Some Thoughts on Cloth Diapers and the World We Live In

Most of you know already that we have decided to use cloth diapers exclusively for Pip. For us, it was an easy decision because 1. it’s cheaper, 2. it’s much better for the environment, 3. it keeps chemicals and plastic away from Pip’s skin (given my allergy issues, we thought this was a good idea).

Since deciding on this path, which we chose before Pip even started baking, I’ve done a lot of research about types of diapers, methods of cleaning, and anything involving diaper fluff. I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve also seen how seriously some families take up cloth products, even switching to “family cloth” (when no one uses toilet paper or paper products).

I have also seen a number of posts by families who have decided that cloth diapers aren’t worth the trouble. Here is one article written by a mother who decided the stress of cloth diapering was too much and that she needed to use disposables to survive. Here is another article in which a mother decides not to use cloth diapers because of a “personal quirk” that she feels soiled clothes should be discarded.

Now I want to be careful with the things that I say next, because I do think that each family needs to decide what it has to do to survive. I do not think that it is my place, especially as someone who is not yet even a parent, to rail against other families’ decisions. And making life work is priority number one. However, I do not think the decision to use disposable diapers is as simple as “a personal decision that we have made for our own family based on our unique preferences and circumstances,” as described by the second blogger mentioned above.

Unlike breastfeeding or co-sleeping or baby-wearing or any number of other parenting decisions that are equally divisive, cloth diapering is a choice that affects my child as well as another parent’s. According to a study, disposable diapers create 2.3 times as much water waste, use 3.5 times as much energy, use 8.3 times the non-regenerable raw materials, use 90 times the renewable raw materials and 4 to 30 times as much land for growing raw materials as cloth diapers. This study is outdated at this point, but I am struggling to find a clearer one done recently, and the environmental costs have not gone down.

So, yes, parenting decisions have to be made by each family, and there are a number of reasons why one choice is made over another. However, I can’t simply say, “to each their own” regarding a choice that so directly impacts the environment and the future of the world my child will inherit. I feel similarly about those who choose to drive cars when there are other options, or who select gas-guzzlers because they like the style of the car.

Every choice involves weighing pros and cons and deciding what will work. I think that we should all consider the impact of our choices on others who inhabit this planet with us as we choose. Maybe cloth diapers are icky, and maybe they take more time. Maybe driving to work feels more comfortable, or driving a huge SUV feels safer. But these choices are not sustainable, and have greater reach than the one family making the choice. There are reasons to come to one decision or another, and I try not to judge without knowing each family’s own struggle, but I hope that we can all consider these greater impacts when making important choices.

Our choice for cloth diapering wasn’t a hard one for us to make, but it’s also symbolic of how we want to teach Pip to live in the world: to consider his actions, to think about others, and to sometimes choose something slightly less convenient in an effort to preserve the shared world.

The Final Countdown and the Dangers of Google

Lots has happened since I last posted about an emotional experience with a chair. For one thing, we finished the nursery (photos of that to come soon). Baby clothes were washed and folded, car seat installation completed, and many bowls of cookies n cream ice cream have been consumed.

We are almost at the end. Today, we are 38 weeks and 3 days. At our weekly doctor visit this week, I was measured and ultrasounded and poked. Our doctor is concerned because Pip is measuring a little bit too big (he is measuring at just over 8lbs), and my level of amniotic fluid is too high. He said that if we don’t have Pip naturally by next Tuesday, we will schedule an induction for sometime within week 39.

Can I tell you something not to do ever while pregnant? Or maybe just ever. Do not google things your doctor tells you about. Just don’t do it! I spent the better part of the day on Tuesday afraid for all sorts of defects for Pip, and for complications that I might face in delivery. I worried about the dangers of inducing labor, and that I might be unable to have an all-natural delivery if I am induced.

And for what? Did the random experiences of women posting on the internet give me more useful information that what my doctor told me? No. I am still in the same situation. I am going to wait and see what will happen by next Tuesday and go from there. I am honestly no better informed than I was before google searching. If anything, I had to undo the psychological damage of reading how much more at risk Pip is for certain problems that did not indicate just how low that risk was to begin with.

I don’t mean to say that it’s inappropriate to have questions and concerns about the doctor’s choices, but I don’t think hysterical posts found through a web search are the best way to deal with those questions. Lesson learned!

Anyway, the great news is that in about a week, one way or another, Pip will be born and Peach will become a mommy! This is great news, and what we are choosing to focus on in our house today. 🙂

In Which Peach Cries Over a Chair

I had been planning to repurpose my old Ikea Poang chair for a nursing chair in Pip’s room, thinking it would save money and not look like…. well, one of those nursing gliders. I was sitting in the trusted Poang, all set to order fabric to recover the bad boy when I realized something terrible. I couldn’t get out of the chair. Now, I realize I will not be so huge and pregnant once the nursing chair is required for actual use. But I also will not have the luxury of hoisting myself out with two hands while holding a newborn. Alas, the Poang was out.

