What's in my Homebirth Kit?

The birth of our 5th baby is just a couple of months away!

I decided to do a birth kit post to show you what I have for our birth.

I had purchased a pre-assembled birth kit,but after going through it I decided I didn't really

need all the items that came in it.

So,here are my BASIC ESSENTIALS for my birth.

La Bassine Birth pool
(not shown-liner and cover)

A 25 foot drinking water safe hose and a battery operated submersible pump for the birth pool.
We already have the connecting adapter attached to the bathroom sink

30 Chux pads-several sizes,some were left over from my last homebirth
2 plastic-backed bed covers

1 roll of paper towel
1 medical scrub brush
Square cut gauze
Alcohol swabs

An old flat sheet
A shower curtain (for waterproof covering of bed etc)
A waterproof bed pad
Plastic drop cloth (painter style)

Blood pressure monitor
ReignBow Birth Herbal remedy kit
Aluminum dish for the placenta

2 styles of postpartum pads-one is wider for immediate use
1 Peri bottle (although I have a second one from our last homebirth)
4 pairs of stretchy postpartum panties

Postpartum Herbal Bath
Foot printing kit and keepsake


NOT PICTURED:
4-5 large towels
3-4 washcloths
Large bowl for ice water
Drinking cup/straw
Iodine,rubbing alcohol and Hydrogen peroxide.
Sterilized scissors for cutting the cord
Braided embroidery thread for tieing off the cord
Heating pad to warm baby blankets
Baby blankets
Camera's!
Diapers
Outfit for baby
Nightgown or robe for momma


Because it's a homebirth,anything additional that we might need is easily accessible.

Enter: "crunchy20" at checkout to save 20% on your 
ReignBowBirth.com order.

For a 10% discount on your purchase from YOURWATERBIRTH.COM,enter coupon code "GivingBirth"

Second Trimester Baby Buys

I have to say,there isn't too much to report in regards to purchases for baby.
With not knowing the gender and already having given birth to 3 other babies in the past 4 years,I just don't need many things!
But,here are some gender neutral items that I have managed to snag up on sale during my second trimester:

*excuse the colorful background,I took these pictures on my bed

Baby sleeper gowns-awesome for night time diaper changes!

Footed sleepers

A soft,plush blanket

A light blanket

Hooded towel and washcloths

And yep,that's it!

I will know in the next 10 weeks or so if I need to buy (girl stuff) or use hand-me-downs (boy).

Pregnancy weeks 24-27

How is it even possible that I am almost into my third trimester?!

I am feeling really good-other than the occasional heartburn at night and a little discomfort if I stand/walk for too long,I barely even feel pregnant!

Sleeping has been more difficult because I really want to sleep on my belly,but I obviously can't do that.

My blood pressure has been amazing and the urine test strip that I used a week or so ago was still showing good results.
I measured my fundal height at exactly 27 weeks and I am measuring 31 weeks.

This baby has such active periods during the day and night....I feel low kicks and high kicks,so obviously he or she is flipping around in there still.

I finally heard a faint heart beat with my fetoscope as well....a very soft and fast "dadadum,dadadum,dadadum".

It's been a bit different not including the use of technology for testing or interventions this pregnancy.
I have consciously opted out of the use of ultrasounds and doppler use,as well as foregoing the screening for gestational diabetes and group strep B-and of course all the other "routine" first trimester blood screenings and such.

It was a very well thought out,very much researched choice to skip the conventional and medical methods of care during pregnancy.

I have moved my bed into the room I will be giving birth in-it's on the main floor right off the master bath,so it's convenient not only for the birth,but also for night time potty runs!

In the next few weeks I will begin setting up my birth supplies and organizing the baby things that I *can* (since we don't know the gender there is only so much I can get out!).

It's hard to believe that in about 3 months I will be giving birth to a baby that I have gotten to know in only the ways that nature provides-through kicks and punches and through the beat of my heart.
It's such a blessed and sacred time....I am so thankful for this experience.

Little Monsters Cloth Diaper Review

Visit Little Monsters

Little Monsters Cloth Diaper Review
I had the opportunity to review an adorable one-size pocket diaper from Little Monsters Cloth Diapers!

Diaper shown is: "Penguin Friends"

My Review: First Impressions

*These opinions are my own.I was provided the product to review,but not otherwise compensated.These are my honest opinions and experiences with the product.


Construction/Design:

I was beyond pleasantly surprised when I saw that this one-size diaper has not three,but a FOUR snap rise setting.
I have struggled with some diapers to get a good fit on my long,lean baby,and having an additional rise setting really helped me get a perfect fit!

