Wool Soakers... Old School Diapering?

Most of our parents were diapered in cotton flannel with a wool soaker. Then disposable diapers came along when we were in diapers and everyone forgot the wool soaker. That was until the cloth diaper made a modern come back today. New cloth diapers are made from PUL, microfleece, hemp, bamboo and many other types of awesome water resistant and absorbent fabrics. However, the night time leaks still happen, especially with newborns, because they are growing so fast cloth diapers rarely fit correctly for very long. After all these years one of the most skin safe and absorbent fabrics is wool. Add a wool soaker over a cloth or disposable diaper at night and you may just have the winning combination for making it through the night leak free. In our case of have skinny legged girls leaks in the legs during the newborn stage seem constant so we use wool soakers during the day as well.

Where does one get wool soakers? Well they can be found through mama co-ops or second hand for a reasonable price $10-$20 each. However, they can be difficult to get your hands on. They retail in baby stores for around $25-$30 each. If you are only using them at night 1-2 will get the job done. If you use them all the time then 3-4 will be needed. I found I could knit 3-4 with about $24 worth of wool. I found a free pattern online that was simple enough for even a beginner at http://www.ottobredesign.com. This is a European pattern so if you use it remember that when they say "roving yarn" that means "worsted weight yarn" here in the states. I have been very pleased with the out come of this pattern so far.

 My first stab at knitting soakers for my youngest, Etta

Welcome Aggie and Etta!

The month of October has been a busy one for for us. October 5th we adopted a black lab mix puppy which we named Aggie. She is full of energy like most puppies and a fast learner. Cody enrolled her in a weekly puppy kindergarten class which she is quickly learning basic commands and good behavior through methods of positive reinforcement. We found she will do anything you say for cheese.

 Aggie at 11 weeks old

Then on October 13th we welcomed our second daughter, Etta Rose. I went into early labor around 3 AM that morning. At around 10 AM we headed to the hospital. I wasn't on any drugs or pain killers and didn't know how much longer I could stand the contractions, so by 3:30 PM we finally decided to have the doctor break my water. After breaking my water Etta didn't waste anytime and we had her out at 4:08 PM. She weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz and measured 20 inches long, also has the cutest dimple on her left cheek. She has been such a calm and mellow baby. Her big sister loves to inform us when she does get fussy "Etta, crying" Lyra says. Lyra also likes to pick out diapers and hats she thinks Etta will look most fashionable in.

Etta at 1 week old wearing a hat selected by big sister Lyra

Local Raw Goat Milk

After much searching I finally found a small local farm with raw goat milk for $6 a half gallon. Abita Springs Farm is a a half acre farm of 7 goats located in the heart of Cully neighborhood in Portland. Previously to finding Abita Springs Farm I was buying pasteurized goat milk from New Seasons Market for $9.99 for a half gallon. I picked up a half gallon today that was produced just last night and met a couple of the goats themselves. Lyra is in love is now bringing me her water and asking for milk instead.

I was raised on raw goat milk and didn't really think twice about it when it came time to move our daughter off the breast and to the sippy cup. Some people ask "Why goat milk? Why not regular cow milk?" For one goat milk does not contain the same complex proteins that stimulate allergic reactions. It also takes 20 minutes to digest goat milk and can take up to 24 hours to process cow milk (Natural News).

There is also the issue of the milk being raw. Again, I didn't even think about it. However, my husband had never in his life drank a non-pasteurized milk product. His first question was "Is it safe?" Fair question with all the horror stories we hear in the media. Raw milk has many benefits that pasteurized milk does not such as enzymes and nutrients that are often destroyed in the pasteurization process. However, raw milk should be drank within a week and if you can get it from small, local and clean farm then you reduce any risk factors tremendously. Raw goat milk has a much better safety record than that of raw cow milk historically speaking. 

As far as the allergy factor goes. I was raised on organic raw goat milk and have no known food allergies. My husband was raised on traditional pasteurized cow milk and has all kinds of food allergies. Now many allergies can be genetic and it may have nothing to do with our foods growing up, but what is the harm in trying? 

Cheap and Safe Natural Treatments for Yeast Infections

Like many moms to be when I am pregnant I question everything. When it comes to yeast infections, which is unfortunately very common during pregnancy and even more so during a nice hot summer, modern medicine does not give us a lot of treatment options. If you see a regular doctor they will tell you that Monistat 7 is the safest thing on the market and not to insert it too far into the vagina. That doesn't leave me feeling all that trusting of long term affects of Monistat 7. After much research I chose 3 natural remedies to try (listed below with their results). I found these remedies to be the most supported my midwives. I might also add when fighting a yeast infection all refine sugars are cut from the diet and yogurt consumption should be increased.

• Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)- 5-10 drops in your morning and evening tea. Also, rinsing after each bathroom visit with a (GSE) solution of 10 drops to 1 cup water.
• Results: Seems to prevent yeast infections but no real effect once you have a full blown yeast infection. On a side note GSE in your tea twice a day does help morning sickness and acid reflex, so that's a pregnancy plus!
• Cider Vinegar- 2 cups cider vinegar in a 15 minute waist deep bath twice a day. Also adding a couple teaspoons of cider vinegar to a glass of water each morning.
• Results: Bath does relieve the itching temporarily but does not eliminate the infection nor does drinking the cider vinegar.
• Garlic Cloves!- Peel papery skin off garlic clove and insert into the vagina. If infection is a particularly bad one cut in half or skin clove with a knife to expose garlic juice before inserting. Simple insert clove before bed and throw it in the toilet in the morning. If you want to continue using during the day simple change the clove every 2-4 hours. 
• Results: Amazing! Garlic is a natural yeast killer, just ask any pizza or bread maker. If your yeast infection is a bad one then the skinned garlic is going to burn and sting at first, but if you can bare it the relief you will feel within minutes will be worth it. It also will kick the beings of a yeast infection in one night. A more advanced yeast infection will need to be treated for more days. Most people do this treatment at night because the smell and taste of the garlic in their bodies can make them crazy during the day. This method kicks a yeast infection quicker than Monistat 7 and is significantly cheaper. On a side note garlic also kills Strep B bacteria, so it might not be a bad idea to use a couple nights before your Strep B culture test if you are in the later stages of your pregnancy.

Yeast infections are not just for pregnant women they strike all females at one point or another, so I hope this blog post proves helpful. Good luck to all!

A Hidden Gem of a Blueberry Field

If you live in the Portland area then you probably know that Sauvie Island is the place for u-pick berries, but how many folks travel beyond the well known Pumpkin Patch Farm? Well about 2 miles pass the Pumpkin Patch Farm is a wonderful little blueberry patch ran by Joan, a wonderful lady! She grows a later fruiting blueberry that is currently in full swing. She has a patch on each side of the road and charges $2.50 a pound. She grows completely organically and doesn't even use fertilizer and her berries are amazing. The patch next to her house is still on the young side but the patch across the street from her house has so many berries the bushes can hardly hold themselves up.

Lyra approved blueberries!

We picked 12 pounds of berries. Two pounds for eating and 10 pounds went into the freezer. Great all winter for smoothies, pancakes, teething toddlers, and anything else you can think of!

So if you are up for some great picking look for signs for "Organic Blueberries" and "U- Pick Blueberries" about 2 miles pass the Pumpkin Patch Farm. Knock on the door of the white house on the right side of the road and ask for Joan. You won't be disappointed.

Prenatal Yoga for Mama!

This is my second pregnancy and having a 19 month old at home means little time for any focus on the mind and body. However, if you can manage to get an hour and a half to yourself once a week to attend a prenatal yoga class it is worth it! Most of us suffer from backaches and leg cramps especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. Yoga is a great way to relieve some of these things as well as help clear your mind. I did yoga all through my first pregnancy and just the third trimester and if you are having a low risk pregnancy its worth trying. Saturday morning is daddy and daughter time while mommy sneaks out for a couple hours to yoga.

When I first started prenatal yoga in 2011 there were only a couple studios in Portland with regular classes of prenatal yoga, since then, they have been popping up all over. I compiled a short list of some local yoga studios in the area offering regular prenatal classes. I am sure there are other hidden gems in town as well. I have only attended Yoga Pearl but I have heard many good things about many of these others.

NW Portland

Yoga Pearl

NE Portland

Yoga Shala of Portland

SE Portland

Alma Education & Movement Space

Mandala Yoga

Motherwise Yoga

Beaverton

Heart Song Yoga

Vancouver

Vancouver Yoga Center

Another Girl!

Cody and I are expecting our second daughter mid October. The time has been flying by! In finding out our second child was a girl Cody has asked to adopt a male dog. I have promised him he can have a dog once both his daughters are potty trained. I will only potty one creature at a time! The great thing about another girl is we have most everything we need already. Some newborn clothes and a few new diaper shells and we are ready for round two! After much debate Cody and I decided on the name Etta Rose. Etta because we love it and Rose for Portland (aka the Rose City). I am slowly transitioning our extra bedroom into a bird theme nursery.

Ultrasound of little Etta yawning

This week we move into the third trimester and the hottest part of the year "oh yeah!" I am also chasing around our 18 month old daughter, Lyra, who has learned that if you don't like a poopy diaper just rip off the diaper and run for it! She has also decided she no longer wants to drink out of sippy cups. We had to purchase some small plastic cups so she could drink like a big kid and not slam mom's glass cups on the hardwood. I must say she is getting pretty good at drinking out of a regular cup and dumping a little on the floor and then asking for "more!" Everyday is an adventure and we look forward to more.