massive however and I could only fit in jandals(A.K.A flip flops or thongs). Baby's heartbeat was normal and it was head down(though not in an optimal position). I booked in to see my midwife the next day for a stretch and sweep and went home with some positions to try for turning the baby or my stretch and sweep wouldn't happen.

I spent a fair amount of Monday afternoon on my hand and knees in an attempt to get my baby from a slight back to back(posterior) position into a more favourable one. But they were a determined wee thing and wouldn't budge. Bear in mind however that while my son spent most of my pregnancy in the optimal position during labour he moved and was posterior making my labour and birth with him long and hard.

Monday evening rolled around and after an early dinner my partner and I were feeling a bit peckish again. E was in bed asleep and we were watching some tv when my partner decided he wanted pizza so went out to get some. I was craving those spicy noodles that I mentioned earlier so asked him to pick some up while he was out. About 20 minutes later he returned home with pizza and a 5 pack of spicy noddles. While my noodles were cooking I stole some of the pizza then gobbled up the whole bowl of spicy noodles. Man they tasted good. While I knew that they were in no way good for me I was beyond caring, I was fat, uncomfortable and running out of time until an induction needed to happen.

I finished my noodles and within 30 minutes I started to get contractions. Throughout the whole pregnancy I had had relatively painful braxton hicks contractions so I wasn't holding out much hope that these were the real deal. Due to a very stubborn baby being in a slight posterior position these "contractions" started in my back and then progressed round to my stomach. At about 11pm after approx 30-60 minutes of regular contractions I decided to try and get some sleep. At this stage they were lasting 30-40 seconds and were 3 minutes apart. I took a panadol(paracetamol) to try and relieve some of the discomfort and laid down in bed.

The contractions didn't ease and despite doing all the helpful positions during the day the baby didn't flip to a more favourable position until I had been lying down for a bit. I felt it move and suddenly the contractions were easier to deal with. They no longer centered in my back. Sleep became illusive as they became more intense and more frequent. By 1.45am when I called to midwife they were about 60-90 seconds in length and 3 minutes apart. My midwife had told me to call her once they were 5 minutes apart but they were never that far apart always 3 minutes right from the first one. We had a chat about how I was doing and then I talked to my partner.

We decided it was time to go to the birthing centre so text the midwife and took E over to the neighbours for the night. By 2.15am we were at the birthing center and all settled into the birthing suite.

I was very calm at this point, very collected, the total opposite to the birth of my son. I had the oil diffuser going with some calming lavender oil and I was breathing through my contractions, while walking around the birthing suite. I couldn't stay still, I just had to keep moving even when a contraction was upon me. I would just stand on the spot and sway my hips while I breathed in an out calmly. It was kind of a surreal experience.

At about 2.50am the pressure down there was starting to get a bit much so I decided that I wanted to get in to the birthing pool/bath. My birth plan had been to use the bath while in labour and then move elsewhere to actually give birth. But my body was telling me otherwise, I wanted to try the bath. As soon as I got in I relaxed and the pressure while still there was far more bearable.

I just concentrated on what my body was telling me. There was no " ok time to push, thats it keep pushing" etc from the midwife. In that moment when I realised mentally and physically I was ready to start pushing it was like a release of some bind that had been holding me back. At that moment I trusted myself and I trusted my body(it had kind of failed me a bit during the birth of E) and I began to push.

Not long after I got into the birthing pool and felt the true need to push my baby was born. I had done it, I had conquered all my fears that my body wouldn't hold out like last time and I would need an assisted birth again. I had released all the negative thoughts that was holding me back and embraced what my body had told me to do. Giving birth had been a massively empowering experience. I had read multiple stories about empowering births and that amazing feeling that you could get, but I never experienced that with E's birth. I don't and never have felt disappointed by the type of birth that I had with E. I had tried, I couldn't cope and had needed help and I have always been fine with that. Sure I would have liked to have had an all natural empowering birth but for me to cope with what the universe had dealt me birth wise I needed an epidural(though ended up being a spinal block), I needed the help of the forceps and I needed all the drugs afterwards.

