Planning, Freaking Out & Cloth Diapers

At the end of this week, I’ll be 16 weeks. It occurred to me yesterday that 16 weeks = 4 months. That makes it seem more real! So far, I’ve been taking it easy, and not worrying about a lot of things. I have plenty of time, right? Not at this rate! People are starting to talk to me about baby showers, and hand-me-down bassinets; which makes me think I should be planning something. I have to figure out when to take birthing classes, and when to start interviewing pediatricians, and I’m sure there are about a million other things I am not even thinking of! When do I need to start a registry? And for the love of Pete, how much longer do I have to wait to find out if it’s a boy or a girl?! (The answer to that is about another month…ugh. I hate waiting). As you can tell, I tend to freak out a little every so often. I’m usually pretty laid-back, and stress-free in general though, so my freak out sessions never last very long, and they really don’t come too often. I’m very thankful for the friends/family who say things like, “I have some maternity clothes for you, I’ll bring them such-and-such day” or “I have the following items left over from my baby, I’d love to give them to you.”

I seriously considered cloth diapering for awhile. Although I would only do that if I was able to stay home, and still use disposables for weekends with Grandma or a morning in the church nursery. I did some research, and found that whether or not they are really any more environmentally friendly is debated. I also did research on cost, and discovered it really isn’t much cheaper (if at all) when you factor in cost of extra laundry, etc. The upside is that you can re-sell cloth diapers or use them for future children, but there’s no guarantee there will be any more. Another benefit to cloth is that they tend to potty train easier, but I figure that’s why they make training underwear. There are also other downsides to cloth, for instance you have to be careful what kinds of cream you use, particularly doctor-prescribed creams. So, the hippie side of me did not prevail this time. I think Dean is secretly relieved.