Newborn babies steal the spotlight with their tiny little arms and legs, itty-bitty fingers and toes, adorable coos, and soft skin that smells like heaven. Yes, newborns are irresistibly cute, innocent, and fragile beings, which is why mamas and papas feel such an overwhelming urge to protect and care for their babies.
Source: Cute Little Babies
When it comes to providing your precious newborn with the care they need, choosing the right clothes and accessories is an immensely important piece of the puzzle. Since newborn babies have very low muscle tone and, as a result, are quite floppy, experts suggest opting for side-snap shirts, sleep sacks, and outfits that snap or zipper all the way down until you feel comfortable enough to start getting clothes on and off over your little one’s head. Once the umbilical stump falls out, you can add wide-necked onesies to your baby’s wardrobe as well. Please steer clear of tiny turtlenecks without snaps and clothing items that button up the back even if you find them adorable. Your baby’s safety should always come first.
Aside from the functionality of baby clothes and accessories that you decide on, the fabrics they are made of matter too. Today, baby accessories and clothes made of organic bamboo, organic cotton, and linen are extremely popular.
Benefits of Organic Baby Clothes and Accessories
Just like organic food and cosmetics, organic baby clothes and accessories are free of man-made fertilisers and pesticides. Why are these to be avoided? Well, simply because many of the pesticides regular cotton and other conventionally grown crops are sprayed with are considered to be carcinogens (including the commonly used permethrin).
Buying organic cotton and/or organic bamboo clothes and accessories for your little bundle of joy is a smart way to protect their extra sensitive skin from dangerous chemicals and bug sprays. After all, your baby’s skin is thinner (according to some experts, 20-30% thinner than yours, mom) and more prone to irritation, which explains why proper baby skincare is a must.
Organic baby accessories and clothes offer great comfort as well. Bamboo and cotton are two fabrics that easily adapt to the conditions (both bamboo and cotton wick away moisture and ventilate cool air, but they also help retain warmth on chilly days), thus helping your little one’s body maintain a healthy temperature. This means that your munchkin can relax and be cool in the summer and feel cosy and warm in the winter. No wonder organic cotton and bamboo baby clothing pieces are considered year-round wardrobe staples by so many parents.
Durability is yet another strong reason why organic baby clothes, blankets, swaddles, socks, and sun hats are extremely hot right now. You can wash your baby’s organic clothing items and accessories again and again without having to worry about them falling apart, shrinking, and/or looking shabby. These clothes and accessories will most likely “expire” and need to be replaced with new ones when your child goes through a growth spurt and they no longer fit them.
Source: Etsy
When it comes to long-lasting fabrics, organic bamboo is the king. Baby clothes and newborn accessories made of organic bamboo won’t pill or easily unravel. Plus, bamboo doesn’t require washing very often and when it does, it’s pretty straightforward and low-maintenance. Thanks to the natural antibacterial properties of bamboo fibre, bamboo clothing pieces and accessories smell sweet for a long period of time as well.
Last but definitely not least, organic baby clothes and accessories are eco-friendly (just like any other organic product). Let’s take organic cotton as an example. Research shows that organic cotton farmers detoxify the land that they grow their crops on, don’t treat any of their seeds with fungicides, and use naturally beneficial practices such as crop rotation and mechanical removal of weeds. In addition to this, organic cotton farmers don’t use any harmful chemicals, meaning their practices don’t kill the existing fauna around the field. Also, they never use GMOs to get the job done.
Organic bamboo has an extremely low environmental impact as well (even lower than the one of organic cotton). It uses very little water to grow, doesn’t need any dangerous pesticides, and is 100% biodegradable.
If you want to purchase organic clothes and accessories for your little angel, but worry that it might break the bank, you’ll be glad to learn that this market is highly competitive, meaning these items’ prices are bound to get more and more affordable. Plus, since they don’t start deteriorating just after a few washes and tend to last longer, you won’t have to buy as many outfits as you would normally do with pieces made of non-organic materials.
Benefits of Linen Baby Clothes and Accessories
Linen clothing and accessories are other wonderful options for babies, especially in Australia. Linen is a unique natural material that offers many benefits, including strength, durability, breathability, and comfort. In case you didn’t know, linen is considered to be the world’s strongest natural fibre. This is why linen clothes (including those for babies) are very long-lasting and don’t lose their shape after washing. Additionally, linen clothes become softer and more pleasant to the skin over time.
Linen baby clothing and accessories are breathable and highly absorbent as well. Since linen fibres are hollow, clothes made of linen allow more airflow over your little one’s skin compared to other materials. Linen pieces are also moisture-wicking and thermoregulating, meaning they are suitable for practically every season. This is so because flax (the plant linen is made from) is a natural insulator and can release excess humidity.
Source: Sweet Baby Bowtique
Linen is also hypoallergenic. This is an amazing quality, particularly for babies who suffer from allergies and various skin conditions. Unlike many conventionally produced fabrics, linen can help calm your baby’s skin and support the healing process of eczema conditions. In case you’re not impressed yet, linen is also naturally insect repelling. With linen clothes and accessories, the chances of you finding unwanted bite marks on your munchkin’s skin are practically zero.
Low maintenance is yet another reason why falling in love with linen clothing is so easy. Linen baby clothes and accessories don’t require any special treatment. They can be machine washed and tumble tried or hanged on a clothesline to dry naturally. Furthermore, since high-quality linen is wrinkly, linen clothes don’t need to be ironed. In fact, their wrinkles are what they’re famous for.
Please keep in mind that bleach and detergents with optical whiteners are to be avoided when it comes to linen clothing because they tend to weaken the fibre. Also, don’t forget to use cold water.
Linen baby clothes and accessories are “green” too. Flax plants are resilient species – they’re able to grow in poor soil and require very little water. In addition to this, there is very little to no wastage of the plants due to the increasing demand for flax seeds and oils in the health and wellness food industry. Linen is recyclable and biodegradable as well.