I had two babies in diapers before I was 20. The hospital sent #2 home with several boxes of a nifty new product called “Pampers.” Disposable diapers the baby uses once before they go to the landfill to take up space for 500 years! I thought they were totally cool. Until I got home and tried to fit them on my newborn boy-child.

Perhaps first time mothers don’t know this, but there’s a difference between girl babies and boy babies. My girl had ample hips and chubby legs, never had a problem fitting diapers – cloth or disposables – on her. My boy’s little bottom end came to a point. No hips, spindly legs, and a pee mechanism that didn’t care which way it was pointed. This was before disposable manufacturers figured out that the gaping gaps around the legs weren’t particularly good at catching any of the products diapers traditionally are meant to catch and hold. My boy peed straight out of the leg hole more often than he ever caught the “super-absorbant” part. And he had diarrhea for 3 straight months…

So despite my initial reaction to the idea of disposable diapers, I quickly learned they were useless and went back to old fashioned cloth diapers. Which, despite having poked enough holes in my fingers to donate blood at the Red Cross, actually did work for the purpose diapers were invented to address.

We were too poor for a diaper service, so I washed my own (sometimes in the sink because we didn’t have a washing machine and couldn’t always afford the laundromat) and hung them out to dry in the sun. Which answers the question I see asked a lot in diaper discussions about retained odors in cloth diapers even after washing. A little fresh air and sunshine works wonders, and the UV actually kills any leftover microorganisms (which can contribute greatly to diaper rash).

So as I’m finishing up my projects for pregnant daughter #2 and collecting odds and ends she doesn’t have yet from my local Freecycle Network, I’m also considering buying her some newfangled cloth diapers, wool covers and a nice soaking pail. I’ve been surfing to see what’s up since last we had a newborn in-house. I already knew that cloth diapers are certifiably more “Green” than disposables, and I knew they’re actually better for the baby’s sensitive skin. There are issues to consider – not the least of which is that day cares generally REQUIRE disposables for convenience – so here’s some of the information I’ve found…

Did you know that disposable diapers on plastic take 500 years to biodegrade? That according to the EPA, 20 billion disposable diapers were dumped into landfills in the US last year, creating 3.5 million tons of waste? That’s 10,000 tons – 20 million pounds – per day!

Cloth diapers are healthier for babies. Disposables come complete with chemicals associated with health problems, and increase the incidence of diaper rash – and subsequent infections – due to chemical allergies, poor air flow and longer time between changes.

Cloth diapers laundered at home (my daughter works from home) can save a parent between $800 and $1,600 over the 2.5 years the baby needs them. Using a diaper service is about as expensive as disposables, but many couples will choose that option based on health and environmental reasons.

Now, cloth diapers can be flat, pre-folded or all-in-one. I like prefolds best, and polyester velcro covers. The all-in-ones are easier for changing, but more difficult to clean. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, prefolds and covers still look like the best option. I was delighted to find that there’s been some nifty developments in diaper world since I left it behind, too.

I found a thing called “G-diapers” that consist of an outer shell similar to a diaper wrap, an absorbent – and FLUSHABLE – insert, and a nylon snap-in liner. They come with a “swishstick” for breaking up the disposable insert in the toilet. Of course, you have to tear the pouch open before it goes in the toilet, so you’ll be handling baby-ick just as much as you would if you just used regular cloth diapers. The trick is to soak the soiled diaper in the toilet, then hold it and rinse it thoroughly during the flush before then tossing it into the diaper pail to soak before laundering. Biggest drawback to that are husbands and older children who can’t manage to figure out there’s a diaper soaking before they use and flush the toilet. Plumbers are expensive.

