April Munchkins 2013- enjoying our wonderful babies!

[kirstabelle]

Oh me too Maybe Soon. No food or drink anywhere but the table. Apart from me not wanting mess all over my house or kids who think they rule the place, studies have also shown that kids who eat at the table have less problems with weight gain, portion control etc.

ETA obviously water they can have anywhere, its not a prison lol

 

[LittleSpy]

And when I say cheap I mean like ~$5 a diaper. You can google alvababy or sunbaby to find them online. They get decent reviews on youtube. Good for padding out the stash I am thinking. They are pocket diapers.

No experience with Alvas here, but I like Sunbaby alright. Except the inserts are the worst!! I got the bamboo blend ones and in no way would I ever recommend them to anyone for anything. First of all, the bamboo outer layers shrink. The microfiber inside doesn't. So, they're all bunched. Second of all, they're insanely short. They'd work for a newborn except they're too bunchy and would be incredibly bulky. They'd work for an older infant except they're too short. Totally useless.

But, when I stuff the covers with cotton indian prefolds, they work well. If I had it to do again, I'd forgo the inserts entirely, just order the shells, and buy some prefolds or flats or bumgenius inserts (if you like microfiber) to stuff with. In fact, I'm in the process of trying to sell my 12 Sunbaby inserts to someone on Facebook right now!

eta: Typically I'm a cover + prefold/flat girl anyway, but hubby started rebelling against those when dd became more mobile (9 months or so) because he said they were too hard to have to "put together" and get on her wiggly butt (I don't quite understand his perspective there because I don't have any issues with covers/prefolds that I don't have with even getting a disposable on her but ignoring him was going to lead him to plow through disposabiles when I'm not home). So I wanted a bunch of cheap pockets for him to use while I'm at work and Sunbaby got the best reviews from my local cloth diapering mommy group.

Also perhaps important to note, I got the size 2 Sunbabies because at the time dd was pretty big/chunky and they're still quite a bit smaller than other one-size diapers like Bumgenius. Still fit my 22 pound 18 month old, though. I think they'll be a decent size for the newb, too, and expect to use mainly those for her the first couple of months.

 

[doggylover]

Lol Maybesoon your dh is a big softie!! But I agree,at 5 and 7 they are definitely having him on, and he needs you to whip him into shape before Mason joins in on the act with him!

Readytomum: I'm also not a pacifier fan at all. I read something yesterday which said "kids in Africa and Asia don't have them, and they self soothe just fine" which is one of the most sensible arguments about not using them I have ever heard! I don't mind other people using them, but I just don't think they are my cup of tea. Hopefully I still feel that way in a few months my brother and SIL always said "no pacifiers" and within 3 1/2 weeks they had given in. Then it was "we'll take it off him before he's six months" then a year, now he's heading for two and throwing tantrums when he doesn't get it in my eyes it's causing more problems than its fixing.

Kirstabelle: hmmm I think maybe the same about my mum. At the aforementioned dinner with my screaming nephew, he wouldn't eat his dinner so my SIL said "no dessert" five mins later, my mum whips out a yoghurt for him, and my poor SIL doesn't want to rock the boat so doesn't say anything. I did and I will when it's my LO. I expect her to be soft to a certain extent, but to still respect my wishes. Same with cloth v disposables. Hence why I am hoping to buy lots of Alva baby pockets for her to use so no excuse!!! Also how smart is your dog to tap her nails?! Ours still gets excited by his own tail

Littlespy: maybe my hospital will give me a similar sheet to work on (and no doubt I will be similarly confused as to when the day starts - midnight? From the time they were born? Breakfast?!) if not, I can always ask, if I remember! If I remember right you use quite a lot of prefolds? How do you find them? I'm thinking of getting a whole pile for when LO is slightly bigger (I heard they don't work as well with newborn bf poop, unless you use a snappi?) and using them along with the wraps I have, and with covers like flips.

 

[maybesoon]

With kids it's 100% about consistency!!!

When I worked at the daycare we would get parents come and talk to us all the time to ask us why the kids listened to us so much better than they did to them. It almost always came down to consistent rules. If the child was misbehaving they went into time out. They could kick and scream all they wanted to, but we weren't going to give in, whereas at home, mom or dad would cave which just reinforced that screaming and throwing a tantrum is how to get your way. When kids know what their boundaries are, they're more likely to respect them. When they don't have firm lines there's too much wiggle room and kids will test that.

doggylover: Your poor nephew! What mixed messages. I personally hate pacifiers, and will be trying my hardest to avoid ever using one. I'm not judging those who do, I just don't think they're necessary and don't want to go down that path if I can't help it!

I am the same about pacifiers. I don't want them giving Mason one in the nursery. I agree with you & don't feel they are necessary & don't want to still be fighting with Mason when he's 4 about the darn thing. You don't miss what you never had....

 

[doggylover]

As my mum says "all children have a thumb, if they want to suck they'll find that"!!

