Hello

As some of you might have noticed, a lot has been going on with Babies Bottoms and More. The ownership of Babies Bottoms and More has changed, and we are so pleased to welcome  Amber and Jose Batista as our new owners.  You might have met Amber, some time over the last year or so, working for Elisa in the store. While being a mom to her two little ones, Marjane, 3, and Viva, 2, she grew to love everything natural parenting related.

The decision to buy and sell Babies Bottoms and More was greatly contemplated by Elisa, Amber, and their families. After much thought and conversation both families are extremely happy with their decisions. The Batista Family is excited to start a new adventure.

Until the grand reopening there will be shorter business hours, but we will be open none the less. Starting Thursday, May 8th, 2014 we will be open from 11:00am to 5:00pm Tues through Sat. So please, come out, look around and play with all the cloth you would like.

Feel free to browse the website! www.babiesbottomsandmore.com We have updated the features to allow you to now make wishlists and even register for your upcoming bundles of joy.

Be sure to sign up for our  mailing list to keep up with news, our calendar of events, and store specials.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Thank you so much for bearing with us while we make this transition. We are excited to share all the new developments with you, and look forward to seeing you in the store soon!

Our new address:

217 Harwood Rd, Suite 110

Bedford, TX 76021

A More Excellent Elemental?

(Review of the new BumGenius Elemental.)

 

Most of my stash is BG Elementals from when my 2 year old son was born.  I loved that diaper.  Trim, organic natural fibers, super absorbent, simple to use… pretty much the only complaint I had were long drying times.  So how does it stack up against the new Elemental?  Let’s find out…

What’s Changed?

The old Elemental was made up of (as far as I can tell ) 9 layers of BumGenius’s signature buttery soft organic cotton knit.  There were 3 layers that made up the inner base layer of the diaper and then a “handbag style” soaker made up of 2 separate strips of 3 layers each.  A “handbag style” soaker is one that is sewn down at the front and back like the handle of a purse, not at just one end with the other end flapping free.  (Many thanks to Tiffany of Simple Baby for explaining that term to me.) The body layers were sewn in the front and back and sides of the diaper.  To add absorbency you had to just lay a doubler into the diaper unless you had a very small doubler (like the GroVia booster), then you could tuck it under the handbag-style soaker.

The new Elemental has made some changes to address specific issues with the old Elemental.

1. No more full body layers.  The new design has gotten rid of the full body layer and simply expanded the handbag style soaker (both longer and wider) so that it covers the body of the diaper from front to back and side to side.  It is no longer sewn into the elastic at the sides. This will eliminate a common complaint from the old Elementals, which is that the cotton would wear holes near where it attached to the elastic and near where the soaker was attached due to increased stress on the fabric at those points.  Additionally, having the elastic in leg casings and not attached to the cotton means replacing the elastic on the new Elementals is as easy as replacing it on the Flip cover.
2. Quicker drying times.  By eliminating 3 of the 9 layers of cotton but making those 6 remaining layers wider, BumGenius has made the new Elemental quicker drying which saves both time and energy.
3. Easier to add additional layers.  The new Elemental’s soaker is sewn to the PUL in a way similar to if you sewed a Flip insert to the flaps of a Flip cover.  The result is that there is PLENTY of space under the handbag soaker to add a full-size insert.  Plus, you can now use microfiber because the cotton soaker is wide enough to cover it completely so the microfiber doesn’t touch your baby’s skin.
4. Trimmer.  I can’t say that this is a huge selling point for me since I will always pick more absorbency over less bulk, this could be a big plus for people who are used to the trimness of disposables or who don’t want to have to size up in pant sizes for their baby.

Despite all these positive changes, I do have a few reservations about the diaper.

1. Absorbency.  The new Elemental has 6 layers of cotton instead of 9.  These layers are much wider than 6 of the previous 9 layers, so perhaps total absorbency is the same.  I’m not sure.  I will say that I was pleasantly surprised that the new Elemental lasted through a nap on my 2 year old.
2. Exposed PUL.  This is a big one.  Because the cotton layers are so trim, and not attached to the sides, the soakers do tend to bunch up and leave exposed PUL against my baby’s skin.  He is not allergic to PUL so this isn’t as big of an issue as it could be, but it was still annoying, especially when a couple pieces of poop got stuck under the cotton soaker and ended up bouncing around on the PUL while I tried to shake it into the toilet.  Exposed PUL is also the reason I prefer the (old) organic cotton flip inserts  to the stay dry or the new trimmer cotton flip inserts.  The bulk of the old organic insert (now renamed the Flip Overnight insert) meant the insert held it shape, laying flat and going to the edges of the diaper instead of bunching up.