Now, there is still the issue of cotton diapers and chlorine bleach, which releases dioxin. You can get unbleached cotton, but there’s also the issue of the crop itself. Fully half of the world’s pesticides are sprayed on cotton. What else is there? Why… Hemp! There are all sorts of “green” sources out there specializing in hemp diapers and associated products, as well as hemp/unbleached cotton blends and even naturally colored, organically grown cotton – I love the soft greens and blues and beige. Hemp is naturally anti-microbial and has eight times the tensile strength and four times the durability of cotton.

So that’s my plan. Granddaughter is due around this time next month, so I’d better get busy ordering!

Links:

Diaper Pin: Is Hemp Really Better?

Growing Greens Hemp Diapers

DiaperCuts: Hemp Products

eartheasy: Cloth Diapers

Cloth Diapering Pros and Cons

Mongabay: Diapers Go Green

DiaperWare: Prefolds and Flats

With my younger daughter expecting to deliver in March and living far enough away that we can’t see her very often, I have been quite concerned about whether she’s got friends enough up there in Yankee-land to throw her the proper showers and make sure she’s got everything she needs in the way of ‘stuff’ and sage mom advice about things that only moms can know. I’ve been stressing about how I was going to get up there both for at least one shower as well as for when the baby comes, so I can help out and get them started on the least stressful (I know, that’s a relative assessment) schedule for all baby all the time…

Her best friend lives here, where she went to high school. I’ve spoken with her about the whole shower thing and how this is to be managed with everybody living so far apart. Then, this past week my daughter’s best friend surprised and delighted me with the most wonderful idea!

I got an invitation in my email to join my daughter’s “Virtual Baby Shower!” You, like me, may be wondering what the heck a virtual baby shower is, but the moment you get it, it makes tremendous sense for this modern world and the distance between people. It’s a nice, pink-themed (daughter loves pink and the baby’s a girl) site with links to the gift registry she’s signed up for, a guestbook, a whole ‘Names’ section (including one for names she’ll reject, such as CoolAssMojo and GuitarGreg), some puzzles, a page with a list of gifts already bought or given (and who from), and a message board with topics like “Mom Advice” and greetings, and ongoing conversation and even several cool games all us participants get to play while we’re at the Shower!

And the best thing of all is that it isn’t a party with a specific time and place, we all have to provide our own food, drinks and favors, and we can keep it going for weeks or months – follow the whole pregnancy and keep in touch every day. Now, why didn’t I think of this? If you can input the data to get a basic web page going you too can host a Virtual Baby Shower. This one’s on Freewebs.com, though I’m sure such a site could be hosted by any of a number of online web-hosting sites.

So if you have a friend or relative who is having a baby and lives far away from all the people who should definitely get in on the shower action, this seems the perfect way of doing it, and coordinating the gifts at the same time so she doesn’t end up with 4 strollers, 3 car seats, 2 play pens and no high chair!

Links:

Strollerderby Playdate: The Virtual Baby Shower Edition

Web Baby Shower

Long Distance Baby Shower

Luckily, thrifty new parents can get all this stuff used, either cheap or for free. These days when couples generally don’t plan to have more than one or two children – and those spaced 4 or 5 years apart – it’s not like it was when I had two in cribs and diapers at the same time. My Mom had 3 in diapers at the same time! So unless you’re having twins, triplets or even more of a litter than that, you’ve only got one set of baby-goods to get.

Now, a newborn baby can bunk down in an old dresser drawer if need be, but people really do like those pretty wicker bassinets and antique cradles. The antique cradle isn’t likely to have side spindles close enough together for modern regulatory tastes, but you can purchase cradle-bumper pads that tie firmly to the corner braces and center spindles and these will prevent the baby’s head from ever getting stuck. Crib bumpers are a requirement as well, even for newer cribs with closely-spaced bars, for comfort of the sleeping baby as well as some small sense of cozy privacy in the bed.