This time round however the universe dealt me a different set of cards. The labour while being more intense, was easier to cope with. It was shorter, 4hrs and approximately 45 minutes from first contraction to the birth of my baby. I only pushed a couple of times before the baby was born. I did it and the only pain medication I tried was a panadol(paracetamol) when I had attempted sleep at the start of labour. Sure I was exhausted, but I had done what I had once thought impossible. I had birthed my baby without any medical interventions or any pain relief. The only unfavourable bit this time was having to get stitches for a minor tear along my old episiotomy scar from E birth.

At 3.13am on Tuesday January 12th we welcomed a little baby girl, C into the world. And while she may be nearly 6 months old when this is posted, she still amazes me, just like she did when I first laid eyes on her.

Me and baby C 24hrs after birth.

So for any of you pregnant ladies out there wanting to know my secret of how I coped this is what I did. I spent the whole labour thinking and chanting in my head " I made it through the last contraction I can make it through this one". I just keep repeating that in my head while concentrating on breathing in and out. I found it helped to concentrate on the breathing rather than the pain. I have always been a firm believer of the power of positive thought and it worked. Now it may not work for you and you may require a c-section or possibly an epidural to cope with the pain but just remember no matter what type of birth you have, all births are magical as all babies are miracles.

Comment below with your story, how did your birth go? Was it exactly as you planned, or did nothing go the way you had wanted?

Baby essentials...

Every baby shop, parenting website, book or person has a list of things that they find essential(please find a few linked below for future reference). But after already having one, and seeing what seems like the endless list I thought I would write my own. Please note that some items I class as unnecessary may indeed be necessary to you.

My must haves:
The big ticket items:

• Cot/crib
• Carseat(either convertible that is suitable from birth or a capsule)
• Pushchair/buggy/pram
• Baby Monitor

Clothing:

• Onesies/bodysuits and lots of them
• pants(no jeans or big bulky ones though)
• SOCKS as in at least ten pairs them little suckers go missing in no time
• All-in-ones/sleepers what ever those footed one piece garments are called.
• a few shirts, long and short sleeved.
• A couple of woolen cardies/jumpers and some nice cotton jerseys too. 
• A nice outfit or two just in case you want to dress your baby up super nice. But nothing impractical, 

I am a firm believer in dressing my babies in only natural fibers so we had no polar fleece or polyester clothes until my son was about one and a half. 

Other stuff:

• A baby carrier/front pack if you think you would be into babywearing. 
• Waterproof playmat and changemat
• generic cloths that can be used as burp cloths. I just used muslin baby wraps and old fashioned flat nappies.
• Bibs and lots of them in different styles/shapes etc. 
• a nappy/diaper bag or a bag that can function as one(no need to buy one specifically designed to be one when a simple backpack will work just as well). 
• Nappies/diapers its your choice whether you go cloth or disposable(I personally am doing disposable for approximately the first week then starting bubs in cloth). 
• a play mat with the toys hanging from above, those are brilliant.
• wipes
• face cloths
• bedding
• a few select toys as in 4-5 max.
• baby manicure set
• bum cream and as natural as you are willing to go.
• baby wash(in case they get really dirty, but just water and a wash cloth works fine for the first few months). 

For mum(please note most of this list is catered to breastfeeding simply because that is what we did, if you plan on formula feeding then ignore most of it).

• 3-4 comfortable nursing bras
• nursing pads either reusable or disposable.
• a pump, I have a manual one but it is personal preference.
• A few bottles(like 2-3 in different styles)
• Nursing singlets(these are prefect for sleeping in)

I have probably missed stuff off the list and it may seem like a lot which it is but in reality baby just needs somewhere warm and safe to sleep, someone to look after them, clean clothes and nappies and food. Everything else is non essential so only buy what you need. Oh and don't do a big shop until after your baby shower if you are having one.

