Cloth Diapering Through Morning Sickness

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, but it comes with some side effects that are not always so pleasant.  What does a mama do when she’s hit with all day sickness that makes day to day tasks, let alone diaper changes, seem impossible? She gets resourceful!  With my third bundle on the way I’ve now spent two pregnancies, accompanied by raging morning sickness, changing diapers.  Here are a few ways I was able to keep my kids in cloth during the worst of my pregnancy nausea.

• Disposable Surgical Masks
  I initially invested in a big pack of these (available at most drug stores) so that I could continue to change our cat’s litter box while pregnant.  Little did I know they would come in much more handy for diaper changes!  They provided a nice barrier between my nose and a stinky diaper so that my nausea wasn’t triggered.  I just grabbed one and put it on before a stinky diaper change.  If the mask alone isn’t enough, pair it with essential oils or another light scent mentioned below.
  
• Essential Oils
  Putting a bit of essential oil (diluted with a carrier such as scent free lotion or coconut oil) below your nose can keep the queasiness at bay.  Scents such as peppermint and lemon are particularly useful against nausea.  These can also be put on a surgical mask during diaper changes or you could even use some throughout your home in a diffuser.
  
• CJs Butter
  I love CJs, if you browse through the archives, I even wrote an Ode to CJs a few months back.  It’s really a multipurpose tool in our house.  Because different scents are soothing to different people, and CJs offers many, you can pick one that eases your own nausea.  Just dab a little bit on or below your nose before a diaper change and you’ve got a little protection from stinky diapers.  The bonus with CJs is that many women experience dry cracked lips right along with their morning sickness so you can easily smear some on your lips and benefit doubly through some scent and hydration therapy.  CJs is another product that is easily smeared right inside the surgical mask to give you double protection when it’s time to change or spray a diaper.
  
• Disposable Diaper Liners
  If it’s the spraying of diapers that sends your morning sickness over the edge, try out some disposable liners.  They can make rinsing out diapers much quicker and therefore lessen the chance that you become sick while cleaning the diaper.
  
• Diaper Sprayers, Spray Pal and/or Spray Collar
  Using one or all three can speed up your diaper cleaning time even more.  No sick mama wants to be stuck doing the dunk and swish.  Without our diaper sprayer, there’s no way I could continue to use our cloth during my first few months of pregnancy.
  
• Hybrid Diaper Systems
  Diaper systems that offer disposable inserts can get you through morning sickness and allow you to still use cloth.  It’s a nice compromise between cloth and disposables for a time when you just need a little extra rest and a little less work.  There are several hybrid brands available that offer a cloth shell and a disposable insert such as Flip, Grovia, and SoftBums.  Often times disposable inserts will work well with most brands of wipeable covers, so you may not need to buy a new system if you already have wipeable covers.

Hopefully some of these tips will be able to keep your tot in cloth while you battle through morning sickness.  If all else fails, just realize you may need some extra help or a little break here and there.  Growing a human is hard work!   Hubbies are generally more than willing to spray out diapers at the end of the day to give mom a break.  And, there is no shame in using a few sposies to get you through your toughest days. 

Hang in there mama, and just think of all the newborn fluff that awaits….

About Ashley: Ashley is a stay at home mom with two crazy, fun loving little boys and one surprise on the way. She blogs about life with young children and her adventures with them including sewing, cloth diapers, green living, and every day parenting at: MabeWithLove.WordPress.com.


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