Homemade Diaper Cream and Spray!

Have you ever considered using a diaper spray? Having a spray bottle ready when you're diaper changing helps loosen what's dried on the baby's bottom and cleanse their skin.

For cloth wipe users like myself, it's essential to have something to moisten the cloth wipes. However, even when I've used disposable wipes in the past, I like to clean my baby and then spray the solution on her bottom and wipe her clean again. This ensures she's 1) clean and 2) helps us to avoid rashes caused by ammonia buildup from urine or bacteria from solids.

My diaper changing routine is basically 3 steps, I can say that since I've implemented it we have not had any bad diaper rashes (except for when my kids have suffered diarrhea - changing that often makes babies prone to raw skin on their bottoms).

Step 1) Spray and wipe, spray and wipe. Two times is sufficient, sometimes 3 with toddlers. I don't want my child's bottom to just be 'visibly' clean. I want them clean- most of us use water in the bathroom so it makes sense that I would ensure they're just as clean.

Step 2) Wipe dry, air dry if possible. This isn't always an option when we're out and about but I always have 2 cloth wipes on hand when we are so that I can clean and dry their skin. If you use disposables, perhaps carry around a pack of tissues to blot them dry. Moist skin trapped in a diaper is one of the leading causes for yeast rash.

Step 3) I ALWAYS use a barrier on my baby. Unfortunately a lot of diaper creams are not suitable for cloth use, so we have had to resort to disposables during sickness so I can use Sudocreme. That all changed when I found out how to create my OWN easy diaper cream!

I've used products that I know you can get in the KSA!

Homemade Diaper Spray:
What you will need:

• 1 Small Spray bottle
• 1 tsp of coconut oil. We used Nirmal which we found at LuLu Hypermarkets. White bottle. 18 Sar.
• 5-10 drops of tea tree oil (depending on the strength) we used one from the Body Shop. 20ml costs 58 Sar, a bit pricey- but well worth it considering you're not paying shipping. 
• 60 ml of boiled water, lukewarm OR distilled water at room temperature. 
• Some people use an all natural soap, a couple of drops. I have never found that I needed a detergent to clean my baby's skin. I don't like the idea of having it sit on their skin for long periods of time. A great option is castille soap, if you choose to add it.
• 2 Tsp Raw Organic honey, no wax. My father in law is a beekeeper mashallah, so I get it for free. Find the best quality you can. 

Add the room temperature honey and water to your spray bottle. Add the coconut oil and tea tree oil. Shake vigorously. 

Honey, Tea tree, and coconut oil all have anti bacterial and anti microbial properties. Honey never goes bad. All of the ingredients will help decrease changes that your baby will develop a rash while moisturizing her skin.

Homemade Barrier Cream/ Diaper Cream:

What you will need:

• 1 Pump bottle
• 60ish ml of coconut oil, melted.
• 20 drops of tea tree oil 
• Bee's wax and Honey- approximately 2 tbs melted. 
• 1 tbs cornstarch (I use a no talc baby powder that uses cornstarch)

In the microwave heat the honey and wax together for 20 seconds, until melted completely. Run it through some mesh and add it to 60 ml of Coconut oil. Add 20 drops of Tea Tree oil. Heat again for 15 seconds. Shake the bottle very well for 2 minutes. The ingredients will emulsify. While the mixture is still warm I add the baby powder/ cornstarch. Mix until it is completely dissolved into the cream. You will notice the cream will become slightly thicker. 

When this barrier cream goes on it will heal the skin and moisturize, while also creating an effective barrier on the baby's skin. It dries to a satin finish on the baby's skin eventually. The mixture is never sticky and smells a lot of honey and coconut. 

Pregnancy And Hair Care: A Natural Alternative

Undoubtedly, pregnancy is a time of drastic bodily changes: after all, you are creating life. While the internal changes are incredible in their own right, it is really the external, outwardly changes that are most noticeable by both those around us and ourselves. With excess hormones fluctuating and rampaging through our bodies, we can experience both positive side effects (glowing, clear skin, less hair fallout) and/or those which are less than ideal (oily skin and hair, breakouts, redness and itching, hair loss). Naturally, many of us seek to alter our daily care routines to accommodate not only the changes we are undergoing, but also the growing baby within. 

When it comes to our pregnancies and babies, we are generally hyper-aware of what we are both consuming and applying to our bodies. When I first became pregnant, I made a conscious decision to stop using synthetic/chemical hair dyes, regardless of their practicality. While the majority of research indicates that the chemicals found in semi-permanent and permanent hair dyes are not highly toxic and generally safe for use during pregnancy, I decided I wanted to return to a natural, healthier alternative I had regularly used in the past: henna and indigo.

