Success in Omaha!

We just spent the week in Omaha house-hunting, and we had a great time! We found an awesome home from 1920 with some really cool old charm. It has a double entry way, leaded glass windows, an exposed brick chimney, and a large covered porch with a swing. It definitely needs some work, but my husband is very handy and an engineer, so this will be a great project for him. We will have a LOT more space than we have in our townhouse now. There is also hardly any traffic in Omaha it seems. We drove down the main street into downtown during what we thought would be rush hour, and we had no problem. It may sound weird that I'm commenting on the traffic, but if you've ever been to the Washington, DC area, this is seriously a big issue!
I was VERY impressed with the gluten-free options in Omaha. I do not have Celiac's disease. I just avoid gluten because of a sensitivity, so I'm not always super concerned when we go out to restaurants. I do like to frequent places with GF menus, but I will order from regular menus without worrying too much about cross-contamination. I order things that should be gluten-free, like salads and ask questions, but I probably get trace amounts doing this. Anyway, the very first restaurant we went in had GF items marked right on the menu, as did several others we tried. I also found a bakery close to our new house that sells freshly baked gluten-free bread! I bought some, and it was the best GF bread I've had.
The hotel we stayed in (which was VERY green!) had a laundry room for guests to use, so I was able to wash diapers there. I brought prefolds and Grovia covers & snap-in inserts, which worked out well. Josh and I decided that the Grovia inserts are the most absorbent of any diapers we own and may start using these for nighttime instead of FuzziBunz. Penny did get a bad diaper rash towards the end of our trip, which I think may have been from using common washers. Maybe there was residue from dryer sheets or detergent with additives? Not sure, but we have hardly had any diaper rash problems before this. Anyone else experience this?
I also found a moms group for moms who are into natural parenting in the Omaha area! They held a meetup at a park in Omaha while we were there, so Penny and I stopped by. It was fun to meet a couple of other moms, and I'm looking forward to making some new friends who are like-minded in parenting style. I think this group will be a great place to make friends but also a great resource for things like pediatrician referrals.
Overall, our trip was a big success, and I am feeling pretty good about the move. I am still sad to leave Virginia because we've been so happy here, but I look forward to the next chapter with optimism.

Penny with the Easter Bunny in Omaha

Great Cloth Diaper Change

We are headed out to Omaha for some house hunting, and I'm super bummed that we will miss the Great Cloth Diaper Change. We went back and forth about it, but we really need to get started on our house-hunting because Josh reports to work on May 9th in Omaha. The longer we put off this trip, the more time we'll have to spend living in a hotel or being separated. And, although there is an event in Omaha, there weren't any flights that would allow us to get there in time on Saturday. Josh's parents will be meeting us in Omaha for the weekend, so we didn't want to wait until Saturday night or Sunday to head out there. Ah well, maybe they will hold the event next year and we can participate then. If you won't be flying or otherwise occupied this Saturday at 12pm Eastern, consider participating in the Great Cloth Diaper Change which plans to break the Guinness Book record. There are many, many host sites for this event all over the world, and I bet there is one near you. You can check here!

Gender Colors

Ariela K. asked me to weigh in on this article from Smithsonian.com after reading about the "J. Crew controversy". To summarize, J. Crew had a photo on its website of a little boy with his toenails painted pink, which has sparked outrage among many. A comment on AdFreak links to an article from Smithsonian about the history of gender colors and clothing. Apparently all babies used to wear white dresses (i.e in the 1800s) until the age of 6 or 7, mostly for practicality reasons in that parents could re-use baby clothes for subsequent children and could bleach stains in the white clothing. In the early 1900s, pink was common for boys and blue was the "girl color". In the 1940s, these colors swapped, but the full-on gendered clothing didn't become super popular until the 1980s. Ariela wanted me to discuss this topic because I didn't find out whether my peanut was a boy or girl until she came out. Because of that, I chose gender-neutral colors for our baby items. Although we do dress Penny in girlie clothes now, it's mostly because that's what everyone wants to send you when you have a girl! Her closets are bursting with adorable, pink, frilly things.

