Natural Nursery Blog

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At Natural Nursery, we choose carefully the products we select for you and your baby.

We work closely with our suppliers to make sure that our natural baby products contain no nasty chemicals, no SLS and no paraben in particular.

Here is an email we received this morning from a customer about her order.

Thank you for sending my order so quickly. It arrived very well packaged, the items well wrapped so nothing was damaged in transport. I like that you reuse packaging (it came in good condition so I’ll be able to reuse it again!)

“Thank you very much for the Earth Friendly Baby natural baby products. They are absolutely lovely. I chose the minty lavender organic bubblebath and the natural baby shampoo. The scent is delicate, not too strong. Since the bubblebath doesn’t contain SLS, I thought it wouldn’t create much bubble foam in the bath but it did. The kids love it, there is enough bubble to hide under, or to make pretend Santa’s beards. The trick is to pour the bubblebath right under the stream of water. Then I topped up the bath with the shower head. It stirred the water and created lots of bubble. My kids love bubbles! The only thing you have to watch is that it’s easy to use too much, the bottle opening is quite big. Only a 3 or 4 tablespoons were enough for our big bathtub.

I liked that the natural baby shampoo doubles up as bodywash. It’s one less thing to worry about in the bath when you have to keep a constant eye on the children, help them and try to stay dry all at the same time! The children can learn to shampoo themselves and wash themselves, a very independent step towards autonomy.

At £2.99, it’s a very good price. I’m very impressed and will be ordering more in your natural baby products sale. Thanks a lot.”

Many parents are concerned that reusable nappies require a big upfront investment. You know you will save money in the long run (at least £600 for a first child, more for a second child according to the research) but starting off isn’t always easy.

To help you get started, we thought we would highlight some cloth nappy bargains and great starting up options:

• Terry nappies are simple to use, suit children of various morphologies, easy to wash and dry. A good option for newborn and young babies, perfect if you don’t have a lot of space to dry your reusable nappies. Terry nappies are easy to fold to use as boosters for pocket nappies or night nappies.
• As mentioned earlier, the tie-on disana nappies are organic, sturdy, and fairly easy to use. At £2.02 they are the cheapest reusable nappy on the market.
• We’re clearing out the last few Stuffables pocket nappies in size small. Available in hook and loop or poppers, they are easy to use, dry quickly. A very good option for childminders, grandparents… Just fold muslin squares, terry nappies or boosters and slide it inside the nappies.
• When it comes to shaped nappies (nappies that are shaped like a disposable nappy, making it easier to put on), the IMSE Vimse is very good value at £5.75
• If you own cloth nappies that aren’t absorbent enough, purchasing good quality nappy boosters will save you having to buy new nappies. The Motherease nappy boosters start at only £1.75
• Comparatively, nappy wraps may seem more expensive. We choose to only sell well designed, high quality wraps. There is nothing worse that a nappy wrap that leaks, it would mean more laundry and would discourage you to continue with reusable nappies.

Here are some options to get started with reusable nappies without costing the earth!

Liz contacted us about her Ergo baby carrier. Her 8-month old arches his back and leans back when he is in the baby carrier. She was concerned about his comfort. She tried loosening the baby backpack to give him more room but it made babywearing uncomfortable for herself.

Here are a few pointers to use your Ergo baby carrier comfortably.

As a general rule, babies need to be well supported in slings, so although the idea of freedom is great, it can lead to problems as the baby can move too much and as you say makes it hard to carry. Baby should be held snug against yourself.

When you are carrying on your back, at 8 months the best position for the arms is under the straps. This will depend upon each baby/parent but we have found that the vast majority of parents carrying on the back at this stage found that this is the best position for the arms.

It is worth checking how tight the shoulder straps are: the toggle that goes underneath your arms, rather than the chest strap. If this strap is too loose, it could lead to the baby not being as supported as they need to be.

When you place the baby in the Ergo baby carrier, make sure that the baby is seated well at the bottom of the carrier. If need be, ask an adult to grab the top edge of the carrier and pull on it as you bounce gently. This will make sure that the child is deeply seated in the carrier and has as much fabric as possible supporting his back.

As with any baby sling, the baby’s legs should be flexed and wide apart, almost resting on your hips.

Many parents find that a few sessions with an osteopath or a cranial osteopath also greatly helped their child settle in the baby carrier.