 

 

Will I grow to love the new Elemental as much as the old one?  Maybe.  I plan on adding a few to my stash , but I’m also going to add a few Smart Bottoms AIO’s which are extremely similar to the old Elemental design with full body layers of organic cotton as well as an attached soaker.

Want to try it yourself?  Come into our store or shop our website, www.babiesbottomsandmore.com! (If the listing for the new Elemental is not live yet, give me a day or so to get it up.)

 

Questions I didn’t answer?  Comment below and I’ll try to answer for you!

Full disclosure: I am a BumGenius retailer.  However all opinions expressed are my own.  I did not receive any compensation for writing this review and purchased the diaper for review myself.

Flip Organic Inserts: Old and New

So what’s up with the new Flip organic inserts?  Let’s go over the packaging changes first, then we’ll compare the actual inserts.

 

Flip Day Packs used to come with 2 covers and 6 inserts.  Stay-dry (microfiber topped with suedecloth) was one option for $49.95, and Organic (organic cotton inserts) was another option, for $59.95.  Each day pack would get you through 6 diaper changes (assuming you reuse each cover 3 times).  Other Flip insert options were the newborn stay-dry inserts and the disposable inserts (sold separately).

 

The NEW Flip Organic Day packs come with 2 covers and 8 (not 6) organic cotton inserts, still for $59.95.  So you get 2 more inserts for the same price, but the inserts are thinner.  Which means they’re trimmer, but also less absorbent.  Theoretically, the Organic day pack now has enough inserts for 8 changes, while the stay-dry still represents 6 changes, but to get all 8 changes you would have to reuse each cover FOUR times, which may or may not be realistic, depending on your baby.

The OLD Organic Cotton inserts have been renamed the Flip Organic Night-time Inserts and are available in 2-packs for $22.95.  As well as being available in day packs, the new (daytime) organic inserts are available in 3-packs for $19.95, the same price that a 3-pack of the old Organic Inserts, now the new Night-time Inserts, used to be sold for.  Confused yet?  🙂

 

So, what ARE these inserts?  If you want to see them in person, please come visit Babies Bottoms and More in Farmers Branch, TX on a Tuesday from 10-2 or Saturday from 11-3.  Or you can keep reading… the new organic inserts are made of the same soft and squishy organic cotton as the old organic inserts (this cotton is also used in the Elementals.  It’s divine.)  Instead of being folded and sewn down into a 4 layer thick prefold-sized insert, it is simply one single layer that has been serged around the edges.  More like a flat diaper than a prefold.  Not exactly like a flat, because as you can see in the below photo, the dimensions are not quite the same as the Hemp Babies Flat, but are about twice the size of the old style organic insert.

To use the old style organic inserts, you tri-folded (folded it in thirds) and laid it inside the cover.  You’d trifold it one direction for smaller babies, the other direction for larger babies who needed a longer insert.  With the new organic insert, you do the same thing – but you first fold it in half crosswise.  In half, then in thirds.  The photo below shows an unfolded old-style insert next to a new insert that has been folded in half one time.

Because the new insert can unfold completely to a single layer, it will be easier to clean and will dry faster.  However since it also just uses less cotton (when trifolded the new insert has 6 layers of cotton, the old insert had 12) it will be trimmer/less absorbent.  Of course, if you need more absorbency one of the beauties of the Flip system is that you can simply stack two inserts on top of each other and use them BOTH inside the cover.  (I kind of wonder if that’s what they were going for when they bumped the day pack up to 8 inserts… it can be 4 diaper changes for a heavy wetter/older baby and 8 changes for a lighter wetter.) So I guess although I personally am almost always in favor of more absorbency even at the cost of trimness, I can see how the new insert is more versatile especially for moms who really want trimness.  The photo below shows a side view of the old vs new inserts so you can see how much trimmer the new one is.

