***CONGRATULATIONS, #169 Ardy22!!!***
who commented...
I liked the cute Nursing Bracelet.
Nobody would ever mistake me for a nature girl. I've never been camping, I'm addicted to air conditioning, and I freak out if I can't wash my hair at least every other day. That being said, I see the value in a crunchy, green lifestyle and try to be more responsible in our lifestyle, especially now that we have kids. I wish I had known more about natural baby care when I was first pregnant with Roo. I assumed cloth diapers were a bulky mess and hard to deal with but now I know there are plenty of cute and easy to use options available.
Parenting By Nature is a great online resource. They have been selling cloth diapers, baby slings and baby products since 2004, which coincidentally is when Roo was born. They offer a wide variety of eco-friendly gear for babies and nursing mothers, as well as tutorials and information to help parents make the right choices for their families, ensuring their continued health and well-being as well as that of the world around them.
Parenting By Nature founder Tamara Champion has two young daughters and is a big proponent of babywearing so the site features not only a wide selection of baby carriers, but also detailed product reviews personally written by staff members, to help parents find the carrier that’s a perfect fit for them. Customer reviews are also a big part of Parenting By Nature and they help make the website feel more like a community market than a traditional store.
I briefly considered cloth diapering with Jasper but I must admit that his stay in the NICU made it pretty easy for me to just go ahead and keep using the disposables. Now that he's nearing potty training, I am contemplating using cloth trainers. Parenting By Nature has several brands available but I chose the Imse Vimse Organic Cloth Training Pants because they look the most like underpants. I love the cute prints and the fact that they are vinyl and PVC-free. They consist of a comfortable layer of cotton on the outside, soft elastic at the waist, three layers of absorbent terry cloth on the inside and a layer of polyurethane-laminated polyester keep clothes dry. We haven't tried them out in earnest yet but they look adorable on him and I have high hopes of ditching pull-up training diapers for these in the near future.
I've also been curious recently about natural menstrual care. Since we're trying to eliminate potential toxins from our cleaning products, paper goods, diapers, etc. it has struck me as rather hypocritical that I've been using tampons for over 20 years now. Two decades of sticking bleached cotton in my nethers. Ick! Parenting By Nature offers Mama Cloth reusable pads and the Diva Cup, a silicon menstrual cup. Parenting By Nature sent me a Diva Cup to try and I must admit that it is a totally brilliant device.
Once you get used to inserting it and removing it (the cup is VERY flexible and foldable!), the Diva Cup is a total no-brainer. Actually, I think it is really impressive to see how little you're bleeding when you feel like you're flowing like an unstoppable river… the Diva Cup has a one ounce capacity but it is rarely even close to full and you only have to empty it 2-3 times daily. You can't feel it once it's in place and I even felt like my cramps were less severe! There is no leakage and I was surprised at how little mess there is involved. True, there is a bit of a learning curve to getting it inserted properly and if you bristle at tampons without applicators, it is probably not for you. (I was one of you but post baby #2, I'll give anything a go. No modesty anymore, woo-hoo!) But if you'd rather avoid the chemicals and environmental waste associated with tampons and pads, I would definitely recommend you give the Diva Cup a try!
Parenting By Nature offers plenty of other things for your family, too, including safe feeding and bathing gear, toys and gifts, and household sundries. Check out their selection and feel free to email them with any questions you might have.
To enter and win a $50 gift certificate to Parenting By Nature, please comment on this post with your favorite item from their site.
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