Po*p is NOT a bad word!

So you want to cloth diaper huh? Afraid of the "P" word. But you just can't wait to see your little cutie with a big fluffy bum! Well honestly who can blame you, cloth diapering is awesome. But every time you start to move in the direction of going cloth you pump the brakes and sit in confusion... You ask yourself "what about the po*p? 

Well, let me assure you you're not alone. Many parents who venture into cloth diapering ask themselves the same exact question. It's a very real and valid question actually. I mean babies po*p like all the time, I mean like all...the...time and they...are....good at it. 

When you decide that cloth is right for you and baby you will be flooded with fear  and so many questions but the main one is "how do I clean my diapers and get rid of the po*p? 

So okay I'm going to let you in on a little secret...po*p goes where po*op goes in the toilet. Yup folks I know right-total shocker. But in all seriousness the answer to your dreaded question is as simple as po*p goes in the toilet. 

I first off need to state that not all po*p is not created equal. So I'm going to break down types of po*p and what to do with said po*p. 

Type A: Meconium (baby's first po*p) 

• This is black or dark greenish black in color. Thick, could appear jelly like in texture.

• Rinse out immediately, into toilet. Could stain diapers if left for long periods time. 

Type B: Exclusively Breastmilk Po*p

•This is yellow in color and seedy. Runny and thin, think mustard seed.  (Variation will occur depending on mothers diet) 

• Exclusively Breastmilk po*op is water soluble. It does not need special treatment you can just put right in the washer.  

Type C: Formula Fed Po*p

•light to medium brown. Creamy and or tacky in texture. 

• Must be completely sprayed out into toilet before storing and washing. 

Type D: Soild Foods Po*p

• light to dark brown depending on diet. (Color can change depending on food ie: Orange (lots of carrots) 

Solid, Smooth, creamy to hard in texture depending hydration. 

• Poop should easily plop right into toilet. 

Now that you know some basics about po*p and how to correctly dispose of it let me give you some tips and tricks to how I make life a whole lot easier. 

First, I highly recommend two bathroom tools: 

1st: Get A Diaper Sprayer

This is sprayer that connects right to the toilet making getting rid of pesky po*p super easy. 

2nd: SprayPal

This folding 3 sided clipboard device keeps you toilet dry during spraying and snaps down to help you ring out the excess water. 

Secondly, I personally don't like stains so if you are like me and want to make your life even easier then get yourself some bamboo flushable liners. Not only does it catch the po*p and keep it from hitting your diaper directly you can easily just pick up the po*p by the liner and flush right down the toilet. You can also use washable cloth liners as well.

I also fight stains by using my magic diaper laundering weapon...Bac Out by Biokleen.  This is a live enzyme cultures & lime extract that you spray on each diaper to start killing bacteria and fighting stains while it waits for wash day. 

Well that's it folks. Easier than you think! Don't be afraid or the "P" word. It's not a dirty word it's just is what it is poop. So when someone asks you "but what do you do with po*p?" Just tell them "I put poop where poop goes, in the toilet of course. Where else?" 

Thoughtfully, 

ecoCouture Baby 

(Please note I have not been paid on items or companies that have been mentioned in this post.)  

How to Cloth Diaper at the Hospital

If you follow my blog I have much love for cloth diapering. Some may say I'm a bit obsessed, and if you meet me you will quickly see they are right. I started cloth diapering my son at about five months old because he was severely allergic to disposables. I knew going forward with my second child I was definitely going to cloth diaper. I was after all full-fledged cloth addict and was more than willing to spread the word of cloth to any willing participant. 

 I knew I wanted to save my baby the pain and myself the heartache and frustration and go for cloth as soon as she came earth side. This notion came out of fear that my new baby girl would also be extremely allergic to the chemicals in disposable diapers.

So , although I was a very seasoned cloth diapering mama I was a little apprehensive of using cloth diapers at the hospital. I did not do it with my first and did not have first-hand experience with it. However it was not a question of if but how. 

After deep deliberation with myself 

sometimes out loud, I came to the conclusion that I would approach my hospital stay with cloth diapers like I would if on a short getaway. 

So here are my five recommendations to successfully cloth diaper at the hospital.