Old on the left, New on the right

 

So, what do you all think?  Do you like the versatility and trimness of the new insert?  Or do you prefer the simpler folding method of the old one?  Any other thoughts?

January Giveaway

Congratulations to the winner of our December giveaway, the Sheepish Grins holiday soaps, Lindsay Stehno.

(Please excuse the lack of photos. WordPress is being cranky tonight and won’t let me upload any photos. )

You all are going to LOVE our January giveaway – it’s something for Mom! Momma Nature Cashmere Creme ($24.50 value) is the most luxurious hand cream I have ever had the pleasure of using.

 

Here’s what the manufacturer has to say about it:

Unbelievably rich, creamy, moisturizing and gentle! Enriched with organic hemp seed and calendula oils. No chemicals, no parabens, no mineral oils – only pure softness! Can be used on hands, body or face. Gentle enough for the whole family. May be helpful with skin sensitivities. A little goes a l-o-o-o-ng way.

Ingredients are:

Calendula oil, shea nut butter, organic hemp seed oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, vegetable glycerine, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, aqua, emulsifying wax, potassium sorbate, tocopherol (Vitamin E), grapefruit seed extract.

Now, I have known about this Cashmere Creme for months now. And I read the above description, thought, “Huh, that’s nice” and then immediately thought “But there is no way that I or anyone else would pay almost $25 for a 2 ounce jar of hand cream. But then I heard from another retailer in Missouri that once she put a tester out for moms to try it, they were flying off the shelves. So on a whim, I added one jar to my next order of Jellystone and Grandma El’s. Ordering testers of new products is always a little bit like Christmas. I unscrewed the lid and oh my! the delicious smell! A combination of lavender, chamomile, and some creamy shea with hints of almond.

The best part was yet to come. Have you ever touched a flower petal in the spring? Fresh, cool, impossibly silky? THAT, my friends, is how Cashmere Creme feels on your skin. Light, but luxurious, it leaves your hands feeling intensively moisturized for about five minutes and then soaks in so your hands don’t stay very greasy at all.

We have one jar that you can win, and as soon as I get my tester jar back from my mom, we will have a jar in store so you can try this magic for yourself.

To Enter:

1. Get 1 entry every time you visit the store (and try out the tester too!)

2. Add the item “monthly giveaway” to your cart with any online order this month.

3. Comment here and share your New Year’s Resolution. Mine is that I’m going to spend a few weeks or months decluttering our house, making many trips to Goodwill and filling lots of trash bags with the stuff not even Goodwill wants. Starting wtih the kids’ toys!

 

Black Friday Winners (and November Giveaway)

It’s been a busy week filling Black Friday online orders and then our Trunk Show on Thursday, so thanks for all your patience!  Below are the winners for the Black Friday giveaways and our November giveaway.  I have listed names where they were written and ticket numbers when they weren’t.  If you are a winner, please email admin@babiesbottomsandmore.com before Monday, December 3 at 9 pm to claim your prize or we will pick another name.  If your original purchase was in-store, you may pick up your prize in-store.  If your original order was online/emailed and you do not live locally please include your shipping address and we will ship your prize to you.

November Giveaway (amber necklace): Tyese Little

Think Baby feeding set: Liesl Raikes

SoftBums AI2 pack: Blessy C.

Osocozy Flats: Kelly Carr

Hemp Babies Hemp Flat: Isela Rodriguez

Jellystone Chocolate Bar Teether: Jade McGraw

Econobum Package: Summer Ross

PlanetWise Sport Bag: Tracy Taylor

Hand-Embellished Burp Cloths: Isela Rodriguez

Rockin Green Diaper Pail Deodorizer: Meghan Jones

PlanetWise Nursing Cover: Jennifer Robertson

Lulu’s Extra Hard Detergent: Kristen Jones

 

Congratulations, everyone!  This is normally the part where I tell you what this month’s giveaway will be, but my 2 year old got into the super awesome nontoxic nail polish that it was going to be and mixed all the colors of nail polish together.  So give me a few days or a week to figure out if I can get replacements in time or if there’s something else around here that I should give away and save the nontoxic nail polish for another month.  And if you have a similar story to share in the comments so I don’t feel like my kid is the only toddler whose mission it is to use up every single last drop of Mommys’s sanity, that would be much appreciated!  Hey, just goes to show why it’s important to have nontoxic nail polish, right?

