Baby Stuff Brag Post #4: Ivy's Diapers

Everybody poops.  They've written books about it:

Everyone Poops

Excellent book for big brothers and sisters with a baby in the house, when said baby is doing it every hour or so.  My sister-in-law used to keep this book decoratively displayed on her guest toilet.

As I mentioned in my last post, I detest plastic diapers.  Detest, detest, detest.  I tried to use some newborn diapers on Ivy (fancy chlorine-free ones someone gave me), but her sensitive newborn skin couldn't handle it.  Plus, she's a heavy wetter and leaked outta those things in a single pee. 

Luckily, we've got the cotton.

Here are some of Ivy's cloth diapers:

These are my favorite diapers, PooPockets.  Dorky name, great pattern.  They fit from about 8 lbs up through potty learning, depending on the build of the baby.  Recently I tried one on Johnny for fun, and it fit.  (Just barely.)  An older baby or toddler will need a lay-in doubler for extra absorbancy.

Ivy has some random diapers to make it to laundry day, but these organic hemp/ cotton PooPockets are my fave.  I have more cut out and I'm hoping to get them sewn up soon.

See the squishy softness of the velour?

Some PooPockets made from birdseye that belonged to Rosie and John Paul:

These have been loaned to other mums several times, but they still work.

Some others, made from recycled turtlenecks, with snaps added:

 If you don't sew, prefold diapers are the most economical way to cloth diaper.  They are super if you want to use PUL (polyurethane-laminate) covers:

For using beneath wool covers, you'll need to use a Snappi or pins:

This is tricky at first, but eventually you get good at it and (usually) you can keep poop off your wool covers.  While you can sew your own prefolds, it usually works out more cheaply to buy them.  Unless you have tons of flannel in your fabric stash, or you want to use a luxury fabric like hemp fleece or cotton velour, in which case, sew away!

"In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular." 
~Kathy Norris

Baby Stuff Brag Post #3: Ivy's Soakers

Crunchy Mom Confession:

I have a cloth diaper fetish.

I love cloth diapers.  Love, love, love.  I hate disposable diapers.  Every time I give birth and sleep on a chux pad my hatred only increases.  Ugh!  So hot and sweaty and plastic-y.  I'd much rather use a plain cotton towel, and I'm pretty sure plain cotton is more comfy for a baby's bum than plastic and polymer gel diapers, too.

Deeper in crunch land... you can avoid even putting poly or vinyl covers over your cloth diapers by using wool covers (generally referred to as wool soakers) instead.  Just like our great-grandmas did, before the invention of polyester fabrics.  Wool is super-soft, if you pick the right wool, and water-resistant (but not water- PROOF), so it works just the same way as those plastic-y covers.  As a bonus, if you make your own wool soakers, they will cost you almost nothing. 

Wool sweaters for sewn wool soakers can be found for $1 at thrift shops.  If you find wool sweaters with holes, you can get the store to give them to you for a quarter or so.  I got a pumpkin cashmere sweater for free that way.  MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm, cashmere.  If you knit or crochet, the cost of your cover will be determined by the price of your yarn.  You can find soft wool yarn pretty inexpensively, but if you buy fancy yarn, your covers can get pricey quickly.  I use Cascade 220, 100purewool, or Lion's Fisherman (the latter is not super-soft, but the more often you wash and lanolinize it, the softer it gets).

For sewn soakers, I use the Sweet Baby Soaker Pattern by Wired Up Designs.  There are many free patterns online, but the Sweet Baby pattern is really the best, and I've tried 'em all!  My favorite is a double layer cashmere soaker.  You need 2 layers for cashmere; 1 will not be enough.  Cashmere doesn't shrink or felt and is machine washable.  My next favorite is rib-knit merino.  Also hard to shrink, but it will felt.  Depending on the thickness, sometimes 1 layer is sufficient.  Rib knit will stretch a ton, too, as baby grows.

