Rather than having a bald list of links for baby stuff, I thought a page with some blurb might work out better. I'll add things as I find them so check back every now and then for an update.
Travel seat requirements from Aer Lingus
We will inevitably want to wave the sprog at his grand parents at some stage and this will most likely involve flying to either the UK or Germany. But it seems that every airline has different requirements and rules, and provides a different amount of useful (or ambiguous or difficult to find or both) information about how you can and can't travel with a baby. I looked at about 7 different airlines, and my over-riding impression is don't travel with RyanAir! but I think we knew that already.
Why do girls get all the fun? It really does seem that a good deal more than 50% of the sewing, knitting and crochet patterns out there in the big world are aimed at girls. All those frills and flounces. So hurrah for Dana at Made who did a whole series of boy-related posts.
Real nappies #1: The Nappy Lady
I am pathologically against disposable nappies. All that non-composting landfill, all those lumps blocking the sewage system, all that money. I am hoping that once I get over the initial shock of having a baby, reusable nappies will be the way to go. Enter The Nappy Lady. She provides (free, no strings attached) customised advice on which nappies are most suitable for your circumstances and your baby, she hasinformation sheets on her shop site, demonstration videos on YouTube, and a really helpful blog too.
Baby fabrics #1: Eco Earth Fabrics
Ideally, I would like to make as much baby stuff myself as possible, although I know this won't ever be 100%. EcoEarth Fabrics have a range of natural fibre fabrics (cotton, bamboo, hemp...) that are ideally suited for making reuseable nappies, bibs, even clothing. They have dyes that are suitable for bamboo fabrics so even though the majority of the stuff they sell comes in white or natural, you can end up with any colour you like. They also have some excellent informationn sheets on the different fabrics, if you've never used them before.
Another site for real nappies and baby clothes, often organic.
This might seem a bit boring but you never know... Normal iron supplements contain ferrous sulphate which can make you constipated but I've recently discovered Spatone which is a naturally iron rich mineral water from Snowdonia National Park in Wales. This contains a different form of iron which doesn't have unpleasant side effects and has a higher absorption level (it's the unabsorbed iron from the ferrous sulphate tablets that make you constipated). It's available all over the place, pharmacies, Amazon, etc and the SpaTone site ships world wide.
Ever since I saw Nigerian women in London wrapping their babies on their backs, I have slings are a Good Idea, so I have been combing the internet for information and sources. And there are plenty. Plenty of different types of slings too. Even if you don't want to buy from Big Mama Slings, their website has an enormous amount of information on the different types, how to find the correct size, and lots of links to sites that provide instructions for making your own.
Not your usual baby website, this site uses video clips of mothers, midwives etc. talking about how they dealt with different aspects of life with a new baby. A kind of baby YouTube with good search functions. I think I will refer to this quite a lot.
I found this site vua the iMama.tv site. Jo Tantum is a maternity nurse who specialises is sleep problems. I watched a few of her videos and was very impressed by her calm, practical personality and helpful advice. Finally I feel like I have found some sensible, helpful information. Jo has also published a book, Baby Secrets: How to Know Your Baby's Needs, which has got very good reviews on Amazon. I'm still trying to find a good baby book which combines good writing with in-depth information, so perhaps this will be the one.
added 23-05-11 - Baby Stash now sleeping through the night, 8pm til 8am - fantastic! I can't recommend the Baby Secrets book enough.
