I will never forget the premiere of Twilight. But not because of the cinematic adventure, but because Leah was 2 months old and cried the ENTIRE time I was gone. Until she fell asleep, refusing to take a bottle the entire time. I had never thought twice about Leah not taking a bottle. Sure she'd never really had one before, but she'd never had a reason to. She took a paci, so why wouldn't she take a bottle if she was hungry? Leah never did take a bottle. No matter what we tried. We tried a dozen different bottles, even an expensive bottle that looked and felt like a boob! She went from breast to sippy cup. While this was all fine and dandy, going almost an entire year without being able to leave her? NOT FINE AND DANDY.
From the time I found out I was pregnant with Grayson I vowed that he would take a bottle! I wouldn't wait until he was 2 months old this time. I would wait a couple of weeks until he was well established in nursing, 3 weeks tops, and then introduce the bottle. He took a paci, and even had a bottle in the hospital because of his low blood sugar. A few weeks after we got home I was excited to give him his first bottle! We did everything right. Waited until he was hungry, but not starving. Had Mel feed him, so he wouldn't be confused. I even left the room in case my smell threw him off! We used Playtex Nursers, "closest to the breast"! Right?
Wrong.
Grayson would NOT take the bottle. I hadn't intended to give up so easily. I was determined to stay on him, to teach him to use the bottle. But time went by so quickly, and there wasn't any immediate need for him to take a bottle, so like a lot of things it got swept under the rug. A few weeks later I wanted to try again, but no luck. We tried Nuk this time. No luck. We tried various bottles and nipples and Grayson just wouldn't take anything!!
I was tired of trying bottles and wasting money.
Enter Tomme Tippee!
Tommee Tippe graciously sent me a pack of their closer to nature® bottle to try out with Grayson. I was really reluctant but really desperate and as you can expect really skeptical.
closer to nature® bottles are designed to be the closest thing to natural breast feeding. The super-wide nipple flexes and stretches like the breast and the sensitive anti-colic valve allows babies to feed comfortably with less air and vacuum build-up.
Nipple mimics natural feel, flex and movement of breastfeeding
Allows for easy transition between breast and bottle
First we tried something I wasn't planning on. Formula. Long story of the "why", it just turned out that way. Little man was NOT having it. I was actually shocked when he actually began sucking, that was a first! But as soon as the formula hit his mouth he was gagging. {Can you say dramatic?!} Mel thought for sure it was the formula and said if we tried breast milk he was sure he would take it. This was the first success we'd had with him sucking a bottle! Now if we could just get him eating from one!
A couple weeks later, after an especially engorged morning I decided to pump, and instantly remembered the new bottles! Unfortunately Mel was super busy fixing the lawn mower. {of course} so I enlisted the help of Hailey.
He looked confused, but we persisted!
Finally, Daddy stepped in and took over.
Verdict? See for yourself...
That's an OVER an ounce people! OVER AN OUNCE! GRAYSON DRANK OVER AN OUNCE OF BREAST MILK FROM A BOTTLE!!!
It took time. It took dedication. {It took almost 45 minutes for him to drink that ounce, but dang it, that's SUCCESS.} I didn't give up, and for the first time we saw success.
I can honestly say, other than the insanely boobified bottle, that they don't even make anymore by the way, this bottle is truly the closest to breast that I could find. I've had friends who exclusively breast fed and have had the same problem and I COMPLETELY recommend Tommee Tippee to them now.
One lucky reader will win a 3 pack of 150ml/5 oz. closer to nature® feeding bottles from Tommee Tippee! FIRST visit Tommee Tippee on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TommeeTippeeNorthAmerica click "Like" and don't forget to thank them for the giveway! THEN stop by their Twitter: @TommeeTippee_NA and follow their tweets to stay up-to-date with Tommee Tippee news! Then come back, leave a comment saying why you would like to win these awesome bottles, and fill out the Rafflecopter form. Good luck!
I was so super excited to do my first cloth diaper review! Like pretty much any other cloth diapering mama I quickly became addicted to cloth diapers and I'm always looking for a new diaper to try, new color, new print, etc. When I was offered to do not only a review but a giveaway from Smartipants I jumped on it like a fat kid on birthday cake! Or, like...me...on birthday cake.
