When it comes to cloth diapers, I never
thought I would say I’m a believer! I’ve always had preconceived notions of
cloth diapers and the difficulty and amount of work behind using them. Although,  as a mother, I always want to do what is best for my kids, I couldn’t imagine having to use cloth diapers and worry about the care and time I would need to invest in them while caring for 3 children under 2 years old. WELL THAT WAS 12 YEARS AGO, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT CLOTH DIAPERING HAS CHANGED!
 
Last week I was invited to visit the Comfy  Cotton Diaper Service company and while I thought I knew all there was to know about cloth diapers, I was amazed to learn the benefits of not only using cloth diapers but also the advantages of using a diaper service like Comfy Cotton. 
 
The benefits of using cotton diapers for your baby, your family and the environment are endless. Just like we feel comfortable in cotton under garments, babies feel more comfortable in cotton diapers. Using cloth diapers have shown to reduce bum rashes because baby is not being exposed to any harsh chemicals and babies have even been potty trained almost 6 months sooner because they understand the feeling of being wet and uncomfortable and are able to understand the sensations they are feeling.  The money that is saved long term by using cloth diapers as well as having your child out of diapers sooner, can be upwards of almost $2000. That’s a pretty good start to an education fund! And don’t forget that you are helping the environment by reducing almost 1 ton of garbage that ends up in the landfills. 
 
The use of cotton diapers has also changed drastically over the years. Diaper covers now come in every style, pattern and color you can imagine. The old safety pin diapers are no more. Now diaper covers come with handy Velcro tabs just like a disposable diaper or snap on buttons. And many of the diaper cover companies are now designing these diaper covers to grow with your baby by adding different stage Velcro or buttons so as your child grows the diaper can be adjusted in size. The inserts that are in the diapers can be doubled up for the extra wet babies or even adjusted for if you have a boy or girl, since they need protection in different areas of the diaper. 
 
The maintenance and ease of cloth diapers was my biggest concern and this is where Comfy Cotton Diaper Service comes in. Comfy Cotton has been around for 25 years. Their umbrella company has been a major launderer for many Ontario Health facilities, hospitals, universities and institutions for over 27 years, so if anyone knows about laundering, it’s Comfy Cotton. Taking a tour through their facility, I was amazed at how knowledgeable and efficient they are and how they believe in offering the best and safest service for their customers but also reducing their own carbon imprint on the environment. Their facility houses huge washing
machines that are perfectly balance for soap and water by their own on site
technician. The water temperature that these machines reach, are so high, that
the diapers are literally disinfected with every wash. Their extra rinse cycle
ensures that the minimal soap is left on the diapers before placing them into
their huge dryers which are also at high temperatures. These machines  are much more efficient than any home laundry unit and because of this, the amount of chemical, water and electricity that is used by Comfy Cotton is less per diaper then what a family would be using at their own home. Comfy Cotton prides themselves on cleanliness so much that all of their racks, trolleys and tables are disinfected several times a day and any diapers that are not completely stain free, are no longer used. Their dedicated staff work over 15 hours a day to make sure that clients have their diapers cleaned perfectly and delivered on time. The Comfy Cotton drivers deliver diapers every day to families across Southwestern Ontario to make sure that no family goes without their diapers. The best part is that all you
have to do, is put the clean folded diapers on your shelf and dump the soiled
diapers (with their poop inside) into a sealed odor free bucket they provide
you with. Comfy Cotton Diaper Services clearly knows what they are doing, they
have made using cloth diapers so much easier for families and the best part was
when I learned that the cost of using cloth diapers and a diaper cleaning
services is still less expensive long term then disposable and your helping your
baby, your family and the environment at the same time. 
 
So if you’re a new or expecting parent wondering if cloth diapers and Comfy Cotton are for you, I strongly advise you to give them call and learn as much as you can.  I was so impressed with their knowledgeable staff, their passion to help families and the environment and how easy cloth diapering actually is. Although cloth diapers are not for everyone, educating yourself on the options is important, as it may not be what you think.  Taking this tour definitely exceeded my expectations and has made me a believer!


For more info on Comfy Cotton Diaper Services visit www.comfycotton.ca

Thank you Comfy Cotton for an amazing tour!

Debbie Fazio
www.preciousmomentsbabeez.com
[email protected]

Many of us would love to keep our children babies forever. It’s a little bittersweet to watch our children grow from newborns to babies and then to toddlers. Although we try to cuddle them a bit more and breastfeed a little longer, the inevitable will still come that your toddler will need some help with those unavoidable changes and transitions.

