Clair De Lune Cot Bed Mattress Protector Review

Holly has now been potty trained during the day for nearly 5 months, so much earlier than we had bargained on!  At bedtime, she has been wearing a pull up nappy but a couple of weeks ago, we forgot to buy any and so had to risk a night nappy-free.  We lifted Holly when we went to bed and successfully managed an entire dry night.  Of course, since then, Holly has been keen to keep trying to go nappy free at night, even though I don't think we are really quite ready.  This means we are in need of very reliable mattress protectors to help keep Holly's cotbed dry even when accidents do happen.

Online4Baby sent us a cot bed mattress protector for Holly to try out.  It is a Clair De Lune fitted mattress protector sheet which is 140cm by 70cm so is suitable for both a cot mattress and a cotbed mattress.  The sheet is elasticated to stretch over the mattress and is designed for use underneath your normal fitted sheet to add a protective waterproof layer.

The Claire De Lune mattress protector isn't heavy or thick, it feels much like any other fitted sheet just with a slight sheen to the base of the fabric.  It isn't really shiny and it doesn't crinkle and make a noise when you lie on it (unlike other waterproof sheets we have used in the past for Lara).  This mattress protector is just as easy to fit as a regular cot sheet.

For me, a cotbed sheet needs to be capable of dealing with a baby's leaky nappy but should also be up to the greater challenge of a toddler or preschooler's middle-of-the-night accident which is a far greater challenge to deal with.  We've had one accident when using the sheet and this was first thing in the morning when Holly woke up so we knew about it and could act within minutes to take the bedding off the cot bed and get everything in the wash quickly - the bed was nice and dry underneath the sheet.  I don't know yet how it would cope if the accident were to happen late at night when the mattress protector would have to protect the bed for several hours.

I've successfully put this sheet through the wash but you have to be careful not to use fabric softener so that it retains its waterproof properties.

The Clair De Lune fitted mattress protector sheet currently costs £10.95 at Online4Baby.

Potty Training, The Final Frontier

That's it, I think we've finally cracked it! We have been an accident-free household for a whole week now. Phew.

I'll admit that it has taken far longer than I had hoped to get Lara through potty training but a few weeks ago we reached a turning point and then last week another milestone that I think was the secret of our success.

About 1 month ago Lara started to refuse to wear a nappy. At night Lara was happy to wear a pull-up (aka bedtime pants in our house) but during the day she would insist on wake-up pants! This presented me with a few issues because although she knew what she was doing, Lara consistently had accidents when in the car or when driving. We went with it and thanks to the little toilet-training pads from Dry Like Me (panty liners for toddlers) I was given the confidence I needed to let her go nappy-free when Lara was out and about in the car or tired in the afternoons and evenings. I also invested in a piddle pad for the car-seat to protect against the occasional, inevitable accident.

Our second milestone was actually initiated by the staff at nursery. They asked us to bring home Lara's potty because she was more than happy using the toilet and found that she only insisted on using the potty when a new member of staff was taking her to the toilet. We took this as a prompt to remove the potty from home and this seems to have been the final deciding factor. Hiding the potty forced Lara to walk all the way to the bathroom if she needed to go. We had been finding that Lara would go and fetch her potty, place it down in front of the TV or by her book and then get distracted before wetting herself centimetres from the potty. We hid the potty and the accidents magically stopped.

This weekend we managed a 2 hour car journey to Butlins, a weekend away and a 2 hour car journey home. Perfect.



And so (assuming we really have met the goal) it's time to share my Mellow Mummy top tips for potty training.

• Potty training in the summer so they can run around outside is a myth. We started in July and now it's December and I can tell you now that Lara is not running amok naked in the garden


• Have confidence in your child and they will surprise you.


• Give them whatever gadgets or tools they need to gain their own confidence. When we started we found Bambino Mio potty training pants to help Lara as they felt like pants but offered a little protection if accidents happened. Dry Like Me toilet training pads helped in the later stages to offer the same kind of confidence but with REAL pants.


• Don't expect your child to get it straight away


• Offer encouragement (and bribes) freely.


