Natural Nursery Blog

Here are some answers to questions I get asked by pregnant friends on a regular basis - they are based on my experiences though, and may be glaringly obvious to some people, but they were not to me! Please feel free to add to this list of useful tips in the comments section.

Clothes
Come in sizes according to weight and don’t last very long at all in the beginning. You will need a slightly larger size if you use real nappies. Some babygros have integral gloves that fold back - very useful for babies that want to scratch their faces off. Things that fasten at the front are easier than things that go over heads. All socks are sacrificial; they don’t stay on feet for long so I prefer things with feet for colder weather.
Nappies
Cloth nappies rock and I like the smell of the Weleda nappy cream which is brilliant stuff. It is a good idea to research nappies, and there are some helpful tips on this blog.

www.naturalnurseryblog.co.uk/how-easy-are-cloth-nappies-to-use

www.naturalnurseryblog.co.uk/why-use-cloth-nappies

Toys
My child at 3 month liked noisy things, mirrors and things he could hold with his tiny fingers. Brightly coloured board books are good too.  If you buy anything musical remember that you will have to listen to it too.

Feeding
I used a pump to express milk and I pumped in the morning while feeding after the small had triggered off the let down reflex. Thinking milky thoughts of waterfalls made the milk come out faster! My son never took to a bottle but he would use a sippy cup. Pumping was just in case of emergencies. I boiled cups and the pump to sterilise them, it’s not a hassle and I don’t think the sterilising equipment is really necessary, though it may make life a bit easier. I have read that the sterilising solution can increase the risk of thrush.
Sleeping
I had a Moses basket for small but didn’t like it ‘cos I had to peer in to check his breathing. I bought a cot because it seemed to be the thing to do but in the end decided that I am a fan of co-sleeping. There are guidelines for safe co-sleeping that are well worth looking at. Grobags are brilliant and my small sleept much longer when I got one.

Bathing
I think a bath thermometer is vital, what’s warm to me is boiling for the small. We shared the bath and he loved it. You also need a soft sponge and ducks!

I hope some of these hints are useful, I found it daunting and confusing trying to work out what I needed and what was clutter and I hope my tips can help you.

2nd & 3rd of September, Bristol Harbourside.  £3.50 entry for adults, free for children.

With 150,000 visitors and over 200 exhibitors the 2005 Organic Food Festival became the fastest growing food event in the UK and one of the biggest celebrations of organic food held anywhere. The festival also includes the Demo Kitchen, Family Marquee, Health, Beauty & Textiles and a programme of Talks & Tastings. 2005 also saw the launch of the Fringe - a festival in it’s own right of food themed arts with contributions from the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, Desperate Men and many more.

This year promises to be even bigger and better, with improved layout and stewarding to help minimise crowd congestion, more stalls and, of course, lots of freebies.

We are delighted to be a sponsor-in-kind for the event, so do look out for us if you make it down.

The Festival is the highlight of the Soil Association’s Organic Fortnight, so do look out for events near you too.

For more information and directions, see the Soil Association website.