Monday's Mamas Musts: Menstrual Cups

I know what you are thinking - why is she going to talk about this, I don't want to talk about my period.  But this week is my first cycle since Little Man was born!  It is an odd feeling waiting for the return of your cycle after you give birth especially if you are waiting a long time.  For me it has been two years since I had a regular cycle.  Personally I did not feel like a woman without it.  It was nice for a while not to have it and not to have to worry about when it was coming or having to deal with all the symptoms and extra things I needed for it.  When I didn't have it though I would worry that I'd be caught some where in public without my necessary accouterments.

Disposable pads gave me problems with yeast and I always hated before when choosing a tampon that I either chose something with too much absorbency or too little.  Plus disposing of your tampons or pads had its own list of issues for me.  I hated the smell in my bathroom and when I was a teenager and didn't know better - I cost my parents a tidy chunk of change fixing our septic by flushing them.  I've been cloth diapering with Little Man so I thought maybe I should look into reusable options for myself.
I found that the women I went to for my other parenting and natural solutions had a wealth of information on the topic.

Hobo Mama: Instead vs. Diva Cup for Your Menstrual Cup Needs
The Green Girls: The Diva Cup
The Crunch Chicken: Two Years of Diva Cup

Menstrual cups can save you money, time and the environment!  You have a greater investment up front but you save money over time by not having to buy them month after month.  I will cover the cost of my cup after three and half months and be able to keep using my cup long after that!  Sounds a lot like cloth diapers, huh?  There are many options out there and apparently most women become collectors of cups - another thing they have in common with cloth diapers.

I chose The Diva Cup, which is latex, BPA and dye free and had excellent reviews.  It comes in two sizes: Size 1 for under 35 pre-pregnancy and Size 2 post pregnancy or older then 35.  The cup is sized so it can fit snugly inside.  It works with suction to stay in place and prevent leaks.  Fluid is collected inside the cup and you empty it in the toilet, rinse it and replace it.  You sanitize it before the first time you use it and then again at the end of your cycle.  It gets stored in the breathable bag that it comes in and it is always there for you when you need it.  Oh and neat little fact: Diva Cup was created by a mother-daughter team - Francine and Carinne!

So why is it a Monday's Mamas Must?  Because you only need one and it is very easy to travel with.  Having to remember only one of these handy little things is one less thing you need to think about as a mama.  Depending on your flow, it can be emptied once every 12 hours - time saver!  The contents are flushed down the toilet and it is reinserted - nothing for a toddler to "find" in your garbage!  It can be worn while swimming or exercising.  Reusable menstrual cups are very convenient for busy mamas.

Resources for further information :
Diva Cup
MenstrualCups.org

Are you a Monday's Mama?  Do you have a story to share or a product/service to make a mama's life easier?  Let me know and your article or product could be featured in the next Monday's Mamas.  

Monday's Mamas will be a chance for the working mother who identifies as natural or attached to share her story with the online community.  It can be a personal story or it can be an informational post about just how does an AP mama manage all those tasks we have to do while still caring for our children in the way we have chosen?  This is open any mama who maintains a dual lifestyle: working out of the home, returning to school or the work at home mamas (WAHMs).

To submit an article for consideration, please use the Google Docs web form or email your article to Shannon (artsymama.riley {at} gmail.com) no later then 11:59pm EST on Friday.

Guest Post: Flats Challenge with Elizabeth of Mothering The Maelstrom

This week is the Flats and Handwashing Challenge from Dirty Diaper Laundry.  Bloggers and others from all over are using flat diapers and handwashing them in an effort to demonstrate exactly how economical it can be to use cloth diapers. 

Cloth diaper use has skyrocketed in recent years, but the focus has been primarily on "modern" cloth diapers.  All-in-one diapers with the waterproof cover built in are very easy to use, there's no doubt about that.  With the elastic legs and velcro closures, they are basically a Pampers that you throw in the washing machine instead of the garbage.

But all this diaper technology comes at a cost.  A decent all-in-one diaper will set you back anywhere from $15 to $25 for just one.  While this is still a savings over disposable diapers in the long run, it can make it difficult for families on the bottom end of the economic spectrum to get started with cloth diapers.  All-in-one diapers (and their cousins, the pocket diaper and the all-in-two diaper) can also be tricky to wash.  Fancy fabrics require special detergents and special care to prevent build-up, leaks, and other problems.  It doesn't take long to learn how to take care of cloth diapers, but any additional effort makes them one step further from being accessible to needy families.  Let's face it, when you are struggling just to put a room over your head, you don't have a lot of time or patience to fuss around with diapers.

