Friday, September 10, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
How to Deal with Seeing a Mother Nursing in Public
Public Breastfeeding Naysayers: Your Guide On How to Deal With the Sight of a Baby Eating
My friend amileegirl was inspired to write a journal about nursing in public -- after getting very annoyed by reading some people's thoughts on it. You know, the majority of Americans disapproving of it. Yeah. Lame.
Amileegirl says it better than most. So I present to you her guide on what to do when you see another breastfeeding in public.
When a mother is breastfeeding her child in a public space, these simple courtesies will help you in any situation.
1. When you happen to see a mother feeding and you make eye contact but are unsure of what to do, just smile (perhaps give a nod). CAUTION: Do not grin, she may get the impression you are a perv.
2. When you happen to get flashed (as can happen with a mobile, fussy, or curious baby), do not panic. It was an accident, not a deliberate attempt to ruin your lunch. The world survived Janet's wardrobe malfunction and your eyes will not bleed and your dinner will not spoil. After all, there is that other table with the public display of thong that you are ignoring quite nicely. Remember that your eyes are on her breasts, but her breasts aren't on your table. Turn your eyes back to your plate and resume eating.
3. When you happen to see that a mother sitting near you is struggling, sweating, and looks about to cry because the hooter hideawayer is not pleasing the baby, you can: Offer to put the titty-tent over your own head, or you can tell her not to worry about the cover and offer to stand as a shield so that she can latch the baby with a bit more freedom.
4. When you feel the compulsion to scowl because your gaze wandered to a nursing mother, remember that you were born with a neck. Turn your head before you frown. Frowning causes wrinkles.
5. When you see a mother feeding her baby in the bathroom (and you happen to be under the impression that the bathroom makes for fine dining), offer to bring your soup and sandwich into the lavatory so that you can chit-chat in side by side commodes. Otherwise, assure her that she doesn't need to nurse in an unsanitary place. Inform her that other people just don't know proper etiquette and she isn't the one being offensive. Offer to walk her out of the cloud of stench into the fresh air.
6. When you see that a woman has more breast exposed than you think is decent, ask yourself these questions: Is it more than you see on a public beach? Is it more than the bra-less double-D Harvard college nymph in the size small tank top? If the answer is no, zip your lip and turn your head. After all, are you going to walk up to those other women and tell them to cover it up? Just because the breastfeeder looks like an easy target, it doesn't mean you need to aim and fire.
7. When you see that the feed-ee is older than you think they should be to be nursing, only say something or give a disapproving snort if you're willing to write a check on the spot for the cost of formula for the next year and a half. You may also offer a cashier's check, money order, pre-paid credit card, or cash.
re-posted from http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/104478/public_breastfeeding_naysayers_your_guide?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=socialshare_thestir_baby
My friend amileegirl was inspired to write a journal about nursing in public -- after getting very annoyed by reading some people's thoughts on it. You know, the majority of Americans disapproving of it. Yeah. Lame.
Amileegirl says it better than most. So I present to you her guide on what to do when you see another breastfeeding in public.
When a mother is breastfeeding her child in a public space, these simple courtesies will help you in any situation.
1. When you happen to see a mother feeding and you make eye contact but are unsure of what to do, just smile (perhaps give a nod). CAUTION: Do not grin, she may get the impression you are a perv.
2. When you happen to get flashed (as can happen with a mobile, fussy, or curious baby), do not panic. It was an accident, not a deliberate attempt to ruin your lunch. The world survived Janet's wardrobe malfunction and your eyes will not bleed and your dinner will not spoil. After all, there is that other table with the public display of thong that you are ignoring quite nicely. Remember that your eyes are on her breasts, but her breasts aren't on your table. Turn your eyes back to your plate and resume eating.
3. When you happen to see that a mother sitting near you is struggling, sweating, and looks about to cry because the hooter hideawayer is not pleasing the baby, you can: Offer to put the titty-tent over your own head, or you can tell her not to worry about the cover and offer to stand as a shield so that she can latch the baby with a bit more freedom.
4. When you feel the compulsion to scowl because your gaze wandered to a nursing mother, remember that you were born with a neck. Turn your head before you frown. Frowning causes wrinkles.
5. When you see a mother feeding her baby in the bathroom (and you happen to be under the impression that the bathroom makes for fine dining), offer to bring your soup and sandwich into the lavatory so that you can chit-chat in side by side commodes. Otherwise, assure her that she doesn't need to nurse in an unsanitary place. Inform her that other people just don't know proper etiquette and she isn't the one being offensive. Offer to walk her out of the cloud of stench into the fresh air.
6. When you see that a woman has more breast exposed than you think is decent, ask yourself these questions: Is it more than you see on a public beach? Is it more than the bra-less double-D Harvard college nymph in the size small tank top? If the answer is no, zip your lip and turn your head. After all, are you going to walk up to those other women and tell them to cover it up? Just because the breastfeeder looks like an easy target, it doesn't mean you need to aim and fire.
