tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32350524697052908942024-03-13T16:08:38.034-05:00pinstripes and polkadots - the blogCloth Diapers, Baby Wearing, Breastfeeding and Natural Parenting. Real Mom, Local Service, Expert AdvicePinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-72013012949773932292017-09-18T22:23:00.000-05:002017-09-18T22:25:02.966-05:00Wearing your newborn baby in a soft structured "buckle" carrierI always say - "baby wearing your first born baby is a luxury. Baby wearing any baby after that is a necessity." I truly believe that. I think back to the first months after having my son. I didn't have the luxury after having him to sit all day in a chair and breastfeed, change diapers and watch t.v. No, I had an active 4-year old and I still needed to do all the things with her (parks, school pick-up, walks around the block, grocery store runs). How sad that suddenly I couldn't just sit and allow my son to snooze all day long on my lap? How crazy that I couldn't just set my son in a bouncy seat for hours and help my daughter cut, glue, color and paint? Nope - I still needed to fulfill the needs of my newborn who wanted to be close to his mom AND care for the needs of my preschooler. I truly NEEDED another set of hands to make things work. Enter baby wearing.<br />
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I had several baby carriers to help me get through this time so while I definitely have a bias as to what I liked and what worked for me and my body, I do think that there are some safety standards a caregiver should think about when choosing a baby carrier for a newborn.<br />
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<li><b>Airway:</b> Always make sure baby's airway is protected. If baby's chin slumps into her chest, reposition the baby. Grunting and snoring sounds are all signs that baby's airway may not be protected</li>
<li><b>Kissable: </b>Check baby's position on your body. Baby should be worn high enough that the top of her head is kissable. </li>
<li><b>Visible: </b>Baby face should never be covered by the carrier</li>
<li><b>Upright:</b> Think about how you hold a newborn. It's always in a supportive way, tummy to tummy, typically with either a hand or your forearm supporting the baby's bottom. A baby carrier should mimic this same positioning. Ideally you want a newborn to be tummy to tummy with her knees higher than hips so that she's in a seated squat position.</li>
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<b>Let's look at Soft Structured (Buckle) Carriers</b></div>
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Now that I've reviewed many of the important tenets of wearing a newborn in a carrier, it's important to choose the right carrier for your baby. Most babies still like to curl up into a little ball (I call it a loaf of bread or hedgehog) and don't typically stretch their limbs for at least 10 days. For that reason, I find that soft structured carriers can be a little bit more difficult to get your baby well positioned. Oftentimes, soft structured carriers' front panels are too long so baby is sitting too low (which breaks the "visible" rule). Additionally, many soft structured carriers front panel is too wide and baby cannot go into an ergonomically correct seated squat position because the carrier's front panel goes beyond the baby's knee joint. If a soft structured carrier's front panel is too wide and cannot be made more narrow for a newborn, you'll need to purchase that carrier's coordinating infant insert. Most of my customers find infant inserts to be burdensome, hot and awkward. So then they look for carriers that don't require an infant insert. Carriers that do not require an infant insert have some sort of design to make the front panel nice and narrow to fit a newborn, 7 lb baby. <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Lillebaby-Complete-All-Seasons-Baby-Carrier-p/lcas.htm" target="_blank">Lillebaby,</a> <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Beco-8-p/beco8.htm" target="_blank">Beco 8,</a> <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Beco-Gemini-Baby-Carrier-p/becog.htm" target="_blank">Beco Gemini</a> and the <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Tula-Free-to-Grow-Baby-Carrier-p/tftg.htm" target="_blank">Tula Free-to-Grow</a> are all carriers that I've successfully fitted babies in. With the <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Lillebaby-Complete-All-Seasons-Baby-Carrier-p/lcas.htm" target="_blank">Lillebaby</a> and <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Beco-Gemini-Baby-Carrier-p/becog.htm" target="_blank">Beco Gemini</a>, you must be careful as those carriers' front panels are longer and most newborns heads do not "pop" out of the top of the carrier (again, making them not visible). There are some techniques of "boosting" your baby by using a rolled up receiving blanket but I typically don't like using tools that aren't part of the carrier to make it work for a parent/baby. </div>
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<a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Beco-8-p/beco8.htm" target="_blank">The Beco 8 </a>and <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/Tula-Free-to-Grow-Baby-Carrier-p/tftg.htm" target="_blank">Tula Free-to-Grow</a> are pretty much great options for newborns. The Free-to-Grow's front panel adjusts as your baby grows and can get nice and narrow for a newborn (no infant insert needed!). The front panel can also get shorter thanks to adjusters in front, right at the straps. The Beco 8's front panel also gets nice and narrow eliminating the need for an infant insert but, it does come with a "booster" pillow that will boost baby up so that she is visible. This pillow is very different from a traditional infant insert as you don't have to strap baby into the insert before putting baby into the carrier. </div>
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At the end of the day, there may be other baby carrier options that will better position a newborn that is still in that hedgehog position and we'll take a look at those in my next blog post. But if a soft structured carrier is something that you absolutely want to start using ASAP, then please make sure you visit your local baby wearing store that has certified experts or attend a baby wearing meeting in your community. All baby carriers will fit all bodies differently and it's important to get the right fit for you and your new little bundle!</div>
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Hugs, </div>
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<a href="mailto:krista.pinstripesandpolkadots@gmail.com" target="_blank">Krista</a></div>
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<br />PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-45610938063469174182013-06-01T10:36:00.000-05:002013-06-01T10:36:08.523-05:00Repelling problems or just the case of a super soaker??I've received quite a few emails from people asking if and why their diapers are repelling. More often, the question is simply, "Krista-could you tell me why my diapers would be repelling? Could it be my detergent?" While I'm always willing to troubleshoot and figure out if it is fact their <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=117" target="_blank">detergent</a> or laundry routine causing repelling issues, my first question back is always, "Hey customer! When you change the baby, are the inserts/diaper itself really soaked? If not completely soaked, is the front/back of the diaper feel pretty wet??"<br />
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Nearly 99% of the time, the answer is "yes." Usually the entire soaker pad or diaper is saturated or the front (if a boy) or middle/back (if a girl) if almost entirely soaked. Once the entire soaker or part of the soaker gets saturated, the diaper is going to start leaking. Most of the time the leaks will happen out the legs and occasionally it will be up the front, if on a little boy. While this can be incredibly frustrating to a caregiver, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.<br />
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First, you may just have a super-soaker. But this is usually temporary. Most children go through phases where they're breastfeeding/eating/drinking a ton because they're in the middle of a growth spurt (or about to start one) and thus their urine output is extreme. Yes, this can even happen with a newborn. We'd like to think that a newborn pees just a teeny, tiny bit but let's remember that newborns go through crazy growth spurts and if you breastfeed on demand, around the clock, expect a lot of pee. Once a growth spurt is over, the urine output may slow a bit and you may find that you can go a bit longer in-between diaper changes.<br />
