Question - Diapers

Sorry guys... because of the holiday I'm posting this weeks question today. I hope that you all had a great and stress free weekend. It's always nice to have a few days off!!!

Today's post is a question from a friend of mine who is going to be having her first baby this fall. Let us know what you think!!!

"I would like to start getting some diapers now but really don't know where to start so I thought I would ask what brands other people use and start from there! So let me know your opinion about diapers and even any other suggestions with baby products!!"

- Ally Parker

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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are also important to you!!!

Product Review - LilyPadz

Recently I tried this product called LilyPadz. It's a nursing pad that is non-absorbent and sticks to your skin stopping leaks with pressure. I would have to say I'm disappointed in the product and don't think I will be using them again. I got them on recommendation from a friend who loved them and so it may just be that they aren't for me but I was not impressed by them. I got these because I was told that I could save money by purchasing them as opposed to the absorbent pads I had previously been using because they were reusable. They worked fine through out the day as long as I washed them after every feeding which wasn't convenient while I was out and about. They also took about 10-20 minutes to dry and that left me with no back up during that time. When I applied them they basically inverted my nipple creating what I can only describe as a "moat". When I would start to produce milk after having a letdown sensation, my milk would pool into "the moat" and it would create an even bigger challenge because when it came time for my daughters next feeding I would have to balance my wiggling baby on my lap while trying to stay covered AND not splash the collected milk all over her and myself. It was often frustrating and not worth the struggle.

When it comes to saving money I was told, by the store representative, that the product would last up to 3 months and was guaranteed to do so. I purchased the LilyPadz for about $20 and I figured this probably would save me a decent amount in the long run because I go through a box of 60 regular nursing pad about every 1.5 to 2 months. Those boxes cost me about $5-7 depending on the style and brand and at that rate if I could get an extra month out of these new pads I thought I could be getting a pretty good deal, even if they weren't fantastic. When I got home and read through the instructions on how to use the product I found that they are only guaranteed for 2 months worth of use. This meant I just spent an extra $10 on something that was only going to work for the same amount of time as the much cheaper product I was originally using. That on top of the quality problems really disappointed me.

If I must find one good thing about the product I would have to say they were great for nights when I didn't want to sleep with a bra on. It was great to have a short break but the long hours at night made me leak onto our comforter and sheets and I soon found that I was spending more money on the product and I was increasing my costs even more by having to spend extra money taking my comforter to the laundry mat.

My overall feelings on this product is that if you have something you like don't change. It's not worth the struggle to try to make them work and the maintenance on them is too time consuming especially when we don't have that much in our days already. They aren't a pricey item like some other things out there but they are just expensive enough that the extra $10 every 2 months can be wisely spent on other more usable things.

If you've used this product please tell me what you think. If you think there is something else that better out there please share. I can't wait to hear what you all think.

Cheris Vreeken
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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are also important to you!!!

Still figuring things out

Hey I just figured out how you all can post your own comments on the site without having a blogspot account. If you go into the comments section at the bottom of the post. and type in your message and select the "Name/URL" option and you can post your comment under your name. If you want to do it anonymously you can select that option and it will just say anonymous. Sorry it took me so long to figure that out. Now anyone can add their incite without all of the run around. You'll still have to email me if you want a topic added for discussion but now you can control your comments and make them a little more personal.

I'll try to get this stuff figured out sooner so it's not a distraction to all of the messages posted. Thanks guys!!!

Question

I'm in the process of getting ready to go back to work and I would like to keep breast feeding as long as possible. I've been looking at breast pumps because I know that my hand pump wont keep my supply strong enough to keep breast feeding for as long as I'd like to (12 months if I can manage) and I'm finding that breast pumps are not a cheap item to come by. I've found a few at places like Wal-mart or Wal-greens in the $30-$50 range but I don't know if they are just going to be a waste of money. It seems like everyone else sells pumps for $150-$250 and I'm not sure if they are cheaper because they are single pumps or if it's just because they are poorer quality. I don't know if it's something I really need to invest good money into or if a cheaper one will suffice. I'm also looking for one that will potentially last through all of my future children. I don't want to have to replace it each time I get pregnant.