7. When you see that the feed-ee is older than you think they should be to be nursing, only say something or give a disapproving snort if you're willing to write a check on the spot for the cost of formula for the next year and a half. You may also offer a cashier's check, money order, pre-paid credit card, or cash.
re-posted from http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/104478/public_breastfeeding_naysayers_your_guide?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=socialshare_thestir_baby
"You wouldn't breastfeed in church would you?"
This is a reposting of an article written by Kate Hansen. What a wonderful perspective on breastfeeding in public!
"Couldn't she have done it in the car on the way there?"
That comment was probably the worst from Lisa of the Russ and Lisa Morning Show after witnessing a woman breastfeeding her baby at a Chick Fill A restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.
She seems to be suggesting we take our babies out of their carseats and put them in the front seat of the car with us, risking that they might fly through the window in the event of an accident... all to spare someone the discomfort of witnessing them feed in a restaurant. She also said "why isn't this indecent exposure? I think there should be indecency laws." Perhaps we should make it public indecency, on par with exposing one's genitals in a restaurant, then hire a special division of the police force... let's call them the Boob Squad. They can keep all the women and children in line.
She suggested that her views might have something to do with the way she was raised, that someone with more traditional values might be more discreet than to nurse in public.
She also suggested women stay at home rather than expose the public to an "intimate moment" like breastfeeding. Her suggestion implies that a breastfeeding mothers in the past would have to stay at home rather than participate in public life. Certainly this would be their only option, before formula was widely available...
She suggested mothers come prepared, pump and bring a bottle rather than breastfeed. She told one caller that pumping is no more difficult than preparing a bottle of formula and bringing it to the restaurant. One caller commented that "If you wouldn't do it in the front pew of a church, then don't do it in a restaurant."
What about this church? Surely the mother of God might object if you didn't use a bottle, come prepared as she suggested. Jesus himself would certainly object to public breastfeeding, wouldn't he?
What Lisa fails to realize is that bottle feeding as a conservative value is actually fairly recent. Women never used to feel shame at public breastfeeding, nor were they pressured by their communities to keep "such an intimate act" private. Breastfeeding was considered to be quite matter of fact most of the time, and rather beautiful and womanly some of the time. It wasn't equated with sexuality as it is now, or else we would never see an icon of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding
in public
in a church.
Or perhaps she's suggesting that the mother of God was a little loose in her morals?
"Couldn't she have done it in the car on the way there?"
That comment was probably the worst from Lisa of the Russ and Lisa Morning Show after witnessing a woman breastfeeding her baby at a Chick Fill A restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.
She seems to be suggesting we take our babies out of their carseats and put them in the front seat of the car with us, risking that they might fly through the window in the event of an accident... all to spare someone the discomfort of witnessing them feed in a restaurant. She also said "why isn't this indecent exposure? I think there should be indecency laws." Perhaps we should make it public indecency, on par with exposing one's genitals in a restaurant, then hire a special division of the police force... let's call them the Boob Squad. They can keep all the women and children in line.
She suggested that her views might have something to do with the way she was raised, that someone with more traditional values might be more discreet than to nurse in public.
She also suggested women stay at home rather than expose the public to an "intimate moment" like breastfeeding. Her suggestion implies that a breastfeeding mothers in the past would have to stay at home rather than participate in public life. Certainly this would be their only option, before formula was widely available...
She suggested mothers come prepared, pump and bring a bottle rather than breastfeed. She told one caller that pumping is no more difficult than preparing a bottle of formula and bringing it to the restaurant. One caller commented that "If you wouldn't do it in the front pew of a church, then don't do it in a restaurant."
What about this church? Surely the mother of God might object if you didn't use a bottle, come prepared as she suggested. Jesus himself would certainly object to public breastfeeding, wouldn't he?
What Lisa fails to realize is that bottle feeding as a conservative value is actually fairly recent. Women never used to feel shame at public breastfeeding, nor were they pressured by their communities to keep "such an intimate act" private. Breastfeeding was considered to be quite matter of fact most of the time, and rather beautiful and womanly some of the time. It wasn't equated with sexuality as it is now, or else we would never see an icon of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding
in public
in a church.
Or perhaps she's suggesting that the mother of God was a little loose in her morals?
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Dear Non-Pregnant Person!
This was posted on a discussion board I frequent. The author is unknown to me at this time but if I find out I will certainly give her credit!
"Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm.
*****If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice. *******
The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an azz!!!
Please refrain from telling pregnancy and delivery horror stories to expectant moms AND dads. These people are worried enough and hoping for a happy, healthy baby. They do NOT need to hear about the 17 hour labor of your former sister-in-law's neighbor and how there were complications etc... Even if everything eventually turned out great and the child is in law school now, horror stories are not fun for expectant parents.
Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in the above, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You DO NOT have any input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- EVER. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is huge, about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your weight and physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!". Any pregnant woman who receives a comment other than this should reply with “I’m pregnant, what’s your excuse?"
By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother-in-law or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.