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Second, in regards to growth spurts, at some point your child will stop with the constant small pee-pees and will do one big pee-pee every 3-4 hours--much like how you and I do it as adults. Your older child (19 months-2.5 years) is really close to potty training, understands when he has to go pee-pee, and may bring a diaper to you after he does it. More than likely his diaper was dry for the first 3 hours it was on and then when he peed, it was a lot. And if he also drank a lot of of water within those 3 hours, he may soak through that diaper. After all, his bladder is larger and is holding a lot more urine. <br />
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Third, cloth diapers are not made of synthetic materials or chemical gel to aid in absorbency. It's just cloth. It works pretty darn well but a super-soaker can saturate a piece of microfiber pretty quickly. During these growth spurts, change more frequently. Some moms tell me that if they don't change their kiddo on the 3 hour mark exactly, they can expect wet pants. If that seems really frustrating to have to remember to change that often OR you need that diaper to last a bit longer (you're going on a longer car ride, etc.) then add some absorbency! A <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1678&idcategory=47" target="_blank">hemp</a> or <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=10148&idcategory=47" target="_blank">bamboo</a> doubler is super thirsty and will absorb, in some cases, 10x the amount of liquid that the microfiber or cotton insert did. <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=7411&idcategory=21" target="_blank">Bamboo</a> tends to be less bulky and so is becoming a more popular choice. If you decide to double-up on absorption, remember to put that extra bamboo or hemp insert under the microfiber/cotton. That way as the microfiber quickly wicks away that moisture and becomes saturated, the bamboo or hemp will come to its aid and start absorbing. <br />
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Now, sometimes true repellency does happen (you accidentally used fabric softener, mom put vaseline on baby, etc.,) and the best way to know if you're having repellency issues is to first feel how heavy the diaper is when you take it off. If its feels like it's been barely peed in, then I recommend testing it for absorption. Drop a few drops of water on the diaper and then lay the back of your hand against the diaper where the water is. If your hand comes up really damp and/or the water rolls off the diaper, then sure enough you have repellency and y<a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadotsllc.blogspot.com/2011/12/stripping.html" target="_blank">ou'll need to strip your diapers clean</a>.<br />
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I hope this helps! As always,<a href="mailto:info@pinstripesandpolkadots.com" target="_blank"> email me</a> with any questions you may have! PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-8596493081133211222012-11-18T23:39:00.003-06:002012-11-18T23:39:56.760-06:002000 Fans…and counting!!!!What a wonderful thing! Lots of prizes to giveaway for all of my 2000+ fans!<br />
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Tonight, let's start with Itti Bitti Wet Bags. I got two and they'll go to two lucky winners! Enter via Rafflecopter This raffle ends tomorrow night!<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fea7b1/" id="rc-4fea7b1" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>.
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-44177717313687429462012-05-15T22:05:00.003-05:002012-05-15T22:07:15.334-05:00Oh Time…Time…Time...I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't write a blogpost regarding the Time Magazine article, partly because I have strong opinions on this and partly because my daughter may read this post someday and see what type of a parent I tried to be and how I really did put a lot of thought into parenting her.<br />
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In case you have been living on a boat in the Atlantic or just like to stay away from the news (I don't blame you), you can read the article <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2114427,00.html?pcd=pw-hp" target="_blank">here</a>, or just google "Time Magazine Breastfeeding" and you'll get some sort of synopsis by some writer on some website.<br />
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I've thought a lot about this article. I've thought a lot about what this article means. When my husband showed me a picture of the cover of the magazine early last week, I groaned. My stomach kind of knotted up. Part of me thought that perhaps Time would take a super professional, non judgmental look at attachment parenting but I also knew, being somewhat knowledgeable about how the media work, that stirring up controversy will ALWAYS sell. And of course, after the magazine hit newsstands, all of the morning t.v. talk shows, news shows, popular blogs and radio programs decided to dive into the topic of parenting, extended breastfeeding and motherhood.<br />
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If anything, this got me thinking about my own style of parenting and how I got there. I am an AP parent. I did not expect to be an AP parent. When my child was growing inside of me, I didn't research how best to raise a child. I didn't talk to other parents about what type of parenting philosophy is best for a marriage. Let me be honest--I didn't even know that the idea of a "parenting philosophy" existed. I heard of attachment parenting once when my friend Julie Mendez told me about an attachment parenting group in Bloomington-Normal. She said the group promoted sleeping with your child, using positive language, etc. I was still a working woman and I think I actually told Julie that I thought that sounded silly and that there was absolutely NO WAY I would sleep with my child.<br />
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So becoming an AP mom was totally by accident. As a proponent of AP-style parenting, I like to think that what I fell into naturally was, well, natural. It was "instinctual". As soon as I gave birth, I knew that feeling my daughter up against me made both of us feel more secure. I knew that when she was lying right next to me in bed, we both slept better. I knew that by wearing her in a sling, with my body heat against her belly, her tummy would feel better after eating a bunch. I knew that breastfeeding was better for both of us. And NONE of that I read in a book. I just knew that if we were all happy, feeling good and healthy, something must be working right. And the minute someone wasn't happy, healthy or feeling good, I'd change it.<br />
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Okay so that's me. But guess what…that's probably not you. Or maybe it is. Or maybe it's who you thought you'd be as a parent but you're now something totally different. And my guess is that you're trying to do the best you can with the resources, time and energy you have. Isn't that what we're all trying to do? So back to the Time article, it's absolutely INSANE that Time is pitting mother against mother. A "mommy-war" must now be fought, lines must be drawn and we must all spit at one-another because we think the other "side" is wrong. But really aren't we all just trying to reach the common goal? Aren't we all trying to just get through another day free of broken bones, skinned knees, tears, guilt and full of love, happiness and well-rounded meals? Aren't we all trying to raise well-adjusted kids who will do pretty well in school, be self-sufficient, feel compassion for others and love others for all the good and healthy reasons (okay those are not extensive lists!)?? <br />
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So this Time article really irritated me. I hope that new moms, or even seasoned moms, don't feel ashamed to be a certain type of parent. I hope no mother will feel suddenly compelled to breastfeed her infant in a bathroom stall because she's embarrassed by what she heard on some talk show. We need to support mothers--all types of mothers. If a mother is choosing to breastfeed or bottle feed her child out in the open, good for her! And from now on, while I may disagree with the diet (insert: artificial food colorings are evil!) a parent may choose to feed her child, I'll remember that the mom is doing the best she can. She's making decisions that she hopes are best for her child because I highly doubt she's truly trying to ruin that child's future. And I hope similarly, nobody will judge my child who at 2 1/2, still nurses 3 times a day, sleeps with her parents and is hugged and kissed at least 1000 times a day.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-30206227526180584352012-04-10T22:16:00.000-05:002012-04-10T22:16:12.930-05:00Raising Babies the way of ParisiansThis is a blog post unrelated to cloth diapering but a great discussion piece.<br />