It's funny for me to discuss this topic because I always thought I would be someone who would NEED to know the gender of my baby and who would go all out on the gender specific baby items. Two things changed my mind. The first was that I started attending baby showers, and there was a huge difference between showers where the parents knew what they were having (especially if it was a girl) and the parents who didn't know. Whenever moms were having a girl, EVERYTHING was pink. Now, I love the color pink, don't get me wrong. But how practical is it to have a pink stroller, a pink bathtub, and all pink clothing if you plan to have more than one child? We definitely want more than one, and I can't imagine buying all new stuff if we have a boy. I guess that brings up the topic of whether boys can/should paint their toenails and have/wear pink things. I certainly don't have a problem with boys wearing pink, and I definitely do not think that putting a boy in pink will make him transgendered like the above article implies, but I would feel a little weird giving my son nothing but pink things, the same way that I would feel weird giving my daughter nothing but blue things or nothing but yellow things or nothing but green things. There are so many great colors. Why should we limit ourselves to all pink or all blue? I would feel a little strange surrounding my son particularly with pink things in a different way than surrounding a girl in blue. I guess I'm not as progressive as I'd like to be, but pink just seems so girlie to me, and I guess it's just society's influence that seems to shun boys from being girlie. On the other hand, if my son decided on his own that he liked pink, I certainly wouldn't fight that. And I do think there is such a thing as pink in moderation for boys. My husband has a pink shirt, and he looks great it in!

Most of the things we've purchased ourselves have been in gender-neutral colors. I did buy 1 pink diaper and 1 blue one, but most of Penny's diapers are yellow, green, orange, red, etc. Penny's room is yellow with bold animal paintings, and all of the big ticket items are neutrals (black stroller, black/white/green carseat, black Ergo, etc). It is funny though that most gifts we've received since Penny was born have been very gender-specific. It has made me even more happy that we waited to find out because we received many neutral items at my shower that subsequent babies could wear. Although, I have to admit, the girlie stuff is a lot of fun to dress Penny in! I've also noticed that whenever I dress Penny in anything neutral, everyone assumes she is a boy. Maybe this happens the other way around too. Moms of boys–do people assume you have a girl when he is neutrally dressed? Not that it bothers me–it's just interesting.

The second thing that influenced me was that I thought it might help me get through the late days of pregnancy and labor if I didn't know the gender of my baby. I do think it helped me a little. I was excited to find out, and that excitement carried me through. It was so hard to be patient during the last weeks of my pregnancy, but the overarching emotion of that time for me was excitement, whereas I know many moms who were just fed up by that time and ready to "get this thing outta me!". And then, what a great moment when Josh and I both yelled out "It's a girl!". There's nothing like it.

I also had some unanticipated perks that I discovered along the way. One was that I enjoyed hearing guesses from others, especially from my students (I'm a school speech-language pathologist). I even took a poll from the kids and left it with my substitute so that they could see who was right. It was funny to listen to reasons why people thought I was having one gender or another. Most adults thought I was having a boy, including my mom who constantly referred to the baby as "he". However, more of the kids thought I was having a girl, which was interesting, as I had more boy students than girls. Another perk was that I got to do all of the daydreaming about ballet class and prom dress shopping in the early weeks of Penny's life. When I was pregnant and imagined our child in the future, it was in this abstract sort of way. Those first few weeks are such a whirlwind of emotions and sleepiness, but I loved staring at Penny and thinking about all the fun girl things we'd get to do. I treasure the fact that those thoughts came to be only once Penny was here on the outside.

One thing that might have made it easier for me to wait was that I had a very strong feeling that I was having a girl. Everyone wanted to know why I thought that and expected some answer like "I'm craving sweets" or "I'm carrying a certain way", but I didn't have an answer like that. I just felt like I knew her. I did have to give up a lot of things, like gluten, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, as well as get my thyroid balanced, to help me get pregnant. It was like Penny wanted me to create this perfectly whole and healthy environment for her, and that just seemed very female. But mostly it was just a feeling. Mother's intuition I suppose. I'm hoping that intuition is still intact when she is 16 and trying to sneak out of the house!