1- Write it DOWN

Yes write it down. No not on a post it, but in your birth plan. (Side note if you plan on having a natural delivery make two birth plans; one for your real plan and one for your back-up unplanned plan just in case you have to have a c-section) don't forget to put it in both plans!!! It's very important to write down what you expect and want for yourself and baby.  This can be hectic and crazy time and this plan will help keep yourself on course and your healthcare providers aware of your desires and expectations. 

2- Educate Yourself (for newbies)

Now if you already cloth diaper but have not yet during a hospital stay you can go on and skip this. However if this is your first rodeo then to be successful you have to do the research. Ask friends who cloth diaper, talk to cloth diaper services take a cloth class get educated! That way you have the knowledge to pass along to your nurse if need be. You can find some information on Pinterest but I highly recommend taking a class. 

3- Bring what you need for at least a 3-4 day stay

This was my biggest mistake. I did not plan on having my baby the day I did let alone a c-section. Lucky for me I had a wonderful best friend who also cloth diapers so she was able to run home and do a load of diapers for me. My advice save yourself the trouble and bring enough for 3-4 days. 

4-Bring what you need not what you want. 

Once you start buying diapers you will find yourself falling in love with all the colors and prints, eager to show them off. But when cloth diapering at the hospital it's best to keep things simple. I suggest getting yourself some newborn prefolds and newborn fitted diapers and a couple of cute PUL covers.  

This is the simplest way to conveniently and successfully use cloth in the hospital for days. How many you ask? If you are doing a mix of the two you need about 15 prefolds, 10 fitteds and about 3 covers. The great thing about covers are you can easily wipe them down and let them dry thus not needing as many. Keep in mind while in the hospital your baby will not be eliminating as much in the first few days of life. You will also need one large wet bag or two small travel wet bags to hold soiled diapers. A couple of snappies and that's it. Simple! 

5- NO SPOSIES AT ALL 

That's right don't even think about it! As I said before make it absolutely clear to every nurse you have (you will have more than one) that you will NOT be using disposables diapers, so please do not fill baby's bassinet with them. Have someone write it on the chart, the door or bassinet itself. You will be encouraged to use them, don't it's ok, you will be told the meconium will ruin your diapers, it won't. In fact my husband found it super easy to rinse off in the toilet and I had no lasting stains at all. 

 

It could not be any easier. Using cloth is the same as using a sposie with one exception, you throw in a wet bag not the garbage. Trust me when I say even this seasond mama was a bit leery, but truly it was so simple and easy. I do warn you though you will get plenty of questions and shocked looks but I was proud of what I was doing and so should you!! 

So go on make cloth mainstream...I dare you! 

Baby Girl In Cloth Earth Side

Thoughtfully, 

ecoCouture Baby 

C-section Birth Is Still Giving Birth

Not sure if any of you have come across a very negative and disturbing article on Facebook floating around claiming a c-section birth is not giving birth. Needless to say I am outraged and disappointed. I have to admit that the simple fact someone could really feel this way disturbs me to my core. 

Luckily, I can attest to both ends of this matter. I have done both! My first was an all natural unmedicated birth, and honestly it was super easy given what I went through the 6 days prior trying to stop labor all together. 

I was up walking around within 30 minutes of birth I even remember saying "it did not even feel like I gave birth at all!" I felt so physically amazing afterwards everyone around me had to remind me I had just given birth and was always telling me to sit my booty down and put my feet up!  How could I though I had an 11 week premature baby to look after. I was 100% back to my normal self within 2 weeks of giving birth and felt empowered, beautiful and blessed to have my little strong fighting boy.

(The day after giving natural birth) 

(Few weeks after natural birth) 

Fast forward 2.5 years, pregnant with my second baby I planned on having another all natural birth however things did not go by my plan.

I had a semi-emergency "gentle c-section because my little girl was frank breech. I went into full active labor while waiting for the doctor to turn baby around and had "back labored" for a few hours unmedicated till I was whisked away to surgically have my little baby girl. Although, I did have a pleasing surgery, and I was able to have a gentle c-section I was still emotionally not ready or prepared. 