 

[maybesoon]

doggylover... We are both working on it. He is letting me take the lead & he's standing behind me. When I made the comment to him "That's fine, I don't mind being the bad guy all the time" I think it kinda hurt his feelings a little. So he's trying really hard. For the very first time last night the kiddos didn't get desert after not eating their dinner. Always before they got it no matter if they ate or not & a lot of the time if they didn't eat he would make them something else of their choice like waffles with syrup & nutella sandwiches, etc. That was one of our huge issues when we separated. I find it extremely disrespectful for me to work 9 hours a day, drive 2 hours to & from work making it a total 11 hour work day for me & then I come home, cook dinner then they don't eat & he makes them what they want. I am tired enough just baking Mason without adding all the extra crap to it. He sees things so much differently now.

It cracks me up the difference between where we were in October & where we are today. I'm not sure what happened with him while I was living elsewhere, but whatever it was I'm honestly thankful it happened. I have a real husband now who does everything he can on a daily basis to ensure I am happy.

 

[LittleSpy]

doggylover -- YMMV, butI didn't have any issues with prefolds and breast milk poop (despite dd being combo fed, she had bm poo up until she got no bm at all for a couple of days; and even then formula poo isn't that much different -- or, at least hers wasn't ). Never used a snappi in my life. Would be completely lost with all that. I personally think it's really about finding the right cover to fit your LO. A well-fitting cover holds in the worst poopsplosions!

There's a US based company called Cotton Babies and I order almost all of my cloth diapering stuff from their website. They occasionally have great sales! They sell really nice quality indian cotton prefolds. They also sell Chinese cotton prefolds but my understanding is those aren't as soft as Indian ones. I've not tried them since I've been so pleased with the prefolds I have. My first experience with prefolds was with Econobum but I only liked them as dd got older (6-7 months maybe?) and I could fold them the long way. They were too wide when tri-folded the short way for a newborn (they're designed to be used from birth to potty training). I felt like it was better for me to just order shorter prefolds and use those instead of trying to make those Econobum ones work so that's what I did. So I have the smaller prefolds and flats that I'll be able to use in covers for the newbie. Hopefully Maisie will be out of diapers by the time I need to switch to the bigger prefold sizes.

 

[kirstabelle]

Thanks Little Spy, that is very good info about the sunbaby inserts. I was planning to get 100% bamboo, so hopefully those won't be as bunchy? I am worried about what you are saying about the length of them though. Maybe I will try the alvas? The only annoying thing about the alvas, apart from the crazy confusing website, is that you can't buy the shells alone so I would have to buy bamboo inserts separately but still pay for the microfiber one that comes with the shell I like that they have a bunch of minky options there, but all the minkies are microfiber inserts. And this is why I haven't actually ordered any of them yet. Decisions, decisions.

I considered prefolds for a while too, but kept reading that with wool fitteds work better and I can knit wool soakers so cheaply and quickly, and I like the breathability. Their only real drawback is that once they get pooped on you have to wash them and washing wool is a more time consuming than throwing PUL in the washing machine. So fitteds is what I picked.

If you want some more great info on prefolds doggylover I found the green mountain diapers website really, really informative. It has loads and loads of pics of real babies in all different sized prefolds and different brands of wraps. Really good. I would post the link but I am scared of getting blocked again! If you google it I'm sure it will come up though! I bought a dozen of their workhorse fitteds in size small to try out.

 

[simplymuff]

hope everyone is doing ok and feeling good!!

 

[ooSweetPea]

Thinking of you mommabrown have everything crossed that you get a good report

 

[ukgirl23]

Good morning ladies.. I have to say I sit firmly on the fence with pacifiers. I didnt use one with Connie. Like you lot I was against them thinking they were just evil lol she never sucked her thumb or needed a dummy and if I gave her one she spat it out so I left her. Lucas on the other hand is and always has been a mummies boy lol he couldnt sleep as a baby unless I sat next to him and let him hold my fingers. He would cry for breast but not because he was hungry but because it made him feel secure and he would suck for over an hour at a time and it was becoming time consuming and exhausting. As you will see breastfeeding makes you super tired.. so I gave him a dummy and he loved it. He slept better and was more comfortable for both of us. When it was time for his dummy to go I told he is a big boy now and doesnt need it anymore because its for babies and he gave it up no issues. So I would prefer not to use them but I will if I have to lol..

Im very strict about where my kids eat too. They are only allowed to eat meals at the table.. the floor around the table suffers haha.. they can eat snacks whereever.

its minus 2 this morning Im hoping I dont have to ice skate to the school in a bit! I fellnon ice when I was pregnant with Lucas. Its not fun!
Connie told me last night they took her to another room again at school to ask her if she is happy and they made her draw pictures.. Im off to have it out with the head teacher today.. if they have concerns they need to tell me. This is the third time now. Im thinking of pulling her out.

hope everyone has a lovely day and be careful on ice! Xx

 

[doggylover]

Littlespy: thanks for the info re: prefolds. I will definitely check out that brand you recommended, and its also good to know the econobums aren't great for tinies - I had been wondering if there was a point in bing sized prefolds, and clearly there is! I have a great selection of wraps at the minute so I can't wait to see which ones work best and order more ( fingers crossed its my blueberry wraps as they are so darned cute!!)

