Baby Shower Gifts

Hello there, wonderful parents and parents-to-be, I have been questionably gracefully frolicking through this incredible journey of motherhood for just over a year now, and oh, what an adventure it has been! It sure is a journey and adventure, just like everyone tells you, filled with joy, an immeasurable amount of love, a photo library that's overflowing, and yes, its fair share of worries that tag along. Stepping into the world of motherhood has unfolded numerous lessons for me, drawing from my experiences as both a paramedic during the unpredictable nights and days, and now, as a mum trying to find her groove as a toddler mum to a very adventurous little guy who seems to hold no fear about anything. Navigating the newborn phase can sometimes feel like you're trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions—confusing, frustrating, but oh-so-rewarding when you get it right. On reflection, I can see how hard we were trying to find our groove as new parents, understanding what felt right for our family, discerning what worked and what didn't. Each step, each decision, was a learning curve, teaching us more about ourselves and our son than we ever imagined possible. Through many conversations with new parents, one topic seems to continue to come to light, and that is safe sleep for babies, particularly how to dress newborns for sleep. I get it; I too found myself thinking about this every night before bed, wondering what to dress Sullivan in, wondering if he would be warm enough or too warm. Then, during the night, constantly putting a hand down his back to check. So much second-guessing around the topic of newborn sleep and what’s the safest practices. I do want to highlight that if you are in the newborn trenches trying to navigate this, or soon will be, I promise it gets easier, and you will become surer of yourself. Trust your instincts; they make us pay close attention to things for usually good reason. I wanted to share some wisdom to help you find that delicate balance between keeping your newborn close in those early days to create that strong bond, as well as for the convenience of those overnight feeds and nappy changes, all whilst ensuring they are sleeping safely and soundly. Because the perfect sleeping space goes beyond aesthetics and comfort; it's about providing a safe and secure environment that promotes healthy sleep habits right from the start. Back is best: Just like how we all have that one side of the bed, babies need their special sleep position too—and it's on their back. This helps to ensure their airways are nice and open and protected should they have little spit-ups of milk throughout the night. As babies develop and learn to roll, you might find they develop a preference for sleeping on their tummies. Just like adults, babies will sleep where they are most comfortable. However, it is still recommended that at the beginning of the night when placed into their sleep space, they are laid on their back. Once your baby is showing signs of starting to roll, it's time to ditch the swaddle and let their arms be free. Closeness counts: Having our newborns close to us, especially in those first few months, not only facilitates bonding, aids in convenience for those middle-of-the-night feeds and nappy changes but can also enhance sleep safety. It also allows for easy monitoring of your little babe throughout the night because I know you’ll be checking on them a few times, pinching yourself that they are real and here! Experts recommend that your new baby sleeps in your room for the first 6 months of their life. Keep in mind that every family's setup will be unique, so find what works and feels right for you, using these recommendations to help guide your decisions. Something that can help make room sharing a dream is a bedside co-sleeper, like the CoZee Breeze Plus Bassinet. Co-sleepers are an absolute game changer. The CoZee Breeze Plus enables you to have your baby within arm's reach for said feeds and nappy changes, and I love the transparent sides so you can very quickly peep on bub for some reassurance throughout the night. It can be attached to the side of your bed with the side rail lowered, so you can easily get them in and out without having to get out of bed…genius. A bare necessity: Creating a minimalist sleep space isn’t just chic; it's safe. So, whilst I know all those soft toys your baby will be gifted are beautiful and treasured, they are best kept out of your baby's sleep space whilst they are sleeping in it. All they need is a fitted sheet on their mattress and perhaps a mattress protector underneath for those accidental explosions or little spit-ups, something that has been thought of and included in the CoZee range. If you are worried about your baby being cold while they are sleeping, you can pop a light blanket over them, ensuring it is tucked tightly under the mattress and it only reaches the height of their chest so they can't accidentally wriggle down or pull the blanket up. Their sleep space should stay bare until about 7 months old, where you can introduce a comforter if that is something you wish to do. A firm and snug space: Why firm, you ask? Imagine sleeping on a marshmallow. Sounds dreamy, but swap to baby context, and it’s a big safety risk. This is the same for soft surfaces such as beanbags, loungers, and pillows. Red Nose states that babies need a supportive surface to ensure their little lungs can breathe easily