More Baby Questions

[atruckersprincess]

I'm telling ya, it's so weird. You'd think I would remember all this stuff and I don't!

Ok, here are today's questions LOL

1. Sterilizing bottles/nipples - you boil water and dunk them in. But how long do you keep them in the water?

2. Laundry soap - do I have to use the dreft or will any dye-free/fragrance-free soap work?

3. Fabric softener - should I use the rinse out kind or are sheets ok?

4. If I use cloth diapers, do I bleach them and then do an extra rinse?


So much to do, so much to do . . . .

[icebear]

boil 3-5 minutes i think.

my dishwasher has a sanitize cycle , i occassionally run the bottles and stuff through some bleachwater,

we don't seem to have laundry detergent allergies here, so i use about half as much and use straight vinegar for fabric softener- about 1/4 - 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle, sometimes use dryer sheets

i know nothing about cloth diapers.

[antsinmypants]

2. Laundry soap - do I have to use the dreft or will any dye-free/fragrance-free soap work?

Depends. Are you using cloth diapers? If so, each one has a different soap it works best with. ALL tell you not to use fabric softener.

If you use cloth diapers and have a build up issue and they begin repelling, there are different ways to strip them. But it depends highly on which kind of cloth diaper you have, as to how they'd be treated.


General instructions for cloth are:
You should only use detergents that are free of dyes, enzymes, perfumes, whiteners and brighteners. Using detergents containing these ingredients will cause damage to your diaper including elastic failure and leaking.

For baby clothes - it will depend how sensitive your little one's skin and respiratory system are. I know Jonathan's is about like mine, so if it bothers me - not to use it.

3. Fabric softener - should I use the rinse out kind or are sheets ok?

We don't use any fabric softener. I have allergies, so we use soapnuts OR a dye-free/enzyme-free soap that has been approved for our diapers that we just use for everything.

4. If I use cloth diapers, do I bleach them and then do an extra rinse?

Depends entirely on the type of cloth diaper.

With the ones we have, you leave them in a dry pail, and come wash day, (we spin ours first to get the urine out as best as possible) you do them on a plain rinse, soap wash at hottest setting and then another rinse. You hang them up or dry them from there.

Diaper Jungle is a good resource for cloth diaper information.
If you use the diapers like we do (BumGenius3.0) they require very special care to last longer than 1 year.

For stripping diapers (removing the foul residue from soap/fabric softener and the like that caused it to repel in the first place) - here is some good set of instructions. They vary slightly for BG3.0s

Which say to:

1. Wash once in hot water with one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines) to one tablespoon (for regular washing machines) with original liquid Dawn (blue formula) and up to 1/2 cup bleach in the wash cycle.
2. Do two additional hot water washes with no detergent to completely rinse the diapers clean. If you still see suds, keep rinsing until the diapers are rinsed clean.

You might want to check the type of water you have to see if it would work with cloth diapering.... or if you'd do better having a water filtration system set up.

We ended up with horrible repelling problems at my parents between their water and my mom's homemade soap. Shoulda known better, but I was sick and didn't think about it. Ended up having to strip 30 diapers... not fun!!

[Robinbobbin]

1 - Sterilizing bottles and nipples. We never did. We just used a special box in the dishwasher for the nipples and the smaller bottle pieces to keep them from flying about. I nursed most of the time so it wasn't a big issue for us.

2 - Laundry Soap - we used Shaklee for everything (dye free/fragrence free), including DD's clothes, except for the cloth diapers. I found Dreft to be over priced. We used All free and clear at my parents house and didn't have any problems.

3 - Fabric Softener - if you use it, don't use them on the diapers. We don't use it because its fragerenced and both DD and I get exzema from it.

4 - Cloth diapers - you can bleach them if they're pre-folds. But, if you use a pocket diaper I wouldn't use bleach on them except for VERY occassionally (and then based exclusively upon the manufacturere's directions). We're also Bum Genius 3.0 users. I love them. I run them through the washing machine twice - once on a cold cycle, once on a hot cycle with an extra rinse. We use Mountain Green Baby on them or Charlie's Soap. I hang them to dry to preserve the elastic.

