for preemies or twins? Find them at our favorite party goods website.
Posted by Guest on July 25, 2010
The following is a guest post by Laura K. Cowan, founder of 29Diapers.com.
If you considered cloth diapering your twins and then weren’t sure how because they’re so tiny, don’t despair! There are ways to cloth diaper preemies: you just have to know how to find diapers that will fit tiny babies and that will fit two different babies who may have different-size thighs and waists. Both these things are possible, and I have even more good news! Preemie diapers are so small that for once you won’t be doing double duty with twins. You should still only need to do an extra 2-3 loads of laundry per week—the same as you would when diapering one baby.
The benefits of cloth diapering preemies are the same as those of cloth diapering any baby but even more so, because you want to take extra care to protect your preemie’s health, and cloth diapers help you avoid the chemicals found in disposables that have been linked to cancer, organ failure, and hormone disruption in children. Cloth diapers can:
• Save you $1000 per year PER KID over disposables.
• Save 1 TON of trash from going into the landfill, PER KID PER YEAR!
• Only require you to do an extra 2-3 loads of laundry per week.
• Prevent and help clear up diaper rash because they’re breathable.
• Help you avoid the toxins dioxin and SAP, found in disposable diapers.
• Match all your babies’ cutest outfits.
Buying Diapers for Little Babies
For truly tiny babies, prefolds and covers are the best bet, but don’t worry. These days you don’t need diaper pins to use prefold diapers. Instead you can use Snappis, which fasten tightly without any danger of poking baby. Green Earth makes a preemie/newborn prefold designed for little babies. And affordable Proraps makes a diaper cover that is truly for preemies. It fits babies that are 2-6 pounds, and, like the company’s newborn covers, it has a little cutout for the umbilical cord, which makes things a lot comfier for baby in the first few days. Other popular diaper cover brands make covers that fit babies around the 5- to 10-pound mark, such as Mother-ease and Bummis. Finally, an alternative to prefolds is the fitted diaper: Kissaluvs makes a good newborn-size fitted that fits babies 5-12 pounds, so again, choose this option if your preemie is on the larger side. The best thing about diapering a preemie is that Proraps, which are the smallest option, are also the most affordable!
Pocket diapers and all-in-one diapers also come in super-small sizes, but the size range can be a little bigger than the range of covers that are made for preemies. Fuzzibunz makes an extra-small pocket diaper that fits babies from 4-12 pounds, but any diaper that is supposed to fit until 12 pounds will look pretty bulky on a preemie so only go with this option if your preemie is at least 5 pounds. Tot Bots makes an all-in-one that also fits from 5-12 pounds. You can learn more about the differences between prefolds, fitteds, all-in-ones, and pocket diapers here and here.
The Best Kinds of Diapers for Multiples
If you’re diapering two preemies, you may want to use the same diapers on two babies who are different sizes or whose legs are different widths. So, you’ll want diapers designed to fit BOTH your preemies, depending on their weights and the size of their legs.
Prefold diapers are infinitely adjustable, making them a good choice for diapering twins, but different diaper covers are designed to fit different baby body types. For instance, Bummis are specifically designed for skinny babies, with smaller leg holes to prevent leaks around tiny thighs. Proraps fit a wider range of leg sizes. So if both your preemies are super skinny, Bummis may be your best choice, but Proraps will work better if one baby is bigger than the other. Of course, you may want to try both, because you never know what diaper fits best until you try a few different kinds.
Sized pocket diapers can’t be adjusted to fit different babies (for that you need one-size diapers that are much too big for preemies), so if you have two preemies who need different-size diapers or a different fit, prefolds and covers will probably work best for you. Good luck, and if you have any questions, you can learn more about how many diapers you will need, or you can contact me directly on 29Diapers.com to get a personalized answer to any question. Blessings!
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Laura K. Cowan is an editor, writer, and WAHM, and the founder of 29Diapers.com, a baby blog that explains all about modern cloth diapering in one place and teaches readers how to save up to 70% off baby’s first year gear. She lives with her husband and baby girl in Michigan.