Here's some links to some lists put out by shops/websites here in new Zealand:

The Warehouse

Baby On the Move

Baby Factory

Baby City

Oh Baby

Huggies

Kidspot

KiwiFamilies

LittleTreasures Magazine

Bump date weeks 17-24

Hello there again. Yep I'm still pregnant. I kinda promised myself that I would post a new bump date every two weeks and somehow I missed a few, but oh well better late than never.

My belly has definitely popped out and I am starting to feel fat something which didn't happen this early when I was pregnant with my son. I think this time round the reason why I feel that I am larger is more to do with what I do everyday. When I was pregnant with my first I worked in a call centre answering telephones, now I run around after a two year old all day and spend far less time on my bum. Another first with this pregnancy is that I actually own pregnancy jeans, I just used track pants with my first. While they may be comfortable I do find that the style of waist band I got and the way my stomach is(still have a flabby bit at the bottom, bloomin genetics and baby weight) pushes my pants down a bit and I repeatedly have to pull them up when walking. I have also started wearing more to show off my belly which has meant that I am getting more comments about it.

I do find that if I do too much I ache some at night and sometimes into the next day, but other than that nothing much is wrong. The night cramps in the legs have returned, something which I got with son but much later in the pregnancy. I hate night cramps.

Cravings I don't really have many as such but I am loving Snickers bars at the moment and will eat maybe about 3-4 a week. Oh only other craving is anything that involves pastry so our menu plans rather than be a lot of dishes that require rice(a previous craving) they now include pies and the such 2-3 times a week..... MMMMMMM apple pie. This week we will be having steak pie and fish pie. I am still loving fish at the moment so have been trying to eat it at least once a week.

In terms of baby buys I have only purchased one item of clothing and a new nursing singlet. Though to be honest we are sorted for everything else except a baby carrier than can be used from newborn(trying to avoid buying a double pram) and a new bouncer as the one we do have I don't like as it is too upright for a newborn. But then again that is a non essential item and I will wait until something comes up for sale or is cheap secondhand.

Only thing I don't feel overly ready for is the birth itself, but that is another kettle of fish.

Thats it for now, I think I have covered everything....

Bump Date Week 16

Hi all, so as I sit here in bed writing this I am technically into my 17th week of pregnancy but only just so it still counts right?

 So for this past week and I bit I have really been feeling like a pregnant woman. My belly has popped out, I have been having cravings and I have wanted to nap some days. But other than that its been a good week.

As my belly has popped out and isn't just this layer of jiggly belly fat anymore sitting in some positions is a little uncomfortable and pants that used to fit are getting a bit tight. I've started to have "I have nothing to wear" issues quite a bit earlier on this pregnancy. It has made me contemplate actually investing in some pregnancy pants, something I didn't do last time as my trackies fit fine. But even the larger pairs I have for my 'fat' days are getting a bit tight and my fat jeans are just the wrong shape for my body type so are useless and won't stay up.

For cravings I still want sushi often, though that is passing a bit. I still cannot stand the smell of beef, especially when cooking so my poor partner is having to do without steak for a little bit. I still love my toast in the mornings with cream cheese and tomatoes. Overall I haven't had any major cravings this week, I really just eat what I feel like eating even if it is egg sandwiches for dinner.

So overall a good week, though a busy one.

Bump date weeks 1-15

So weeks 1-15 were relatively uncomplicated and uneventful but here's a recap anyway....

Weeks 1-4 are void and null since I was but wasn't pregnant during this time as that's when sex etc occurred.

Weeks 4-5 - Not many pregnancy symptoms appearing apart from some slight nausea. It was at about this time that I confirmed the pregnancy by peeing on a stick and visiting the doctor to make it all official.

Once I hit the 5 week mark however those early pregnancy symptoms started to appear. I got terrible morning sickness all day every day for nearly 4 weeks. My stomach bloated so pants no longer fitted and I felt like a fat blob most of the time and my boobs ached.