• We've tried and loved different types of potties such as the Pourty Potty (nursery particularly liked this) and the Becopotty but in the end, the potty Lara (and Mummy and Daddy) got on with best was a dead simple, traditional potty with high sides and a nice big bowl from Bambino Mio


• Hide the potty when the time is right!


• If you have a carpet you love, now is the right time to invest in a carpet-cleaner!

It does seem rather depressing that no sooner have I got Lara out of nappies I now have to start thinking about lifting my stash of reusable nappies out of the loft and seeing if I can bring them back to life for baby number two!

Potty Training the Mellow Way - An Update

Last week we made the big decision to start taking potty training seriously. Regular readers may know that I first introduced Lara to the potty at about this time last year when she was 13 months old and that earlier this year we started getting some success on the potty. Lara is now 26 months old and we felt that we had reached a wall and although we both still had doubts about whether she really was ready to go for it, last weekend Mr. B. and I decided that on Monday morning we would take the plunge.

Potty training when your child goes to nursery full-time has its pros and cons. On the plus side, the nursery staff do take on a lot of the responsibility AND they do this a lot more often than we do so they know the tricks of the trade. On the otherhand, it does make it hard to find a routine and impose house rules. When we take Lara to nursery they ask that we take her in a nappy because they are too busy at drop-off time to be able to rush off for emergency loo visits. In the evenings, our approach to potty training may be totally different to that at nursery and I'm not sure how much of a problem that has been other than that Lara asks for stickers and chocolate at nursery as a reward, which she obviously doesn't get.

Anyway. Week one had its ups and downs. On Monday and Tuesday Lara had 2 accidents at nursery but we got through the evenings just fine. Wednesday and Thursday were pretty disasterous. Lara only spends half a day at nursery on a Thursday but she still managed to get through 6 changes of clothes! Friday was better.

The weekend was a bit tricky. We went to Legoland and decided not to risk it and put Lara in a nappy but in fact she was really good at asking to use the toilet. On Sunday she also did pretty well with about 3 accidents. I did try and take her out to the park without a nappy but regretted it after a puddle appeared in the car seat!

This week at nursery we have so far had two days with only 1 accident and one day with no accidents at all so things are definitely getting better.

I shall keep you updated.

Potty Training The Mellow Way - An Update

A few weeks ago I hosted a potty training carnival here on Mellow Mummy. At the time, I had little of my own to share other than reviews of potties that Lara had 'tried' to use. Now our attempts at potty training have stepped up a gear so I'm sharing our progress for the Going Potty carnival at Mummy Mishaps.



As you may know, I started offering Lara a potty to sit on when she was about 13 months old. We have had a potty in the bathroom, the nursery and the living room ever since. It's there, we talk about it but we never forced the issue. Before a bath Lara would occasionally sit on it, only very rarely was this successful.

Two weeks ago I felt compelled to step it up a gear. Lara's communication has come on so much that I had vaguely been considering it for a couple of weeks and then, when one of the other children at her swimming lesson turned up one week fully toilet trained, I decided it was time. I know, as the Mellow Mummy I shouldn't feel pressured into these things but you can't help it. With summer just around the corner, the time felt right. Lots of chances (weather permitting) to play outside and not worry about accidents.



I bought a packet of stickers and a bag of giant chocolate buttons and then one weekend I plonked Lara down onto the potty at nappy-change time and tried to explain the concept of bribery!

We've done this every evening after work for a fortnight, and when we can over the weekends. After about two days we started getting successes and Lara's face would break into a great big beaming smile when she realised what she had done. An even bigger smile when she got her chocolate.

Then we started getting brave and removing the nappy for that period of time between getting home from nursery/work and going to bed. This hasn't proved to be a great success. Lara still, after a fortnight, can't really tell me when something is about to happen and so it always ends with a puddle on the living room floor. I think Lara understands now though that a wee on the carpet doesn't deserve chocolate, or a sticker on her chart.