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My husband and I decided shortly after my daughter was born (probably before then) that I would make the sacrifice of giving up my career and stay at home with my baby girl. It really wasn't that much of a sacrifice. Truth be told, I worked for about 2 months after my maternity leave and it was dreadful leaving her every day. And I had it good--I was given 1 day off a week so I only worked 4 days. It still was tough leaving my daughter every day. I know moms do it all the time but it wasn't for me. <br />
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So outside of owning a cloth diaper shop that keeps me very busy, I decided that staying at home with my daughter would be my job. I would weave her into my daily "chores" that my obsessive compulsive self couldn't let go. I wouldn't allow for her to spend hours upon hours in front of the t.v. and I would not spend time on Facebook or on the phone when I could focus on her. In other words, my focus is her if I'm not putting away clothes, washing dishes or preparing meals. And even then, I incorporate her into those tasks. <br />
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Guess what? It's hard. Really hard. And as she gets older, it's become even harder. Why? I'm really not all that creative with a toddler. I'm not the type of mom who can find a string, a piece of paper and some play-doh and magically have a craft idea for my daughter. My short attention span doesn't allow for me to sit for more than 15 minutes at a time on the floor in front of playmobil. I get dizzy if I blow bubbles for more than 5 minutes. When I read Scott Noelle's <a href="http://www.enjoyparenting.com/get-your-daily-groove" target="_blank">"Daily Groove"</a>, I get frustrated because I so try to be the ever-patient mother to a toddler but sometimes (okay at least once a day) the patience thins to nothing. <br />
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So several weeks ago my dad handed me an article from the New York Times that reviewed a book called "Bringing up Bebe." I have not read this book, only the review of the book. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/books/bringing-up-bebe-a-french-influenced-guide-by-pamela-druckerman.html" target="_blank">You can read the same article here. </a> It intrigued me. Not because I want to be a Parisian mom (although subsidized nanny care and extended maternity leave IS awesome!) but because it made me realize that I actually don't have it in me to not focus on my child. Am I happier for it? I'm not sure. I think that choosing to be this type of mom can make some of us a bit more frazzled, tired and unshowered some days. But I really feel like I would be overridden with guilt if I raised her any differently. I already feel a bit of guilt when I have a babysitter come over for 2 hours so that I can work free of disruptions. I also think it's interesting because my thought has always been that Europe is full of attachment parenting-type moms and dads who co-sleep, breastfeed for years and focus completely on their children.<br />
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If you agree with the premise of the book, I don't think that makes you at all a bad parent. If what the author writes is true and most Parisian parents raise their kiddos this way, do they have a happier culture? Are all Parisian moms more relaxed? Are the children better adjusted at some point? Discuss.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-11085536576196052422012-02-25T22:48:00.000-06:002012-02-25T22:48:36.471-06:00The popularity of postpartum weight lossOOOOHHHH MAN...<br />
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This is more of a vent post than anything so feel free to vent right along with me.<br />
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Being pregnant is an amazingly beautiful thing. It's spectacular what your body does to prepare for birth. Postpartum, it's nothing short of a miracle that your body knows how to produce a substance that your baby will survive on for months, if not years. I could go on and on about the beauty of our bodies.<br />
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Of course, being pregnant has it's drawbacks too. For me, the morning sickness and headaches in the first trimester were nearly crippling. I also tended to have some "skin issues" throughout my pregnancy that was less than pleasing (that glowing preggers skin just doesn't apply to me). And of course, there's the whole baby weight gain issue. <br />
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I remember post-birth looking in the mirror and not recognizing what I saw. I was no longer pregnant so the beautiful belly I saw for many months was no longer there. It was replaced by kind of a puffy, stretch-marked bloated gut and my legs were nowhere near the toned legs I had pre-pregnancy. But I knew through the mutual benefits of breastfeeding, my uterus (and belly) would shrink, my body would become a milk-making machine and slowly but surely, some of that baby weight would come off. Would my body be "the same." No...but I would never be the same after becoming a mom and that's what's beautiful about growing into motherhood. <br />
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But now, NOW we're faced with Jessica Alba, Beyonce, Pink and all the other celebrity moms our age who are having babies and through the magic of Hollywood and great photo editors, they lose their baby weight in 2 months. No, I don't have a fan site dedicated to these famous moms. I don't peruse the internet reading up on the latest gossip about these celebrities. But I grocery shop. And as I'm waiting in the checkout lane, my eyes glaze over all of the tabloids, gossip magazines, etc., and the pictures of these celebrity moms wearing skin-tight dresses 3 weeks postpartum kind of pop out. Blazing headlines reading "See Beyonce's plan to make her baby-weight melt off" and others scream at you as your load your groceries onto the conveyer belt. Now, personally, I don't let it get me down. But I know there are a lot of moms out there who just had a beautiful bundle and they see these headlines wondering what the secret could be.<br />
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The secret is not a eating 5 small meals a day. The secret isn't cutting carbs out of your diet (in fact, dieting should be the last thing on your list if you're breastfeeding). The SECRET is that these famous moms have a team of nannies, private chefs, makeup artists, stylists, professional photo editors, personal trainers, million dollar home gyms, dietitians, psychologist and every other professional as part of their entourage to make them look and seem pulled together 2-weeks, 3-months, 1-year postpartum. Most of us don't have that "luxury." In those first months of breastfeeding and late night diaper changes, most of us are lucky if there's a meal on the table at night and clean clothes in the drawers. <br />
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I worry that we're going to see a new breed of eating disorders out of brand new moms who will starve and exercise because the new "expectation" is to lose all of your baby weight and be swimsuit ready in a matter of months. That's not real life. That's not normal. That shouldn't be an expectation. We should be in awe of our bodies for what they're able to do pre-conception, during pregnancy and postpartum. We should love our body because it knew what to do when the time was right. It knows how to nurture a human being for months (if not years). Wow. So, if you're reading this and you've felt even a tinge of envy for those celebrity moms, just stop. Give yourself a break and remember that your body, no matter the shape or size, is amazing beyond words. And then go eat a cookie--your baby will thank you for it :-)PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-89968333727583068042012-02-14T21:19:00.000-06:002012-02-14T21:19:58.698-06:00Potty Training UpdateUPDATE***Potty Training was a wonderful success!!! My daughter sleeps through the night, goes throughout the day and can even leave the house and run errands with us and NO accidents! It went so much more smoothly than I thought it would. One thing I know helped was using the cloth trainers. Okay, I may be a bit biased because I do sell the trainers but honestly, they feel SO different from a diaper that the child feels different if he/she wets in them. A disposable trainer (i.e; Pull-Up) will feel no different to a child from a regular diaper and that's why parents I know who have used those types of trainers are literally buying them for months, if not years, because the child continues to have accidents. Okay, off my soapbox. Here are some things that helped us reach this goal:<br />
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1) Plenty of diaper free time in the beginning<br />
