How To Clean Your Diapers

I have been researching and thinking about this topic a lot lately.  I am not an "expert" cloh diapered, I don't have a science degree, and I don't have anything to gain from the sale of any type of laundry detergent or soap.  What I have done is talked to dozens of cloth diaper mamas, joined cloth diaper communities, and washed cloth diapers for 2 years.  What I've learned is mind blowing, really.

(Please do your own research and be aware of the requirements for the warranty on your own cloth diapers.  I can't be responsible for any damage due to following my recommendations.)

WASHING CLOTH DIAPERS SHOULD BE EASY!

That's right, it shouldn't be difficult and the supplies do not need to be hard to find.  Yes, you WILL have to do extra laundry, and you'll have to deal with poo.  But that should be it.  No crazy online only products, no extra rinses, strips, or soaks.

I fell into the trap of "cloth diaper safe detergents" at first.  I think most CD parents do.  I am frugal as you know, so I went with free and clear mainstream detergents like All and Purex.  They worked fine.  Here is the problem - cloth diaper companies and shops want you to buy their detergent and not have you return diapers due to damage.  They formulated detergents to be gentle on diapers and skin. Unfortunately, in many cases they do not properly clean the diapers.  They contain lots of "boosters" to soften the water and not enough surfactants to clean effectively.

Home made detergents (like the one I posted) contain real soap, not surfactants.  That means the diapers get coated with soap scum.  Surfactants are designed to pull out the soil and rinse away.  There are some home made mixes that contain NO soap or detergent at all.  That's right - some people have been convinced to wash pee and poop diapers in just water softeners and laundry boosters.

ANY MAINSTREAM detergent without fabric softeners will work for your diapers!  Doesn't that seem crazy?!  You can even use scented detergent.  While there are some that believe detergent will build up and scents will cause stinking, remember that surfactants are designed to rinse away.   The detergent I have heard recommended the most and what I currently use is TIDE.  Original scent ultra Tide.  It works wonders.  No stinks, very clean, fewer stains.  Less expensive brands will also work.

Use a NORMAL amount if detergent for your washer and water type.  No need to use a tiny teaspoon of detergent to clean a load full if poopy diapers.  Use enough to get them clean!  

NO extra rinses should be needed unless your LO is sensitive to a scent or something.  Buildup on diaper is more likely caused by minerals in your water than the the detergent.  I DO recommend a cold rinse prior to washing, but the rinse at the end of cycle should be enough to get the diapers rinsed.

You should never have to strip your diapers if you have a good wash routine.  Diapers that seem clean but aren't washed properly will eventually have problems.  They can even cause ammonia burns on your baby's bum.  Bleaching to sanitize should only be necessary if you get used diapers or battle bacteria or yeast.  

I understand it seems that traditional detergent may wear out your diapers faster.  I'm not sure that it doesn't.  But I want CLEAN and sanitary diapers.  I would think all the bleaching and stripping needed when your wash routine isn't working is probably more harmful.

What if I want a more natural/less chemical/gentle on baby's sensitive skin detergent?  You CAN use plant based detergents such as Seventh Generations but you might need to use more to get them clean.  The same goes for free and clear formulas.

Sorry for the rambling, I hope that all makes sense and can simplify your routine.  Let's not make diapering harder than it needs to be!

Here is my routine.  You will need to adjust based on your machine, water type, and other factors.  I am more than happy to answer questions!  We have a HE front loader and water softener.

1.  Prewash rinse with cold water and spin

2.  Wash on heavy duty HOT cycle with 3/4 scoop powdered Tide followed by a cold rinse.

That's it, should be all clean!!! :)

You can air or line dry.  I put mine in the dryer on low, usually, but drying on high should not damage the diapers.  Just be sure you don't stretch hot elastics.

Home Made Laundry Soap!

I am always trying to save money and use more natural products around here.  I finally decided to try making my own laundry soap.  It is so easy and cheap!  There are many different recipes available online, liquid and powder.  I opted for powder, mostly because it is easier.  I do prefer powder in general.  I used a simple 1-1-1 recipe.  This is all you need:

1. A container to hold the soap.  You could easily reuse some sort of cardboard box or tub.  I thought this cheap container would make it easier by being able to pour out the powder.  I was wrong, it isn't very feasible to pour out and measure one tablespoon...  I wish I had gone with a pretty jar and scoop instead.
2.  Some sort of scoop to measure and mix the soap.  I just use a tablespoon measuring spoon out of my kitchen drawer.  It was a good excuse to buy a new set. :)  Now I just keep the old spoon right on the shelf with the container.
3.  Washing soda (not baking soda, though it is a form of baking soda) which softens water and helps remove stains.
4.  Bar soap (I used Fels Naptha which is a laundry soap but you can use any bar soap such as the Ivory pictured here which is going in my next batch).  You could even choose a scented bar if you would like.  I beleive that true clean has no smell, but there are some pretty fresh scents out there...
5.  Borax (removes stains similar to oxyclean).

I bought all of this a while back, but I am pretty sure it cost under $10.  I only use about one teaspoon per load in my HE front loader, and we have soft water.  For hard water or regular machine you might need more.

