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I use vinegar for cleaning a lot too (especially for removing odors). That said, vinegar is only about 80% as effective at killing germs as other cleaners. Outside of bleach (which I don't like to use unless I have to) super hot soapy water and boiling actually works the best. Surprisingly enough, the sun also works great at killing germs--the ultra violet rays do as good of a job at killing germs as bleach. I still hang my laundry out if I can (weather permitting) when we have sick family members. Unfortunately, like lots of people, I live in a northern, dry climate where hanging laundry doesn't work for a good part of the year--if it's not too cold, the wind is blowing dust and dirt.
I wouldn't use chlorine bleach on any baby clothing. The oxygenated bleach is way safer. I use one that is fragrance free by a company called Eco Store. My great niece was one of those babies that threw up at least twice a day. Her mom being a first time mom and a bit on the lazy side would just throw the soiled baby clothes into a plastic bag. Great way to guarantee permanent stains.. I couldn't see all of those adorable baby clothes ruined, so once a week I would take them and soak them overnight in the oxygenated bleach and the stains came out. Between this stuff and a vinegar rinse in the wash, the clothes were as good as new. Yes, the sun is a great natural bleach and disinfectant, but a clothes line is a luxury when one lives in an apartment.
It's up to her, it's her child. However, once she found out she was pregnant, it's wise to start PLANNING AHEAD. She's 41 years old, you'd think she had picked up enough knowledge in those 41 years to plan ahead. She should have been thinking "I'm pregnant, and I don't have a job, and I don't have a husband/wife to help me out, now is a good time to take action."
I'm certainly not defending this particular person. Just trying to point out that there are other scenarios possible than the first one that everyone thinks.
Maybe she has a mental disability? That might make it tough for her to get and keep a job. Who knows? I don't know.
As to the main topic, I was the third of seven children. I washed a lot of diapers when I got older!
I had my first child in 1970, and I used cloth diapers, of course. Disposables in the US were just not widely available (if at all). In 1971 or 72 I spent some time in Europe and discovered disposables there. They were pretty crude, but better (for travelling) than the cloth diapers. Eventually, by the time I had my second in 1975 disposables were much more prevalent and I never went back to cloth. So I have done both.
I think the problem (?) is that these have been around for 40 years. That's like a generation. Once technical advances are made it's difficult to go back to the old way of doing things. How many people still have wringer washers, for example? How many have washboards (and use them exclusively)? How many people have actual dials on their land-line phones?
I didn't know either until I joined a different site for a parenting forum 5 years ago. Many of those ladies thought people were child abusers if they didn't breastfeed and monsters for using "sposies" instead of cloth diapers as they are horrible for the environment (disposables since people hardly ever scrape the poop out of them like you are suppose to).
They would crack me up with their conversations more than POC here about breast feeding, cloth diapering, and circumcision vs "in tact" penises. Really interesting stuff the things people are passionate about.
Oddly enough, the posters who vilified people for NOT cloth diapering were usually liberally minded individuals. The breast feeders ran the gamut but the "in tact" crowd was skewed liberal as well and they really did say that people who circumcised little boys were child abusers!!
This post reminded me SO much of my oldest daughter (who is seven months pregnant with her first child - a boy - and our first grandchild). She is a little bit militant about all of the above - breastfeeding (I didn't), attachment parenting (wearing him on a sling, keeping him in her room - I didn't do that either), not circumcising him (N/A because I had 2 girls), and a lot more. I may not agree with all of it, but I'll respect her decisions and try to keep my mouth shut. EXCEPT MAYBE...the no sugar or chocolate rule. None of Grammy's homemade cookies?????
I'm certainly not defending this particular person. Just trying to point out that there are other scenarios possible than the first one that everyone thinks.
Maybe she has a mental disability? That might make it tough for her to get and keep a job. Who knows? I don't know.
As to the main topic, I was the third of seven children. I washed a lot of diapers when I got older!