Trunk Show Prizes

Thank you to everyone who came to our Holiday Trunk Show (and thank you to all the manufacturers who donated prizes).  I don’t know about you guys, but I had a blast seeing everyone, playing with all my favorite JuJuBe bags, eating mini cheesecake and drinking tea and coffee donated by The Cultured Cup in Addison.

 

Most of the prizes were claimed by winners who were present, but we still have 3 Unclaimed Beco Minis.  Please check the winning ticket numbers below against your ticket.  To claim your prize, simply bring your winning ticket in to the store any Saturday 11-3 or Tuesday 10-2.  If you’re worried you will lose your ticket before you can make it to the store, you can also text a picture of your winning ticket along with your name and which prize you won to 972.424.4994.  If the tickets I drew had contact info on them I also called and left a message for you, so check your voice mails!

Beco Mini Tyler – 304518

Beco Mini Paige – 304548

Beco Mini Natalie – 304621

 

If all goes well I’ll post the Black Friday winners later today!

Black Friday Specials!

Babies Bottoms and More Black Friday Specials:

Babies Bottoms and More will be OPEN on Black Friday from 9 am to 1 pm.  We will NOT be open the following day, Saturday.  Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, November 20.  (And don’t forget our Holiday Trunk Show on Thursday, November 29 from 7-9 pm! Details here: https://www.facebook.com/babiesbottomsandmore#!/events/123576694466287/?fref=ts) If you can’t make it to the store on Black Friday, see below for instructions on how to email your order and still take advantage of sales & participate in giveaways.

We will be doing quite a few giveaways.  With every $10 you spend on Black Friday, you will get one ticket.  Put the tickets in the jar for whatever item you hope to win – all the tickets in one or spread them out to give yourself a chance at winning a bunch!  There is NO LIMIT to the amount of prizes one person can win… drop one ticket in each and you COULD win them ALL!

Giveaways:

ThinkBaby BPA Free Stainless Steel Feeding Set, includes 2 bowls with snap-on lids, fork, spoon, cup, and bento box with lid, value $39.99

Rockin Green Diaper Pail Deodorizer, value $7.95

6 pack of Osocozy flat diapers, unbleached 100% cotton, value $9.95

Softbums Echo Shell (Velcro, Blue Aliens) with a NEW Super dry touch pod, value $27.95

PlanetWise nursing cover, value $25

PlanetWise Sport Bag, value $27.95

Hemp babies flat diaper (great to use as a pocket diaper insert too), value $7.95

Econobum package, 1 cover + 2 one-size prefolds, value $12

Bag of Lulu’s Extra Hard detergent, value $14.95

Handmade embellished toddler-size prefolds/burp cloths, value $16

Jellystone chocolate bar teether

And then of course we have lots and lots of things on sale, at prices you won’t see again all year long!  Time to stock up, not only for yourself, but for every baby shower you’ll be attending in 2013! Some of these things have very limited quantities, so come early for best selection!

Breastfeeding

Undercover Mama nursing tanks 50% OFF! $12.48

Lansinoh Affinity breast pump – 50% OFF AND FREE 25-count milk storage bags, $69.50

Bebe Au Lait nursing covers 40% off, $21.00

Bravado Original nursing bras 20% off, $28.00

Cloth Diapering

Bummis Super Whisper Wraps 40% off – $7.65 each

Bummis organic prefolds (15-40 lbs) 20% off – $22.40/6 pack

Fuzzibunz Diaper Totes 20% off $9.56

Fuzzibunz Minky Inserts 30% off, 3-packs 11.95-12.95

Fuzzibunz One-size Elite Pocket Diapers, Buy 4 Get 2 Free (works out to 13.33 per diaper when you get 6)

Purchase a dozen prefolds or flats and get 1 free snappi or 1 free set of metal head diaper pins

