Fact: There are no public assistance programs in the United States that provide or subsidize diapers for low income families.

Fact: It can cost as much as 100$ or more a month to diaper a baby adequately with disposable diapers.

Fact:  Some families cannot take their children to daycare when funds are low because they don’t have enough diapers to provide.

Fact:  Some families go longer between changes to stretch their diapers and their money.  Fewer have also reused disposable diapers by drying them out or scraping out the solid waste.

Diapers are a necessity for the majority of parents in the modern world.  Aid agencies can often help families in need with food, clothing, and housing but diapers aren’t part of the package.  Larger cities do have diaper banks and there are many rescue missions and food banks that do what they can but what about the families without access to these services?

Over the years a few foundations have cropped up to provide or lend cloth diapers to qualified families.  Many are locally based and only serve the families around them, and others are national.

This is just a look at a few organizations I am aware of.

Thanks to these and the other similar organizations, a respectable number of babies are in cloth diapers and a weight has been lifted off of their parents’ shoulders.  Running a diaper bank is no easy task so these women should be applauded for their volunteer work.

If you would like to see a diaper bank that I missed added to this list please leave a comment or contact me.  

To say I am not terrified of giving birth naturally would be lying. Labor is painful (unless you are an amazing hypobirther or you have that rare disease where you don’t feel pain) and I am afraid I will suck at it.  But then again, I am ready to go for it!  And I am excited to do my birth my way with the wonderful support system I am putting in place.  I will have my midwife, the assistant, my doula, and my husband.

My husband, son, and I went to meet my homebirth midwife for the first time on Tuesday.  We came armed with a million questions and stayed for 2 hours.  Even though I have been using a midwife for my prenatal care thus far, the one on one attention we received at this appointment was more than the combined time I have talked with my former midwife.  It felt great to discuss all of my fears, concerns, ambitions, goals, hopes, and expectations.  The room was relaxed, and there was a playroom that kept my son occupied nearly the entire time.  I thought sharing the questions my husband and I came up with would potentially help other couples who are considering homebirth, even if some seem silly!

1. Tub rental: do you rent a tub, which tub, and how much?

2. Does the tub come with a pump (for drainage)?

3.What documents do you need (medical history from prev doctor)?

4. What number do we call, back up numbers?

5. Travel time (she is 1.5 hours away):  when do we call?

6. What do you bring (medical supplies like oxygen)?

7. What if there is a transfer, do you have hospital privileges?

8. Should I have a birth plan?

9. Payment: upfront or after billing insurance?

10. Is there a specific birth kit you want me to buy?

11.  Should we have 2 plans (in case of change to a hospital)?

12. If the blood sugar is low for baby, what would you do?

13.  If baby shows signs of jaundice, what to do?

14. When/ how do we follow-up with pediatrician?

15.   Birth Certificate/ etc, how is this done?

16.  Clean-up?!?!  Who does this and how? (my husband’s number one concern.  Answer: they do it all)

17. What do we need in house that isn’t in the birth kit?

18.  What is your record of c sections/ transfers.

19.  If I need stitching?

20.  Tear prevention massage?

21.  Medical waste disposal?

22.  How long do you stay after the birth?

23.  How late can I go?  How will you monitor to make sure it is safe to go over?  Natural induction methods?

24. If I go “too late” would I need to deliver in a hospital?

25. What would warrant a change to a hospital birth?

26.   If in a tub, how do you tell if the cord is wrapped around neck?

27.  If I am Group B positive, what happens then?

28.  What about pushing the tummy to get blood out?  Not needed?

All of these questions were answered for us.  Some answers were surprising (like that nurses don’t need to push on your stomach every hour and wake you up, but you can do it yourself if you want) and some were reassuring (her second time mom rate of C Sections was 1% for 20 years).  I felt very at ease with her and am very confident she can help me have a wonderful birth experience.  I never would have considered homebirth with my first child, and I can tell you if I had my husband would not have budged on it.  Now, we have both learned a lot about being parents and pregnancy, as well as how the “system” isn’t always in the best interest of the mother and child.  I regret my induction with my son, which was not necessary.  If only I had known!  We had a positive outcome and still had a vaginal birth, but so many women are induced for no reason and end up having a C-Section.  I ordered my birth kit already and it is on the way, and there are so many other things to prepare.  It has been a long battle to get this homebirth, but in a way I always knew it would happen. Every time I imagined giving birth to my son it was at home.  Now it is a reality.  Yikes!

