Revert to Draft

I am sad to report that much of my blog is 'offline' and has been reverted to draft. I have chosen to do this for several reasons that I will not go into at the moment. If you're looking for a post that has disappeared, please comment here or tweet me at @mamapsu.

Thanks for reading.

Giveaway!!! *closed*

My Etsy shop is hitting a slump lately and I'm interested in boosting my stats. That's good news for you because it means I'll be giving away a pair of my wool longies to 1 lucky reader. :)

Wool is a great cloth diapering option for many reasons. The natural characteristics of wool eliminate moisture by vapor which means (unlike with synthetic fabrics) no pooling is necessary for evaporation to occur. Wool is a 100% natural substance and offers built in cleansing mechanism (lanolin) which equals less laundry for you. For more information on the benefits of wool, please visit here.

And although wool can be an expensive option if purchased through larger diaper stores, it's actually quite affordable if you can DIY. Upcycling wool sweaters into longies, soakers, and covers is a less expensive and relatively easy way to cloth diaper on a budget. My shop specializes in this and all of my wool inventory is upcycled.

Now that you know all about wool, it's time for you to get some!! Entry in my giveaway is easy: First, (if you do not already) follow my blog. Second, go to my Etsy Shop and pick your favorite pair of longies. Lastly, post the longies on twitter, facebook, or another social media outlet then comment here telling me which pair you chose and the link to your post. Multiple entries are permitted and winner will be chosen at random on Monday, July 9.  Custom orders are excluded from this giveaway.

Good luck and thanks for reading.

UPDATE: A WINNER WAS DRAWN ON JULY 9 AND THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED.

Relactation

The following is an email I received from Katy Linda aka The Stylin Momma. Posted here to forward to a good friend :)


" What an awesome experience!

There is a TON of great info from Kellymom on general induced lactation & relactation.  This page in particular will likely help her.  

This book is the one LLLI recommends.  The new Womanly Art has info on page 358 - 362 on Induced Lactation.  It discusses basic ideals like pumping & stimulation as well as hormone therapy that simulates pregnancy and can help build a larger supply.  It references Lenore Goldfarb for info on the hormonal protocol.  The link in the book is wrong, it has been updated to: http://asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/gn_protocols.shtml

It will likely be a long road.  Any breastfeeding can be a challenge, and inducing lactation has a few extras of it's own.  It's totally doable and worth it for the moms who want to put in the work.  I hope she is prepared for the road ahead and can surround herself with other moms who will encourage her and help her keep going!  

I hope that gives you two a good place to start.  Please let me know if I can help further!

Sincerely, 

Katy Linda, IBCLC
Mom & Owner
The Stylin' Momma"

365 Days of Breastfeeding: FIN

I am both pleased and slightly wistful to announce the end of my 365 days of breastfeeding project. Thanks to everyone who supported me and contributed to guest spots. It was a great year of parenting and although the project is complete, my nursing relationship will continue indefinitely.

To see the whole project, please check out my Shuttercal page. Keep in mind this project started on 1-18-11. In the month of January the pictures from 1-1 to 1-17 are of my son nursing at 20 months old. The pictures from 1-18 on are of him nursing at 8 months old. Use the controls to scroll through all of the months of the year. 

My son is now 20 months old and nursing 4-10 times a day. He still wakes at least once a night to nurse, sometimes more, and I've made no efforts to discourage him of this.  I will continue to nurse him until at least his second birthday and likely much longer after.  We will practice child led weaning which means I will not implement any sort of weaning process. I will let him gradually choose when  he no longer needs my breast as a source of comfort and nourishment.  Breastfeeding a toddler is different from breastfeeding an infant or newborn in many ways and I am loving our ever changing relationship.

I have handed the photo project over to a good friend, Toni who is currently breastfeeding her second daughter. She is accepting guest posts, so if you missed your chance this year, there is still time :) Maybe you'll see me over there someday soon.

Thanks again to all who participated and followed along.

Relief Fund

Happy New Year! Hope your holidays were happy and full of love & laughter.

My blog is basically on hiatus, however an issue has come up requiring attention.

Many of you know that one of our twitter friends, Kate, was involved in an accident with her husband and his brothers. Her daughter was not with them at the time and is currently being cared for by other family.

Kate suffered serious injuries and is in ICU. A relief fund has been set up by the family to help with the financial cost of this accident. If you would like to help, please contact me via twitter (@mamaPSU) and I will give you the info.