Over the weekend she managed to use the potty on demand several times - one time even in front of her Nanny and Grandad (I don't know who was more excited, Lara or Nanny?). On Monday Lara told everyone at nursery that she didn't want to do wee wees in her nappy and even asked to sit on the toilet (something she outright refused to do at home until this point). In the evening, after a very stressful bedtime, we heard Lara running around upstairs - we went up to find her without her nappy on, searching for the potty. The very first time she had been able to successfully anticpate her need to use it. It filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride that only a potty-training parent can understand.

And so, with a matter of days before Lara's 2nd birthday, I don't think she will be out of nappies before she turns two but I think we're making good steps. I'm not in a rush, it will take as long as it takes - days, weeks or months. For us, potty training has been and will continue to be all about slowly building up a habit (and if you're Lara, its all about the chocolate).

Potty Training - Tips and Experiences from Real Mums

Welcome to the Potty Training blogging carnival. I've brought together some of the many blog posts out there that offer tips and advice, and which share experiences. Thanks to everyone who got involved.

Here at Mellow Mummy we started Potty Training at 13 months, as soon as we saw the signs of readiness. We're taking it slowly and steadily. I gave a 16 month update but it has all gone a bit quiet since.

I found this comprehensive post from Cheshire Claire to be a REAL account of when she chose to potty train, the decisions she made, the approach she took and the results.

Little M at Mummy's Busy World has been blogging about pooing on demand and about the feeling of finally managing to use the potty.

Red Ted Art kept a potty diary some time back and hopes to inspire people to persevere when it seems to be taking a long time.

Sandy from Baby Baby posted this blog post on the subject. I shall say little about it, other than that it embodies the sense of pride that you get, even as a parent, when it all comes together!


Reviews

For a complete guide to the different products on offer out there, check out this great roundup of potty training aids at New Mummy's Tips. Really useful stuff.

• My Carry Potty, by Mellow Mummy


• My Carry Potty, by Madhouse Family Reviews


• Pourty Potty, by Mellow Mummy


• B-Sensible Bed Sheet, by Mellow Mummy

The Sunday Review – Pourty Potty

I feel like I have become somewhat of a potty expert and yet Lara has barely started to potty train! I've learned that Lara much prefers to sit on a big potty than a compact one and that the brighter the colour, the more interested she seems. Over the past couple of weeks we have been trying out the Pourty Potty with some success.



The Pourty Potty is a potty that pours. Simple! It is a really nice big potty so Lara actively looks to sit on it. Our Pourty is a gorgeous dark purple colour (Lara's favourite) but it does come in a range of bright colours for different little people tastes.

The Pourty is shaped at both the front and the back of the potty to encourage a good sitting position. I believe that it is designed so that your child can sit on it in either direction which is handy, because Lara refuses to sit on it the traditional way around!

At (what I would consider to be) the back there is a channel and a gap out of which you can pour the contents of the potty after use. At first, I wasn't convinced that this was enough of a selling point for me but now I have used it a few times I certainly appreciate it. If you tip the contents of a potty down the toilet there is the inevitable splosh, perhaps even a splash which you would rather avoid.

The concept of the Pourty potty is so simple that it baffled my husband the first time he used it. How could it be this easy? !!! There is a good sized hole at the front to make it easy to carry the potty and ensure you don't need to grasp the edge of the potty itself when emptying it out. It has really noticeably high sides which I'm told help to prevent splashing and is shaped to make it comfortable for both buys and girls to sit on. The Pourty certainly does make life a bit more simple for parents.

The Pourty is the largest that we now own (I think we're approaching one per room now) but it is Laras favourite and to me, that is the most important thing. We keep it in her room by her bed and she can use it when she gets dressed or un-dressed. She often reads herself a bedtime story while sitting on it!

The bulk of the potty would put me off taking the Pourty out with us when we are away from home.

The Pourty is available from most good nursery retailers.