and to keep their little bodies in just the right position. A firm mattress ensures no unwanted dips or soft spots can disrupt your baby’s breathing or sleep. And why flat? This isn’t just about preference; it's about providing a stable environment that supports their delicate spinal development and ensures they remain in a safe sleeping position throughout the night (not accidentally rolling). While we want to make sure the mattress is flat and firm, we also need to make sure it’s a snug fit in their cot or bassinet, without any gaps. I love that the iL Tutto Fuori and Hygge cot mattresses embody these exact safety principles, whilst providing the perfect balance between firmness for support and softness for comfort for our sleeping babes. Likewise, the CoZee Breeze Plus bassinet prioritizes safety without compromising on comfort. A standout feature I particularly love about the CoZee Breeze Plus is its adjustable heights and the option to set one end at an incline. This can be so helpful for our little refluxy bubs and is far safer and aesthetically pleasing than propping one end up on some books (hello, yes, I’m speaking from personal experience). Dressing for the occasion: Figuring out how to dress your baby for bed can seem like a puzzle that I know us new parents stew over, especially when considering room temperature and not wanting to over or underdress. That’s the goal, isn’t it, trying to keep them comfortable yet not too hot and not too cold. But how do I master that, you ask… Firstly, let's talk about the ideal room temperature. There are measures we can implement to ensure our babies are kept comfortable without needing to pile on lots of layers to keep them warm. If you opt to use a newborn swaddle sleeping bag, which might I add are so convenient, each brand will typically give a guide for how best to dress your baby depending on the different tog ratings and room temperature. This takes the guesswork out of it, however, there might be a buffering period of trial and error to get the sweet spot and that’s okay, you’re doing great! Remember, every baby is unique, and what works for one family may not work for another. These tips are here to guide you toward creating a safe sleep environment for your little one. Listen to your baby and trust your instincts; you know your baby best. Enjoy every cuddle, every late-night feed, and even those moments when sleep seems like a distant dream. I promise these moments are fleeting, and before you know it, your little one will be on to the next big adventure. Sending you all the love, strength and a few extra coffee beans if needed, as you navigate this beautiful, sometimes challenging, but always rewarding journey of parenthood.  

Parents are at the heart of the iL Tutto brand. Every decision we make, every product we design is about making parents' lives easier. And that’s how it will always be. We know that for the majority of families, mums are the ones taking on the role of primary caregiver. This International Women’s Day we want to give you insight into the iL Tutto business and how we’re inspired by those mums. The mums breastfeeding at all hours. The mums juggling newborn nap times with the needs of a busy toddler. The mums who make our family lives hum so perfectly. The inspiration behind iL Tutto When Leanne Boyd and her husband started their first business importing and distributing baby goods, her youngest child was four months old. What started as a hobby of sorts while she was raising her young children, evolved into the couple buying the iL Tutto business in 2007. “At that time iL Tutto was a nappy bag brand,” she recalls. “We loved the iL Tutto brand and we were keen to start producing our own products. Ultimately, we decided to steer the brand towards nursery products.” The evolution of the brand into nursery was driven by a gap Leanne and her husband identified in the market. That is, for stylish nursing chairs that people were proud to display in their homes. “The brand focus is about combining practicality with the style that parents are searching for,” she explains. “Our products evolve beyond the newborn stage so they’re not just purchases for the short term. It’s furniture you can use in your home for many years to come.” Support when mums need it most The iL Tutto range today reflects what mums need and want. That is, stylish, high quality baby products that are designed to support their unique needs. Jess Carroll is a Nurse, Paediatric Sleep Consultant and mum of three. She works with parents to teach, support and empower them as they navigate the sleep journey with their baby. She’s also an advocate of the iL Tutto brand, recognising that the nursery chairs are so much more than a chair for a new mum. “The chairs are just divine,” she says. “While you’re creating a calming sleep environment for your baby, it’s also important that you’re comfortable. Gentle rocking in a chair is a really lovely way to wind down with your baby before you pop them into their cot for a restful sleep.” After working with so many families over the years, Jess says that many mums still feel a stigma about getting the support they need. “When you have a baby, your life changes in an instant,” she explains. “No one can prepare you for just how much it will change. There’s still a stigma around mums putting themselves first but self care, whatever you need to do to fill your own cup, is so important. Every other parent is out there trying