Natural Cradle Cap Remedy

I thought for sure that Elaina had cradle cap at a week old. We kept it dry, combed it out, and watched it go away within a week. Looking back, this was just her newborn skin peeling of her head! A few weeks ago I noticed a thick, orange, layer on her scalp that didn't want to go away. This was cradle cap!

So we took two parts baking soda with one part coconut oil and mixed well. It is going to stay a little dry and clumpy looking. I wet Elaina's hair and rubbed it in, massaging the scalp. I rinsed and shampooed. Completely gone!

We had a little fun before we shampooed again!

The next day, her hair was looking a little greasy. I shampooed two more times and her head was back to normal. Her hair was silky and cradle cap free!

A Crunchy Little Vacation

Elaina, Nick, and myself just got back from a relaxing vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Most wouldn't attempt a 6 day vacation with no car that is a three hour plane ride away, but we are braver than most. Before we left, I googled "infant packing list" and found items such as formula, jarred food, and pack 'n play clogging up the list. I closed the browser, sat back, and thought about what we really need.

Elaina co-sleeps, so no pack 'n play for us.

She is still breast feeding, so no formula either.

We have been doing baby led weaning for months, so no jarred food and spoons for us.

Then I remember why I love natural parenting so much!

Our plane ride was pleasant. Elaina nursed during take off and fell asleep as we lifted off the ground. She awoke an hour later, played peek-a-boo with a kind family seated behind us, and snacked on yogurt melts. Two hours in, she was restless and I took out our favorite books. We read Jamberry and Baby Beluga until I memorized each page, then nursed again. She looked out the window and laughed as the plane landed.

In Fort Lauderdale, she spent her time playing in the sand, napping in the Ergo Baby Carrier, splashing in the water, and sleeping in comfy hotel beds.

Elaina's First Time Seeing the Ocean

Co-sleeping Love!

Elaina and Mommy looking at the yachts. We want one!

Our trip went smoothly and Elaina hardly noticed that we were some place different. 

Have you traveled with your baby yet? How long was the trip and how old were they? Would you do anything differently next time?

Baby Led Weaning

Weaning??? Huh? What!

Yes, weaning. The moment that your baby gets something other than breast milk, you have begun the weaning process. Don't worry though, it can be a very long process!

So, how is it so different from traditional solids? First, there are no purees or cereal. No choo-choo trains and trying to get baby to open their mouth.

It is a whole lot of sitting back and enjoying mealtime with your baby. Baby eats what you eat. Someone once told me, "if your baby can't eat the same food at you, YOU need to adjust your diet!" (or just save the chocolate binges for after bed time!)

Okay, okay, I know. I still haven't really explained it. Are you ready? This is how you would feed baby apples:

1.) Slice apple
2.) Put apple on tray

Done!

Baby picks up the apple. Baby puts the apple in his mouth. Baby chews with his little gums. Or, baby just plays with the apple and throws it on the ground.

When I tell friends, family, and the occasional nosy elderly person behind you at the checkout they all ask the same thing, "Doesn't she choke?!" Nope! We have been doing BLW for 2.5 months now and Elaina has never choked. Gagged? Yes. But, never choked.

Now, let me tell you about the gag. Most people think gag=almost choking, but it is actually just a reflex that moves objects that are too big to be swallowed back to the front of the mouth to be spit out.

Daddy doesn't like gagging. It scared him. It doesn't scare me. I have been certified in infant CPR for a long time, so that might make me more confident.

Elaina munching on an apple slice at 6.5 months

Stuffing a pre-loaded spoon full of yogurt into her mouth at 7 months

If you are like me, you had no idea that spoon feeding would feel so unnatural and you already made organic purees and stocked the freezer. Here is what you can do with those...

Finger Paint!!!

Cloth Diaper Accessories (Cloth Diapers Part 3)

You might be thinking to yourself, "alright, I've got the diapers. Now what?"

You need:

A Diaper Pail

A cheap, kitchen size, trash can from Target will work perfectly! Get one with a lid!

Diaper Pail Liners

You are going to need two of these. One for the pail and one to be washing. They come in colors, so have fun! Lined with PUL, these are completely water proof. Planet Wise makes great pail liners! 

Wet Bags

If you don't go out often, you can get away with one, but it is best to get two! These little PUL lined bags are were you put your dirty diapers on the go. They come in different sizes to hold different amounts of diapers. I recommend getting one large and one small. Planet Wise also makes these. 

Snappi

The Snappi is a necessity if you plan on using flats or prefolds. These come in a variety of colors, but I suggest the darker shades. Neon green newborn poop stained our white snappi. These are stretchy, "T" shaped, and have little teeth on each end to hook to the diaper.

