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Diapers are a necessity for any parent, whether you use cloth or disposables you know just how important a role they play in your everyday life. But, did you know just how much research and development goes into creating the “next big thing” in diapers?
Huggies Supreme Natural Fit are the most innovative diapers on the market according to their creators, Kimberly-Clark. Kimberly-Clark and their new Huggies were featured in a recent article in Fortune magazine. The article is very interesting to say the least. I had no idea how much went into diaper research. The creation of the Natural Fit diapers have changed the look, feel and price of disposable diapers forever. It took Kimberly-Clark over three years to create this new premium line of diapers. Their research included using both specially made mannequin babies and the real thing. The company used special pressure point indicators on the mannequins to develop a diaper that does the job it is designed to do, keep messes in, while being as comfortable as possible for baby.
The innovation that goes into diaper design and development rivals that of any product on the market. The payoff for the company that creates the best is a huge market share and great profits. It will be interesting to see what new develops come out of the diaper industry next.
I used Huggies GentleCare diapers for my daughter when she was a newborn because I liked the specially designed U-shape to protect the umbilical cord. I switched to Pampers after that because I found the Huggies leaked. I have had good experience with Pampers so far but will certainly buy a pack of the Natural Fit diapers to give them a try. I have to see what all the fuss is about and if it is worth all the hype (and extra money)!
If you are considering adoption all the options can seem a little overwhelming at times. There are so many decisions to be made, not the least of which being what type of adoption you wish to pursue; Domestic, International or Foster Care. Each option has their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your specific needs and wants, as well as your family situation you will likely find one option stands out as the best one for you.
Domestic Adoption: domestic adoptions work well for those couples who are looking to adopt a newborn and those who find it important to have a detailed family medical history. Domestic adoptions can be difficult as more birth mothers are seeking open adoptions so they can remain part of the child’s life. Also, depending on the laws in your state you may find the birth mother or father can change their mind after the adoption process has begun. Be sure you familiarize yourself with the laws in your state and prepare yourself for anything that may come up.
- Wait Times: the average wait time for a domestic adoption in the United States range from several months to several years. Making specific requests for gender or race will increase the wait time
- Cost: the average cost of a domestic adoption ranges from $10,000 to $40,000.
International Adoption: international adoptions are best suited for those who prefer not to have direct contact with the birth mother, and are interested and able to raise a child of a different nationality. International adoptions have begun to decline over the last several years. The restrictions of the birth countries have become more strict and some countries (like Vietnam) have halted adoptions altogether. Educate yourself about the adoption process in the country you are considering.
- Wait Times: the wait times will vary depending on the country you choose to adopt from. For example, the wait times in Russia and Ethiopia are less than a year. In Korea the wait times are up to 18 months. In China (the most popular international adoption location) the wait time is up to 3 years.
- Cost: the cost of an international adoption ranges from $10,000 to $40,000 depending heavily on the country you choose to adopt from and the agency you choose to go through.
Foster Care Adoptions: foster care adoptions work best for those parents who don’t want to spend a lot of money or don’t have a lot of money to spend. They also work well for older parents and those who don’t mind adopting an older child or a child with special needs. Parents choosing this option should be aware that the child they are adopting may have come from a home where they experienced abuse or neglect and may have been in the foster care system for years. The parents need to be prepared and willing to deal with the special needs of these children.
- Wait Times: the wait times for foster care adoptions average only a couple of months. Once the child is placed in your home it does take a year or more for the adoption to be finalized and a social worker will need to work with your family to ensure the placement is in the best interest of the child.
- Cost: the average cost of a foster care adoption is only about $2500, and in many cases the fees are waived by the state.
The best thing for a prospective adoptive parent to do is to start by researching the various options available and determine which adoption method best meets your needs and wants. Once you know which road you wish to go down do more research about that type of adoption. The better educated you are about the process the easier it will be and the less surprises you will encounter.
Here are some very helpful web resources.
Elizabeth Pantley is a mother, wife, author and parent educator. She and her husband are raising their four children in Washington. Elizabeth has authored 8 parenting books with the 9th due to be released early next year. Her approach is one of gentle parenting. She has created and written about “No-Cry” solutions for everything from sleep to potty training to discipline. For more about Elizabeth Pantley visit her website, www.pantley.com/elizabeth.
Elizabeth Pantley was kind enough to grant us here at Let’s Talk Babies an interview. For those of you who are struggling with sleep problems with your little ones hopefully Ms. Pantley’s answers will provide a little help.
How many books have you written?
My 9th parenting book will be released in February!
What inspired you come up with the “No-Cry” solutions?
My fourth baby was not a good sleeper, yet I was never able to let any of my babies cry themselves to sleep. I think children deserve to have their feelings respected, and crying tells parents that something is wrong. While I was struggling with my little Coleton’s frequent night waking and lack of naps I was determined not to let him cry – yet I knew there must be a way to help him sleep without that. So “The No-Cry Sleep Solution” was created! I worked with a group of 60 other mothers who were all in my boat – they tried out my ideas and we all achieved much better sleep – with no crying!
Read more about this here: http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/books/0071381392.php?nid=386&isbn=0071381392
What do you think makes the “No-Cry” solutions work?