[atruckersprincess]

Wow! Those diapers are so more nicer (and easier!) than what I used on my son. As easy as disposable. The laundry isn't an issue. I really don't mind doing laundry.

Kinda pricey though. How many would you suggest to get started?

[Robinbobbin]

Wow! Those diapers are so more nicer (and easier!) than what I used on my son. As easy as disposable. The laundry isn't an issue. I really don't mind doing laundry.

Kinda pricey though. How many would you suggest to get started?

If the baby's not due for a few months, buy one per month or two per month until he/she is born. You can also find some gently used ones on Diaperswappers.com -- you can get them for a fraction of the cost of the new. Just check out the pictures and make sure they're the newer model Bum Geniuses because the original ones had some issues with the elastic and the velcro. Just wash them really well prior to the first use and they're good as new .

We have 20 Bum Genius now and I wash them about every 3rd or 4th day. We use disposables at night, though, because she sleeps better with the diposables now that she's older and a heavier wetter. So, we go through one pack of disposables per month now. She's our first baby, so we know the BGs will get a lot more use in the future -- it was well worth the investment.

[antsinmypants]

^^ ditto. Sometimes you can also find some gently used ones on the CottonBabies website, or by searching around on google, you can find sales from other cloth diaper distributers.

I started out with 48, knowing that a little baby goes through as many as 8-10 diapers a day, and I don't have the energy to do laundry every day/every other day.

We now have much more than that, but for a while we'll have 2 in diapers. I got some used ones on Diaperswappers, a couple new ones there, a few new ones that were on sale and had them shipped to my mom. The others I got from a lady who sold for CottonBabies and shipped to a friend of mine that was living on a base here (she's since moved).

In so doing I can do diapers on Sunday, Wednesday and Fridays.. I "fold" on opposite days that aren't too full with other stuff, or I will sort them for DH to do when he gets home. I'm usually really exhausted at the end of the day lately.

The least expensive I've found the diapers are 10$ a piece, but that's pretty rare even for good used condition. The most I've paid was 18$ per diaper. We have our original 48 that have lasted almost 15 months and our new additions that are a few months old (some 6, gently used) and the others 3 months into use.

I do see some wear and tear on the older ones, so I will have some repair work in the future, but I'm ok with getting itty-bitty undies (EU size 62/68) to put on over the ones where the aplix isn't working as much... otherwise our little guy opens them once he knows they open easy.

[atruckersprincess]

Thank you, I will look around on those websites. I really like those diapers We've got about 5 months, so we can do them a few at a time. In the long run it will save on disposables though.

I saw that you use vinegar instead of fabric softener. Does this help with static also?

What about powder? I remember reading something a few years ago that it isn't good to use powder because of the baby breathing it in. Do you use powder?

What type of diaper rash ointment do you use? I remember not liking desitin much because it was so hard to wipe back off. But it did protect pretty good. Are there other good products for sore tushies?

[antsinmypants]

We have virtually no static issues, except with poly fabrics in clothes and I am not a big fan of polyester.. so I try to keep those at a minimum. The vinegar does help in keeping clothes softer.

I don't use baby powder, mostly due to the perfume and fact I have a respiratory reaction to it myself. I Have however heard that it is great to use when you go to the beach -- slather it on your arms/legs and feet and it will help you brush the sand off.

Diaper rash ointment is basically a no-no with cloth diapers, as it stains and causes repelling issues. The times we have had to use it, we place wipes or washcloths between the treated bottom and diaper. I've used A&D as well as the other diaper rash stuff (Desitin I think it is in the US?) interchangeably. I LOVE BumGenius' spray. That stuff has helped head off a heat rash and a diaper rash (from sitting too long in acidic pee).

I can't get anymore here, so I'll find the essential oils and make my own this time around.

[LindaLee]

Man!! Whatever happen to the good old days of washing cloth diapers by hand and hanging on a clothes line, or just boiling the nipples and bottles until they come to a rolling boil, or just using plain old laundry detergent. Never knew if a baby would have allergies until their bottom and waistline turned red with a rash, then you would use dreft or snowy. I would bleach the diapers and run them through 2 rinses and fold them the old fashion way...tri-fold. Didn't have fabric softener in my day...babies don't much care just as long as they are loved and cared for.

