Pictures from Benjamin's Birth...And a Birth Story

Seven months later..... ;)

I wanted to share some pictures from Benjamin's birth, even though I don't have his birth story written out to go with them. His birth was actually pretty difficult for me and that's partially why I haven't written it down, but also because life has been SO crazy and full of a lot of illnesses and injuries and convalescence since he's come. I don't feel like I've had time to just sit and think about his birth and write it out.

In labor! Getting my blood pressure checked by Midwife Kate, with help from Clem.

I'm not saying I had a "bad" birth experience, at all. It was a wonderful home water birth and had all the things I love about birthing at home - competent and compassionate midwife care, a calm and peaceful environment, no rushing or frenzy or checking in or monitors, no strangers, happy contented children, and really a somewhat festive and happy mood for the most part! I say it was difficult because for the first time I didn't have a labor that just "happened." Even with my very first baby, I've always had labors that just kicked into gear and never looked back. With Ben, it just sputtered and lagged and wouldn't HAPPEN. It was hard for me to have to DO THINGS to try to keep labor going! It was hard to have to work harder to make the birth happen, instead of the "contractions start-contractions get harder-need to push-push a couple times-baby's here" pattern I've always had in the past.  Although it was nice to have longish breaks between sets of contractions, and lots of mild ones mixed in with the strong ones, it sucked to have things drag on.

Me and Grace and Nurse Megan - Midwives Melanie and Kate, Clementine with Grandma

Besides my 2-week-early, artificially-induced 12 hour labor with Moses, this was my longest labor at 11 hours.  I also had several episodes of prodromal labor during the 10 days before Ben's delivery as well, which were taxing. This labor didn't just carry me along like all the others, and it really threw me for a loop. At one point I just hit an emotional, mental wall and I don't think I could have overcome it without Richard's help and guidance. I really needed him to encourage me, support me and get me through the "I can't do this" to a place where I could focus on labor again. It was actually very interesting because I've never needed him to be that involved during labor before. In the past I've always just kind of wanted to be left alone to do my thing, but this time he had to really be involved and it was nice in a way, even though it sucked.  ;)

I did get to spend a lot of time in the birth tub (YAY FOR THE BIRTH TUB! I love you, birth tub. Why did I ever have babies without you!?) although it tended to stall my labor and I periodically had to get out and walk around. See? That's what I mean about this labor just not kicking in! I've NEVER had labor stall out! Heck, once my contractions start they come on like gangbusters and there's no looking back! To have to get out and walk around just felt insulting.

I've always hated the sensation of pushing - it's not that it's so painful, but it just always feels awful to me - the way my body just takes over and MAKES me push, and although I've never thrown up I always feel queasy and shaky and horrible. Ugh. Thankfully I've been able to rocket all my babies out in a couple of pushes and it's over! The pushing stage for Ben was so so awful. He was posterior for much of my labor (maybe all? I'm not sure if he was born posterior, but I think that had a lot to do with how his birth went, along with the fact that my uterus is probably shot to heck and has about given up on pushing any more babies out). So the pushing stage felt really different. Again, it wouldn't just "happen," I had to work at it so much more! Midwife Kate really had to encourage me to push, as well as putting me in different positions for pushing, etc.

I realize none of this sounds abnormal or bad or anything, but it was mentally really tough for me when I had 5 other births under my belt that felt like they had been easier. If this had been my first birth, I'm sure it wouldn't have felt so difficult! It was mostly my expectation that things would chug along like the others and bang, baby would arrive. Expectations.....oh how they get us into trouble!

Okay, well, since I've basically written Ben's birth story at this point, I'll add a few more pieces and then on to the pictures. The kids were hanging out at home the whole time, playing with my parents, talking to the midwives, and eventually going to bed. I loved that part! Clementine was in and out but the boys really weren't interested.

Papa and Judah hanging out

Moses getting ready to be a big brother again!

My mom reading bedtime stories to the younger kids. Judah had already crashed out and didn't meet his new brother until the next morning.