All you do is grate ONE BAR of soap (I use a cheese grater but you can use a food processer), add ONE CUP washing soda and ONE CUP borax.  Mix very well.  I usually stir before each use, as the soap flakes tend to separate out.  This is what it looks like.

That's it!  I have seen recipes where you can other things like oxyclean, fabric softener beads, and baking soda.  I prefer to add these separately as needed.  I have been using this for several months, and it works great!  I give it a 4/5 because it does have one major drawback.

*Despite claims that it is safe, this did NOT work for my cloth diapers!*.  It left.a coating on the suedecloth inners and caused major repelling/leaks.  I had to strip my diapers and am now having good luck with original Tide.  I use the home made stuff in the rest of my laundry, though and no complaints.  It hasn't irritated my daughters super sensitive skin at all.

I plan to blog more about cloth diapers, feel free to ask me questions.

Now, go make yourself some super easy, super cheap, effective laundry soap.

My Kids Are so Big!

I have some "real" blogs to post soon, but thought I needed a quick update first.  Can you believe it has been a year and half since Tierney was born?!

We are all doing well.  Ash is a wonderful big brother and sweet little boy.  Tierney is living up to her red hair, but she is a joy and so smart!  Here are the little munchkins at a garden.

Hope everyone else is doing well, and looking forward to doing more blogging. :)

Nicki

It's a Girl! Tierney's Arrival

Again, my apologies for not posting in so long.  We are so excited to announce the arrival of our little miracle Tierney Maelynn on April 4th, 2012 at 1205 pm.  She weighed in at 8 pounds 1 ounce and 20 1/2 inches long.  Here's the (long) story of her arrival:

For those who haven't read up on my background, I will catch you up (or you can just skip to the next part.)  I have a condition known as Asherman's Syndrome which is scarring of the uterus.  We did not find out until trying for over a year that my uterus was scarred shut, making conception impossible.  I had surgery, and the next month we found out we were pregnant!

The pregnancy progressed fairly well.  Aside from some heartburn, fatigue, and pelvic pressure I felt good for most of it.  I did have some complications from the Asherman's - I developed gestational diabetes and had a bi-lobed placenta.  Luckily, these did not have any adverse effects on the baby.  I was also at risk for placenta accreta but we will visit that later...  I was also higher risk due to the fact that I was planned a vaginal birth after having a cesarean with Ash.

LABOR AND DELIVERY

My due date was April 5th and we did not know if baby was a boy or girl.  I was getting anxious to find out "who" we had in there.  On Tuesday, April 3rd we took our 6 year old son Ash to soccer practice and then to a burger place to eat dinner.  While we were sitting there, I felt a poke and thought it was the baby kicking, but then there was a little gush of fluid.  I told Erik I thought my water just broke.  He looked at me as if I had two heads, ha ha.  I said I was serious - it was either that or I just peed my pants. 

We decided to go home and get some rest since I had not actually started laboring.  We would call the nurse at midnight if we didn't need to go in before then.  I couldn't sleep, but did rest up and an hour or two later the contractions started.  Although they were still spaced apart, the nurse told us to go ahead and come in since my water had broken.  Ashley wondered why Mommy and Daddy were up and getting ready in the middle of the night, so we explained that we were going to the hospital to have the baby.  He was very excited!  We brought him along as planned because we wanted him to be as much a part of the birth as he was comfortable.

We got to the hospital around 130 am and by then my contractions were 6-7 minutes apart.  Not too painful yet, just uncomfortable.  We were in triage for about an hour where they monitored my contractions and tested the fluid to make sure my water had actually broken.  It's funny, with Ash all I wanted to do was walk around, but this time I just laid on my side and tried to rest.  My Mom showed up while we were still in triage.

Some of the rest is a blur, but I will do my best to explain.  When we got to the room, I had to be hooked up to the monitors and an IV.  I was still able to get up and move around, but I had to unhook myself to go to the restroom, etc.  We got Ashley settled on the sofa bed and he got some sleep while I labored in the early morning.  I spent most of that time laying on my side but when the contractions got stronger, I tried sitting on the birthing ball.  It helped for a while but then I got back into bed. 

At some point, the nurse checked me and I was still only dilated a 4.  By now my contractions were probably a 7 on the pain scale and getting much closer together.  I was disappointed not to be further along.  And there is always that fear of not progressing and having to have another c-section. 

The Dr. checked me and noticed that there was still some of the amniotic sack intact, so she broke that and then labor really got going. 

At 6 am Ashley was awake and raring to go.  Erik put some cartoons on the computer and he put on headphones and watched them, off in his own little world.  Now Erik's parents were here, and shortly after my Dad and Stepmom came.  We told Ashley he was welcome to go with the grandparents to the waiting room at any time.  The nurse asked about whether he was staying for delivery, and we told her that was the plan but that he could leave at any time if needed.  There was a chair up by the head of the bed that he could sit in.  In the end, I had him go out because I was in so much pain I didn't want to freak him out.  I am sorry that he missed the actual birth but it really was for the best and he was just out in the waiting room with the rest of the family.

My mom was there to help support me and keep us company.  Erik was wonderful throughout the entire labor - and actually didn't annoy me too much.  He held my hand, encouraged me and rubbed my face, back or whatever needed it.

