baby laundry detergent?? oh and..

bobs89

so this is my first post..i was just curious though so i thought i would ask... 

am i supposed to use this as opposed to regular detergent. i got some babies r us brand but i was wondering if it was really necessary? 

 also this may be a stupid question but my friend's mom said that there is no point in getting an epidural because they have to let it wear off before you give birth.. i had never heard that before. i was hoping to try without one but probably will end up getting one.. just knowing how i am with pain. but i didn't know if this was true.. 

any thoughts? thanks! 

sanriobaby

You don't have to change your detergent if you don't want to, but most pp do out of fear of causing irritation/rash to thier baby. Powder detergent is cheaper but is really rough on clothes and it's harder to rinse out of clothes so I wouldn't use it on baby clothes IMO. I will say that if you do want to change, you can just get All Free and Clear or something similar to wash everyone's clothes in your home. Baby detergent may smell really good, but it's way overpriced in my opinon. We currently use the Ecos brand and have no plans on switching unless there is an issue.

As far as the epidural and your own pain management, don't listen to anyone else. Do your own research, talk to your dr, and follow your gut instinct. Yes, some pp have horror stories about thier epidural not working correctly, having a weird reaction, or wearing off too soon, but those stories are the minority. Most women find great relief in getting their epidural and FYI, that's not the only type of pain meds you can take, although short of being put under g/a, it's considered the best. But pls do some research.

led2009

I got some baby laundry detergent as a gift with DD 1, so we used that til we ran out. This time I didn't bother. We just use one that's free of dyes and perfumes. All Free and Clear or something similar.

As for the epidural, I had one with DD 1 and it was great. I didn't feel anything and did not have to wait for it to wear off before having her.

katcarls

A lot of people choose not to use baby laundry detergent like Dreft because of the added fragrance.  I just use the All or Tide Free and Clear that I use for our clothes.

I went med-free with DS, but the epidural thing depends on your hospital and doctor.  Some will turn it down at the end so you can be more effective with pushing, but practices do vary.  If it makes you feel any better, pushing was the least painful part for me so even if they do turn it down, it will have probably have gotten you through the worst of it.  I wouldn't say that it makes getting the epidural pointless, it's still definitely worth it if that's what you want.

lovesnack

I still use Tide Free and Clear for my 4 yr old's clothes, just less harsh on her skin.

They simply turn off the medicne with an epidural when it's time for you to push.  It took about 15 min for me to be able to feel the contractions, which were not painful at that point, believe it or not. Not a big deal at all. So glad I had the epi for the full day of labor and even more glad I was able to feel everything for the moment of truth.

kg_08

We used Tide Free and Clear because there are no perfumes or dyes, but after DD that first container was used we went back to our normal detergent because I like my clothes to smell good DD did not have sensitive skin.

How the epi works will depend on your hospital. Some continue with the numbness through pushing, others let it wear off so you can feel what you're doing when you push. Just ask and go from there. If you really need it, I'm sure it will at least help you get through the laboring part.

salt78

We already use a free and clear detergent and I heard that any of those were fine for baby clothes. (We aren't switching.)

No advice on the epi because I do not yet have kids, but I will definitely be asking for one.

kms34

Special baby detergent isn't necessary but I'd at least use a free and clear variety.  We make our own which is very mild so I will be using that from day one.

They will likely turn down your epi when you start to push but it will not wear off. 

WIAgrrrr

We didn't buy special detergent for our first. I figured if she had a reaction then we can rewash, but I thought it was more likely it would be fine. Which it was.

momawof4

Yes, you are suppose to use baby detergent, there are alot more harsher chemicals in regular detergent for baby's sensitive skin.....but I am sure if you dont want to use it , your baby would be fine. Might just get a rash.

 

As for the epidural, I think every doc is doing a drip these days so it doesnt wear off. Your friends mom was probly talking about how BACK in the day they gave one shot and it was hit or miss to whether it would still be working by the time you went into birth. They will remove it right went you give birth or some right before and from what I hear sensation comes back fairly quick.