Wordless Wednesday: 15 Months of Nursing!

Monday's Mamas Musts: Lanolin

This is going to be a short but important one.  Do not forget the importance of lanolin.  Most everyone knows that it is a great nipple soother in those first few months of getting nursing and your latch down.  What you may not realize is that it comes in handy again when your nursling begins teething.  Your nursling's latch changes during the introduction of teeth and teething pain so you need to work with them again to maintain good nursing habits.  Lanolin is a great soother when you are being used as a soother for sore gums!
My other uses for lanolin:

• I also use a tube of it to relanolize my wool diaper covers.
• I use it as a barrier cream for diaper changes.
• As a first aid ointment on infant scratches because it is safe if they nibble on the affected area.
• Hand protectant during cold winter months for cracked and dry hands.

What are some of the uses you've found for lanolin?

Are you a Monday's Mama?  Do you have a story to share or a product/service to make a mama's life easier?  Let me know and your article or product could be featured in the next Monday's Mamas.  

Monday's Mamas will be a chance for the working mother who identifies as natural or attached to share her story with the online community.  It can be a personal story or it can be an informational post about just how does an AP mama manage all those tasks we have to do while still caring for our children in the way we have chosen?  This is open any mama who maintains a dual lifestyle: working out of the home, returning to school or the work at home mamas (WAHMs).

To submit an article for consideration, please use the Google Docs web form or email your article to Shannon (artsymama.riley {at} gmail.com) no later then 11:59pm EST on Friday.

Wordless Wednesday: Boating with Nana

Winner & Coupon: Oh Plah! Teething Cuff

A big congratulations to the winner of the Oh Plah! Teething Cuff giveaway sponsored by Roundhouse Design Collaborative — #10!

Sarah

Sarah says:

"My 17 month old son would enjoy the Oh Plah! bracelet. He is getting his eye teeth in and chews on everything...he especially loves things that don't look like traditional teethers."

This was a joint giveaway with Natural Parents Network, so entries were combined and one winner drawn. The winner entered here at The ArtsyMama!

The Oh Plah! Teething Cuff is latex-free, BPA-free, phthalate-free, recyclable teething bracelet looks perfect on parents, but it's safe and fun for babies and kids to play with, bend, twist, and chew.

If you were not the lucky winner, you can buy an Oh Plah! Teething Cuff at Roundhouse Design Collaborative and receive a terrific discount when you do so!

Get 15% off an Oh Plah!
at Roundhouse Design through June 30!
Enter code ohplah15 at checkout.

Monday's Mamas Musts: Inspired by Finn Teething Necklace

I chose the 15" length so that Little Man could wear it longer.

A few weeks ago I had written a post with my alternative solutions for a teething baby.  In that article I mentioned baltic amber necklaces but as of then had not used one for Little Man.  After the positive responses I had gotten from that article and the feedback from other moms who use the baltic amber, I had to try for myself.  I mean if I can prevent his teething discomfort instead of soothing it after the fact with my other methods - I'm all for it.
I visited Inspired by Finn to get a teething necklace for Little Man.  What I liked about their necklaces was the selection and the various patterns.  There were many different options for styles and lengths.  Their site has recommendations for styles that would look good on boys - a must if I was going to be able to convince my hubby to put a necklace on his boy.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Welcome to the May Carnival of Natural Parenting: Growing in the Outdoors
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared how they encourage their children to connect with nature and dig in the dirt. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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I have not gardened very much - really not at all.  Not since I was a child and really enjoyed finding earthworms.  I'm allergic to bees and I have Irish skin to boot.  The outdoors and I have shared an understanding - I won't try to mold you to my ways and nature won't try to kill me.  The house I bought with my hubby three and half years ago had sat neglected and empty for nearly a year.  The woman who had owned the house had a garden though.  How do I know?  I found this plaque in the "weeds" from my vantage point of the back deck.  There are raspberry plants all over my yard.  I have yet to have any because they attract all sorts of flying, stinging insects and then by the time I realize the flowers are gone and there might be fruit there - the deer have already feasted on them.

Monday's Mamas Musts: Four Hand Massage

Being busy attached working mamas we need to remember to stop and take care of ourselves.  That being said there is not all the time in the world to sit back, relax and kick up our feet.  I barely have time to put moisturizer on before I'm running out the door in the morning or nursing, wearing, entertaining Little Man in the evening.  But all this can make me a very uptight and unhappy (physically) mama.  So I forced myself on vacation to go with my own mom to get a massage.  Let me tell you it was hard work!