The contractions started coming one on top of the other and got very painful.  The pressure was the worst.  The nurse looked at the readouts and said I was getting breaks in between, but I beg to differ!  I asked for the squatting bar but it actually made the pressure worse, so I climbed back into bed.  I finally asked for the IV medication.  The first dose really helped take the edge off and calmed me down.  I could tell my Mom and Erik were getting upset seeing me in pain and not being able to help.  I ended up with 2 more doses of the fentanyl, but they didn't help as much as the first one.  Then it was too close to delivery for any more doses.

At one point, we decided to take a trip to the restroom and I had a horrible contraction right there on the toilet.  I actually thought I could go in there by myself - ha!  In about 2 seconds I had Erik and the nurses come in with me.  Then I figured out sitting on the toilet actually helped the pressure and I was more comfortable sitting there.  So the nurses brought the monitors over to the bathroom and I labored there for quite a while.  Erik stood behind me, so I just leaned back and closed my eyes while he rubbed my head.  Okay, that sounds weird but it really did help.

Well, eventually the nurse had to check me again.  I hated being checked because it was painful, but I was feeling the urge to push.  They wouldn't let me push without checking me of course.  I still had a tiny bit of cervix left, so I settled back into bed and the nurse helped me breathe through the contractions.

A few times during the labor, I told my mom, erik, the nurses, and even the doctor that I wanted to quit!  Of course, I knew that wasn't really an option.  The doctor said we could just stop and do a c/s, but that she knew that wasn't what I wanted which was right.

Then, all of a sudden (it seemed) the doctor came in and started putting all this protective gear on.  I noticed the nursed bringing in a tray... and then they pulled the end off my bed, ha ha!  The squat bar was still there, so I tried pushing with it but I didn't like it.  The crazy thing is, I did NOT want to be laying in the bed to deliver but that happened to be the most comfortable to push in.  And once I started pushing, I felt a lot of relief.  The pushing was painful and hard to do but it took the pressure off the contractions and made me feel progress.

I pushed for less than an hour but it seemed like forever.  I know it's ridiculous, but I thought the doctor was getting impatient for it taking so long.  I wanted to just get the baby out!  The nurses helped push my knees back and Erik supported my head while I grabbed the rails to give myself leverage.  Erik and my mom were very encouraging, and saw the baby start to crown.  The nurse had me reach down, and I felt the gooey beautiful hair!  This renewed me and helped me to keep pushing harder.  I was not able to feel the contractions, so the nurses put their hands on my belly and helped me know when to push. 

They had me feel again, and the baby was out almost to the ears.  I made the comment that I couldn't believe it was that far but not coming out.  I pushed for a while longer, and the doctor worked on stretching me and guiding the baby out.  But she finally put her hands down and explained that she thought an episiotomy was necessary.  The baby's head was stuck and when it came out, I was going to tear badly.  She understood that I was hoping to avoid being cut and I appreciated that she explained it to me and allowed me to decide.  I told her to go ahead, and I know it was the right choice.  She numbed me - and I wish I hadn't seen that huge needle! - then a quick, painless snip.

The very next push and the baby was out!  I did not feel any pain from her head coming out, probably from being numbed up.  I did feel a lot of pressure when the rest of body came out, but it was very quick.  I kept trying to see if it was a boy or girl, but couldn't.  Finally my mom asked, and the doctor turned the baby so I could see and it was a girl!  I was so happy, and she was just beautiful.  All messy and blue and screaming, with tons of hair matted to her head - it was the sweetest thing I had ever seen.  It made my choice to do a VBAC seem perfectly right, because I missed out on that moment with my first.  I was thrilled to have my girl, and even more wonderful she has red hair and eyebrows like her daddy.

I held her for a few minutes, and then the nurses took her to clean her up and weigh her.  Erik cut and trimmed the umbilical cord.  We had planned to wait until it stopped pulsing, but in the excitement we forgot all about it. 

One of the nurses reminded us we hadn't taken any pictures!  So Erik got out the camera and took pics of her getting weighed and all that.  We named her Tierney Maelynn.  Then they brought her back to me and put her inside my gown for some skin to skin contact.  It was heavenly.

RECOVERY

While all this was happening, the doctor was working on my placenta.  It had gotten stuck, known as placenta accreta, it is a common complication with Asherman's.  We knew it could be a possibility.  The doctor waited patiently for a few more minutes, but it wasn't budging.  She tried pushing on my belly and it hurt worse than any of the labor.  It also made me bleed a lot.  In the end, we decided it was best to put me under general anesthesia so that she could pull it out without hurting me any more.  We would go to the OR just in case there were any further complications and I needed surgery.

I was so sad to be missing out on time with the baby, but I had to get myself taken care of.  They took me to the OR and covered me with warming blankets but I could not stop shivering.  The doctor held my hand and talked to me the whole time we waited for the anesthesiologist.

The procedure was a success, and no other treatment (such as scraping or worst case - hysterectomy) was needed.  A balloon was placed in the uterus to help stop the bleeding.  I woke up a few times and briefly interacted with my family and the baby.  I was too out of it to hold her or feed her.  I kept falling back asleep.  I saw Erik giving her a bottle, which crushed me because I had wanted to nurse her right away.  I cried but said I understood - she needed it.  I was still shivering and ached all over my body.

