5 things your baby needs for Autumn
With the long summer days slowly fading into cooler evenings, it’s time to crack out some autumn essentials. Here are five products I recommend to new parents – items to enhance the crisp, clear days and cosy up the chilly nights of the new season.
1. Rain cover
Some buggies come with a rain or storm cover, but if yours didn’t, now is a good time to purchase one. You don’t want to get caught in a surprise down-pour when you’re out and about, leaving you with a cold wet baby. A rain cover is also a handy item to keep you motivated for getting out during the even colder winter months, even if just to protect your baby from the wind chill.
2. Merino clothing
Merino wool comes from sheep that live in the harshest of environments – scorching hot summers and freezing cold winters. It is an active fibre that is temperature regulating, so it keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer. Babies are not as capable as adults at adapting their body temperature. Due to their body’s relatively large surface area, a baby can lose heat rapidly – step in merino wool, the very best fabric for keeping your baby warm in the colder months. So layer it up! It’s soft and non-itchy and is safe to use for most babies with eczema and sensitive skin.
3. Play gym
The autumnal months will bring about more indoor playtime, so a baby play gym is a good idea. Although your baby will be stimulated in her early weeks by simply looking around, as she grows older she will enjoy being entertained with books and toys. Look for colourful toys that make a rattling noise and black and white board books. Mirrors are another appealing addition to a play mat area. Plus, an added bonus – a play gym with a soft mat underneath is a great place to pop your baby while you have a quick shower or make a cup of tea.
4. Sleeping bag
Top sheets, blankets and extra bedding are considered part of unsafe sleeping practice for babies. It’s safer to dress your baby in additional layers of clothing, rather than add more layers of bedding to the cot. This is where the sleeping bag comes into play, a layer that safely keeps your baby toastie and warm any time of the year. Sleeping bags come in different weights for every season, but they definitely come into their own in the cooler months because baby can’t wriggle out – leaving her uncovered, cold and awake! Anywhere baby rolls or wriggles in the cot, the sleeping bag goes with her, thus baby stays warm, snuggled up and – fingers crossed – asleep!
5. Carseat adapters
These super handy clips allow you to attach baby’s capsule onto the frame of your buggy. You’ll be able to easily click the capsule onto the buggy and pop into the shops, or grab a coffee, without having to get baby out of her carseat – and hopefully avoid waking her up! Not only will you potentially buy yourself some time for a peaceful coffee, attaching your capsule to wheels will save your back and arms. A priceless investment! Just make sure you don’t exceed the recommended time limits your baby should be in her capsule.