I am keeping many details as private as possible and ask that you do the same. Like many of us, Kate does not associate her full name with her account. There may be people in her life she'd prefer not know about her account and it's not anyone's place (but Kate) to infringe upon that. News articles about the accident have been tweeted and we ask that these not be posted in pubic forum. Please use direct messaging for any info beyond what is in this blog post. Kate is not able to tell us how much of this info she would like public, so we must err on the side of caution.

As always, your love and support have been wonderful. It is very much appreciated and I encourage you to keep up as much positive thoughts/prayers/love/light/reiki as you can send. Anything that was said to you regarding request for privacy was done with Kate's well being in mind so please don't be offended. Your concern is very touching.

Again- find me on twitter for more info ( https://twitter.com/#!/mamaPSU ) or comment here as to how I can get in touch with you.

May 2012 be full of blessings for you and your family.

Pursuit of a Craft

If you follow my twitter, you may already know: I am crafting away in an attempt to get a home based business going!

L has returned for her 2nd year of preschool and is spending more hours away from home this year than she was last. H (knock on wood) is slightly more agreeable to allowing me to pursue interests beyond bouncing and shushing him (!!) and frankly, money is quite tight for our family. So, thank my lucky stars: as fall arrived, so did a boatload of ambition to get things up and running from my basement. Much of the initial effort was getting a crafting space ready which is kid friendly.

Kids play area

& Mamas

work/craft

area

see also: guest accommodations(futon)

I am proud of the work I've done and the initiative it's taken. I have truly accomplished so much already and I've only just begun! This new venture will be good for me and my family for many reasons. Even if it's an economical fail, it gives me something to occupy my mind beyond diapers and snacks. At the very least, I have already earned a decluttered basement and organized closet... and of course, a few precious heirlooms I thought had been lost forever...

If you're interested in following along the chaotic process of establishing a home based business, please follow me on twitter at @laybebelay

Yeast! #clothdiapers

Last year, I noticed my (then) new baby had a heck of a yeast rash from my cloth diapers. Most of my cloth diapers were purchased used and have served both of my children, meaning: at least 3 kiddos have donned these well loved nappies.

To clear H's rash, I found a great article from The Cloth Diaper Whisperer: Got Yeast ? The advice really seemed to do the trick and H's rash cleared up in no time.

Earlier this week, I found myself battling yeast again and took to my laundry room to solve this ongoing battle. I used much of the advice from the article linked above, but added my own spin to it. Should you find yourself battling yeast, I hope this routine can be of use to you:

Cold soak all diapers in liberal amounts of: tea tree oil (TTO), grapefruit seed extract (GSE), vinegar, and baking soda. Soak overnight if possible.

Then do a cold wash in: vinegar and baking soda with your usual detergent.

Next do a *hot, hot, hot* wash with: TTO, GSE, and usual detergent.

2 extra rinses for good measure.

Finally, line dry. Alternatively, if you cannot line dry and your yeast persists, you may want to consider taking your diapers to the tanning bed. (for real) The UV exposure does wonders!

This whole process only took me a day and a half and I immediately saw results. I did use probiotics once daily as well because yeast issues in diapers rarely exist unless the wearer has an issue as well.

Lastly, to treat the rash, use coconut oil (or breastmilk!) on the skin and either leave the baby with a nakey bum or use prefolds/fitteds/contours without a cover.

I have also altered my usual wash routine a touch to keep the yeast at bay. Prior to washing, I do a quick cold soak with a touch of GSE and vinegar.

Hope this helps and happy diapering!!

Making a Wrap Tai

Please note: when choosing your fabric, do not select anything stretchy. Backcarries are not safe with stretchy fabrics and wraps (such as the Moby.)

Consider doubling or tripling the fabric for the body of the carrier and utilize duck cloth if you feel the fabric isn't sturdy enough.

Also- if unsure of your sewing or babywearing skills, please practice using the carrier with help from another for safety.

With materials found at home (or the thrift store) I created this upcycled wrap tai.

Total cost to me was less than $5 and time invested was about 2 hrs.

The carrier provides ease of use and versatility of carrying options.

This is a *rough* tutorial of how I did it...

I chose the body size to be about 15 x 15 in and cut my fabric to about 29 x 29 in.

Note: I did end up trimming 4 or 6 in off the width before sewing (due to bulk.)

I allowed a 4 in waist section and simply folded over twice.