CJ’s products 20% off

CJ’s BUTTer $7.20

CJ’s BUTTer Plus and CJ’s Spritz (for yeast) $7.32

EcoSprout (old packaging) 20% off – $11.96

Rockin’ Green limited edition holiday scent, Classic Rock $11, Hard Rock $12

PlanetWise and Best Bottom products, 10% off

Wet/Dry bags, 18.90

Hanging wet/dry bags, 26.99

Pail Liners, 14.85

Best Bottom Shells, 15.26

Best Bottom Inserts, 3.56 stay-dry, 5.36 hemp

Rumparooz pocket diapers 30% off – 16.45-17.85

EcoPosh one-size fitteds and wool 20% off – 27.96 (fitted) and 31.96 (w00l)

BumGenius Elemental (the one that is NEVER on sale!) 10% off, 22.46

babywearing

10% off Boba products,

Boba 3G $108-112.50

Sucking Pads $17.99

Boba Air $58.50

Boba Wrap $43.20

Demo ring slings 50% off

Zolowear $44.50

Hava $34.50

Sling Ezee $29.50

40% off discontinued MobyWrap colors and prints

Camo $26.48

Pink Tattoo $27.98

Jade Silk MobyD and Brown Woven MobyD $32.50

CatBirdBaby Babywearing Essentials Mei Tai, 30% off, $48.30

Beco Butterfly, $99!

other stuff

PlanetWise sport bags 40% off, $16.77

Reusable snack bags $2 each!

Scratch Me Nots 50% off – $12.48

Babylegs 50% off – $6.00 a pair

Ju-Ju-Be Be Hip Messenger Bags, 50% off, $40 (limited quantities and shipment has not arrived yet but you can purchase one that is on its way and we will let you know when it is ready for pickup.  No free shipping on this item due to size and weight.)

If you can’t make it to the store but want to take advantage of these deals and giveaways, please EMAIL your order to admin@babiesbottomsandmore.com.  Include the following: Name, shipping address, phone number, what you would like to order, and whether you would like me to send you a Paypal invoice or call you to get credit card info.  If Paypal, please let me know if the address you would like the invoice sent to is different from the email address you are writing from.  I will begin filling those orders on TUESDAY, November 27 in the order they were received.  Emails must be time stamped between Friday, November 23 at 12:01 AM and Monday, November 26 at 11:59 PM for sale prices and giveaways to apply.  In some cases discounts apply to in-stock items only; if your emailed order contains items that are not in stock we will contact you to arrange substitutions.  Priority will be given to in-store purchases… we will not start filling emailed orders until the store is closed for the day.

November Giveaway – Amber Teething Necklace

Congratulations to Lori P whose name was drawn in our October giveaway. Congratulations Lori, your name was picked! To claim your Be Quick, please email admin@babiesbottomsandmore.com or call 972.424.4994 before Wednesday, November 7 at 9 pm. Thanks!

This month we’re giving away a perennial favorite – an amber teething necklace from Healing Amber. This 13″ necklace features multicolored polished chunks of amber for your little one. The thread is knotted in between each bead so that even if the thread breaks, all the beads but one will stay strung to reduce choking hazards. The clasp is designed to break under pressure as a safety precaution. Amber necklaces, though they are often called “teething necklaces” are not meant to be chewed on. In fact, with a proper fit, the necklace should be long enough that you can easily slip two fingers in between the necklace and your little one’s neck, but not long enough for them to get it in their mouth.

From Healing Amber’s website:

Used for centuries, Baltic Amber has been used for a variety of ailments from teething pain to arthritis. Scientific research has shown that succinic acid has a very positive influence on the human body. It improves immunity and the balance of acids when absorbed into the bloodstream, it stimulates the thyroid glands to help reduce drooling and soothe inflammed areas. Amber’s anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are recognised by allopathic medicine as a natural analgesic (pain reliever), which can help to relieve many painful conditions.

Amber is associated with sunlight and warmth and reputed to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, accelerates the healing of wounds, reduce inflammation of the throat, ear and stomach infections and respiratory disease. Amber is unique and has amazing results which are all natural. Baltic Amber is a traditional European baby teething remedy which has become popular all over the world.

Safety Disclaimer ~ please don’t leave children unattended with their necklace or bracelet, it may present a choking hazard.

