Your Baby's Bum

For many people, the only thought given to what will cover their baby's bottom is what coupon they have in hand, or what's on sale. Since diapers are not cheap, we tend to get the cheapest available, until we realize what brands don't fit our babies well, or which ones tend to leak. When my son was born, we went straight for Huggies. We had a bunch of coupons, and they were cute- most had Winnie the Pooh on front. But as a new mom, I guess I thought leaks were normal. We had to change bed sheets every night at some point, since the pee would seep out the leg hole without ever getting a chance to be absorbed. We went through SO MANY sheets!

When my daughter was a couple of months old and my son was 21 months, I learned about cloth diapers from someone on-line. For some reason it never occurred to me to use cloth diapers! I started researching them, and couldn't believe what I had discovered! WOW. I had to try some of these! My first order was Motherease Sandies, which I loved. But then I tried Fuzzi Bunz and quickly converted to Fuzzi Bunz full time. The options available include prefolds, contours, fitteds, pocket diapers, all-in-ones, and all-in-twos, and covers were made in wool, vinyl, PUL, and anything else waterproof!

If your head is not spinning yet, where do you start? First of all, there are sites that have great sample packages that you can try a variety of diapers. Chances are, most or all of them will work for you, though you may find one brand or style in particular to work better for your baby's body type. We had total success with Fuzzi Bunz. There are other pocket diapers out there like Happy Heiny's, and Mommy's Touch one size and others that you can review at the "pocket diapers" link above. Many people like one size diapers, but for some they are too complicated and some would rather buy new sizes as their baby grows.

Some of my favorite cloth diaper retailers have specialty items or programs available that are worth checking out. Katie's Kisses carries organic cloth diapers from Under the Nile. We also provide an organic cotton diaper in a "one size" option as well as bumGenius one-size pocket diapers at Eve's Best. Simple Wonders carries Happy Hempys pocket diaper. Tiny Heiny has beautiful tie dye pre-folds. All of these diapers need covers if you are venturing far from home, so you might want to check out Strawberries and Sunshine where you can have custom made covers in MANY different designs! Cubby's Kids Baby Store has a wonderful Fuzzi Bunz layaway program that you might want to check out as well! If you are looking for a great deal on a diapering package, check out All Natural Mommies and the many options available there.

If you are totally confused about all the options, here is some cloth diapering information that will give you insight to the various cloth diapering options and which might be right for you. Not only are there different styles available, there are different fabric options. What many don't understand, even those who sew their own cloth diapers, is that some fabric names can have double meanings, because they describe the weave and not necessarily what the fabric is made from. For instance, when you hear "terry" you think of a cotton towel. But there is also micro-fiber terry, which are completely manmade fibers. Micro-fiber is very absorbent, and that is why it has become so popular with cloth diaper users. When you see "sherpa" as an option, you need to know that sherpa can be made from 100% polyester, and it can also be 100% cotton. Usually the polyester sherpa is used for covers or wipes, and the cotton sherpa is used for the actual diaper, diaper inserts, and wipes. "Fleece" is similar: it is available in both poly or cotton. You can usually tell what the fabric is when you evaluate the use of it, but if you are ever confused, simply ask the diaper retailer to spell it out.

You are probably wondering how many cloth diapers you need to purchase. That is an individual decision. New babies "go" more often, older babies "go" in bigger quantities, but fewer times each day. The less you buy, the more often you wash, so pick a number that is comfortable for your lifestyle. Many people feel that cotton diapers must be changed more frequently than stay-dry (fleece) diapers, but I feel that they both need to be changed when they are wet or soiled, no matter how frequently that is.

Your natural baby will appreciate the time you take to do the research necessary to pick the best diaper for your family. Just because they can't speak the words, don't believe they don't have an opinion! And there will be unexpected surprises for you that you might not notice at first. I will never forget when my daughter was about 6 months old, and she had a TALL stack of crib sheets that we never used. It was then that I wondered why I had purchased so many and realized it was because with my son, we changed sheets every night due to diaper leaks from disposables. But once we switched to cloth, my daughter's sheets stayed dry!

