Nappies - cloth versus disposable - is one of the most vexed issues around having a baby. Like breastfeeding, it seems to bring out the inner nazi in many people and cause great consternation. The general thrust of the debate (allowing for some exageration on my part) is that those who use cloth nappies are environmentally aware angels, while those who use disposables are hellbent on destroying the world into which they’re bringing their child.
When Finn was born we started out using cloth, thanks to the nappy service Judy gave us and went to disposables when that ran out. For Leila we were going to use disposables from the beginning, but I’ve recently had a bit of a change of heart.
Disposable nappies are expensive. A week’s supply for a newborn baby costs about $15, which mounts up quickly. The recycling service we used for Finn’s disposables (which was also an expense) has closed due to “technical difficulties” with no sign of reopening so, Leila’s nappies would be going into landfill.
We already have about 36 cloth nappies, which weren’t really used for Finn. All I need to buy are pilchers (nappy covers which are getting surprisingly hard to find - good ones at least), fasteners and a bucket to put the used ones in. A bit of the reading I’ve done recently has suggested that it’s not really necessary to do all the bleaching and soaking that has traditionally been associated with nappy washing, so there’s not as much work involved as I thought. The same sources have suggested that only the water from pooey nappies cannot be reused. The water from wet nappies is fine. So there’s not as much water wastage as I thought. And I will be home with the time to do the washing and tweak the system as needed.
So Leila will start off in cloth nappies. We’re still going to use disposables for outings and as a backup for the inevitable time when the cloth ones don’t get washed or dried in time. If the cloth nappies go well, ie. we don’t have problems with nappy rash or getting them washed and dried, etc. I’ll seriously consider investing in one of the fitted nappy systems around, like Baby Beehinds to use as Leila becomes more active. The initial outlay for these is a bit much, though, until I’m sure I’m going to keep doing this.
In the last week or so I seem to have developed a case of insomnia. I go to bed at a normal, reasonable time - anywhere from 9.30 to 11-ish - feeling well and truly tired enough to sleep. I lie there for half an hour or so becoming steadly more wakeful and twitchy and then I get up again. I sit in front of the computer, getting bored, until I’m ready to try again which is usually about midnight - 1am. Then I go to sleep.
I’m awake and generally up again by about 7am, so I’m getting between 6 & 7 hours sleep broken up by at least 2 or 3 toilet trips. It’s not enough. A nanna nap during the day is a necessity just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
This morning I was all wide awake at 5.30 so I got up and waited for Mark to be out of bed before I went back and slept until 7.30. I feel awful, so I’ll be back into bed again soon. The really annoying thing is that it’s becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. I go to bed expecting to be unable to sleep and, of course, I am. I’m getting tempted to just stay up until midnight because I know I’m going to be up until then anyway, but that’s not going to solve the problem. Maybe it’s just my mind and body getting in training for the nights I’ll be up with Leila.
With 14 days to go, I’ve decided to get serious about putting together my bag for hospital. I’ve done some shopping and now I need to assemble all the bits and pieces in one place and see if there’s anything missing. Just thinking about it makes me feel nervous.
The Mavis & I … well mostly The Mavis … did quite a bit of work in Leila’s room yesterday and it finally looks like she could come home and use it. She could have before, but now that’s visible to the naked eye. I’m still going to tweak things a bit to get them just how I want them, but it’s pretty much done and that’s a great relief.
Now I’m off to have a nice long nanna nap, so that I’m not cross-eyed with fatigue for the rest of the afternoon.
We’re really coming down to the wire now, although - oddly - it doesn’t feel like it. It just seems too surreal to think that Leila will be at home with us in about 3 weeks. I had much the same feeling when I was waiting for Finn and I was initially quite surprised when he turned out to be real. That only lasted for a moment, though, and then I felt like he’d always been with us. I’m looking forward to that feeling when Leila arrives.
She has turned head down, so she’s getting ready. We don’t want her to get too ready, though, there’s still stuff to be done before she arrives. The change in position has changed my shape - my belly sits lower and isn’t sitting as far out in front. Clothing that would slip below it before will now sit across it. My back and hips are getting more sore and achey as the day goes on. I’m not quite so breathless now, though, which is nice. I feel as though there’s just a little bit more room in my chest and upper abdomen.
Leila’s room is coming along. The major work remaining is just around putting things away and tidying a bit. The Mavis is coming over today to give me a hand with stuff. I don’t know how much more a 79 year old, arthritic, asthmatic woman can do than I can, but it will be nice to have her company while I potter around anyway.
Like a lot of people, I like to think that I’m reasonably conscientious when it comes to environmental issues. We will never own fuel guzzling cars. We’re reducing our water usage and recycling it when we can. We compost. We have energy saving light bulbs and try not to leave lights on unnecessarily. We’ll have a rain water tank when we can afford it. The next washing machine we own will be a front loader that uses less water. I’d like to get a solar hot water system one day too.
But like the great majority of people, this conscientiousness becomes a bit thin when it comes to issues of personal comfort and preference. There are plenty of times in winter when I could probably turn the heater down and put on a heavier jumper, but I prefer less bulky clothing. I could replant my entire garden with drought tolerant plants, but I like the leafy lushness of the exotics. We don’t really need all the gadgets and gizmos we have sitting around here on standby sucking electricity day in, day out, but we like our toys. And I could probably get through this summer without having the airconditioner on as much as I do, but I won’t.
