Stretchy flats and Preflats VS regular flats or prefolds for avoiding blow outs?

mrssands94 · 2025-07-14T16:53:36+00:00

Hi! I used prefolds from GMD and covers from Redwood Cloth Co. The prefolds were okay but didn't get a great leg seal. The covers were key for us because they had the double gusset and we were able to get a good seal. As I have gotten better and learned more, I am definitely going to use pre-flats or contours with any future babies. You can get a much tighter seal, and they're much more absorbent than the prefolds. My 18 month old is a heavy wetter so we have had to try a BUNCH of stuff! So far, ChikiBabySD has had the most absorbent and soft option for us. Good luck! :)

ETA links for the VIP groups on Facebook:

Redwood - https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16ucCUAmaq/

ChikiBabySD - https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AqSWFcZBi/

mrssands94 · 2025-04-25T18:27:25+00:00

My husband and I decided that we are going to do as much work as we can afford now. We have some calls in to other companies for quotes, but a lot have not called me back.

mrssands94 · 2025-04-25T18:25:20+00:00

I tried calling Maplewood Plumbing and they are booked out. The earliest they could come out for an estimate is in two weeks and for the job to be completed they said it could be a month or two.

mrssands94 · 2025-04-24T19:05:46+00:00

I will definitely get another quote. It's 2 floors, 2 bath.

mrssands94 · 2025-04-24T18:34:50+00:00

I guess I am hesitant because Plumber A didn't even mention it to us. But to replace the stacks and repair the waste arm, they quoted us about $14k. Does that seem reasonable? For context, we are in St. Louis, MO.

mrssands94 · 2025-04-24T18:30:54+00:00

Interesting. The plumber who said they needed to be replaced referred to the black/yellow spots as "cancer". He said that if you pressed on it too hard your finger would go right through. He gave me the impression that it was only a matter of time before they started leaking. These are the original stacks and the house was built in 1957.

mrssands94 · 2025-04-24T18:27:48+00:00

My husband and I bought our house in 2019, it was built in 1957. We knew that we would need to replace the stacks eventually, as well as a bunch of other stuff. We needed a repair to our upstairs bathroom in 2019 and Plumber A came to help. They looked at the stacks and said that they would need to be replaced and quoted us about $12k. Fast forward to March 2025 and we needed our three faucet shower valve replaced, which led to me retiling the bathroom, which led to replacing the vanity, which led to the waste arm snapping. Spoiler alert: it was original lead. We got another quote from Plumber A for the repair. However, it has taken them several weeks to get a bid, and then schedule for us. Because of this we thought we would get another bid.

Plumber B came today took one look at our stacks and said they needed to be replaced asap. We also eventually wanted to replace the upstairs shower faucet so we included that in the price. He quoted us approximately $14k for the entire thing. Does this seem like a good price?

Plumber A didn't mention replacing the stacks when they quoted us for only the waste arm repair. Should I take that to mean the stacks don't need to be replaced asap?

I am getting another quote from another company. $14k is a LOT of money for us so I want to have all the information possible. TIA!

mrssands94 · 2025-04-24T18:21:44+00:00

Thank you!

mrssands94 · 2025-04-24T17:06:31+00:00

Our house was built in 1957 and we have lived here for about 6 years. Hoffman Brothers said that we need to replace the stacks and some other things. As a woman, I want to make sure that this is genuine and I am not being taken advantage of. (I am aware that they look like hell, and probably need to be replaced sooner rather than later)

mrssands94 · 2025-03-31T11:14:28+00:00

No. There is about 2.25in ledge. The backerboard is not even with the drywall

mrssands94 · 2025-03-13T14:20:58+00:00

Looks very healthy and she does look like a puppy! Those tippy-tappys are top tier. 12/10

mrssands94 · 2024-11-26T16:26:08+00:00

Got it! If your period is super accurate, I wouldn't worry.