Although it's a few years old, here is an interesting poll on the subject. I would also add that it seems that more parents seeking a natural birth don't find out. Thoughts on finding out the gender? What did you do? Were you happy with the decision, and would you do it the same way for the next baby?

My lil' monsta in neutral colors

Our neutral nursery

Vacation Diapering

Penny and I visited Gigi in Florida last week. Since we were just going for 3 days, I decided to try out the GroVia disposable inserts. I loved them! They have two little sticky tabs that keep the insert in place inside of the GroVia diaper shells/covers. These puppies held a lot of pee! We had no leaks at all, and whenever she peed, it was all contained within the insert and did not get on the cover at all. Sometimes when she pooped (which of course she did 5 times more often than typical), some of the poo got on the inside of the cover, but it still did not leak. The covers dry super fast. The GroVias are awesome for vacation diapering. I actually ordered the inserts online and just had them sent right to my mom's house. That way I only had to pack the covers with me, which saved on precious suitcase real estate. I highly recommend these for short trips or vacations where you won't have access to a washer/dryer. It is a much better option than switching to disposables for vacation because you won't have to worry about blowouts.



On another note, I made a pouch-style sling and have had a lot of success breastfeeding in it!
I made mine out of fleece fabric, which was recommended to me by another breastfeeding/babywearing mom. Fleece is stretchy, breathable, lightweight but strong, and easy on baby's knees when you switch to the hip carry. I highly recommend fleece for this type of carrier. It was not hard to make. It is doable for a naptime project. Here is a pattern at Karma Baby. Fleece is on sale at JoAnn Fabrics right now for $5/yard, which makes this a $10 carrier!

Moving to Omaha

My husband works for a company that often moves its employees around the country. We have been lucky enough to be in the DC area for 5 years, which is a long time for his company to keep someone in one place. Last week, we found out that we will be moving to Omaha, Nebraska. Josh is to report to his new position on May 9th, which is just three weeks away. I grew up in Philadelphia and I never in my life thought I would live in Nebraska. It is a little overwhelming right now, and I don't even know that it's really sunk in. I'm sure it will all be fine, and I did check–there is a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's. I would miss many of my favorite gluten-free goodies without these stores. But it will still be a huge adjustment, and I have some anxiety about the whole thing. I don't know a soul in Nebraska.

One thing that may help is that we're planning to live downtown. There are some lovely suburbs in Omaha. Apparently, Papillion was voted the #3 place to live in the U.S, but I'm just not sure that I'm cut out to be a suburban housewife. I'm planning to take time off to be home with Penelope for the foreseeable future and I think I'd prefer to be in one of the historic neighborhoods than one where all the houses look the same. We are headed out there this weekend and will spend a week looking for a new home. There are many old homes in Omaha, and Josh is very handy. We completely renovated the house we live in now, so we are hoping to find a charming old home that can be updated. We will get a LOT more bang for our buck in Omaha than in Arlington. Midwesterners are also known for being super nice. I experienced this when I lived in Saint Louis, so hopefully they will be warm and welcoming and I will meet lots of nice people. I think being a young mom will help, as I will get involved in mom activities and meet people that way. I truly believe that happiness comes from within and that there are good and bad things about every place. Hopefully I will find some things to love about Omaha very soon!
Anyone been there? Anyone live there?

Day in the Life of a Cloth-Diapering Mom

If you're having trouble imagining what it's like to use cloth diapers or if you're envisioning someone up to their elbows in poop, this post is for you. Please walk with me through a cloth diaper change.

Let me just say first off that there's no going to the store and no carting boxes of diapers and wipes into the house and up stairwells.

For a diaper change, you unfasten the diaper (snaps or velcro) and toss into your diaper pail (for us, this is a trash can with a lid containing a washable cloth pail liner with waterproof interior). You grab a wipe, spray some solution on it, and wipe down baby's bottom. The used wipes also go in the pail. A clean diaper gets fastened on, and you wash your hands. Doesn't sound so different from using disposables, does it?

On laundry day (once or twice/week), you take the cloth pail liner out of the pail, diapers and all down to the washing machine. You turn the bag upside down and dump all of the contents into your washer. You toss the bag in the washer as well. Wash on hot. Dry (I machine dry on medium. Some people line dry). Clean diapers go back to the nursery ready for baby. If you use pocket-style, you can stuff the inserts back in before putting the diapers back in your drawers.