Morning sickness for me however never results in vomiting other than once or twice, I just get all day every day nausea that causes a loss in appetite and weight loss from not eating. However this time rather than not eat I did force myself to eat little and often and it helped ease the queasiness. Having naps when my toddler did also helped.

Once I reached 9-10 weeks the nausea eased off and I could eat properly again. However I discovered new food aversions that I didn't have when I was pregnant with my son. I can't stand steak/beef and occasionally pork. Before pregnancy a nice juice steak was one of my favourite meals, now just the smell of raw beef puts me off. I'm loving chicken, fish and rice at the moment with lots of veges.

The bloating went at about 12-13 weeks so now pants are started to fit again, though if I put on any weight it wont be for much longer.

We told all the family the good news at about 8 weeks, same as last time and all those public pregnancy announcements were made at about 12-13 weeks after we had the first scan.

Overall the my first trimester wasn't as hard as other peoples and I get that others have it worse. But for me having morning sickness and exhaustion was not fun with a very full on toddler.

So that's it really for the first trimester. Stay tuned for more bump dates to be posted soon.

Oh and in case you missed it in the last post here is my scan pic:

A wee something in the making!

So some of you may know if you are either a follower of my business page or a personal friend, but here it is. I am pregnant! I am currently 15 weeks pregnant with baby #2.

I had planned on doing a big announcement on this blog, but to be honest I am an exhausted pregnant woman who has to keep house, chase a toddler and run a business, so unfortunately a simple announcement will have to suffice. But isn't bubs just so cute. Scan picture below is from 12 weeks, so nearly a month ago now, gosh how time flies. 

Just like last time we won't be finding out the sex until it is born. But I do kinda hope just a little bit that it is a girl that way I can have one of each. In reality I don't really care too much just so long as it is happy and healthy..... So please hit me with baby names, while I know what I like for girls most of the boys names I liked were poopooed by the father. 

More pregnancy updates to come, though I cannot guarantee how frequent they will be.

Do not tell a stressed mother that she needs to look at her behaviour when she asked for help with her child.

SO my toddler is currently going through a phase(I refuse to accept that it could be anything else) where he won't nap unless pushed around the streets in the pushchair or driven a great distance in the car. It is doing my head in and to be honest after day four of no nap I am over it.

No my child is not dropping naps. The first day he has no nap I get grumpy from naptime until bed time, second day I get minor tantrums from naptime to bedtime and by the third day it is full blown tantrums over anything that doesn't go his way through the whole day. If he doesn't nap I have to prepare dinner at least half an hour earlier otherwise it is like the world is ending at dinner time and he wont eat.

So because I am over it, I asked for advise on one of the mums groups I belong to on facebook. Some people had some great suggestions, and then others just make me mad thinking about it... Yes I do know that I am stressed, but who wouldn't when they have to go and tell their child to lie down every ten minutes for an hour in vain hope they will fall asleep. Who wouldn't feel stressed when you go in to settle your toddler back down to find that they have stripped the bed yet again, so have to remake it just to be able to lie them down in yet another sleep attempt. Who wouldn't be mad and frustrated when you go in to get your child after yet another hour wasted trying to get them to sleep to find they have found a small lift in the wallpaper and have decided to strip the walls. Who would not be mad to walk in to find their toddler had figured out how to remove their pants and nappy and pee all over the bed after they had stripped off the mattress. Yes I am stressed but who wouldn't be with a toddler like mine.

But telling me to look at my behaviour as that could be rubbing off on my child is the least helpful thing anyone has ever told me. My child does test my patience but I know to talk to him in a firm even voice, to physically touch him if I want his attention and that some days the fight isn't worth it. I don't want advice on how to deal with my own behaviour, I want to know how to get the toddler that needs to nap to actually nap. I just need him to sleep or everything is a mission and by day three nothing will go right.

On a plus however he is usually well behaved and will sleep through the night. But seriously people think about what you post in answer to peoples questions. Telling a stressed mother(especially a pregnant stressed mother) that they need to look at their behaviour first as that could be causing the issue is not the way to go. I wanted to know how to deal with no sleep not the tantrums.

before kids....

