Maternity mishmash
My in-laws have been kind enough to offer to pay for our nursery furnishings, which is incredibly sweet of them. They're at the age now where they should be getting to retire from the ratrace, but instead they still both work and help support my sister-in-law and her husband and their 2 kids... I can't help but feel like telling them to save the money and go out to do something nice for themselves. They MORE than deserve it.
Meanwhile, we're scoping out cloth diaper systems. Yes, we are huge hippies. But also, cloth diapering has come a long way since my parents did it back when I was born. As far as I can tell, that consisted of cotton cloths and none of the fancy covers you can get today. Also, washing machines may have improved, because I distinctly remember my parents talking about having to toilet-wash my old diapers. Most "how-to" guides I see nowadays recommend simply removing excess solids from diapers, then running them through a cold rinse cycle to remove most soil, then through a normal hot/cold wash with minimal detergent. That's alot of water, but at least water can be treated - disposables are forever.
I'm also scanning for maternity sewing patterns. I will probably have to buy online, but there are some kind of amazing retro '60s and '70s patterns out there that are WAY better than the modern selection which seems to consist of some ugly tops and huge dresses. I'm always most motivated to finish something if I need to be wearing it, so I think this will work out well. Also, I need to make some DIY BellaBands. ALL THEY ARE IS STRETCHY BANDS OF FABRIC. Fuck spending $25-30 on a branded one if I can sew one (or more likely, several) myself. I applaud their creators for their entrepreneurial spirit, but I don't plan to buy in.
I'm not sure if I will end up hiring a doula at this rate, because I keep punking out on actually contacting them. I really should do it already, though - I will never know if I can find a good fit if I never actually talk to a candidate. I think I will put that on my to-do list for this week. At the least I can find out if any of the doulas nearby are even available when I'm due.
Meanwhile, we're scoping out cloth diaper systems. Yes, we are huge hippies. But also, cloth diapering has come a long way since my parents did it back when I was born. As far as I can tell, that consisted of cotton cloths and none of the fancy covers you can get today. Also, washing machines may have improved, because I distinctly remember my parents talking about having to toilet-wash my old diapers. Most "how-to" guides I see nowadays recommend simply removing excess solids from diapers, then running them through a cold rinse cycle to remove most soil, then through a normal hot/cold wash with minimal detergent. That's alot of water, but at least water can be treated - disposables are forever.
I'm also scanning for maternity sewing patterns. I will probably have to buy online, but there are some kind of amazing retro '60s and '70s patterns out there that are WAY better than the modern selection which seems to consist of some ugly tops and huge dresses. I'm always most motivated to finish something if I need to be wearing it, so I think this will work out well. Also, I need to make some DIY BellaBands. ALL THEY ARE IS STRETCHY BANDS OF FABRIC. Fuck spending $25-30 on a branded one if I can sew one (or more likely, several) myself. I applaud their creators for their entrepreneurial spirit, but I don't plan to buy in.
I'm not sure if I will end up hiring a doula at this rate, because I keep punking out on actually contacting them. I really should do it already, though - I will never know if I can find a good fit if I never actually talk to a candidate. I think I will put that on my to-do list for this week. At the least I can find out if any of the doulas nearby are even available when I'm due.