-This is where some of the<a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=6" target="_blank"> cloth trainers</a> come in to play. If you aren't interested in the possibility of having puddles all over your kitchen and living room floor, the cloth trainers will absorb and accident. The little one's pants may get a big damp but no puddle! The trainers also give the child an idea of how undies feel different from a diaper. Guess what kiddo--when you go pee-pee, it feels wet! <br />
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2) Ask often but don't expect the response you want<br />
-Most of the time, when you ask your child if she needs to go potty, she'll say no. At least my daughter did. Why? It's not fun to stop playing with your toys! So while it's okay to ask because she may say "yes" and maybe it gets her thinking about the urge to go, I found that if it had been a while, she didn't have a choice. I'd snatch her up and plop her down on the potty. She may complain but then within seconds, we'd hear a tinkle and then celebrate!<br />
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3) Pooping on the potty is hard<br />
-This is also where some of the <a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=6" target="_blank">snap-release</a> training pants come in to play. My daughter mostly had poopy accidents because at the beginning, she wasn't patient enough to sit on the potty and wait. But then if she waited too long, she didn't recognize that the poop was about to fall out of her :-) It took about a week and a little bit of constipation for her to get the timing right. The <a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=6" target="_blank">snap-release trainers </a>are great for these because if kiddo has a poopy accident, you can lay them down, unsnap the trainer and change it just like a diaper. A poopy accident in a regular pull-on trainer is not fun.<br />
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4) Reward and praise<br />
-For some parents I've talked to, they had to give their little one a small toy or trinket after the child went potty. For my daughter, I tried a sticker approach but that didn't really seem affect her. Although, it may have initially helped her with the thought process of "going potty on the potty is a good thing and good things will happen if I do it..." or something of that nature. Regardless of whether you give a toy, sticker, have a potty chart, etc., I do think it's important to reward and/or praise your child for taking this big step. I found that ultimately just singing my daughter's praises and making a big deal out of going on the potty was great for her. It made her feel proud, special and it encouraged her.<br />
**We also rewarded her with super big girl undies--so after a week of no accidents, we went to a store and purchased cotton undies with her favorite character on them. Now she can't stop showing people her undies--she's proud of them!<br />
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5) Have a pee-pee party<br />
-Have you child watch you go potty and watch others go potty. So to clarify, in the beginning, when we went to our weekly play date with friends similar in age to her, all of the moms would make a big deal about how "so and so has to go potty and let's all go watch her go potty and see what a big girl she is!" This actually helped a lot because my daughter would see her friends (most of whom are about 6 months older) go potty in the big potty and then she would want to go to show off and then all the kids would sing each other's praises. It was really cute and it definitely helped because my daughter doesn't have an older sibling to copy.<br />
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So last weekend, I did my last load of cloth diapers :-( I was a bit sentimental because this is a big step from no longer being my baby. When we were at the home improvement store, we purchased a plastic bin and then my daughter helped me pack away all of her clean diapers into the bin. We said bye-bye to them put them away in a closet. Sentimental indeed--PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-53755169442024160602012-01-20T23:42:00.000-06:002012-01-20T23:42:12.941-06:00Potty Training AdventureAs soon as 2012 hit, I had so many customers ordering cloth training pants. It made sense with the rush of The Holidays over and I was encouraged that so many people are warming up to the idea of using cloth trainers as opposed to scratchy disposable training underwear. I've even had parents drop by the shop to purchase cloth trainers and they didn't use cloth diapers on their child. That's REALLY encouraging!<br />
<br />
So I decided to jump on this bandwagon. After all, my daughter is just over 2 years old and she's expressed an interest in the potty. It's also a great opportunity for me to take stock out of my showroom and try it out so I can tell you first-hand how it worked for me. <br />
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One thing that I realized right away is you have to commit yourself to helping your child through this huge milestone. You can't expect to run errands all day, every day and then wonder why little one won't sit on the potty or won't tell you that he needs to go. My daughter has done a great job so far. First thing in the morning, we go to the bathroom (I don't ask her if she needs to go--I just take her) and I strip her diaper off and sit her on the toilet. Success! Every morning this week she's tinkled into the potty. I do the same thing after nap time. It's the in-between time that's been the most challenging.<br />
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I think the most success I've had with the in-between times is to allow her to run around with either no diaper or with a pair of training pants on. The training pants I've used are easy for her to pull on and off and she will feel wetness when she goes pee-pee. The training pants also prevent a puddle on the floor. I have to say, the "full-freedom" thing really helps her take notice when she has to go. Yes, we've had a few accidents on the floor but they're easy to clean up.<br />
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So, day 4 into potty training and we've had some major successes. She goes on the potty every morning. She goes on the potty after every nap. What's more, she actually told my husband during her bath yesterday evening that she had to go pee-pee and he pulled her out and sat her on the potty. Success! This evening, she ran up to me and said "mommy M go poo-poo on potty!" so I snatched her up, ran upstairs and threw her on the potty. Sure enough she peed right away and minutes later, pooped. <br />
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I've had some moms suggest setting a timer for every 30 minutes and explain that when the buzzer sounds, that it's potty time. I've had other moms reward no accidents/successful pee-pees in potty with a toy or a sticker. I think those are great ideas but you need to know your child and what he/she will respond to.<br />
<br />
Okay so some of the items I'm using and really like (and so does my daughter)<br />
<a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9442&idcategory=6" target="_blank">Antsy Pants</a><br />
<a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8586&idcategory=6" target="_blank">Super Undies Underwear</a><br />
<a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=6347&idcategory=6" target="_blank">Snap EZ AIO Training Pants</a><br />
<a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9037&idcategory=6" target="_blank">Blueberry Trainers</a><br />
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I can't wait to try the new <a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=12189&idcategory=6" target="_blank">GroVia trainers</a> but my daughter is still a bit small for them. <br />
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I'll keep updating you on how it's going. And if you're in the same boat or maybe you want to be in this boat, let's chat in the comments! Just remember--it does take patience and persistence!PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-66864498472114063612011-12-22T23:17:00.001-06:002011-12-22T23:19:11.063-06:00And the winners are...Thanks everyone for entering to win some great loot from PinStripes and PolkaDots! The winners have been drawn and the names/profile names are below...<br />
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The following 3 cloth diaper fans win a wet bag from GroVia!<br />
Jamie Fifarek<br />
Allie<br />
Talia<br />
<br />
The following 4 mamas win a cloth changing pad from KangaCare, makers of Rumparooz!<br />
Karen<br />
Lisa Gesterling<br />
Reyna Smith<br />
Jamie Howe<br />
<br />
Winner of a BumGenius Elemental AIO<br />
Christine W.<br />
<br />
And I added another...winner of a GroVia AIO<br />
Beth O.<br />
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If your name was selected, please contact me with either shipping information/local pick-up arrangements. Also send me the sex of the baby the diaper or accessory is for as I'll do my best to send you gender appropriate colors/patterns.<br />