Later that night, I finally came out of the anesthesia and started to feel like myself.  I couldn't get out of bed because of the balloon and also a catheter.  I actually started to feel really good, and if I could I would have gotten up and taken a shower.  I was able to nurse Tierney and she did wonderful!

They had me on percocet and ibuprofen for the pain/cramping.  By the next day I didn't need the percocet anymore.  They kept icing my girly parts, but they really didn't feel that sore to me.  I got the balloon out the 2nd day and stayed in bed for that night.  They also gave me 2 units of blood just to be cautious and because my hemoglobin kept dropping.  The nurses took Tierney so we could rest.  I had wanted her to room in, but we really needed the rest while we had the chance.  They brought her back every few hours to nurse.

I missed the first time Ashley met his sister, but I guess he just kept giggling.  He is still totally in awe of her and is a wonderful big brother.  He got to miss 2 days of school, and spent some time with his grandparents while we were in the hospital.  He even got to "share" Tierney with his class when we came to pick him up after being discharged on Friday.

On Good Friday (April 6th) I was able to get out of bed and shower and was eventually discharged.  Tierney had gotten a clean bill of health the day before.  My recovery, even with the placenta issues, was 100x easier than it was with the c-section.  I am so happy and proud to have had a successful vbac.  I know it was the best for her and for me.

Enjoy some pictures! :)  http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/h394/froggiesfancyfannies/Baby%20Strabala%202/Tierneys%20Birth/

It's been awhile... pregnancy photobomb!

Wow, I'm sorry it's been way too long! I need to make a lot of updates - lots going on around here. We are halfway through the pregnancy, more to come on that!

Last week Erik and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We took Ash (6) on a trip to Orlando, Florida and also renewed our vows. I'll make a new post on the whole vacay soon.

I've completed a few sewing orders recently for mama pads, diapers, and legwarmers. I also want to work on stuff for the new baby - a carrier or two and some newborn diapers. I plan to add some great picture tutorials soon. I printed out a bunch of different free nb diaper patterns to try out, so I'll be sure to let you know what I find.

Now for the big update - 22 weeks along! In a few weeks, we will reach a high viability point (being able to live out of the womb) so that will bring a big sigh of relief. At our last ultrasound, they discovered I have a bilobed placenta - meaning there are two. They are going to do some more testing to see if it is two seperate or the one has split. The most important things to look for are proper growth of the baby and look for vessels that may connect the placenta to make sure they aren't in a bad spot. So far everything looks great and the Dr. told us not to worry. We will be having more ultrasounds, so yay for getting more looks at the baby. Oh, and we didn't find out gender even though we could have. Much more fun to be surprised! Okay, so here is the photobomb I promised!

GRRR! I can't get the photos to post correctly here, sorry. But here is a link to the pics, enjoy!

http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/h394/froggiesfancyfannies/Ultrasound%20Pics%20November%2014th%202011/?albumview=slideshow

http://s1107.photobucket.com/albums/h394/froggiesfancyfannies/Belly%20Pics/?albumview=slideshow

Update #3 WE ARE PREGNANT!

I just can't believe it! The next cycle never came, and we won't need another surgery. Of course I am terrified that something could go wrong, but more than anything we are just so excited. On July 26th I took a cheapie HPT (home pregnancy test) and it came back with a faint line - which I figured was just evaporation since it was a cheapie test and I was so early. The next day I took three more tests and they were faint, but seemed pinker each time. I had some internet friends help "tweak" my tests to see if anything was there - and finally took a digital.

WE DID IT! We beat Asherman's, we beat infertility. We are having another baby. After 21 months, low count, and only one good tube we are finally pregnant. Due date is April 5, 2012. A psychic predicted a March girl for me, so who knows! She said she was leaning towards find out in March, but that March 2012 birth was also possibility. It will be exciting to see if she is right!

Ash is super excited to be a big brother, and can't understand why it is taking so long for the baby to get here, lol. He is going to be a wonderful brother.

I was very scared at the beginning, that we might lose the little bean or it wouldn't be able to implant properly. But at 7 weeks, I was able to see our little jelly bean and the heart beating away! I am now just over 9 weeks and starting to "feel pregnant".

I've been very tired and not feeling so great, so I haven't gotten any crafts or sewing done - I'm looking forward to the second trimester where I will have lots of nesting energy!

I also started back to work, so that takes up a lot of my time and energy. But in the end, it is all so worth it and I'm a pretty happy mama.

Update #2 Cycle Before Surgery

Okay, so now we are in limbo again just waiting for another cycle to go by so we can continue treatment.

We are opting for another surgery to remove more of the scarring from my uterus to give an embryo the best chance possible.

But, we decided to have some fun anyway while we waited, with no expectations. It's been a while since we've done that! I tried a new product called preseed which is a lubricant that mimics the body's natural secretions so it's great for sperm. I also used Instead Softcups to keep the good stuff closer to the cervix. :)

And secretly I am hoping it works, even though it scares me to think of the risks with there still being scarring.