Snuggling in bed!

Grace wanted to be with me through the whole labor and delivery this time as labor support. It was precious to have her there holding my hand through contractions and witnessing her brother's birth! My mom came in at the end to help me with the delivery, as Richard was at the other end to "catch" and Grace wasn't strong enough to hold my hands during pushing.

Laboring with Grace

Laboring with my mom

 Benjamin was my biggest baby at 8lbs 11oz. Maybe that was why pushing was harder as well? But when it came to the actual birth, it didn't take long. I found out later, I had pushed until he was crowning right to the middle of his head, like right at his eyes. Then I took a breather and with the next contraction I pushed him the rest of the way out! At the time, I didn't know how far he was out already, all I knew was that I wanted this OVER and I was going to get this baby out already! I just decided to push him out and be done with it. With a mighty roar, I half rose up out of the water and pushed him out! (I remember Kate saying she hadn't seen anyone push that much of a baby out all at once.) He went shooting into the water of the birth tub and Richard caught him.

I was in a total "birth fog" right then, but clear as day I heard Kate's calm voice say, "Melissa, you need to sit down." I sat down and they passed Benjamin through my legs and I pulled him out of the water. We met our little (big!) boy for the first time!

Richard held Benjamin for the first time while I got out of the tub and got into bed. Then there was lots of snuggling with the baby while the midwives checked me out, cleaned up, and did their whole thing. Richard emptied the birth tub and got the room back into ship shape!

 Meeting Benjamin

It's okay, little one!

This is bliss - absolutely the most amazing moment in life.

Look at this face! There is nothing like it - meeting your baby for the first time.

 The midwives checked Benjamin and after making sure we were all good to go, they left and we all went to sleep! The next day the whole family gathered to meet Benjamin.

Clementine actually woke up the night Ben was born as was the first to meet him besides Grace.

He's an old pro at this by now, but still a proud papa.

Cloth Diapers on the Cheap

One of the biggest obstacles to switching to cloth diapers is the initial cost. Although the overall savings (not to mention the benefits for baby's health and the environment) are enough for many families to desire the switch, having to shell out many hundreds of dollars all at once can be a big deterrent.

Here's a couple of ways that we have saved on cloth diapers, and some corners you can cut to make that initial expense (and any further expenses) a little less burdensome.

1. Buy Used

This is obviously a big one, and the obvious first choice for many of us who already buy clothes at thrift stores and furniture off Craigslist.

Used diapers may sound gross, but many mamas treat their cloth diapers like fine linen - only using the best cloth diaper-friendly detergents, no bleach, line-drying, and sunning out all stains. The result is that you can buy used diapers that are in great condition for cheaper than new.

Most cloth diapers have great resale value, so treat 'em well and you could easily get some of your money back when you're done using them!

Stores that sell preowned diapers inspect them carefully and rate them according to quality, so you can be sure you're getting diapers in the condition you want.

Some great places to look for used cloth diapers:

Craigslist - ours usually has a couple pages worth of cloth diapers.

Diaper Swappers - a great site to buy, sell and trade all things cloth! (Another option on this site: many mamas have an "In Search Of" list, and are willing to trade dipes for something on their list. See #3 for more about trading!)

Fluff Swappers on Facebook

Cloth Diaper Outlet Gently Used Items

Jillian's Drawers Gently Used Outlet

Diaper Junction Preowned Diapers

How to Successfully Buy Used Cloth Diapers

2. Buy Clearance Items & Seconds

Many stores sell "second" quality items, overstock, discontinued or unused returned items for a deep discount.When diaper manufacturers come out with a new version of their diaper, the old ones need to be cleared out quickly - what a great way to get perfect diapers for cheap!

Usually seconds have minor flaws that don't effect the functionality of the diaper. I've gotten some great deals on seconds and haven't even been able to tell why they're less than perfect!