Choosing a natural child birth is not about proving how tough I am or trying to out-do my friends or sisters. It is simply my belief that birth is a natural process and not a disease that needs to be treated. I do not believe that injecting my body full of drugs that will pass to the baby are worth the possible side effects. This is one of my first decisions as a parent and does not need to be critiqued by anyone who will not be raising this child!
I may choose to have a c-section, need one for medical reasons, or experience the horror of an emergency or to prevent complications or harm to myself or my baby. Please note, this will not be "the easy way out". My belly will be cut into & afterwards I will feel like I've been turned inside out. I will have pain just breathing & moving after surgery because everything inside of me will be held together with stitches and staples. So I will soon learn that the pain I avoided during birth will now be dragged out over months in recovery.
Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
If you are asked to help after the birth (or anytime in the first 6-8 weeks), this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Thanks!"
"Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm.
*****If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice. *******
The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an azz!!!
Please refrain from telling pregnancy and delivery horror stories to expectant moms AND dads. These people are worried enough and hoping for a happy, healthy baby. They do NOT need to hear about the 17 hour labor of your former sister-in-law's neighbor and how there were complications etc... Even if everything eventually turned out great and the child is in law school now, horror stories are not fun for expectant parents.
Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in the above, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You DO NOT have any input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- EVER. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is huge, about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your weight and physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!". Any pregnant woman who receives a comment other than this should reply with “I’m pregnant, what’s your excuse?"
By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother-in-law or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.
Choosing a natural child birth is not about proving how tough I am or trying to out-do my friends or sisters. It is simply my belief that birth is a natural process and not a disease that needs to be treated. I do not believe that injecting my body full of drugs that will pass to the baby are worth the possible side effects. This is one of my first decisions as a parent and does not need to be critiqued by anyone who will not be raising this child!
I may choose to have a c-section, need one for medical reasons, or experience the horror of an emergency or to prevent complications or harm to myself or my baby. Please note, this will not be "the easy way out". My belly will be cut into & afterwards I will feel like I've been turned inside out. I will have pain just breathing & moving after surgery because everything inside of me will be held together with stitches and staples. So I will soon learn that the pain I avoided during birth will now be dragged out over months in recovery.
Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
If you are asked to help after the birth (or anytime in the first 6-8 weeks), this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Thanks!"
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Cloth Diapering: The Greener Bum?
Since I fully intend to cloth diaper this new baby from birth until potty training I wanted to do my own cost analysis of the benefits. Instead of looking at my own costs, however, I decided to find national averages for everything from the theoretical baby in our scenerios size and weight to the cost of utilities. Using these averages I have found that cloth diapering even further exceeds disposable diapering than I originally thought! My next project is to break out my folder of baby receipts and tally up my own stash of cloth diapers. Of course, I have gone all out and have at least one of every kind and brand of diaper. I expect I have overspent by quite a bit but I also imagine that if I do another analysis after resale of my stash that I will still be well below the cost of disposable diapering! Guess I'll just have to wait and see on that one!
So please give me your input on my analysis and let's make changes where needed to fit the 'average' person and their baby!
Cost Benefit Analysis of Cloth Diapering vs. Disposable Diapering
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers according to Walmart.com on 5/12/10:
Size NB (up to 10 pounds) $30 for 124 diapers
Size 1/2 (up to 15 pounds) $32.54 for 192 diapers
Size 3 (16-28 pounds) $38 for 174 diapers
Size 4 (22-37 pounds) $38 for 156 diapers
Size 5 (27+ pounds) $38 for 136 diapers
Size 6 (35+ pounds) $38 for 112 diapers
Using a CDC growth chart at the 50th percentile range to estimate how long a female newborn who potty trained completely at age 3 would be in each size of diaper I have done the following analysis. The average newborn weight was slightly over 7 pounds so I will start at 7 pounds even for ease of calculations. By three months the average female baby is around 12 pounds. The 6 month average weight is 16 pounds, 9 months is 18 pounds, 12 months is 21 pounds, 15 months is 23 pounds, 18 months is 24 pounds, 21 months is 26 pounds, 24 months is 27 pounds, 27 months is 28 pounds, 30 months is 29 pounds, 33 months is 30 pounds, and 36 months is 31 pounds. We will assume the manufacturer sizes fit almost exactly to the weights they cite to figure out what size our baby will wear at each age.
We will assume our average sized baby girl is also an average wetter/pooper. Different websites state that a newborn will use anywhere from 8-16 diapers a day so we will use 12 diapers per day to maintain our ‘average’ baby. This will be assumed to last for the first 3 months until our baby grows into size 1/2 diapers which will fit until 6 months. We will assume that our infant now uses 8 diapers a day for this period. We will assume that our baby is in size 3 until 24 months of age (unlikely but we’ll go with the manufacturer weight guidelines). During this period our baby will reduce diaper usage to 6 diapers per day until 18 months and then 4 diapers per day from 18 to 24 months. From 24 months until potty training at 36 months our baby will wear size 4. We will assume 2 diapers per day (1 at nap time and 1 for overnight).