Update #1 2nd HSG (uterine xray)

Wow, life has been crazy and I'm sorry I haven't updated! I can't believe it is September already...

Well, here is my attempt to get everyone up to date. Last you heard from me I was on estrogen therapy and waiting for my next cycle to start so I could have a repeat HSG.

I started the provera (progesterone) on June 23rd and 3 days after my last pill I started my next cycle. ***TMI WARNING**** I finally had a red period - not just old light, brown blood but real lining shedding. I can't tell you happy I was! So strange, I know.

On July 5th I had my 2nd HysteroSalpingoGram - or uterine xray. I was scared, and made Erik come with me again. He is so supportive! But I had nothing to fear - it didn't hurt, and I didn't get bad news this time.

It felt like a pap, that's all. No pain or cramping from the dye pushing through. I got to watch it go in on the screen and spill out my right tube. I shed tears of joy, I knew what that meant before the RE even said anything. In fact, I think he was even surprised at how fast the dye went through because they had to hustle the radiologist in so he could take the pictures!

In the end, it was good but not great news. The right side of my uterus was healthy and the tube perfectly clear. The left side was still scarred and the dye would not go very far into the left tube. So now I am only half-blocked. Dr. Young said (and I could tell he was even impressed, lol) that he thinks I have a very good chance now. I could opt for another surgery to remove more of the scarring. I said I would feel more comfortable if we just did another surgery.

So, we are okay to TTC but planning another surgery when my next cycle starts. After almost 2 years, DH's somewhat low count, and only one good tube there isn't much chance this one cycle anyway...

Follow Up Appointment

Well, I am doing great and healing nicely. My follow up went well but got some bad news also. I have been cleared for no further restrictions, and the balloon catheter is OUT! :)

The Dr. deflated the balloon by extracting some water from it and then it slid right out. He checked my incisions and said he wasn't surprised by all the bruising. After the surgery, he had spoken to my husband since I was still under anesthesia. He went over the procedure with me. The next paragraph I go over exactly what happened, so TMI warning again!

The plan was to go in with the hysteroscope and put catheters in the tubes to open them. He could not get past the first 1/3 of my uterus, it was scarred down completely. This most likely happened as my uterus healed from the c-section, it adhered to itself. So, with someone watching from the top of the uterus through the laproscope, he used the scissors to cut through the scar tissue and open up the uterus. That is when he inserted the balloon catheter so that it wouldn't heal down again. I am still on estrogen therapy for another 2 weeks and then progesteron to bring on a period. Hopefully, it will be a much healthier one than I've had in the past and will show that my lining is regenerating well. The bad news is that even when he opened up the uterus, he was unable to see the openings to my fallopian tubes. It really scares me that they are still completely blocked and we may not be able to have another baby. But, we won't know for sure until I have a repeat HSG. That will probably be scheduled as soon as my next cycle starts.

Though it is heartbreaking to think we may not have another biological child, we are very thankful for the wonderful little boy that we already have. We are also becoming excited about the possibility of adoption and have started discussing the different options.

I will have a follow up appointment in a couple weeks and will update then.

In the meantime, I have lots of plans for crafts and sewing projects to post! Unfortunately, we need to get the house ready to put in new carpeting and get it ready to sell, so it might be a while before I get things done...

Had the Surgery! Warning - Maybe TMI

The surgery went well, though it was more complicated than originally planned. I've been resting and recovery the last couple days and Erik and Ash have been great at taking care of me. The cat has been glued to my side since I got home.

If you want to read more about the exact procedure, keep reading. But you've been warned! I tried not to be too explicit, but everyone's comfort level is different.

I went in around 630am to check in and all. They started an IV and the Doctor and Anesthesiologist came and spoke with Erik and I. The staff at Lakeview Surgery center was wonderful!

Here comes the detailed part. Last chance to stop reading...

The plan was to put some dye in through the cervix and hopefully be able to push it through the tubes so that they would clear and that would be it. If that failed, they were going to put some catheters in the tubes to open them.

They went in with a laproscope through my belly button which allowed them to see inside. Then they made another incision into the scar from c-section so they could get instruments in there.

As it turns out, I had so much scar tissue from my C-section that they couldn't even get to the tubes. My Dr. was perplexed and said it is very rare for that to happen with CS. So, they cut through and removed the scar tissue and inserted a balloon catheter to keep the uterus from healing back together.

I will go back on Thursday for a check up and possible have the balloon removed. I will be given further instructions on restrictions. Originally, it was 2 days recovery and no restrictions but that may have changed. Right now I can shower but not bathe, no heavy lifting or vigorous activity for 3-5 days. We were hoping not to have to take this cycle off from trying, but looks like we might have to wait one more cycle.

I'm on lots of different medications now:
Percocet for the pain (though I haven't needed it that much)
Antibiotic (1 week)
Estradiol (25 days) to help rebuild the endometrium
Provera (progestin) for the last 5 days of the estrogen
stool softener so that the meds don't leave me constipated

So far the recovery hasn't been too bad. I slept most of Friday and a lot today as well. I feel a lot better today since the anesthesia has worn off and I don't feel so "out of it". I don't have much pain at the incision sites, had some cramping but it seems to be much better now.