Here are some of Ivy's sewn soakers:

four cashmere and two lambswool stripe

Lots of these were handed down from John Paul and Rose.  Wool lasts forever.

two cashmere and a lambswool stripe

If you use the Sweet Baby pattern, you don't need anything but sz small and medium, unless you expect a 6 lb baby or your babies get enornously fat.  (No, she isn't paying me for this review!)  Don't forget to make pants from your leftover sweater sleeves:

Google for a trillion tutorials for these sleeve-pants

You can't handle the cuteness:

My favorite knit soaker pattern is The Curly Purly Soaker Pattern.  Knits up quickly, and requires no bulky waist drawstring to stay on.  This is major, as many knitted soakers fit poorly under regular clothes due to the waist drawstring issue.  It's free, too!  (Donations accepted.) 

Curly Purlys:

four in hand-dyed Lion's Fisherman and a 100purewool merino

On the needles:

Another awesome knit pattern is for a wrap-style soaker.  Also free,  Warm Heart Woolies' Plain Wrap is the only diaper cover my husband has ever requested more of.  It's fantastic.  Particularly nice for newborn frog legs that are tricky to maneuver into soaker leg holes.

A couple of Ivy's wraps:

both in hand-dyed Lion's Fisherman

Need to make more of these!

I realize my wool stash makes me look like I have no life outside of wool-crafting, but do remember that some of these woolies have been handed down through 3 little people, and all 4 of these patterns are fast to make.  The sewn soakers and pants take less than 1/2 hour each after you get to know the patterns, and the knit patterns are also very quick and easy, as far as knitting goes.

And guess what?  All the covers photographed on this page cost less than $20 in materials (plus the pattern) to make!

I won't go in to cleaning and care of wool diaper covers only because there are 7 million other blog posts out there on how to do it, so happy Google-ing.


"What is a home without children?  Quiet." 
~Henny Youngman

Baby Stuff Brag Post #2: Ivy's Sling

Will baby innovations never cease?

I doubt it.

I discovered this new sling style during Ivy's incubation.  Very impressive, it is basically a wrap that you don't have to wrap!  What?  Take a look:

See?  The 2 loops imitate the wrapped criss-cross, and the sash is your last wrap.  (You'll understand if you've ever used a wrap; if not, have no fear, you'll understand in a minnute.)

Slip 1 loop over easch shoulder.  See my wonky pic:

Baby goes in the cross on front:

This is plenty of support for Ivy.  She is really snug in there and goes right to sleep every time.

Add the sash for extra support for a heavier baby, or for longer wear, like hiking.  Ivy's head is tucked into the fabric in the above pic because she is sleeping.  It works wonderfully.  Doesn't hide postpartum flab or anything, but *sigh* nothing does.




back with sash added

 I think this looks tidier than a wrap.  It supports better than a pouch or ring sling.  It's way easy to put on.  And it supports as well as my beloved Ergo (though probably not for a toddler).  I even wore John Paul in it a few times while immensely preggo.  The make of the sling is 'Baby K'Tan' and you can find videos at www.babyktan.com with different positions for wearing.  I gave on of these as a baby gift and the mom, a baby-wearing drop-out, says she actually uses and loves it.

This carrier cost $12.  The fabric is a 60% cotton, 40% poly interlock from JoAnn Fabric.   You could get 100% cotton interlock or jersey from www.naturesfabric.com, but I was in a hurry and also feeling quite cheap.  My sash fabric:

was just a scrap from my stash.

I made it up because I couldn't find my box with my baby carriers in it after Ivy was born!  Also, for the record, I sewed the entire thing during the previews of The Hunger Games.  So, in other words, about 9 minutes.

Click here for carrier directions!

Happy babywearing!!!

"The world is as many times new as there are children in our lives." 

~Robert Brault



Baby Stuff Brag Post #1: Ivy's Hammock

Baby hammocks are widely used in South America and Mexico, as well as parts of Asia.  The most familiar American version is the Amby Baby Motion Bed, which unfortunately was poorly designed.  It was recalled a few years ago and now baby hammocks are seen as dangerous in the States.  Too bad, because baby hammocks rock.