 If you are considering transitioning your toddler from his crib into a bed there are a few things to consider. Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic age, as children’s mentality and understanding develop differently, however we do discourage moving your toddler into a bed until at least 2 years of age. When your toddler begins to  understand and communicate with you, this is a good indication that he is ready for a bed and the freedom that comes with it. If you can explain to your toddler that he needs to stay in his bed for sleeps, it will make the transition much smoother. I also suggest that parents try to keep the same room that the toddler has been in all along. Often parents will transition a child out of his room and into a spare room with a whole new look because a new baby  is coming and they need the nursery. However, children can often struggle with such a big change. Keeping the toddler in his current room and only making the change of introducing the bed to start will be the best option. It’s also important to make sure that parents are keeping safety in mind. Now that the toddler will have the freedom of getting out of his bed without supervision, it’s important that the entire room is safety proofed. Keeping the bed away  from windows, securing all furniture to the walls, make sure there are no small or dangerous objects that the child can reach and even adding a gate at the door and door handle locks on the closet. Keeping your child in his room and safe must be a priority. Introducing the Gro Clock and ensuring there is a low watt nightlight will help you toddler feel safe and understand when he can come out of his bed. 

Be sure that you have prepared your toddlers room for the change and also be sure to prepare your toddler. Make sure to talk about the transition for about a week prior to moving him into the new bed. Encourage him that this is a great change by telling him he is a big boy and mommy and daddy are so proud of him. Include him in the transition by letting him pick a new blanket and toy that he can sleep with and also teach him about the meaning of the Gro Clock and how it works. Try to continue the same bedtime routine that he has always had and limit the length of time you spend in the room once you have completed his routine. 

Although we can try to prepare our toddler and ourselves for this transition, be prepared that there may be some crying and frustration with the first few nights in his new bed. But rest assured that consistency and reassurance will help him quickly love his new
bed!
 

Every time I think of the concept of  “Attachment Parenting” my blood pressure boils. As a mom and a professional, I am so insulted and infuriated by this coined term. To label a parenting style in this manner means that any other style would mean “Unattached Parenting” and this notion is ridiculous.  
 
I’m not here to bash Attachment Parenting because this is a parenting style that works for many families. However, it is
not always the best for every family, every child,  every parent or every situation. The claims made that any other parenting style is
harming our children or breaking the bond between baby and parent or even worse, nurturing unattached and unconnected children who will grow up without empathy, caring, security or confidence is ludicrous. 

 
Our society needs to understand that what might be right for one family is not right for the other. The “Attachment Parenting” world has such big views and big voices about their parenting style
but to make others feel terrible about the parenting style they choose, is unfair. As a mother, who had 3 children under 16 months (singleton and twins) and a husband who worked 14 hours a day with no support or finances to get support, there was no way I could possibly use the “Attachment Parenting”  approaches suggested today.   I was the ONLY care provider for my children and to baby-wear, breastfeed on demand, bed-share and try to get at least 3 hours of sleep per day were impossible. I needed to have a rigid schedule and routine to ensure that my children were fed, cleaned and healthy.  Now does this mean, because I did this my children were not loved? Absolutely NOT! I was with my children all day, every day. We hugged and kissed all the time, we snuggled on the floor, we played together at home and at the park, we ate every meal together, we spent every waking moment together AND WE STILL DO!  The bond between my daughters and I is so strong that I still have trouble cutting the apron strings as they grow older. However, when it was time to feed, they ate and when it was time to sleep, they slept in their own crib. I didn’t run to every cry because guess what, the other twin baby was crying and needed
my attention at that moment. Or the twins would cry and I was helping my toddler who was sick with fever. Or everyone was crying and I had to leave the room for a moment because I was crying too! I dare any person out there to tell me I was
a bad mother. I dare any person to challenge my bond, caring, nurturing and LOVE for my children. My oldest daughter is now 13 and my twins are 12. They are compassionate, kind, loving, intelligent, patient, generous and we still do things together every day.  

I am so tired of hearing that “Attachment Parenting” is BEST for baby and is BEST for Mommy. I see clients every day feeling the exact same pressures I did to be the perfect mother. To be able to wear baby all day, sleep with baby all night and hold them in between. I see the anxiety, the depression and the feel of failure because they feel they are harming their baby and  breaking the bond and risking raising a criminal because they need to sleep, they need their baby in their own crib, they need to eat but haven’t been able to because they have been holding baby for the last 6 months. 
 