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Congratulations to everyone and thank you to all of you who are now following my blog! Check the sidebar (on the side) to see if your name is up there--if not then click "follow" on the blog so that you can be entered in to future giveaway--oh yes, there will be future giveaways!!<br />
<br />
MERRY CHRISTMAS!PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-20961084116660477502011-12-19T20:51:00.001-06:002011-12-19T21:53:41.815-06:00Holiday GiveawayFor my blog followers, I'm giving away some nice stuff! A BumGenius Organic Elemental AIO, cloth changing pad from Kangacare and GroVia wet bags...<br />
<br />
Extra entries if you post any comment in the below blog entries...<br />
<br />
And just in time for the holidays...remaining stock of <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=12&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=" target="_blank">all artist series BumGenius diapers</a> are on sale and remaining stock of my <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=42&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=" target="_blank">GroVia shells and AIO in Cosmos and Ice</a>. <br />
<br />
And...a special coupon just for you. Save 10% off your order of $50 or more by using coupon code BLOG10OFF at checkout. Coupon expires on December 31st.<br />
<br />
Winners announced on Friday! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/" target="_blank">PinStripes and Polkadots, LLC!!!</a>PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-74545644990035442902011-12-19T20:33:00.000-06:002011-12-19T20:33:40.337-06:00Cloth Diapering on VacationSo, have you done it? Or are you afraid to do it? I'll admit, I haven't been on a long trip where there wasn't immediate access to a washer/dryer so I cannot attest to cloth diapering on a long vacation but, I've done the long weekends, short weeks, etc. and I have to say---I love it. It's so easy. <br />
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This past weekend we went to Chicago. I brought the appropriate amount of diapers and stuck them into a <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=6559&idcategory=18" target="_blank">large Planet Wise Wet Bag</a>. The handy-loop on the bag attached nicely to our overnight bag. Once in the hotel, we stacked the diapers on the dresser of the hotel for easy access and then again, that loop on the <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=6559&idcategory=18" target="_blank">Planet Wise bag</a> came in handy as we hung it on the door of the closet. Amazingly, even after a couple of days, the wet bag did not stink at all. When I unzipped the bag to put a dirty diaper in it, of course it stunk to high-heaven but the zippered closure kept all smells at bay. <br />
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For a day out on the town when I didn't want to mess with any leaks, I stuffed a layer of <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=7411&idcategory=0" target="_blank">Blueberry One-Size Bamboo Insert</a> into my daughter's <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9950&idcategory=0" target="_blank">BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diaper</a>. This is the same bamboo so many of my clients use at night. Because the bamboo is so trim, it didn't make the bulky look or feel bulky. My daughter drinks a lot of water in the morning and she pees a lot throughout the day. We went nearly 5 hours and had no leaks.<br />
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Obviously for the diaper bag I had a <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=6559&idcategory=18" target="_blank">Planet Wise medium wet bag</a>, <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=6559&idcategory=18" target="_blank">a small wet bag </a>for <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=19" target="_blank">cloth wipes</a> and a <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=104" target="_blank">cloth changing pad</a>. Next time, I'll probably grab my <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=7515&idcategory=18" target="_blank">Planet Wise wet/dry hanging bag</a> just so that I can keep all of her diapers, clean and dirty, together in one place. <br />
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So, comment below if you've used cloth on vacations and how it's gone for you!PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-61400377996676021292011-12-09T22:40:00.000-06:002013-02-13T10:41:02.639-06:00StrippingYikes...keep your clothes on! This is a family-friendly post about stripping our diapers of mineral build-up!<br />
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I receive so many emails from moms who tell me that their diapers are STINKY! The minute baby pees in them, the ammonia smell is so strong that it makes everyone's eyes burn. Yikes. I've been there. And I'm sure it's caused more than one mom to throw the cloth in and move to disposables.<br />
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There are a lot of, shall I write, opinions on how to best get rid of stink. Enzyme cleaner, Dawn detergent, more detergent, less detergent, hot water, bleach, soak diapers in their diaper pail, vinegar...I could go on. And if you tried all of the above at least once, you may find that your diapers smell better for maybe one wear and then the dreaded stink returns.<br />
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Why do our baby's diapers get liked that? For the vast majority of us in the U.S., we have very hard water coming out of our faucets. Rockin Green has a <a href="http://rockingreensoap.assistly.com/customer/portal/articles/64968-what-formula-is-right-for-me-" target="_blank">great map here</a> that shows how much of the country lives with hard water. It's what makes our skin, hair and even clothes look dull. For our diapers, hard water is their nemesis. The hard water, over time, causes little itty-bitty mineral deposits to cling to the fibers in the fabric of the diaper. Those mineral deposits lead to detergent build-up thus causing stinky, eye-watering ammonia smell, possible repellency issues (meaning diapers don't absorb moisture well) and even really bad diaper rash (open sores, burns, etc.).<br />
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The best way to take care of these mineral deposits is to strip them away from the diapers. Dawn won't work. I don't recommend enzyme cleaners either. I recommend a product <b>made specifically</b> to remove hard water minerals from your clothing. Calgon Water Softener, RLR and Funk Rock are just a couple that I've had great success with. Calgon can be purchased at most major grocery stores. Funk Rock can be found at <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11406&idcategory=117" target="_blank">PinStripes and PolkaDots</a> and RLR can be found on Amazon. <br />
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To use, simply load your washer up with hot, hot, hot water, (this is after an initial cold rinse on dirty diapers) add all of your diapering items and add ~1/2 the amount recommended on the label (use full amount recommended on Funk Rock). Let those diapers soak for as long as your machine will allow. Some of my customers soak overnight. My washing machine will only allow for a 3-hour soak. After soaking, let the machine spin the clothes. Follow the soak with your regular wash routine. I always throw at least one additional rinse at the end of my wash routine to make sure all of the water softener has been rinsed away.<br />
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That's it. No bleach. No enzymes. No wet pail. Easy as pie. And what's great about having a water softener laying around is you can add it to your wash routine for your clothing and it will help brighten colors. In general, my daughters diapers can probably use a mineral stripping every 1-2 months. I've gone as long as 6 months. I just know it's time when that really nasty ammonia smell is back. <br />
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Now I write all of this with the caveat that you can strip your diapers a million times but if your wash routine is off or your not using a good detergent, you will have stink issues more often and your kiddo may have some dreadful diaper rash. <a href="mailto:info@pinstripesandpolkadots.com" target="_blank">Email me</a> if you'd like to talk about a good wash routine or check out my <a href="https://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/laundry%20basics.htm" target="_blank">website here</a>.<br />
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Happy stripping!!<br />
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UPDATE** The aforementioned methods of stripping works great! But, as you probably know by now if you've practiced any of these methods, it takes a lot of time. Since I wrote this blog post, a great new product arrived on my shelves from <a href="http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/cloth-diapers.html" target="_blank">Grovia</a>, <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=13549&idcategory=117" target="_blank">Grovia Mighty Bubbles</a>. It takes the hassle out of stripping and works GREAT! <br />