The Sunday Review – My Carry Potty

Lara has been trialling the new pink My Carry Potty. At 20 months old, Lara is still on the beginning of her potty-training journey but even in the last few days I have noticed a big change in her behaviour that tells me she is learning to control her own bodily functions. We've had a potty available for her to use for many months now and in the past 6 weeks she has actively sought out the potty

We agreed to review the My Carry Potty because I thought it would encourage Lara to learn. The My Carry Potty has a handle and is a good size and shape for a toddler to carry on their own – this gives them a sense of control and gown-up-ness. It also works extremely well as a travel potty because of it's in-built seal which ensures that when you close the folding potty with liquid contents in it, that there are no leaks.

My angel... she's soooooo ladylike!

The first one of these features certainly did its bit for Lara. She loves having it with her and when she knows that she needs to use the potty, she rushes over and grabs it by the handle and offers me a big smile. I can picture Lara carrying it around with her to nursery, or to friends and family's houses.

The second feature – the portable leak-free travel potty.. well, I remain to be convinced. Yes, I certainly found it to be leak-free and that gives me great confidence bringing the potty and its contents home with us in the car. My only concern really is that the seal is so good that in fact it is incredibly hard to open the potty. Even after ten days of use, the seal is so firm that I need to lever it open with both arms and brace myself against something at the same time. The label does warn you about the strength of the seal, but even so, it did take me by surprise. I certainly wouldn't want to have to open the potty with it full to the brim of urine because of the risk of the potty flying open with the force I had to apply and causing the entire bathroom to get covered in... well, let's just try not to think about it.

Errm.... I know what that face means!

The seal is also too firm for Lara to open the potty herself if she needs to use it.

You can find out more about My Carry Potty on their facebook page or twitter stream.

The Sunday Review – B-Sensible Bed Sheet / Mattress Cover

The B-Sensible sheet is a fitted sheet and mattress protector. When Lara moved into her little bed, we started using the B-Sensible sheet for babies - they make them for cots, cotbeds and moses baskets too. The sheet is a waterproof, breathable 'second-skin'



Although we are still several months away from active potty training, you will know, if you've read my blog posts about reusable nappies, that we have had one or two issues with wetness recently. Using the B-Sensible sheet has given me a sense of security, knowing that the bliming expensive mattress on Lara's bed is protected from accidents (which, I am guessing, will only get worse for the time being). As a water-resistant sheet, I was incredibly surprised at how light weight the sheet was – I was expecting something thick and plasticy but it is exactly the opposite. The website describes it as 'soft as silk and cool as linen' and I wouldn't argue with either of those descriptions – it is silky in texture!

Although we haven't had to actively test the water-resistance of the sheet, we have had a multi-vomit situation, with which, the B.Sensible sheet coped extremely well. All I needed to do was wash the sheet, no sponging of the mattress was needed. Phew. The sheets are machine washable and, should you wish, tumble-drier safe and they claim to be more absorbent than pure cotton sheets, yet quicker-drying.

The B-Sensible sheet is made from Tencel which is a natural fibre from eucalyptus trees – they combine it with a stretchable membrane to make a hypo-allergenic sheet which acts as a barrier between your baby's skin and moisture, bacteria and dust which is why it is so suitable for sensitive, young skin. I am hoping that it will help to reduce Lara's eczema (which is suffering a bit since I accidentally washed EVERYTHING in bio washing powder).



The B-Sensible sheets also claim to help regulate body temperature while you sleep. B.Sensible sheets also come in children's and adults size sheets and pillowcases and so, I am seriously considering buying one for our own bed as I suffer frequently from rhinitis which it claims to aid, and Mr. B. often overheats in bed.

B-Sensible claim to have a 'completely eco-friendly' manufacturing process (99.5% of the solvents used are recovered and re-used). How this is so, I really don't know, but I suppose it offers some comfort to me.

I'm really pleased with Lara's B-Sensible sheet. It'll save me time and money in the coming months as Lara goes through potty training (I should be able to turn that sheet around through the wash in just one day without needing to buy an official 'toilet training' sheet), and I hope it will help s during he hot summer months too.

Potty Training at 16 Months - An Update

You may remember a little while back that I told you about your slow start on the potty training adventure at what is, these days, considered early in Laras life. I've also recently blogged about how the reusable nappies are really struggling at present so today I thought I would give you an update on the potty training progress.