When the temperature gets above the low twenties I sweat like the proverbial pig and the skin on my stomach itches when I try to sleep. I usually sleep really well in the hot weather. I usually like being a bit warm, but not this summer. I will not spend the last 3 weeks of this pregnancy tired, uncomfortable and grumpy. If that means that our CFC-spewing, energy-sucking airconditioner has to stay on 24/7 to maintain my personal comfort, then so be it.
I am rotund, hear me roar.
I couldn’t sleep last night because my stomach was itching. It was probably due to the heat (it was still about 25 degrees in the house). I tried to ignore it, but couldn’t. I put some QV cream on it, but that didn’t help. In the end I opted to sit up and stare at the internet until it settled down. I turned the airconditioner on again to bring the temperature down a bit, which helped.
I was very close to going back to bed at about 1am when Finn got up wanting a drink. I gave him some water, but he was back in about 10 minutes wanting more. This time I gave him a peanut butter sandwich and half a cup of milk, figuring he might have been as much hungry as thirsty. It took him a while to get through it and as he woke up more I think he was struck by the novelty of finding me up in the middle of the night. Unfortunately we woke Mark too, in spite of our repeated sshhhings. When Finn was finally done he went back to bed happily enough & I stayed up for another 15 minutes to make sure he really had settled.
In the end it was about 2am before I actually went to bed and slept and I was up at 7.30. So I am tired, tired, tired. Soon I need to get myself & Finn organised and head off to the hospital for a checkup. I’d really rather go back to bed, but that will have to wait until we get home.
I know I won’t get much sleep when Leila arrives, but at least when I do have the opportunity to sleep I won’t have the issues I have now. 25 days is feeling really, really long at the moment…
Yesterday I got out most of Finn’s old bunny rugs and wraps and popped them through the wash in preparation for Leila.
None of them were really dirty. They’d been washed before they were packed away, but it seemed like a good idea to give them a light wash before putting them away for Leila.
Next job will be to bring them in, fold them and find a home for them.
I’ve decided that from now on I’m going to count down to Leila’s arrival in days. It’s more exciting.
Over the last week breathlessness and dizziness have become almost constant companions. Every time I exert myself a bit (try to walk a little more quickly, bend and lift things, get up from a sitting position) or get a bit worked up (getting cross with Finn or the dogs) I very quickly run out of breath and get dizzy. Sometimes if I just slow down it passes, but most of the time I need to stop completely and sit down for a wee rest. It’s quite frustrating.
And it’s not entirely predictable. Yesterday I was able to potter around out in the backyard for an hour or so without an issue. I cleaned up dog & cat poo, swept and hosed out the chook house and set up a new compost bin. At the end I was tired, hot and sweaty and I did go and have a sleep, but I wasn’t dizzy or out of breath. This morning my head was spinning simply from trying to hurry Finn from the car to the door of the childcare centre.
I don’t recall this happening when I was having Finn, but the pregnancy books tell me it’s quite normal so I’m not going to worry about it. I’ll just be a bit annoyed that it’s getting in the way of me pottering about and doing the things I want to do. I will mention it when I have my checkup on Friday, though, just in case it does have some importance.
Other than that, everything seems to be going swimmingly. Leila is still very active, which is at once very comforting and a bit uncomfortable. And I can’t believe that in only 28 days I’ll get to hold her.
Two of the things I hate most about pregnancy are my stomach itching and reflux.
The itching has been mostly averted by spraying Olive Dry Oil Mist from the Body Shop on my stomach after my shower each morning. When it does strike it’s always when I go to bed and there is very little I can do about it other than wait for it to subside. Tonight it’s particularly bad and I put it down to the windy weather because my skin is itching generally and my stomach is just where it’s worst. Normally I’d take an antihistamine for this because it’s an allergy to dust or pollen or grass or something, but I took one earlier today and really can’t take another yet, so I just have to wait it out.
The reflux is also only a major issue at night. I’ve had the odd day when it’s been a problem but they’re the exception, rather than the rule. Although it’s often described as heartburn, for me it’s much more like ‘oesophagus burn’ since that’s where I feel it. Initially Mylanta dealt with it but then I moved on to Gaviscon. Tonight I’ve taken 2 doses and I won’t know for sure if they’ve worked until I go back to bed.
I can’t go back to bed until the itching on my stomach eases enough for me to go to sleep and until then I’m stuck looking at the internet which is really boring (yep, there’s nothing to look at on the internet … ). I’d like to have a drink or something to eat to alleviate the boredom a bit, but that would ruin the job the Gaviscon is supposed to be doing of creating a ‘raft’ in my stomach to stop acid coming up.
See, this is why I hate these two things so much.
Update: I just ate a bunch of grapes … I’m probably going to regret that when I go back to bed …
Dear Leila,
Just tonight I was hanging out some of Finn’s old clothes and some of yours were only the clothes line as well. Just touching these little clothes made me realise how much I am looking forward to you arriving.
You will be here in a little over a month which seems very soon. I don’t know where the other eight month went so quickly.
See you very soon.
lots of love
your Dad
I was feeling pretty tired today, but I managed to make some progress in getting Leila’s room organised. I’ve removed most of the obvious non-Leila related items so that it looks less like a junk room. I also did a final sort of the clothes.
It’s safe to say that I have most definitely overshopped for Leila. I knew I had, but when I saw all the stuff I’ve bought laid out with the old things of Finn’s I was planning to reuse I realised just how much over the top I’d gone. She has more clothes than Finn, Mark & I combined and that’s saying something - particularly when you consider how many tshirts Finn and Mark each own. Read the rest of this entry »