The CDC growth chart can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c018.pdf
We find that the total cost of diapers for 3 years is $1,188.00. However, one fallacy in our calculations is that we are not using the exact amount of diapers in every package we would have to buy since diapers do not come individually. To account for the diapers we would theoretically throw away unused in our scenario we have to add in another $86.16 which brings our total so far to $1,274.16. Of course we are also assuming that we don’t purchase any additional diapers away because of the ‘tabs’ ripping off, baby using more than her daily allowance of diapers, buying extras for grandma’s house, etc. And we also don’t account for any rises in prices due to economic changes. So I think it is safe to say that $1,274.16 is the bare minimum average for disposable diapers to age three as of May, 2010.
Now we need to add in accessories that go with disposable diapering. Let’s look first at disposable wipes. The Pampers Baby Fresh scented wipes are $4.94 for a 2 pack according to Walmart’s website. There are 72 wipes in a tub. Let’s assume we need an average of 2 wipes per diaper change and we aren’t using any of our wipes for cleaning snotty noses, dirty hands, etc. If (that’s a big if!) all of our wipes go exclusively to diaper changes than we get 72 changes per 2-pack of wipe tubs. That’s roughly 3.5 cents per wipe or 7 cents per diaper change. Our total wipe cost for 3 years is $378 bringing our total thus far to $1,652.16.
Next we need diaper rash cream because studies have shown that disposable diapered babies are more prone to diaper rash. Desitin Creamy, a popular brand, is $11.99 for 16oz. according to Target’s website. Let’s assume that we need a new tub every 6 months because every hygiene cream or medicine should be replaced on a regular basis so as not to grow bacteria and germs. This means we need 6 tubs over our baby’s diapering years adding another $71.94 to our costs and bringing our total to $1,724.10.
Next, we know that trash day only comes once a week so we need a place to store all those yucky diapers until trash day. We wouldn’t want to take them out to the garbage cans because we all know how much the neighborhood animals love to tear into anything smelly and disgusting. So we will buy a diaper disposal system. The Diaper Dekor is the most highly rated system on Target’s website and retails for $29.99. This system uses one continuous bag that you cut and tie off as needed. (This doesn’t seem all that convenient to me but I guess that’s a matter of opinion.) From reading the reviews it seems that a Diaper Dekor being used full time will need to be emptied 2-3 times a week and the bag refills will last around 2 months maximum under consistent use. A three pack of refills retails for $29.99 on Target’s website. Assuming we use one refill every 2 months, we will need 6 of these refill packs. Our total cost for our disposal system is now at $209.93 bringing our total cost to $1934.03. And we still haven’t fully solved our disposal problem because we still have to store those 2-3 bags of dirty diapers until garbage day each week!
We now have a realistic cost of right around $2000 to disposable diaper a baby for 3 years. This cost could be higher if your garbage collection company charges a higher rate for the extra bags of garbage you are now generating each week. There could also be extra costs arising from having to use a second bag if an animal does violate the sanctity of your trash bin. Not to mention the additional transportation costs of running to the store in the middle of the night when you realize you are running low on diapers. If you are like us and live a good hour round trip from the store then unexpected trips can be quite costly over time. And there is no way to put a quantifiable value on the space taken up in our landfills by the 2,880 diapers you would theoretically generate the first year of our scenario let alone the subsequent years (and children).
So, now let’s look at cloth diapering. Let’s work with a ‘modest’ budget according to Green Mountain Diaper’s website. We will buy 6 small Bummis Super Whisper Wrap diaper covers, 3 dozen small prefold diapers, 2 dozen newborn prefolds, 6 newborn Bummis Super Whisper Wrap diaper covers, 4 packs of cloth wipes and a large, hanging Planet Wise wet/dry bag. We will also purchase 3 snappis which have all but replaced old fashioned diaper pins. This ‘stash’ should keep our baby diapered until around 15 pounds (or 6 months according to our CDC growth chart). Our total cost for 6 months of cloth diapering is $331.54.
To get us to 3 years of age or about 30 pounds we are going to need a few more things. Let’s stick with what’s worked so far and buy 6 medium sized Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, 2 dozen medium prefolds and 2 dozen large prefolds. We don’t need to buy any more wipes because we’re using cloth wipes which are reusable! And we don’t need any ‘disposal systems’ because we just wash and reuse our diapers, wipes and wet/dry bag. So now our total is $515.62 for three years of cloth diapering. Of course, this is using the most simplistic method of prefold diapers with a cover.
We’ll expand our diaper stash a little further in a minute but let’s look at our utility costs to keep up with our diaper laundry first. If we have a high efficiency (HE) front-loading washer then we’re only using about 25 gallons of water per load of laundry compared to 40 for a traditional top-loader (these numbers are for full loads which is not always necessary). Front loaders are also gentler on our clothes and diapers so they last longer and save us money long term as well! According to drinktap.org the average price of water in the US is $1.50 per 1,000 gallons. So if we wash our cloth diapers every other day we will do roughly 183 extra loads of laundry per year (though these aren’t necessarily full loads). That’s roughly 4,575 gallons per year in our HE front loader for a cost of $6.86. If we’re still using our traditional top loader then we are looking at a cost of $10.98 per year. Drying isn’t even an issue because line drying in the sun is the best for cloth diapers. It is gentler, removes stains and keeps our diapers free of any fabric softener sheets our dryer might be hiding!
