Earth Babies Blog

Change the nappy often!

Nappy rash is for the most part as a result of long periods between changing.
When skin is left wet for extended periods, it becomes sensitive and easily irritated or broken from constant friction. A nappy is a warm, moist and isolated environment which is ideal for the formation of micro-organisms (bacteria), if the skin becomes damaged these microbes move in and cause infection.
Abrasion of fabric and wet skin are the most common arguments for using disposables over cloth, however there are support products for cloth nappies to prevent these perceived problems – nappy 1-way liners function in the same manner as a disposable, drawing the urine away from the skin and keeping baby dry.
A basic rule of thumb is to check your babies nappy once an hour – most parents do this naturally without conscious effort – only change when necessary though (this is generally at longer intervals than one hour, but as it is not a controlled routine the gap between changes would differ and checking increases awareness).
Nappies have a saturation point if nappy is not absorbent enough you can add a booster – this should be done to increase absorbency but not to stretch the time between changes.
Nappies containing faeces should be changed immediately.

cover free time

Be conservative when applying barrier cream.
Read the rest of this entry »

This is the newest baby to join the ranks of the Earth Babies family is my number 3, all of 11weeks and 6 days old this is the first camera apperance.

These poor kids get to be the test guinea pigs to all our new products and ideas. I wonder what I will try out this time? I know we have a few new nappies to try and I am looking forward to a new kikio sling or wrap.

For the birth I am thinking of doing a hypnobirthing course, the idea of a more calm and less painful birth appeals to me. I know my 2nd was better than the first, you know what to expect but still think I could be more relaxed and centered. Oh well a few weeks/months to plan that yet.

For most people, if you say ‘cloth nappy’ the first thing to spring to mind is ‘nappy rash!’ Contrary to common perception nappy rash is not caused by the type of nappy used – whether cloth, disposables, top of the range or a no-name brand are used, nappy rash occurs.

Research commissioned by HUGGIES® reveals that nappy rash is still a big problem for little people – a massive 57% of all babies experience some form of nappy rash every two to three weeks.

Jean Golding, Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children did research which has shown that “the type of nappy used is not a significant factor in the incidence of nappy rash” (Getting to the Bottom of Nappy Rash, R. Philip, A. Hughs & J. Golding. British Journal of General Practice, August 1997; pp.493-497). The major causes of nappy rash were found to be infrequent nappy changing and ill heath of the child. “

Statistically the most common cause of nappy rash is infrequent nappy change, and a large part of this percentage is due to diarrhoea.

Read the rest of this entry »

We are giving away *NEW* Earth Babies products which were launched the week end at the Natural & Organics show in Jhb

♥ 3 of One-Size-Fits-All nappy Trial Packs worth R280 each
Each pack consists of:
2 OSFA nappies
1 PUL cover (of our new fabric range)
1 booster
1 liner
(total product value is R333)

AND

♥ 1 Traditional Kikoi wrap (baby carrier) worth R360

To enter you need to:
Comment below,(let us know if you saw them at the show or not)
AND do one of the following (or already be listed on one or all):

* Like us on Facebook / Follow on Twitter or register on the Earth Babies website to qualify.
(remember to let us know in the comment what username to look out for, so we can make a match)

* Retweets of this post, Comment on the related Facebook post and Blog posts mentioning Earth Babies Teething Necklaces (remember we need to be aware of the post) get extra entries

winners name will be drawn 30 September 2010
*South Africa only

You may also like to enter our competitions for:
an Amber Necklace
A Newborn nappy gift pack
ALSO enter

It was the night of the 15 February 2010, and in the midst of another perineal massage I was pondering the possibility of doing this forever and changing my profession to Gynaecology.
We were 10 days overdue and nothing seemed to be happening, so that evening we decided to watch a movie, and finish up with some “passion” (which sometimes started things) before hitting the sack. Now our first child (Seth) was 17 days overdue so we were not worried just waiting, and waiting some more.
I was woken up at around 11:30 to Seth crying and asking for Mumsie. My wife got up and settled him. She came back to the room and said she was getting a hot water bottle as she was having a few contractions and her back was sore. This was nothing really out of the ordinary as we had been through a few nights of strong Braxton Hicks before.

