The Dummy Challenge

Both my boys have been dummy boys from pretty early on. Mr Sociable liked to comfort suck (for hours), so the lactation consultant suggested I use a dummy after each feed. They were a lifesaver when he was a newborn! After trying a few different brands, Mr Sociable settled on some cheapish Tommee Tippee ones. Once he had grown attached to these, he wouldn't use anything else. He maintained his love of dummies until he was almost 3 years old. One day, he announced that he was a "big boy" and didn't need dummies anymore - so we threw them in the bin!

Mr Sociable, at 5 days and 16 months

After such a positive dummy experience first time around, I planned to use dummies with baby #2. While I was pregnant, all of the "BPA-free" baby products were starting to be released. I felt guilty about all the BPA-containing products that we had used with Mr Sociable. I purged our baby bottles and Tupperware cupboard. I researched bottles and dummies that did not contain BPA. At the time, the only BPA-free dummies were Happy Baby (which had been recalled) and Avent. So, I bought the expensive Avent dummies, hoping I could later convince him to switch to a cheaper brand when other manufacturers caught onto the BPA-free trend.

At the hospital with Mr Fun (1 day old) - he looked so cute with those massive Avent dummies!

Mr Fun has had good times with his Avent dummies. He has worn them rock-star style; he has learned to put the entire thing in his mouth; he has worn them two-at-a-time.

My rock star; Mr Fun thought the plastic part of the dummy was better for teething ;)

But then, he started to bite through them. Buying the Avent dummies started to get expensive. I had a packet of the cheaper latex ones that Mr Sociable used to like. I threw out Mr Fun's precious Avent dummies and gave him the Tommee Tippee ones. He looked at them, put them in his mouth, spat them out, put them in, spat them out, put one in his mouth and.... left it there. Success! He made the switch. No dramas! Hooray!

Within a week, he had bitten through both of the Tommee Tippee ones. They didn't seem so cheap anymore either...

So this week, I tried the cheap, cheap, cheap cherry-shaped latex dummies from Kmart. They are BPA-free & only $2 for 3!! I washed one at the shops and gave it to him straight away (in case I had to buy something different while we were still there). He accepted it with no dramas. Apparently, he is not as fussy about his dummies as he is about his food ;)

Kmart dummies

Mr Fun modeling the new dummies

Ready for bed (yes, he takes a spare dummy in one hand & a bike/car in the other)

Have your kids had a preference for a particular brand of dummy? Have you tried to switch them to another brand?

I love... cloth nappies (most of the time)

We decided that we would use cloth nappies before Mr Sociable was born. I did a lot of research into MCNs (Modern Cloth Nappies) and, for the most part, have been pretty happy with my choices. Mr Sociable was in cloth during the day, disposables at night. Since I bought some great night nappies, Mr Fun is in cloth 95% of the time.

So, I thought I share what I love about MCNs:

1. Economy! I love that I save about $10/week in disposable nappies by using cloth. 

2. Once you have bought a set, you can use them for subsequent babies. The Baby Beehinds (BBH) fitted nappies can be used from birth right up to toilet training - so one set is enough (so long as you don't get lured by the pocket nappies, all-in-ones, night nappies, etc). I bought most of my nappy stash when Mr Sociable was a baby and am still using them for Mr Fun (just bought some replacement covers, which are relatively cheap).

BBH Fitted - 6 weeks old (Mr Fun)

3. Easy to put on. Some MCNs go on just like a disposable (the pocket nappies and AIOs), others are like two disposables (a fitted nappy + a cover).

BBH Fitted - 4 months old (Mr Fun)

4. Not contributing to land-fill. Every time we go on holidays (and I use disposables), I am horrified by the amount of space that nappies take up in the bin. 

5. They look cute! Look at this beautiful cloth bot :) No need to cover up with pants on hot days!

Greenkids Pocket - 14 months

BBH Magicall - 14 months

6. Clean up is pretty easy, if you line them with flushable liners.

7. Never run out of nappies. Don't have to rush down to Coles late at night because the nappies are all gone :)

8. Washing is surprisingly easy. They don't need to be soaked in napisan or bleach. They get dry-pailed (put into an empty nappy bucket) and washed every second day. In the washing machine, they need one cold water rinse cycle (to rinse out all the yucky stuff), then a warm water wash. The nappies take up about half a load in the machine, so I tend to do nappies & kids clothes together. On alternate days, I do other washing (Franky & my clothes, towels, sheets etc.).

2 days worth of nappies

9. They are a great present. I was lucky enough to receive a large part of my nappy stash as presents from grandparents. I have recently bought some to give to cloth-nappy-using friends when they have babies.

10. You can buy them second-hand if you are looking for a cheaper option. Or, you can often get specials on Modern Parents Vintage Ways.

I love... our hammock

We have been using the Amby hammock for Mr Fun's day sleeps since he was a few days old. He sleeps so beautifully in there. I wish we had one when Mr Sociable was a baby!

 1 week old

 

2 months old (Hannah Jayne Photography)

 11 months old

An Upcycle project: The day Mummy's jacket turned into pants

This past week has been so warm, feels like spring is on its way (hooray)! So I've cleaned out my wardrobe, weeding out all the winter clothes that I haven't worn this year. But what to do with my old velour jacket? Not really warm enough for a cold frog like me, but so soft, so difficult to throw away...

I decided to make it into some pants for Mr Fun.

I started by cutting off the sleeves. I left the cuffs on, so that they could be the cuffs at the bottom of the pants. I added some extra material (from the front of the jacket) to join the two sleeves together, so that the pants would be wide enough to fit over cloth nappies.

Next, I tried the pants on Mr Fun. They were not quite long enough in the rise. So, I cut the waistband from the jacket and made it into a waistband for the pants.

I inserted elastic into the waistband and finished off sewing the waistband.

Finished! They fit pretty well :) I did leave them a little long - so hopefully he will get a couple of months wear out of them before they get passed on to someone else.

DIY drool-resistant bibs

Babies drool... lots! Rather than constantly changing wet clothes, I put a bib on Mr Fun most of the time. But I have discovered it's actually quite hard to find nice, waterproof bibs. Shop-bought bibs often boast that they are 100% cotton (which is pretty useless for keeping clothes dry) or are plastic backed (which doesn't let babies' skin breathe).

So, I have started making my own - cotton at the front, polar fleece at the back. The polar fleece repels the liquid, but is still breathable. The bibs are pretty drool-resistant (lasting for 3-4 hours), but not totally waterproof (eg. if a whole cup of water is spat onto them, some will go through).

 

longer and shorter length bibs

Here's how I make them:
1. Lay out an existing bib on top of a piece of paper & trace out the shape. Modify it to make a shape you like (eg. I've made some shorter ones for younger babies & some longer ones for older babies). I found it easier to overlock when the top ends were shaped as a point, rather than rounded.
2. Pin your paper pattern onto a piece of thick cotton (eg. corduroy) & cut out the shape. Repeat on a piece of polar fleece.
3. Pin the polar fleece and cotton pieces together and overlock the edges.
4. Hand sew a press-stud at the top.

front (orange corduroy) and back (green polar fleece)