Comments on: In which I am probably – no, almost certainly – asking for trouble.

By: Earth Mama

Earth Mama — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:24:09 +0000

My mom, who put all 6 of us through cloth nappies, said that the ONLY thing that beats the rash is drying time spent in the sun… I have found this to be true but Surrey doesn’t get much sun sooooo…. I have gone back to the wasteful nappies My little fair skinned red head just couldn’t wear cloth without an awful rash. My deciding moment to pack away the cloth was when I realised that even my lovely homemade herbal cream, that heals EVERYTHING, didn’t touch the rash…. (sniff, sniff, time to move somewhere sunny)

And no, to the need for the child needing to be able to pull pants on and off for potty training. My three year old, who has been potty trained day and night for the past year still runs to us dancing saying ‘wee, wee! wee, wee!’ We pull off his trousers, he runs to the toilet and then back to us to put his pants on. He is practicing with doing this himself but has a ways to go before he perfects it!!

Good luck and maybe you have more sunshine than we do!!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:27:23 +0000

I say go for trying the cloth nappies again:

1. Might have been her entre into eating food that caused alot of the rash problems.

2. Could ease her/you into potty training. I’ve heard cloth nappy kiddos potty train easier because they can actually feel when they’re wet or soiled.

Love cloth “sanitary pads.” Wish I had found them in my teenhood. Also have to use them in conjunction with Mooncup. Killer combo.

p.s. Your wicked choco malt cake rocks the kitchen!

By: Nettles

Nettles — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:47:30 +0000

Erm…if you know what I mean?

By: Nettles

Nettles — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:46:40 +0000

can’t really comment on the cloth nappies because we didn’t have rash issues with them. But I did use “eco disposables” (erm?) overnight because we really needed to sleeeep. Good luck!

On the Sanitary Pad front (*shudder*) for years I’ve used cloth pads overnight, (and I use a Diva cup during the day – much like your mooncup I suspect). I bought mine from a local wholefoods grocer, and they’re brilliant (I’ve had them for 8 years or so) and they’re in perfect condition still, despite years of washing. I’m thinking of making some myself, and there’s lots available on Etsy of late too. It’s definitely worth doing, as like the Mooncup, it saves a lot of waste over the years. Good for the garden too if you soak ‘em in a bucket of cold water after use : )

By: ema

ema — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:05:53 +0000

yogi now wears easy pull up and down trousers(usually leggings or trackie bottoms) to make life for her easier but actually she’s not ready to pull up and down properly by herself yet – it was more that she asked each time, and whined ’til we complied…. she still has days when there are nothing but accidents but can go a week or so without any at all. a day spent with grandma here always is a day with nothing but accidents (no idea why) and yet we can head up to london on the train, spend the entire day trawling round museums, on and off tubes and buses in and out the sling and not have a single accident…..
i have to say we have no lock on our bathroom door and yogi was an incredibly ‘attached’ baby at one point (that is, no matter how hard i tried to put her down i couldn’t physically prt her arms and legs from off me) and so has lots of experience of the toilet, coupled with sister 2 years older who likes an audience in the bathroom….

By: Provincial Lady

Provincial Lady — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:54:36 +0000

From my sister, out teaching in Nanyang: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42384679@N06/4384837638/

By: Blue Witch

Blue Witch — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:22:14 +0000

The original ‘potty training in a day’ bible suggested wearing nothing on bottom-half, or just loose knickers, when using the procedure. Therefore best done in warmer months. Usually people put their children in elasticated easy-on easy-off garments during and shortly after.

Oh – and there was a study I read a few years ago that said children are easier to potty train if they are used to seeing their parents using the loo. Which is obvious, and makes sense.

By: Earthenwitch

Earthenwitch — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:15:27 +0000

BW: Sorry – had to approve your comment (must be because of the number of links, methinks), so it didn’t appear before I replied generally. Re green credentials – well, I hope not; at least we tried real nappies without going straight to disposable. And Mooncup-wise, I have had one for probably four years, so I feel no guilt on that score.

Also, Linzi, thanks for the comment re EC – I actually did some reading about it when we were having real trouble with the cloth, but from what I could gather, we’d slightly missed the boat by that stage, in terms of age…?

And ema, yes – the small girl is twenty-one months now, so knocking on the same age. I don’t think she’s quite ready to do the potty training thing yet, but it looks like that point might not be far off.

Would it be fair to say, as a general any-mamas-out-there-who’re-reading question, that small people need to be able to pull their clothes off and on if they are to potty-train? One of the articles linked by BW above has this ability as part of a readiness checklist.

By: Hels

Hels — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:58:45 +0000

Highly recommend the Mooncup, they last as long as you need them and are as easy to use as tampons without the health dangers or the waste. As long as you aren’t the type who gets squeamish about their own bodily functions (pretty certain you aren’t!)they are perfect. As for the cloth – give it a go, you know you can always go back to disposables and perhaps they will assuage any eco-guilt you may still (foolishly given all you have done and are doing)harbour.

By: petoskystone

petoskystone — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:11:37 +0000

i’m w/carrie on this one!