The other hidden cost of laundry is, of course, detergent. Tide original powder is a commonly used detergent with cloth diapers. According to Amazon (Walmart and Target both do not list prices for the Tide powder) it is $54.90 for 2 boxes that wash 120 loads each. Over our three years of cloth diapering we will then use 5 of these boxes for a total cost of $137.25. So with water and detergent usage factored into our cost we are now at $673.45 if we have an HE washer and $685.81 if we have a traditional washer. Even if we’re spending an extra $100 a year (which would be outrageous!) in energy costs for water heating, etc we are still well ahead of disposable diapering!
So let’s get on with making our stash a little more convenient. Let’s forget these cheap prefolds and covers and go entirely high class convenience. One of the most popular brands of all-in-one (AIO) cloth diapers is bumGenius. They offer a cloth diaper that works just like a disposable without the garbage. The diaper has a snap system to adjust it to fit your baby’s size and there is nothing to fold or snappi or pin or stuff with inserts like with the other types of diapers. You simply snap these diapers on your baby and then remove and toss in the wash when they are soiled. We’ll go for the absolute top of the line and price an entire stash of bumGenius AIO organic diapers. On the Mom’s Milk Boutique website these diapers are priced at $22.08 each when you buy a dozen or more. So let’s make these our entire stash and get 2 dozen so we can still do laundry every other day. Our 2 dozen top of the line diapers will cost us $529.92. And the best part is that they should fit from slightly after birth (once the umbilicus falls off) until potty training. All we need to do is add in our 4 dozen cloth wipes and our wet/dry bag. Our total cost is $607.91.
Amazing! For three years of cloth diapering we have spent a little over $600 on a top of the line system. Add in our utility and detergent costs and we are at a maximum of $778.10 for our baby girl’s diapering costs. Factor in the ability to either resell or reuse the diapers for another child and cloth diapering is the clear cut winner. If we reuse our stash with only one more child we have cut the cost down to $303.96 per child (not factoring in utility or detergent costs for the second child since these will change over the course of 3 years). Not to mention the reduced amount of household waste we’re sending to the landfill every week and the fact that we should almost never need diaper rash cream or ointments! Plus our baby girl will grow up without being exposed to the harsh chemicals found in disposable diapers!
I can’t find any argument that would sway me to believe disposable diapers are worth the risks and the money. In the time it takes me to lug a bag of nasty diapers to the curb I can easily throw in a load of laundry. And there will be no more emergency runs to the store because we’ll never run low on diapers when we use cloth. Fewer trees will be cut down to make disposable diapers if more people would use cloth. Water is a renewable resource so washing a few more loads of laundry each week shouldn’t have a huge environmental impact as long as you’re not under a drought warning. And with cloth we don’t have the excrement leaching into our ground water. Cloth diapering simply blows disposables out of the water in every aspect from environmental to financial impact. Cloth is for sure the ‘greener’ bum!
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers from Walmart
Size Weight Range Cost Per Pack No. of Diapers per Pack Cost per diaper
Newborn up to 10 pounds $30.00 124 $0.24
One/Two up to 15 pounds $32.54 192 $0.17
Three 16-28 pounds $38.00 174 $0.22
Four 22-37 pounds $38.00 156 $0.24
Five 27+ pounds $38.00 136 $0.28
Six 35+ pounds $38.00 112 $0.34
Months Diapers per day Cost per day Cost per month (30 days) Total for these months Unused Diaper Cost
0-3 12 $2.88 $86.40 $259.20 $10.80
3-6 8 $1.36 $40.80 $122.40 $7.76
6-18 6 $1.32 $39.60 $475.20 $18.80
18-24 4 $0.88 $26.40 $158.40 $31.60
24-36 2 $0.48 $14.40 $172.80 $17.20
Total $1,188.00 $86.16
Pampers Baby Fresh scented wipes
Months Wipes per day Wipes per month (30 days) Total Wipes Total Cost
0-3 24 720 2160 $75.60
3-6 16 480 1440 $50.40
6-18 12 360 4320 $151.20
18-24 8 240 1440 $50.40
24-36 4 120 1440 $50.40
Total $378.00
Cloth Diapering Cost Each Total Cost
6 Bummis Super Whisper Wraps $11.00 $66.00
6 Newborn Bummis Wraps $11.00 $66.00
2 dozen newborn prefolds $1.75 $42.00
3 dozen small prefolds $2.00 $72.00
4 packsof a dozen cloth wipes $12.00 $48.00
Planetwise wetbag $29.99 $29.99
3-pack snappis $7.55 $7.55
Total for months 0-6 $331.54
Cloth Diapering 6-36 months
6 medium Bummis SWW $11.00 $66.00
2 dozen medium prefolds $2.25 $54.00
2 dozen large prefolds $2.67 $64.08
Total for months 6-36 $184.08
BG Organic AIO cloth diapering
24 BG Organic AIO's $22.08 $529.92
4 dozen cloth wipes $12.00 $48.00
Planet Wise wet/dry bag $29.99 $29.99
$607.91
So please give me your input on my analysis and let's make changes where needed to fit the 'average' person and their baby!