Henna, which is a powder derived from the plant Lawsonia Inermis, has been used to both colour and condition hair for over 6,000 years in Northern Africa, the Middle East and India. One of the first recorded uses of henna as a hair dye can be traced to an ancient Egyptian queen named Ses, who also used henna preparations as a means to cure hair loss. Mummified bodies with hennaed hair have been dated as far back as 3400 BCE. The famous queens Cleopatra and Nefertiti were also known to use henna for its cosmetic and medicinal purposes. 

Today, henna is often mixed with other natural plant dyes, such as indigo, cassia and amla, to achieve  a range of colours and tones:

Henna used on its own creates reddish tones on darker hair and copper tones on white or lighter hair.

Indigo creates rich, blue-black tones on darker hair and black-brown tones when mixed with henna (2-step process) for white or lighter hair. 

Cassia does not significantly alter the colour of dark hair, but may be used as a hair treatment to add strength and shine. It creates warm golden tones for lighter or white hair, and can be mixed with henna and indigo to create dark, golden blonde tones.

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Amla conditions the hair and darkens indigo, and adds cool tones to henna mixes. 

In addition to serving a natural alternative to dye hair, henna and plant-based dyes have many beneficial properties. Henna is antibacterial and antifungal, helps to balance sebum production and scalp pH, aids in the prevention and treatment of dandruff and skin dryness, promotes hair growth, and conditions/protects the hair. Henna further does not cause any damage to the hair; while synthetic dyes open up and penetrate the hair, henna simply coats it, adding strength and shine. When used consistently, the colour created by henna becomes richer and deeper with each application. 

Regardless of which powder is used, each is mixed with water (and occasionally other ingredients, such as salt or lemon/orange juice) to create a paste which is applied to the hair. Generally, depending on the colour and depth that is wished to be achieved, the paste is left on the hair for 1-3 hours, and then washed out. 

What I particularly enjoy is the long-lasting results (I exclusively use indigo power for a completely raven black head of hair, and I can go a good two months between applications) and the fact that shampooing immediately will not fade the colour. I also love that I can easily apply it at home without spending hundreds of dollars at a salon or having to inhale the pungent fumes of a box dye. For each application, I use approximately 200g of pure indigo powder on my waist-length hair. I am currently located in Canada, where 100g of organic henna or indigo powder sells for $8-$15 CAD (22 - 42 SAR), depending on where it is purchased. 

For pregnant ladies or those with babies and young children in tow, not only are plant-based dyes a natural and affordable alternative to synthetic dyes, but they are very practical. Simply apply the paste at home, wrap your hair in either plastic wrap or an old cloth/scarf to keep the paste moist, and wash it out after the necessary time for the colour you are wishing to achieve. Women are able to get on with their day and not be forced to disrupt their daily tasks/routines while they wait (you can even leave the house with your hair wrapped in a scarf or cap, including under a hijab), and the results are vibrant, rich colours, a healthy scalp and immense shine. 

Have any of our readers used henna or other plant based dyes? Have any questions or concerns? Feel free to comment below!

33 weeks

Week 33 has been really great! I haven't had any aches or pains, aside from leg cramps at night. I'm not completely sure what causes this or how to stop it, I read somewhere that it means I need magnesium. I'm feeling heavy, but happy. I have some friends who are due any day now, and it's got my spirits up!

I don't have another OB appointment for two more weeks, from what I gather it'll be pretty uneventful at the Dr's office from here on out, with weekly visits starting in 2 weeks. I don't look forward to 'end of pregnancy' appointments, I feel they're a bit excessive and I usually don't have much to report. I would never suggest missing appointments, but we opted for 3 ultrasounds maximum- obviously allowing for emergency scans to check the baby if need be! This is a recommendation by the World Health Organization. It isn't completely necessary to see the baby at every appointment unless there is a defect or anomaly on one of your scans. It has been shown that it is potentially harmful for the baby to undergo frequent long scans, according to the WHO. For this reason, we chose a dating scan at around 12 weeks, an anomaly scan at 22 weeks, and a final scan at 32 weeks. This has been received well by our Doctors, and we've had no issue averting multiple scans every 2 weeks, 

This week I went shopping for some of baby's clothes. It felt good to buy something new for her, we went with rainbows. She's a summer baby, so we purchased a lot of vests, short rompers, and a really light blanket to match. The excitement is building!

What am I doing now?