My next baby will be here in a few short weeks and I am feeling the anxiety.  I don’t have a baby bath tub, or enough swaddling blankets.  I have to pull out all of those fun things like burp cloths and my handy Nose Frida (no bulb syringe here, this thing works great!).  I also need to get a new dresser to hold enough clothes for 2 children.

What I won’t be preparing: bottles.  Won’t use them.  Pump: probably won’t be using that either, though I may grab it in a moment of engorged desperation.  Nursery: baby will be either sleeping next to me in bed or next to our bed in our Hushamok hammock.

What I hope not to prepare: a hospital labor bag!  I will find out very soon if homebirth is a possibility for us.  Since the MMA (Midwifery Modernization Act) passed and Certified Nurse Midwives have the right to practice homebirths in the state of NY without a signed practice agreement with an OB, there is hope.  The only foreseeable block is that my potential midwife already has a mom due at the end of October and she also wants to take some time off that month.  If she can get coverage from one of the other midwives in Ithaca then I should be good.  The next hurdle would just be meeting with her and making sure I am comfortable with her.  It looks like my insurance does cover homebirth, at least 70%.  NY State does have a law stating a woman has the right to choose her birth setting and doctor and insurance must cover it.  Strange that NY is great for Homebirth in terms of insurance, but it took so long for homebirths to be practiced without the legal tape and hoops.

Besides my obvious reasons for wanting a homebirth, the main perk would be not having to scramble for childcare when I go into labor.  Living far from friends and family is very hard, and even harder when you need to leave your house in a relative hurry with short notice.  Grandma’s are good for that, “friends” are not.  Especially those with jobs and children.  I would still want to have someone come to help with Fletcher depending on the time.  But at least he wouldn’t have to pack up and come to the hospital with us, which is what I am afraid of.

If things don’t pan out then I will be ok, but only because I do love my current midwife.  She is caring and competent and will make my birth experience as close to a home birth as possible.  I would actually be sad to lose her if I get my homebirth.  I only wish she could deliver me at home!

Pregnancy wise, this has been a breeze compared to my first.  With my first I weighed close to what I weigh now before I even got pregnant.  And I kept gaining.  I had constant hip pain very early on.  It hurt to walk up and down stairs.  I ran out of breath, my Gestational Diabetes had me on far fewer carbs than I can eat now, and I was generally pretty miserable.  These days I forget I am pregnant.  While I am beginning to experience trouble sleeping and some hip pain at night, during the day I am comfortable.  My GERD has settled down thanks to my Gestational Diabetes diet and I stopped taking any medications for it besides the occasional Tums.  I do have to pee a lot but I don’t think there is a way to avoid that at this point.  I am also getting a little lazy.  My floor hasn’t been mopped in a couple of weeks!  The only reason it isn’t coated with crumbs is that I have a Roomba.

I am getting more and more excited about meeting my next son.  I am also starting to dread the impending loss of sleep that I have only recently started getting.  I am afraid two children will kill me, especially since the one I have keeps me busy enough.  Still, I will be happy to have him here with us!

All of us are lucky.  We are raising our children in a time where we have choices. Upmteen million bazillion choices. We can find wonderful products that not only make child rearing easier, but that are for the most part, good for baby and planet.

Of course one of these products is the modern cloth diaper.  I had tons of choices while pregnant.  I looked at them all and made decisions that were compatible with my family and lifestyle.  I chose bumGenius, Thirsties, chinese prefolds, Blueberry, G Diapers, and some WAHM diapers.  These were brands I researched and that already had a loyal following.

Now my son is 1.5 years old and I have seen the cloth diaper industry grow immensely in that time.  In fact, I have seen new brands hit the scene, some of which have EXPLODED! The innovations within the last 2 years are astounding.  I don’t even know if it is possible to keep up the pace that was set.