Read the rest of this entry »

We were pregnant with our second child and had decided on a home waterbirth.
According to my ovulation dates our baby was due on the 5th Feb 2010, but as with our previous pregnancy the date came and went, while our friends and family harassed us about whether we’d forgotten to tell them if the baby had arrived.
I’d been having painful Braxton hicks at night for weeks and we had one night where we were convinced labour was starting but after a bath and some time it all just petered off again. The BH were painful, but irregular and always disappeared in the early hours of the morning. I found they were most powerful after sex, so we tried often to kick start labour with “passion”, but I was getting frustrated and exhausted from the sleepless nights that passed with no result.
On the night of the 15th Feb we were discussing waiting another week for our baby, and I was contemplating asking my midwife if we could try the castor oil and orange juice route the following morning when I was due to see her. As time was getting on I was worrying more and more that as the pregnancy was so similar to Seth’s that this labour was going to be similar to his too. We decided to give the passion another go and finally turned out the lights sometime before 11pm.

Read the rest of this entry »

Having a newborn baby, especially your first but even subsequent babies, are a lot of adjustment and change one’s world completely. One thing you do not want to worry about is a nappies.

The problem with cloth nappies and the newborn stage is that unless you get a specific newborn nappy size any cloth nappies even One-size-fits-all nappies are going to be very bulky on a new baby.

For cloth nappies and newborn I think you have 3 options:

1. Buy a nappy specially made to fit the new born stage.

   If you are very concerned about the environment and do not want to use disposables at all but would like a nappy that fits for the newborn phases then I would buy a nappy made specifically for that age. We have the Earth Babies Newborn Nappies and the Stegi small which will see you through this stage. It is more costly to buy the newborn stage but if you have more than 1 child they last very well or can be give on to friends or sold in our preloved section. Be prepared that these nappies are not going to last all that long but it is like buying newborn or 0-3 clothes you know that they are not going to wear them for all that long but at least they will fit well. Depending on what size your baby was at birth you can get anything from 6-8 weeks out of your newborn nappies. If you are expecting a big baby it may not be worth getting newborn nappies.

1. Buy disposables for the first stage while you get used to having a new baby and while they grow a bit so they can fit their cloth nappies better. They can then use Earth Babies Medium, Mother Nature one size fits all, Earth Babies one size fits all, Stegi medium, Bio Baba medium. We now have some new eco disposables in stock so you can use disposables and be kind to the environment

2. Buy one size fits all nappies which are said to be birth to potty and just deal with them being a little big and bulky at first. It really does not last long and before you know it they fit really well. It is a bit like putting a newborn in 3-6 month clothes but the savings can be well worth enduring the extra bulky.

Hope this helps you decide what to do with your newborn and cloth nappies. I used cloth from the beginning for both of mine and will have them ready for the 3^rd one next year, they have also been used by a few friends too, so have certainly done there bit.

♥♥WIN  Newborn Trail Nappy Pack♥♥

In order to win it you need to comment below AND do one of the following (or already be listed on one or all):

Like us on Facebook / Follow on Twitter or register on the Earth Babies website to qualify.
(remember to let us know in the comment what username to look out for, so we can make a match)

Retweets of this post, Comment on the related Facebook post and Blog posts mentioning Earth Babies Cloth Nappies (remember we need to be aware of the post) get extra entries

South African Entries only
winners name will be drawn 25  September 2010

The prize consist of:

2 newborn Earth Babies Nappies,

1 booster,

1 reusable fleece liner

1 newborn waterproof, in one of our new waterproofs which you can choose from 7 new lovely colours ( Pink, Blue, Lavender, Sage, Butter, Seafoam and white)

and for the competition we are adding 5 newborn eco disposables for 2-4kg to try.

If you don’t have a new baby enter for a friend or as a baby shower gift

♥♥WIN AN AMBER TEETHING NECKLACE♥♥
We are giving away 1 Amber teething necklace. In order to win it you need to comment below AND do one of the following (or already be listed on one or all):

Like us on Facebook / Follow on Twitter or register on the Earth Babies website to qualify.
(remember to let us know in the comment what username to look out for, so we can make a match)

Retweets of this post, Comment on the related Facebook post and Blog posts mentioning Earth Babies Teething Necklaces (remember we need to be aware of the post) get extra entries
winners name will be drawn 23 September 2010
*South Africa only

What is Amber?
AMBER is fossilized resin (not tree sap) from certain kinds of trees (a few conifers and angiosperms). Most of the world’s amber ranges from 30-90 million years old. Semi-fossilized resin or sub-fossil amber is known as copal. It occurs in the southern regions of Northern Europe (Scandinavia and area close to the Baltic sea bed). Although it is not mineralized it is often referred to as a gemstone.

Baltic amber (known as succinite) is an organic substance known and sought after for its unique qualities. It is the only fossil resin containing 3 to 8% succinic acid, which is a multi-purpose therapeutic substance.

Resin was produced by the tree to protect itself from disease and injury caused by insects and fungi by sealing and healing the wounds of a tree (such as a broken branch). This was the origin of the belief that it holds healing energy (pre-scientific research)!