“It took me a few tries to adjust my Ergo baby carrier. I experimented with tightening each straps, loosening them, moving the chest strap higher or lower, moving the hip belt higher on my waist or lower on my hips. Once I had found what worked for me, it was incredibly comfortable. I could carry my son for hours without any ache. It was worth experimenting what worked for me”, says Ann.

Here are a few tips. Don’t hesitate to let us know if you have more questions. Are you an experienced ‘babywearer’ with advice for other parents? Get in touch with us, we’d love to hear from you.

child carrier

With so many baby slings to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which child carrier to buy for your baby. To decide which child carrier will suit your baby most, you need to think about how your will be using it. Answering these simple five questions will help you think about what you expect from your baby sling and how you would like to use it.

1. How old is your baby? If you’re shopping while you’re pregnant or while your baby is a newborn, make sure that you child carrier is suitable from birth. If your baby is already a year old, check how long you can use it for.
2. Do you suffer from back pain? If you suffer from back pain, focus on a child carrier that will spread the weight of the baby efficiently across your back, shoulders and hips. To avoid having to lean forward or back, make sure that the baby can be held snugly against you.
3. Will you be using your child carrier while feeding your baby? Bottle feeding or breastfeeding can be made a lot easier using a baby sling. Some are easier than others, read the product description carefully or ask us for help.
4. What’s your lifestyle? Do you live in a city or the countryside? Do you take long hikes in the country, or are in and out of the car several times a day. Do you have older children to look after?
5. Does your baby have any health condition? For example, babies will reflux will need to be held upright in their child carrier for long periods of time.

Most baby slings can be used in all situations but each have their strengths and weaknesses, things they will be more adapted for. Choose your child carrier well and it will be much easier to use.

Did you ever think it was possible to find a reusable ORGANIC nappy for £2.25? They’re even cheaper if you buy them by pack of 5, pretty much the price of a standard reusable nappy.

More ways Disana tie on organic nappy will save you money:

• The soft fabric adjusts easily for babies of different sizes and shapes, slim or chubby legs alike, ideal if you’re planning to use the nappies for younger siblings.

• It is one size from birth to potty so you can use the same nappies for years. For a newborn, fold the nappy over at the back and front to adjust it to suit your baby. If you do buy other reusable nappies as your baby grows (see note below about wrigglers!) they still make convenient back up nappies or extra stock for those days when every single reusable nappies are in the wash.

The Disana tie-on reusable nappy is an under-rated nappy. The knitted organic cotton is extremely soft. It feels like a snuggly sweater, something you do feel comfortable wrapping around your baby’s bottom.

They are made in Europe with no poppers or aplix it is a sturdy and simple reusable nappy.

The Disana tie on nappies aren’t among the most absorbent but as they are slim, it is easy to add a nappy booster.

These nappies can be fiddly to put on at first, especially with a wriggly baby. With the instructions and a bit of practice, you will soon get used to it. You can also cut the ties (be careful not to cut the nappy itself, just the ties) and use a nippa to secure it. Make sure the booster is placed under the nippa.

The Disana nappies are washed just as regular reusable nappies. Tie the ties loosely before washing to make sure they don’t end up twisted around your laundry.

With these nappies, you will need boosters and waterproof nappy wraps. Any of the nappy wraps will be suitable, including the Disana knitted wrap made of organic merino wool.

We just love baby sleepgowns and this new Seafari one from Frugi fair trade clothes is no exception. Baby Gowns are one of our most popular items – they make night time nappy changes so much easier than sleepsuits and they are so comfortable to sleep in.

Babies can wiggle their legs without rumpling, they can enjoy skin on skin contact by rubbing their legs together as he did in the womb. No fiddly poppers to deal with during nappy changes. Baby sleepgowns made with soft organic cotton too! The wide neck opening will make it easier for babies who don’t like clothes being pulled over their heads

Frugi fair trade clothes are ideal for babies with eczema. The 100% organic cotton is soft on the skin and there is no scratchy label. The organic cotton is unbleached. The gorgeous colours are also obtained using environmentally responsible dyes.

Frugi clothing is extremely good value. The baby gowns are designed to be worn from birth to 6 months, and the high quality cotton is extremely durable, making it possible to pass the fair trade clothes to friends or younger siblings.

Frugi fair trade clothes is manufactured in rural India. Frugi pays great attention to to working conditions, wages and human rights. No employee is under 18 years of age and the company supports a local tribal school.

Frugi is also a member of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to using their resources to create a healthier planet.

No doubt the eye-catching new Seafari collection will be a hit with the children.