In the meantime, you have a second pail liner so that you can continue to diaper as usual while you're doing laundry. When you put your fresh pail liner in, you can spray a little lavender or other scented oil onto the tab inside the liner made for this purpose. This helps to keep your pail fresh; although, I have yet to smell anything coming from our pail as long as the lid is closed.

If you're changing a diaper somewhere other than your nursery, it's exactly the same except that the used diaper goes in a little mini wet bag that you keep in your diaper bag. When you get home, you empty the wet bag into your pail and toss the wet bag in as well. You want at least 2 wet bags, maybe more if you're out and about a lot.

Although there is a perception that cloth diapering creates more work, it really does not. Especially when you add in trips to the store and a YEAR of extra diaper changes, disposables create far more work. Keep in mind that you still need to empty your trash can if you're using disposable diapers. Is your trash pickup closer than your washing machine?

Snaps vs. Velcro

One of the major choices you need to make when cloth-diapering involves deciding whether to purchase diapers that fasten with snaps or Velcro (aka, hook & loop). They each have their benefits, which are listed here as I see them.

Team Velcro
Pros:
Easier/faster to fasten
More adjustable–you can fasten the velcro anywhere along the strip
closer to disposables, so daycare may prefer
Cons:
Your child may be able to take the diaper off at inopportune moments
Velcro needs to be fastened in the laundry to prevent them from damaging diapers and attaching into one long chain of diapers
May not hold up as well over time

Team Snap
Pros:
Don't need to fasten them before putting them in the laundry–can just toss the dirty ones in the pail
Will probably last longer–closures won't wear out
As your child gets older, he/she will not be able to unfasten the snaps independently as easily as Velcro
Cons:
Big hands may have trouble reaching all of the snaps
You have a set number of adjustments in terms of size/fit

One last thought–I have seen vendors offer to change your diapers from Velcro to snap-closures and websites that offer do-it-yourself instructions. I have seen far less talk about changing from snap-closures to Velcro. I'm thinking that this means there are more people who come to prefer snaps at some point. It also means that you have the option to convert from Velcro to snaps, whereas it may be more difficult to go the other way. Grovia will convert for you for $3.50/diaper.

Daycare and Cloth Diapering

The topic of daycare diapering has come up a few times lately, so I wanted to address this subject. First of all, the Real Diaper Association has a page dedicated to Daycare Cloth Diapering. This is a great resource for parents who want to find a cloth diaper-friendly daycare or convince their current daycare to accept cloth diapers. It sounds like the reasons that daycares may be against cloth diapering are the same reasons that families may not be using cloth diapers: mainly lack of education on the subject and lack of exposure to cloth diapers.

There are some daycare facilities out there who gladly accept cloth diapers–the RDA has a list available. If you are already using a daycare that is not on the list, have a conversation with the people running your facility. Show them what cloth diapers look like these days. Show them how everything will work. Once they get all of the relevant information, they will realize that using cloth diapers will not be all that different from what they're already doing. They will also experience fewer (i.e. no) blowouts, which means they will spend less time changing your baby into clean clothes! They will have less trash to deal with, and your baby will be potty trained at age 2 and a half, so your daycare will have a YEAR of fewer diaper changes for your child! It may also save them money if they are accustomed to providing diapers. If they are still hesitant, perhaps you can convince them to try it out for a few weeks. Remember, your daycare consists of people who work for you! You are paying them to provide a service to you.