Cost Benefit Analysis of Cloth Diapering vs. Disposable Diapering
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers according to Walmart.com on 5/12/10:
Size NB (up to 10 pounds) $30 for 124 diapers
Size 1/2 (up to 15 pounds) $32.54 for 192 diapers
Size 3 (16-28 pounds) $38 for 174 diapers
Size 4 (22-37 pounds) $38 for 156 diapers
Size 5 (27+ pounds) $38 for 136 diapers
Size 6 (35+ pounds) $38 for 112 diapers
Using a CDC growth chart at the 50th percentile range to estimate how long a female newborn who potty trained completely at age 3 would be in each size of diaper I have done the following analysis. The average newborn weight was slightly over 7 pounds so I will start at 7 pounds even for ease of calculations. By three months the average female baby is around 12 pounds. The 6 month average weight is 16 pounds, 9 months is 18 pounds, 12 months is 21 pounds, 15 months is 23 pounds, 18 months is 24 pounds, 21 months is 26 pounds, 24 months is 27 pounds, 27 months is 28 pounds, 30 months is 29 pounds, 33 months is 30 pounds, and 36 months is 31 pounds. We will assume the manufacturer sizes fit almost exactly to the weights they cite to figure out what size our baby will wear at each age.
We will assume our average sized baby girl is also an average wetter/pooper. Different websites state that a newborn will use anywhere from 8-16 diapers a day so we will use 12 diapers per day to maintain our ‘average’ baby. This will be assumed to last for the first 3 months until our baby grows into size 1/2 diapers which will fit until 6 months. We will assume that our infant now uses 8 diapers a day for this period. We will assume that our baby is in size 3 until 24 months of age (unlikely but we’ll go with the manufacturer weight guidelines). During this period our baby will reduce diaper usage to 6 diapers per day until 18 months and then 4 diapers per day from 18 to 24 months. From 24 months until potty training at 36 months our baby will wear size 4. We will assume 2 diapers per day (1 at nap time and 1 for overnight).
The CDC growth chart can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41c018.pdf
We find that the total cost of diapers for 3 years is $1,188.00. However, one fallacy in our calculations is that we are not using the exact amount of diapers in every package we would have to buy since diapers do not come individually. To account for the diapers we would theoretically throw away unused in our scenario we have to add in another $86.16 which brings our total so far to $1,274.16. Of course we are also assuming that we don’t purchase any additional diapers away because of the ‘tabs’ ripping off, baby using more than her daily allowance of diapers, buying extras for grandma’s house, etc. And we also don’t account for any rises in prices due to economic changes. So I think it is safe to say that $1,274.16 is the bare minimum average for disposable diapers to age three as of May, 2010.
Now we need to add in accessories that go with disposable diapering. Let’s look first at disposable wipes. The Pampers Baby Fresh scented wipes are $4.94 for a 2 pack according to Walmart’s website. There are 72 wipes in a tub. Let’s assume we need an average of 2 wipes per diaper change and we aren’t using any of our wipes for cleaning snotty noses, dirty hands, etc. If (that’s a big if!) all of our wipes go exclusively to diaper changes than we get 72 changes per 2-pack of wipe tubs. That’s roughly 3.5 cents per wipe or 7 cents per diaper change. Our total wipe cost for 3 years is $378 bringing our total thus far to $1,652.16.
Next we need diaper rash cream because studies have shown that disposable diapered babies are more prone to diaper rash. Desitin Creamy, a popular brand, is $11.99 for 16oz. according to Target’s website. Let’s assume that we need a new tub every 6 months because every hygiene cream or medicine should be replaced on a regular basis so as not to grow bacteria and germs. This means we need 6 tubs over our baby’s diapering years adding another $71.94 to our costs and bringing our total to $1,724.10.
Next, we know that trash day only comes once a week so we need a place to store all those yucky diapers until trash day. We wouldn’t want to take them out to the garbage cans because we all know how much the neighborhood animals love to tear into anything smelly and disgusting. So we will buy a diaper disposal system. The Diaper Dekor is the most highly rated system on Target’s website and retails for $29.99. This system uses one continuous bag that you cut and tie off as needed. (This doesn’t seem all that convenient to me but I guess that’s a matter of opinion.) From reading the reviews it seems that a Diaper Dekor being used full time will need to be emptied 2-3 times a week and the bag refills will last around 2 months maximum under consistent use. A three pack of refills retails for $29.99 on Target’s website. Assuming we use one refill every 2 months, we will need 6 of these refill packs. Our total cost for our disposal system is now at $209.93 bringing our total cost to $1934.03. And we still haven’t fully solved our disposal problem because we still have to store those 2-3 bags of dirty diapers until garbage day each week!