Does anyone know of a good brand or a good way to find one that will do it's job and last a few years but wont cost me a house payment to buy?

Thanks,

Cheris Vreeken

Welcome to the club!!!

Hey guys!!!

So I'm starting this blog because I think it would be fun to have a place where we can all get together and just enjoy the words of each other. I was thinking about doing a facebook group but that limits the access many mothers who don't have facebook accounts have to the group. Because I don't know how to set up a forum just yet, my husband Paul is in the process of learning and I don't want to wait much longer, I felt that a blogspot would be the next easiest option.

I think every mother has something great to share and I'd also like to build a network of great moms to lean on. When I was anticipating the birth of my daughter just 2 months ago I was constantly asking questions and found that the advice that experienced mothers had was invaluable. Now that I've got her here I'm still finding that their experience is getting me through the little worries each and every day. I'm hoping that many of you are finding
the same help from family and friends and would like to join in sharing the advice you have found helpful.

I want this blog to be open to anyone and everyone who wants to contribute. I'm thinking that the easiest way to do this is and keep this site secure is to have you all send me your thoughts and interests by email and I will update the blog regularly. To do that I would love it if you would be willing to email me your thoughts and ideas, things like brag reels and great product info. Also, I love reading blogs that many of the mothers I know already write on for their own families and if you don't mind as I read them and notice things you post about products and advice you give openly I would like to post some of that on the blog so that we can all learn from each other.

I'm going to start sending out the information to my friends who are already mom's, are soon-to-be mothers, or are ladies who want to become a mother but are just waiting for the right time. From there I ask that you pass on the site address as well as the email address to anyone who you think would like to have it. You all know someone who you've learned from and who has helped you get through a rough time because they experienced it too. We are all in a similar spot or have been in the same place at one point or another and I think we all have valuable information to share during some of our most difficult and joyous moments as women.

By doing a blog I can keep the site open for anyone who would like to view it. The benefit behind this is not everyone has to have an account of their own to participate. If you don't have a blogspot but you would also like to contribute ideas and stories you still can. All you have to do is email me what you would like posted and I will put it up. I am more than willing to do anonymous posts if you don't want to leave your name or would like it to stay off of the blog but I wont pass on anything that is distasteful or vulgar. If it's something you disagree on I don't mind forwarding the information because I believe opposition not only helps us grow but it also expands our level of thinking. With that in mind I do feel that there are right ways and wrong ways to express opposite opinions and I will not pass on any thought that doesn't benefit the whole. That being said I will not edit anything that comes my way. Your words are your words and you chose a particular way to put them together. Any contributions that come to my email for the site will be quoted with a name or with the signature - anonymous. There is a lot we will agree on and a lot we wont but because of that I am excited to learn more about myself by better understanding the world around me through your eyes. Parenting is a difficult task and there is no proper way to approach it, that's why I'm hoping we can develop a network that allows us to tackle the challenges that we all face individually and daily.

What I'm also hoping for is to gain better product knowledge from experienced mothers as well... Like a great particular brand of nursing bras or a amazing pair of potty training pants. If you enjoy a particular product that you think we should all know about please let us know to check it out... and send pictures too!!! I don't want to make this solely a marketing site but if you swear by a certain product please let us know so we can try. Also if you have something that you have created or you know a cheaper way to get by and you want to share it, by all means please do. There is sooooo much out there and I personally find it all a little overwhelming sometimes.

We all have a lot to learn from those around us and we all know that we love to brag about our kids so let get going!!! Pictures, questions, and advice are all welcome here!!! Mothers are amazing and we have the most incredible job in the world!!! Let's celebrate the gifts we've been given and help others who are anticipating the journey there.

To start off the blogs I'm stealing a question a friend of mine asked on her blog as she prepares to have her first little baby. She asked...

"I wanted to get some different ideas/opinions from soon-to-be mothers or mothers now of what you did while pregnant or what you wish you would have done while pregnant? Just kind of curious of what others did or are doing?"

Start commenting now. I know we all have a lot of great advice to share!!!!

Thanks guys, let me know if you have any questions!!!

Cheris Vreeken