Natural Nursery Blog

Infant carrier

With so many options out there, it can be difficult to choose an infant carrier. You will find lots of articles to help you in this blog.

• Comfort. Does it feel good to you?
• Fit for your baby. Does it seem to suit your baby well?
• Fit for you. Does it fit your size and body type? Can you carry the baby without strain?
• Safety. Will the baby be secure and well supported?
• Features. Does it meet your needs?
• Usability. Can you easily get your baby in and out of the infant carrier? How about putting it on and off? Keep in mind that some models require practice.
• Construction. Does the fabric suit your wardrobe, climate and needs? (i.e. lightweight for summer, weatherproof for outdoor use)?
• Care. Is it machine-washable or easy to wipe clean?
• Flexibility. Can you carry your baby in various positions?
• Adjustability. Can the infant carrier be tightened or adjusted to fit you when you are at home in indoor clothing or outside wearing a coat? Can you adjust it easily for use by others?
• Adaptability. Will it work for your baby now as well as six months from now?
• Appearance. Do you like the style? Will you enjoy wearing it?

This article is an excerpt from Gentle Baby Care by Elisabeth Pantley (McGraw-Hill 2003). Reproduced with permission.

Autumn is just around the corner and you might wonder how you will protect your baby from the weather when you carry him. Keeping baby warm and dry in winter will be a concern. While they are little, it is easy to zip your coat over them or use a showerproof baby sling.

Once your baby grows, the Ergo baby carrier raincover proves extremely useful. Its clever design allows it to fit over most baby slings. If you are using the cover with an Ergo baby carrier, you can snap the top straps over your carrier’s straps. If you are using it over a different carrier, you can use the two little hooks to attach the straps together behind your neck.

Stretch the raincover over your baby’s back and under her legs so that they are nicely tucked in. Clip the strap behind your back for extra sideways protection.

The Ergo baby carrier raincover is lined with soft micro fleece so that the outer waterproof cover never comes in contact with the child. The large hood is deep enough for a toddler and can be adjusted to fit a baby.

Slip on your own raincoat and you’re ready to brave any weather

Have you tried a babywearing raincover? What did you think? Was it over the Ergo baby carrier or another baby sling? Send us your feedback so we can help even more parents carry their baby comfortably.

All in one nappies

For a long time, all-in-one reusable nappies weren’t a convenient option: they were bulky, awkward to use and would take forever to dry.

Years of product development – Yes can you believe it, there is such a thing as research in reusable nappies! We’ve moved a long way from my little brother’s plastic wraps and that’s thanks to the people in the real nappy business working hard to make our life easier and our babies’ bottoms more comfortable. Years of research have led to the development of new material, like the Tots Bots’ fluffle microfibre fabric, and innovative designs to make real nappies nappy easier to use and more reliable.

Extremely soft to the touch and ultra absorbent, the fabric is combined with an innovative nappy shape which makes it both all-in-one and one-size (meaning you only one nappy from birth to 35lbs).

This all-in-one reusable nappy is just as easy as a disposable nappy!

It is a great product to convince a reluctant partner, or to be used by less frequent carers, grand parents, babysitters…

The all in one nappies will also be very convenient once your child is ready for potty training as they are quick to put on and off. For the same reason, they are a good choice for parents choosing natural infant hygiene.

If you are out and about a lot with your baby, all in one reusable nappies will allow quick nappy changes.

The Tots Bots Easy Fit nappy is slim, absorbent and dries quickly.

It is versatile as it can be used from birth to 35lbs and can be used day and night with an additional booster.

Have you tried the all-in-one reusable nappies? Tell us about your experience.

real nappies

When it comes to reusable nappies (and pretty much every subject since you became a parent!), everyone will try to convince you that their favourite system is THE best nappy system. I don’t believe that there is One best nappy system. The best one for you is the one that suits you (and your child, obviously). Everyone has different criteria: ease of use, drying time, birth to potty or sized, fastening system, choice of fabric, baby shape, size, price, resale value and let’s not forget the all-important poo containment issue and prettiness factor.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you a series of articles to help you find your way around in the ‘real nappy’ world. We will help you decide which one will work best for your little one, how to wash your newly acquired real nappies, how to use them…

So let’s start from the beginning:

• What is a cloth nappy? A cloth nappy is always made of two parts, an absorbent part to soak up the pee and a waterproof part to contain the poo and the humidity.  Both parts can be  shaped and sewn together (all-in-one-nappy) and used just like a disposable. Other nappies are separate, you put up the absorbent nappy first and then fit the waterproof wrap over it.  The absorbent part can look either like a big handkerchief that your fold around the baby’s bottom or be already shaped into a nappy.
• How do I use it? Well, it’s not that different from a disposable nappy: pop the cloth nappy on your baby. When it needs to be changed, pop the poo in the toilet (you can use a liner to make it easier), rinse the nappy and pop it in a bucket until your next laundry.
• What about leaks? A well chosen and well fitted real nappy doesn’t leak. The waterproof wraps are especially designed to keep the humidity in and you can boost the absorbency of the nappy by adding extra nappy booster. It’s especially true for breastfed newborns for whom disposable nappies really struggle to contain the very runny poo.
• How do I wash it? when you remove the real nappy, pop the poo in the toilet (a good thing to do even if you’re using disposable!), rinse it and pop it in a nappy bucket (with or without water). Whether you wait until you have enough nappies to do a laundry of nappies or wash them along your regular laundry is up to you. When stored properly, washing nappies at 30 or 40 degrees is sufficient.
• What about the smell? Having tried both, I can tell you that the smell of the nappy bucket is nothing compared to the smell of a disposable nappy bin. First you’ve flushed the poo, rinsed the nappy and kept with a disinfectant or a bit of laundry liquid.
• Is it like an investment then? By the time your child is potty trained, you will have spent as much as £1,000 on disposable nappies. That’s huge! I’m not even sure that figure includes the cost for the council of disposing of the 5000 nappies your child will have gone through in 2 or 3 years. Compared to that, the initial investment of real nappies (about £400) is like a big saving. Remember there is a thriving market for second hand nappies.
• Does my bum look big in the this? Yes it’s true, some reusable nappies are bulkier than disposable nappies. You’ll have to keep it in mind when buying baby clothes. It’s usually not a problem in the UK as most brands have realised that many babies are ‘cloth-bottomed’. You can also use specially designed clothes like the adorable Frugi range of organic cotton baby clothes.
• How do I convince my partner? or nanny/babysitter/nursery worker. You can show them how disposable nappies affect the environment, and save them money, how it will help your child get rid of nappy rash… I found the trick was to choose a simple real nappy like an all in one nappy, it really is just as easy as a disposable nappy.

Click here for more information on real nappies.

Did this help help you decide what nappy might work best for your baby?

Ergo baby carrier

Like many things about parenting,using a baby sling for the first time can be a bit intimidating. Follow these simple recommendations and soon you will be on your ‘babywearing‘ way!

It sounds of obvious but this is the place to start: read the instruction manual or watch the DVD carefully. If you don’t have one, contact the manufacturer or research on line for babywearing videos for your type of baby sling. The baby carrier manufacturer will usually recommend one carry to start with, just stick to that until you’re comfortable with it.

The easiest is to practice with a doll or a teddy bear. Even a cushion would work, or your bump if you’re pregnant.

Start when your baby is relaxed, fed, burped and changed. Don’t wait until your baby is cranky and tired to remember your brand new sling.

Ask a supportive friend to give you a hand, read the instructions for you or just hold the baby while you’re putting on your baby sling.

It can help to practice in front of a mirror, take a look at the photos in the instructions and see how it looks on you. You can also take a photo (front, back and side) of yourself and compare them with the manufacturer’s photos.

For all types of baby slings, there are a few principles to remember:

• Baby should be held high in the baby carrier. You only need to tilt your head forward to kiss her forehead. Your baby’s bottom should never be below your navel.
• Baby should be sitting in the baby sling, not with her legs dangling down. Her thighs should be wide apart in a frog-like position, her knees flexed and higher than her bottom.
• The fabric of the baby sling or the straps of the baby carrier should be spread wide and not twisted. The baby sling should feel snug in order to keep the centre of gravity inside your body. There should be no need to lean forward, back or sideways.

Once your baby carrier is properly worn, you can carry your child for hours without the baby carrier feeling loose or stretched out.

Are you trying a baby sling for the first time? Did this article help? Do you have more questions? We’d love to hear from you if you have more advice for someone trying a baby sling for the first time.

What is a doula? Most people will answer that question with a blank stare. Some may reply with the misconception that a doula is some sort of newfangled birth guru, a trendy accessory for yummy mummies with too much time and money on their hands. In reality, the role performed by a doula is as old as the term itself (doula is an ancient Greek word meaning womanservant). A doula is a woman — usually a mother herself — who offers consistent emotional and practical support to a woman and her family around the time of pregnancy, childbirth, and the early postnatal period.

In most cultures, a pregnant woman can rely on female friends, relatives, and neighbours to help her ease the transition to motherhood, and until recently, that was still the case in the west. However, as our society has become more industrialised and ‘civilised’, families have become fragmented, and maternity care has become increasingly hospital-based and institutionalised. From the moment a woman sees those thin blue lines on her positive pregnancy test, she and her partner are faced with a barrage of choices and questions about how to proceed. A doula can guide the woman through those choices, providing her with information, compassion, expertise, and — last but not least — good humour.