We now have a realistic cost of right around $2000 to disposable diaper a baby for 3 years. This cost could be higher if your garbage collection company charges a higher rate for the extra bags of garbage you are now generating each week. There could also be extra costs arising from having to use a second bag if an animal does violate the sanctity of your trash bin. Not to mention the additional transportation costs of running to the store in the middle of the night when you realize you are running low on diapers. If you are like us and live a good hour round trip from the store then unexpected trips can be quite costly over time. And there is no way to put a quantifiable value on the space taken up in our landfills by the 2,880 diapers you would theoretically generate the first year of our scenario let alone the subsequent years (and children).
So, now let’s look at cloth diapering. Let’s work with a ‘modest’ budget according to Green Mountain Diaper’s website. We will buy 6 small Bummis Super Whisper Wrap diaper covers, 3 dozen small prefold diapers, 2 dozen newborn prefolds, 6 newborn Bummis Super Whisper Wrap diaper covers, 4 packs of cloth wipes and a large, hanging Planet Wise wet/dry bag. We will also purchase 3 snappis which have all but replaced old fashioned diaper pins. This ‘stash’ should keep our baby diapered until around 15 pounds (or 6 months according to our CDC growth chart). Our total cost for 6 months of cloth diapering is $331.54.
To get us to 3 years of age or about 30 pounds we are going to need a few more things. Let’s stick with what’s worked so far and buy 6 medium sized Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, 2 dozen medium prefolds and 2 dozen large prefolds. We don’t need to buy any more wipes because we’re using cloth wipes which are reusable! And we don’t need any ‘disposal systems’ because we just wash and reuse our diapers, wipes and wet/dry bag. So now our total is $515.62 for three years of cloth diapering. Of course, this is using the most simplistic method of prefold diapers with a cover.
We’ll expand our diaper stash a little further in a minute but let’s look at our utility costs to keep up with our diaper laundry first. If we have a high efficiency (HE) front-loading washer then we’re only using about 25 gallons of water per load of laundry compared to 40 for a traditional top-loader (these numbers are for full loads which is not always necessary). Front loaders are also gentler on our clothes and diapers so they last longer and save us money long term as well! According to drinktap.org the average price of water in the US is $1.50 per 1,000 gallons. So if we wash our cloth diapers every other day we will do roughly 183 extra loads of laundry per year (though these aren’t necessarily full loads). That’s roughly 4,575 gallons per year in our HE front loader for a cost of $6.86. If we’re still using our traditional top loader then we are looking at a cost of $10.98 per year. Drying isn’t even an issue because line drying in the sun is the best for cloth diapers. It is gentler, removes stains and keeps our diapers free of any fabric softener sheets our dryer might be hiding!
The other hidden cost of laundry is, of course, detergent. Tide original powder is a commonly used detergent with cloth diapers. According to Amazon (Walmart and Target both do not list prices for the Tide powder) it is $54.90 for 2 boxes that wash 120 loads each. Over our three years of cloth diapering we will then use 5 of these boxes for a total cost of $137.25. So with water and detergent usage factored into our cost we are now at $673.45 if we have an HE washer and $685.81 if we have a traditional washer. Even if we’re spending an extra $100 a year (which would be outrageous!) in energy costs for water heating, etc we are still well ahead of disposable diapering!
So let’s get on with making our stash a little more convenient. Let’s forget these cheap prefolds and covers and go entirely high class convenience. One of the most popular brands of all-in-one (AIO) cloth diapers is bumGenius. They offer a cloth diaper that works just like a disposable without the garbage. The diaper has a snap system to adjust it to fit your baby’s size and there is nothing to fold or snappi or pin or stuff with inserts like with the other types of diapers. You simply snap these diapers on your baby and then remove and toss in the wash when they are soiled. We’ll go for the absolute top of the line and price an entire stash of bumGenius AIO organic diapers. On the Mom’s Milk Boutique website these diapers are priced at $22.08 each when you buy a dozen or more. So let’s make these our entire stash and get 2 dozen so we can still do laundry every other day. Our 2 dozen top of the line diapers will cost us $529.92. And the best part is that they should fit from slightly after birth (once the umbilicus falls off) until potty training. All we need to do is add in our 4 dozen cloth wipes and our wet/dry bag. Our total cost is $607.91.
Amazing! For three years of cloth diapering we have spent a little over $600 on a top of the line system. Add in our utility and detergent costs and we are at a maximum of $778.10 for our baby girl’s diapering costs. Factor in the ability to either resell or reuse the diapers for another child and cloth diapering is the clear cut winner. If we reuse our stash with only one more child we have cut the cost down to $303.96 per child (not factoring in utility or detergent costs for the second child since these will change over the course of 3 years). Not to mention the reduced amount of household waste we’re sending to the landfill every week and the fact that we should almost never need diaper rash cream or ointments! Plus our baby girl will grow up without being exposed to the harsh chemicals found in disposable diapers!