Use same method for the remaining 3 edges of the body, but use 2 in folds (folded twice.)

Pin and iron.

Ready for stitching/wrap straps!

Next, chose your waist strap size. I chose apx 4 x 30 in.

I cut the fabric to be 10 x 32 in, allowing for doubling over and seams.

Turn all unfinished edges in (just a hair) and fold fabric over (sandwiching all folded edges.)

Iron and stitch fabric, following the path of the (inwardly turned) folds.

Place finished waist straps within the folds of the body's waist then stitch with xbox technique.

Note: it might be beneficial to utilize properly colored thread. I was too lazy to switch it!

Almost there!

Repeat the steps for waist straps when making shoulder straps.

I chose a 12 in x 65 in strap (which meant cutting a 25 x 66 in piece.)

Fold shoulder straps in half (multiple times) then xbox stitch to the body of the carrier.

Cut loose threads, finish seams as necessary, etc...

Wear your baby!!!

I intend on making a slip cover for the body of the carrier (due to laziness regarding asthetics.)

There are some subtle things I still need to tweak, but overall, I am very pleased with it!

Have you made your own carrier? Link it up!

Birthday Craft

H man is turning 1 in a matter of days and birthday festivities are in full gear. My special (reflux) guy and his special dietary needs will nomming on this sweet (alternative to cake) treat:

From MyBubbyShoes.com Apple Cake Cupcakes

What a lucky kiddo!! He's going to love it.

First birthdays are important to me and I have a tendency to put forth a little extra effort. This generally includes (gasp) a craft! I am not a very crafty girl, but I do break out my creative side on a rare occasion and I can see no other reason than for a first birthday.

I have but one craft up my sleeve. It is a variation of a game I found online when L was turning 1. The game I found at the time suggested making a contest out of the milestones of the 1st year: 1st tooth, 1st roll from back to tummy, 1st steps, 1st word, etc. I crafted it out for L and came up with what you see here.

For Ls 2nd birthday, I put a little twist on that game because the milestones didn't apply as much and my new idea is easier. And it's not only easy but versatile so I'm crafting it up again for H's 1st birthday. I call it:

"The Year in Review"

Step 1: print 1 picture of the birthday bub for every month of the last year

Step 2: randomize order and create entry forms

Step 3: include prize(s), ballot box, etc as necessary

It's a great why to showcase your little love bug and a quick, easy crowd pleaser. Good luck and happy birthing day!

WIC BLW Recipe of the Day

If you are unfamiliar, WIC is the Women, Infants, and Children supplemental food program which assists many low income families in America. BLW is baby led weaning- a method of allowing a baby to gradually wean from a milk diet onto solids.

Generally, BLW discourages the use of purees for many reasons, but the WIC program provides infants with about 3 jars of pureed foods per day. I have personally debated time and again whether to get the purees at all, but ultimately, it became an issue of finances. As H's interest in 'real food' grew and our income did not, it was apparent that I needed to utilize these purees one way or another.

For me, the key element of BLW is letting the baby have control of what he puts in his mouth. I place a strong emphasis on self feeding, so spooning bites of watered down apples and carrots into his mouth wasn't an option for me... even if he did cooperate in that process (which he does not.) So, I have had to be creative with these purees.

Without further adieu-

Today's WIC BLW concoction-

1 jar of fruit puree (I used bananas)

A few oz of coconut milk (or mamas mik or yogurt)

Mix in sippy to create baby approved smoothie!!

Simple, speedy, and satisfying!

Babywearing Blog Hop via @GardenBirthMama

My (Extensive) Babywearing Journey

Back when I was a very young mommy and I didn't know very much, I wore my baby in an Infantino crotch dangler.

I also had an Infantinto sling that was recalled twice on me. It's too bad, tho because I really did kind of like that sling. More on this later.

I soon heard of something called a ring sling and ordered one on

ebay. I wore L in this carrier alone for much of our babywearing together. This particular sling has a *very* long tail (for discrete nursing) which I no longer enjoy, but wearing her in this sling made me a true babywearer!

Here I am wearing a 3 yr old L in my ebay sling while pregnant.

Soon H was born...

I wore him early and I wore him much more often than I had with L. His personality requires

it. When he was 5 wks old, we went to the beach and he spent a lot of time in my Hotsling. When fall arrived, I learned to use a stretchy wrap for the first time.

I found it easiest to nurse H on-the-go in our old trusty ebay sling.