(Doctor holding baby girl right after nursing during my c-section)  

(Me and baby after surgery in recovery)

Let me tell you almost 9 weeks later I'm still recovering physically and emotionally. I still have some pain, I'm still numb in my lower part of my belly. My stomach well is floppy over my scar, um I have a freaking scar. Plus after my c-section I had major complications, my lungs started to collapse, air was trapped in my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack or that I had thrown a blood clot. It was the most scary 9 hours of my life let me put it this was I thought I was on an episode of House (I miss that show) and I had a preemie. 

I thought I could have died and leave behind my two little babies motherless and my husband alone. I know it seems a little dramatic, but in those moments when they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me I was scared and in so much pain, worse pain than labor so a little drama was in order. 

I'm pretty well know in my community as being a natural attachment parent so I'm still so disappointed and somewhat felt  ashamed I had to have a c-section but because I know both sides of the stick I can honestly say giving birth via c-section is giving birth ( in the most difficult way) so many more emotional and physical pain comes with it and the healing taking longer not just the physical but the emotional healing too. But here is the real question. As long as baby is healthy and alive earth side and mama is healthy and alive does anything else really matter in the big picture? Really, does it? 

Thoughtfully, 

ecoCouture Baby

My Experience Cloth Diapering in the Hospital

When I was pregnant with my first I entertained the idea of cloth diapering, and I really wanted to give it a try. Those G diapers seemed easy enough right? For sure husband proof? 

In a twist of events my first born was born 11 weeks early so all the little extras on my new mommy list were just going to have to wait including cloth diapering.  

Baby Boy 2 days old

Although, we did not start cloth diapering at the hospital we did soon after baby came home from the NICU! Well the rest was history we never looked back. Cloth was where it was at for us, convenient, cost-effective, fun and easy not to mention addictive in the best kind of way!!! 

100% Cloth Diapered Baby

Fast forward to baby number two- At this point we were full fledge cloth diapering ONLY parents and I was quickly gaining the nickname "The crazy cloth lady" I made sure all the nurses involved in the delivery of my new baby girl knew how important it was for us to use cloth right out the womb after some skin to skin naked time of course. 

In a turn of events or should I say "non" turn (baby was frank breech) I had a "gentle c-section" What's a gentle c-section you ask? Look out for that blog later. I still insisted that only cloth be used. Confused and perplexed the head baby nurse said "okay we will do what we can, we have never had this request before!" I sharply replied "and by do what you can, it's cloth or nothing?" Shocked by my reaction she assured me that they would not use a sposie on my new baby girl when she came earth side. 

Well I am happy to report that the nurse kept to her word, I even remember her saying "not that diaper, nope she does not want that!" When baby girl came she was placed on me naked and nursed while the closed me up. Then they wrapped a cloth around her bum tying it on in the most interesting way, clearly not having a clue at to what they were doing, gave it their best shot. 

Skin to Skin 

Baby Girls First Cloth Diaper

Later, after recovery and in my room my nurse came in as my husband was changing baby girls diaper and she stood there, starring as if she had never seen a diaper change before. She quickly noticed that I had noticed her confusion. At that point I realized that this was pretty unusual in nature, that something as simple as a cloth diapering could throw trained nurses off their game. 

By day three I kind of felt like I was at a trade show showing off cloth diapers, answering questions, showing different types, explaining how they work and how easy it really was. 

I was told I was the first mama that really cloth diapers in the hospital. They always hear other moms who talk about when they get home they want to cloth diaper... yada yada yada but never seen someone actually cloth diaper while in the hospital, fully one hundred percent. I couldn't believe it. Was I really the first, I mean the first in a LONG ass time? I was. 

Well their you have it my cloth diapering experience while in the hospital. Did you desire something in your birth plan write it down, stress it, make it important?

 It was pretty awesome I was kind of a cloth rockstar, and even though I was overwhelmed with several questions during my hospital stay I wouldn't have any other way because I really want to make cloth mainstream! And come on who can resist a cute little fluffy bum! 

#sayyestothecloth

Cloth Diaper Stash

Cute "Fluffy" Bum 

Thoughtfully, 

ecoCouture Baby

Jack N' Jill Natural Toothpaste and Biodegradable Toothbrush Review

Jack N' Jill Natural Toothpaste and Biodegradable Toothbrush Review

My husband and I really made a conscious parenting decision when it came to our child's dental hygiene. It was very important to us to start early (even before buds popped) so we would not have to struggle later on. So we would wipe his gums off with a damp towel, and later moved on to the finger brush with water, but eventually with the addition of solid foods and actual teeth we were in need of the real deal. 