Some places to find clearance and seconds:

 

Cloth Diaper Outlet New Clearance Items

Diaperco Like New & Seconds

Tiny Tush Clearance

Swaddlebees Clearance Store 

Cloth Diaper Clearance

Cotton Babies Clearance

3. Trade or Swap for Diapers

Bartering is back! Even though cash may be limited, you may have items or skills that other people want! I've used Swap Mamas to get quite a few of my diapers. I've either traded items I have or sewn crafty little items to trade for diapers. Sometimes a diaper that just doesn't work for you is exactly what another mama is looking for!

There may be local diaper swaps happening in your area (check local natural foods co-ops, natural baby stores, and other baby-related businesses for swaps!). These are great places to meet other cloth diapering families and score some new-to-you diapers, while passing yours on to someone else.

There are online swap groups as well:

The Fluff Exchange on Facebook

Cloth Diaper Swap on Facebook

Diaper Swappers - buy, sell, trade!

Swap Mamas- no money is exchanged on this site. You can "swap" for almost anything, but there's also a specific cloth diaper category.

4. Trade In Your Used Diapers for New Ones

This is similar to trading and buying used. Some stores allow you to trade in your outgrown diapers to receive store credit for new ones.

Of course, if you're planning on diapering another baby, you might want to hang on to your outgrown diapers so your next baby can be diapered for FREE, but if you're diapering your last child or cash for new diapers is especially short, this can be a great way to "size up".

Keep this in mind as you use your diapers - you'll get a lot more value for your used diapers if you have kept them in excellent condition and stain-free. Line drying and sunning to remove stains are two of the best ways to extend the life of your diapers and maintain their value.

Trade 'em in here:

Cotton Babies Growing Up in Cloth Program - When your baby outgrows your cloth diapers, you may be able to trade them in for credit at Cotton Babies! 

Cloth Diaper Outlet Buy-Back Program 

Re-Diaper

Happy Baby Company Trade-In Program

5. Try to Win Diapers!

There are TONS of cloth diaper giveaways on the internet. Tons. If you have the time and desire, you could probably enter a dozen giveaways a day!

Most require things like leaving comments on blogs, "liking" Facebook pages, and signing up for newsletters. If those things aren't a problem for you, it could be a great way to get cloth diapers for free.

I personally have tried to win diapers on occasion but the amount of email newsletters and Facebook pages I had to join started to get to be too much. However, I do know that some people have built most of their stash via giveaways!

Here's a few places to start for giveaways:

Feed Your Stash Fridays at Diaper Junction

Cloth Diaper Giveaways  

Cloth Diaper Contests

Cloth Diaper Giveaway Friday Roundup

Fluff Fridays at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer

6. Watch For Sales

 

This is pretty obvious, but it's worth mentioning. Online cloth diaper retailers almost always have sales going on! Signing up for their newsletters will give you a heads up on which items are currently on sale. Also, diaper manufacturers will often offer deals on their diapers, regardless of where they're sold - for example, BumGenius is currently offering a Buy 5 Get 1 Free sale.

Your local retail cloth diaper store will most likely have periodic sales as well!

7. Earn Reward Points for Free Diapers

Many stores offer rewards programs to help you earn free diapers. Usually each purchase will reward you with a certain number of points, which you can redeem when you have enough. Sometimes you can also earn rewards for leaving product reviews, referrals, participating in polls, and signing up for their newsletter. Sometimes there's a time limit in which to use your points, and some products are excluded due to manufacturer regulations. Still, if you have a favorite site to buy diapers, a reward program can be a great deal! 

One of my favorite local cloth diaper retailers also offers a rewards program. Be sure to check for similar programs at your favorite local cloth diaper store!

A few online rewards programs:

Diaper Junction Stash Cash

Kelly's Closet Free Diapers

FuzziBunz Diaper Dollars

Clementine in a recycled wool cover.