Once upon a time there was a little brand that popped up on Twitter.  This brand started chatting on the Monday night chats and caught my eye because it looked like an awesome and unique diaper.  The genius of it was that instead of a pocket, there was a sleeve.  This allowed the insert to agitate out. Genius!   The diaper hadn’t been released yet.  That diaper was Smartipants. Now Smartipants is a popular diaper brand with lots of fans and has even been seen on TV.

I fondly remember tweeting with Kim from Rockin’ Green when she was Kim from GADbaby.com who had a yet to be released new cloth diaper detergent.  Now, Rockin’ Green is sold in over 200 stores and can be found in 5 countries!!! I even remember when Kim was announcing that she picked up her first retailer!  Rockin’ Green has quickly become a phenomenon with cloth diaper parents.  The Facebook page is hoppin’ with people posting photos and videos, and there is even a fan video! It is like the Cult of Rockin’ Green. A large part of her success (besides the great product) is the genius of her logos/ website/ and marketing.  The fact that “Rockin’ a Soak” became a cloth diaper term overnight is a testament to the genius behind the brand.  (And FYI, you should really join their Facebook page because I hear she is planning some cool things for her anniversary.)

And then there are the many online and brick and mortar stores that have opened or expanded.  It seems like yesterday Growin’ Green Bums was set to open their online store.  Now Marissa has lots of local and online clients.  In fact, she is going to open up her own retail store in Northwest Florida. She has turned her passion into a growing business.

Last but not least is Jillian’s Drawers.  This online and brick and mortar store was already well known.  But they moved from what can only be described as a closet, to a gigantic store in the heart of downtown Ithaca. I feel so lucky to live so (relatively) close to this amazing store that is doing so much for their local community.  Brick and Mortar stores are such resources for their communities.  If there were more, I can only imagine there would be more cloth diapering parents.  The ability to touch and feel a cloth diaper is more powerful than videos or text could ever be.

I am so proud of these companies and women who are making their own dreams come true, and providing solutions for our everyday lives.  I have such admiration for people who have an idea for a product or business and get it done.  By the time my children are out of diapers cloth diapers are going to be even bigger and better!

Image: Free Our Midwives

The past few weeks I have been feeling a need to really own my birth experience this time around.  My son’s birth was a very medical one.  I was induced at 39 weeks because his abdomen was measuring small and because I had gestational diabetes.  I was not going to be allowed to go over 40 weeks no matter what.  I was given pitocin and chained to a bed or glider for something like 22 hours.  Bed to chair, chair to bed.  No wonder I couldn’t manage my pain (or pee for that matter.)

I was slow to progress and stayed at a 2 for a very long time.  When I got to a 3 I asked for the epi.  I was ashamed of myself but between the nausea and humpback contractions (no one warned me about that… I was one of the lucky ones) and exhaustion I needed that break.  I slept for a few hours and when I woke up they told me I was a 10.  Shocking how out of it I was for the last few hours of my labor.

They turned the epi off and I pushed for 3 hours.  By the time I was in the homestretch the epi had mostly worn off and I was able to work with my contractions to get him out.

When I got pregnant with number two I was once again planning to try for a natural birth.  I looked for a midwife who would support me in that decision.  I did not do research with my OB and had someone I wasn’t happy with.  I found a wonderful midwife and a very pro natural birth practice.  I will be working with a doula as well.

This week I decided I wanted a home birth.  I used to be pretty afraid of that option.  As much as I admired those women who did it, I was worried about being too far from a hospital.  The idea just wouldn’t shake.  Imagining laboring in my own home, where I could get comfortable, take a shower, be in a tub, get a drink or snack, and be with my son made me decide I wanted to look into it.

I approached the subject with my husband.  He was less than thrilled.  After begging I was granted a phone call to a homebirth midwife.  The closest ones are all 1.5 hours away.  I told him it was unlikely to begin with since I am far along and they have to select patients who fit their schedule.

