The Argument for Natural Birth

There's arguments for both medicated and un-medicated labor, and both sides will tout scientific evidence to support their points.  After doing some research and speaking with my doctor and doula, I have decided that I want to attempt a natural (un-medicated) birth.

Surprisingly (or maybe not), I've received a lot of blow-back from family and friends for this.  The arguments range from, "why wouldn't you take advantage of modern medicine if it can take away unnecessary pain?" to, "oh, you're going to want an epidural."  While I see the logic in the first response, it's the second response that boils my blood.  The connotation in the statement that I'm "going to want an epidural" screams in a condescending tone that my pain tolerance is low and that I'm somehow not strong enough to deliver a baby without the use of pain medication.  The only emotion this kind of argument triggers in me is defiance.

I can absolutely handle the pain of labor and delivery.  Women have been having babies for thousands of years, and epidurals are a fairly recent intervention in the grand scheme of things. Don't tell me what I can or cannot do, because I'll show you I can do whatever I put my mind to.

Don't get me wrong.  I've had friends who requested an epidural as soon as they got to the hospital, and that was perfect for them.  I'm not saying that a medicated birth is any less valid than an un-medicated one because it's certainly not. 

But for me, I feel like I have something to prove.  My mom had my brother and me without an epidural, and she believes I can do it.  She has been the one supportive voice outside my doctor and doula who has supported my decision to try an un-medicated birth.  She's told me multiple times that my body is made to have a baby and that I can do it.  I really appreciate her support, and I look forward to being able to leave the delivery room triumphantly drug-free.

Research, OCD, and Cloth Diapers

My husband has recently made an observation about me: when I become interested in something, I research the hell out of it and become obsessed with that topic until something else catches my interest or I learn as much as I want to know.  Right now, I'm obsessed with cloth diapers.  The problem with this obsession is that my baby won't be in need of diapering for another 2 months, roughly!  Either way, though, that gives me time to research to my heart's desire, and boy have I been busy!

Today I'd like to share some of my research.  Really, I'd like to share some of the YouTube channels/videos I've found to be helpful while researching:

Cloth Diapering 101:

• Types of Cloth Diapers (and How to Use Them) <--This video is by plus1please.  I think she does a really good job of explaining the different types of cloth diapers, and she also explains wet bags and pail liners.
• Cloth Diaper Vlogs by ObbsandLala <--This is a playlist with a LOT of helpful cloth diapering info and tips in a bunch of different videos!

Helpful Reviews:

• Favorite Cloth Diapers of a Picky Mom <--This is a playlist by i dream in cloth where she gives her favorite cloth diapers in 7 videos.  She divides them up by type, so if you're just interested in one type, you can skip to that video.  Her first video in the playlist explains her requirements for her favorite diapers so you know how she's judging them.
• Top 5 Favorite Cloth Diapers... <--This video is by Stephanie from MrsHojo4.  After watching her video I bought one each of her top 2 diapers, and the others I put on my registry to try.  Her speech is a little soft in this video (like maybe her baby is sleeping or something), but if I turn the volume up on my computer, I can hear her just fine.

Channels I Subscribe to:

• i dream in cloth <-- Her name is Sarah.  I like her videos because her opinions and information come from a place similar to mine.  She has an HE washer like I do, and she prefers natural fabrics to synthetic ones as well as WAHM brands.
• MrsHojo4 <-- Her name is Stephanie. This was the first cloth diapering YouTuber that I felt a connection to because of her views about cloth diapering.  She tends to like natural fabrics, especially hemp, she favors WAHM brands, and I like how thorough she is in her videos.
• ObbsandLala <-- Her name is Kayla.  I like that she's straight forward in her videos.  She has a lot of really basic videos that give information a lot of CD YouTubers don't bother giving because they figure most of their viewers already know it.  Kayla is a good resource for someone who knows NOTHING about cloth diapering and needs a crash course.

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Additionally, I have joined the following Facebook groups and would recommend the following link(s):

• Fluff Love & CD Science <--This Facebook group is awesome.  So many answers! This group is affiliated with Fluff Love University, a website that has TONS of resources about cloth diapering: basics, how to wash (including washing machine and detergent indexes that are pretty substantial), cloth diaper myths, etc.
• The Cloth Diaper Experiment <--Another great group.

I'm hoping that maybe I can help someone else on their cloth diapering journey since I've already done a lot of research on my own.  Also, if you have any other resources you'd like to share, please feel free to mention them in the comments!

An Open Letter to Cloth Diapering Skeptics

Let me preface this letter with some background information.  My parents and in-laws are more than just skeptical that I won't last cloth diapering Logan after he is born.  The dads are so skeptical, in fact, that they spent a good portion of the evening telling me all their diapering horror stories (in disposables, mind you) and telling me that it doesn't matter how much money CDing will save me, disposables are so much easier.

So, without further adieu...


Dear Cloth Diapering Skeptics,

Not only does cloth diapering save parents thousands of dollars over the course of their diapering career, but it's better for the environment, better for baby's bottom, and it's not. that. hard. 

What you don't seem to understand is that all those horror stories you dealt with in disposables aren't so different in cloth.  And when the stories are different, they're usually better in cloth, actually.  For example, that blowout my husband had in Albertson's when he was a baby?  Yea, that's a lot less likely to happen in cloth diapers, especially if I'm using them right.