I first heard of babies sleeping in hammocks when Isaiah was a baby.  I read an article on indigenous baby care written by a missionary family in rural Venezuela, where all babies slept in crocheted hammocks.  My Mexican mother-in-law was pleased to see the hammock in our living room; she has fond memories of baby cousins hanging in sheets from kitchen ceilings while their mamas cooked. 

My two friends who use/ used the Amby hammock with fussy babies were completely unphased by the safety recall.  They both got their replacement parts, but wouldn’t stop using the hammocks.  “How else am I going to sleep?!” one snapped when her husband questioned her.  The bed moves in response to any movement baby makes, which in theory will sooth baby back to sleep before he or she fully wakens.  Also, because the hammock moves up and down, side to side, and forward and back all at once, really fussy babies who need constant stimulating movement like it.

The plan was to purchase a hammock if we ended up with another fussy baby.  (Both JP and Rosemary were all-day-and-up-till- 3-am screamers.  One of my biggest fears during this pregnancy was the possibility of another baby screaming several hours a day for 8 months on end.)  But when I saw how expensive baby hammocks are, I decided to make one up ahead of time, just in case.  It was quite simple, and only cost around $40. 

Here are the directions for the construction of the sling:

 http://karynforyou.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/make-your-own-baby-hammock/

Remember that 1 meter is really about 1 1/10 yards , so buy 3 and 1/3 yards.  NEXT, do NOT buy plain muslin or calico for this, as the Canadian directions suggest.  American muslin and calico are weak, plain-weave fabrics.  The double-boiled muslin used in Australia is a MUCH STRONGER fabric than the version available in America.  Instead, use any fabric suitable for sling-making: shirting, medium or heavy linen, lightweight denim or twill, or batik.  A 40-45 inch wide fabric with nice-looking selvages is ideal, otherwise you’ll need to hem the fabric edges to this width. 

I used batik.  Make sure your batik is DYED not STAMPED.  The 2 are constructed differently.  Dyed batik will look the same on both sides.  Stamped batik will have one side that is obviously the “wrong” side.  It is a weaker fabric so avoid it. 

Don’t forget your 40% off coupon.  You should be able to get your length of fabric for under $20 that way.

Then, be sure to read through the directions at least 27 times before beginning.  It is simple, but confusing.  BE SURE you understand what you’re doing before cutting and sewing, or else you’ll be doing a lot of seam ripping.  Close-up of the easy-to-sew but hard-to-explain envelope folded end:

I suggest buying REAL carabiners from a camping shop, and REAL sling rings from www.slingrings.com.

The spring should be readily available at Lowe’s or Home Depot.  Ours is the one for up to 27 Kilograms.  Springs for higher weights won’t have the proper give for a 10 lb baby.  I sewed a cover for my spring and carabiners, for aesthetic purposes.

I used organic wool and cotton batting wrapped in organic birdseye fabric for my mattress.  I made a sheet for it out of organic hemp/ cotton fleece with snaps on the bottom to keep it in place.  My mattress is only ¾” thick, and totally flexible for baby’s safety and comfort.  QUILT THE HECK OUT OF IT!  Stitches should be very close together, again, for safety and comfort.



pillowcase-style sheet with snaps on left, quilted mattress on right



We constructed our frame from scrap wood and based it on the dimensions of other baby hammock frames we found online.   However, I recommend hanging it from a ceiling joist (like studs in the wall, but in the ceiling), on a screw-in ring also found at any hardware store.  

But Ivy, tell us how you really feel:

All smart babies will prefer to nap in mama’s arms, or on mama's back!  Really, Ivy naps in the hammock happily for short times during the day. Isaiah can bounce her in it for a bit while I shower or what have you.   At night we just hunker down in the family bed and zonk out because, so far, Ivy is not a fussy baby- praise God for His infinite mercy!

"A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn't act that way very often."