At first, I thought all these moms who swore by amber necklaces were crazy. The necklaces were pretty, sure, and kinda cute to see on a baby, but thought it sounded a little far-fetched. I wasn’t even convinced when I put a necklace on my son and noticed his fussiness calm down, because I thought I could just be imagining it. But then I got the mother-of-all-cricks in my neck. For three days, I would stretch and massage my neck and get about half of it worked out by bedtime… and then I’d wake up each morning and it would be back in all its crampiness. I was not a joy to be around those three days, I was grumpy and cranky because I was in pain. On the third night I thought “I can’t take this any more!” and grabbed an amber necklace, put it on, and fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, my neck still hurt – but not any more than it had when I went to bed! As I went through the day, I noticed that although the pain was still noticeable and I still couldn’t turn my head fully to one side, it wasn’t severe enough to be making me grumpy. It was just there. The pain lessened each day as I wore the necklace 24 hours a day, and after a few more days it was gone.

Fast forward a couple weeks and one lady in the store really wanted a Molasses amber necklace like the one I was wearing, but we were sold out of that color. I offered to order it, but she needed it to help with migraines and understandably didn’t want to wait, so I sold her the one off my neck. That night I ordered more, including another molasses one for me because I love the way the warm black of the amber sets off the warm white of my pearl earrings, I didn’t want a diferent color. Two days later, two days of not wearing amber, the pain in my neck was back. I pulled a necklace off the shelf and put it on and again, 24 hours later the pain was almost gone.

If you’d like your own amber necklace, either for pain relief or because they’re a beautiful, 100% natural alternative to mass produced costume jewelry, we have them in the store. Child necklaces range from $18.99 – $22.00 and adult necklaces are $29.99. All our amber is sourced from reputable distributors and manufacturers so you can be assured you are getting genuine Baltic amber and not plastic, glass, or dried (not fossilized) tree sap substitutes which do not share genuine amber’s healing properties.

Child amber bracelets and necklaces can also be purchased through our website here: http://babiesbottomsandmore.com/knteam.html

FOUR ways to enter this month!

1. Comment here and tell us your favorite kind of amber. Do you like the clarity and sparkle of the light yellow Liquid Gold? Prefer the beach-baby vibe of the Raw (unpolished) amber or the cool sophistication of strings of shiny black Molasses? Do you lose yourself in the warm Maple Syrup color, or are you transfixed by the unique cracks and flecks in the Olive Speckle beads?

2. Share this blog entry or copy and paste a link to it on your Facebook page, then come back here and comment that you shared it. (In a separate comment from #1, so each comment counts as one entry.)

3. Visit our store in Farmers Branch just north of Dallas this month. Each visit gets you one entry – be sure to fill out the entry form in the store.

4. Add this item: http://babiesbottomsandmore.com/mogi.html (Monthly Giveaway) to your cart with any online order and get one entry.

I was not compensated in any way for this review/giveaway. All opinions are my own, and I paid for the giveaway item myself, just because you all are awesome and deserve awesome giveaways.

Welcome, Olivia Grace!

I am SO excited to welcome my new niece, Olivia Grace, born on October 16.  She lives in Virginia right now but I will be seeing her for Thanksgiving AND Christmas this year!  To celebrate her birthday, we are giving away a Bumble Dot PlanetWise wipes pouch in “her” colors, gray and yellow, filled with product samples.

To enter, comment and give me your best guess on her birth weight.  (She is 2 days old in the photo.)  The closest guess wins.  If more than one person guesses the correct weight, winner will be drawn by a random number generator.  Giveaway closes Saturday, October 20, no earlier than 9 pm.  (But if I get sidetracked you might be able to sneak in an entry after 9.) Good luck!

CONTEST CLOSED.  Congratulations, Kristen Jones, you won!  She was 8 lb SEVEN oz, but you and Jennifer were the closest so we randomly picked a winner between the two of you.  Please email admin@babiesbottomsandmore.com to let me know if you will come pick up your prize during our open hours (Tuesday 10-2 and Saturday 11-3) or if you would like it shipped (and if so, I’ll need your address.)  Please email before Tuesday or we’ll pick another winner.  Thanks!  -Elisa

Depression, Part 2

I hadn’t intended to publish this right away but I’m afraid that if I wait I will forget or second guess myself and not post it, so here goes.

 

Following up on our last blog post, maybe you have never been depressed but someone you love is.  Have you ever wished you could understand a little more about what they’re going through?  I spoke to several moms about their experiences and have compiled their answers here.

