Cloth Diapering- Our Stash So Far

This is a post I’ve been thinking about doing for a while but finding the time (and motivation) to actually write it has been a problem.

I recently bought the last of what I am going to buy of the cloth diapers until after Dot arrives. I was talking to someone at work about my latest purchase off diaperswappers she was asking about why I didn’t just buy everything brand new. I got to thinking about it and I came up with a couple of reasons.

First off if you ask W he will tell you one thing. I am cheap. He made the comment one time that he thought when they give you an engineering degree you automatically become very cheap. The truth of it is that I have bought a lot of these diapers used and have been able to make minor repairs for very little. Things like sewing on new aplix tabs and putting on snaps don’t cost much. It just takes me getting the motivation to do it all at night when my exhaustion level has hit its high point of the day.

The second reason is that some of these things are expensive at first. As much as I love the BumGenius and Happy Heiny diapers one of them costs between $17 and $18. The upfront costs add up so I started doing daily searches of craigslist.com and diaperswappers.com to see what was available. In addition, I found a good online store moms milk boutique that does free shipping and recently started stocking “pre-loved cloth diapers.” Now this might sound a little odd or gross, but when I get these in they get washed like the other diapers and also stripped (adding a little bleach to the wash cycle and an extra rinse). I have yet to have a problem with doing this so far.

So after thinking about all this I totaled up what I’ve spent on all of these things so far. The cost was right around $315. This includes:
5 BumGenius 3.0’s ( new)
4 Happy Heiny’s (used off craigslist)
20 Bum Genius 2.0’s used (needed new aplix which was free from the manufacturer)
1 Bummi’s wet bag (came with the Happy Heiny’s)
6 Babyland (used.All with snaps)
12 Gerber 3 ply prefolds (new)
24 Gerber flat fold diapers (new)
1 snappi (new)
6 Gerber 6 ply prefolds (new)
2 large thirsties covers (new)
1 size 2 thirsties duo cover (new)
2 size 1 thirsties duo covers (new)
1 Bummi’s organic prefold (used)

I was pretty impressed when I actually looked at how much I got for around $315. I then went and took a good estimate of what everything would have cost brand new. Here is where the shock came in to play. I looked and if I had bought all of these new, the total would have been $760! This amounted to a savings of around $480. For this cost I now feel that we have enough diapers and supplies for baby Dot and Butters together.

We do still occasionally buy disposable diapers. W tends to want to use disposables at night and when he is out, which is fine with me. Generally doing this we go through one box of size 6 Huggies every 2 months, which is far better than going through a box every 2 weeks! For me this is an acceptable compromise considering the overall cost savings.

Also, to make life easier on all of us when I go into the hospital to have Dot we will be packing disposables with Butters then too. Partially because the people keeping Butters aren’t too familiar with them yet and because I don’t want to come home and have to do a load of diapers right away.

So all in all I’m pretty happy with the stash so far. I know that when Dot arrives we will find more of what works and what doesn’t with an infant but for the moment I am happy with what we have and feel prepared for her arrival.

Now for some pictures!

Drawer with prefolds, flats, and covers for both Butters and Dot.

W's drawer. I make sure is always stocked with BumGenius diapers with Imse Vimse Liners inside the pockets ready to go.

Overflow drawer for Butters.

Dot's drawer with everything sized all the way down ready for her arrival.

29 weeks and more mixed news

I’ve had a couple of people ask me about what is going on with all the things I’ve posted on twitter so I am going to attempt to put it all here.

This week started out fine. Monday when I went to work I had a couple of contractions off and on, but lately that’s been about the norm. We had an all hands meeting at noon where they provided lunch. Normally this statement would be pointless, but as we were sitting there I felt 2 stronger than normal contractions. They subsided and I ate lunch (Domino’s pizza). Later I kept feeling them along with feeling nauseated. I just figured it was the pizza not agreeing with me and didn’t worry. Around 2:30 pm they still hadn’t stopped so I called my doctor’s office. I told the nurse what was going on and she said that I needed to go home and take 5mg terbutaline and try and rest. So I tried to do what she said as much as I could with a 2.5 year old who wants to play. The contractions were every 10 minutes or so even on the terbutaline and finally around 8:30 that night they started to subside and I got some sleep. I was then woken up at 3:30am with more so my night of sleep was cut quite short.