If your baby goes to daycare and you see that as a hangup to switching to cloth, here are some ideas as to how cloth diapering will work at daycare:

• You may have better luck convincing daycare to use cloth if you choose all-in-one or pocket-style diapers (see Cloth Diapering 101) with velcro ("hook & loop) closures. These will be the closest to using disposables in terms of how the diaper change will go. 
• You could also consider hybrid diapers with disposable inserts as a transition tool. Once they get used to the hybrid diapers, switching out the sposie inserts for cloth ones will just be a small step.
• Purchase several wet bags. Each day, you will send a wet bag and several clean diapers to daycare. If you're using pocket-style, make sure the pockets are pre-stuffed and ready to go on your baby. The caregivers will drop the dirty diapers into the wet bag after a diaper change. When you get home, you can dump the contents of the wet bag into your diaper pail and throw the used wet bag in your pail as well. An exception to this would be if there is a poopy diaper in the wet bag. In this case, you'd pull that one out separately and deal with the poop (see the Poo Page). If you're using poo liners, you may be able to convince your daycare providers to dispose of the liner and poo before putting the dirty diaper into your wet bag to make it a little easier on you when you get home.

If daycare is the only reason you aren't switching, you could do part-time cloth diapering and still save yourself a bundle (as well as reap all of the other benefits of using cloth). Cloth diaper on the weekends and at night for a few weeks and see how it goes. After giving yourself a trial period, you will probably come to love cloth diapers and realize that it really isn't that different from using disposables. That may be the motivation you need to convince daycare to accept them and go full-time. Even if you don't go full-time, part-time cloth diapering is still better than no cloth diapering!

Anyone have first-hand experience with cloth diapers and daycare?

Those diapers are great... for me to poop on!

I think we have a new favorite diaper in the cotton bottom household. I had received a GroVia all-in-two diaper from my registry as a shower gift, but I hadn't really used it when Penny was itty bitty. It had seemed too bulky for her little body, and it seemed like the insert was too long for the diaper. However, I started using it recently, and I LOVE it! I ordered a few more, and I think GroVias are my new favorite (BTW, they are NOT paying me and do not even know who I am!). Definitely top 3 at least. How do I love thee, let me count the ways...

1. Easy changes/no leaks (what I love about gDiapers, plus improved leak protection):
The GroVia has two parts: a cover and an insert that snaps into the cover. It is similar in concept to the gDiaper, but it has quite a different design. I like the concept of only changing/washing part of the diaper each time and not having to match and stuff inserts, which both diapers have. The difference in design makes the GroVia far less likely to leak than the gDiaper. The gDiaper has 3 parts, only 1 of which is waterproof (the liner that goes in between the insert and the pant). The GroVia has two parts, both of which are waterproof. The GroVia insert is backed with a waterproof layer, and the cover is waterproof as well. If the insert gets soaked, the cover will still catch any mess. The insert is also bigger and has more layers than the g.

2. Versatility:
You can use this diaper as the company has intended with the snap-in inserts... OR you could use the covers as your run-of-the-mill diaper covers and put them over prefolds... OR you could use the covers over doublers without having to fold and pin the prefolds... OR you could use them as the company has intended with the snap-in inserts AND add in an extra doubler or two for increased absorbency...OR you can use them with the disposable BioSoakers for a vacation option. Additionally, these diapers are one-size-fits-all. They have adjustable rise in front, so they will grow with your baby and you won't have to buy different sizes. I am VERY partial to a one-size diaper. One more thing, you have the option of snap or velcro closures–every color comes in both options, so you choose! The velcro ones are VERY strong (I really have to pull to get them open) and super soft, so if you don't get them lined up exactly right, your baby won't have scratchy sides.

Hooooo has the cutest bottom in town?!

3. They're friggin adorable:
They come in a few fabulous colors, but they also come in PRINTS! Cute prints at that–we're not talking pastel cartoon characters here. Owls, planes, flowers, and trees, all super cute and pretty gender-neutral (mmm, maybe the purple flowers are a little girly). I am planning on having more than one baby, and I don't want to get stuck buying new diapers because the ones I have are too gender-specific. At the same time, I don't want all yellow diapers, so I love me a gender-neutral print!


4. All of their inserts are organic.


5. Vacation Diaper:
I've heard that a lot of families switch to disposables for vacation because they don't want to wash diapers on vacation. I've heard that this choice can actually create MORE laundry because disposables leak so much that you're washing poop out of clothes instead of out of diapers. The GroVias can be a great solution to this problem. They make a disposable "BioSoaker" that you can use with the covers. When it's time for a diaper change, you pull out the insert, toss it (biodegrades in 150 days as opposed to 500 years for disposable diapers, I'm just sayin'), and put a new one in.