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PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-70605356268541558652011-12-09T15:14:00.001-06:002017-09-18T20:57:55.019-05:00Hollywood Setting the Stage for Unrealistic Post-partum experience?Well, I've got a rant. It's off-topic from cloth diapering but, in my line of work, I see A LOT of moms who, weeks after giving birth, are trying to figure out up from down. These moms are falling in love awith their little bundle of joy. They're in baby bliss but still trying to figure out what the new "normal" will be. Breastfeeding is either working beautifully or barely working. Baby is either sleeping in 4-hour stretches or not sleeping at all. I know. I've been there and some days, I feel like I'm still there. <br />
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That's why my blood boils when I stand in line at the grocery store and see those nasty magazines with covers blazing "Mariah Carey Flaunts Post-Baby Body" or "Jessica Alba Sheds Baby Weight." Really?? So apparently, postpartum moms must now add the list of things to worry about, "lose all baby weight within 1 month." <br />
<br />
So why does this make my blood boil? Because seeing these headlines are starting to create this societal expectation that women must concentrate on returning to their post-baby figures ASAP. This is dangerous. If you think about what a woman goes through during pregnancy and postpartum, her body needs to be nourished. Her body needs rest. Her body should not be deprived of proper nutrients or put through a rigorous exercise regimen. Further, if a mother is breastfeeding, she needs to eat to feed herself AND her baby. Once a mom starts depriving herself of food, she starts depriving baby. <br />
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I'm not saying go on a McDonald's-Krispy Kreme-Pizza Hut binge. That's not healthy for mama or baby either. And I also think that exercise can be a very important part of making a mom feel better emotionally, especially if some postpartum hormones are kicking in. I remember taking long walks with MJ was a very important part of helping me "feel whole" again after giving birth. And, running to the gym for a little bit of away time also made me a better mom. <br />
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I just want all of you expecting moms, new moms or even not-so-new-moms to give yourself a break. Let the dishes go dirty in the sink. Who cares if the floors aren't vacuumed. And for the love of yourself and your children, do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself to be "back to your old-self" within a given amount of time.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-43910340359843227722011-11-12T16:51:00.000-06:002011-11-12T16:51:06.509-06:00The Ugly Side of Baby CareJust last week, an article came out regarding the nasty <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinogen" target="_blank">carcinogens</a> that <a href="http://www.jnj.com/" target="_blank">Johnson & Johnson</a> puts in their baby shampoo. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2011/11/01/as-report-reveals-toxic-ingredients-in-baby-shampoo-johnson-johnson-goes-public-with-plans-to-clean-up-products/">Read Article Here</a> In 2009, The <a href="http://safecosmetics.org/">Campaign for Safe Cosmetics</a> released a report stating that Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo still contained a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formaldehyde" target="_blank">formaldehyde</a> releasing preservative as well as another known carcinogen. So, after pressure from several groups, J&J removed the carcinogens from its shampoo in several countries. But, if you want the carcinogen-free product here in the U.S, you must purchase their "Natural" brand of baby shampoo--the one that typically costs more. If you like carcinogens, buy the cheaper yellow stuff. Yeah, that stuff they give you at the hospital and bathe your baby in moments after he/she is born. <br />
<br />
But wait! J&J stated that they're <i>working</i> on getting rid of these nasty chemicals from their products worldwide. <i>Working on it?</i> Why was it there to begin with? And why is it that the ingredient was in products sold in the U.S., China and Canada? This is the same company that was just ranked as one of the most trusted brands in America. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/JNJhealth" target="_blank"> The same company that plays sweet lullaby music while showing pictures of moms holding their newborns on their t.v. commercials.</a> The brand that is smacked all over every parenting magazine and newborn how-to-guides. Their products are handed out at doctors offices and hospitals. And they contain known cancer-causing carcinogens. Nice.<br />
<br />
So my thought is this--is J&J the only one? Are they the only company in the U.S. selling baby products that include ingredients that are known carcinogens? So I'm in the cloth diaper business. What about my main competition--the disposable diaper companies? How many of you have had the "gel" from a well-known disposable diaper company on your baby's bottom? I just find it hard to believe that the major diaper companies are testing every single chemical and layer of synthetic fabric contained in their products for known cancer causing ingredients. And perhaps, they know that some of the ingredients in their products are not safe for anyone, much less a baby, but that ingredient is cheaper, easy to produce and helps their bottom line. Plus, people are buying it en masse. A diaper that can contain 12 hours of urine?? Sure!! It's convenient and cheap! Let's buy it until we're blue in the face!!<br />
<br />
I guess this is what led me to using cloth diapers and, in general, for choosing to use organic products on my daughter. Sure, one less diaper in our landfill is much better for our earth but I had a hard time believing that the major disposable diaper companies truly had my daughter's best interest in mind when manufacturing their product. <br />
<br />
Nearly all of the companies represented at <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/" target="_blank">PinStripes and PolkaDots</a> are companies with a conscience. Most were started by moms who wanted a better solution for cloth diapering their child. Most of the companies are small and genuinely care about the health and well-being of your little one. <br />
<br />
Shame on Johnson and Johnson and any other company out there who care more about their bottom line than the health and well-being of our kiddos. <br />
<br />
And if you want to read more about what's in most disposable diapers, <a href="http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php">read this</a>. Then call me and and we can talk cloth.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-24692843764821767582011-11-12T16:08:00.001-06:002017-09-18T20:57:54.969-05:00The Ugly Side of Baby CareJust last week, an article came out regarding the nasty carcinogens that <a href="http://www.jnj.com/">Johnson & Johnson</a> puts in their baby shampoo. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2011/11/01/as-report-reveals-toxic-ingredients-in-baby-shampoo-johnson-johnson-goes-public-with-plans-to-clean-up-products/">Read Article Here</a> In 2009, The <a href="http://safecosmetics.org/">Campaign for Safe Cosmetics</a> released a report stating that Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo still contained a formaldehyde releasing preservative as well as another known carcinogen. So, after pressure from several groups, J&J removed the carcinogens from its shampoo in several countries. But, if you want the carcinogen-free product here in the U.S, you must purchase their "Natural" brand of baby shampoo--the one that typically costs more. If you like carcinogens, buy the cheaper yellow stuff. Yeah, that stuff they give you at the hospital and bathe your baby in moments after he/she is born. <br />
<br />
But wait! J&J stated that they're <i>working</i> on getting rid of these nasty chemicals from their products worldwide. <i>Working on it?</i> Why was it there to begin with? And why is it that the ingredient was in products sold in the U.S., China and Canada? This is the same company that was just ranked as one of the most trusted brands in America. The same company that plays sweet lullaby music while showing pictures of moms holding their newborns on their t.v. commercials. The brand that is smacked all over every parenting magazine and newborn how-to-guides. Their products are handed out at doctors offices and hospitals. And they contain known cancer-causing carcinogens. Nice.<br />
<br />
