Where it's At

 

Pregnancy has been a real blast.

I only have six weeks to go (give or take a week or so) and it all feels like it has flown by.

At my last visit my blood pressure was good 110/70
My iron levels are good from the blood test and I show no signs of gestational diabetes. (phew)

Little one is measuring well. 32cm at 33 weeks. It's supposed to be around 1cm per week.
She is head down and facing the left which is a great position to be in. She could spin around still but it's not likely. She has been this way for such a long time.

I'm feeling big and swollen and tired easily but these are just part of having a big ole baby in your belly. Our teacher at baby class told us that most women put on about 10 kilos in pregnancy. She told us to go pick up a ten kilo rice bag in the supermarket (tighten your pelvic floor muscles first) and see what it feels like. I tried with a 5 kilo bag and that was a LOT. It makes a lot of sense that I just can't walk round the shops as well anymore.

I'm feeling a bit anxious about the whole birth part.

I think being a mum is going to be awesome. I feel like I can deal with the poo and the tears and other bodily fluids. I'm so looking forward to meeting our little girl but this whole world of birth seems a bit unknown.

I've read loads of books and feel like I know what to expect but I think the problem is that I'm not really sure how I am supposed to prepare physically and mentally. Sure there are breathing exercises and positions to try but it feels like that is not enough.

I think maybe the answer is that you will NEVER be prepared to have a couple of pounds worth of baby pulled from within and I think I'm ok with that. It's so nerve racking that I won't know the time or the date. Little one will just come when she comes and then she will be mine and I will need to switch on mama mode and look after her for the rest of her life.

I feel this little girl kicking round in my belly and I give her the best cuddle I can. It will be so wonderful to look into her eyes and tell her I love her. To feel her soft skin under my fingertips.

It's going to be so wonderful to be her mama.

nursery sneak peek - mobile

I got my craft on this weekend and made the sweet little one a mobile for above her change table.

It's pretty long so I think I might need to figure out how to shorten it a bit so she doesn't pull it down on top of her sweet self.

I got the idea from my "Meet me at Mikes" book. It shows you how to make the flowers. I added extra little tidbits that I liked all in the yellow and white theme I love so much.

winner

Congrats nellbe, winner of the aden + anais issie security blanket competition.

in the cloth

baby bee hinds

Finally I have gotten round to writing a post about cloth nappies.

I love the idea of a reusable nappy. It's good for the environment, looks super-duper cute and is softer on little babies skin. They have come a long way since the terry toweling days of old. They don't need to be soaked for long periods of time. Just scrape off the solids and pop in the washing machine.

As they get more and more popular there are so many different brands of cloth nappy. Each baby is different and therefore each baby will need a different type of nappy to avoid spills and leakages.

baby bee hinds

For this reason we have decided to go with the disposables for the newborn stage and then see if we can sample other brands to choose the right one for our little girl.

There is a fantastic website and brochure all about cloth nappies, the brands and advice on choosing a brand. They say that you will need 30 nappies from birth to toilet training.






There are a few things you need for cloth nappying.

green kids

Nappies - all in one (waterproof cover included), fitted (with elastic in the legs) , one size fits all, different sizes, pocket nappies (liners come out making them quicker to dry), prefold (like terry flats but with an absorbent panel)

They come in a multitude of different materials. Bamboo, hemp, minkee, silk, sherpa...

You can get snap fastners or velcro. Snap fastners are harder to undo but also harder to replace.

green kids

Liners - cloth or throwaway. It's for the solids so your nappies don't get as messy as they could.

You can also get booster liners to put in the nappies for night times or when the little one is extra "full."

Imse Vimse wipes

 Baby wipes - cloth or throwaway. Wet pieces of cloth work just as well, are much cheaper and can be put in the machine with the nappies.

Nappy bag/bucket - Something to put the stinkers in while you are out or at home before you do a wash.

itti bitti

So.. things I need to consider are

- what babies bot bot is like.
- how I am going to clean the nappies. We have a big washing line that gets plenty of sun and a big powerful washing machine and access to a drier. This means I can get nappies that are more absorbent but take longer to dry. (bamboo)
- how much money I have to spare upfront/will have in the future. Should I get one size fits all or small-medium-large when the time comes.
-the fabric I/baby likes. I'm personally not a huge fan of the minkee. Maybe it's really comfy but I just don't like the look of it.



What brand do you use? How did you plan for cloth nappies before your baby was born?