I received the Smartipants™ starter package with 1 Smartipants™ reusable diaper, and 1 Smart-Sleeve™ Insert in BLACK! I was so excited to get my first black diaper! ^_^
-
Smartipants™ diapers are both easy to use and easy to care for. Just place the absorbent insert into either side of the sleeve, and it will stay snugly in place until you remove the diaper from your baby. Once the diaper is removed, there's no need to take out the insert -- it comes out in the wash!
All of their diapers are proudly made in the USA!
Smart for your baby: Smartipants™ diapers feature our Leak-Guard Technology, keeping moisture contained, and your baby dry. Our diapers are made with “breathable” fibers and are free from any chemicals or irritants. Smartipants™ reusable diapers are designed to grow with your baby from newborn to toddler, babies 7lbs - 35lbs.
Smart for your wallet: Instead of requiring 7,000 disposable diapers, the average baby needs only 24 reusable diapers, resulting in a net savings of nearly $3,000.00! In addition, Smartipants™ are not only the most advanced reusable diapers on the market, they are also the most affordable! Our products are all produced in our own local manufacturing facilities, and we are able to pass on those savings to you!
Smart for your environment: Every year our country contributes roughly 3.4 million tons of disposable diaper waste into landfills. Using reusable diapers not only reduces the amount of solid waste, it also reduces the amount of harmful chemicals, oils, and trees required to produce them!
My Experience
First Impression: When I first got my Smartipants™ I was surprised. I guess with the low price I was expecting a lower quality diaper. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the diaper was pretty good quality! I loved how soft the inside was, and how wide the diaper was. I've noticed not all CD users like a lot of width in between the legs. I'd rather have too much than not enough though. I really liked how easy it was to stuff with the insert and how because it's open on either end you don't have to pull the insert out for washing.
Closer Look: The stitching looked great, I didn't catch any flaws, and the snaps held strong. One thing I wasn't a fan of? On the small setting the insert was longer than the diaper causing it to stick out of the ends. Having microfiber on baby's skin is a no-no. It was an easy fix though by just folding the insert over and tucking it in the pocket.
Fit and Sizing: The fit was great on my 14lb'er. I think it would fit an 8 to 9 lb'er great too. I'm not normally a fan of the single row of snaps, but didn't mind it with this diaper. I also usually prefer a middle snap for the sizing buttons. The diaper sometimes bunches up in the middle if there's no snap. However, I didn't notice this diaper bunching up nearly as bad as other diapers with only two sizing snaps.
First Use: The diaper held up great! Even through a nap. I don't think it would cut it overnight for a heavy wetter and because of the open ended pocket I don't think you have as many options with adding absorbency. I could be completely wrong in this, I didn't try double stuffing it myself after all.
Overall: For the price, this is an awesome cloth diaper! I would recommend it to someone who wanted to try cloth diapering but didn't have a lot of money to spend.
Buy It!
You can buy your own Smartipants™ cloth diaper with insert at their website! https://www.smartipants.com/ You can get their 3-Pack for only $36.95! That's less than thirteen bucks a diaper!!!! They have great deals going on right now. They offer more than just one size pocket diapers too!! They've got diaper covers, newborn sizes, wet bags, and inserts, and their diapers come in so many fun colors!
Best part?
WIN IT!
You can win YOUR OWN Smartipants™ starter package with 1 Smartipants™ reusable diaper, and 1 Smart-Sleeve™ Insert!!! FIRST stop by Smartipants™ Facebook page click "Like" and make sure to thank them for sponsoring the giveaway! THEN click {HERE} and pick which color you'd like to win! Then come back here and fill out the Rafflecopter form!
Disclaimer: Even though I was given a free sample for review, all opinions are mine and mine alone, and I have not, nor will I ever receive compensation for this review. Thank you to Smartipants™ for providing the products for this review and giveaway!
I've only spent 2 months cloth diapering, and while I LOVE it and would never go back to disposables, I've been dealing with the stinkies for a month now. Half the time I've been cloth diapering. I've been blogging my ordeal, updating when I've tried something new to share the results, venting my frustrations, and to beg for help! After trying literally dozens of different wash routines, soaking, adding water softener, etc. help finally came in the form of Rockin' Green Hard Rock Laundry Detergent!