~Author Unknown


BTW, that little turquoise square at the top of my hammock is a crib medal.  The Sisters of St. Joseph in Wichita make these- for cribs, obviously, but we've never had a crib so I'm happy to find a use for it.  It is a tiny miraculous medal in the center of a crocheted square to keep baby safe while she sleeps. 

WAIT! I didn't know!

Ivy in her hammock

OK, we didn't tell anyone what we were naming Ivy.  Ivy is my favorite girl name of all time.  When I was a girl we had a bed of ivy in our side garden, and the little purple flowers, something like stars, were my favorite, more than any flower in my mother's amazing gardens (yes, plural... there was more than 1).  It was originally intended for Rosemary (Rosie), but we took a lot of heat for it from, shall we say, various sectors, and I wanted to name a baby after my maternal grandmother, so in the end, we decided to switch our first daughter's name to from Ivy Rose to Rosemary Catherine (also due to my then-recent obsession with Catherine of Siena). 

Then Rosie was born on the feast of St. Ives, which we didn't notice till she was a month old.  When I told Ed, he wanted to change her name.  No kidding.  He was more than upset and really, so was I.  But Rosie was already Rosie, and we knew another baby girl would come.

And come she did! 

Since I didn't want any more guff about baby names, during the pregnancy we just didn't tell anyone our name.  After all, once a baby is born and named, no one feels very free to say things like, you know:

"That's an awful name!"

"I hate that name!"

"Oh, like poison ivy!?!?" (Ummmm, so clever, people.)

After a baby is born and named, people say politely, "O how nice," and then go talk about your baby's name behind your back.  Right?

So unfortunately

NO ONE COULD WARN ME THAT BEYONCE' NAMED HER DAUGHTER IVY!!!

Blue Ivy, actually.  Or that Ivy is currently on a Disney Channel show, once appeared on 90210, and is also featured on some popular video game.  Or that Ivy is currently in the top 100 baby names in Great Britain, according to some sources.

Well, rain on my parade why don't you.  I thought people would just think I was odd, and slightly eccentric, maybe obsessed with herbs and other plant life, when I introduced 2 daughters named Rosemary and Ivy... now- horror of horrors- people are going to think I'm TRENDY.

UGH.

Now every time someone asks her name I'm going to want to say "Ivy- but really, I didn't know about Beyonce' when I named her.  I had the name picked out for YEARS..." while blushing and feeling really dumb.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Don't tell anyone your baby names in advance of said baby's birth... but, for heaven's sake, don't forget to consult Google.


"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
-Juliet

I'm still babymooning, but soon I'll return to my regular old blogger self...  I've got some allergy remedies to share, a new cough syrup recipe, and some gluten-free recipes to share.  Gluten-free recipe development is a pretty slow thing, I'm finding, so bear with me.  Heaven forbid I post any recipe here before achieving 100% success.  You know, gummy cookies-  I just can't do that to you.

sorry, no more entries being accepted

Ivy already won Cutest Baby in the History of the World:

mom, this is overkill... it's 65 degrees!

he got jealous of the pilot's cap...

"An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship." 
~Spanish Proverb

Birth Story

*Ivy was due August 12*

Ivy Ana Armendariz
7 lb 12 oz, 20"
12:44 pm, Sunday, August 5, 2012

When I went to the chiropractor July 23, Ivy's teeny, tiny head slid down, down, down, into my pelvis.  For the first time in 4 pregnancies, I felt like waddling (which I did NOT allow myself to do- nothing worse than being huge AND waddling!).  The next day, I had a gush of blood while feeding the ducks at Boys Town with my little people, and my first thought was, "O no, that's my placenta!"  But my sisters, my mom, my husband, my midwife- everyone reassured me it was probably NOT the case.  (Terra, if you are reading this- I kept thinking of you and Jane!!!)  After a visit to the midwife, I came home and tried to rest, but couldn't.  I decided to check into the hospital my midwife catches at for a sonogram and non-stress test. 

The sonogram could not detect any placental issues, nor any cervical issues, so I went home, much relieved.

