Disasters Happen
Much as we would all like to believe otherwise, natural and other
disasters are a part of life. When babies and small children are
involved, the situation can escalate to the point of crisis more
quickly than it otherwise might. Babies and small children need their
needs tended to quickly or immediately and they are simply not capable
of helping themselves nor of helping others yet. When a baby is hungry,
sleepy, in danger and needs to be moved, or needs a diaper changed, how
are you going to handle it in the face of extraordinary happenings?
What is your plan for the following situations:
- stuck in trafffic
- car breaks down
- stuck in an airplane
- stuck on other transportation
- tsunami
- earth quake
- hurricane aftermath resulting in no power
What would you do if you ran out of:
- diapers (cloth or disposable)
- formula
- water
- food
What is your plan if you need to evacuate? While I don't pretend
to have all the answers, the following
information might give you some food for thought.
Babywearing and Baby Carriers
Did you ever consider how you would carry your important valuables
and your baby or toddler if you had
to run to save your skin? Or even just your baby? Imagine a situation
in which all that felt valuable was your baby. How would you find your
way out of a burning building or a plane that had crashed if you
couldn't use your hands because they were needed to hold your child?
It isn't nice to think about but with some forethought, this situation
can be less than the disaster it sounds. If you have an actual
baby carrier, great! Use it!
But did you know that with a little ingenuity, almost any piece of
clothing or cloth can be used to carry another person and leave your
hands free? What do you think about the idea of using a t-shirt,
button-down shirt, a towel, or a pair of pants to wear your baby? For
more
information, go to
http://www.wearyourbaby.org/StartHere/Emergencies/tabid/169/Default.aspx.
Breastfeeding
Nursing a two year old might sound strange to a lot of people but if
you found yourself deserted on a desert island or trapped in New
Orleans with no way out for more days than you had food, you might be
grateful for this way to feed your child. If you had to run for your
life with nothing but your precious toddler in your hands, you might
wish you hadn't weaned so soon. Did you know that a two year old can
subsist entirely on breast milk? Did you know that nursing stimulates
your milk supply to increase, so even if you are only nursing a little
bit, you could begin to make more milk so your baby could make it
through the critical time until you gained access to food?
For information about
Disaster/Emergency/Crisis
Nursing go to
http://lalecheleague.org/NB/NBdisaster.html.
Cloth Diapers
If you rely on disposable diapers, have you ever thought what you would
do if you ran out? Last September, when Hurricane Wilma hit South
Florida, the electric company predicted that it would be a month until
power was restored to some areas. And it was. Do you have a months
worth of diapers with you at all times? No? Then why not have some
cloth diapers on
hand for
emergencies? Someone recently said to me that she thought washing them
was disgusting. Oh really? More disgusting than running out of diapers?
Now, what do you do if you are in a post hurricane situation and have
no electricity and only have cloth diapers? Washing them in the tub
isn't going to do a great job (but better than not even trying) so
consider having on hand a manual washing machine. I really love my
Wonderwash.
Want to take it one step further? Or without access to washing water?
That brings me to...
Elimination Communication
Elimination Communication goes
by a few other names. Perhaps you have heard it called Infant Potty
Training or Diaper Free. Whatever the name, it is what most of the
world does and has always done about babies needing to pee and poo.
What do other animals do? Soil themselves, or take it to an appropriate
place? Even if you have never tried before, if you find yourself in a
situation where you run the risk of running out of diapers, why not try
catching a pee or a poo in a receptacle? For more information, try http://www.diaperfreebaby.org
or http://www.pottywhisperer.com
Ellen Sandoval is a
babywearing educator and small business owner who who lives in South
Florida with her beautiful children and husband. For
information about her classes call 954.455.8486 or
visit SoBeBabies.com
or TheErgoLady.com.