I had my first child in 1970, and I used cloth diapers, of course. Disposables in the US were just not widely available (if at all). In 1971 or 72 I spent some time in Europe and discovered disposables there. They were pretty crude, but better (for travelling) than the cloth diapers. Eventually, by the time I had my second in 1975 disposables were much more prevalent and I never went back to cloth. So I have done both.
I think the problem (?) is that these have been around for 40 years. That's like a generation. Once technical advances are made it's difficult to go back to the old way of doing things. How many people still have wringer washers, for example? How many have washboards (and use them exclusively)? How many people have actual dials on their land-line phones?
even mental disability does not prevent you from washing the clothes. You do not go around smelly.
And if you can wash clothes, you can wash diapers.
This post reminded me SO much of my oldest daughter (who is seven months pregnant with her first child - a boy - and our first grandchild). She is a little bit militant about all of the above - breastfeeding (I didn't), attachment parenting (wearing him on a sling, keeping him in her room - I didn't do that either), not circumcising him (N/A because I had 2 girls), and a lot more. I may not agree with all of it, but I'll respect her decisions and try to keep my mouth shut. EXCEPT MAYBE...the no sugar or chocolate rule. None of Grammy's homemade cookies?????
LOL this reminds me of the time my oldest daughter dropped her firstborn off with me when she was about two, for a "spend the night party" at MiMi's house. My "crunchy mom" daughter looked at me very seriously and said, "OK, Mom, here's the deal - ONE cookie, and she needs to be in bed by 8." I looked into her daughter's eyes and smiled and said, "Guess what, punkin? You're at MiMi's house now! You get TWO cookies and we're going to stay up till 9 doing whatever we want to do!"
I'm proud to report that my daughter, while still being an amazing mother who emphasizes organic foods, home gardening, and as natural a lifestyle as possible, relaxed considerably by the time she had four kids!
This post reminded me SO much of my oldest daughter (who is seven months pregnant with her first child - a boy - and our first grandchild). She is a little bit militant about all of the above - breastfeeding (I didn't), attachment parenting (wearing him on a sling, keeping him in her room - I didn't do that either), not circumcising him (N/A because I had 2 girls), and a lot more. I may not agree with all of it, but I'll respect her decisions and try to keep my mouth shut. EXCEPT MAYBE...the no sugar or chocolate rule. None of Grammy's homemade cookies?????
the problem is there is no common sense at all.
and pendulum swings - it is either or.
There is no harm in formula feeding if you can not do breastfeeding for any reason. And very often you have to do both - since there is no enough breastmilk to satisfy the baby.
In order to know how much the baby had in breastmilk you can either pump and feed from the bottle, or you can weigh the baby before and post breastfeeding.
You do not also have to breasfeed every half an hour - the baby is fine eating every 3-4 hours ( if she gets enough)
But do not even try to mention a common sense approach to militant "educated" crowd
The government already generously provides WIC benefits, which provide everything a baby needs EXCEPT diapers, and continues through age 5.
Milk, cheese, juice, cereal... this on top of foodstamps, if necessary.
Wash the diapers in the sink or bathtub. Grandma did it, so can you.
If those moms didn't get so much of these the babies wouldn't mess the diapers so much
Edited to add.......those of you suggesting maybe it's a mental disability.
Good lord! If it's bad enough to be on disability and /or making her incapable of knowing how to wash diapers....should she have the responsibility of a baby???
even mental disability does not prevent you from washing the clothes. You do not go around smelly.
And if you can wash clothes, you can wash diapers.
Totally missed the point of my post..LOL
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would just throw the soiled baby clothes into a plastic bag. Great way to guarantee permanent stains.. I couldn't see all of those adorable baby clothes ruined, so once a week I would take them and soak them overnight in the oxygenated bleach and the stains came out. Between this stuff and a vinegar rinse in the wash, the clothes were as good as new. Yes, the sun is a great natural bleach and disinfectant, but a clothes line is a luxury when one lives in an apartment.