Early on, I began experimenting with the replacement product Infantino sent me for my recalled Sling Rider. A product I have since altered slightly, the Wrap & Tie is proving to be a very handy carrier to have. It's versatile and dumby proof.

H's birth stirred up the true babywearer in me and I experimented with DIY carriers. The sari I wore at my sister in law's wedding became my first (and as of yet only) woven wrap.

Once, while at a playdate at the park, I found a Balboa ring sling. I waited hours for someone to claim it, but no one ever did. I took it with me when we left that day and its aftermath has convinced me that God himself placed that carrier there for us to help cure H of his woeful ways. That child has spent many an hour in my Balboa and I will gladly reimburse the rightful owner should I have have the pleasure of passing ways with her.

H is nearly a year now and backcarrys are becoming our thing. I frequently use my Wrap & Tie and have recently purchased an Ergo on craigslist. You can see pics of me and my kidlets in these carriers on the previously linked April Babywearing post.

2 other carriers that have seen their way in and out of my life are a framed backpack carrier by Snuggli and an Infantino 6 in 1 rider. I have since sold both of these carriers (as well as my original Infantino crotch dangler.) A friend gave us the Snuggli but I hated its bulk. The 6 in 1 came to me thru a search for a soft structured carrier that I could wear on my back. My efforts (in retrospect) were futile because I had NOT found a mei tai or woven wrap or beco, etc. (Shaking my head...)

So- that's it. My lengthy story of babywearing: beginning to present. I certainly do not feel I can say that this is the end. As our needs as a family change, the go-to carrier changes and who knows what the future will hold for us? More kids? More travelling? I'm not sure, but babywearing will certainly be there one way or another!

Join the fun and show off your skills! Link up your babywearing post here!

April Babywearing

Note the buckle I added to this Wrap and Tie

Winter in Pennsylvania caused a sharp lull in babywearing in the MamaPSU household. Because of the cold temperatures, I almost always transported H in his bucket carrier when we left the house. And we didn't leave the house often. BUT- warmer weather is sure to be upon us (please, please?) and that means prime babywearing season!

I've been experimenting with a backcarry for months now. I have failed time and again with the woven wrap, but have had luck with H in my Infantino Wrap and Tie. Recently, I've added buckle to the waist straps (which makes putting it on quicker and safer.) I highly recommended this cheap and easy alteration, especially if you are a backcarry failure like me!

While the buckle does make it easier to get backcarry, it is still a precarious process for us because H is an unwilling passenger. He does seem to be getting used to being back there, but is certainly not lulled to sleep or even fully relaxed. I've heard stories from other moms that toddlers get excited just to see the carrier. How long til my guy does this? Will he ever? Is his reflux preventing a fully comfortable babywearing experience?

Also: The Ergo we got off of craigslist is working well. It's been my go-to, hands-free carrier for the park, doing taxes, and even attending a funeral. L loves it more than H (!) and it's made babywearing my 4 year old 'baby' manageable again. I can only seem to get H into the frontcarry because of all his wiggling, but I am hoping he will soon be agreeable to being put onto my back for a long hike with the family.

Converting Aplix to Snaps

The old bumgenius diapers I purchased in May of 2008 had shown some wear and tear by May of 2010. Mainly, there were serious issues with the aplix (and honestly, much of that was due to poor care on my part.) After some research on the internet, I invested in snap press and decided to convert my aplix to snaps. (I also committed on ONLY purchasing snaps from here on out purely for longevity's sake.) Since last summer, I have been slowly working at seam ripping and awl poking and snapping aaaaallll of my cloth diapers with aplix. It's an arduous process, but well worth it. Above is H, wearing my handy work. Not bad (if I do say so myself) for a lady who hates crafting!

The tutorial I used is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RDBHWULTIs

I prefer it because of the double row of snaps. It takes a little more time (and uses more snaps) but the fit is definitely worth it: especially on an overnight or heavy wetter diaper.

Some other good resources are-

http://clothreverie.blogspot.com/2010/06/converting-velcroaplix-diapers-to-snaps.html

http://www.kamsnaps.com/gDiaper-Snap-Conversion-39.html

If you also dare to brave the battle of snapping, good luck and happy diapering!

Join the cloth diaper blog hop!

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Cloth Diaper Blog Hop

Attention crunchy peeps: here's blog hop for lovers of fluff! All cloth diapering related posts are welcome, but here are some ideas to get you started:

1- What was your first cloth diaper?