Yup a TOOTHBRUSH AND TOOTHPASTE! 

Well we try our best to be natural parents, hey nobody is perfect, but we knew we wanted a fluoride-free, swallowable, natural toothpaste that also tasted great!! We tried some popular mainstream kids brand of toothpaste at first and it fulfilled 2 of our requirements (fluoride-free)(safe to swallow) but fell completely short on the other.

Then we found JACK N' JILL! It was exactly what I was looking for and then some!  This company makes a natural toothpaste with organic flavors and organic calendula, with a biodegradable toothbrush to match! 

Besides having many organic toothpaste flavors to choose from this toothpaste is also kosher, vegan, gluten free and contains NO alligines! Plus (wait for it) Jack N' Jill is absolutely free of anything GMO and free of Palm Oil derivatives. 

Can you say EUREKA !!!!

The happy and surprising key ingredient for us though was the organic calendula. Don't know what that is? No worries! Calendula is believed to have natural healing and anti-inflammatory properties which is a huge bonus for sore baby gums with little tooth buds that seem to pop in like popcorn!  OUCH!! 

However, would it past the taste test? Needless to say it sure did! We have only tried the blackcurrent flavor but it really is a yummy fruity flavor! Of course I just had to try it for myself. The consistency really threw me off a bit. It's a very thick, clear, sticky gel like consistency. It's not bad just different.

The toothbrush is cute, fun and easy to handle and is also very eco-friendly!! It's biodegradable and made 100% out of corn starch... Corn starch for real! Wow what a total bonus for this ecoMama! We found a winner!!! 

What can I say we love our Jack N' Jill organic dental hygiene products!! Total winner!

You can purchase online at their website or earthbabyboutique.com or in store at Earth Baby Boutuque. 

Please comment or ask questions!! I would love to hear from all of you! 

Thoughtfully, 

ecoCouture Baby

7 Cloth Diapering Myths

7 Myths Cloth Diapering Myths

As my love for cloth diapering grew the more comfortable I was talking about it. Sadly, in my conversations I found major myths were hindering families from using cloth diapers. 

So I think it's time to squash these myths once and for all!!! 

Myth 1- 

Washing cloth diapers will takes hours to do and I already don't have time for laundry. 

Reality-

Washing cloth diapers take no real extra time. It's literally one load of laundry. The simple fact is we all have laundry to do its a part of life and it has to be done. Wash routines for cloth diapers are not all that elaborate, and depending on the size of the load it should really only take you about an hour or two! 

Myth 2- 

My house will smell like ammonia and or poop!

Reality-

Your house will not smell! In fact anyone who uses a diaper pail knows those pails can get pretty smelly. When you cloth diaper you will use a sealed wet bag to hold your soiled diapers in, and put poop where it goes, in the toilet!!!

Myth 3-

I don't want to use those diapers and pins with plastic covers my grandma used.

Reality- 

Cloth diapers have changed in a major way in the last 15-20 years. You can go "old school" if you like and use those type of cloth diapers, however their are now tons of easy to use affordable options for every family! This includes a hybrid cloth diaper. (This is a diaper that is cloth on the outside but uses a chemical free, biodegradable absorbent layer that just goes right in the toilet!) 

Myth 4-

Cloth diapers will leak.

Reality-

Babies come in all shapes and sizes and so do cloth diapers. If you get the right cut, with the right fit for your baby, and use the correct system for your family you should have no issues with leaks! 

Myth 5- 

Cloth diapers cost way to much money! 

Reality- 

It might seem that way because you have to get your cloth diaper stash (about 20-30 diapers) all at once in the beginning. Remember you will use these diapers more than once and possibly with more than one child. So looking at the bigger picture you will be spending a lot less than buying pack after pack of "one use only" disposables. Let's not forget gas savings, because when you cloth diaper you don't have to make special trips just to buy diapers. "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Myth 6-

It will give my baby a rash.

Reality-

Most rashes come about because of a combination of things such as; chemicals, non-breathable material, moistness, and baby chemistry. When you cloth diaper you eliminate just about all those factors! In fact when you use natural materials like wool you are adding a helping factor. (Wool is slightly antibacterial.)