Before having a child I worked in a call center, ate sushi for lunch most days and loved make-up. I read at least one book a fortnight and actually made an effort with my appearance.

After having a child my official title is stay-at-home mother, I only eat sushi if we go into town and that is about once a month. My hair is limited to 3 hair styles unbrushed bun, brushed bun and a single braid depending on the activities for the day. I only wear makeup for dates or job interviews and my wardrobe is less feminine dresses and more practical mummy clothes.

Being in a social setting and working as a makeup artist for my little sister's school ball (aka prom for my American readers) got me thinking about what has changed since my son was born. I wasn't big on wearing makeup every day but I did like a little bit now and again. I don't remember the last time I purchased makeup and know that most of it should be replaced but there is still something nice about taking ten minutes to apply a little foundation and mascara.

My wardrobe is now practical mummy and less dresses and skirts. While I still try to dress feminine and wear colour I tend to go for what super comfortable or what I'm ok with getting paint on for playcentre days.

I don't feel guilty for letting my appearance slip a little since having a child as I concentrate more on what my toddler gets out of the day than what people thought of my outfit. I still have days when I want to feel 'normal' and will dress nicer or put some makeup on. But overall I really can't be bothered. 

Thinngs I would do differently.... Pregnancy and Birth Edition

After a few jokes from my partner about me being pregnant it has gotten me thinking about if I were to be pregnant what would I want to do differently for the duration of the pregnancy and what would I want for the birth.

For one thing I wouldn't be eating the runny eggs that I am now. I like my yolks to be a little runny which is a total no no in pregnancy. Oh I would also have to stop eating sushi and ham sandwiches. Though I must admit a small change in diet like that is not a big ask, I coped last time I could easily do it again.

One of the two big things that would change with my next pregnancy is breastfeeding and exercise. I was very lazy when I was pregnant with my son and I think that didn't help with my stamina during labour. I think next time I would like to get into a routine of walking or swimming regularly, though if I were to be fully honest with myself I could do with that now. My stomach is getting a bit big again and I had to put my fat fat pregnancy jeans on this morning. I have been feeling a bit frumpy these past few weeks so maybe its time to get my A into gear and do some walking.

My stance on breastfeeding would change. Don't get me wrong here I was and still am pro choice when it comes to breastfeeding but due to the medication I was taking while pregnant and for a few months after my son was born it was bit up in the air about whether I could breastfeed. I spent most of my pregnancy thinking that I couldn't breastfeed or only when my medication levels were at their lowest. However after a long discussion with a lactation consultant shortly after his birth I decided the benefits outweighed the risks so he was fully breastfed. So now that I am off the medication if I were to be pregnant again I would be thinking about breastfeeding and everything I would need right from the start of the pregnancy not after the birth like last time.

Now onto the big change, the birth. Yes I know that sometimes you can't get the birth that you want. But if everything were to go smoothly and have no complications like last time I would love for a few things to change. I think I would like a home birth or at least to birth in one of the great birthing centres that we have here. I would only home birth if my house were tidy and organised enough which it is not. I do know that I would like to avoid a hospital birth if possible. It was in the birth plan last time, but I think next time I would like to try somewhere a little less stressful.

I would like to use a birthing pool even if I don't birth in it and any other active labour tools that may be accessible. My son was posterior and didn't present with the correct part of his head so labour was quite difficult for me. So for next time I think me trying to be more active in labour will help.

Overall I think, no I dream of a pregnancy and birth that isn't too stressful and that next time if there is a next time that I would like to say I coped with the pain better. For now however I am busy concentrating on surviving a toddler who likes to turn my house into a bomb site within an hour of waking.

If you were to have another child what would you change about your pregnancy/birth? Or if it was your last, what would you have changed?

Help my nappies smell....

I often see people complaining that their nappies smell and don't know what to do about it. I have had issues with smells once or twice and after a bit of trial and  error managed to get rid of them.