The embroidery on the bum made this Little Monsters Diaper by far the cutest diaper I have tried!

The inner material is SO incredibly cozy feeling and has remained soft to the touch after 4-5 washes.
The snaps appear to be very durable and the stitching is good quality work.

Each pocket diaper comes with one Microfiber insert.

Ease of use:

Stuffing the diaper was so simple-the inner pocket material made it easy to slide the insert into place without hassle.

The Function of the diaper was exceptional.The explosion withstanding ability was tested twice during our trial run,and the diaper didn't disappoint.
I also have to mention that I am beyond satisfied with the pocket opening design-no flaps for poop to get onto making for messy clean ups!
We didn't experience any leaks,but I change Jacobi often.
For night time use,an additional microfiber insert would be essential.

The washing was easy.I wash diaper laundry about every 3 days,so the diapers go into my dry bag/pail after being rinsed.Once it's time to do laundry I simply empty them all into the washer with my wet bag.
The stains seem to come out really well and anything that may stick around could easily be sunned out.

"Penguin Friends"

My overall experience:

I love the placement of the snaps and the fact that it has a four snap rise setting.

The soft material that encases the leg and back elastics is a plus,keeping the elastics from digging into baby.

And who can't swoon over the delicate and oh-so-cute embroidery patches on the bum of these diapers!?

Fluffy butts are an eye catcher and the added touch of cuteness makes Little Monsters the Ultimate fashion statement!

I would definitely recommend every cloth diapering mama get at least one of these for her "little monster".

Fully open,it has a four snap rise,three across and ten waist/hip snaps.

Very smallest setting on the waist and rise.Note:This diaper has crossover ability for bitty babies!

First waist setting without crossover and second rise setting.

Again,first waist setting without crossover and third rise setting.

Fully extended rise setting and set on the last waist snaps.

Fully extended rise/last waist setting.Back View.

Soft,cozy micro fleece covered leg elastics don't dig into baby.

Elastic opening for pocket.

Easy for stuffing and adequate room for additional inserts.

Jacobi is 2 yrs old,35 inches tall and 27 lbs.

Getting a good fit was easy thanks to the four snap rise!

Little Monsters are designed for use from 9-35 lbs

The back and leg elastics don't dig in due to soft micro fleece.

These diapers are constructed with two waist snaps and a hip snap= no wing droop!

Jacobi loves his Little Monsters Diaper!

And here is the coupon code for 20% off at Little Monsters Diapers : "crunchy20"                        

Birth Remedy Kit from ReignBow Birth.com Review

 ReignBow Birth.com mini review/coupon code 

http://reignbowbirth.com/

I paid for the products with my own money.The views I express are my own and I was not compensated for sharing my opinions.

Because I haven't given birth yet and I may never need most of these tinctures,it may be difficult to give a fully accurate review of them.

However,I feel that there are aspects of the product that deserve to be mentioned even without use.

I bought the Organic Herbal Kit

This is the kit I purchased

I was surprised at how special the packaging was!

Nice wrapped tincture bottles with color coded dosing instructions.

Color coded dosing chart on the inside of the lid,as well as an additional laminated dosage chart.

I have used the Bach Rescue Remedy twice and could tell a definite improvement in anxiety right away.

*I will do a blog post in the future detailing what-if any-other remedies I may use out of the kit.

 Here is a special COUPON CODE so that you can get your own ReignBow Birth essentials 20% off.

Enter: "crunchy20" at checkout to save 20% on your 
ReignBow Birth order.

Receiving this kit with it's beautiful and delicate packaging made my day.
ReignBow Birth really puts the time and heart into creating and putting lovely touches to their kits to make the receiver feel extra special.

Aloe Baby Tender Defender review

I have had the opportunity to use and share a product review  Tender Defender from Aloe Baby,LLC

http://aloe-baby.com/

Aloe Baby,LLC Tender Defender

On their website,the product is described as useful for many indications,including:
antifungal agent, barrier cream, bed sores, chafing, diaper rash, eczema, external hemorrhoids,  heat rash, pressure sores, psoriasis, razor burn, skin healing, sunburn.

"Naturally Crafted for Babies…"

Designed for babies with diaper rash;powerful,yet gentle.

"…But Great for the Whole Family!"

For Babies AND Children and Adults-how great is that?!

I can use it on my babies,older boys AND on myself!
I enjoy a product which performs efficiently!

"More than 99% Wild-crafted or Organic Ingredients"

Natural healing Botanical ingredients like Aloe,Apricot kernel oil,Rosehip seed oil and Niaouli.