I'm still taking RRL (Red Raspberry Leaf) capsules, dates, doing a few squatting exercises. I'm finding that cleaning my house has been a good work out!

What have I got so far?

Some new baby clothes, this week. That's it.

WHO recommendations on Mother Care- Ultrasounds

What's In My Hospital Bag?

This is MY hospital bag. I'll detail what's in D3's bag in a later post.

On YOUTUBE I have put up a video of my Hospital Bag!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO7d5cZO7T8&t=15s

So, I'm almost 34 weeks and I like to be prepared. There are some advantages to prepping your hospital bag early. I don't think there is such a thing as being 'too prepared'! As we all know, labour can happen at any time. Having your hospital bag ready early means, god forbid you go into labour early, you can find comfort in knowing you have what you need when you need it.

To start, I'm packing everything in my Betty Johnson floral bag, it's large and has a variety of straps. I chose a bag that is easily identifiable and will stand out, it has a zipper inside as well as some inner pockets. I really like it!

Lets start:

Toiletries:

•  Toothpaste 
• Toothbrush
• Floss
• Soap
• A face scrubber
• Travel sized facial cleanser (I got some great free samples at The Face Shop which are the perfect size!)
• Nail Clippers for me and baby
• NOT pictured: Sanitary Pads! Get the biggest menstrual pads you can find!
  
• Face Masks
• Tweezers
• Compact Mirror
  I love having little things to pamper myself with when I'm staying overnight at the hospital with the baby, it's important to feel good after birth.
  
• Hair Elastics
• A hairbrush
• Something to move the hair from my face during the labour.

  
  

Medicine and 'help':

• Hand Sanitizer
• Alcohol swabs
• 2 Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or Advil (Ibuprofen)- (just in case, I like to have them on hand overnight or if I'm getting discharged and I need some help. I suffer from terrible hormonal headaches, Tylenol is safe, Advil is safer for nursing mothers.) If you've been given painkillers already, consult your nurse if you can take them.
• Nasal Saline Drops- helps to clear up a congested nose and help prevent sickness in the hospital. If you have a dry nose from dry air, these help. 
• Eye drops, same as above. Hospitals are very dry, labour does a number to your body. It's good to find comfort where you can. 

• My Pigeon Manual Breastpump, very cheap, easy to use. Found at most pharmacies. I use it to bring on labour (nipple stimulation releases hormones that help with the progression of labour), and to bring in my milk after the birth. 

• Samples I got from Iherb.com to put in my hospital bag, for nutrition. I have a protein bar and powder, I will take some dates. They sell these samples for approx 3 SAR, which is excellent for travel/in the hospital bag. If I haven't had a chance to eat, at least some of this will give me a boost!
  
  
  Some extras:
  
  
• 
  Ear plugs, because hospitals are noisy at night. 
• A good quality sleep mask that I kept from Saudi Airlines! Haha.
• Socks!
• Not pictured: Cheap flops/sandals/slippers.

  
  

  
  

  

  
  
• Some wireless headphones, charged.
• A novel
• Not pictured: My phone, chargers, possibly my laptop if I have to stay at the hospital for a prolonged time. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The basics (not pictured):
• 3 black underwear, high waist. 
• A black nursing bra, bandeau, something that isn't wired, structured, or tight. 
• Nursing pads
• 2 night gowns
• A robe
• A cheap towel
• My glasses
• My ID
  
  
  
  On YOUTUBE I have put up a video of my Hospital Bag!
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO7d5cZO7T8&t=15s

  
  

  
  

Our YOUTUBE Adventure!

So, I thought the best way to show you product reviews is to make videos!

I'm just starting out, dabbing in something new. Naturally it's pretty rough right now, but inshallah I'll get better! This video was very long winded, I hope to make the videos short and to the point.

I will have help with video editing soon. We've decided to leave out music and I have decided to just show my hands at this point, so forgive me if it seems impersonal! I cover, so it would be a little weird to show my face all over youtube. I'm still trying to figure out how to do this so it's as interesting and interactive as possible!

Stick with us, I'll hopefully be able to review everything I've bought for baby.

Thank you all again for the support!

We have a new youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRCNLI1tfv8Tka5v_ure_hw

Come and join us there for more reviews and chats about Motherhood, products, and life in Saudi Arabia! 

Please like and subscribe, comments are always welcome!