This post is going to a be one of a couple related to troubleshooting when you have issues with your nappies. The solutions listed in this post and ones to follow are things to try first before doing a strip wash, that should always be a last resort.

Ok back to smells.

I have found that there are 4 main smells associated with cloth nappies, not including the smell of poop. When I talk about the smells I mean the smell of the nappy as soon as your child pees in it not the smell after it has sat in a bucket or wet bag for a few hours.

Overwhelming Ammonia;
This smell is most common for night nappies. This is because your child is often in the nappy for an extended period of time and their pee has a chance to sit in the nappy and develop into ammonia. Generally speaking this is not really something you can avoid and some mornings your night nappies are going to be eye watering.  Rockin Green has developed an ammonia bouncer called funk rock which is supposed to help however as I have never used it I cannot say for sure whether it has.

The ammonia smell can also be associated with detergent build up from using either the wrong detergent and/or using too much. If your nappy smells of ammonia as soon as your child pees then this could be your issue. When your child pees in the nappy the chemicals in their pee react to the built up detergent and cause the ammonia smell.

I recommend to rinse night nappies as soon as you take them off and wash them as soon as possible. If you think it is a build up issue try the following:
Use a little less detergent.
Add an extra rinse to the end of your wash cycle
Wash more often if possible
Do a long hot wash of no more than 60 degrees celcius and try add a 10-30 minute soak to the hot wash if your machine has that option.

If you are altering your wash cycle to use less detergent or adding an extra rinse, do this for 1-2 weeks. This allows your whole stash to be used, washed and dried at least once allowing you to work out if the change worked for you.

The Zoo Smell...
Sometimes your child's nappy just smells like a zoo. The horrible animal stink. This one is most often caused by not being cleaned properly. After researching for the post I did on care recommendations I noticed that quite often modern cloth nappy companies recommended using 1/4-1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. When you think about how much pee your nappies absorb and soiled they can get, how can 1/4 the recommended amount clean them? Nappies are considered heavily soiled and should be treated as such.

If you find your nappies smell like a zoo then I would try:

• Use more detergent
• Adjust the water level.
• Try a longer wash cycle. 
• Try washing on warm if you only wash on cold.
• If you use a powder try dissolving in a little warm water first before adding to the machine.
• If none of those work with your chosen detergent try another.

The terrible teething pee
Quite often when your child/baby is teething their wee can take on a pungent smell. Each child is different and therefore the smell is different so I cannot give a definitive description of the smell.

If you get the teething smell there isn't really much you can do for this one as your child's pee is just naturally more concentrated and pungent. I generally make no adjustments to my wash cycle if I get this smell, however if it has been quite pungent I will add an extra rinse at the beginning just to make sure that the pee is fully rinsed from my nappies.

The didn't dry fast enough smell.
This one I find occurs most often in the winter when it is hard to dry your nappies in a timely manor. I don't own a drier so am reliant on the sun and my outside washing line to dry my nappies. However where I live winter is often wet and miserable meaning that I have to dry my nappies inside on the clothes horse more often than I like. They can take a good 24-48hrs to dry which allows a musty smell to build up, which to be honest I cannot stand.

Like with the teething smell this cannot be solved by changing detergents, wash cycles or strip washing. Follow these tips to help avoid this issue:

• Hang outside wherever possible, even if all you do is place the clothes horse outside on the deck.
• Hang up as soon as the machine has finished its wash cycle, don't leave them in the machine.
• Don't overload the clothes horse, if you have to wash everyday during winter so that its smaller loads, then just do it. 
• Allow your nappies space for airflow when hanging up. I like skipping a line on my washing line if I have room.

I have had issues with all 4 smells listed above and after 16 months of using cloth full time I have never strip washed. Here's what I did:
The first smell I ever came across was when my nappies didn't dry fast enough. I just adjusted my wash cycle so that I washed every day rather than every second day during the cooler months. This meant smaller loads and therefore more room on the line for air circulation.

