BABY CARE
30 | JULY & AUGUST 2019
DO YOU REMEMBER what it felt like
when you drove your baby home the
first time? Did the world suddenly feel
just a little too loud, fast, dirty and
disorganised as you crawled along
way under the speed limit with your
precious cargo strapped into her brand-
new car seat?
This is a clear sign of your parental
instincts kicking in. It is normal and
healthy to want to protect your baby
from the harshness of the world outside.
You control your immediate home
environment, so your urge to protect
can be expressed here in the considered
choices you make about what you bring
into your home. Make choices that
reflect and support a kinder, gentler,
greener world – the kind of world you
would like your little one to grow up
in. We share some tips, each one a small
step to a better world.FRESH AIR & SUNLIGHT- Don’t let anyone smoke in your home
or car. Ever. Secondhand smoke is lethal,
but so is what remains even after the
smoker has left. Tiny particles cling to
fabric and surfaces. So, for instance, if
you put your baby down on a couch
where a smoker sat the previous day,
you are exposing her to lingering
particles, even if the smell is gone. Also,
those tobacco fields could rather be
planted with a truly useful crop. - Open the window in the nursery after
every nappy change. Also air out the
room in the mornings. Air fresheners
and room sprays aren’t necessary.- Every two weeks or so put the
baby mattress outside in the sunlight.
Ultraviolet light is a good disinfectant.
If there is a loose carpet in the nursery,
give that a spot in the sun every so
often as well. Hang towels and bedding
outside on the washing line to dry too,
and cut down on your tumble dryer use. - When your baby is older, a little bit of
fresh air and sunlight can do wonders in
clearing up nappy rash. Just don’t expose
that delicate skin to direct sunlight.
SLEEPING SAFELY- Always buy a new mattress, even if
Some advice for
considered choices that
are gentler on your new
baby – and on Mother
Earth at the same time