16 February 2010

No advice please

It's amazing how the announcement "we are pregnant" turns into an invitation for advice from all sorts of people who've not do much as spoken a sentence to you in the last decade. We went public with the pregnancy this week and I already have gotten many pieces of advice that I would never follow in a million years.

For instance, "wine during pregnancy is okay."
no, actually, it's not. I know a little something about child development, thanks.

Or, "cloth diapers aren't practical, you'll see."
maybe they aren't practical for those that don't feel as strongly about using them. But I do.

I am not so stubborn or defensive to realize that I don't know everything and might benefit from others' experience. However, I'd like the opportunity to ask for help when I need it. I am pretty good at doing that actually. At the moment I feel like I'm batting away advice (good and bad) left and right.

And I hate the expression "you'll see."
maybe I will. Maybe I won't. I'll find out soon enough. I don't need people predicting it for me.

And on this note, if anyone has a personal favorite cloth diaper brand, I'd love to hear about it and what you like about the brand. We are going to do a blend of all-in-ones and prefolds with covers. We are also thinking of doing the one-size options wherever possible. Considering duo-covers as well however.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

K wants to do prefolds as well but I'm feeling partial to fitteds. We're planning to do big mix.

Don't know if it's an option there but if you are this way one weekend, or could plan to be, there's this place in Cambridge called 'The Diaper Lab' that gives free cloth diaper classes. They fill up quickly but we really liked it. They talk all about the different types and send you home with handouts. They weren't brand crazy but willing to suggest [and sell you of course!] brands they feel are reliable, quality diaper manufactures. We left feeling informed rather than pressured to buy a specific type, brand or package.

Good luck with the other. I could vomit 'you'll see' fro as much as I hear it too. Uggh!

Lyn said...

I second the diaper lab rec if you can make it into Somerville.

We use a mix of bumgenius 3.0 (one size pockets) and prefolds/covers. Thirsties and thirsties duos have been a good fit for our kid. The small duos really do fit a newborn, unlike some of the other one-size options. We used mostly bumkins covers with our first, and the thirsties seem much better, much less likely to leak, trimmer fit. No experience with the one-size AIO options. Our BG pockets started fitting (albeit loosely) at about the advertised 8 pounds. They don't really fit our 30 lb 3 y.o. so I have some doubts about the upper end of the size range, but they do stay on and that's a pretty impressive range in any case.

Good luck fending off the unwanted advice.

Anonymous said...

You'll see. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. I don't mind other advice, really, but it's *obvious* that I'll see. I'll see without the superiority offere dup with the expression because every kid is different and I'm likely to get the better and worse ends of the deal in different places than the you'll see folks are. Keep it to yourself, folks, and we'll all see.

Briannon Lee said...

I am so with you - I can't stand how as soon as you are pregnanct you become public property. I have had advice about my weight, about exercise, about eating, about labour, about breastfeeding, about parenting etc.
Other mums have told me to get used to it because once you're a parent people always want to give you advice about your child.
I just smile and say 'thanks, that's good to know' and then decide myself whether to take it or leave it.

Glad to hear everything is still going well, your ultrasound went well, and the house is looking like a baby is on the way!!