Comfort Cotton

Have you ever wondered whether a newborn baby really needs to wear a bib? They aren’t eating solid food or sitting in a high chair, just drinking milk. If some milk comes back up, surely a burp cloth can do the trick. You’ve likely seen some newborn babies without bibs and you can bet their mothers are changing and soaking and washing a lot of baby outfits which used to look wonderfully new.

A lot of extra laundry can be avoided by making use of a baby bib. After all, bibs are easier to change and wash than entire outfits. Baby bibs are always in the perfect place at the perfect time, catching those icky spit-up surprises.  Burp cloths often are there only after the fact and by then the damage is already done. When you make use of a bib, though, it’s relatively easy to preserve all those adorable little outfits.  You also protect your baby’s sensitive skin, keeping it dry and free of spit-up and drool.

Japanese style baby clothes are based on the kimono. The kimono prevents the parents from having to pull anything over the baby’s head, a traumatic experience for them, especially newborns and up to about three months. Any parent will tell you of the difficulty they have supporting the baby’s neck and then trying to pull a conventional garment over the head. It’s tough and it can be a tearful time for small babies and can become a stressful experience for parents.

The wrap kimono used with Japanese style baby clothes allows you to place the baby on top of the garment and tie it across.  This simple way of dressing baby effectively prevents tears as it allows you to keep eye contact with your baby throughout.

Various researches have now proved beyond a doubt that organic fibers are the best for the tender skin of infants. Your child will feel comfortable and happy while wearing such pleasant clothes. As a baby’s skin is fives times more delicate than the skin of an adult, it becomes much easier for dangerous chemicals and toxic materials to enter the body. That’s why it is advisable for you to use 100% natural organic baby clothing.

There’s a wonderful variety of warm organic clothing now available online and in the marketplace. Such clothes are made of 100% organic Virgin Lamb’s wool so they keep the baby’s body warm and comfortable. They are very soft and possess a natural protective quality.

We adults need a good mattress to sleep properly so it stand to reason that a newborn baby also needs a good mattress because they spend so much more time on a mattress than adults do. So, which crib mattress is really the best for newborns?  There a lot of options out there if you go scouring the market for good finds.

A Latex Mattress should be at the top of your list because of its numerous health benefits. Out of all the mattress sold today, this is the one that is best for your baby’s health. It provides just the right amount of comfort and is not too soft and not too firm. The balance of firmness and softness is enough to lull your baby into sleep while protecting their fragile little body as they sleep.

Additionally, the latex mattress made from natural ingredients. This means that it is hypoallergenic. Your baby will not be at risk of chemical allergies and similar health threats. The mattress is also breathable so your baby sleeps without noticing the shifting of room temperature.

Are you struggling with the decision about whether to ‘cloth diaper’ your baby or not?  There are so many advantages to using cloth diapers that go far beyond the health of your baby’s skin. The first one must be that cloth diapers are much less abrasive on your baby’s soft, sensitive skin.  This leads to fewer rashes than with disposable diapers.

Another advantage is that cloth is more economical because you wash and reuse the diapers instead of throwing them away after one use.  That’s how disposable ones are designed. Baby diapers can be very expensive if you have to keep buying them.  Cloth is a onetime investment that gets multiple uses. Obviously, they are also better for the environment. Disposable diapers are often not biodegradable and just fill up the landfills.  Cloth isn’t meant to be thrown away.

Baby hats serve so many purposes.  They are used to block the sun, keep baby’s head warm and complete an outfit when they’re all dressed up.  Most babies don’t like anything on their head so it’s important to get a hat the fits well and doesn’t irritate.

In the summer, you want to find nice, lightweight cotton hats to keep the head cool and soak up any moisture from baby’s skin.  In winter, an organic sherpa or fleece or knit hat is perfect for warmth and comfort.  It mustn’t fit too tightly or it will put pressure on the delicate skull.  Make sure there are no irritations inside the hat from decorations or embroidery that has been done with nylon thread.

A lot of babies learn to crawl between the ages of 4-10 months. When your baby is in this range, crawling should not be too far away. There are exceptions to that rule, though. Some babies never learn to crawl and instead go from sitting to standing and then to walking.  Crawling is not required for all babies, and it is sometimes assumed that all babies have to crawl before they can walk.

The most important thing you can do to help with the process is to encourage tummy time. Lay a blanket on the floor and set your baby on his or her tummy for short periods of time. When baby is younger, tummy time helps build their back and neck muscles so that they can hold their heads up by themselves and eventually sit up. Dressing them in an all-in-one jumpsuit is a very practical idea, also.

When they get a little older, tummy time helps to increase their back muscles and arm muscles so that they can get into the position to crawl. If your baby just doesn’t like tummy time, another idea is to lie on your back on the floor and place baby on top of your tummy facing you. This way they don’t really feel like they are on the floor, but it gets the same results.

When planning your gift for a baby shower, it would be so thoughtful if you personalized your basket. There are lots of personalized baby baskets available and they often come in personalized packages with custom wrappers, ribbons and other decorations.  These items can also be purchased a local craft store.

To fill your customer basket, fill it with a number of personalized items, such as embroidered blankets, clothes, hats, booties, engraved picture frames and keepsake boxes. There are so many personalized baby items available online that making a choice is the difficult part.  Browse the internet, especially eBay, and visit your favorite online stores to see some more creative gift ideas that you can use to fill your homemade baby basket.

This information on organic cotton comes from the Organic Trade Association:

“Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers and build biologically diverse agriculture.

Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming. All cotton sold as organic in the United States must meet strict federal regulations covering how the cotton is grown.”

It’s a good idea to always check the size of the bed you’re planning the sheets for as some beds are full sized twin mattresses, while some are smaller sized and others can be somewhere in between.  After knowing the bed’s size, you must know what kind of toddler sheets to get for your child.

I suggest seriously looking at getting organic cotton sheets as they are not only safer for your child to have next to their skin for 8-10 hours but they will also wash and wear wonderfully and last longer. Cheap sheets usually won’t hold up to frequent washings and with any child you can count on washing  them a lot more frequently than with older children.

When you’ve picked out a couple of designs online, have your child take a look and choose.  This will help to meet their approval. While it might seem like a little thing, it can go a long way to making sure they are comfortable with the choice.