Penny and I will be visiting her Gigi in Florida next week, and we ordered a pack of BioSoakers to be shipped right to Gigi's house. I'll just bring the covers with me, and we'll get to try out the BioSoakers while we're there. I'll let you know how it goes.

No review would be complete without any critiques. I do think the GroVias are bulky. They were intimidating to me at first because the soaker looks like it is too long to fit into the cover when the cover is snapped down in the smallest rise. Once I actually put it on Penny, I realized that the cover stretches over the soaker, and you can just tuck any excess inside. These are also a bit pricey. It's $24.95 for a set of 1 soaker & 1 cover. The covers are $16.95 each, and soakers are 2 for $16.95. GroVia does offer discounts if you buy multiple sets. Their "experience package" saves you about $6 if you buy 2 covers and 4 soakers together. You can save more if you buy a full set of 12 covers and 24 soakers. I don't really ever recommend buying all of one kind of diaper, but GroVias or FuzziBunz would be the only two you should even consider if you are determined to do so.

This month, there is a GroVia promotion at many sites where you buy 3 covers and get 1 free, which ends up being a pretty good deal. Even if you don't buy the soakers and just use these as diaper covers, that's still a pretty good deal. Since they're one-size, you'd never need to buy another cover! Ecobabies, the site that offered 5% off to my readers (code IFOLLOWCBM) is offering the buy 3 get 1 deal. I don't know whether you could get both deals at once, but you could use your 5% to buy the soakers or anything else on your wish list. Happy shopping!

Getting Crafty!

My cotton bottom baby decided to take 2 long naps today, so mom got the chance to do some sewing! I made some gDiaper inserts:

They really weren't so hard to make, and I had a lot of fun! These were made with cute cotton prints and 4 layers of bamboo/organic cotton fleece. These could also be used as doublers in pocket diapers or just tucked into a cover in place of a prefold.

Cloth Diaper Myths

Love this article from BabyCenter! Check it out to dispel some cloth diapering myths.

Cloth Wipes

We've been using cloth wipes for about a month now, and I think they are great! It is no more difficult to add cloth wipes to your diapering routine once you are already cloth diapering. I bought a yard of flannel fabric and used pinking shears (you know, those scissors that cut in a "zig-zag") to cut it into roughly 4"x6" rectangles:

I store these flannel pieces in an old wipes container with part of the top trimmed:

I mixed up some wipes solution (baby shampoo, olive oil, and water) and store it in the squeeze bottle that the hospital sent me home with:

I did try wet storage for the wipes where I poured some wipes solution into the wipes container so that they were already wet when I pulled one out. I decided that I prefer to use the squeeze bottle. This way, I know the wipes won't get mildew if I don't get to the bottom of the container fast enough, and I have a little more control over how much wipes solution ends up on the wipe.

I use 1-2 wipes per diaper change (maybe 3 if it's a really big mess), and I have never come close to running out.

I highly recommend using cloth wipes if you are already cloth diapering, and I definitely recommend making your own wipes. You could pay over $1 apiece for cloth wipes, and I made more than I'll ever need for $10. Flannel is a great fabric for this.

Why don't you cloth diaper? Please share!

I'm interested in hearing from moms who don't use cloth diapers. What is (or was) the reason for your choice? Cloth seems to be superior in so many ways, it's hard to believe that the vast majority of families still choose disposables.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like to save money! The difference in cost between disposables and cloth is enormous. Especially with this bad economy, who couldn't use an extra $60/month (or $120 if you have 2 kids in diapers)?! The health divide is huge as well, as disposable diapers can cause cancer, hormonal problems, and male infertility. I know the environment isn't a huge concern to everyone, but humor me for a moment. Disposable diapers take 500 years to decompose. That means that the diapers you're putting in landfills today will still be around when your babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies' babies are born. That's your 16th great grandchildren. If disposable diapers had been around during the Renaissance period, those diapers would still be sitting in landfills. In fact, we'd probably have nothing but landfills! Is that the kind of earth we want to leave for our grandchildren? If all of that isn't enough, cloth-diapered babies potty train a year sooner! That's just a lot more work changing diapers for an extra year. Does all of this really not outweigh 1-2 loads of laundry/week?