Back in August we got this Beco Potty from Jojo Maman Bebe. I have since discovered that one potty is not enough. You need one in every room ideally! Actually, that's an overstatement. I do keep one in the bathroom and one in the nursery by the changing unit at present as we never have time to leg it from one room to another. I think in the long term I will probably move one to the downstairs toilet when things become a little more serious.

Over the past month I've found that Lara's toilet habits have changed. She can quite easily go several hours and still have dry nappy but then when it does get wet, it gets seriously wet. When Lara wears a disposable you can tell easily when that has happened by the bulk of the nappy changing shape. But, when she is wearing a re-usable then the only way to tell is by touch; that usually involves me picking Lara up for a cuddle and then discovering that her trousers or tights are totally wet through, at which point I have to perform a complete change of outfit. Funnily enough, I see this as a good sign. It means that Lara is growing up.

For quite some time Lara has been indicating to me that she has wet her nappy through some means or another. Only in the last few days has she really been able to communicate to me accurately when she has wet or dirtied her nappy. She will sometimes now tell me in a quiet little whimper 'poo poo' seconds before the event. She rarely tells me 'wee wee' but I'm slowly learning that she does make a distinct noise... normally a little too late to act on it though. I guess that this ability to read Lara's signs is at the heart of 'Elimination Communication' which, the purists will tell you, I should have started from day one. I've been watching Lara for months now hoping to see the signs and only now am I learning... there is no way I could have done this 16 months ago.

The other significant change in Lara's behaviour over the last fortnight is the ability and willingness to dress and undress herself. She will always help me to pull her trousers or tights up and down if I ask her too and this is going to be a big help on our potty training journey.

So, Lara still wears a nappy for all but a few short minutes before and after her bath when I let her run amok. She will sit contendly on the potty both before and after that bath, sometimes with a book, sometimes with a toy. And, perhaps once a week, she successfully manages to use that potty. At present, I don't think she has really grasped the connection between her wet and dirty nappies and the potty. She doesn't seem that interested if she does use the potty and seems to shrug off the congratulations.

Given that I have not found a reusable that can reliably cope with the heavy wetting (and I've tried several different brands over the past few weeks, some better than others), I have been using disposable nappies far more frequently than I had ever intended. I now realise what a huge expense disposable nappies are. It is no wonder the big nappy companies want your children to stay in nappies until they are nearly 3 years old if they can get around £6 a week off you. I'm determined that Lara has to be out of nappies sooner rather than later and, from the way that her brain is developing to understand her own behaviours, I see no reason why this can't be done over the coming months.

Image courtesy of Jojo Maman Bebe

HELP – My Reusable Nappies Can't Cope

I feel like I am coming to the end of an era.

Lara has been wearing reusable nappies ever since she was 6 weeks old. We've done so well. But, over the past month we have been struggling. The Bambino Mio nappies we use just can't cope with the volume of liquid that Lara produces!


A few weeks ago we tried out the OneLife Nappy system. It was fine but I didn't get on with the shape of the nappy cover and the cotton nappies themselves struggle even more than the Bambino Mios with the current wee onslaught.

I have also tried a few different approaches to using my Bambino Mio nappies. Some days I use bamboo or cotton boosters in the nappies (I had previously just reserved these for night times). This helps, but not significantly. I have also tried putting two folded cotton nappies into one of the big OneLife nappy covers. This works but it is only a solution I can use over night because the bulk of the nappy means Lara can barely walk (and no clothes fit on over the top).


Lara drinks a lot. She eats a lot. But... I was never prepared for this. As soon as she does a wee the nappy is no longer usable. This weekend I think we averaged 4 changes of clothes during the day due to the fact that the nappies had leaked. The Bambino Mio outer liners are supposed to be waterproof but the liquid has started to wick through the fabric. I don't know whether this is because I have over-washed them and they've lost their waterproofing, or whether it is just that Lara's body functions have changed – I think her body has grown up.