The following Saturday, I started having contractions and the bleeding started again.  This time, my midwife wanted me in the hospital, but I insisted I was fine.  I wasn't keen on another sonogram, having just had one, or more monitoring.  I just wanted to rest where I would be comfortable.  But, alas, no sleep could be had.  Contractions continued, picking up between 1am and 3am.  When I called my midwife, she wanted me to take a shower or bath and I got a little testy.  "If I get in the water, and I am in labor, I won't make it to you," I snapped.

So in we headed, with all 3 kids, at 3am.  Contractions weres still regular and strong- till we stepped into the birth center.  When they stopped, dead.  I was extremely irritated and didn't say much.  We hung out for a bit and went home, all of us falling exhausted back into our beds.  I was happy to sleep... except no sleep was to be had.  Contractions started back up, strong and steady, and lasted all day.  The bleeding had stopped, though, so I just laid down and tried to relax.  Things petered out about 8pm, and after checking myself (4cm dilated), I fell into an exhausted sleep and slept for 12 hours.

Then commenced a normal week, including a trip to Marysville, Kansas, with Ed.  I didn't want to be alone and I was happy to get away from the city for a bit with the kids.  Baby's head was still wedged so deeply that I was trying not to worry about how I could go possibly 3 more weeks like that. 

Saturday, August 4, I decided we needed to do some sightseeing here in Omaha, since all we've been doing since our move here 4 weeks ago is working on our house.  We spent the day away from home playing different places, and then we attended 5pm Mass, in our Saturday kicking-around clothes, which is very unusual for us. 

As soon as we got home, I started spotting- AGAIN- so I laid down for the night at 7 pm.  I was dog tired and that was a good thing.  I had about 3 contractions before falling asleep, barely conscious I remember thinking, "O, no, those don't feel good at all..."

I slept till 9am and woke to a hard contraction.  I kept thinking I'd get up and see what was going on downstairs, but every time I almost got out of bed, I decided to lay back down for the next contraction... although they were only 15 minutes apart and it really didn't feel like labor. 

Hunger finally got me out of bed at 10 am.  Over a bowl of oatmel with bananas and walnuts, I started thinking, "Gee, that feels funny... and uncomfortable."  I couldn't finish my breakfast and went to sit down on the toilet.  I had 1 contraction and started feeling uneasy... I was pretty sure I had involuntarily born down a little bit at the peak of that one.  I checked myself... and felt a head through what I thought was a bulging bag of waters, low and even pushing out.   I sent Ed for a mirror and when I had a look, I asked for the phone immediately.

I told the midwife I was seeing a bulging bag of waters, but it was dark red as if it was full of blood.  She assured me that was highly unlikely and the bulging was probably something else like a cystocele, and that she wasn't too concerned with the pushy feeling.  She said it would probably be tonight since my babies always come in the night- just let her know when I wanted to come in.

Her lack of concern calmed me, but I really needed some counterpressure on that bulge, whatever the heck it was.  So I had Ed scrub the tub and I poured in 2 cups of epsom salts and a wee dram of jasmine absolute essential oil, my traditional labor bath. 

The contractions- 2- in the water seemed more manageable, but the darn bulging was not cool.  I said my St. Gerard prayers and pressed my St. Gerard relic over my belly, also a personal labor-bath tradition of mine.  *TMI warning*- the second contraction, 20 minutes after getting in, pushed out some poop.  So I got up and showered off, then went to lie down.

The very first contraction lying down made me panic.  It was too hard.  I called my friend, then my mom, who listened through 1 contraction and told me to GO.  Even if I had to just hang out in the parking lot of the birth center.  I called my midwife and told her I was handling the contractions very poorly and I just really needed to come in.  In just a few minutes, my sister had the kids whisked away and Ed was packing the car.  I can't remember exactly what my sister said when she peeked in on me, but it made me feel a lot better.