Disappointed but not yet discouraged, I closed the tabs of fabric stores in my browser and opened Craigslist instead. I found some soft looking upholstered gliders, but they all looked like they’d been through war. And I couldn’t imagine trying to recover them to look any better (sewing is not one of my skills!). So I gave up on these vaguely normal looking chairs and tried my luck and the dreaded gliders. Do you know what these chairs look like? Here is a visual in case you’ve managed to avoid them:

Right?! How can I put that in my home? Now I was discouraged. I thought, “oh, I can just cover it!” But suddenly this chair that I already want out of my house before it’s even moved in starts to cost a pretty penny. Nursery on a budget, friends! “Okay,” I reasoned, “I’ll look at new chairs then.” Please, whatever you do, don’t go look at upholstered gliders on Pottery Barn’s website. Just avoid this pain.

Back to the original plan then. I’ll get one of the stupid chairs from Craigslist, I’ll recover it as cheaply as possible, and I’ll get it out of the house as soon as I can. I was all set to pick one up from a consignment shop when I decided to try searching Craigslist one more time for a rocker. And then?

Magic. Destiny. Miracle.

My chair was THERE. Pottery Barn upholstered rocker with feather cushions and a washable slipcover in the colors of Pip’s room. And I could afford it. I held my breath as I sent an email inquiring about the perfect chair’s availability. When the email came back “Can you come tonight?” I almost cried. She was MINE.

I can’t explain to you the workings of a pregnant brain. I can’t tell you exactly why not being able to find a chair that I liked and could afford was so very stressful for me. Except that I know I’m going to spend hours in this chair, and I’m already a little nervous about nursing. It was the last major piece of furniture we needed for Pip’s room (and the only one we bought), and I feel now like I might actually get a nursery put together.

I mean, I can try to explain the emotion of the chair search and the joy of finding the one we did, but how about I just tell you “it’s a pregnant thing” and then show you a picture of the gorgeous chair? Yeah, sounds better to me, too. 🙂

What’s in a Name?

Naming a baby sounds like so much fun in theory! It’s a great game when you’re a teenager and naming future babies that you can’t even imagine having. That said, thank God I grew out of some of those names!

The real thing is a little more complicated. Suddenly we’re responsible for giving a real person a real name that he’s going to have for his whole life! (don’t screw this up, Peach!) There are things to take into account like: initials, monograms, nicknames, associations with famous people, family names, and on and on. And two people deciding is much harder than just one teenage girl. Sure I like the name Jacob, but Pip’s dad has a bad memory of a Jacob once upon a time. He might like David, but that’s an ex-boyfriend of mine. Darn! We also wanted a name that not everyone has. The NameVoyager tool was great for this!

Anyway, that kind of trouble is NOTHING compared to the voices from the village. The first question almost anyone has is, “so, have you thought of names?” Being first time parents, we of course shared our ideas with everyone at first. Boy, was this a mistake. It turns out everyone has an opinion about what our Pip should be named. And, while it’s relevant if a name belonged to my crazy ex, it simply doesn’t matter that the name we like best belonged to an enemy of an acquaintance. Our families, too, seem to feel they have veto power over the names we choose.

In reality, of course, whatever we decide to name Pip, our families and friends will love him the same. Once he is born, even if they think our choice in name was absurd, they won’t tell it to our faces like they do now. They’ll wait to talk about how crazy we are until we leave, like decent people. 😉 I just wish everyone would think about that part now. What if we choose Sylvester and you think that’s a stupid name, and you told us so? We’re not going to forget that in a few months when Pip comes out, and you may wish you had kept your feelings to yourself.

I know what really is happening is that everyone is tapping into that fun teenage-girl “ooh, I want to name something!” excitement. I honestly love hearing what everyone else would name Pip if it were up to them. But because it can be upsetting when people we love have criticisms of our favorite names, we have decided to keep Pip’s name a secret until he’s born, even though we are pretty sure we know what it is.

So until he’s here, Pip he shall be! Did you have this experience when naming your kids? What are some of your favorite names?

Strollers… not exactly a walk in the park.

So this week’s biggest research project was one that I thought was a non-issue. We decided early on that we wanted a 3-wheeled stroller (we like the looks of them and their functionality), we wanted something that would work well for walking in the neighborhood as well as on some light trail walks, and we wanted something that was easy for both of us to push. My husband also wanted something that was easy to get across train platforms. I wanted something that was easy to fold, lift, and fit in the car. (And if I’m being honest, I wanted something that looked nice. ((If he’s really honest, he probably wanted that too))).

Above all, as with all of the choices for Pip’s gear, we wanted something affordable. This all seemed easy enough to me!

My mother and I found what seemed like a great deal: the Graco Fast Action Fold Jogger. It’s 3 wheels, looks reasonably nice, could handle some trails, folds in a SNAP with one hand. It’s big inflatable wheels would have no trouble hopping into the subway. Best of all, it’s $180! All that said, I realized it was a little tall for me at 5’2. And by a little tall, I mean with the canopy up or the infant seat snapped on, I can’t see the front of it. I’m already kind of a klutz so I see this potentially ending terribly.

