As an expectant mom, nothing is more fun than gathering a compilation of tiny baby booties, teensy onesies, and all else that goes with your little one’s layette. But instead of the same pre-packaged layette from the same old mega department store, why not personalize your little one’s first wardrobe? Custom baby clothes are easy to make and can set your stylish one ahead of the crowd. There are actually a few easy ways to customize clothing – sans sewing machine - that I’d like to share with you.
Fabric markers are a great tool for making custom baby clothes. Personalized onesies is a pretty easy project, as I found out. I bought a multiple pack of white infant onesies, long- and short-sleeved. Next, I heat set some freezer paper, shiny side facing fabric, to the inside of the onesie on the same front surface I’d be working on. I used water-soluble markers to sketch designs and doodle on the onesie. Next, I retraced my sketches with brush-tip fabric markers. After letting dry, I used a spray bottle to wet and rinse off the water-soluble marker, leaving only my final design, then heat set based on manufacturer’s instructions. Viola!
Fabric stamp pads make great custom baby clothes. Carving your own designs into rubber stamps is a great, fun way to be creative. Or, like I did, you can go with a purchased stamp. Since stamp pads often leave more to be desired with uneven coverage, I used a fabric marker brush to color the stamp pad. Using the same procedure as above, with the freezer paper ironed to the shirt, I stamped designs, words, names and phrases. I then used the marker to fill in light areas before heat setting.
Creating custom baby clothes is a fun project to do at a baby shower, or simply when the nesting phase is in full swing. Don’t just limit yourself to onesies; customize hats, booties, sleep sacks and mitts, too. It does work best on 100% cotton fabric, but always check with the product manufacturer on what they recommend.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
My Experience with an Epidural
I was pregnant for the first time, and the thought of giving birth terrified me. I had nine months to think about the process, and boy, did I. I watched television shows with real footage from labor and delivery rooms. I scoured the internet for both medical information and personal experiences of what other moms did. I read several books. I was all but convinced that I probably couldn’t handle the pain of childbirth and that I would need an epidural.
My goal was to make it through the childbirth process with as little intervention as possible. I did not want a cesarean section. I did not want to be induced, because I knew (from the many television shows I watched!) that my chances of having a c section were greatly increased following an induction. As for pain control, I considered narcotics until I realized they did little for pain relief but caused additional risk to the baby. I decided that I would attempt to make it through medication-free, but if it got too unbearable, I’d ask for an epidural.
I arrived at the hospital in active labor. After being admitted, a labor check revealed I was five centimeters dilated. I was doubled over in pain, in the fetal position and panting with each contraction. I immediately asked for the epidural. About a half hour later, the anesthesiologist came in to administer my pain medication. I sat upright on the bed, bending over to flex my spine and allow maximum space for the needle insertion. I was a little scared about that long needle coming so close to my spine, but the pain was so unbearable that it overshadowed my fear. About 15 minutes later, and the pain was gone. Thanks to the epidural, I was in a state of relief and pure comfort; I felt great! I was happy, but also sleepy – after all, it was nearly five o’clock in the morning. All went well and I safely delivered my baby boy to the cheers of my midwife and nurses. I was in a full state of awareness and contentment during childbirth. I felt no pain, but I did notice pressure during contractions. My legs and feet were numb, and that feeling took about 3 hours to totally wear off.
As I write this article nearly sixteen months later, I occasionally feel soreness in my spine near the site of my epidural. When I was first cleared to resume exercise, I couldn’t flex or extend my spine too much or I felt pain. This slowly wore off over a period of months, but there is still a small aching feeling there many times after I workout.
We are planning to try for baby number two later this year, and I am strongly considering skipping the epidural this time and going all-natural. While the feeling of pain relief offered by the drugs was great, it did cause me discomfort that I still feel to this day. Then again, ask me when I’m in active labor, and the first phrase out of my mouth may be “epidural, please!”
My goal was to make it through the childbirth process with as little intervention as possible. I did not want a cesarean section. I did not want to be induced, because I knew (from the many television shows I watched!) that my chances of having a c section were greatly increased following an induction. As for pain control, I considered narcotics until I realized they did little for pain relief but caused additional risk to the baby. I decided that I would attempt to make it through medication-free, but if it got too unbearable, I’d ask for an epidural.
I arrived at the hospital in active labor. After being admitted, a labor check revealed I was five centimeters dilated. I was doubled over in pain, in the fetal position and panting with each contraction. I immediately asked for the epidural. About a half hour later, the anesthesiologist came in to administer my pain medication. I sat upright on the bed, bending over to flex my spine and allow maximum space for the needle insertion. I was a little scared about that long needle coming so close to my spine, but the pain was so unbearable that it overshadowed my fear. About 15 minutes later, and the pain was gone. Thanks to the epidural, I was in a state of relief and pure comfort; I felt great! I was happy, but also sleepy – after all, it was nearly five o’clock in the morning. All went well and I safely delivered my baby boy to the cheers of my midwife and nurses. I was in a full state of awareness and contentment during childbirth. I felt no pain, but I did notice pressure during contractions. My legs and feet were numb, and that feeling took about 3 hours to totally wear off.
As I write this article nearly sixteen months later, I occasionally feel soreness in my spine near the site of my epidural. When I was first cleared to resume exercise, I couldn’t flex or extend my spine too much or I felt pain. This slowly wore off over a period of months, but there is still a small aching feeling there many times after I workout.
We are planning to try for baby number two later this year, and I am strongly considering skipping the epidural this time and going all-natural. While the feeling of pain relief offered by the drugs was great, it did cause me discomfort that I still feel to this day. Then again, ask me when I’m in active labor, and the first phrase out of my mouth may be “epidural, please!”
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