Kirstabelle: haven't heard of green mountain so I'll definitely have a look on there at some point today and get some ideas, tips and tricks. Thanks! With the alvas, I am planning on getting the ones with microfibre inserts and boosting with bamboo. I've read that works pretty well as the mf sucks the pee up quickly, but then you have the slow absorb of the bamboo below it. It is annoying you can't mix and match what you want - probably another reason they are so cheap you just get given what they want!!!

Hi simplymuff! Hope all is well with you and LO!

Ukgirl: careful on the ice! Any snow with you? We just have sleet and its cold, but not minus temps just yet!!! Wear sturdy shoes!

 

[melissasbump]

Hi ladies,i too am on the fence re pacifiers. I hated the thought of them before H but he was a very sucky baby and i personally would rather that than a thumb as you can take it away. It was never used as a bedtime aid just a settler during the day and hes never been reliant on it. We stopped using it at 15 months with no issues at all, i never wanted a 3 or 4 year old with a dummy i think thats totally unnessasary but all im saying ladies is that they arent evil and used correctly can be useful, dont totally discount them every baby is different.

 

[ukgirl23]

None yet doggylover.. I live in that part of the uk where we never really get any good weather lol.. we are due snow friday wether or not we get it is another story xxx

 

[lily28]

Lily you baby bag is gorgeous!! Most bags I looked at just seemed so expensive for the quality they are (around $100). I'm a bit of a purse snob, so it's hard to make me happy anyways... I also figured I would be using the diaper bag as a purse for at least the first year, so I want to love it.
I ordered a large purse from Tommy Hillfiger, hoping that I could use it as a baby bag but once it came in, I realized that it won't be big enough
Guess I will be looking for another diaper bag after all lol. Since I'm paying for it, OH will have to live with what I like lol... Or go buy his own (which he won't ahaha)

As for nursery update... Yay doggylover for getting things moving! I have OH clearing his stuff out of the room today so I can start decorating and putting Grayson's clothes away! I have already filled two huge boxes with stuff for donation. It's amazing how many things get held onto over the years . I still had a VCR in the closet .... Bahahah I don't even own any VHS tapes...

Thanks! Exactly my thoughts, since it is going to be "our" bag and I'm going to be holding it , it better be something I really like.
You are lucky, in the US there are lovely bags, I've seen some from Vera Bradley I would kill to have, but they are too exp to ship to EU.
Love this one https://www.zappos.com/vera-bradley...rce=pinterest&utm_campaign=product_page_badge but it is over my budget and they don't ship here.

Lol at the VCR, I got rid of it years ago, DH thinks it is still in storage bahahaa!!

I'm doing the big clean up this Saturday, nursery will be completely empty and ready to be painted

 

[lily28]

Meals outside the dinner table are a no no for me too. I hate looking at kids and adults eating while standing up, walking, in places that are not the table. Bedroom meals = mortal sin for me. The only exception is sickness where you can have some juice or hot tea in your bed because you can't get up.

Pacifiers/dummies: I have no problem with those but after the baby has established a breast feeding routine. So I say no to dummies for the first 40 days or so, but yes after that.

Doggies on the couch: not in this house lol! I never allowed my doggy to climb in the couch or bed, he had his own bed and he was happy to lay right next to our feet. It is hard to break a habbit, and even if someone was trying to manipulate my dog to get on the couch he would give him a strange look, like "huh? what are you talking about?"
But I would give him food from our meals and he would salivate while we were eating, horrible and gross, haha I had my soft spot with food. Thankfully he never stole any food from table, not even unattended food on the coffee table. He was a nice boy.

 

[Jenny_J]

I used dummies with my other children, they were bottle fed though. I want to breastfeed this time, so wont be using one, o the first few months at least.

We have snow here, just a thin dusting, but its -3 so more is likely to come along soon.

 

[doggylover]

Apparently it's -14 in norfolk (where my in laws are) and 7 inches of snow!! insane!

 

[ukgirl23]

Even while breastfeeding Lucas he had a dummy and we had no issues he knew which was which was a hungry cry is different to a tired cry. I used dummies with Luke from around a month old and Im stocked up ready in case Benny is a mummies boy too hehe..

I Went to the school and spoke to Connies teacher today and she understood why I was upset they had just been talking to her because she is shy and quiet and a worrier they a
said after talking to her they had no concerns but wanted to follow up just to double check. I told them I was grateful that they were worried about her but I want to be told in the future.. unfortunatley my hormones took over and I cried.. I hope I didnt look insane lol. They were sorry that they didnt tell me. They said if they had concerns then they would tell me. So I feel much better now. thank goodness that is one less thing to worry about xx

 

[ukgirl23]

Its minus 2 here but not really icey. just a bit frosty which the sun is melting now x