Comfort Cotton

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.

Daily bath time is very important in the life of your baby.  It rids baby’s skin of the all the germs and toxins that have been picked up during the day.  It is also a wonderfully social time between parent and child or other siblings, if bathed together.  When baby is dried off, wrap them in a soft, organic cotton, double layer swaddling blanket for a last cuddle.

However, here is a safety rule to follow so that it is a lovely experience.  First, always check the temperature of the water.  It should be a little warmer than room temperature, no more.  Your hand is not a good judge in this case as it is hardened and not sensitive enough.  It’s better to use your elbow as it will register the heat much better.  Stir the water around a bit so there is an even warmth all through.  Place baby at the oposite end to the taps so there’s not risk of them accidentally turning them on or bumping their head.

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.”

When planning to buy a gift for a newborn baby, blankets will be a good option.  They are an essential item for baby’s comfort and warmth.  Any parent would love to receive a special blanket as a gift at a baby shower.  Wrapped in a blanket, baby is much easier to handle and carry.

There is a huge variety of styles and fabrics to choose from.  Some are made of sherpa (a type of fleece), some are stretchy and some are bigger than others.  There is a single fabric organic receiving blanket and ones that have double fabric.  They all do the job they’re designed for, snuggling baby in a little cacoon for safety, comfort and warmth.

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.

When choosing a mattress for your baby’s crib, try to find a reasonably firm one.  Adults like to think a softer one would be more comfortable for the little one but there is a problem for a baby.  If they get turned over, their face will sink into the softeness and they will be unable to move themselves into a better position.  It’s a good idea to push down on the mattress to see how firm it is.

Foam or coil mattresses serve the same purpose except that the coil ones are usually a little more expensive.  Make sure you choose an organic baby mattress constructed of organic cotton and wool as anything else will give off toxins that will be harmful to your child.  The foam mattress is easier to lift when changing the sheets but the coil one will probably be firmer.

However much you try to protect your children with what you know, there’s always something new to learn.  This is why the demand for organic baby clothing is increasing every day.  Parents are starting to realize that man-made cloth goes through a chemical soup mix before it’s made into garments and this stuff never gets completely rinsed away.

Babies have extremely sensitive skin that absorbs any residue left on clothing or bedding.  This in turn gets stored in their little bodies, sometimes causing rashes and irritations to break out.  Most people are puzzled as to why this is happening as they are carefully washing everything in site.

The only safe and sure way is to search out organic cotton clothing and bedding that comes with a guarantee that the cloth has been supervised all the way and nothing chemical has touched it.  This cloth is much more durable than man-made and will quickly give you a better value even though it has cost a little bit more.

Beginning the planning for the arrival of your baby is a very special and exciting time.  However, before leaping into buying crib bedding, there are some important facts to consider.  Seek out the safest, most durable and easiest to care for fabrics to make your life easier and baby’s the most comfortable it can be.

This would suggest looking at organic cotton fabric.  It will be softer and will have no chemical residue left behind by dying and bleaching.  Organic crib sheets are dyed with vegetable dyes and are free of chemical whiteners.  The fabric will be gentle on baby’s skin and will not cause the rashes and irritations that man-made materials will do.