So my thought is this--is J&J the only one? Are they the only company in the U.S. selling baby products that include ingredients that are known carcinogens? So I'm in the cloth diaper business. What about my main competition--the disposable diaper companies? How many of you have had the "gel" from a well-known disposable diaper company on your baby's bottom? I just find it hard to believe that the major diaper companies are testing every single chemical and layer of synthetic fabric contained in their products for known cancer causing ingredients. And perhaps, they know that some of the ingredients in their products are not safe for anyone, much less a baby, but that ingredient is cheaper, easy to produce and helps their bottom line. Plus, people are buying it en masse. A diaper that can contain 12 hours of urine?? Sure!! It's convenient and cheap! Let's buy it until we're blue in the face!!<br />
<br />
I guess this is what led me to using cloth diapers and, in general, for choosing to use organic products on my daughter. Sure, one less diaper in our landfill is much better for our earth but I had a hard time believing that the major disposable diaper companies truly had my daughter's best interest in mind when manufacturing their product. <br />
<br />
Nearly all of the companies represented at PinStripes and PolkaDots are companies with a conscience. Most were started by moms who wanted a better solution for cloth diapering their child. Most of the companies are small and genuinely care about the health and well-being of your little one. <br />
<br />
Shame on Johnson and Johnson and any other company out there who care more about their bottom line than the health and well-being of our kiddos. <br />
<br />
And if you want to read more about what's in most disposable diapers, <a href="http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php">read this</a>. Then call me and and we can talk cloth.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-69102384606599609502011-11-09T13:13:00.001-06:002017-09-18T20:57:55.008-05:00Newborn Cloth DiaperingI hear some moms come in to the shop and say "I want to cloth diaper. But not at the beginning. I will use disposables at first until baby is a couple months old and then switch to cloth." <br />
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I hear that quite a bit and I understand those sentiments. A new baby is a big adjustment and sometimes the thought of adapting to yet another "new" thing can be overwhelming. I mean, just how does poop get clean out of a diaper and how could cloth diapers POSSIBLY work better than disposable diapers?<br />
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When giving this a bit more thought, I actually think it should be reversed IF anything. You SHOULD cloth diaper your newborn and then if you want to, switch to disposables after the baby is a year old and not exclusively breastfed (I don't recommend switching to disposables EVER but for the sake of this argument...let's just say). <br />
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Why should you cloth diaper a newborn? Two words: breastfed poo. Have you experienced this yet? It's runny. I mean, really really runny. Couple that with some explosive gas and what do you get? A blowout. How many of you have experienced this? I have. It's nasty. It goes up the back, out the legs and all over mommy's tummy and jeans. This leads to a sponge bath for baby and a full change of clothes. In fact, this happened not too long ago to one of my friends. Her baby was wearing a disposable and right after he was breastfed, he had a blowout. A customer of mine told a story of when she was flying across country after her daughter was a couple of months old, she thought she didn't want to "deal" with a cloth diaper on the airplane. Guess what? Yep, blowout on the plane in her disposable. <br />
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These blowouts are part of having a newborn but honestly, they will happen less with cloth. Why? Cloth diapers, especially those designed for a newborn, are made with amazing elastic sewn in at the leg openings and at the back of the diaper. These elastic gussets are made to contain that newborn poo. I dare you to do a side-by-side comparison of a newborn cloth diaper vs. a disposable diaper. The comparison is striking. <br />
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So if you're expecting, and you don't plan on cloth diapering, plan on washing your clothes and the baby's clothes more often because poo blowouts are part of having a newborn. But I can assure you that they will happen far less frequently--if ever--in a cloth diaper.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-231062580492246742011-10-23T16:51:00.000-05:002011-10-23T16:51:37.938-05:00A half-load or more!So I've received many emails lately and customers are concerned with their diapers stinking, detergent perhaps not working, child mysteriously developing irritation...and it brought me back to a time not too long ago when I was in a similar boat. Mariella's diapers stunk to high-heaven. And it wasn't just when they were dirty. They were stinky <i>after </i>a full wash. Ah! How frustrating!! Well, by following a simple step, at least in my case, my problem was solved...<br />
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I actually started washing no less than 1/2 load of diapers.<br />
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Wow. Really? It's that simple? In my case, yes. And in quite a few cases, like the aforementioned emailed concerns, washing no less than 1/2 load of diapers at a time solved the problem. Why? There are a couple of reasons. First, if you wash less than 1/2 load, there's not enough space in the washing machine for the diapers to weave in-and-out of other fabrics (or agitate) to get clean. Second, there's usually not enough water either. And third, typically we will use the same amount of detergent when washing 6-7 diapers as we would when washing 20-24 diapers. In other words, WAY TOO MUCH! And because there's too little water in the machine because we're washing too few items, the diapers aren't being completely rinsed of the detergent. And that detergent build-up can cause stinky diapers, can actually ruin your diapers and can give your baby an irritated tush. <br />
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If you throw all of your diapers into the washing machine and there's no way that you'll make that 1/2 load marker, throw some towels in to the machine. Or daddy's stinky sweat clothes. Either one works fine. <br />
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For a far more complete guide to washing your diapers, including a very handy detergent chart, click <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/laundry%20basics.htm">here</a>. And the next time your diapers are stinky out of the wash or your baby's bottom is irritated, email me and we'll troubleshoot together. But if I happen to be on holiday in <a href="http://www.visitmaldives.com/en">Maldives</a> for 2 weeks (hint-hint husband) and unable to check email, try washing a full 1/2 load.PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-561573304339247542011-10-23T15:59:00.003-05:002011-10-23T16:50:03.119-05:00The All Baby and Kids Expo...the aftermathAt the end of September, my mother (the babysitter), my daughter and I took a little road trip down to Louisville, Kentucky for the <a href="http://www.theabcshow.com/">ABC Kids Expo</a>. This is a tradeshow dedicated to--you guessed it--all baby and kids products. It was absolutely shocking to see how many products there are made specifically for our little kiddos. From toys to strollers, nursing bras to apparel for children and yes, even diapers. In fact, the Expo was held at the <a href="http://www.kyexpo.org/">Louisville Exposition Center</a> which provided ONE MILLION square feet of space. And yes, all one million square feet were consumed by children's products. <br />
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I had a chance to see, touch and feel all of the new products by many of my vendors that I carry at <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/">PinStripes and PolkaDots</a> including <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=21&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">Blueberry/Swaddlebees</a>, <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=12&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">BumGenius</a>, <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=29&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">PlanetWise</a>, <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=43&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">Best Bottoms</a>, <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=41&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">WeeHuggers</a> and many more.<br />