And,it's free from harmful or common allergens such as: petrolatum, detergents, parabens, phthalates, alcohol, artificial fragrance, colors, formaldehydes, nuts, gluten, soy, and animal products.

Please visit Aloe Baby's website to learn even more!

On to my REVIEW: First Impressions

*These opinions are my own.I was provided the product to review,but not otherwise compensated.These are my honest opinions and experiences with the product.


Packaging:

Simply ADORABLE packaging! I mean,that beautiful little baby face melts your heart and the placement of the flowers/herbs is very attractive.
I like the simple,yet cheerful presentation of the colors on the tube that it comes in too.

Fragrance:
There isn't much smell to Tender Defender...it's a very faint,natural herbal smell and doesn't linger after application.
I appreciate that it's not feminine smelling or reeking of synthetic smelling fragrance or chemicals...it's something our whole family can use with ease.

Texture:

It's very smooth and soothing feeling upon first contact.
I would say that it almost has a cooling effect,but not in a burning type of way.
It absorbs fairly quickly and you don't need to use a large amount.

Application:

I have it in the tube packaging,but you can also purchase it in travel packs.
I squeeze a small amount into my palm-about the size of a nickle-and rub it into the effected area.
Within a few seconds it seems to penetrate and then you could apply another product like a natural moisturizer if you wish.


Who tried it:


Skin issues: Case number one.

My second child,Jeremiah is almost five and has the most sensitive skin out of all of my children.
He's always been hypersensitive to lotions and prone to rashes-particularly in the diaper area,but also on his chin and cheeks.
Although he is (and has been for a while) out of daytime diapers,he still requires a pull up for bedtime (progress has been seen lately however!).

There have been times when I slathered on other products and while they worked,I knew they were full of harmful chemicals and weren't really "healing" him.
Coconut oil helped some,but didn't seem to penetrate enough to heal-although it does work well as a barrier cream.

On to: Case number two.
Mommy.
Yep.I can thank the winter season,dehydration from morning sickness and pregnancy skin changes for the dry patches on my arms and dry splotches on my cheeks/jaw area.
It itched and it looked not-so-good-despite lots of lotions..again,coconut oil worked some,but didn't seem to absorb into my skin enough to heal efficiently-many times it would rub off before it could do much good.

How did it work?


Then I received and started using Tender Defender everyday

With Jeremiah,I used it on him several times a day for the first 4-5 days and used a generous amount at bedtime before he stepped into his pull up.
He started out with a HUGE red,painful,dry and just down right irritated looking rash about the size of your entire thumb near his genitals/bottom.
Within a few days he wasn't complaining about it being painful and by one week it had been soothed down to about half it's size and was much less red looking.
Within two weeks it was completely gone!


I used it on myself 1-2 times a day for a couple of weeks,but within a couple of days I noticed the redness was mellowing out and my dry areas weren't so rough.
I've used it for about a month-and slowed down to once a day-and I can barely tell my arms were ever dry and rough looking! They are now smooth like a healthy baby booty!


I have also used Tender Defender on the boys' first sunburns this year.
Their little arms got a bit red and sore looking,so I applied some Tender Defender to them.
The next day their arms were noticeably darker than before obviously,but not looking irritated.


My face sometimes gets dry or red looking after a warm shower (thank you fair skin.....) and I've began using Tender Defender lightly on my cheeks,forehead,chin and nose before applying any other moisturizer or makeup.
It seems to soothe and calm my inflamed skin and it feels nice.

My Final Thoughts


The results that we had were pleasantly surprising and I would definitely recommend this product to other mothers and to people with skin conditions and irritations.
I look forward to discovering other uses for Tender Defender.
I love that it's all natural ingredients and I can use it with complete confidence knowing that it's a safe and effective remedy for my family.

Newly remodeled room aka "Birth Suite"

A couple of weeks ago,we finally set to work (hubby and I) at redoing the master bedroom on our main floor.
It's been used as a play room for the boys,but I will be requiring it as a place to give birth in August.
It has a door off the dining room/entry way and another door that leads into our master bath.

The vision I had was very soothing,neutral and soft colors/decor.
I'm feminine at heart (not just because I'm a woman!) and not too many areas of our home reflect my personality.
I think we captured my vision and desires fairly well and I look forward to bringing our baby into the room that I designed with that intent.

The corner where we plan to set up the birth pool-NOTICE this picture was taken without the flash and provides the best illustration of the natural lighting .

I plan to put my bed on this wall around the time of birth.

A nice shelf I found at a thrift store-as well as the flowers.

I saw this and it spoke to me!