Myth 7-

I will have to change my baby's diaper more often. 

Reality-

How often you change your baby is up to you and well your baby too. Some babies are heavy wetters and need to be changed every couple of hours while some are not and you can go a few hours without a diaper change. This rings true for disposables and for cloth diapers. 

Myths squashed!

I really hope I cleared up some of the myths and the stigma surrounding the cloth diapering world! Give it a try! Who knows you just might love it!!! We sure do!!! So much so I could just sing about it!!!

(Picture from DrMomma.org) Check out this peaceful parenting blog. 

Thoughtfully,

ecoCouture Baby

7 Things a New Mother Should Know

7 things every new mother should know! 

Per request of a soon to be new mother an ecoCouture Baby fan wanted to know, how it will be having a newborn?

So here is a list of 7 things that you should always keep in mind. 

1- You Are a NEW Mother 

Yup that's right you are new at this, so don't expect to have all the answers or to even really be prepared. Every baby is different with different needs. Also every family is different with different ways of parenting. You know the old joke our parents use to say "you didn't come home with an instruction manual." Well, it's true you didn't and well babies don't. You kind of just figure it out along the way. And above all if your doing your best then you are being the best mother! Which brings me to number 2.

2- Do You Boo

Everyone and I mean EVERYONE will give their two cents and advise on what works for them or what worked for their baby. But ultimately do you. My advice however, is to be open. Open to hear new things, and try new things. How do you know if it will work unless you give it a whirl. Bringing us to number 3!

3- Not All Negative Tales Are Truly Negative

What I mean by this is, if someone had a bad experience with a product or method that does not mean you will. In fact in my own experience I have found many times one persons bad perspective was brilliantly a God send for me. 

3- Brestfeeding is HARD

Anyone who has ever breastfed will probably agree it takes FULL COMMITMENT and DEDICATION. It's not easy, at first it hurts, your more hungry and thirsty. It takes up all your time. You have to make sure you wear breastfeeding clothes like always. You will be feeding around the clock, and yes you are on a 24 hour breastfeeding schedule. Now with all that being said you need support. Tell people who will be around you that this is something you are wanting to do and it's important to you and the baby that you are supported. Example for me it was just to much for me to breastfeed and wash and dry all the pump stuff too, all while taking care of my baby. So my husband did that among other things. Ask for support because you will need it. Also, know their are some who no matter how much they want to breastfed they just don't produce enough milk. Don't give up give a good try for a month while supplementing and if you can't at lease you tried and their is no shame in that!

4- Don't Stress About The Mess

You will find by day 7 or 8 your whole house will be turned inside out ,heck you might be turned inside out. But its ok your main focus is your baby, and it should be. However, find time to take a bath or shower because something so simple will make you feel like a million bucks. But keep in mind things that take you 30 minutes to do now (like change a diaper and outfit) will soon take you 5 minutes. So don't worry you will get back to normalcy!  

5-Give Yourself a Break

Everyone knows you are new at this, including your baby. So if he/she cry they don't hate you your not a horrible mother.(your hormones can make you feel that way)  You are just a NEW one. And soon enough you will be able to figure out what every sound and cry means and tend to their needs with out even thinking twice. With that being said...

6- Keep Track, Take Notes, Lots of Pictures

Yes, keep a log of when baby peed, poo'd, burped, ate, slept and for how long. You will not be able to remember your brain will be tired so write it all down for reference. It's not forever but do it till you feel confident and know your babies quarks, needs, and wants. Take notes on your baby when they first looked at you, smiled ect again with sleep deprivation don't rely on your once iron clad memory.  Also, take lots of pictures a day I mean lots, like 100s. You will be so happy you did when you get to their first birthday and can look back on the days that are just a blur by then. And finally...

7- Enjoy That Baby

Make sure among all the chaos that you stop and enjoy your baby. Kiss, hug, snuggle, and love on that baby! Enjoy the moment. Stop and recognize the milestones, look at the little differences of your baby everyday. Why rush them to grow up. Enjoy the age and stage they are at now, this is such a short time in their life and you should enjoy every moment of it. You will have your favorite stage of course, but every stage is different and important and should be recognized and enjoyed. 

I hope this eases some new mothers minds and helps them gain confidence in there mothering abilities! 

Thoughtfully, 

ecoCouture Baby