8. Sew Your Own Diapers 

Wow, there are so many resources out there for sewing your own diapers if you have a sewing machine (doesn't have to be fancy!) and basic sewing skills. Cloth diaper fabric is easy to find these days (even Joann's is selling diaper supplies, patterns and fabric now!) and there are many patterns for sale & for free online. Often times you can use thrifted material to make your own diapers too! (See my other post on recycled wool diaper covers).  

Here's a couple great links to get you started:

Very Baby - a one-stop shop for sewing diapers! 

Little Comet Tails cloth diaper patterns

Mega-list of Sew Your Own Diaper resources

DiaperSewing.com

How to Sew a Prefold the Real Way 

Katrina's Soaker Pattern (I use this one to make ALL my wool diaper covers!)

Knit or crochet your own diaper covers/wool longies! Many patterns can be found on Etsy. (Like this one and this one).

Turn prefold diapers into fitted diapers (I've used this tutorial on some of my prefolds and I love it!)

Make Prefolds from recycled t-shirts!

 
 
9. Buy Less-Expensive Diapers

Kind of a "duh", but the easiest way to spend less on cloth diapers is to....spend less on cloth diapers. ;)

There are lots and lots of fancy diapers out there with lots of amazing features. But many times a big price tag comes along with the bling. The fancy diapers may be alluring, but going with something simpler will definitely save you money. When buying diapers, consider how much each diaper change is costing you. 

For example, Benjamin is 5 months old and I change him roughly 4-5 times a day. (He can make it through the night without a change). Now let's say I'm using BumGenius Elemental All In One diapers (I do own one of these that I bought used and it's a great diaper!). These cost $24.95 new and are one of the fancier diapers commonly sold at retailers. You snap it on baby and go, and toss the whole thing to the wash after changing. So these diapers would cost me $25 a change, or $100+ a day. 

Newborn Moses in a prefold & cover

Now lets say I'm using Diaper Rite Prefold diapers (which are my favorite and make up the majority of my stash!) in size medium, along with a Diaper Rite Cover.  The prefold costs $2.59 and the cover costs $8.95, so each change would cost me $11.54 - less than half the cost of the BumGenius! But that's not all! Often times only the prefold needs to be thrown to the wash - as long as the cover isn't poopy, I can wipe it off and hang it to dry for the next diaper change. In this way, I can use just 2 covers each day instead of 4 or 5, so my cost-per-change is reduced even more! Using recycled wool covers or homemade prefolds would cut the cost of each change down to only a couple of bucks per change.

There's obviously a lot of variables in how much each diaper change costs based on what kind of diapers you buy. If you use all-in-ones or pocket diapers, the whole thing gets tossed to the wash each change. Using prefolds or fitteds with covers, or all-in-two systems allows you to sometimes reuse the cover for more changes.

I like to have a few "fancy" diapers to keep in my diaper bag for on-the-go changes, but have found prefolds and prefitteds with covers to be the most economical for the majority of our diapering.


10. Special Discounts

Some people in special circumstances can receive discounts or free diapers. There are military discounts, diaper grants for missionaries, and free cloth diapers for low-income families. Check your area for local cloth diaper banks (like Heiny Helpers) if the ideas above are still out of your means. 

********

And remember, if you care for your diapers properly, they should last for your next child to use! You could potentially diaper a second child for free!  Now that's a cost-savings you can't beat.  =] 

Linking up with: 

Wrap Love

My new Girasol wrap. I am in love.

 

For any babywearing aficionados, this is a Girasol Light Rainbow diamond weave, creme weft, size 6.

A Little Babywearing Love

Kozy Carriers from Karla Jean Davis on Vimeo.

 I love this little video and how it captures the joy of babywearing.

Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy

Almost 12 years ago, I was a single 20-year-old mother living with family friends and figuring out how to take care of a little baby. I was working full time. I was not breastfeeding. There are a lot of other things I could say about that time, but that's a different post. What I want to bring up about that time is that the wonderful, generous, loving family who was letting me live in their basement with my 3-month old baby for free had some parenting practices that I thought a little weird.