The next step will be to repeat the HSG (hysterosalpingogram) where they run the dye up through the cervix and into the uterus. Hopefully this time it will fill the uterus and then spill out the tubes or at least be able to be forced through the tubes and open them. If they can't be opened, then our last course of action is invitro fertilization. They would extract eggs and fertilize them with Erik's sperm in the lab then insert them into the uterus. We have very mixed feelings about doing this, so it's not something that we will take lightly.

Here's to hoping that the surgery was successful and the tubes are clear!

Surgery Scheduled!

Well, looks like I might get "fixed" in a couple days! I am going in for surgery to hopefully unblock my tubes.

They are doing a laparoscopy (going in with a camera through the belly button to check for problems and keep from puncturing the top of the uterus) hysteroscopy (going into the uterus to check for and repair damage) and if needed tubal catheterization (putting tubes through the blockages of my tubes to clear them out).

Of course with any surgery there are the chances of complications. I am feeling very hopeful that I will be able to have a baby after all. The Dr. assured me that the procedure has an 80% chance of clearing the tubes and we don't need to take any time off of trying to conceive.

Will update how it goes in a couple days!

Easy Cadet Hat Tutorial Boy Girl or Adult Lots of Pics!

Here is the pattern I came up with to make hats for my little kids at school (toddler age). It fit all the kids (though a little looser on some) and even fits my 5 year old - but I think he has a small head like me! :) They turned out so great I wanted to make one for myself. It was so simple, I made 6 in one night.

1. Use a heavier weight fabric like denim, corduroy, duck, decorator (apholstery), or twill. The blue owl hat is twill and the grey butterfly one is corduroy.

Here is what you need:

-enough fabric to make a band 4" x (head circumference) and a circle up to 10" in diameter. I always buy a yard of fabric, but I think 1/3 would be plenty. You could even use up scraps and make it kind of a patchwork hat.

-cutting mat and rotary cutter (optional but very helpful, you can cut out with scissors if you don't have these.)

-a compass or if you don't have one (like me!) then use a round object that is close to diameter you need - I used a plate.

-straight edge ruler for cutting and measuring the band part. -notebook for calculations and to write down sizes (sorry, I am making you do math!) you might also want a calculator.

-fabric marking pen (but I just used a plain one because it doesn't show anyway).

-paper or cardstock if you want to make a paper pattern for your hat.-soft measuring tape .-matching thread (and a sewing machine of course!).

-optional: embellishments such as buttons, ribbons, appliques, etc. fray check if you want to keep the inside seams from unravelling. 1/4" or 3/8" elastic if desired.

3. Measure the victim's - I mean recipient's - head circumference but wrapping the soft tape around the head at the forehead then angle down a bit around back and over the ears. Sorry, I didn't get a pic of this. If you don't have the person around to measure, just look up some "average" head sizes and go from there - it doesn't have to be perfect.

For the kid's hat, the circumference was about 20 inches or so - I went with 21 to add a bit for seam allowance. This was a little big on the 1 year olds, but fit my 5 year old great. Mine was around 21.5 if that gives you an idea. Just remember, I have a small head!

4. Calculate the diameter of the circle for the top of the hat. Remember "pi"? Well, this is what it's for! You take your circumference and divide by pi (3.14) and that gives you the diameter of a circle with that circumference. Again, this doesn't have to be exact. I fudged a little and went with:

Kids Small 21 inch cir divided by 3 = 7" diameter. The plate I used was actually around 6.5", so I just cut down the band a tiny bit to fit the circle when sewing.

Kids Large/Adult Small 24 inch circ divided by 3 = 8" diameter. I found this to actually be a little bit big, (remember my circ was actually closer to 22") but my plate was 8" and I didn't want to figure out how to draw a circle. You'll see how I made up for it at the end!

5. OPTIONAL - Make a pattern for your hat. Using your straight edge ruler draw out a strip that is 4" wide and the length of your circumference for the band. Using your template (aka my plate) trace your circle for the top of the hat piece. For the brim trace 1/2 of the circle, move the plate up so you have a 1/2 moon shape and trace again - make sure it is the width you'd like for the brim. That's it! Only three pieces to this pattern. (I told you it was easy.)

I didn't use a pattern, I just traced and cut directly on the fabric (cuz I'm lazy and LOVE to cut corners, he he).

6. Cut out your pieces - I love my rotary cutter for this step. For the brim, fold your fabric over so you can cut both pieces at the same time. You only need to cut one of the top and band. I like to fold it and cut so I get enough pieces for two hats at once - just remember you have to do 2 brims then.7. Stitch the ends of your band together with right sides of fabric together. ALL stitches here on out are regular straight stitches unless otherwise noted.8. Sew your brim pieces together - right sides of fabric together OUTER CURVE only. Then turn it right side out.9. Now this part is a little tricky. I hardly ever pin (remember when I said I'm lazy?) but it is very helpful on this step. We are going to pin the top of the hat (the circle) to the band, right sides together. It takes a little patience to pin a straight edge to a curve, but you can do it! Then stitch the pieces together and turn right side out. It's already looking like a hat! :)
10. Now we are going to add the brim. If there is a side you like better, pin it on with that side FACING the right side of the hat. I like to fold the hat and the brim in half and pin to match up the middles. Then pin the entire brim piece to the front of the hat piece and stitch together. Fold the brim down and voila!
11. Now, to hem the bottom start at the edge of the brim. You will fold the bottom of the hat under about 1/4" - on the brim part, fold the band part down slightly onto the brim and stitch down.