I know I haven't answered all of your cloth diapering questions, but I hope this is a great start. There are so many resources out there on-line, I'm sure you will find all the answers!

When You Have to Supplement

There comes a time for one reason or another that you might find yourself supplementing your baby with formula. Or perhaps your baby is completely dependent on formula. While we all know that breast milk is best, there are just times when your baby is going to get formula. This isn't about what kind to use, or how often to feed your baby; it is about something even more important: the water you mix with your formula.

If you buy powdered formula, it has to be mixed with water. I almost passed out when I read, while flipping through a baby magazine, a doctor say that any water is perfectly okay, even water directly from the tap. Just typing that is turning my stomach. Ugh. When my son was just home from the hospital, we were supplementing with formula and we boiled the water from the tap. THAT wasn't even enough. He got the worst diarrhea! I was not quite as smart back then, and today we ONLY drink distilled water.

You should use distilled water for your baby formula, to water down your toddler's juice, and for YOU, especially if you are nursing. I did not realize this, but you can ruin your child's teeth if you drink a lot of fluoridated water while you are pregnant. Not to mention, fluoride can cause tons of other problems. But that's not the only reason to use distilled water (filters do not remove fluoride, but distillation does).

Learn more about drinking distilled water, and you will probably realize that it is the purest form of water available. Better yet, using your own home distilled water is a good way to ensure that your distilled water IS actually distilled and not just claimed on the label. For penny pinchers, the best part is...home distilled water comes out cheaper in the end than buying bottled water that you don't really know the history of (did they get it from a tap?)

If you have any questions about drinking distilled water, please do not hesitate to ask. You can also find books on the subject if you want to hear from people with medical degrees!

The Air Babies Breathe

Okay, so you have a squeaky clean baby that needs to sleep at one point or another, and we want to make sure we are putting our babies in a clean air environment. Again, there is no point in using "natural baby products" to clean our baby, and then putting them to sleep in a room with plug-in air fresheners, newly painted walls, brand new carpet, and the family pet. So how do you prepare your baby's room?

First, if your baby is already here, and it is too late to do some of these, consider moving your baby into your room if she isn't already there. Keeping a bassinet or co-sleeper next to your bed is the safest place for baby to sleep, assuming you haven't just remodeled your own bedroom. Regardless of what room your baby is sleeping in, you must wrap his mattress with a BabeSafe mattress cover. Mattress wrapping has been 100% successful in preventing SIDS.

Next, make sure to do all remodeling 6 months in advance of baby's arrival. This is near impossible for some families unless you have someone else to do the work. A pregnant mommy does not need to be near toxic fumes, so make sure that Mommy is only participating in the design phase! Also, it is best to remodel when you are able to open the windows. That way, any fumes will be allowed to escape outside rather than circulating in your home. We never suggest carpeting. Carpeting lets off horrible fumes as well as collects allergens as it ages- it is never a good idea with small children.

This information and more can be found at The Importance of Clean Indoor Air.

Another thing we'd like to add that is important for families to check is radon levels in your home. Radon gases in the home is a contributor to lung cancer in women who stay at home, since they are usually home all day breathing in radon that might be leaking from their home. It can also be a danger at office buildings, so working parents are not immune.

While you will hear on the news that the air outside is polluted and unhealthy, it is still much healthier than the air in our houses that is stale, not fresh, and full of gases being emitted from everything in it. Take your baby outside frequently, and during the night make sure that fresh air is available to your baby. Tricks to help this include keeping a ceiling fan running slowly, opening a window, or using an air purifier in baby's room. In winter, keep baby's room cool by closing the heat vent in his room. Or better yet, leave it open, and turn the entire house temperature down to 65 degrees. Cooler temperature is healthier for you, as well, and you will save on gas costs! If you can tolerate it, 60 degrees is even better. I am always cold, but I've discovered that using a programmable thermostat helps because you can have it come on before you get up! (Of course, if you are getting up during the night to feed or change baby, you will be a little chilly...)

Hopefully we have given you some ideas you wouldn't otherwise have thought of. There are so many things to worry about when you have little ones in your home!