No parent wants to make their child cry – and many are willing to learn new ideas to help teach their children sleep better. The ideas are not complicated, and they work, and every improvement in sleep is celebrated!
What is different about the “no-cry” sleep solution other than the obvious, haha?
Prior to this book there were basically two options when your baby didn’t sleep well: live with it or have your baby cry it out. The No-Cry Sleep Solution is the third option – how to help your baby sleep – so you can sleep, too – but achieving this in a gentle, respectful way that enhances your relationship with your child.
The book provides logs and charts to help you identify your baby’s sleep issues and a format for making a personalized plan from the hundreds of ideas that are offered in the book. Since babies are unique, and so are parents, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are common solutions that can be put together for a custom sleep plan for your baby.
Do you think “no-cry” sleep solutions work for every child and parent? If not, what type of parent/child does it seem to work best for?
I’ve found that No-Cry solutions work for almost all parents who want them to work. Gentle ideas can take more effort and finesse than putting your baby in the crib and letting him cry to sleep, but parents who are looking for that scenario are usually effective in bringing about good results.
What question do you get most often from parents?
Many parents write when they first get the book with lots of questions that are actually answered in the book – I’ve found that sleep deprived parents get desperate and wish for quick answers. But, just like anything else in parenting, and actually, anything in life worth having, takes thought and time.
The most common problems are night-waking, all-night nursing, non-napping and babies who can’t sleep alone
What piece of advice do you find yourself giving most often?
Trust yourself. You know your baby more than anyone – including me! Research, read and learn but stop listening to everyone else’s opinions and advice about what exactly you should do and listen to your baby and your heart.
If a parent is having sleep problems with their little one and they don’t want to try the cry-it-out methods what would you recommend?
Start by analyzing your baby’s sleep patterns and habits. I have logs on my website for this (www.pantley.com/elizabeth). Once you have a clear picture of how your baby is sleeping now, then you can make a plan for changes. Try a few ideas that make sense for you and stick with them for a couple of weeks. Don’t expect one day changes!
If a parent opts to try the “no-cry” sleep solution what can they expect?
First, you’ll realize that you and your baby are more normal than you thought! Most sleep problems are common to almost all babies. Then you’ll understand that it takes a deep breath and a thoughtful plan to make changes happen. But when you hit on the right solutions and your baby starts sleeping better you’ll feel proud of the way you handled your baby’s sleep issues, and you’ll feel that you’ve protected and cherished your relationship by using no-cry gentle methods.
What is the best piece of parenting advice you ever received?
Relax more and stress less….Oh, my! The millions of little things I’ve stressed about over the past twenty years raising my four children! Messy rooms, dirty faces, lost toys, peas not eaten. Not a single one of these things means a gosh darn thing today. Those insignificant, trivial details certainly make up a large part of life, but when they cause a disproportionate amount of angst they conceal the many little joys that children bring into our lives. View the little things for what they are – little things – and don’t let them get the way of taking pleasure out of every single day of family life. This goes for sleep issues, too. While you are in the midst of them they seem huge and overwhelming, but in the big picture of life this stage is very short and fleeting.
Thanks again to Elizabeth Pantley for taking the time to grant us this interview.
I am honored and pleased to announce that Let’s Talk Babies has been named as one of the top 100 women’s health blogs by Nursing School Search.
The writers of the Nursing School Search blog compiled a list of the top 100 websites addressing issues that impact women in hopes of helping their readers find helpful, useful internet resources by and for women. There are some great sites on the list. I encourage you to stop by and check out a few of them.
Sitting in the car during a long drive can be hard on anyone so it is no wonder babies don’t particularly enjoy it either. They are used to be able to stretch out, be held, play, and be able to see you. Being stuck in the backseat of the car, facing backwards is not exactly what your baby thinks is the ideal situation. There are ways to make it a little easier on everyone though.
Our daughter is now 9 months old. Our families live pretty far away so a couple of times a year we have to travel to see them. We drive, which, with a baby has meant things are a little different than before. Before we would make the 11 hour drive straight through, now we break it into 2 days. We hardly stopped before, now we stop a lot.
Driving with a baby can be a bit of a struggle, particularly if your baby doesn’t like to sit in the car. Here are a few quick tips for those long car rides with baby in tow.
- Know your baby’s tolerance for the car seat. If they don’t like the car seat figure out what makes it more tolerable for them. Maybe they need to stop more often, maybe they are better if they can sleep most of the time.
- Stop as frequently as necessary. Expect the trip to take longer. You will need to stop to feed the baby and stop to let the baby stretch a little.
- Invest in some good car toys. Car toys can be great distractions. We have this great little mirror/music/lights toy
that our daughter just loves. It works by remote control so we can change the settings without having to stop the car.
- If your baby doesn’t travel well sitting the back by herself consider having one of your sit in the back with her, if that is possible.
- Never feed the baby in the car while driving, always stop to feed your baby.
- Invest in some shades for the windows to prevent the sun from blinding your poor little one.
- Be patient.
No one likes to sit in a car for a long time and neither does your baby. Being patient and making frequent stops will make the trip more tolerable for everyone.
Have your taken a long car ride with your baby? What tricks worked for you?