Originally the word Amber meant Baltic Amber (which accounts for 80% of the world’s amber and according to scientists is a fossil pine resin from that region that through oxidation attained a stable state). However according to the process of how amber is formed, other ‘amber’ varieties have since been traced in different parts of the world. Although more than 125 types of fossil resins are known in the world (Europe, America & some in Asia), these resins are not amber but its relatives and each have their own name.

In appearance, some amber is clear and others contain ‘debris’ within the bead – these foreign particles (insects, foliage, flora, seeds and feathers), referred to as the “fire” in the gem, are natural and these inclusions give each piece a unique personality.
The colour of amber varies quite dramatically – it can vary from crystal clear transparency to completely opaque with colours ranging from white, yellow, dark brown to less common ones such as red, green, bluish, grey and black amber – it can also occur in 2 or more colours intermixed.
Amber is one of the earliest gems used in jewellery and talismans. It’s energy is often referred to as being like liquid sunshine. It is always temperate to the touch (unlike stone which is cold) and is said to enhance the beauty of the wearer. Light and comfortable to wear, it is not an irritant to the skin.

Amber Teething Necklace

How does it work?
There have been many studies (still ongoing) on the beneficial characteristics of amber and there are three main philosophies:

The first being that when in contact with skin, body heat causes the amber to release microscopic amounts of healing oils (succinic acid) which are then absorbed via the skin into the bloodstream.
The anti-inflammatory and curative properties of amber are recognized by allopathic (conventional) medicine. Doctors and pharmacists have long been familiar with the healing properties of amber which include calmative, pain-relief, antispasmodic, expectorant, and fever relief functions.

A second more commonly known theory is based on the concept of energy (similar to the copper bracelets worn for arthritis).
Scientific findings have shown that amber is electromagnetically alive and carries a substantial charge of organic energy. Wearing amber produces negative ionization on the skin’s surface (this is its significant attribute, that it is electronegative) which in turn, has a positive affect on the human body. The negative ions assist in the prevention of illness. These health-promoting effects apply to babies, children and adults alike.

The third school of thought which has been derived through empirical observation (practical experience and not merely theory) is that the soothing and calming characteristics of amber is a combination of the factors listed in the first two theories.

How do I know if it is real Baltic Amber?
All amber stones sold through Earth Babies are authentic, natural Baltic amber.
They are not artificial, plastic, synthetic, reconstituted or substitute for amber. In every batch bought we randomly test 1 in every 10 received.

A simple home tests to see if amber is genuine
Amber when rubbed vigorously against or in a natural material such as silk, cotton or wool will become heavily charged with static electricity and will be able to attract/lift light particles such as small pieces of paper or hair. Copal (what is commonly confused as amber) does not become static when rubbed. Another indication through this process of rubbing (or heating) is that Amber may have a faint resinous fragrance while copal could actually begin to soften and become sticky.
Amber used to be called Electron by the ancient Greeks specifically because of this static electricity.

READ MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS & USES OF AMBER (such as teething necklaces)

Amber acts as a calmative, analgesic, antispasmodic, expectorant, and febrifuge (anti-fever).

A teething necklace offers baby an organic, less intrusive remedy for teething and the resulting discomfort;
(such as pain, loss of appetite, upset tummies, ear ache, red cheeks, excessive drooling, fevers and colds).

Benefits of Amber:
♥ Acts as a mild natural analgesic (pain reliever).
♥ An excellent natural antibiotic.
♥ Soothes both emotional and physical – and can calm an irritable and niggly child.
Read the rest of this entry »

Lee-ann of ALTT Creations specialises in needle felted teddy bears and critters using New Zealand Corridale wool roving. The techniques used are a combination of wet and needle felting. Each individual teddy and critter is loving and patiently created, this is evident in the colourful personalities of each of her teddies/critters.

ALTT Creations is a family business, and each member contributes to the creation of each critter. There is the mommy ALTT, who is primary designer and creator; there is daddy ALTT, who is assistant designer, quality control, and critique; and last but not least there are 2 junior ALTTs who are quality control and critiques.

To win this beautiful characterful felted rattle specially created for our Earth Babies readers leave a comment below and tell us what you would name him.

name me and ♥ me

To view her critters & teddies visit her portfolio
Become a fan on facebook
Lee-ann sells premade or custom orders contact her at alttcreations@hotmail.com

LOOK OUT FOR 2 COMPETITIONS STARTING THIS WEEK FOR NEW EARTH BABIES PRODUCTS

Anyone can enter so share with friends.

Suggestion: Follow us on Facebook; Twitter or add us to your Reader so you can keep track of future posts and upcoming giveaways (you dont want to miss them!).

*South Africa only