                                                                        

Diaper Sprayer

If you are breast feeding, good news! Breast fed baby poop is completely water soluble! That means you can put those poopy diapers right in the washer, but once your baby starts solids (or if they are formula fed) you are going to need to remove the poop first. A diaper sprayer attaches to your toilet and can be used to spray the poop off the diaper and into the toilet. BumGenius and Fuzzibunz both make diaper sprayers, but with help of a youtube video you could make your own! Not handy, but still don't want to pay $45? You can always do the old dunk and swish. Even better, if your shower is close to your toilet, use the shower nozzle to spray it into the toilet!

                                                       

Diaper Liners

These little sheets can be used to line your diapers and are flushable. If your thinking what I'm thinking, then you are wondering why you switched to cloth if you have to buy something that is disposable. These are completely optional! They might be nice for those on the go, using daycare, or have a trust fund. If you plan on cloth diapering at birth, these would be helpful with those sticky meconium poops!

                                                                  

Cloth Wipes

Many brands sell cloth wipes, but I am going to give you a little money saving tip! Use all those receiving blankets that you got at your shower (really you don't need 15!) or buy a yard of flannel at the fabric store. Baby wash cloths also work great! Google how to make wipe solution and you're done!

Cloth Friendly Diaper Rash Cream

Tradition diaper rash creams work by making a water proof barrier on the baby's bottom to protect the skin for moisture. Unfortunately, the diaper cream will also make your cloth diapers water proof and will make them leak! There are plenty of cloth safe creams available, some are even sold at Target! Natural parents also find that Coconut oil helps a red bum!

                                                      

Now it is time to wash and store your diapers!

The Types of Cloth Diapers (Cloth Diapers Part 2)

Learning about cloth diapering can be overwhelming! Choosing what is right for your family is even
harder! Let's get started!

Types of Diapers

All-in-one

These diapers are the most like disposables. You take the diaper, put it on baby, snap or velcro, and go! They are very easy for babysitters, daycares, and daddies. These diapers can also be hard to keep clean and take a long time to dry! One of the most popular brands of all-in-one diapers is bumGenius AIO.

All-in-two

All-in-two diapers are similar to the all-in-ones, but have a removable insert that makes them easier to clean and dry. This also makes them slightly more difficult! GroVia is a popular brand.

                                                 

Pocket

Pocket diapers are a favorite throughout the cloth diapering community. With removable inserts, they are easy to clean and dry. The inserts are stuffed in the pocket, keeping them in place. Pockets are also a favorite of daddies and daycares, after mommy pre-stuffs them! Fuzzibunz is a leading brand of pockets.

Flats and Prefolds

Flats and prefolds are similar. They both require something to keep the diaper on the baby and are not waterproof by themselves, so they also require a cover. Flats are big sheets of fabric that need to be folded many times before putting them on the baby. Prefolds are, well, prefolded! They are made of multiple layers of fabric and require one fold- the fold you use to put it on your baby. Prefolds come in a variety of sizes. They are the most durable diapers that can be used for multiple generations. These are the more tradition diapers that your grandparents would have used, but forget the pins! We have snappis now! A snappi is stretchy, "T" shaped, and has small teeth on each end to hook to the diaper. Cloth-eez offers a great prefold diaper, while Birdseye sells flats.

Flat

Snappi over a prefold

Prefolds

Fitted

Like the prefold and flat diapers, fitted diapers require a cover. A fitted diaper is already in the diaper shape and doesn't require a special fold. While some use velcro or snaps, others require a snappi to hold the diaper together. Fitted diapers are a hit for do-it-yourselfers. With an old T-shirt, a little elastic, and basic sewing machine knowledge, you can make your own fitted in no time! If sewing is not your thing, Cloth-Eez makes a fitted diaper.

Types of Covers

PUL Covers

PUL, which stands for polyurethane laminate, is a water proof fabric used to make diaper covers. All-in-one, All-in-two, and pocket diapers already have PUL inside the diaper. These diapers are already water proof and do not require a cover. Fitted, prefold, and flat diapers are not water proof alone and do require a cover. PUL covers come in a variety of colors and patterns. Popular brands include Bummis, Thirsties, and Blueberry.

                                                   

Wool

Wool is a funny thing. People either love them or hate them. Wool covers must be washed with Lanolin, a natural water proofing ingredient found on sheep hair. Wool absorbs, so when your diaper is full it still will not leak. Unlike PUL covers, wool only needs to be washed every few weeks. The washing directions can be scary for first time cloth diaper users, but wool-lovers say that the breathability that wool offers is worth it! Wool pants, wool skirties, and wool shorties are also available. Kisas makes a wool cover, but many buy from work-at-home-mom's that knit or crochet their own covers!