Not only was the midwife going to be on sabbatical, but apparently insurance issues made the decision for me.  As of July 1 midwives from Ithaca can not do home births.

In NY state Midwives have to have a practice agreement with an OB.  These midwives had one with an Ithaca doctor.  Then, he terminated that thanks to insurance issues.

Basically no woman in my area can have a home birth.

I was crushed.  I had this vision of being relaxed and at peace in my home.  Instead I will have another hospital birth.  I am hoping the doula and caring midwife will help me be strong and avoid an epidural.

It is so sad that my choice was taken from me.  If this is my last baby I will never get the home birth experience.  And if the laws aren’t changed, neither will hundreds of other mothers in my area.

Free Our Midwives is working to change the law to help midwives in NY practice.  Hopefully they do!

Today was yet another trip to Ithaca, NY.  Yes, Ithaca is “gorges”  hah hah.  Now that that is out of your system I will continue. If you aren’t aware, Ithaca is a very “green” city.  I love the fact that when I go there I am almost soggy compared to the general public.  It gives me something to strive for!

My mission today was to pick up my Ergo backpack attachment for my Ergo Carrier.  Since I am flying to Charlotte next week alone I am determined to lighten my load.  Instead of carrying my son in the ergo and having to carry a diaper bag I just solved my problem!

Somehow I timed it perfectly.  There was a nasty thunderstorm this morning, so we waited for it to pass.  I picked up my friend and her daughter and by the time we made it to Ithaca it was drizzly.  We both wore our babies, she used a backpack carrier and I put Fletcher in the Didy wrap I am borrowing from Woowoomama.  I used the front facing carry and it was great.  I am getting the hang of using a wrap and starting to enjoy it.

Our first stop was Mama Goose.  This is a consignment store, but it also sells handmade items from locals.  I was excited to see ES baby diapers there in the store.  They are made by a mom who is local to me.  She is quite talented and I love her diapers.  In fact, my son is wearing a cover she made right now.

ES baby at Mama Goose

Next stop was Jillian’s Drawers!!!!!  I can’t get enough of this store.  I picked up my backpack and talked to a few of the employees.  One of them joins in on the Twitter chats on monday nights about #clothdiapers.  It was nice to put a face to the name.  My friend bought 5 diapers and a pack of soakers.  She found a fantastic deal on BG Organic AIO‘s which were used and in great shape.  They were pink so I was not interested!  Then she got on the Gro Baby wagon.  She purchased a shell in Blackberry along with a pack of two soakers.  So in essence she got 7 diapers!!!  I had willpower and only got what I came for.  On our way out I saw the International Breastfeeding symbol on the door.  I was pretty excited about seeing one in person.  Of course, I will breastfeed wherever I please, but I am happy to support any business that is pro-breastfeeding.  

Our last stop was at the usual eatery.  Amazingly the babies both behaved.  No tantrums.  I had to nurse Fletcher at the end when he got a bit fussy but it was cake.  While inside, the bottom of the sky dropped and it started pouring.  Somehow our timing was once again impeccable.  By the time we were finished the rain had become a light drizzle.  

So, I am back home where I am on the extreme end of crunchy.

Yesterday was the nicest day of the year so far!  A friend and I went to Ithaca NY to buy some cloth diapers and tool around town.  I just love going to Ithaca because I am not the crunchiest person around.  While we were eating lunch a woman had to breastfeed her son, and did so without a cover.  I am not the only one.  Fletcher needed a nibble during this time too, so the outdoor eaters were treated to two breastfeeding mamas.  

Sleeping in the stroller during lunch, and looking cool doing it!

After the shopping and eating portion was over we walked to a little waterfall near downtown.  The babies were put on blankets and allowed to play in the grass.  This was the first time Fletcher’s little hands ever touched grass!  He seemed pretty intrigued by it, but never attempted to put any in his mouth thank goodness.  I walked him to the waterfall but he wasn’t impressed.  He does love the sound of water so he probably enjoyed that aspect of it.  

It ended up being a good trip, with some whining by both babies at some point or another.  

Touching grass for the first time

the waterfall we visited