It's kind of hard to tell, but the first pic shows folding the band down slightly on the brim (sort of covered by my fingers) and the next pic is the underside where it is folded under.

Continue stitching making sure that the corner of the brim is stitched nicely under the band part. Keep stitching all around the hat, folding under 1/4" as you go. You could pin the entire thing if you prefer, I just eye-balled it.

*Note* If you don't want a raw edge on the bottom, you can hem once THEN add the brim, then continue to hem a 2nd time as directed here.

12. Lastly top stitch the front edge of the brim for a crisp look. And you're done! :)13. Unless you want to do more... You can add buttons, appliques, bows, faux flowers, etc.

14. Now, I didn't like how loose mine fit, so I added some elastic to the back half. I just stitched with a zig zag slightly narrower than the elastic, pulling the elastic tight as I sewed. (top pic is before, bottom is after, then the back view).

That wasn't so bad, was it? I knew you could do it! Enjoy putting your new hat on yourself or your little one!

Trying to Conceive Baby #2

Well, for some time now Erik and I have been trying for baby #2. Ash was easy enough (one try!) so we didn't think it would be a big deal. We were wrong.

After a year and a half of trying we finally saw a fertility specialist. In that time I learned to chart my cycles and track ovulation and learned a lot and made some great friends on the Baby Center website. I had my hormones tested and everything came back normal. I was ovulating late in my cycle, so we tried Clomid to shorten it and that seemed to work. Then I had a HSG done - and that found my uterus was completely blocked. The condition is known as Asherman's syndrome and it is caused be uterine scarring or adhesions. It most often occurs after a D & C but I've never had one, so must have been from Ash's C-section. A few days later we found out that Erik also has a low count, but the motility and shape are good. I will be making a plan with the RE (reproductive endocrinologist) on Tuesday and will update.

Trying and not conceiving can be very hard - and something not a lot of people understand. Some will tell you to "just relax and it will happen" in an attempt to help. Well, it doesn't help when you feel like they are telling you that it's your own fault because you aren't relaxed enough. Seeing pregnant women and babies can feel like a slap in the face. No one wants to feel like that. I am hoping that by being open about our struggle, I can help others understand the hurt and frustration a little bit more. If you want to know how to "help" someone struggling to concieve, then this is my advice. Be a shoulder to cry on, be sympathetic, and don't distance yourself just because you don't understand what to do. Most of us don't mind questions and it is very freeing to talk out some of the issues.

I welcome any and all questions about my personal journey!

I'm Ba-ack!

Well, life just gets away, doesn't it?!

I am happy to say I'm back to blogging and can't wait to share all kinds of fun stuff. I'll be taking some time off this summer, so should be updated all my sites and sewing a lot of fun stuff.

Can't wait to let you all know what's going on!

Home remedies: bugs, vomit and blood stains!

Hi all! Sorry it has been a while, you know, life and all...

Lately I've had quite a few "fun" experiences. I love looking up remedies online and am excited to say that a lot of the natural remedies work great! AND you may already have it sitting in the cupboard - which was great today. My son had a bloody nose and it's a blizzard outside (literally!). Well, here's the breakdown of what I've tried. Next step: clean the ENTIRE house!!!!

1. Get vomit smell out of carpet with baking soda

Okay, so for some reason the carpet in my son's room is off-white. I do not recommend this! In fact, go for hard wood if you can... One day he was sick with a pretty bad stomach bug. My husband told him not to wake up Mommy, so he didn't. Even though he had vomited all over the said white rug. So, when I finally found it, it was set in and smelled horrible! I scraped up the pieces that I could and then cleaned it with dish soap and cold water. That worked pretty well, but there was still a light stain and the stench remained. I went to the store and got some carpet spot cleaner for the rest of the stain and it still smelled horrible. I used Febreze which masked it temporarily. I tried the scented carpet sprinkle - then it smelled like flowers AND vomit - not exactly an improvement. My husband could still smell it when he got home from work. Finally I decided to try baking soda which I had read about online. It worked awesome!!!! I sprinkled it very generously on the stinky area and left it for half a day. Then I vaccuumed it up, and voila the smell was gone! No perfumy smells needed to cover it up either.