I went into my doctors office on Tuesday and when the nurse saw me she asked what was wrong and I told her. So she goes ahead and does the normal checks. When she gets to Dot’s heart rate it was much higher than it should be (170’s) so she stood there monitoring me for a few minutes and eventually the heart rate went down and then back up. She said it was most likely from the contractions.

So when my OB came in once again he seemed very concerned. I talked to him about what happened the night before and what was going on. He checked me again and I’m the same as last time (fingertip dilated but cervix is still high and thick) which is good. After talking for a few minutes we came to a verdict:
1.change of medication from terbutaline to procardia that I take every 8 hours around the clock.
2.I will take the medication like this until I hit 34 weeks. At that point if I go into labor he won’t stop me.
3.not on bed rest, but limited activity. So no more walks at lunch and I have to take it easy. He did ask if he needed to take me off work which I told him no to since I have a desk job and I don’t really do anything strenuous. Basically the last thing I’m really allowed to do is the Swim for Melissa this weekend but after that is over I have to come home and rest for a while.

So now the new goal is to make it to 34 weeks not 36 weeks. He has no clue why this is all happening though. I’m healthy, but my body just isn’t tolerating the pregnancy for some reason. That puts me having her more around the middle of September. I have none of the history or other previous conditions that would predispose me to preterm labor so this is all still unknown as to the exact cause.

So now we wait. I honestly haven’t figured out what is worse though; having the unexpected surprise that Butters had to go to the NICU, or the knowledge that there is a good chance if Dot is born before 36 weeks that she will also have a short stay in the NICU. Honestly I don’t want to find out but I have a feeling that we will understand once again too well about the things and procedures and routines there.

So how are we coping? Well at times I’m not sure. Butters is too young to understand at this point. Right now the only thing he probably notices is that I can’t be up as much or go on long walks with him anymore.

With the events of the CCHA rejecting the UAH Chargers application this week W has been kept very busy with helping organize a fan base (http://saveuahhockey.com/ and @saveuahhockey on twitter). By his own admission, this is helping keep his mind off things. Its better that he have this distraction right now than let himself think about what is going on too much.

I’m coping but sometimes not too well. I go to sleep every night and wake up and it’s the first thing on my mind. Every time she moves I am reminded of what is going on. When I can stay busy at the office, things are better, but lately work has been up and down. Some days I’m really busy and others I’m just not and that’s where my mind starts drifting back to what is going on with my body and her. The medication has stopped a good bit of the contractions but tends to let them through when its about an hour before my next dose. Also I've learned that I can't be up for more than about 3 hours before I start getting bad cramps/ contractions and have to rest. Generally, the side effects are not too bad. The worst of it is the swelling in my legs from my knees down and the hot flashes. Other than that, I don’t feel near as bad as I did on the terbutaline.

I guess right now we have come to accept the fact that there is a good chance we will see the NICU again. With the possibility of her being born early we are just preparing ourselves to see it again. I am actually seriously considering going and buying a pack of newborn onsies and leaving them in the package with the receipt. I figure if she is bigger or doesn’t need them I can always return them and if we do have them I’m sure we will be able to do a small load of laundry and get them washed if needed.

So that’s where we stand right now. I know this was much longer of a post than anyone probably ever cared to read but there has just been a lot going on and I didn’t feel like breaking it up into multiple posts.

Butters and other things

This is my second blog this week which means I've had a little too much free time!!

One of the things I haven’t talked about on this blog lately that I used to is Butters. He is now almost 2.5 years old and slowly turning W grey during the day. When I get home he acts like the entire day he has been starved to death. Now I vividly remember when he was an infant the minute I walked through the door he wanted to nurse. At the time I thought it was cute but its continued on through the toddler years.

