Natural Maternity Care: 4 Essential Wool Items for Your Newborn
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As a new parent, you quickly sense how much love and warmth your newborn needs. But how can you keep your little one warm in the best, most natural way? 🤔 There are countless regular baby shower lists online, but what if you want to do it differently - more consciously and sustainably? We asked an expert in this field.
We spoke with Charlotte Goudsblom , an experienced maternity nurse affiliated with the Collectief Natuurlijke Kraamzorg Amsterdam . Charlotte guides young families in the most natural way possible during the maternity week. In this interview, she shares why wool is essential for a newborn baby and which items she recommends to every parent for a warm start. We have previously shared our complete baby shower checklist (you can find it in our blog “ Natural Baby Shower ” ), but today we zoom in on the magic of wool in that very first week.
What is characteristic of natural maternity care?
Charlotte: “In natural maternity care, we actually look at the postpartum period in the same way as regular maternity care, but with a few important differences. The most important thing is warmth care . Everything revolves around providing warmth to mother and child. Of course, we also provide rest, bonding, good nutrition (helping breastfeeding get going) and the like, but warmth is number one. It makes sense: a newborn baby comes from the mother's belly into a much colder world. Warmth is essential – not only because it is nice and safe for the baby, but also because warmth is necessary for a good metabolism of the baby. With sufficient warmth, a baby can focus its energy on growing and developing, instead of on staying warm.”
Charlotte explains that warmth care can be given in different ways - physically (keeping the environment and clothing warm), but also emotionally (warmth in the form of loving attention). In this interview we focus on the physical aspect: how do you keep your baby warm?
Why do you work so much with wool?
Charlotte: “To keep that warmth care in order, we really like to work with wool in natural maternity care. Especially the well-known anthroposophical bow hats with cords and clothing made of wool or wool/silk. Wool has the special property of retaining heat, but also of preventing heat build-up. It breathes and regulates. Ideally, we keep a baby at the right temperature with woolen rompers, hats and blankets. A quick check: feel the neck of your baby. If the neck is cold or chilly, then your baby is not warm enough. A woolen romper or suit helps the baby to retain its heat better, so that he or she uses much less energy to warm up again and again. My experience is that babies in wool lose less weight during the maternity week, precisely because they do not 'use' that energy to stay warm. We keep them warmly wrapped in those woolen things, and that is worth gold.”
For some parents, this is completely new and takes some getting used to. Woolen clothes are more expensive to buy and require some loving care (you can't just wash them with all the cottons - they need to be washed on a wool wash, see also our tips in " Wool washing in 4 steps " ). But Charlotte emphasises the advantages: "You are doing your child such a great favour that I personally think it is worth the investment. Moreover, you really don't need a whole lot. You only need to wash wool when it is dirty (with spit or poo) and it dries quickly. Usually, 3 pieces of each item of clothing are enough, because you don't have to change wool every day."
Which newborn wool yarns are the minimum basic?
When we ask Charlotte which woolen basics she would recommend to every parent for their newborn baby , she doesn't have to think long.
Charlotte: “The basis is actually very simple:
- a romper made of wool or wool/silk,
- a bow tie ,
- warm socks , and
- a woolen wrap blanket .
With that base you already support your child enormously. You can then simply supplement that base with the cotton suits and clothes that you may already have, as an extra layer. But really make sure that you have those four things at home, then you are fine.”
Charlotte also likes to share her favorites for these items: “The rompers from Joha ( wool/silk ) are of beautiful quality – I use them often. The wool blanket from Disana is my favorite wrap blanket; it lends itself so well to wrap a baby in. And the wool socks from Hirsch ( newborn bow socks ) are, in my opinion, the only socks that really stay on such a small foot!”
Charlotte's tip: "Would you like something extra? A wool sleeping bag, for example - I really like the Reiff one. I always buy it as a maternity gift for my friends. Ideal for keeping a baby nice and warm during feeding at night."
And what about mom? Warmth for mother during the maternity week
Charlotte: “We sometimes almost forget about mothers, but you as a new mother also need warmth! Especially if you want to breastfeed; warmth helps the milk to flow well. So think about woolly socks or slippers when you get out of bed, a nice warm shawl or cardigan around you while feeding, and nutritious, warm things like tea and soup. You really need to recharge after giving birth, so treat yourself to warmth.”
A nice thought: the newborn wool that your baby benefits from so much, you can easily pass on to a friend or sister when she is pregnant. “That is also what I like about good wool: it lasts a long time and often has so much life left in it for the next one after your baby. I really see that our community passes on clothes and stuff to each other - very sustainable and loving actually,” Charlotte adds.
About Charlotte:
Her full name is Charlotte Helena Goudsblom. She has been working with mothers, fathers and newborn babies since she was 19. After her training, she gained a lot of experience at the Geboortecentrum Amsterdam with families from various cultures and regularly delivered babies at expats' homes. Since January 2016, Charlotte has been working as an independent maternity nurse and is part of the Collectief Natuurlijke Kraamzorg (Collective Natural Maternity Care) . Her passion lies in an approach to the maternity period that is as natural as possible. In that first – oh so important – week after birth, she focuses on bonding, rest, getting breastfeeding going and good care with natural resources .
(For more information about natural maternity care, please visit natuurlijkkraamzorg.nl . And if you are outside the Amsterdam region, it is useful to consult the register of the Natural Maternity Care Training via natuurlijkkraamzorg.eu to find a natural maternity care provider near you.)
4 essential newborn woolens – specially composed 🧺
Following our conversation with Charlotte, we at Atelier De Wevershoek have put together a special package with her favorite items. With these 4 products you give yourself and your baby a nice, warm start. They are not only fun for newcomers, but also handy for parents who already use woolen clothes and may be expecting a second or third child.
Our 'Newborn wool package' consists of:
- a wrap romper wool/silk (Joha)
- a woolen/silk bow hat ( Engel or Cosilana )
- a woolen blanket (Disana)
- newborn bow socks (Hirsch Nature)
(All items in this pack are organic and carefully chosen – just what Charlotte recommends. Check it out in our shop for more info.)
Conclusion: This interview underlines the importance of warmth and natural materials in the first week of your baby’s life. Charlotte’s tips – an experienced natural maternity nurse – show that a few quality woolen basics (romper, hat, blanket, socks) make a big difference. Not only will your little one stay nice and warm and secure, it will also save you from worries: your baby will feel safe, sleep better and grow like crazy.
With woolen newborn essentials you choose peace, comfort and sustainability. 💛 As Charlotte says so beautifully: "You do your child such a great pleasure with it." And that's what we do it for!
(Curious about a complete list of everything you might need for your baby? Check out our blog “ Natural Baby Supplies – What Do You Need?” for a handy checklist.)