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