Next I found out all about the Zoo smell.
I opted right from the word go that I would use a supermarket laundry detergent rather than one specifically formulated for modern cloth nappies like Rockin Green. I chose to do that for convenince and to save money. I started with a natural powder as I don't like using too many chemicals. I found that I had to use at least a full scoop of powder. When my son was exclusively breastfed I found this brand worked well at cleaning the nappies, however once he started eating solids more than once a day I found it stopped cleaning them quite as well. I started getting the zoo smell again so changed to a generic brand detergent that didn't contain added fabric softener(a hard thing find). After a bit of trial and error I found that for me using a full scoop gets my nappies clean enough. I also adjusted my wash routine so that I wash my nappies on the heavy duty cycle rather than a shorter gentler one.

I only get the ammonia smell for my sons night nappies and only after he has been in them for a while. I so far haven't had a build up issue. I just give my night nappies an extra rinse by hand and try to wash them as soon as they are taken off.

I found that working on getting a better wash routine and changing laundry detergent has stopped the smells and so far I haven't had to strip.

For those of you who want to know this is my wash routine:

• Put poop in toilet, nappy in dry bucket
• Rinse any poop residue off in laundry sink
• Put nappies into machine
• Cold rinse on highest water level(2 rinses if son is teething or if I have left for more than 48hrs since last washing)
• Heavy duty wash with cold water and medium water level(2 days worth of nappies come to approx medium load line on my machine).
• Dry outside on washing line if possible or on clothes horse inside.
• I use a full scoop of Cold Power Sensitive Touch powder available from most supermarkets here in New Zealand.

Disclaimer: I have read quite a bit recently about detergent buildup being a made up issue and not something that can happen. I am undecided on this as I do think that it can buildup over time if too much is used and it isn't rinsed out properly, a bit like soap scum on the shower. It is not something that can occur with just one wash and would take many washes to buildup and therefore cause repelling issues. Because I am undecided as to whether I fully believe in detergent buildup I have left it listed as a cause. 

Also I am not an expert on caring for cloth nappies, I just go by what I know works/worked for me. While a supermarket detergent may work for me and the water we have, another person may need to use Rockin' Green to achieve good results. Please do a bit of research and trial and error about this stuff. 

Strip washing isn't always the answer.

In today's technological world the Internet is full of so much information on how to look after your cloth nappies and what to do when they aren't working that often it becomes very confusing. Strip washing seems to be at the top of the recommendations list when troubleshooting problems.

As a cloth nappy user I belong to many cloth nappy facebook groups. They are wonderful and shocking at the same time. It is great to have a network of like minded parents to chat to and get advice on different brands etc.What I don't like however is how often people recommend strip washing as the first thing to try or how people moan that they seem to be strip washing their nappies every month. It just doesn't sit right with me.

Here in New Zealand there are 3 main ways of strip washing:

The dishwash method,

The Rockin green Method

and the Sodium Percarbonate soak method.

The dishwash method seems to be the one most people try last if other strips don't work and I can fully understand why. To strip your nappies with this method you basically wash inserts on hot with dishwash liquid and then rinse, rinse, rinse until all suds/bubbles are gone. The cheapest nastiest dishwash liquid is recommended as it is least likely to contain moisturisers which can cause build up. I personally wouldn't use this method as some of the chemicals in dishwash liquid can be harsh and would you really want that anywhere near your baby's bum? I am sensitive and allergic to most dishwash detergents on the market so wouldn't trust them not to cause rashes. 

The Rockin' Green method is the most common one I see being mentioned online. There are two ways of doing this one and it all seems dependent on how bad your nappies are and why you are strip washing. The first one is to do a 12-24 hour soak using regular Rockin Green detergent. Then wash on hot with no detergent and rinse, rinse rinse. The second is a bit more in-depth and more suited if you have major issues. You do an overnight(12ish hours) soak in regular Rockin Green then wash, then do a second soak for approx same amount of time in Funk Rock and wash again. 