[LittleLadyLovinGod]

i use regular detergent and do an extra rinse, dont spend money on the dye/fragrence free unless the baby has a bad reaction. an extra rinse should make sure all the soap comes out! i dont use fabric softener, it gave my little guy eczema until i stopped using it and then it went away. hope this helps!

[LittleLadyLovinGod]

burts bees diaper ointment is amazing and all natural! i bought a burts bees baby bee starter kit when my son was about 5 months and i still have a small trial size tube of it over half left! its great and you only need a small amount! highly recommended!

[Robinbobbin]

We don't use diaper ointment or powder usually -- there really isn't a need for it for the most part.

When she got a really nasty rash due to a stomach bug a week ago we used Desitin Original (highest Zinc content) and disposables for 24 hours until the diarrhea was over. Her little tush was so sore from the rash, the ointment was essential at that point.

Diaper Cream basically causes cloth to wick - so instead of absorbing the urine, it just leaks. If the ointment gets on the diapers, you have to strip them which is just more work. She rearely gets rashes with cloth diapers, though, unless there is a detergent build up or she has a stomach bug.

[antsinmypants]

^^ same here! The only time we really needed any ointment was 1 time with heat rash, and when we had a flea that somehow wiggled it's way into "little boy"'s diaper... that was the most awful thing ever, and we had to rotate between Desitin and A&D ointment, washing with betadine and epsom salt baths... it finally got better, but it was horrible.

We keep the stuff on hand 'just in case' - but I really haven't had to use it other than slight "burns" that go along with teething.. it's really rare. When he was in disposables his first month - nightmare...

[Walker]

We are using Babyganics or Seventh Generation laundry detergent. Haven't had any issues with them yet. Seventh Generation makes a baby fabric softener that we use. Husband has sensitive skin, so we didn't make much of change with this.

We are doing disposable diapers (bad us!!), so I don't know how it works with diapers, but Babyganics has a stain spray. It does work well.

As far as diaper ointment, we use Boudreaux's Butt Paste. Fabulous stuff, it even comes in single use packets (I know, bad for the environment) that can be stuffed into the diaper bag instead of carrying tubes around. It wipes off easier than A&D or Desitin.

Bottles go in the dishwasher which sanitizes them.

[Rinji]

I don't have children (yet anway...)

But as far as I know, anything you want to be "absorbent", you don't want to put fabric softener on.
Fabric softener will leave an oily residue (which makes things nice and soft), but this same the residue creates a barrier so fabric won't be nearly as absorbent.

This is why they tell people not to use fabric softener on towels.
I assume cloth diapers would be similar. Sort of, erhm, defeats the purpose ya know?

Personally I wouldn't use it on the clothes either. If the oily barrier is there, how can the fabric wick away moisture from the baby's body?
Especially in the summer when it's hot out.

[LindaLee]

Well congrats on the soon coming little one...All I can say is...have fun! My childrearing days are over and now I'm working on the little ones called "grandchildren".... it's great to hand them back to the parents...

(I love the little rugrats...it's just nice not to have to worry about the above things anymore).

[atruckersprincess]

Well congrats on the soon coming little one...All I can say is...have fun! My childrearing days are over and now I'm working on the little ones called "grandchildren".... it's great to hand them back to the parents...

(I love the little rugrats...it's just nice not to have to worry about the above things anymore).

Yeah, I thought mine were over too lol But God had different plans

It will be a bit easier this time though for many reasons. I think the fact that I won't be recovering from childbirth will help alot. Plus my son is going to be doing alot. I told him I would do the nightly feedings while he is in school, but I'm sleeping on the weekends

[readynow]

I am wondering, has this baby's mom indicated she won't be raising her own child?

[atruckersprincess]

I am wondering, has this baby's mom indicated she won't be raising her own child?

Yes, she has. She has no plans of keeping it, even though she wants to.