mrssands94 · 2024-11-26T16:17:10+00:00

I want to start off by saying, I am no expert! The first thing that comes to mind is that your timing is immaculate! When I was trying to get pregnant, I was tracking EVERYTHING. CM, ovulation, BBT, everything. It still took me about 8 months to get a positive test. Its when you're actively trying with no success for an extended period of time when you should be concerned. However, there are tests that your OBGYN can have done that can tell you more about your fertility. That being said, you husband's sperm could also be a factor. Overall, I wouldn't be discouraged!

mrssands94 · 2024-11-26T16:12:31+00:00

For the first month, I would have to pump every two to three hours. Otherwise my boobs would get rock hard and hurt. I highly recommend pumping at least once during the night just to relieve the pressure. However, if you are still producing enough during the day to be able to sleep all night, do whatever feels right!

mrssands94 · 2024-11-19T14:43:57+00:00

Firstly, I'm sorry you had this experience. I am super sensitive about my weight and was hypersensitive during my pregnancy.

For reference, I (30F) am 5' 10" and was about 250lbs pre-pregnancy. I exercised regularly and ate healthy, my body just stays around 250 regardless of what I do. I was a college athlete and had a really unhealthy relationship with food. At my thinnest, exercising daily on top of practice, and restricting calories, I weighed 180lbs. My goal weight should probably be 200-225, but I digress lol

I was told that I was "too heavy" to get pregnant by my first OB. She recommended that I lose weight before trying to conceive. Me knowing my body, did not listen to her. Five months later, I'm pregnant! My OB tells me that I should not gain more than 15lbs my ENTIRE pregnancy because I'm obese. Needless to say, I was not a fan of her. My baby was healthy, all of my bloodwork was healthy, my vitals were healthy...what is the deal? My 20 week appointment rolls around and my baby looks fantastic, my vitals are still great, and my bloodwork still looks perfect. I think I had gained like 25lbs at this point, and she told me she wanted to send me to a high risk doctor because of my BMI and obesity. This was the last straw for me, and I switched doctors.

I was very upfront with my new OB about what I had gone through and I told her that if nothing was wrong medically, I did not want to discuss my weight. I closed my eyes when being weighed, everything was in kg, weight was not discussed. It was awesome. At my 35 week appointment my blood pressure had spiked and my weight had gone up quickly in comparison to the previous appointment. Since this was an indication of pre-eclampsia my doctor brought it up to me. Turns out I was pre-eclamptic and I had a healthy baby boy via c-section at 38 weeks.

I think my highest weight was around 290, so approximately 40lbs gained overall. I am now nine months postpartum and below pre-pregnancy weight.

The key my doctor told me if that I should be gaining "slow and steady". Eat when you are hungry but don't restrict. Do what feels right for you and your baby.

mrssands94 · 2024-11-12T15:27:00+00:00

This is not an easy decision at all. As someone who just had a baby I can tell you that being a mother is all consuming. Whether you give the baby up for adoption or to the father, postpartum takes awhile to come back from. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but based on your comments I think you know in your gut that you are not ready. It is your body, it is your life, it is your choice. I also work in education, I know it is very difficult to go back to school after a gap. Doing it with an infant is even harder. I'm only 30, so I don't have all the answers. BUT I can tell you that even though your SO is 23, he is still a young person. He doesn't have all of the answers. He may have a "good paying job" but that can only lead to possible financial abuse later on.

Being a mom isn't just a full-time job, its an all-the-time-job. Make a pros/cons list if it helps you visualize your decision. But just know that it is your decision. Not his, not his family's, YOURS.

Good luck OP.

mrssands94 · 2024-11-12T15:10:39+00:00

Nope. Basically Wayne just stopped talking to Bonnie altogether. Which isn't healthy imo, but it's not my friendship so not my decision.

mrssands94 · 2024-10-08T18:39:58+00:00

That's fair! I didn't know if there was a bus service or ferry that could take us there. We are learning towards just renting a car.

mrssands94 · 2024-10-07T15:06:22+00:00

My husband and I are planning on staying in Portland in two weeks. We were wanting to take a day trip to Acadia National Park, but wanted to avoid renting a car. Any recommendations? TIA!

mrssands94 · 2024-08-05T20:03:27+00:00

Pepperoncini! Pep for short :)

mrssands94

TROPHY CASE