One thing I can say that we are very happy about is at least right now he is not a picky eater. Given the chance he will try anything and everything. Most recently he and I both had our first gyro from a local greek place we love. He inhaled the entire half of it I gave him. Then after he was done went back in his high chair searching for piece he may have left behind. He has had many greek foods and loves all of them so far. He will eat salad as dinner with no problem and loves to try new things. I am loving this since my nieces and nephews all tend to be picky eaters. I know it might not last forever, but I am sure enjoying it while it lasts!

Also we have very slowly started potty training with him. Granted we weren’t planning on really getting into it until after Dot is here, but he is showing interest. He isn’t really consistent yet, but I tend to ask him a lot if he needs to go. Many times he is still dry which is nice. We aren’t doing any major rewards just yet except for a lot of praise. I think he is starting to understand when he is wet and will pull at his diaper. Most of the time that means its too late, but as I said we aren’t doing this full blown right now. When he goes that’s great and if he doesn’t that’s ok too.

I’ve been really preoccupied with how to prepare him for Dot’s arrival lately. I’ve read many schools of thought and honestly don’t know what to think. Thanks to a local nursing moms group and friends that have babies he has defiantly been exposed to babies. Normally he wants to see them, looks and laughs then goes on about doing something else. I know that this won’t last once Dot is here but part of me hopes that having been at least exposed to other babies will give him an idea of what is going on.

Oh and much to W's dismay he was right about something. Some time in the coming weeks I am planning a blog post about how I have toddler proofed some cloth diapers using snaps and velcro. I hate to say it but this was W's idea so I have to give him all the credit.

28 weeks and an update from last week

So its been a week since I last went to the doctor and got the news that I never expected. In some ways I am really shocked that I’ve taken it so well. Granted the thought of Dot having problems does scare the hell out of me, but for some reason I have come to be at peace with it. Normally this would really not be how I am, but in some ways I am just trusting in my body. I know that I am eating right and staying as active as possible. Also much to everyone’s relief I haven’t been climbing on top of any Chinook helicopters this time too which helps.

The terbutaline that I was prescribed I only take when the contractions get bad. Meaning if I have 3 in an hour then I take it. Luckily, I have not taken it too many times. The problem with the terbutaline is it causes me to shake nervously, my heart races, I generally can’t think straight and at the same time it makes me drowsy. None of these are fun and when they are all together I have a hard time getting to sleep and just generally feel confused. Still the contractions are not linked to any activity or anything that I can figure out. When I get them is still very random.

This week I had my glucose tolerance test. Translation I think this is my least favorite part of any prenatal tests or things that are done. I was not allowed to have even water after midnight or after I drank the nasty stuff. The “glucola” last time was orange flavored which caused me to never touch Sunkist since. This time it was fruit punch which was even worse. It tasted like bad flavored cough syrup. I nearly threw up trying to drink it if that tells you anything. Hopefully I’ll get the results next week at my next visit and not have to do the 3 hour test. Once per pregnancy is plenty!

Also this past weekend my Palm Centro died a death from a hardware failure. Its something that Palm has known about apparently and will do nothing to fix. So luckily I was able to upgrade my phone early and I have a new Blackberry Storm. First impressions so far are that I now see why they are called “Crackberries”. 2 days with out a phone about drove me crazy and this one is really nice and has a ton of functionality.

Other than all the doctor stuff I have slowly started getting clothes and diapers ready for Dot. I found a bunch of the clothes that I saved from when Butters was little and have started sorting them and washing the 0-3 and 3-6 month sizes. Many of them are really boyish, but the onsies are great layering so I’m just going to let her wear them. I also found Butters old Nashville Preditors 0-3 month set with a hat, onsie, pants and a bib. I can tell you right now that Dot’s first hockey event (game or coaches’ luncheon) she will be wearing this! That is unless we get a UAH one that she can wear.


Also I am working on fixing up some old Bum Genius 2.0 diapers and fitting them with snaps at the waist instead of the aplix they came with. It’s a pretty slow process but its coming along and hopefully I’ll have it all done before she gets here. I'll post some pictures once I get some completely finished.

I’m not getting ahead of myself though. We have a baby shower planned for this weekend back in Moody so I am trying not to do too much nesting until after the shower so I can see what exactly we will need.