This is where we will set up the birth pool and I have a nice clock
that will go under the floral arrangement on the wall

I will use the stand for putting baskets of birth supplies
and other mama/baby necessities.

Pregnancy weeks 18-23

Yes,I know...I'm bad.

I went from blogging every week to blogging once a month or less!

Let's just say that life is busy and there just isn't enough regarding pregnancy "symptoms" to write about it every 7 days.

As of 18 weeks I started feeling a lot better : I have more energy and am staying fairly active.

Springtime hit around 20 weeks,so I've been spending a lot more of my time outside,planting flowers,mowing the lawn and relaxing in the hammock (between chasing toddlers around!).

We redid the "master bedroom" (which has really been the kids' playroom) on the main floor and I designed it with the vision of it being the place I will give birth.
It turned out more beautifully than I had imagined-and I will highlight that in another post.

Not much to report-my blood pressure has been perfect,ranging from about 118/68 down to 110/54.
I haven't used the urine test strips since the first trimester because I feel great!
My fundal height as of today (24.6) is 28cm...so I'm measuring 28 weeks.

I haven't had any significant swelling in my feet-and when I felt a tiny bit puffy after mowing the lawn,I made sure to drink extra water.

I have braxton hicks contractions frequently;they aren't painful,just fairly intense and enough to take my breath away!
A midwife friend said "Braxton Hicks are a sign that the uterus is toned!" so that's a good thing.

I have switched to using my birth ball (exercise ball really) at the computer desk while sitting-it's better on my posture and my back and hips don't hurt that way.

On the subject of sleeping : When I get to sleep,I sleep really well.
That being said,I really,REALLY want to sleep on my stomach...but I can't.
So far,the night time peeing is to a minimum and I am certainly not going to complain about that!

Emotionally I am holding up pretty well....a bit weepy at times,but not anxious or depressed.

Mostly I'm just relaxing and enjoying being pregnant.
The baby is kicking SO powerfully and often;I felt the first hiccups a few days ago which was so exciting!

As much as I look forward to giving birth and meeting this new baby,I don't want things to hurry up.
I am taking it all in and feeling great!

Pregnancy weeks 13-16

I decided to combine some of the weeks into one post rather than posting every week,simply because not enough was happening warranting a post!

I've been sick!
I had a bad cold/cough and morning sickness was still lingering as of 14 weeks.
Then at 15 weeks I had food poisoning! I spent 36 hours in the bathroom hugging the trash can-I thought I might die! (in the moment I was convinced).

I finally felt better and my morning sickness faded away by just short of 16 weeks.
Then at the start of my 16th week I got another cold/cough!

I have been trying to get a lot of rest,but insomnia has kicked in and some nights I can't relax for bed.
I don't have much of an appetite for food,but I'm guzzling water now!

I feel tons of tiny kicks way down low and I'm already having braxton hicks contractions (it's normal for me to have them this early).

I'm a bit disappointed in my baby bump...it's more pudgy than basket-ball-round....but it has rounded up and out more now.
I haven't gained any weight yet (as of 17 weeks) and that's fine by me.

I still get dizzy when I lay down or sit up quickly,but my blood pressure is perfect (averages 116/64).

My hair is growing at a rapid rate-which will warrant more frequent visits with my friend/cosmetologist-which I don't mind because it's nice to have that extra girly attention!

I've been going for walks with the four boys and our rottweiler pup (Kruppy who is 7 months old and 100 lbs!)
I still babywear Jacobi-I wear him in a back carry with the Ergo,but soon I need to switch to a woven wrap for comfort.

Pregnancy-wise I am feeling GREAT! I only wish that the illness would leave our home-we rarely get sick,but this year has done a number on us.

I measured my fundal height just for fun at 16wks 6 days and I was measuring 19 weeks.
My uterus is just above my belly button and has finally slowed down in growth to match the weeks gestation!

I'm having lots of dreams about the birth-and they all seem so real! It's exciting to know I'll be giving birth for real in 20-24 more weeks!

First Trimester Baby Buys

I haven't purchased too many baby things-most of what I have bought in the last couple of months was prenatal care or birth related-which I will detail in another post.

(you can view my birth kit details HERE)

Bamboobies had a special in December if you took a survey you had a great coupon to use!

New sleepers for a boy......

And girly ones....you know,just in case!

I always buy special booties for my babies-even if they only wear them once,it's a keepsake.

Target had their Gerber neutral layettes on clearance-I got onesies,receiving blankets and burp cloths.

I got a great deal on an Ergo infant insert (used) .

I had already purchased and built up my newborn cloth diapering stash-which you can see HERE