So I opened up the question to my Facebook network and came up with a few more options. Much research and one spreadsheet later, I am not really closer to deciding on a stroller, but I have a lot more information at least. I’m suddenly looking at strollers way more expensive than I’d dreamed about owning, but finding reason to consider them. Here are my findings, trimmed down to the basics:

The Contenders

1. BoB Revolution SE – $449.99

BoB Revolution SE

The BOB SE is billed as a jogging stroller, and is the one I’ve seen most recommended for this purpose. It’s the most heavy duty of the strollers on this list. But it’s more than that, if all the women in my neighborhood are any indication. I’ve seen it everywhere from Starbucks to the baseball field.

Pros: Big (16″) inflatable wheels, nice sun canopy, holds up to 70 lbs, great for jogging (hey! I might jog!), front and rear suspension

Cons: No adjustable handlebar (though still shorter than the Graco at 40″), multistep fold, heavy (25lbs), the interwebs tell me that the seat height is short and kids outgrow it quickly, no accessories like snack bar or parent console included, HUGE when folded

2. BOB Revolution CE – $469.99

BOB Revolution CE

The little sister of the BOB SE, this stroller is meant for “cushioned urban cruising.” I think it would still be fine for jogging. Think of this stroller as the Diet Coke of the BOB strollers.

Pros: Big (12″) inflatable tires, nice sun canopy, holds up to 70 lbs, front and rear suspension

Cons: No adjustable handlebar, multistep fold, heavy (diet version is still 23lbs!), short seat height issue, no accessories like snack bar or parent console included

3. Baby Jogger City Elite – $399.99

Baby Jogger City Elite

The City Elite is definitely more of a city stroller than the BOBs, as its name indicates. Unlike you might guess from its name, though, it’s not meant to be a jogging stroller (um, HELLO, why are we named “Baby Jogger,” folks?). In fact, none of the remaining strollers are real jogging strollers. Since I don’t jog now, it’s not a deal breaker for me. Sometimes I like to imagine that I might run once Pip is born… but it’s probably not the best thing to base a stoller decision on for me.

Pros: Adjustable handlebar, 1 handed easy fold, up to 75 lbs capacity, HUGE canopy, includes handlebar console, tons of available accessories (this could also be a con!)

Cons: HEAVY (28.2 lbs), foam filled tires instead of inflatable (though at 12″, they are still capable of most of what the BOB tires are)

4. Baby Jogger City Mini GT – $349.99

Baby Jogger City Mini GT

The City Mini GT is the Diet Coke version of the two Baby Joggers, but is not to be confused with the also caffeine free version that is the City Mini NON GT version. At any rate, this is also a city stroller, and probably can’t handle even as much off-roading as its beefed up brother, since its wheels are only 8.5″.

Pros: Adjustable handlebar, 1 handed easy fold, up to 65 lbs capacity, HUGE canopy, tons of available accessories (this could also be a con!), one of the lightest of the strollers on the list at 20.5lbs, folds up to 31.5 x 9.75, the smallest of any on the list.

Cons: foam filled tires instead of inflatable, smaller tires, no accessories included

5. Bumbleride Indie – $529.99

Bumbleride Indie

Ah, the Bumbleride. The most expensive stroller on the list and also the prettiest. This stroller is appropriate for “light jogging” and all-terrain.

Pros: Hugely adjustable handlebar, light (20 lbs), large (12″) air-inflated tires, huge canopy, includes some extras like a cupholder and car seat adaptor, it’s pretty!

Cons: Weight limit only 45 lbs, multistep fold, shorter and narrower seat

6. Graco FastAction Fold Jogger – $179.99

Graco FastAction Fold Jogger

Where my search started. This stroller is still on the list because of its price and because it meets most of our requirements (who needs to see, right?!).

Pros: 1 handed easy fold, Air-filled rubber tires 12″ front and 16″ back, all important accessories included, nice big storage

Cons: HEAVY (32 lbs), big when folded (39 x 15.3, which is only .7″ smaller than the big BOB), only 50 lb weight limit, way too tall!

Final thoughts: I’m still not really closer to deciding which of these strollers is the right one for us. Hopefully this list helped someone. I know we’ll choose eventually. Do you have any other suggestions for us? What’s your favorite stroller?

Hi, I’m Peach!

Call me Peach.

It’s what my husband calls me, and so maybe an interesting choice for my Melville moment. This blog is intended to be about my new roles as wife, mother, gardener, deal-finder, etc., and so using my pet name usually reserved for in our home is perfect, I think. I’m other things too, outside of the house: a social work student, ex-marketing professional, once (and still?) philosopher, teacher, and whatever hat the day calls for!

Pip is my little one, due to arrive in this world September 2nd, 2013. He’s still just a little ball of punches inside of me, and already he’s changing the way I think about and experience the world. I hope to use this blog to explore some of these new thoughts and feelings along with some more practical organizing of information found on the web.

My parenting choices are based on wise financial decisions, environmentally friendly options, and time saving ideas because I am a fulltime working student and my husband also works full time. I’ve found it frustrating and exhausting to search through pages and pages of advice on Mommy blogs and forums for every tiny thing the baby will need. This space is to help me compile what I’ve found, and possibly to help out other new parents trying to sort through the consumer driven market to make wise choices.