The question remains, what does a doula actually do? The answer to that is as varied as the women who undertake the role of the doula itself. Most doulas will meet with the client at least three to four times during pregnancy to discuss any previous pregnancies and/or births, the creation of a birth plan if desired, the partner’s role during labour, methods of pain relief, and postnatal issues such as breastfeeding and sleep management. Some doulas also provide complementary therapies such as reiki, aromatherapy, or hypnobirthing. Typically, the doula will then be on call for the client two weeks before her due date (to two weeks after, or whenever the baby arrives).

The doula will, of course, be present for labour and birth, providing the mother with moral support, verbal encouragement, help with positions and pain relief, advocacy when dealing with the medical staff, and also a bit of support and encouragement for the partner (if he is present). The degree of postnatal care depends on the mother’s requirements; most ‘birth doulas’ will provide at least one postnatal visit, but there are also doulas who specialise in postnatal care and can visit the client regularly in the early days and weeks of motherhood.

Finally, the benefits of hiring a doula are as varied and diverse as the doulas themselves. Research has shown that the presence of a doula during labour can cut the chance of caesarean section or other surgical delivery, decrease the mother’s need for pharmacological pain relief, increase mother-baby bonding, and shorten the average duration of first-time labour. Perhaps more importantly, having the constant support of another woman trained in childbirth can boost the confidence of first-time mums, and help provide a healing experience for second-time mums who may have had a previously traumatic birth. That kind of satisfaction isn’t just the preserve of ‘yummy mummies’ — it’s the right of every woman who is making the life-changing transition to motherhood.

by Leah Hazard.

Leah is a mother of two, and works as a doula in Glasgow. She is the author of the Father’s Home Birth Handbook.

Contact Doula UK to learn more about childbirth support or hire a doula.

The Mother Magazine

I discovered The Mother magazine after my little girl was born and read it cover to cover without stopping. I was amazed by the thought-provoking views on pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding, education, home-education, vaccination…

In a world where so many things make us doubt our skills as mothers and parents, where we are supposed to listen to so-called experts, supported by studies which often contradict each other, The Mother magazine brings a refreshing view: trust your instinct as a woman, as a mother, as a parent… Trust that we can follow our instinct to birth our children freely, to breastfeed them as long as they need it, that home education is a real option, that natural parenting and organic living aren’t just dreams …

Each editorial, article, story, recipe pushed me to challenge my preconceived ideas, to think things through for my children and my family. I don’t live by everything the Mother Magazine advocates. My children were born at home and breastfed until they gave up when they were ready, they were carried about in baby slings. Now they are in school, we aren’t vegetarians but what I love about The Mother magazine is being challenged to think more about our choices and to know that there are alternatives that I might want to explore at some point.

The Mother Magazine is in danger of closing, get your subscription now! If you are a business, consider advertising as well, their readers are loyal customers.

baby slings video

baby slings video

September 21st to 28th is the 2nd edition of  International Baby Week. It’s the time to celebrate the joy of carrying our children. Whether it’s a small baby or an active toddler, children thrive when held close to their parents. These special moments help them build the self-confidence to venture out when the time is right for them. Perched on your back or snuggled up against your chest, they have discovered the world from your height, making it a much less intimidating place when they are are back on the ground.

The theme for 2009 is Close enough to kiss, highlighting that babies should be carried high in a baby sling, their bottom never lower than your navel and their head close enough to kiss. It’s one of the most important tips for carrying your child comfortably in a baby sling. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any advice on how to choose your baby sling or how to use it.

To celebrate this Babywearing Week, Babywearing International released this lovely video with heart-warming photos of baby slings: baby slings video

Although we are not exhibiting ourselves this year, we do highly recommend a trip to Bristol this coming week for the Organic Food Festival.  Part of the Soil Association’s Organic Fortnight, it is a great day out, with entertainment, cooking demos, lots of lovely food plus all sorts of other organic goodies such as textiles and toiletries.

From the Soil Association website:

The Organic Food Festival is Europe’s largest showcase of all things organic. Now in its ninth successful year, the Festival demonstrates the growth of the organic movement and the increased recognition of the role organic production can play in creating a sustainable future.

Whether you are in search of delicious organic food and drink, gorgeous skin care, fabulous fashion, organic textiles, home design, tips on organic gardening or you are looking for an entertaining family-friendly outing, this much loved festival is just what you are looking for.

The Organic Food Festival provides the chance to meet producers face to face, watch recession-busting cooking demonstrations, sample street food from Bristol’s top chefs and introduce your kids to special taste workshops designed just for them.

Bristol – 12-13 Sept 2009.