Attachment Parenting is NOT for everyone.  Our society and the professionals and individuals out there pushing their parenting style down everyone’s throat is unfair and very judgemental. If you
are an Attachment Parent and this style is working for you and your family, this is wonderful! But please stop making your friend feel bad because she’s not. Stop posting mean comments on social media to families who chose to sleep train their child for whatever reason. You never know what kind of day someone is having and reading or hearing a comment about their parenting style could be
what pushes them over the edge. 
 
The reason why this is such a hot topic is because it’s a debate. It has been a debate for the last 60 years and it will be a debate for the next 60 years. There is no 1 way to lose weight, there is no 1
way to bake a cake and there is no 1 way to parent a child. 
 
I leave you with a final message. If you are a parent out their torn between how to parent your child, keep this in mind…
1. show love and compassion to your baby
2. Touch, hug and kiss your baby as often as possible every day for the rest of their life
3. Enjoy every waking moment with your baby spending quality time together
 4. Encourage your baby to explore his world and learn skills that will help him grow and thrive as a young child and adult
5. Be present in your baby’s life through emotional, verbal and
physical interaction.

These are the steps to successful parenting!
 I call it the "Nurture Parenting" Approach!  

 As a new mommy, proper sleep is one of  those all illusive things that is so hard to get but hard to live without! Living on no or little sleep can make us feel sad, moody, irritable and  frustrated and the less sleep we get, the higher chance of postpartum mood  disorder. As a sleep consultant, I often focus on tips for helping baby sleep  better but sometimes tips for the parents to sleep better can often help too! 
 
Here are a few tips to make sure that Mommy and Daddy are getting better and more restorative sleep when they get the  chance…even if it is for a short time!

1.   Just as we encourage babies to be on a sleep schedule, the same is true for adults. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day even on the  weekends. Being consistent will reinforce your circadian clock and sleep-wake cycles and help you sleep better each night. 
 
2.   Try not to consume nicotine, alcohol or caffeine at least 3 hours prior to going to bed. Instead replace it with a warm chamomile or caffeine free warm beverage…warm milk can often help. Although you do want to limit your liquid intake to prevent frequent overnight trips to the bathroom.


3.   Create a bedtime routine for yourself and be consistent. Be sure that it is  a soothing routine like taking a warm bath or shower reading a book or listening to some relaxing music. 
 
4.  Sleep hygiene is very important. Conditioning your brain to
understand that the bed is for sleeping is a great way to learn to fall asleep quicker and easier. Limit stimulating activities such as watching TV, playing on a smart phone or ipad and even eating in bed as it can confuse the mind as to what we are supposed to do when we hit the pillow, making it harder for us to sleep.   

5.  Create a great sleep atmosphere.
 -Your room should be dark to increase your natural sleep hormone melatonin
 -  Use of a white noise machine will help drown out sounds from your partner, the little squeaks and noises your new baby makes as well as any creaks your home may make. This will also help baby sleep better.
 -  Make sure you have a comfortable mattress, pillow and bedding so that your body can sleep in proper positioning and allow you to wake up feeling refreshed. 
- Have your baby sleeping in a bassinet or playpen beside you
  rather than in bed with you so that you can sleep deeper knowing he is safe in his own bed yet close enough that when he wakes you can feed him and place him back quickly. 
-  Have your pets sleep off the bed. Often our loving pets want to
be snuggled up right against us making it difficult for you to move around and get comfortable when you need to thus fully waking you from a sleep cycle to readjust.

 
6.  Include physical activity in your daily routine specifically  outside. This is healthy both physically and mentally and will not only help you  sleep deeper but also reduce postpartum mood disorders. This is also a great for  your baby. However be sure not exercise approximately 2 hours before bedtime as you may then be too energized to sleep. 

7. Keep a notepad and pen by your bedside table. So if you wake in
the middle of the night thinking of things you have to remember to do the next morning you can write them down and forget it. This is also great for tracking your baby’s feeds so you don’t have to try and remember them the next day.

8.  If you have gone to bed and feel like you cannot fall asleep eyt,
get up and do something. Then come back 20 minutes later and try and again! Sometimes although you feel tired, your body may just not be ready to fall asleep yet.

9.  Turn off all phones and even put a sign on your door so that any visitors will not ring your door bell and wake you up once you do fall asleep. 