Bathing Baby

I am not the kind of parent that slathers my baby in lotions and powders bottoms religiously. I am very serious about using as little as possible on babies. I have used baby lotions and powders, but do not suggest using them all the time, or purchasing them just because you are having a baby. The most that any baby needs from the start is something to wash his hair, and something to wash his body.

While the most popular “natural” products are soap products, I prefer to use products that are soap-free. This is because soap-free products work much better in hard water, and more importantly, they do not tend to clog pores like soap products do. It is very important to babies’ health and skin health that the pores remain free of anything. The skin is an organ, and it performs functions which can be altered if the tiny pores are clogged. If you do want to use a soap product, we recommend all natural baby soap.

If you prefer a soap-free cleanser, we suggest Logona. While reading the ingredient list might be scary, we have checked out the ingredients, and it is the safest we have been able to locate. We will provide more information on Logona soon.

Bathing a baby naturally does not stop there. You also need to think about the water that you are bathing your baby in. Not only should YOU be showering in filtered water, you should also fill your baby’s tub with filtered water. Not only does this get rid of any chlorine from the water, it also filters out any iron, lead, arsenic, mercury, hydrogen sulfide, several types of bacteria, algae, fungi and mold. You don’t want your baby breathing in the vapors from unfiltered water, nor do you want these things getting absorbed through her skin.

Other things you should do include using very little baby wash, and allowing your baby to enjoy a “baby wash free” time in the tub. It takes very little baby wash to do a great job. It’s also important that you don’t wash your baby first, then allow her to sit in the soapy water. This is especially important for little girls who are more prone to urinary tract infections. Allow her to play in clean water for a while, then wash her, rinse her, and quickly remove her from the tub. If you have help from your spouse, it is even better to take your newborn into the shower as long as you feel comfortable handling a baby. (The spouse is not necessary for this; just helps when you can hand the baby to a waiting towel!) Many parents find good, clean water does a great job cleaning their baby and they use baby wash very infrequently.

If you have gotten this far and you are still wondering what’s wrong with all those $3 bottles of baby shampoo on the grocery store shelves, they have lots of ingredients that are not necessarily looking out for the health of your baby. Many ingredients have been approved for use in “small amounts” but over time we have come to realize that when you put “small amounts” in everything, it adds up. As a general rule, anything that is mass produced for the general public is made as cheaply as possible with the most inferior ingredients available. I don’t know about you, but that’s not good enough for MY baby!

What IS Natural Baby Care?

Natural Baby Care has become a popular phrase and keyword for many on-line stores and parents looking for products that are more “natural.” But what exactly IS natural baby care? For most, it is simply using shampoo, lotions, and other baby care that is more gentle or natural than the mainstream products placed on store shelves by corporate giants. For us, it goes deeper than that.

Viewing the baby as a whole being, we need to be concerned with a number of things, and not just what is being used to clean the baby. Another popular phrase, “Natural Parenting” is similar in meaning to Natural Baby Care and most natural parents also subscribe to the use of natural baby care products. But in my opinion, “Natural Parenting” is more a way of life aimed at producing socially and emotionally well-rounded children, while “Natural Baby Care” is more focused on the physical health aspects of baby care.

Regardless of how you define either phrase, most people will agree that overall, subscribing to either belief system defines you as “alternative,” “anti-mainstream,” and even “anti-doctor.” This is because the focus is on preventing problems, rather than fixing them. Mainstream people typically use the cheap, store bought products that contain all sorts of unknown chemicals, and when their child gets sick, they immediately call the doctor. Mainstream parents use pharmaceutical drugs much more frequently than alternative parents, whether for their child or themselves.

If you make the step to natural baby care shampoo, soap, etc. it’s really unnatural to disregard other steps to protect your baby from things that can make him sick. By using safer products on his skin, you are protecting him from chemicals that enter the body through the skin. But what about what he eats? The air he breathes? The water he drinks? What about other chemicals entering his body through these functions performed daily? For true protection, we must consider the WHOLE baby and the dangers out there just waiting to cause harm to their rapidly developing bodies.

We will start with what most people consider “Natural Baby Care” and move on to the more often missed topics that are equally as important to raising a healthy baby. Right now, our “natural children” need my attention so I will return as soon as possible with more natural baby care information!