2- What is your favorite cloth diaper?

3- What does your ideal stash look like (and how many kids are you diapering)?

I started cloth diapering L when she was 14 months old in an effort to reduce household waste. I purchased a 3 pack of bumgenius 3.0 and was forever hooked. I still have those first diapers I bought and have since converted them to snaps.

H (10m) is in diapers full time and we mostly use prefolds. My stash is ever changing and growing and my most recent purchase was a 4 pack of earth, mom, and baby bamboo fitteds. Fitted diapers tend to be my favorite, tho I have been discouraged with sizing and durability of elastic in the past. We are using prefolds now because maintenance and care are less and they can be used for other things in the future.

The things I like most about cloth diapering are the household waste reduction, reduction of chemical exposure for the kids, and the general cuteness factor!

My favorite diaper is a bumgenius bamboo fitted and my ideal stash would be about 15 of the same diaper- a one size fitted most likely. My newest purchase (earth, mom, and baby) is a likely front runner, but I've also had my eye on the bumgeinus elemental in the past. Ultimately, tho, all cloth diaper addicts know: there will never be a perfect stash. More fluff is always required!

I Am Not A Foodie

Sarah's Birthday Quick Fix (ala me)

1 cookie (any variety)

1 chocolate candy (Hershey's kisses are best)

Preheat oven (or toaster oven!) to 350ish. Bake cookie concoction for 4 minutes (or until chocolate candy is soft.) Jam birthday candle in chocolate candy (optional.) Serve warm.

My OB Said What

I am a fan of the website myobsaidwhat.com and recently submitted to them something an obstetrician had said to me while performing a circumcision.

Head on over to check it out: http://myobsaidwhat.com/2011/01/19/chewing-gum-for-gays/#comments

I submitted this because I have residual grief over it many years later. I feel guilty I never said anything to anyone, I feel humiliated for the baby and his family, I feel disgusted that this man continues to provide medical 'care' for women. I think about this moment often and all the things I would do differently now that I am older and more experienced. I feel this doctor was preying upon the fact that he knew my inexperience would prevent me from bringing him to justice. Because of this, I feel powerless when I remember. I wish I could go back in time, but I cannot. Posting has helped me come to some closure and give me an avenue to take some control of it back.

Call For Boobs

Are you a breastfeeding mother?

Lactivist?

Want to help normalize breastfeeding in America?

Help me with my 365 project! Submit a breastfeeding related picture from now or from the past. Include a caption, anecdote, or link to a blog post that relates to the picture and I'll post it to my tumblr account for you! (Submissions can be anonymous.)

My 1st nursling!

UPDATE 4/13/12 : My project is complete as of this January. If you are interested in submitting a picture, a friend has taken over the project and can be reached via twitter at @366daysofbfing or here. Thanks to everyone who helped me with my 2011 project and good luck to everyone participating in 2012 :)

365 Project

True to my nature, I have initiated this trend a little late. Fashionably late.

I will post one picture a day for 365 days and I will focus all of my pictures on breastfeeding. You can check it out at http://laybabylay.tumblr.com/

If you'd like to submit a guest post, please go here

Full Term Breastfeeding

Guest post by me on birthroutes.com

http://www.birthroutes.com/home/guest-post-full-term-breastfeeding-by-karolyn.html

The Big Kids

Today, for (one of) the first time(s) since H was born 7 months ago, I had a serious cuddle session with L. H's arrival changed our family and our lives very drastically and very obviously, and somewhere between colic and reflux and high needs and PPD, my relationship with L changed. Today she skipped school (played hookie!) and I took her on a playdate. When we came home, after dinner, we cuddled on my bed for nearly an hour. I touched her and kissed her and had skin to skin with her. I rolled with her and explored how her (growing but) tiny body slipped into the nooks and crevacies of my own for the first time in months. H looked on from his bouncy, content and seemingly amused with us. After all these months, it was a vision of 'normalcy' and of how it was 'supposed' to be. We were happy. Genuinely in love with each other. Sadly, for many reasons, these feelings had been on hiatus, but they are very welcome to be back.

Mamas- hug your big kids tonight. Whether you feel touched out or she's said your name 4,000 times today- give her a big hug. Even if they shoved a toy deep into the mouth of your baby, threw a brick at his head, or put glue in the fishtank when you were nursing- give her a hug. She used to be your baby. She deserves her mama back. Give her a hug!