I can’t find any argument that would sway me to believe disposable diapers are worth the risks and the money. In the time it takes me to lug a bag of nasty diapers to the curb I can easily throw in a load of laundry. And there will be no more emergency runs to the store because we’ll never run low on diapers when we use cloth. Fewer trees will be cut down to make disposable diapers if more people would use cloth. Water is a renewable resource so washing a few more loads of laundry each week shouldn’t have a huge environmental impact as long as you’re not under a drought warning. And with cloth we don’t have the excrement leaching into our ground water. Cloth diapering simply blows disposables out of the water in every aspect from environmental to financial impact. Cloth is for sure the ‘greener’ bum!
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers from Walmart
Size Weight Range Cost Per Pack No. of Diapers per Pack Cost per diaper
Newborn up to 10 pounds $30.00 124 $0.24
One/Two up to 15 pounds $32.54 192 $0.17
Three 16-28 pounds $38.00 174 $0.22
Four 22-37 pounds $38.00 156 $0.24
Five 27+ pounds $38.00 136 $0.28
Six 35+ pounds $38.00 112 $0.34
Months Diapers per day Cost per day Cost per month (30 days) Total for these months Unused Diaper Cost
0-3 12 $2.88 $86.40 $259.20 $10.80
3-6 8 $1.36 $40.80 $122.40 $7.76
6-18 6 $1.32 $39.60 $475.20 $18.80
18-24 4 $0.88 $26.40 $158.40 $31.60
24-36 2 $0.48 $14.40 $172.80 $17.20
Total $1,188.00 $86.16
Pampers Baby Fresh scented wipes
Months Wipes per day Wipes per month (30 days) Total Wipes Total Cost
0-3 24 720 2160 $75.60
3-6 16 480 1440 $50.40
6-18 12 360 4320 $151.20
18-24 8 240 1440 $50.40
24-36 4 120 1440 $50.40
Total $378.00
Cloth Diapering Cost Each Total Cost
6 Bummis Super Whisper Wraps $11.00 $66.00
6 Newborn Bummis Wraps $11.00 $66.00
2 dozen newborn prefolds $1.75 $42.00
3 dozen small prefolds $2.00 $72.00
4 packsof a dozen cloth wipes $12.00 $48.00
Planetwise wetbag $29.99 $29.99
3-pack snappis $7.55 $7.55
Total for months 0-6 $331.54
Cloth Diapering 6-36 months
6 medium Bummis SWW $11.00 $66.00
2 dozen medium prefolds $2.25 $54.00
2 dozen large prefolds $2.67 $64.08
Total for months 6-36 $184.08
BG Organic AIO cloth diapering
24 BG Organic AIO's $22.08 $529.92
4 dozen cloth wipes $12.00 $48.00
Planet Wise wet/dry bag $29.99 $29.99
$607.91
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
May is Doula Appreciation Month!
In my quest to avoid all of the interventions that I received during my labor and deliver with Gemma I have begun interviewing doulas. I believe I have found my doula and I will be officially hiring her May 2!
To show our appreciation for doulas and the service they provide a fellow mommy has started a giveaway. Please follow the link to her blog and show your appreciation for doulas!
Giveaway!
To show our appreciation for doulas and the service they provide a fellow mommy has started a giveaway. Please follow the link to her blog and show your appreciation for doulas!
Giveaway!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Life is crazy
I haven't updated in forever. Really pregnancy has made me feel like a giant blimp and my family's opinions aren't helping! My wonderful husband (we got married March 22!) is apparently nesting as he ripped out our entire kitchen and rendered the whole house pretty much useless for the last couple weeks. That's finally starting to come back together but now he is planning further renovations throughout the house! *sigh*
Work picked up for awhile as well. I went from getting 1 day a week if I was lucky to getting 3 or 4 full days. Between my main job and my real estate I got very behind on school. On top of that Gemma's attitude has gotten out of control. I think she is finally starting to understand that she really is getting a little sister and she really is going to have to share her room, her toys and her mother. She is one VERY unhappy camper a lot of the time now.
Exercise of course took a backseat during all of this. At my 21 week appointment I was up somewhere around 15 pounds already. I said enough is enough and started doing Wii Fit. Anything's better than nothing right? Now the running bug is really biting and telling me that my treadmill is lonely and the weather has been so nice most of these spring days that I am REALLY missing out. So I broke down and ordered a Gabrialla support band and I plan to start run/walking again as soon as it comes in. I'm also eyeing up the BOB jogging strollers for post-partum. I only hope I can stick with all these big plans!
Between planning a natural birth, breast feeding, cloth diapering and staying fit (along with staying in school and working) I am feeling like I am doomed to fail at ONE of them. Hopefully I won't but in the end a happy and healthy baby is all I really want. Of course, a couple of the maternity running skirts, a bigger sports bra, and a half-size bigger pair of shoes wouldn't hurt!
Anyway, I will add some wedding photos and belly shots soon, I promise! I should be able to add videos soon too, as we just bought the new Flip Ultra HD. Let's hope I can figure it out and get some decent videos to put up here!
For now I will leave you with these:
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