2. Get rid of lice with salt and a metal comb, repel them with tea tree oil.

Another day my son was sitting with me watching a movie and I saw something crawling in his hair - ewwww! He had gotten lice from preschool. Well, I went right to the drugstore for the pesticide shampoo that my Mom used when we were kids and followed the directions. It seemed to help, but the plastic nit comb to get the eggs out didn't work at all and I spent more than an hour picking the eggs out by hand. I also vaccuumed and washed everything (linens, hat, clothes, etc.) in hot water and dried on high heat. He still had some live ones, but a lot fewer, so I repeated the procedure as recommended by the product. A week later he STILL had them and managed to spread them to me as well! I have long thick hair, so needless to say, I was NOT happy! So I repeated the chemical shampoo on both of us and had my sister help comb my hair. Then I started reading up on other experiences and found that lice are becoming resistant to these insecticides. Not only that, but they are dangerous to humans and the environment. Tea tree oil was recommended to repel lice, so I bought some shampoo and conditioner with tea trea oil. I figured I would just use this and then get a good metal comb and comb all the little buggers out. Time consuming, but safer. Well, I couldn't find just a lice comb but I did find this stuff called Licefreee! which had a metal comb included in the kit. It is homeopathic remedy that doesn't use chemicals - it uses a salt solution to dehydrate the bugs AND the nits (chemicals only kill the adults). It smelled kind of wierd (like black licorice) but worked great! The metal comb gets out all the eggs and bugs and the salt solution worked on both of us after only ONE treatment. Now I use the tea tree oil conditioner on both of us to keep them repelled. I still use the metal comb occasionally to make sure we aren't reinfected - so far so good! I would definately buy the Licefreee! again but you could also make your own salt solution at home.

3. Drown fleas in soapy water and vaccuum them up

Then... my cat got out, for like 30 seconds, and ended up with fleas. Well, the metal comb gets the fleas out great and then you dunk them in soapy water (they jump right out of regular water!) If I had the patience, I would just keep combing her, but she really freaks out. I wanted to try the tea trea oil, but found out it can be toxic to cats. I also didn't want to traumatize her with a bath. Some people recommend using dish soap, but cats' skin and livers are so sensitive I didn't want to try it. In the end I went with the vet recommended chemical spot treatment and vaccuumed really well. I did not want to use the chemical sprinkle for the carpet and stuff, though, and just vaccuuming seems to work. The vet told me that vaccuuming eggs from the carpet will make them hatch, so be sure to get rid of the bag right away. I also read about sprinkling some DE (a dust sold in landscaping stores) but it sounds like it might be dangerous as well (inhaling dust) and you have to let it sit on your carpet for like 24 hours. Still waiting to see if they are all gone, she just got the spot treatment 2 days ago.

4. Get blood stains out of carpet with salt and hydrogen peroxide

So my most recent adventure consisted of getting the blood out of my son's carpet (yep, same one he vomited on) and also our living room. My husband got to deal with this one, but when the carpet spot cleaner didn't work, he gave up. And it just sat there.... until I finally decided to clean it myself. So, now it is nice and dried in. Back to the internet to see what other people had tried. Again, I'm trying to keep the house safe and environmentally friendly so I wanted to avoid chemicals if possible. I found that table salt and peroxide both seemed to be widely recommended, could be used together, and I had both in the cupboard! So, I sprinkled salt directly on the stains and then dipped a washcloth in a 50/50 water/peroxide solution and rubbed the stains out. The salt absorbs the blood - I think it works better when the blood is fresher, though. You know how peroxide bubbles on your skin? It does the same thing on the carpet and seems to eat the blood away. I noticed a difference right away! There were some tougher spots that required more than one go at it, and I think some of it got rubbed in too far in the fibers, but it is gone in most spots and barely visible in others. It got the stains out of both white and blue carpets. I was afraid the peroxide might fade the color, but it didn't at all. After it all dries, you can vaccuum up any excess salt.

So, there you go! A few easy home remedies to try out. Good luck, and I'd love to hear from you guys any great tips you might have!

I made my own wool soaker longies!

Okay, so I didn't get so much sewing done the last few days... :-( BUT I did make some wool longies for my 4 year old, yay! He still wets at night sometimes and he doesn't like all the layers of a cloth pullup cover and pants. This way all he needs is the pullup and the wool pants that protect the sheets if it leaks. They turned out pretty cute, but the sweater arms were a bit too baggy so it looks kind of gathered at the leg seam. Anyway, he likes them and it was a great project. I can't wait to try and make some more! Oh, and I made them out of a second hand merino wool sweater and they are SOO soft! If you think wool is too rough, you gotta try merino. I hope to work on lots more this weekend and will be sure to post pics soon. Hopefully my son will be feeling much better. He still had a fever of 101 last night, but seems to be acting okay. If he still has it tonight, I'll call the nurse to see if he needs to be checked out. Happy weekend everyone!

Nicki

New Bib and Hat Sewing Patterns

Hi all! I am so excited to try some new ideas I got for making baby bibs and knit hats. Thank goodness I have two sisters with babies, LOL. My 4 year old "baby" is sick, so I'm looking forward to sewing tonight/tomorrow while he recovers. I will be sure to post back to this when I get them done. I'll show you all some pics and the directions are super easy, so I can post those too. I've got belly-dancing tonight, then on to sewing! Chat at you later.

Nicki

My New Blog

Hello all!

Welcome to my very first blog post!

I am a working Mom trying to earn a living from home to spend more time with my son and possibly another baby soon. I recently opened my first webstore to sell the hand made cloth diapering items I sew. I also sell many things on eBay.

In this blog I will talk about my products, transitioning from working to working from home, being a working parent, parenting in general, cloth diapering, and other natural baby items.

I welcome any and all comments and suggestions. Thanks for checking me out, and enjoy!