The Vest Epiphany

Friday 14 November 2014

Using this image without linking to here isn't sharing it's just theft.  

You've heard the old adage 'you learn something new everyday' or even 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'? Well this old dog recently learned a very new trick.

Ten years I've been a Mum, ten years.  Not once in these ten years did I question why baby vests have envelope shoulders.  I just blithely accepted that this is how the world is.  Sure, it makes them a bit easier to get them over baby's head but that's about it.  Then somebody on a FaceBook parenting group enlightened me with the news that the shoulder design serves a purpose.  We've all been there, your baby has created a poonami.  Shit (or vomit) has quite literally hit the fan (and everywhere else).  You need to strip baby and hose them down. You fear things couldn't possibly get any worse until you try to get the vest over their head (something many babies object to even when the vest isn't dripping with shit) cue poo being moved up over their chest, shoulders and in their hair.

So what if I told you that you can roll the vests down and take them off that way?  Crisis averted.

If you already knew this, why didn't you tell me?! If this is news to you, like it was to me, welcome to enlightenment!

Ever the cynic I decided to try this strange witchery out.  It works.  Better still, it works one handed! How do I know this? why, I filmed it of course!  Actually I filmed it twice.  The first time was a genuine poonami situation yet I feared the site of explosive breastfed poo splattered baby may traumatise you so I did it again with a clean Moomin then tossed a coin as to which one I blogged.  Excuse the crap video, I'm not a V-Blogger, it was midnight with shit lighting and it's filmed one handed with my phone. Oh and yes, Moomin did infact poo mid video.  She's her Father's child.






***Disclaimer: this entry is a bit of fun, a parenting hack. Obviously I don't know if this is officially the reason they were designed this way but it's certainly made my life a whole lot easier!   I should imagine they're intended to make it easier to go over their disproportionately large heads ;)



79 comments:

  1. Love it, someone had told me that's what it was for, but I had never actually tried it.

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  2. Replies
    1. it's on the post but doesn't show up on some phones :)

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    2. I want to see it too 😊

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    3. I want to see it too, will come in handy, and could have done with knowing this when my baby was younger, plenty of nasty accidents due to squidgy breastmilk poos! I'm going to try later when she's awake!

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    4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrISmbf8LBM

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    5. I want to see this!! Can't see the video or click the link. I think this might be revolutionary! :D

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    6. Put "the vest epiphany" in YouTube and it will come up :)

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    7. I have been a MOM for 35 years and never knew this.

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    8. My oldest is 31. The rest are 26, 20, 18 and 16! I NEVER KNEW THIS!!!!!!! OFFICIAL apology to Allen, Chelsey, Charlie, Faith and JohnMark! :/

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    9. Buzzfeed has a video of this

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    10. YouTube http://www.tiarasandprozac.co.uk/2014/11/the-vest-epiphany.html

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Sorry Anthony, I accidentally removed your comment whilst trying to reply, the woes of trying to do things with a sleeping baby in my arms!

      Thank you for commenting! in relation to 'allowing' a poonami though, unfortunately with an exclusively breastfed baby they're inevitable and unavoidable as their poo can be explosive! All you can do is clean it up as soon as they've finished!

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    2. Yep, wish I'd known this sooner! She's 8 months now so they have become a lot less frequent x

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  4. It's what I was taught in the neonatal unit with my babies because it's less messing for them and doesn't shake their head around. Definitely good for keeping them clean too!

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    1. Not even my mother nor mother in law knew!

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    2. Your mother and mother-in-law probably didn't know because we never had onesies or that style of t-shirt 30+ years ago. But good to know!

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    3. I am 65 years young and onsies WERE designed this way 30+ years ago. Just wish I had figired this little trick out myself back then.

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  5. No freaking way!! I did not know this, my mind is blown! X

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  6. I cant see the video..is there anyway else I can view it like youtube??

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  7. It works on the over the head baby grows aswell the 1s tht fasten like a vest x

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    1. I wish I'd known this, I had so many pretty baby grows that I just didn't use as they were to fiddly to get on and off after already struggling with the vest!!!! :)

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  8. It works on the over the head baby grows aswell the 1s tht fasten like a vest x

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  9. How do you raise 2 kids and not know this? lol

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  10. I used to put them on and take them off this way. Well easier. I only used to use the buttons for changing.

