[blparent] making baby clothes

Fri Mar 16 07:05:10 UTC 2012

Thank you so much for the information! My whelechair's seat is roughly 17 
inches off the ground or so, and I can raise my arms another say, eight 
inches. I can raise them level with my shoulders, any higher and they go 
numb, so I can't really lift over my head. Is it ok for little one to sleep 
in a swing? I've seen it done, but then again, the baby in question was 
severely disabled, had a gastric feeding tube and everything. I actually got 
to see my old basinette, and I must say, at the time, i was jealous I 
couldn't fit into it anymore! It looked so comfy and cozy. We have some room 
on one side of the bed where a small crib or basinette can fit, but my 
husband is thinking of selling the bedstead we have and just using a metal 
frame. My problem is, then I can't pull on the posts to get out 
independently.
Also, would using picnic or other types of baskets for organisation be a 
good idea? For example, blankets in one, diapers in another, baby butt 
powder, cream, etc in another? I figure if they can be closed and neatly 
stacked sidways, they can make a compact type cabinet until we can get into 
a bigger place and find room for actual furniture. We're also going to see 
if one of my friends wants to move down here and in with us, which is a 
great idea, since he can study at the local college. He even offered to be 
an extra set of hands if we needed it. My cousin had a rule that if I held 
her son, I had to be sitting or lying down, since right now my seizures 
aren't terribly well-controlled. I'm talking to both doctors involved to see 
what can be done, but I've noticed they've decreased quite a bit in the past 
week or two, even if I forget my meds, so maybe the hormones are helping. 
Since I can sew simple jumpers, dresses, etc, I figure I could make clothing 
for if it's a baby girl, especially a little white dress/robe for if we do 
get her blessed/baptised.
I guess you're right,I haven't seen the rocker type cradles in quite a 
while, either. The last time I saw them was in my grandmother's closet, and 
she said they're very dangerous because they could flip over. Since the crib 
can be raised and lowered, that might be a good idea for when hubby is 
caring for her, or our friend, since he can stand and walk just fine.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jo Elizabeth Pinto" <jopinto at msn.com>
To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 11:48 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] making baby clothes


> Hi.  First of all, there's no reason you can't make baby clothes if you 
> have the time and the expertise to do it.  Dresses are fine for baby 
> girls, especially in the summer months or in warm climates, and they make 
> diapering convenient.  The dresses usually come with pretty shorts or 
> panties to go underneath them and cover the diaper.  I would strongly 
> recommend looking for fabrics that are flame retardant.  Most commercially 
> approved pajamas for kids have to be flame retardant to be sold in the 
> United States.
>
> If space is a limitation and you want a swing that's low to the ground, 
> try checking out the cradle swings.  They're lighter, lower, and more 
> portable than the bigger swings.  In my experience, I couldn't use the 
> cradle swing for as long with my baby as I used the bigger model because 
> she started to try and get out of the seat once she was mobile.  But the 
> choice might be perfect to you since it's built so that the cradle or seat 
> part is only a few inches off the floor, and the top of the frame is maybe 
> two feet high or so.  I think the model I had was a Fisher Price, and it 
> had a rainforest theme with sounds and toys for the baby to bat at.
>
> There is a special laundry soap called Dreff that's made for washing baby 
> clothes, but it's expensive and, in my opinion, doesn't work so well. 
> What I did was to get a name brand detergent--All, to be precise--in the 
> type that is free of dyes and perfumes.  My child never had a problem with 
> it, and I'm sensitive to the fumes anyway, so it worked out well for 
> everyone.
>
> You know, I haven't seen any of the old-fashioned rocking type cradles 
> around for a long time.  I'm wondering if maybe they weren't safe.  My 
> sister was in one thirty-some years ago, but none of the parents I've come 
> in contact with now use them.  The crib I used could be raised and 
> lowered, or there are play yards (Pack and Plays, I think they're called) 
> with cradle attachments for when the baby is small.
>
> The question of when to move a baby into a separate room will spark a big 
> debate anywhere.  There are some who have the baby in its own room from 
> the get-go, and some who choose to co-sleep with the baby in their room, 
> or in their bed, for months or years.  It's really a personal decision. 
> At first, you'll want to make it as easy as possible for getting up at 
> night, so with your limitations, having a basinet or a play yard in your 
> room might be a good option.  It really won't become inappropriate, as you 
> say, till you or your husband or the child decides it's a problem, which 
> could be years down the line, or weeks.  But this idea that every person 
> in a family has to have his or her own room was really only advocated in 
> the last generation or so.
>
> Sorry so long, I don't claim to know everything, but I had a zillion 
> questions before my baby came, too, and it's good to ask.  Don't worry, 
> some things get easier with time, and then there are other complications 
> to figure out.
>
> Jo Elizabeth
>
> "How far you go in
> life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the 
> aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the 
> strong.  Because someday in life you will have been all of these."--George 
> Washington Carver, 1864-1943, American scientist
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Tay Laurie" <j.t.laurie at gmail.com>
> Sent: Friday, March 16, 2012 12:26 AM
> To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [blparent] making baby clothes
>
>> Hi everyone,
>>
>> considering that I know a good portion about sewing, knitting, etc, I was 
>> wondering if it would be ok to make my own baby clothes, at least for a 
>> few outfits? I think that doing so might be cheaper, and would give me 
>> something to do until baby arrives. I'm not looking to make things out of 
>> silk, satin, etc, but sturdy, soft fabrics and things that are easily 
>> washable. Also, are dresses for a little girl appropriate even at such a 
>> small age?
>>
>> I also wondered about baby swings. The few I've seen are fairly large. 
>> Right now we only have a one bedroom apt, but will be moving into a 
>> larger one, or possibly a rented house, as soon as possible. I don't 
>> think one of the ones that suspends from the doorway would be my cup of 
>> tea, as knowing me I'd forget and run into it. Can anyone suggest brands 
>> or styles of swings, cribs, etc? Anything lower to the ground or that can 
>> be raised and lowered, since hubby can stand and I can stand for only a 
>> few minutes at a time might be a good idea.
>> Also, what about laundry soap? Do we simply use less of the normal stuff 
>> we use, or is there a specific baby detergent? I appologise if these are 
>> silly questions, but I'd rather have them answered than make a mistake 
>> and hurt the young one.
>> And, another stupid question. I've seen a basinette. But I haven't really 
>> seen a cradle, except for the doll cradle I had in 2nd grade, that was 
>> directly on the ground. The two boards that made up the head and foot 
>> were curved at the bottom to provide the rocking action. Is this how real 
>> cradles are? Or are they slightly higher? my grandmother said they're not 
>> on a stand since the baby could flip them over.
>> I'm just trying to decide what kind of furniture to get, i.e crib, 
>> cradle, etc. Also, at what age should we consider little one sleeping in 
>> his or her own room? Since it would take a few minutes for me to get into 
>> my chair and roll into the nursery, (five minutes on average) I don't 
>> want to neglect little one because it's hard to get out of bed. So we 
>> figured for at least a litlte while having him or her sleeping in our 
>> room, so one of us can quickly tend to their needs. But at what age does 
>> that become inappropriate?
>> Again, thank you guys for all your help!
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>
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