Oh Baby!

and the preps that go along with them.

Okay, so maybe you don't have a baby yet. Do you plan on having one? Are you of "child bearing" age? Are you "fixed"? What do you plan to do when TSHTF and you run the risk of having a wee little screamer to take care of?

As a mom, my children (aka wee little screamers) are the first thing on my mind. One is potty learned, the other is working towards that goal but is still in diapers. I am still fairly young, so more children are a distinct possibility. Being an experienced mom, I know my options for baby care. This is for those that do not or do but are open to something new.

I say new, but nothing that I'm putting out there is new. In fact, every bit of it is old. Some of it is likely to set you screaming off into the night, hands over your ears and eyes tightly closed...lalalalalala, I can't hear you!! But these are the facts folks, you gotta be ready for anything.

Now, first things first. Those little buggers come into this world. It's a fact. They don't just magically appear or get dropped off on the porch by the stork (this is highly debatable according to my husband, though he is referring to the number of stray animals that find their way into our lives). So you need to know how to handle childbirth, without medical assistance, as it is very unlikely in a post-SHTF world that you would be able to get along to the hospital for help.

BornFree! is a most excellent place to start. Unassisted birthing is not unnatural, it's how people were born for centuries and in some places it is the norm instead of the odd. Read up, email Laura with questions, join the forum. LEARN!! This does not go to say that you can't have an assisted birth even with TWAWKI being way different. Midwifery will still exist in some form or another, it really is a basic instinct.

After birthing, the next thing to worry about is feeding. Oh yeah, they have to eat. Hmm, what shall we give them? Why breastmilk of course! Yep, that's what those things were originally intended for. Not some eyecatching contraption to get a fella's attention. Nope, they are for the babies! (hey, I have that tee shirt)

I realize that there are those that will not be able to breastfeed, I sympathize really. My first was not a good nurser and we had to give it up after 7 long months of trying to find what worked. He refused to take formula, so it was straight on to whole milk. Don't go there, the pedi already did, besides nothing wrong with the boy now except that his ears don't work on occasion. Where was I? Oh yes, not being able to breastfeed. Well, I would imagine that post-EOTWAWKI there will be a shortage of factories pumping out canned and powdered formula. What do you do?

This is precisely why I advocate having canned evaporated milk in your food storage stash. Not only does it make the best gravies and yummy biscuits (use what you store folks!) but it can be used as a formula. I do not recommend this for usage NOW as there are many other suitable options available for the moment (had to cover my rear there). Here, in pdf format, you can find instructions on making formula from evaporated milk. Naturally it goes through the short spill of why you shouldn't do it, but the recipe is there anyway.

Once you feed the little blighters, they poop. Or pee. It's messy, it smells...it has to be dealt with. I've got one word for ya, CLOTH! May as well start using them now, if you have one in diapers, just to get used to using them. It's not as hard as you think. I won't go into all the wonderful innovations that modern cloth diapers have...you won't be using those long. You'll want something simple to care for, easy to use (with a learning curve of course) and won't take up a buttload of space in your post SHTF life. You're gonna want flats. Why? You can get 8 dozen of them for under $100, they fit most babies all the way up to potty learning, they are easy to wash and dry, that many flats take up a whole heck of a lot less room than that many pockets, fitteds or prefolds. Sure, you'll need covers (or just want them, my youngest goes coverless 95% of the time) but if you are handy with a set of knitting needles you can make them yourself. Wool is what you want there, though if you have a stash of acrylic yarn hidden away you can use it to. Do a Google search for free patterns (longies, soakers, diaper covers) to knit or crochet...you'll be overwhelmed. Below are some links to finding what you need. No, this isn't my store but I have used them several times and have been quite pleased every time.

Flats
Covers
Pins and Snappis (for the pin-fearer)
How to fold those crazy squares of fabric (pick a fold, any fold)

That's it for tonight folks. I'll pick up on Baby goo at a later date, including what to do when they shove not one but two peas up one nostril.