Join us on our facebook group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesandydiaper/

32 Week Pregnancy Update

Hello, all! I'm 33 weeks, I'll be talking about week 32.
This was a pretty eventful week! I had a long awaited appointment with my ObGYN. It went perfectly well, alhamdulilah! The baby looks great, my blood pressure is under control. In 2 months I gained about 2 kilos, which is normal at this point. It was a little shocking, I forgot how rapidly we gain weight towards the end! They mentioned that baby was measuring large, which is no surprise. She has consistently been 2 weeks ahead since I was 20 weeks, as were all of my babies!

Symptoms have died down quite a bit. I have some sleepless nights, shortness of breath. Otherwise, I have no other complaints. I'm actually feeling a lot more energized now that I've recovered from Ramadan and the dreaded night-time Ramadan schedule.

One thing I do want to make note of is how hard it is to keep cool in Makkah right now. It is hot, and only going to get hotter! I have been sitting under the air conditioner, strategically placing myself in the coolest spot in the room. Fruits and cold water have been my best friend, minimal clothes and refraining from going out has helped a bit. I really need to walk more.

Despite the heat, I'm surprised that I've not experienced any swelling. I usually feel that's a good sign!

What am I doing now?
I've been taking Red Raspberry Leaf Extract, 2 softgels at night. They've certainly been working. I don't usually experience Braxton Hicks Contractions, but these have given me some every night- around 5 hours after I take the pills. I will increase the pills to 4 by 36 weeks. 

What have I got this far?
We recently invested in some new bed sheets and blankets before baby comes! It's so refreshing! We bed share so having a few extra sets means a lot. Other than that, we haven't been successful in our search. 

When They Aren't Babies Anymore...

When they aren't babies anymore, you tend to let out a sigh of relief.
They no longer need you to eat or sleep.
Nap time isn't a struggle, D2 pops into my room and kisses my head. 33 weeks pregnant, and I'm the one who needs naps.

In the morning she wakes up on her own and I stir, I remember my baby who would climb on top of me and drool on my face. She would blabber about being hungry, pull at my nightgown for the breast. I'd be forced to get up, unless I wanted to wake up to a mess.
Now, instead, I hear her wake up and run into the playroom. Her sister follows her silently, they close the door over.
I get up, and the house is quiet. They're playing in their room, they're dressed. Cups of water sit on the table and the sink is wet from them washing their faces. My heart swells with pride. They did that? One less thing to think about. But, I am thinking about it. Behind the joy is a bit of sorrow, my babies have recently turned 4 and 6 and they aren't babies anymore. 

Motherhood is hard in the beginning. You are the universe for that tiny baby, it's overwhelming. You don't sleep unless they are, you can't eat unless they have. It's a major adjustment, and the thought of independence regained in a few years time gets you through it.

Then that time comes, and it comes all too fast. I spent the first 6 years of D1's life teaching her to be the big sister, the eldest, the wise one. I taught her how to take care of herself, to be patient when I was with her little sister. She was hurled into being a 'big girl' much sooner than D2. I look at her now, she can make a sandwich, she turns on the bathroom light for her little sister. 'Put on your underwear' she reminds her. It makes me proud, but it hurts. She loves to exclaim 'I am D1 and my father is (Baba) and I am a Saudi-Canadian.' She has an identity and owns it. She's a talkative and friendly little girl, sensitive yet logical. This year she'll go to school, she'll make friends and assert more independence. She'll come home with stories of her day, things I wasn't there for. Problems I wasn't there to solve. Joy I couldn't share. She'll not be a baby anymore.

D2 is independent whether I like it or not, she bounces from room to room collecting her toys without me asking. She helps me set the table before Baba comes home. She tells me her nails need to be cut and that she wants her hair done so she can go play. I remember her baby-talk as if it were yesterday, but she randomly runs into the room with full sentences, stories, and ideas. 'Hey, Mom. We can go shopping, we can make dinner together and get some ice cream. Yallah, mama.' Yes. We could. How many years did I wait to hear what was actually going on in her little head, the frustration on her face turning into full blown tantrums. At the time I wanted to scream, too. Now I know she just wanted to play, have her hair brushed, get some ice cream. She tells me. English? Arabic? Both? She's not a baby anymore.

Cherish the baby days. I'm embracing them this time. D3 will have the full baby experience, and I will still have hard days. I will probably still have to cry in the bathroom when I haven't slept enough, wish someone else could change her diaper while Baba is at work. Then I'll look at the other two, sigh, remind myself that it'll be over and the stress I feel is nothing compared to the sadness when this is all over.

I still let them in the family bed, feed them with my hands, cut their food. I still hold them and kiss their aches and pains away. I am desperately holding on to my babies. The tears flood my eyes, every time.
They wipe them away.