to figure it all out in the same way you are.” Always evolving One thing that we truly value at iL Tutto is our customer feedback. We’re always listening to our customers and taking that feedback on board to evolve our products. “With each design we release, we consider what our customers are telling us and introduce features that will make their lives easier,” says Julie Georgiadis, iL Tutto Marketing Director. “Our latest collection – the Frankie Electric Recliner Glider Nursery Chairs – is the perfect example of this. “Parents were telling us they wanted somewhere in their nursery chair to store things like storybooks for reading to their toddlers while feeding the baby. We added discreet yet functional side pockets for this.” The Frankie range also includes a wider base for a smooth glide, bolster cushions for lower back and feeding support and USB ports for charging. For mums with a compromised core, the electric recline steps in to do the heavy lifting for her. “Frankie takes everything that our customers love about each of the other chairs in our collection and combines it all in a single, stylish chair. This is about understanding what parents want, what mums need and delivering on that.” Extending the support Our support for women, mothers and families goes beyond the features in a nursery chair. Leanne says that as a small family business, each member of the team is like a member of the extended family.  “Many of our staff work flexibly around school pick ups and drop offs,” adds Julie. “Even staff who don’t have children have access to the same flexibility.” When the business was looking to extend their support into the community, it made sense to look at ways to support women and families.

Becoming a mum for the first time is one of the single biggest changes you’ll experience in your life. You realise just what ‘busy’ actually means and experience a love truly like no other. When a woman becomes a mother, the focus is on the baby. Everyone wants to have a newborn snuggle and ask how the baby is sleeping and feeding. But what about mum? Self-care for new mums is something that most don’t think about until they're on the edge of burnout. Or when they’re out of the newborn phase and into the next stage of motherhood, when their babies are now big kids and more self-sufficient. But any mum will tell you that taking time out for yourself, even if it’s just a bath on a Saturday night, is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby. We share our tips for mum self-care to help you take the time you need to look after yourself while you’re looking after your baby. A shower can be self-care Yes, self-care can be weekly massages and facials. But it can also be a shower or a cup of tea in the garden by yourself.  Does a shower recharge your batteries? Does it make you feel like you’re ready to face another sleepless night?  New mums know that sometimes showers are hard to come by in those early days and weeks. But if a shower ticks all your mother self-care boxes then go for it. Likewise if it’s an afternoon walk or a cup of tea that you actually get to drink while it’s still hot. What you do for self-care in the newborn phase will likely look very different to your motherhood self-care at other stages. And that’s completely ok. Accept offers of help One of the biggest barriers that gets in the way of self-care for new mums? Speaking from experience, it’s accepting offers of help.  If a friend visits and offers to hang out your washing or do the dishes, let them. If someone asks you if there’s anything they can do to help, give them a job. People don’t offer to help if they don’t mean it and if you say no, the offers will dry up very quickly. Your friends who are mums will remember what it’s like to be so desperately tired but still needing to function as a human being. They probably wish someone had offered to do their dishes or laundry… or regret saying no when they did. Take the help. You’ll be so grateful you did. Set yourself up for success The nursery chair you buy for your baby’s nursery isn’t actually for your baby. It’s for you. Your nursery chair are to help make feeding and rocking your baby to sleep a more comfortable experience for you. Many mums love the convenience of an electric recliner, such as the Chelsea Electric Recliner Glider Chair. It has all the features of a traditional nursing chair, with the mod cons of push button recline. It also features an in-built USB port so your devices never run out of battery while you’re buried under a sleeping baby. A glider chair, like the Billie Recliner Glider offers the same comfort with spring-loaded recline. This means you can easily move between reclining and sitting positions without needing to use your abdominal muscles.  Motherhood self-care is about the whole picture. Not just the indulgent moments of free time to feel like yourself again. Invest in yourself and your back will thank you later! Here for mums At iL Tutto, we’re deeply committed to supporting mums in their journey. Whether it’s self-care for mums, sharing your breastfeeding stories or tips for co-sleeping, we want you to feel supported. That support extends to our nursery chairs, all designed with the needs of new mums in mind. Designed in Australia and loved by parents around the world, iL Tutto is helping new mums care for themselves, one feed at a time. Explore the range and discover products that will care for you while you care for your baby.