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So, because of this little trip, I've added many new products to the shop and we also have newer prints/colors in many of the products that you know and love. Below is a list, with links, because to paste all of this on Facebook would be a bit extreme and take up much of your newsfeed :-)<br />
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*BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper in <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=9950&idcategory=0">Dazzle, Mirror and Sassy </a>. These have been added to the Bum Genius 4.0 <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11544&idcategory=0">"Buy 5 get 1 Free Sale"</a> which goes until the end of October.<br />
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*New prints from Blueberry and Swaddlebees including Dinos, Tweets, Swirls, Monkeys and Butterfly, preview <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=10318&idcategory=80">here</a><br />
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*New products from Thirsties including <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11591&idcategory=117">Booty Love</a>, and new colors/prints for their diaper covers. Also just in, the <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11593&idcategory=0">Thirsties Duo Diaper in Snaps.</a><br />
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*We all love bamboo--now bamboo <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=8610&idcategory=21">6r inserts</a> specifically for your Rumparooz!<br />
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And should I mention companies new to PinStripes and PolkaDots?<br />
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*Pink Daisy mama cloths in <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11811&idcategory=0">stay-dry</a> and <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11707&idcategory=0">organic cotton</a><br />
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*Pink Daisy Nursing Pads in <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11693&idcategory=0">organic cotton</a> and <a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11692&idcategory=0">bamboo</a><br />
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and last but certainly not least...<br />
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*<a href="http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=11672&idcategory=80">FuzziBunz One-Size Elite</a><br />
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More new colors/prints to come from <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=29&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">Planet Wise</a>, <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=43&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">Best Bottoms</a>, <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=12&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">BumGenius</a> and <a href="http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/showsearchresults.asp?IDBrand=42&iPageSize=24&pageStyle=">Grovia</a>! Stay-tuned!PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0Louisville, KY, USA38.2526647 -85.75845570000001338.0609597 -86.030126200000012 38.444369699999996 -85.486785200000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-67434836110534644442011-10-02T20:49:00.001-05:002011-10-23T16:50:44.551-05:00A Note from Krista...<div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Hello!! Let's get a couple of things out of the way. A super brief introduction of who I am.<br />
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I'm a mom to Mariella Jane (MJ) who will turn 2 in October. I'm a wife to Alex who (surprise!) works at State Farm. Prior to mommyhood, I worked at Illinois Wesleyan as a recruiter and more immediately, as the head coach for the women's tennis team. Before recruiting and coaching, I worked at State Farm as a public policy analyst and before analyzing, I worked on political campaigns for the Illinois House of Representatives. Before politicking, I was a student at Illinois Wesleyan, Bloomington High School, Bloomington Junior High School, Oakland School and 2nd Presbyterian Preschool. Yes, I'm a life-long Bloomingtonian, a "townie" and I love this community. I've worn many hats, none as tough and rewarding as being a mom. This new venture of owning a business is very exciting.</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When I talk to moms who have relied on Sarah and Pinstripes and Polkadots for all of their cloth diapering needs, I hear the same word: accessible. Sarah has made herself and her store accessible to so many moms with the sometimes overwhelming, but often fun "task" of cloth diapering their children. She's answered these questions late at night after all four of her children are fast asleep and in the mid-afternoon when all four of her children are vying for her attention. She's answered your emails and shipped packages overnight because your sanity depends on that hemp insert which will prevent you from changing sheets for the 5th time that week. To say the least, Sarah is someone that so many of us have looked to for guidance, expertise and patience--including myself. I've had my share of stinks, leaks and a couple of rashes but every issue came with an answer and a resolution.</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So the owner has changed and the address of the showroom has changed, but I can assure you that the same level of service that you expect when shopping at Pinstripes and Polkadots has not. I think I heard that on a t.v. commercial once--so perhaps a bit cliche but the truth! It will take a lot of reading and more of my own children to know as much as Sarah does but I'm eager to learn from you and share the wonderful world of cloth diapering! </div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In the coming months, look for some new and exciting things for you as a customer at Pinstripes and Polkadots including some new products from some of our favorite brands. We'll launch a rewards program where you can earn points in the program by writing reviews of products on the website, by referring your friends to the shop and by purchasing products. With these posts we have officially started our cloth diapering blog and will be looking for cloth diapering moms to be guest bloggers. We'll also have great customer specials leading up to the Holidays and in the New Year. </div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You can still contact me last minute if you need to stop by the showroom or call with an order and expect that order to be on my front porch for local pickup. I'm an easy-going mom and am so excited to meet so many of you and share this passion of keeping our kiddos' behinds healthy and happy!</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Krista Cardona</div>PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3235052469705290894.post-3659086750716590892011-10-02T20:45:00.000-05:002011-10-02T20:46:27.609-05:00A Note From Sarah...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">PinStripes and PolkaDots LLC can be found at a new location in Bloomington, IL. A local mom, Krista Cardona, purchased the business on 9-1-11. I am excited about all that Krista will add to the business. She is a wonderful mother who is excited to share her love of cloth diapering with others. Stay-tuned as she has some fun ideas for the shop. The PinStripes and PolkaDots Showroom can now be found at 9697 Windgate Dr, Bloomington, IL 61705.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After 6+ years managing the cloth diaper shop, I have met some of the most fabulous parents here in Bloomington-Normal and across the globe. I have enjoyed hearing all about who was expecting, how the births went, meeting each little one as he/she came along, and how adjusting to parenting was going. I will miss you all. Some of you have become dear friends; some are now homeschooling like we are and totally understand that I don't have enough hours in a day to do it all. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I started the business when I had a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old. I now have 4 children 9, 7, 3, and 1 and find I am quite busy these days. I will be working with Krista over the next 3 months to make the transition as smooth as possible. She is a fabulous mother of 1 little girl but I should wait and let her introduce herself.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I can not express to you how happy I am to see PinStripes and PolkaDots LLC continue here in B-N with Krista. I am sure that I will miss the shop, but I know I will miss you all more. I feel my life has been enriched greatly by interacting with yours.</span><br />
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</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">All the best,</div><div _mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sarah Gesiakowski</div></div></div>PinStripes & PolkaDotshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15751435073406944213noreply@blogger.com0