Posted by Guest on July 22, 2010
Having a hard time getting your preemie baby to sleep through the night once they have graduated from the NICU? The following guest post applies to all new babies home from the hospital, whether they are were premature or full-term…
10 Smart Parenting Techniques that Will Get Your Newborn to Sleep Longer
If you have been working on getting your newborn baby to sleep longer, it may help if you feed your baby before getting him to sleep, give your baby a warm bath, follow a consistent routine, put a sound machine near your newborn, always be on the lookout for a sleepy baby, create a conducive environment for sleeping, make sure your baby’s diaper is dry, swaddle your baby, keep the temperature right, and be flexible and try different techniques.
As a parent, it is very challenging to get your newborn baby to sleep longer. Though they sleep for as much as 15-19 hours in a day, they do not do this in one period of time and their sleep habits usually make you getting really sleepy and tired as well. To help you get your newborn baby to sleep longer, consider the following advice:
Feed you baby before getting him to sleep
The foremost reason why your newborn does not sleep longer is that his stomachs is still small and he needs to be fed every few hours, usually every two. To help your baby sleep longer, especially at night, feed the baby before putting him to bed. But, be sure not to overfeed him, as this will cause discomfort to your baby and make him sleep less than you expect.
Give your baby a warm bath
A warm bath can help your baby sleep longer through the night as it will help soothe your baby. You can make this a part of your bedtime routine to give him a cue that it is about time for bed.
Follow a consistent routine
Bedtime routines can help put your babies in a good sleeping condition. Although it takes weeks or months to get your newborn baby to get used to a routine, it helps a lot to start introducing it to him early. A warm bath, a good book, and a lullaby can help your newborn baby start thinking that it is about time to sleep. Set your own routine that you think will work for your baby.
Put a sound machine near your newborn
Many white noise machines are designed to help your baby get to sleep easier and stay asleep longer. A sound machine will help cover the noise around the house that might disturb your baby’s sleep, like when you are doing some chores or when a dog is barking. Make sure you choose a sound that is comforting for the baby and not something that may scare him. Alternately, you can keep some classical or other soft music playing all throughout his sleep to soothe him.
Always be on the lookout for a sleepy baby
As a parent, you may often get the wrong notion that tiring your baby can make him sleep easier and much longer. The thing is, when babies are overstimulated, it makes them harder for them to go to sleep. If you see signs that your baby is sleepy, such as when they start to yawn, rub their eyes, and cry, get your baby ready for bed before he starts getting more irritable.
Create a conducive environment for sleeping
Whatever the time of the day is, make your baby’s bedroom a soothing place for him to rest so he will be able to sleep longer. It would be great if your newborn gets to sleep longer during the night so you can get the rest that you need. To help achieve this, differentiate your baby’s afternoon nap and his night time sleep so that he will be able to adjust his sleeping hours. For example, you can lie down with your baby in bed to help her get a nap, and you can do your bedtime routine at night to help her sleep easier and much longer. Keep the room dimly lit at night to help your baby differentiate night and day.
Make sure your baby’s diaper is dry
Wet diapers and clothes can disturb your baby’s sleep. Make it a point to change your baby’s diaper before takging him to bed to give him a comfortable sleep that can last for longer hours.
Swaddle your baby
Newborn babies need security. When your baby does not feel safe, the tendency is that he will not be able to get a good sleep. Swaddle him and make him feel safe and secure, just like those days when he was still in your womb, and give him a better, more secure, and longer sleep.
Keep the temperature right
A bedroom that is too cold or quite hot can leave the baby uncomfortable, waking him up earlier than expected. Keep the temperature right for the weather to help your newborn baby sleep longer during her naps and especially at night.
Be flexible and try different techniques
All babies are different when it comes to sleeping, even twins. Stay flexible, and try different techniques to help your baby get to sleep longer. For some, nursing the newborn will work great as part of the bedtime routine after a warm bath and a good book. Others carry or rock their newborns to sleep. Make sure that you put the baby down when he is already in deep sleep. When you find your newborn already sleeping, keep rocking or let him stay in your arms until about thirty minutes before putting him down to bed to make sure he is really asleep.
Getting newborns to sleep longer is a very challenging task. They get hungry easily, they get scared easily, and they need to adjust a lot to their new environment. Try different things out, see what works best for your newborn, and be consistent when you have found the right technique. Once you do this, you will not only help your newborn sleep longer, but you are instilling in him a healthy sleep habit that will help him as he grows. You, too, can get the rest you truly deserve after all your love and care.