                                                  

Fleece

Fleece wicks away moisture. It is obvious why fleece has become so popular over the last few years. They are light weight, breathable, and easy to maintain. Natural parents beware,  fleece is a synthetic material. Happy Heinys sells a fleece diaper cover, but this is another diaper that can easily be made at your home!

                                              

Other Things to Consider

Snaps VS Velcro

It is really all just a preference. Velcro, which is actually a brand name of loop and hook closures, is easy while snaps provide a challenge for toddlers learning to take off their diaper.

One Size VS Sized

Again, just another preference. One size can be bulkier, but works well for families with multiple children in diaper or those on a budget. Sized diapers are usually trimmer and provide a better fit, but be prepared for your baby to grow out of them!

What's next? Accessories of course!

 

                                                          

Cloth Diapers Rock (Cloth Diapers Part 1)

Cloth diapers have changed so much in the last 50 years, so it is obvious why so many parents are making the switch. If you talk to your Grandmother about cloth diapers, you most likely will hear horror stories about leaky diaper pails and sticking the baby with a diaper pin. Move over, Grandma, there is a new cloth diaper in town!

Here are some reasons to switch:

1. No chemicals! Most crunchy parents agree that the number one reason that they chose cloth diapering is to get rid of those nasty chemicals that disposables are full of. No need to worry about chemical burns or recalls, cloth isn't going to hurt your baby.
2. The savings! You can build your cloth diaper stash for as little at $200. That sounds like a lot up front, but you will be reaping the benefits for years. Say you buy a big box of diapers for $40 from your local wholesale club every month. That's a good deal! Well, you will save $760 by switching to cloth if you potty train at 24 months. Imagine the savings when you use the diapers for more than one child!
3. They are so cute! Seriously. Huggies, your ugly Santa diapers are a joke. If you want your baby's tush to look stylish, cloth is where it is at!
4. Good Bye Rash! Every child is different, but most parents notice that the number of diaper rashes are fewer and farther between with cloth diapers.
5. You are saving the world. Go ahead, call yourself superwomen (or superman) because you are helping to make this earth a better place! The average diaper sits in the landfill for 550 years before it completely decomposes. Most babies are changed a minimum of 8 times a day, multiply that by how many days in two years and you have 5,824. Wow! That is a lot compared to the 25 or so cloth diapers you will use!
6. They are easy! Really! They are! Many parents ask themselves, "How can I keep up with diaper laundry, when I can barely keep up with regular laundry?" I would rather do ten loads of diaper laundry then do one regular wash. Diaper laundry consists of pushing a lot of buttons and who doesn't like to push buttons

Have I convinced you?! Now it is time to learn a thing or two about cloth diapers!

Ten Tips for Breast Feeding a Newborn

1. Get a breast feeding pillow.  At six months old, we still use the boppy pillow about 50% of the time. During the newborn phase, while proper positioning was crucial, we used the boppy for every nursing session.
2. Invest in Netflix. Newborns nurse a lot. Not only do they nurse often, but they nurse for hours at a time. The $9 a month is money well spent when you spend hours on the couch breast feeding. I watched every season of Lost!
3. Buy cheap nursing bras. You might be tempting to go out and buy the more expensive, supportive, nursing bras, but wait! Right now your breasts are still figuring out what size they are. Wait until month three. Until then, cheap bras from Target or Walmart will work perfectly.
4. Make yourself a nursing station or breast feeding bag. I always breast fed on the couch, so we put a little table beside the couch with a dim lamp, water bottles, bags of trail mix, and little chocolates. I had everything I needed right there! If you are planning on nursing in different spots, a bag might work better for you.
5. Don't wake a sleeping baby. Unless you have premature or special needs baby and your doctor has told you otherwise, you do not need to wake your baby to feed him. Enjoy your free time mama, he will wake up when he is hungry!
6. Count to five. Whoever said breast feeding isn't painful is a liar. It hurts. Your nipples may crack and bleed. I read a tip while pregnant that helped so much. Latch baby, then count to five. Does it still hurt? Unlatch and try again. If it is comfortable, then you have a good latch!
7. Learn to breast feed while laying down. I wish I had learned this earlier. You can relax or even close your eyes. Trust me, you are going to need the rest.
8. Buy or make a breast feeding cover. I'm not one of those overly modest people and I can say that we haven't used a cover in a very long time, but in the beginning it was helpful. Trying to get a baby to latch correctly can be difficult and you are going to show a little more nipple then you would if you were to breast feed an older baby.
9. Get a ring sling. We have a Sleeping Baby Productions ring sling and it is amazing. Very reasonably priced and amazing while nursing for hours. How people walk around while breast feeding with out one is unknown to me!
10. Educate yourself. I have seen so many mothers give up breast feeding at the smallest problem. Educate yourself! Call a lactation consultant! Kellymom.com is a great resource that I have spent many night researching.

Have a happy and healthy breast feeding experience!