10. You may want to enlist some help from a night doula or night nanny. This will help limit the disruptions overnight so that mommy can still feed her baby but the night doula or nanny will then be able to settle baby down in another room while mommy goes back to sleep. Or you can choose to pump and allow your helper or dad to offer it overnight so you can get a bit more
rest.

 These are tips that both new moms and dads can use to help get better sleep once new baby comes. Funny enough, many of them
I would suggest for your baby too!

Debbie Fazio
Parenting Coach and Sleep Consultant
Precious Moments Babeez 

What can be more exciting then having a baby?
Having baby number 2!

I was so excited to be an expert on the hit Global Morning Show discussing tips for preparing yourself and your toddler for the new baby but due to the limit of time, I didn't have a chance to talk about all the tips so I thought I would post some more tips on how to prepare BEFORE baby comes.

Organizing yourself!

1. Wash, fold and sort all your old baby clothes and then organize them by size in clear bins. Make sure to put a label on the front. This makes it easier for finding the size you need and putting things back when baby grows out of them. You can also do this with your generic items like baby towels, burp cloths, bibs and so on.

2. Make sure to have a second sleeping, feeding and changing station on the main floor so you are not carrying 2 kids up and down the stairs. You can purchase a playpen with changing area on top as well as a small plastic drawer system for extra diapers, PJ's, creams, blankets and burp cloths. Also, prepare a little basket with water and treats for you and your toddler, so when you sit down to feed your baby, you can both have a little snack. Keep this snack bin, where ever you feed your baby.

3. Start a job jar! All the tasks that you don't get done before baby comes can go in the job jar and when visitors come offering help, you can direct them to the job jar. Some tasks could simply be bringing your toddler to the park, walking the dog or cleaning out your junk drawer.

4. Invite friends to your house for a last rendezvous and cooking party to help make a stock pile of healthy food you can freeze for when baby comes. You can even book a private party at your local Supperworks!

Preparing Your Toddler!

1.  If there are any big changes your toddler will need to make like moving into a different room or going from crib to bed, make sure you do these a few months before baby comes so he doesn't think he has to give up his room for the baby!

2. Buy your little one a doll and start to teach him about being gentle. Teach him how to change the diaper, how to feed baby and even talk to him about breastfeeding and crying so he isn't upset and confused once when baby comes. You can even purchase a little bathing kit so he can learn to wash his baby when you are washing yours.

3. Get a great "I'm a big brother" Book. Read it to him and encourage him that he is big brother. He can drink from a glass and sleep in his bed and he will have to help Mommy and Daddy teach baby how to do these things too.

4. If there are any skills you need to teach your toddler, like putting on his coat or tying his shoes, you may want to practice this now. This will help cut prep time when you are ready to take both kids on an outing.

5. Prepare a fun toy bin with some great toys that your little one may not get to play with often. Then have this bin available ONLY as the "baby time" bin. When mommy is feeding, changing or putting baby to sleep, your toddler will be excited to play with the toys in the bin that he usually doesn't get to play with.

6. Start playing some classical music in your toddlers room when he is sleeping. This will help prevent him from hearing your baby's cries and being woken up.

Scheduling and Time Management!

1. Make sure to have a family calendar where all the activities for the family are posted. Include play dates, nursery school, swimming lessons and so on. This will help ensure that your toddlers normal routine is not disrupted too much.

2. Be sure to have a babysitter on standy by to watch your toddler for when you go into labor. I know this may sound ridiculous, but many mommies forget with all the hustle and bustle and then have to scramble at the last minute.

3. Make sure to try and keep your toddlers "world" intact as much as you can. If he is currently in daycare, continue him in daycare at least a few days a week. If he currently has swimming lessons, make sure daddy or grandma can bring him to swimming lessons. This will make a huge difference if he sees that having anew baby doesn't mean he loses out.

4. Preplan some Mommy and Toddler time as well as Mommy and Daddy time. If its on the calendar, you are more likely to follow through. Preplan to do something alone with your toddler at least once a week (going to the park or an indoor playground). Plan some couple time at least once a month.

Lastly, don't be afraid to get help. As a mom of 2 or more children, you won't have as much down time so ask dad to take on a bit more, have grandma stay for a while or even hire a doula/night nanny/baby nurse from Precious Moments Babeez (wink wink).

Congratulations and enjoy!
Debbie Fazio
Parenting Coach