Speaking of poo, did you know you're technically supposed to dump solids from disposables into the toilet as well?  Yea, you are.  Surprise! (Here's a link that better explains this than I could.)

Now, I know you think that because I'm a first time mom I have no clue what I'm talking about. You also don't seem to remember that I have access to the internet, to YouTube, and to plenty of online communities of cloth diapering moms who are supportive and willing to answer even the dumbest sounding questions.

No, I haven't done this before. Yes, I may be in for some surprises (what first-time mom isn't?). But what's the point in telling me you don't think it'll last when all that does is make me that much more motivated to make it work?

Oh, also, there's this:

I'm not living in some unrealistic cloth diapering bliss world where everything is so much easier because I decided to cloth diaper, but I'm also not scared. So unless you want to pay my bills and raise my kid, stop talking out of the hole you want me to cover with a disposable diaper.


Sincerely,

A First Time Mom Who Plans to Cloth Diaper

Let's Start Over.

Last year was rough.  Let's start over.

New year, new focus, new interests, new obsessions. 

I'm pregnant again.  This time I made it past 10 weeks!  Visually saw a heartbeat at 6 weeks and then heard it at 8 weeks.  I'm now 19 weeks, due June 15th with a bouncing baby boy!  Every time we've been to the doctor, we've heard good news.  I'm really starting to get excited!

So my newest obsessions are all mommy or baby related.  Like cloth diapers.  Oh yea.  I have been stalking YouTube for cloth diaper reviews, rankings, advice, anything I can find.  I'd like to document my cloth diaper journey on this blog as well as any other crunchy mom things I plan to do (like babywearing and making my own baby food).



Let's see where 2016 take us!

When it Rains, it Pours

In the last 7 days I have miscarried my first pregnancy and been in constant pain while having trouble finding a job, being stressed about my extended final internship and graduating, and dealing with my dog's torn PCL.  On top of everything, my husband is now in pain and his body may be trying to pass a kidney stone.

Why is it that when it rains, it pours?  I have had very little reason to complain in the last few years.  I had a great job, was doing really well in school, loved my pre-internships, and thought I was on my way to my dream career--what I was meant to do. 

Now?

My final internship bombed at Spring Break, I found out I was pregnant but then miscarried right after seeing my baby on an ultrasound for the first time, in order to finish my degree I'm having to jump through what feels like endless hoops, I have low hopes for finding a job in my immediate vicinity, my husband's new car is giving us multiple issues, we're having trouble selling the car we both love (but isn't family friendly), we're both in physical pain for different reasons, and we're both stressed.

I feel burnt out.  I want to curl up in a ball and sleep until everything goes away.  I'm tired of feeling like I have to prove myself to my supervising professor and the school where I'm interning.  I'm tired of feeling like I'm overreacting to losing a child that I never truly met.  I'm tired of cars and car parts and selling cars and posting ads for cars.  I'm tired of money and bills and jobs.  I'm tired of cramps and bleeding and pain.  I'm tired of feeling spiritually lost and alone and confused.  I'm really, really tired.

Ramblings of a Young Homeowner

There's so much to do when you own a home. We took down our old plastic gutters today, with the help of my in-laws, in preparation for new aluminum gutters. We're using Christmas gift cards and money to purchase the upgrade.

In the past week or so I've had a few conversations concerning the future of my living arrangements. A close friend pointed out that I seem to have more cons associated with my house than pros; she wondered aloud if I should look at buying a new house and moving down the road rather than "fixing" what I already have. Knowing there was wisdom in her words, I checked myself by creating a pros and cons list concerning my house. 

I found that I do have more pros than cons, however my first and most noteworthy con is an expensive fix. Given that information, I also checked the current housing market. While my husband and I can't afford to move at the moment, it seemed enlightening to check the market's progress since we bought our home. It seems there aren't very many homes like ours on the market: decently sized and relatively new while also being affordable. To buy the same house in another location would cost us $75k-$100k more than we bought our house for originally, or more.

Although the location we chose may have its pitfalls (we seem to own one of the nicest houses in the neighborhood already), overall I like it here and I like the house. Beyond the one major change I want to make to the structure of the house, all other projects are simply to make the house more personalized, more ours. The major renovation I want to make in the kitchen would allow our space to be used more efficiently, and I think it would make the house damn near perfect for us, just shy of building our own custom house.

I look forward to raising our children here, growing with this house, personalizing it, and making it a true home.

Modeling and Body Image

I would like you to watch this 9 1/2 minute video.  The modeling industry is why so many girls and even grown women have body image issues.  The mom at the beginning of the video who politely refuses the scouts is doing her daughter a huge favor in my opinion, whether she realizes it or not.  I know there's a lot of money to be made in modeling, and I understand that it is a dream for a lot of young women--it was a dream of mine at some point. 

Now that you've (hopefully) watched the video, think about if one of those models was your daughter.  If she was your child, would you really want her to have that negative image of her body?  The first girl to leave is putting off college in order to become a model, and she has to work to "trim her thighs"?  And the recruiters don't think that's unhealthy?  I want to rip my hair out at that!




Okay, so now that I've finished my short rant, please watch this music video.  It's catchy and I think it holds a good--if not slightly cheeky--message for young girls.  The song isn't perfectly supportive (it does cater to the idea that a woman should have the kind of body the opposite sex would find attractive), but it makes strides in positive body image as far as I'm concerned.

Meghan Trainor is beautiful, curvy, and she owns it.  "'Cause every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top."