Most parents love spending quality time with their babies and want to cherish every precious moment.

There are also times when even the most committed of parents start to feel exhausted. When babies have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep through the night, it can take a toll on the entire family.

Parents and siblings can start to suffer negative effects from sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep can also impact the baby’s physical, emotional, and mental development. It’s important for parents to address sleep issues as soon as possible.

A small blanket or soft toy with a blanket, also known as a baby comforter, can settle your baby and help to teach positive sleeping habits. 

Read more

Image via Instagram (@ruby.and.rhy, romper and beanie via Anarkid)

Up to one third of children are estimated to be affected by Eczema, a painful condition characterised by redness, bleeding, itchiness and dryness of the skin. And while we all know that babies are born with precious new skin that needs to be protected, eczema can mean that your baby’s skin becomes a painful roadmap for all of the chemicals hidden in many baby products. Most babies will present with eczema conditions early on, with the first flare up presenting before age two.

So how do you navigate a world with so many hidden Eczema triggers? Here, our lovely friend Tegan shares her personal experience with Eczema, and her top tips on how to manage this challenging condition.

Words: Tegan Boorman

Before my baby was born, I was blissfully unaware of what was yet to come in terms of caring for my baby’s skin. Yes, I purchased all organic cotton clothing and beautiful smelling organic baby skincare products in anticipation of giving her skin the best start possible.

What I failed to anticipate was that she was going to inherit a skin condition that I had, in a mild form, suffered at various stages of my life. Whilst I had previously had the occasional flare up of Eczema, it never took such a toll on my life that I stopped to consider the fact that I might pass it on to my children.

When my daughter was born, it was immediately clear that she had overly sensitive skin. Over the weeks that followed, her skin began to show the undeniable signs of Eczema. She developed red dry patches of skin that she constantly scratched to the point of making it bleed.

In a desperate search for relief, I tried product after product. I dare say that I tried most products on the market. I sought recommendations from anyone I could and I spent a small fortune on trying everything in a bid to find something that would work for us.

What worked?

1. We switched all of our laundry products to ecostore – soaker, washing powder and fabric softener.

2. We switched to Redwin Body Wash when we showered her or ecostore Sleepytime Bath when we bathed her.

3. We switched to ecostore nappy balm – this cures any nappy rash she has after one application and we had tried everything else with no relief!

4. We lather Redwin Sorbolene moisturiser on her in the morning, midday and after her bath before bed.

5. If we drop the ball on any of the above, or someone dresses her in anything other than cotton or bamboo and her skin flares up, we then spot treat with Dermaid 1% which is a very mild steroid cream that you can purchase from any chemist without prescription. Do NOT buy the soft version in the pink packaging because it stinks! Purple is the one you want.

We continue to dress her in cotton (ideally organic) or bamboo and this goes a long way to help to prevent eczema flare ups. It probably goes without saying that all of her bedding is also organic cotton (we use purebaby bedding). She also has a beautiful Kitty Kippin comforter for baby made from organic cotton that she snuggles into at bedtime.

In my search for answers, many people told me that dairy in the diet can be a significant contributor to Eczema. I can’t say for sure whether that’s the case but as it turns out, our daughter suffers from a severe cow’s milk protein allergy (anaphylaxis). We only learnt this when she was 7 months old and tried yoghurt for the first time and was then diagnosed by the immunologist after a skin prick test. Before her reaction to yoghurt, she had consumed cooked milk solids in the form of milk rusk sticks and butter when I cooked in it without much problem. She is now completely dairy free and continues to breastfeed at 18 months and her eczema is gone, save for when someone tries to dress her in a “cute” polyester outfit!

What works for one baby, may not work for another (hence why there are so many products on the market)! My biggest tip is to start with a change to a natural laundering product and try to keep it natural when it comes to skincare products. If you can’t find relief the natural way then quickly move on to seek help from an immunologist and get a prescription for a stronger steroid until you can get it under control.

Want more? Here's our guide to some more great eczema friendly baby goodies (who can resist?):

1. Milk and Masuki short sleeve button all RRP $39.95

2. Bibalicious organic cotton bib RRP $16.95

3. Basik Organics skin balm RRP $20

4. Ecostore Sleepytime Bath RRP $8.99

5. Kitty Kippin organic cotton comforter RRP $39

6. Sapling Child organic cotton bodysuit RRP $26.95

7. Tooshies by Tom Organic Baby Wipes RRP $6

8. Anarkid Organic cotton t-shirt RRP $29.95

So a new little bundle of awesome will be making their way into your world soon! It’s an exciting time, but for an older sibling it can be a little overwhelming. Things are about to change, and feelings of jealousy, resentment and changes in behaviour (the not-so-great ones!) are really common as your little one tries to process it all.

And despite all of your excitement over the arrival of the new baby, it’s also completely normal to feel overwhelmed and a little sad. After all, the idea of it no longer being just ‘you and babe’ against the world can be a bitter pill to swallow.

It’s exactly how I felt before the arrival of my youngest son. I remember crying the day before I was due to be induced, looking at my son playing and thinking it would be the last time we were together in that way, just me and him.

What I can tell you is that in those moments they placed my second baby boy in my arms, I swear my heart doubled in size. Now two little boys live there, in that space I thought only had room for one. It’s magical, that little thing called love.

Here’s some tips on helping to ease the transition:

1. Take a trip down memory lane. Now’s a great time to bring out your old scans and photos of your older babe from your pregnancy and when they were a newborn. Let them know what a special time it was, and how they are still your whole world (even if it is about to get a little bigger).

2. Make them feel like it’s their baby, too. Get them to help pack your hospital bag, decide on decorations for the new nursery (if you dare), or pick out some new clothes for the baby together. Our go to for new babies is the organic cotton range by Milk and Masuki! Too cute.

Photo via Instagram: @sweetlittlestory

3. Pick out a gift. There’s nothing sweeter than letting your older child pick a gift for the baby when he/she is born (we’ve heard Kippins are super cute ;)) and it’s a gift that will encourage a lifetime of memories). A little tip: buy your older child the same gift (maybe in a different style), so they don’t feel left out and it gives them something in common with their new sibling!

4. Make it a date. When baby arrives, that newborn stage can be all encompassing. If you can, get someone else to look after baby at a regular time, even if it’s just to spend 20 minutes playing blocks or reading stories with your older child.

Photo via Instagram: @mytribeofsix

5. Talk it through. If your child is old enough, let them express how they feel about the baby. Nothing is right or wrong, just acknowledge their feelings and then talk about how exciting it will be when your family is even bigger, think about all those adventures!



Photo via instagram: @quinn.and.theo

Featured photo via instagram: @kyloreign