I guess that’s about all for now. Hopefully after my appointment next week I will have good news. In addition, I am really looking forward to this weekend’s baby shower. This will be the last time I travel to Moody until after Dot is here due to the very good possibility that I will go early.

27 weeks and another doctors visit

So I had my next appointment this week and things were mixed.

First off the good news. Baby Dot is doing great. My doctor was happy with her measurements and her heart rate was right at 140bpm.

My wieght is climbing, but no big worries. I'm up to 146lbs and my blood pressure was 120/70 which is all good. For once this past month I didn't weigh myself at all. I actually just knew that I was maintaining a healthy diet, walking about a mile and a half 4 to 5 days a week, and generally staying active. So when I saw the weight gain I wasn't worried at all for once.

So here's the news that wasn't great.

For the past month I have been having some problems. At my last doctors visit I mentioned that I had felt some pretty uncomfortable contractions and Dot seemed to be very low. At the time no one thought it was a big deal but over the past month things have stayed the same. I've had on average 5 contractions a day with a lot of braxton hicks and the low pressure has gotten worse. I havent said much about this because I didn't want to worry or scare anyone but W and I have been dealing with things day to day as they happen.

So when I went into the office today I mentioned the contractions to the nurse and then to my doctor. Luckily my doctor is great and took my concerns seriously. He immediately said he wanted to check and make sure I wasn't progressing and that the contractions while real were hopefully having no affect. He did check and I have started to dialate already. Not even a centimeter yet, but as he put it finger tip. Luckily other than that everything else is fine and I am no where near ready to have this baby (cervix high and thick which is good). He also prescribed a drug called Terbutaline. Basically its a drug normally used to treat asthma but is also common in treating preterm labor contractions. The plan is to take it only as needed to stop the contractions. The side effects are tolerable so far in that the main things that happen are my heart racing and feeling flushed. I think I can deal with these as long as the contractions ease up for a while.

The odd thing about all this is I wasn't told to stop any of my daily activities. Since the contractions come if I rest or active he said there was no reason for me to stop walking everyday or staying as active with Butters as I can. Also now we are offically going to every 2 week visits. He originally said a month, but reconsidered after what we talked about. He is starting to want to keep a closer eye on me for a while just incase these contractions don't get any better.

Also now there is more talk of me making it to 36 weeks rather than full term. With all the contractions and what not the goal is now more than ever to just make it to 36 weeks. For me that means 9 more weeks of being pregnant and I will have reached a goal. This also means that after my baby shower in Moody on the 9^th I am not traveling out of Huntsville at all. With everything going on its just not in my best interest to go very far.

The news today was shocking for both W and I. I hated calling him on the phone after it all and having to tell him. I hated going back to work and trying not to think about it. Right now we are doing our best to stay positive about it all. We are doing our best to take things one day at a time and not think about the possibilities of having another NICU experience.

So while this was news that I debated sharing here I think its for the best. I'm not asking for anything but understanding that I had to get this off my chest and talk about it in some way, shape or form. I'm sure both baby Dot and I are going to be fine and in some way she is just trying to beat her older brother in how many grey hairs she can give daddy early on! :0)

Swim For Melissa

As I have talked about on many occasions when Butters was born W and I were introduced to a world that we never thought we would experience. The Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Ever since that day I have wanted to give back in some small way. Most of you know that every Christmas we go to the tree lighting in front of the Women and Children's Center. For the past 2 years Butters has gotten a commemorative ornament where all the proceeds go the help the NICU. I feel that getting him this kind of ornament as his for the year is a small way to give back to a unit that we never thought we would see and for the wonderful doctors and nurses that helped us in a very rough time.

This year Butters will be participating in a fund raiser called Swim For Melissa. You can read more about the basics of the program here. Butters isn't old enough to actually swim this year but he is participating as what is called a paddler. He will be there getting to play with other kids his age and just helping out with any money we raise. A link to his page can be found here.

I am still working on getting everything up and running on his page so please bear with me.
While I am not doing this post to ask for donations, I am doing it more to get the word out about the event in general. It should be a fun day for everyone involved and I know we are really looking forward to it.

Wordless Wednesday

Since I have babies on the brain:

Butters in the NICU one day old.

First hockey game

Now at 2 years old