They had a Family Bed. The mom nursed her children until they were 3 years old. The youngest of their three children was about 3 years old when I lived with them and she was the most articulate and loquacious toddler I had ever met. To me there was something very disconcerting about hearing her talk in complex and complete sentences, using words like "invalid", "governess", and "disagreeable" (true!!) one minute, and then having "Milk and Cuddles" the next. It just seemed "wrong" to me, though I couldn't make an argument as to WHY it was wrong (can anyone say cultural programming?) and I remember confidently (and arrogantly) pronouncing, "If they're old enough to ask for it they're too old to nurse!" To my mind, nothing could be worse than growing up and being able to remember nursing. Eeeew!

Fast forward 6 years. Moses is born, and I have something of a "natural parenting" mindset, but it has yet to flesh out. We're using cloth diapers, I carry him in a sling, he sleeps in bed with us and I know I'll nurse him for a year. Then he turns one. He's no where near being ready to wean. In fact, he still seems like - he still is -  a baby in most ways and I see no reason to put him through the misery that weaning would entail, any more than I would suddenly insist that he start using the toilet instead of going in his diapers. He's just not ready!

We decide to "play it by ear." At 20 months old his little brother is born. Instead of being pushed off Mama's lap, he gets to nurse with this new little sibling. They share Mama. Moses holds his brother's hand and rubs his head as they tandem nurse. The jealous older sibling rages I've been dreading never happen. They love each other! (Until Judah becomes a toddler, then we have a whole other ball of wax to deal with....)

Now Moses is two. He's still nursing for naps, bedtime, anytime he gets hurt, anytime he's scared, anytime he goes through something emotionally difficult, anytime he needs connection. He's not ready to wean and I see no reason to insist that he does, any more than I would insist that he put himself to bed at night.

Finally it's a couple months before Moses turns three. I've been tandem nursing for over a year. I'm pregnant again. I cannot handle the thought of tandem nursing through a whole pregnancy. Moses is still nursing at bedtime and naptime and various other times during the day, as is Judah. I decide IT'S TIME. HE'S READY! The kid is not going to wean himself, but he's emotionally ready to handle the change. He's ready to move on to forms of comfort and connection that do not involve nursing. 

I introduce the concept of "nums are for night-night." This means we only nurse at bedtime. With only a little fuss, he accepts that boundary. So far so good. Several weeks go by during which I'm preparing him for the change. "Soon you will be done with nums! You're a big boy and we're going to give the nums to Judah and the new baby. Mama will still cuddle you and read you stories." Does he understand what's coming? I'm not sure, but one night I tell him he's all done with nums. He's sad. He cries. I cuddle him and read him a story. It's not as good as nums, but he does go to sleep. For about a week he is sad when I tell him no nums. A few times he gets hurt and I let him have some nums, but mostly I spend a lot of time cuddling and connecting with him. Then it's over! He's weaned! He stops being sad at night and stops asking for nums. Once or twice he asks and I tell him sure and he says, "I guess no." There were no tantrums, no acting out, no sobbing hysterically. He cried a little here and there, but he pretty much accepted it and moved on with no hard feelings. 

All in all, Moses and I had a beautiful and satisfying nursing relationship. Besides giving him perfect nutrition and great immune defense (he's always been super healthy - much more so than Grace ever was!), nursing gave Moses a sense of comfort when life got scary, it calmed him down when his feelings got too intense, it lulled him to sleep, and it gave him the connection he always needed after he'd been out exploring the world. Nursing kept me physically available to Moses. I wonder how much less touch and physical connection we would have had in those 3 years if I hadn't nursed him. I see it now, how nursing Judah and Clementine forces me to touch and hold and connect with them - forces in a good way, in a I-can't-get-too-busy-and-just-forget-to-cuddle-my-kids way. And now that Moses isn't nursing, I do

So here I am, a mom who nurses her kids to 3 years old. Is it gross? No. Is it "wrong"? No. Was I uninformed and naive and arrogantly passing judgment on something based solely on unexamined cultural biases? Yep, pretty much. And although I'm not hugely outspoken about my extended breastfeeding, neither am I ashamed of it, at all. So just in case you think breastfeeding past a year is weird or gross, or maybe you don't want to wean your 1-year-old but don't know anyone who's nursed that long, I'm sharing my story and some really good resources. And you know what? I hope my kids do remember nursing, and how incredibly special it was. I'm proud to have given 3 of my children such a precious gift.