What were your symptoms?  How would you describe the feeling of depression and/or anxiety?

 

*I’ve been depressed since childhood, though not treated medically for it until about 14 years ago but was off my meds for a couple of years before I had kiddo number 2 in 2005. Mostly mood swings and anger and never really feeling happy. When it was really bad in 2005, it was 8 months after I had my son before admitting something wasn’t right with me. When I was crying for no reason in the car because a song came on the radio, or feelings of wanting to walk into the path of an oncoming bus and not wanting to feel sad anymore I knew that wasn’t normal “baby blues”.

 

*My symptoms were entirely physical.  I was extremely fatigued – even going up a flight of stairs exhausted me – had lost my appetite, and my hair was falling out much more than it should have been.  There may have been a hormonal component since it all started right around the time I experienced an early miscarriage.  My emotions didn’t really surface until a few months later,  in counseling.  Up to that point I had just felt numb.

 

*I just felt overwhelmed and cried a lot, over little things.  Like I showed up at the wrong school to register my oldest for kindergarten, and broke down sobbing in the car for about five full minutes.  I had a close friend at that point who had been through depression herself and knew what to look for.  She shared her concerns with me and I was able to take action before I became nonfunctional.

 

What kept you from either realizing that you were depressed and/or seeking treatment?  What were some hurdles you had to get over?

*At first I honestly did not know what was wrong with me.  At first I thought it was all in my head, or thought the fatigue was just because I was lazy.  When things got worse, I started to worry that there was something seriously wrong with me and was scared to go to the doctor and find out what it was.

 

*It was hard for me to commit to counseling.  I had to find (and pay) a babysitter, spend an hour each week, and pay for that too.  I felt like I was draining my family’s resources when I should have just been able to snap out of it.  It took courage for me to go on the medications my doctor recommended too.  When you’re already depressed, it’s easy to think there’s no point in taking the medications because they won’t work anyway.  And when you’re anxious, the potential side effects can be really scary.  And then there’s the stigma of being on medication, like it’s for people who can’t handle reality, like it’s the easy way out.  Let me tell you, anyone who says it’s the easy way out has never tried it.  Finding the right medication and the right dose through trial and error, slogging through the early weeks of side effects while your body gets used to it is not easy.  It’s a sacrifice I make as I fight for my health and for the well being of my family who deserves a healthy mom.

 

*I can’t say I have had many hurdles other than my own procrastination and self talk of that it is my imagination or it will get better.

 

What was most helpful to you in accepting that you were suffering from depression and making the effort to get treatment? (Friends, family, things you read, certain ideas?)

*I had a friend who would call or message me once a week with one short message: Depression is not a character flaw. This was so important for me to remember, because I felt like I had failed.

*Once I got a diagnosis and taking meds I read every book I could get my hand on. My mother was no help emotionally. My husband was supportive and still is. I often tell him that he got a lemon when he got me, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Yes there are difficult times, but I know they will pass.

 

How did you treat your depression?  Drugs, counseling, lifestyle changes, a combination of the three?

*Initially just medication, but now I also see a counselor.

 

*I started with just medication and after a few months worked up the nerve to set an appointment with a counselor.  I saw her for about 9 months and she really helped me recognize the unconscious thoughts that were contributing to depression.  And I have to make sure to be taking care of myself or it comes back – time outdoors, human contact outside my house, regular exercise, enough sleep.

 

How did you know you were getting better?

*I remember being amazed one day that I felt happy.  Not for very long, just 15 minutes or so, but it was enough.  My nightmares stopped.  My oldest friends started commenting that I sounded like the old me.

*When I wasn’t crying all the time and actually had desires to leave the house and do something fun, I knew I was better.

 

What do you think are some mistaken stereotypes that exist about depression?

*That depression is just an invention of the pampered Americans and that depressed people just need to “snap out of it” or get a pep talk.  That it’s just an attitude problem and that medication is the “easy way out.”

*A stereotype I had was that after time I will be OK and have no need for meds. I have come to realize that is not true and will always need medication to stay balanced. But I do have times I feel stuck in mud.

Please feel free to share this post with anyone that you think it would help.  It does get better.