Some families have an overabundance of baby furniture (and baby clothing, and baby doo-dads and baby knick-knacks). Sunshine is going to be my 7th grandchild (not counting the 6 to whom I am “Aunt Granny”), so cribs, changing tables, dressers, car seats, high chairs and boosters have definitely made the rounds. To the point where some of it’s been trashed as no longer usable. Of the brothers with 4 toddlers between them, their families live too far away from my pregnant daughter to easily pass any of it along.

So I figure Sunshine is in line for some brand new used stuff. I’ve been looking for a baby basket – a woven bassinet-size flexible basket with handles that is very handy for a place to lay a sleeping baby in any room of the house or even out in the yard while working, or taking for friends or family overnight visits. No bassinet, basket or cradle is going to hold a baby more than about 4 months (or as soon as they can roll over on their own), as it soon becomes cramped or unsafe. But such things allow a baby to sleep more comfortably than those propped-up baby seats do. Though that baby seat is certainly handy to keep the baby close by and able to watch you work around the house while s/he is awake (and for occasional snoozes).

Some Moms and Dads like those baby backpacks or front-slung slings for shopping or going for walks, though for mall trips a stroller is definitely preferable unless you like backaches. I had a nifty double stroller (front seat-back seat) for my two, which my mother-in-law bought me new. It was my freedom and I loved that thing! It even had ample baskets so I could stroll down to the neighborhood grocery store and buy a couple of bags’ worth of food with the kids safely in front of me.

Those changing tables are way overrated, in my opinion. Particularly in the new price range of $90-$200! If you must have, get a used one at Goodwill for $5. Most I’ve seen are poorly put together and not very sturdy, and a half-inch piece of plastic covered foam just isn’t worth the price you pay.

Better to get a baby dresser that matches your crib, or just find a nice wooden dresser at the auction shop and refinish it. Buy some dense 1″ foam for the pad and cover it with the plastic version of whatever nursery theme material you’ve chosen for your bedding and curtains. Secure it to the top of the dresser and voilå! You’ve a fine changing table that’s much sturdier than one of those cheap Wal-Mart varieties. Put your powder and lotion and rash cream, diaper pins and even diapers in the top drawer, or you can hang one of those cloth diaper holders on the wall next to the dresser.

And speaking of basic care goodies (I know, it’s not furniture), I’m a big believer in cloth diapers. They’re not as convenient as disposables – which you’ll definitely want for traveling – but they’re better for the baby’s skin, tend to be changed more often, and not that hard to deal with. New styles are pre-folded and have velcro tabs just like disposables. Launder your own (as I did, back in the olden days) or get a diaper service. You’ll need a pail and will have to learn how to flush-rinse soiled diapers. That sounds yucky (and is), but you’ll encounter grosser things than just dirty diapers in your Mom-Job!

Be sure to take hubby shopping for baby furniture with you, and educate yourself on safety regulations pertaining to baby furniture before you go. Check out all hardware on cribs, make sure things fit together tightly and all the hinges and latches work well. Check the drawers on the dresser and any other nursery furniture to make sure they don’t stick and aren’t warped. You may want to refinish matched or mismatched pieces to suit your chosen nursery theme. Use non-toxic paints or varnish finishes, always.

There are specialty consignment shops for baby furniture, baby accessories and baby clothing. There are the big second-hand outlets like Goodwill and Salvation Army where everything’s under one roof with the maternity clothes and maybe even a nice used rocking chair too! There are neighborhood garage sales, where some great bargains and unusual pieces can sometimes be found. And don’t forget to check out the want ads, the community Super-Shopper rag, and online auction houses like e-Bay. Beware to not be fooled by a great purchase price, e-Bay sellers sometimes nail you with shipping charges that could get a Mercedes Benz from one side of the country to the other!

Check out some of the good advice in the links below about buying used baby items. Always set yourself a budget and don’t bust it unless you’ve just GOT to have that antique cradle no matter what. And happy baby-shopping!

Links:

Target Woman: Baby Nursery Furniture

New Parents Blog: Baby Furniture

Buy used baby furniture at affordable rates

How to select baby furniture