    Looks like I was doing it right all along

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  11. How have I been a mother 20 years, and onto baby 5 and never knew this either? Omg! Going to try it out next change xx

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  12. That is amazing lol my mind aswell has been blown lll

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  13. I didn't know this .. my poor 3 children lol.... my 17 month old will love u forever if he ever explodes again ;) xx

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  14. Sharing this! How did I not know?

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  15. Brilliant! I've shared it on our FB page... https://www.facebook.com/whywontmybabysleep

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  16. Brilliant! I've shared it on our FB page... https://www.facebook.com/whywontmybabysleep

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  17. I have 6 kids and a friend showed me this nifty trick on child number 4. I was very grateful and felt sorry for the older three, if only I had known then. Good on you for sharing!

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  18. I wish I knew this 3 years ago! My son regularly shat up his back and with a full head of thick hair it was a mission in it's self to try and change him without getting it in his hair!!

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  19. I never knew this, but duh, it's seems so obvious now!! I'm going to try it on my little girl at bedtime tonight lol!!

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  20. Genius....never ever occurred to me! This post is just in time as about to 'pop' with sprog no 3 so thank you very much!!

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  21. wow wonders will never cease, honestly even after 2 kids, the eldest being 10 I never knew this about the vests.

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  22. thanks for this... i am a mother of 4 grown up children, have 16 grandchildren and 2 great granddaughters and i never knew this,,, i will have to tell my daughter who has just had her 5th baby x

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  23. Who knew ????? My 'baby' is 22yrs old and living in Chicago now and I had no idea - not then and not until 3 mins ago !!!!

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  24. I feel bad that I do this and never shared it! I've always thought it was the lazy way so I never shared - haha. Baby arms are so awkward so I've always gone down. I also wash with the snaps fastened and dress them bottom up! an genius when you're baby is asleep or you need to get them ready for the bath with one arm! x

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  25. OHMIGOODNESS! I have ten nieces and nephew but only my kid, the one due the day after Christmas, will be spared shit in the face. THANK YOU. (I'll let the baby know to thank you later).

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  26. Oh, WOW! It's definitely a EUREKA moment there! Haha, now we know... and i'm so gonna share this with my bubba's pops. He'd be so amused! Thanks for sharing this and the vid was great! ;)

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  27. Oh, WOW! It's definitely a EUREKA moment there! Haha, now we know... and i'm so gonna share this with my bubba's pops. He'd be so amused! Thanks for sharing this and the vid was great! ;)

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  28. :o

    Can't believe I didn't know this, and I was a nursery nurse! Could have saved myself a lot of hassle! Thank you for the info x

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  29. Wow, I didn't know about this! I'm so sharing this with all my mummy friends~!!!

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  30. Mum for 30 years, grandmum of two and this is an eye opener omg!!!

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  31. You are a GENIUS!

    I mean. I almost want to have another baby so I can try this out.
    Except I just had two 3 year olds in a row so OH HELL NO.

    Tiffany @ www.theharrislife.com

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  32. You are a GENIUS.

    I almost want to have another baby just so I can try this out...
    Except I am currently in the throws of having two 3 year olds in a row so OH HELL NO.

    www.theharrislife.con

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    1. me too, almost want to have another to try this out :) but then again........no.

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  33. Just had my 3rd baby boy and most definitely gonna try this lol

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  34. Just had my 3rd baby boy and most definitely gonna try this Lol

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  35. Don't feel bad, I'm 55, mom of 3, grandmother of 12, and this is the first time I've ever heard this!!! LOL! WOW!

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  36. The original design was used before the onesie style that snaps in the crotch. It was originally designed to expand for the baby's relatively large head, without making such a big opening.

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  37. I was enlightened! I had the same beliefs you had.