As I've told you before, Lara has already started potty training. It's a very long and slow process with us – none of this 'potty training in one week' malarkey for us! Lara does use the potty each evening, sometimes even with success, but she is a very long way off being potty trained as although she is now able to tell me when she has wet or soiled her nappy, she isn't able to tell when it will happen.

So, until she is potty trained, I need to find another solution. This past fortnight we have been trying out the BumGenius all-in-one nappies (you can read the review this Sunday on Mellow Mummy). They're better, I admit, but I only have two of them so I can't use them all the time. Instead, I have rather grudgingly been sending Lara to the childminder in disposable nappies! This is partly because I don't own a bag big enough to put in enough changes of clothes for the day in case every nappy leaks (and partly because I wouldn't wish that one someone else).

Using disposables every week day feels expensive to me. I find it unsightly when they sag, I hate the smell they give off and then, obviously, there's the waste they produce. On the other hand, it does mean I have less bulk to pack in Lara's bag each morning AND, it opens up a whole area of Lara's wardrobe out of which I thought she had grown. Jeans become a realistic option too! It's not all bad.

I shall keep you updated on my progress on the search for a reusable nappy that can cope effectively with the situation. It would be a shame to have to give up reusable nappies now. In the meantime, if you have any wise words of advice to impart, I'd love it if you could help me.

Image credits:
OneLife nappy system courtesy of Hello Baby
BumGenius Artist Series courtesy of babame.com and BumGenius

Potty Training - An Early Start

Lara and I have started our journey into the realms of potty training! I know, I know, she's young and her brain can't yet control her bladder. And yes, it takes longer if you start early. I know these things. But Lara is ready to start to learn about the potty so I'm ready to let her learn. It is nothing serious at present but we're taking our first tentative steps towards potty training.

I know Lara is ready to start learning because:-

• she was copying the other children at the childminder by getting onto the potty
• she crouches down when she is doing a wee
• she gives a me a 'look' when she is going to the toilet in her nappy
• she regularly fetches me a nappy or the changing mat and sits down in anticipation of a nappy change
• she attempts to undo her own nappy and help me wipe

And so, I decided to get a potty. My plan is to just leave it there for her to see and use when she wants to. So far, each evening she has sat on the potty (with a good book) and has been happy to spend a little while just sitting there. There has only been once success so far and she wasn't really aware of what she had done but that's cool. There is no pressure.

We have a Becopotty that we got from JoJo Maman Bebe. It is much bigger than many of the potties I have seen which is good for Lara as it means she can just sit there comfortably and watch the world go by. The Becopotty is made from plant waste and I was really surprised at how heavy and sturdy it was - I was expecting it to be a bit cardboardy! The potty has a very high back for Lara to lean back on and a good area for me to grab hold of. The genius of the Becopotty is that in many years time when all of my family are potty trained (yes, including Mr. B.), I can bury the potty in the garden and it will quickly begin to biodegrade.

In just a few weeks I have learned that potty training is best performed in the bathroom and not in the nursery where there is a very pale coloured carpet. In the bathroom I have a packet of bathroom wipes on hand (biodegradable, flushable bathroom wipes of course thanks to the very lovely Method who I have raved about many times on Mellow Mummy).

I have also learned that if we are going to make this a success then Lara needs to learn some independence when it comes to nappy changes. My first step to giving her control is to introduce a pull-up nappy. I haven't yet invested in a re-usable pull up nappy (although I am sure there are some on the market – any suggestions are very welcome). I have bought Lara some Huggies 'Little Walkers' and some 'Pull-Ups'. Both are stretchy around the hips and can be pulled-up or opened and closed with a re-sealable fastening at the hips. I put one on Lara each evening as her last nappy of the day (if I remember) and encourage her to get involved pulling it up and then down again before she goes to bed. It is early days yet but I think she's slowly getting the idea.

I'm sure there are lots of people who would frown at our approach but hey, I'm mellow about these things... I'll see how to goes and if it REALLY doesn't work, I'll put it off and try again when she's a little older. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has made early potty training work, what tips do you have for me and Lara?