My guess is that families using disposables are intimidated by cloth diapers. Cloth diapers are not very visible in our culture, and the disposable diaper companies do spend an awful lot on advertising.

Another guess is that parents may be under the misconception that cloth diapering means touching a lot of poop? I haven't touched poop yet, and I've been changing cloth diapers for 3 months now.

Maybe some think it's too late to be worth switching over if their babies are 2 or 3. Might I remind you about the potty training? Cloth-diapered babies potty train by 2 and a half, and you can buy a stash of cloth diapers for less than you'd spend on one month's supply of disposables.

Parents, please comment! I want to hear why you choose disposable over cloth. Anyone considering switching?

Diaper facts from The Real Diaper Association

Favorite Apps for Pregnancy/New Moms

Any other new moms out there with smart phones (or iPads) may relate to me in that the only two things that go everywhere with me around the house and elsewhere are my baby and my phone (okay, and my water bottle– nursing mothers? Thirsty much?). I can't imagine how many hours I've logged over these last 12 weeks (yes, Penny is 12 weeks old!!) on my iPhone. Besides the obvious (mail, CAMERA, facebook, weather), here are a few faves.

Baby Log
I just found this one, and it inspired me to write this post. This app takes the place of the Itzbeen timer and any kinds of paper logs/journals you've been keeping on your baby. It lets you log sleep, feedings, diapers, growth, vaccines, etc. etc. It seems pretty fabulous. It costs $4.99, but you can try it out for a couple of days for free with the Lite version. There are many, many apps that seem to do about the same thing, but I really like the way it displays the whole week in a visual, color-coded kind of way. A cool bonus is that the icon for a diaper change shows a cloth diaper, not a disposable!

Angry Birds
Oh, I'm sure you all know about Angry Birds already. It's been the #1 downloaded app for like a century, but, considering the hours upon hours of middle-of-the-night feedings, middle-of-the-day feedings, middle-of-the-night pumpings, etc. it's gotten me through, I couldn't leave it off of the list. It was especially fabulous at my mom's house where I didn't get internet and therefore didn't have access to many of my go-to apps. Once you download it, there's no data transfer or internet needed (unless you need YouTube or Safari to see how to beat a level, find the golden eggs, or get 3 stars on a level). There's Angry Birds, Free Angry Birds, Angry Birds Lite, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, Angry Birds Rio Free, Angry Birds Walkthrough, Guide for Angry Birds, Guide for Angry Birds Seasons... the list goes on. I have definitely gotten my $0.99 out of this game (iPad version costs $4.99). In fact, if you could figure out the cost per time or cost per enjoyment, it may very well be the best money I have ever spent. If you haven't already, I challenge you to download the free version withOUT moving on to pay for the full version once you've hit the end. I don't think it's humanly possible. Prove me wrong, people!

BabyBump
$3.99 for iPhone. I loved this app when I was pregnant. It gives you daily messages, compares your baby to a piece of fruit weekly, and allows you to graph your weight and waist size to see whether you are on track. It's way too easy to over-gain when you're pregnant, and that just makes it harder to lose the baby weight...mainly because it's not actually baby weight. It's just extra weight. Anyway, the first things I'd do every morning when I was pregnant were log my weight and read my daily message on this app. It also comes with a baby name tracker, a kick counter, and a contraction timer that tells you which stage of labor you're in, all of which came in handy at various points.

Meetup
This free app helps me keep track of my moms group meetup events. It lists all upcoming events in order by day so that I don't have to keep track of emails or browse through the website. It's great when you're like "I need to get out of the house! What is happening today?!"

NFP Manager: Sympto
If you're charting your fertility, this is a great app! I had serious issues with my cycles after I went off the pill and would definitely not go back on hormonal birth control. This app lets you chart all of the fertility signs to figure out when you can get pregnant or avoid pregnancy, whichever your case may be. Not only is it free, but you can enter your info on your iphone or on the web and it will sync up automatically.

Which other apps do you love? Leave a comment! My comments should be fixed now–sorry if you tried before and weren't able to get them to work.