The third and final method is the one most commonly used by people who use homemade laundry powder or are switching to it and want to strip their nappies first. For this method you soak your nappies in Sodium Percarbonate that has been dissolved in water for 12-24 hours and wash with no detergent then rinse rinse rinse.

Here is why I have never done a "strip wash" as such and believe that strip washing should be your absolute last resort.

Yes I have had smelly nappies, but no I have never stripped them. I found that initially my issue was the way I washed my nappies so altered my regular wash cycle. Then found that I started getting smells again so did a long hot wash with a 20-30 minute soak added to the cycle and they were fine again. When my son is teething I find I start getting smells but a hot wash solves that and to be honest nothing can really stop teething wee from smelling. 

Recently I have been getting leaks on a regular basis. I tried adding more absorbency and have had no problems since. I also had an issue with my night nappies leaking so after someone recommended adjusting the rise of the ones I use, I did it and have had not leaks since. 

So if your nappies smell or if they leak stripping isn't always the answer. Try a long hot wash first, adjust your wash cycle, add more absorbency or adjust the fit. Problem solve first then if absolutely nothing works try a strip. Doing it too often can be harsh on your inserts, elastics and waterproofing and can actually cause more issues.

So please I beg you try other things first.

It's lunch time: Tuna and Tomato Sandwiches.

So now that my prefold tutorial mini series is finished I thought I'd branch away from nappies/diapers temporarily and into sandwich fillings. After getting bored of making ham and cheese sandwiches every night for my partners lunch I challenged myself to get creative. So here is my first recipe:

Tuna & Tomato

Ingredients:
1 95g Tin of Tuna
1-2 cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp of finely diced onion (I used red but Spring onion works just as well)
1-2 Tbsp of aioli or mayonnaise
4 slices of bread

Drain tuna and put into a small bowl. Flavoured tuna works well I used naturally smoked flavour today. Add aioli or mayonnaise.

Finely dice the cherry tomato and add to bowl with the onion.

Stir until combined, add more mayonnaise if required.


Spread onto buttered bread and your done. If your going to be eating it straight away you don't need to butter the bread, however if the sandwiches are going to be sitting in a lunchbox for a couple of hours before being eaten I recommend spreading a little butter or margarine on the bread first. This creates a barrier and stops the bread soaking up as much of the juice from the filling, soggy bread really isn't appealing.

To finish of my partners lunch I always add a piece of fruit, a couple of muesli bars and some home baking. My partner isn't really one to request vegetables in his lunch so I have to get creative. Chopped cherry tomatoes and onions add extra flavour but also extra nutrients.

Stay tuned for more sandwich filler ideas.

Prefold Tutorial: Newspaper Fold

This is one of the slightly and I mean slightly more complex folds for prefold nappies/diapers. It is most commonly used for boys as the bulk layers of absorbency are situated at the front of the nappy/diaper.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you.

Fold up the front of the nappy. How much depends on how long your prefold is and how tall you need the rise.

Fold over one side to the middle








Fold over other side to the middle to form a trifold type pad







Fold out the wings at the top.

 Place baby onto the nappy, bring front up between the legs, wings around the waist and fasten on the baby.







Lastly place your choice of cover over the top and you are all go.

Hints: If you find that your wings aren't quite reaching around to meet with the front of the nappy you can fan out the front bit a little to provide more coverage.

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Prefold Tutorial: Jelly Roll Fold

The following fold is perfect for newborns and any babies still in the explosive liquid poop stage. Be sure to watch the video demonstration at the end and feel free to check out my Check out my Facebook, Youtube and Instagram for regular updates and more.

Step one: Lay prefold out in front of you

 Roll in one side

Roll in other side to form a second protective wall.

Fold over the front to shorten rise if needed

Place baby down on nappy, bring front up between the legs and fasten how you prefer. Here I have used a Snappi.

Hints: For extra protection fold back down to form a barrier for those very explosive liquid poops.