The car ride lasted 22 minutes.  Suddenly the contractions were 3 minutes apart and I was vocalizing through each one; I also had to bear down with each one.  I tried to keep the pushiness low, only using enough to prevent the contraction from completely overwhelming me.  Or really, just trying not to scream.  At one point we came to a standstill behing a wreck.  I almost told Ed to pull over right there, since there were medics and firemen milling about, but then traffic went and we were off.  Very fast.  I was clutching my St. gerard handkerchef with the St. Gerard relic inside, to my belly and gripping the door handle with the other.  For dear life.

The last contraction as we were entering the parking lot was insane.  I *absolutely* decided I could not do this any more.  Period.  What if I'm at a 5 and I'll be in labor for 2 more hours?  I think the first word that crossed my lips to my midwife was "epidural."

Sadly, Ed decided to move the car, and therefore missed the birth.  I'm pretty sad about that still.  I did tell him to answer my phone, though, so it was partially my fault. 

I managed to walk to a room and throw off my robe.  My midwife started the whirlpool tub.  All I could see was a counter, where I wanted to lean.  So lean I did.  "Oh!" cried the midwife, "That IS your bag of waters!"  (No time to say I told you so just then...)  A contraction started, I whined, and then my water broke, blood-red and black with meconium, all over the floor and my shoes.

"No, no, no, really, I can't do this anymore!" I yelled at her.  "Uh, you don't have to.  She's right there, just push her out."

I really wasn't going to do it, but with the fading of the contraction, my body gave a heave and out she came, howling, into the ungloved hands of a very surprised midwife.  Ed dashed in, and I just stood there, rather in shock.

I took the baby and managed to slide into bed, unwinding the cord from her legs as I went.  We could tell she was no 9.5 pound baby.  She was, to us, teeny tiny.

I did hemorrhage over the next hour, and then some (but the placenta came on its own, usually a problem for me).  1250 cc or 43 ounces, to be exact.  But I felt and feel just fine.  I've been using herbs and chlorophyll in the last few weeks in preparation for that, as bleeding during third stage is 'normal' for me.

Then I got super-duper shaky and freezing cold as the labor and birth hormones finally 'caught up' with me.  Maybe something to do with the pitocin and misoprostol I agreed to to help stop the bleeding, also?  I was going to eat placenta, but the meds were needed in the moment to get a fast, sure action.  I was not about to transfer NOW.  The cold shakes and bleeding prevented me from enjoying Ivy for about 2 hours in there, but she nursed through it all like a champ. 

I suppose I should have had the placenta, too, as everyone swears by it.  But honestly, as crunchy and hippie as I am... eating placenta has always freaked me out.  However, a wonderful lady is drying and encapsulating my placenta for me even as I write.  So hopefully I can force myself to down the pills.

The placenta did show an abruption.  But there is no way to know when it happened.  My gut tells me the original bleed was, indeed, an abruption.  But minor enough not to compromise baby.  This is the reason for all the blood in the amniotic fluid.  Luckily we didn't get there any earlier, because red blood in the amniotic sac would have been an automatic hospital transfer.  I was also the first official postpartum hemorrhage at the Bellvue Birth Center.  Woo-hoo.   

We came home at 6pm to meet the kids.  Aunt Katie said hello to Ivy and then we all snuggled up to marvel at baby.

Ed and I decided we just were where we needed to be, as much as we wanted a home birth, because many if not all homebirth midwives would have transferred for the blood in the waters/ meconium and/ or for the hemorrhage.  So although  the birth center was not our first choice, we feel it worked out well in the end. 

Why all the blood?
Why the nuts-o labor?
Why the small (for us) baby?
Why the abrupted placenta?
Why did Ed miss it?
Why not a smooth and easy birth like last time, so the kids could come?

Who knows.  I guess it's a lot about surrender.

Today I am feeling very happy and grateful- grateful the abruption didn't compromise baby, grateful we avoided an, in the end, unnecessary transfer, grateful Ivy is nursing well, grateful I feel fantastic despite all that blood loss (I swear by my red raspberry leaf tea and chlorophyll).

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say.  "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."  ~J.R.R. Tolkien, "Three Is Company," The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954