P.S. - Judah turns three in February and we're in the weaning process. He's handling it differently than Moses did (they are SUCH different kids...), but he also is accepting it without tantrums or despair or sobbing. He's ready too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A great place to start: Kellymom Breastfeeding Past Infancy Fact Sheet

If you think it's gross, read this: Not Just for Babies: 10 Good Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler

References, links, common concerns and tips on parenting a nursing toddler: Kellymom Nursing After the First Year

The best book under the sun for anyone who nurses past a year:

Mothering Your Nursing Toddler. This book has saved my sanity and changed how I view mothering. I would love to loan it out, but it's really, really worth owning.

"My first-born, Emma, was 14 months old. I had enrolled in a course, and, with the feeling of my life opening up again, had begun to wean. It was at that time that I read a book called Mothering Your Nursing Toddler. Starting with the assumption that extended breastfeeding is satisfying for both mother and child, the author, Norma Jane Bumgarner writes of the security, confidence and self-esteem that we give our children when we allow them to nurse, and wean, according to their own schedule. She certainly convinced me, and Emma and I went on to nurse happily for three more years.
Re-reading the book six years later, her message seems less radical. My three keen nurslings have, to me, well proven the benefits of an extended breastfeeding relationship, with a physical resilience and emotional independence that comes, I believe, from the access to loving arms and the secure base that breastfeeding provides. Over the years I have also learned about the more tangible advantages of extended nursing..."
The Pleasure of Extended Breastfeeding by Sarah J. Buckley

A super cool video on extended breastfeeding. I big puffy heart love this video:

This is a goldmine, a serious goldmine: LLLI Nursing Past One Year Articles

For those who might feel isolated, you're not alone: Breastfeeding Until Age 3, 4 or 5: More common than you think?

Oh the things I've heard about breastfeeding past a year. It helps to know: Dr. Sears - Handling the Criticism

Other moms talk about nursing past a year: Health Happy Roundup: Extended Breastfeeding

Every one of these is worth reading start to finish: Mothering.com Breastfeeding Past Infancy Articles

One of the first articles I read about extended breastfeeding: Breastfeed a Toddler? Why on Earth?

Think there's no point in nursing past a year? You couldn't be more wrong: Extended Breastfeeding's Benefits

This one speaks for itself:Breastfeeding Beyond a Year: Exploring benefits, cultural influences, and more

This article broke my heart and renewed my confidence all at the same time. It's not a list of the research and benefits, but to my mind it's even more convincing: A Nursing Triad

Breastfeeding and Return to Fertility

Ever since Moses was born I've been fascinated with the connection between breastfeeding and fertility.  Everyone from your Ob-Gyn to the authors of parenting magazines and email newsletters warn you not to use breastfeeding for birth control!  And I'm sure we've all heard someone share about how they got pregnant while breastfeeding - or maybe that's you!  So I think it's common to believe that breastfeeding has no affect on fertility, when in reality that's not entirely true.