As soon as I received my samples of Rockin' Green Hard Rock, and a sample of Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer I got to work! Okay, so the Funk Rock is so new that the sample I got wasn't in any marked packaging so I instead of doing the smart thing and contacting customer service I decided to just follow the directions that were on the Hard Rock detergent. I started with a tub full of super hot water. I threw in 4tbsp. of the Funk Rock, and then added some water I boiled on the stove for good measure. Then I threw in all my dipes for a good long overnight soak. The next day I wrung, rinsed, then did a cycle with the Hard Rock detergent. I was SO excited to use the diapers and see if it worked! Sadly, it didn't. It didn't work. And I wanted to cry. The ammonia was STILL there.
Immediately I did what I should have done in the first place, I emailed Rockin' Green's customer service. {May I add that they have amazing customer service?} I told them my issues and everything I had done. I received a reply almost immediately saying what I had done wrong and instructions on what to do next. Lesson 1: DON'T do overnight soaks with Funk Rock. Lesson 2: Don't mix Hard Rock and Funk Rock.
I cleaned all of my dirty CD's and put Grayson in a GroVia shell with a BioSoaker insert and got to work. I started, per their instructions, "1. Soak your diapers in hot water between 130-150 degrees for several hours, with no detergent or funk rock added.". Done! I then wrung all the water out and threw them in my washer for several hot wash/cold rinse cycles to help rinse out anything "lingering". {I always struggle with just how many "several" really is. I don't know why.} I did four detergent-free wash cycles, and felt that was plenty. I then moved the dipes back to the tub for Step 3: "Complete a one hour soak in hot water between 130-150 degrees with up to 4 Tbsp of Funk Rock (this is good for up to 20 diapers). Complete this step only if you are working on removing ammonia build up from your cloth.". {Which is exactly what I was trying to do.} DONE! I then wrung the diapers out, AGAIN, and moved on to Step 4: " After the one hour Funk Rock soak, complete an full regular wash routine: initial cold rinse or wash, hot wash with regular amount of detergent, 1-2 final cold rinses.". Step 5 was simply, "Dry like normal.".
I don't think I've ever been so nervous in all my life over diapering. I couldn't wait to put a diaper on Grayson and have him pee in it. Never in my life would I have ever imagined wanting to SMELL a pee'd in diaper. {Seriously, what have I become?!} I put him in his last Biosoaker overnight while the diapers dried and waited 'til morning. First thing I put him back in a BumGenius 4.0 and waited. We fell back asleep for a morning nap and when we woke it was time to change him and time to see if my efforts had paid off!
Verdict?
GOD BLESS ROCKIN' GREEN FUNK ROCK! After over a month of battling, the ammonia monster has been defeated! I could seriously jump up and down for joy. No burning hot smell, just PEE.
For anyone battling ammonia, diaper stinkies or even just smelly laundry, mildewy towels, etc. I HAVE to recommend Funk Rock.
About Rockin' Green:
Rockin' Green is an eco friendly detergent that comes in 3 CUSTOM designed formulas! Soft water? Hard water? Middle of the road? Rockin' Green has you covered! Their detergents are dye free, come in several yummy scents {and an unscented version for sensitive skin}, no fillers, no enzymes or optical brighteners, they're 100% phosphate free, vegan, are great for sensitive skin and much more!
Rockin' Green is NOT just a cloth diaper detergent, in fact they're doing a really cool thing right now that they're calling:
You can sign up and receive weekly cleaning tips via email, OR text messages sent straight to your phone! The once a week tips will include laundry tips, household cleaning tips, stain removal, and dish cleaning tips! You can sign up {HERE}.
Now for the best part! One lucky reader will WIN your own 45/90 load bag of Rockin' Green detergent in your choice of formula and scent!!
Disclaimer: Even though I was given free samples for review, all opinions are mine and mine alone, and I have not, nor will I ever receive compensation for this review. Thank you to Rockin' Green for providing the product for this review and giveaway! Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!