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  38. The video was on YouTube for those who couldn't see the video.
    The Vest Epiphany: http://youtu.be/rrISmbf8LBM

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  39. Wow I did not know that either. For those who can't see the video, here's the YouTube link.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrISmbf8LBM

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  40. Amazing ! I had been with 4 granddaughters when they were infants but never knew this till now. Presently I am taking care of my 9 mos. old the 4th one. Maybe can use this less than she was infant. Thanks for sharing.

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  41. Hahaha. Ten years! I wished I had k own it earlier too!

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  42. My "baby" is 30 and has two kids and I never knew this, either! Thanks for sharing--and it was so sweet to hear that little cutie make those little baby sounds! So sweet!

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  43. I raised four kids and did not know this. Sharing this brilliant info with my first grandchild's mommy and daddy. Thanks!

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  44. Not true. A baby's head is so big, compared to the rest of the body, that if you made pull-over Tshirts (vests) with necks big enough to pull over the head, it would fall over the shoulders and off the body. These are made so that the neck can be expanded enough to slip easily over the baby's head but still stay on the child.

    Don't you think that if pulling the garment down over the baby's body was the intention of the designer/manufacturer that 1) moms all over the world would have known about this 50 years ago (when I was using them for my first child) and/or 2) the packaging would indicate this use?

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    1. Hence the disclaimer at the bottom of the post 😉

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    2. Ok lets no be a party pooper here.. At tge end of the day., what ever the actual purpose or purposes of it being designed that way, its good to know something new. It sure helps me in both circumstances, either to dress up a fussy baby who hates things going over her head or a poopy baby who id hate if any bits got on her head haha..

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  45. this is AWESOME...wish i would've known it...ugh, now I want another baby so i can finally get it right!!! Cuz I've been a mom of 3 for 13 years now...

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  46. Great!! Awesome, wish i would've thought of this!! Terrific message!! I've raised 3 kids didn't know, love the disclaimer at the bottom.

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  47. Interesting concept, I thought it was b/c babies have big heads and the envelope shoulders allowed tees/gowns to go over their heads, but not gap around the neck ... my baby gowns and tees from the 1950s had those envelope shoulders ... long before Onsies with their snap crotch came into being.

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  48. What is the name of the logo that is on the diapers? Happy ?. I would like to try to find the company so that I can order some. Thank You

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    1. They're Happy Heiny one size pocket nappies.

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  49. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rrISmbf8LBM

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  50. I'm gob smacked .. I have 3 children .. I'm grandma to 6 and at 58 you'd have thought I'd have worked that one out for myself .... lol .... can't believe how stupid I feel 😂

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  51. Replies
    1. As a mom of 4 kids aged 23 to 13, I actually used to do this. It only took poo in the hair once for me to realize I needed to find another way lol. I didn't know that's what they were for, just that it sure made it much easier to get poopy clothes off. And that baby is SO adorable!!

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  52. Well, I'll be darned! Learn something new everyday!

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  53. 40 years ago I had a BEAUTIFUL French Terry Onsie. Head opening luckily very stretchy, long sleeves, legs with built in feet, and the way of putting onto Babe was simple. Pop top half over head and arms, bend baby forward at the waist, slide lower half of baby down into the legs and bum area through an elasticated back side-t-side opening, then tuck the extended top back part in to seal baby inside. My Daughter had worn it, and being totally plain I had carefully embroidered the Logo of the Car Club we belonged to on the chest. Along came #2, he was the world champion at upchuck, projectile vomitting, runny poo and all the rest. I was convinced he could even hold his pee for hours in order to have a sudden Niagara of wetness that soaked through everything within range. Anyway one day he, cute, peaches and cream complexion, a halo of bubbly curls, and an angelic look, managed to poop his pants. I only became aware of the situation when it oozed out around his hands and neck. Every other part was sealed within. In the end, since we were within a few minutes of home, I filled the bath and sloshed him around till the worst was loosened, then I draped a damp towel over his bemused face and did a super quick waist bend, head and arms out via the back tail opening. Removing his diaper and the Drained it and filled the washbasin and cleaned him off in there before re-dressing him in a onsie that opened all the way down the front. He was a Super Pooper

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  54. Baby grows? Is this a UK exclusive term or is the new mommy just lost?

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