I am reading a great book called, "Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing" by Sheila Kippley.  It's incredibly informative and interesting, especially if like me you're not keen on using chemical/hormonal means of preventing pregnancy or spacing babies.  It turns out that many women who conceive while breastfeeding or who experience a very early return of fertility (before 6 months) are practicing "Cultural breastfeeding", while the best way to postpone return of fertility is through "Ecological Breastfeeding".   Ecological breastfeeding is more than just feeding your child from your breasts; it's a whole method of infant and mother care that involves all aspects of how the mother and child relate.  (Here's a summary of the principles of ecological breastfeeding.)  The seven basic standards are:

1. Breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life; don’t use other liquids and solids, not even water.
2. Pacify or comfort your baby at your breasts.
3. Don’t use bottles and don’t use pacifiers.
4. Sleep with your baby for night feedings.
5. Sleep with your baby for a daily-nap feeding.
6. Nurse frequently day and night, and avoid schedules.
7. Avoid any practice that restricts nursing or separates you from your baby. 

Copyright © 1972, 1999, 2008 by Sheila Kippley, author of The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding; Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing; and Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood and co-author of Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach. Permission is given to copy this sheet provided it is reproduced in full. www.NFPandmore.org

In my own experience, I have followed all these principles except #5.  (I did/do many days lay down to nurse the baby to sleep for a nap, but unfortunately I usually then get up instead of napping myself. =[ )  With Moses I abruptly and drastically cut out a couple daytime nursings when he started solids at 5 months and my cycle returned at 6 months.  I conceived again when Moses was 10 months old, and continued to nurse him.  Judah was not interested in solids until around 7-8 months and my cycle retuned at 8 months.  I was tandem nursing Moses and Judah, and I got pregnant again when Judah was 10 months old.  Moses weaned just before his 3rd birthday, while I was nursing Judah & pregnant with Clementine.  Clementine is now going on 11 months old and has been eating table food for about 2 1/2 months.  I'm tandem nursing Judah and Clementine and have yet to experience a return in fertility.

Anyway, it's safe to say that not only is each woman very different as to what kind of practices will suppress her fertility, but each woman can be different with each successive child!  There's no way to 100% guarantee a certain number of infertile months, but at the very least you can increase your chances of greater space between children by following the Seven Standards.

If you're interested, there is a very cool article over at one of my favorite blogs, Keeper of the Home about this subject.  She did a poll of her readers about breastfeeding and fertility and analyzed the resulting information.  A lot of food for thought!  She comes to the conclusion that probably most North American women do not practice Ecological Breastfeeding, but also that perhaps there are other factors like nutrition, exercise/obesity, and environmental toxins that affect our early returns to fertility.  Definitely worth checking out!

One thing her results did show is that the women who breastfed for more than a year were more likely to experience delayed fertility - one more plug for extended breastfeeding!  =]

I'd love to hear your experiences with breastfeeding and fertility!

Recycled Wool Diaper Covers

Wool is a great material for covering cloth diapers. Besides being naturally anti-fungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial, warm in the winter and cool in the summer, easy to care for and durable enough to last through many babies, "wool can maintain three seemingly contradicting qualities simultaneously:"

First, a wool diaper cover is thermal - "it can store water vapour up to 35 per cent of its own dry weight yet it remains dry to touch and speeds up the body's own cooling system." (2) To attest to this fact, wool is most regularly suggested for night-time usage when leaks most often occur in abundance, although certainly can extend to everyday wear. Second, while absorbent, they still remain breathable, allowing for a maximum amount of circulation around baby's bum. This helps prevent diaper rash, but also alleviates the health concerns of trapped heat within a diapering system. Finally, wool contains natural lanolin which creates a natural waterproof barrier or repellancy. (From The Diaper Hyena, Diaper Covers: Why Wool's Cool)

(For more information about the amazing qualities of wool and why to use them in cloth diapering, read "Why Use Wool for Diaper Covers? Wool Science for Cloth Diapering Parents" by Marc Pehkonen!

I've made several wool diaper covers for my babes and love them, especially to prevent leaks at night. By felting, sewing and "lanolizing" old thrift store sweaters, wool covers can be affordable and fun. (Here's one pattern I've used.)

You can find more info on cloth diaper websites and discussion forums!

Here's one of my first attempts on baby Moses:

Richard loves this gray one...

...but I love this newest creation!

She'll be wearing this and a little t-shirt all summer!