6 best winter sleeping bags to keep your baby snug as a bug
Knowing what to dress your baby in for bed can be a daily struggle. If they are too cold they will wake up and if they are too hot they will wake up. To help with this, many parents choose to dress their babies in sleeping bags. They are TOG rated, making it easier to keep bub snug at night without having to add extra blankets. So which is the best winter sleeping bag?
To help you figure that out, the Tell Me Baby community has rated the winter sleeping bags they’ve tried, and they’ve shared their opinions on what has, or hasn’t, worked for them.
Here are six winter sleeping bags the Tell Me Baby community loves. Each one has a rating of at least 4.3 stars out of 5 (click through to each pram’s page to see its current ratings).
Read all the sleeping bag reviews to find out what other parents have said about these products. Or can also see our sleeping bag comparisons to find the top-rated products and tips for buying a sleeping bag.
1. ergoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag 2.5 Tog
The ergoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag 2.5 TOG (best for sleeping in room temperatures between 17°C – 21°C), keeps your baby swaddled snugly while still allowing movement of the legs. Made from organic and natural fibres, the Cocoon Swaddle can stretch across the chest. IT also features two-way zips for easy nappy changes, and arm-poppers for when your baby is ready to transition to arms out sleeping.
Another popular choice of sleeping bag swaddle for bubs. Love To Dream Swaddle UP Warm 2.5 TOG (best for temperatures between 16°C and 20°C). Instead of the baby’s arms being tucked across their chest, this swaddle allows for arms up sleeping, which some little one’s prefer.
This ergoPouch 3.5 TOG rated bag is excellent for very chilly nights where the room temperature is between 14°C and 20°. The Sleep Suit Bag converts from a Sleeping Bag to a Sleep Suit with legs using the zippers, which is useful for those toddlers who no longer like the restriction of a sleeping bag!
Quilted for extra warmth, the Bonds Winter Sleeping Bag features a two-way front-facing zip for quick late-night nappy changes. While parents seem to be happy with this product, the website doesn’t give much information about what the TOG rating is.
The ergoPouch Sheeting Sleeping Bag 3.5 TOG (designed for cooler room temperatures between 14°C and 20°), is designed for arms-out sleepers and is made from organic cotton. New to their 2020 range, the 3.5 TOG now features sleeves on the bag, providing extra warmth on those chilly nights!
The simple tip to help you buy the best pre-made baby food
Pre-made baby food pouches are super convenient for feeding your baby while out and about, travelling, or just when you need a break from preparing and cooking food.
But are all baby foods created equal? And what does all the information on the back of the packet actually mean?
The good news is that you don’t have to be a nutritionist to decode the nutrition information panel on the back when you duck into the supermarket for an easy dinner.
There’s one little tip that will go a long way.
Water, water, water
Yes, you should avoid foods that are high in sugar and salt, but another quick tip is to look at how much of each main ingredient is in the packet.
According to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 code, if a reference is made in the label (including in the name of the food) to milk, eggs, cheese, fish, meat, nuts or legumes, the percentage of that ingredient in the food is required to be printed on the label.
Additionally, the ingredients must be listed in descending order. So the first ingredient you see listed is present in the food in the largest amount by weight – including added water.
So what does this mean?
Basically, some pre-made foods have a fair bit of water added to them. So if water is listed as the first ingredient, then it’s probably not that great.
For example, if the ingredients list says: Water, Vegetables (34%) Beef (9%) Tomato Paste (6%) Pasta (4%), then water is the main ingredient in this meal. In fact, if you add up the other ingredient’s percentages, you can work out that this product is 47% water.
While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with water (it’s very good for you!), if you’re buying this product for the beef or the pasta, you can see that there’s probably not enough actual food in it to satisfy your baby’s hunger.
Try to choose products that list one of the title ingredients first!
So which pre-made baby food products do Tell Me Baby parents love?
In no particular order, here are five popular baby foods that come highly rated and reviewed in the Tell Me Baby community.
Note: these have been rated by the community on a number of factors, including taste, ease of use and ingredients.
1. Rafferty’s Garden Blueberries, Banana & Apple 4m+
“These fruit pouches are a game changer! Amazing ingredients, nothing but fruit and a fantastic range of flavours!” wrote one reviewer.
Parents love the bowl this Baby Bellies meal comes in. “I love how this came in its own bowl and can be served either cold or hot. I will definitely be trying the other combinations with my bub as this is a great way of getting baby to eat veggies,” said a reviewer.
3. FUNCH Apple, Pear & Chia Australian Fruit Puree
FUNCH Apple, Pear & Chia Australian Fruit Puree is a great introduction to solids. One parent wrote: “The consistency is perfect for first-time solid. It is a little bit runny and smooth. Taste is great too, sweet and can taste the sourness too and added with DHA is a bonus.”
4. Little Étoile Organic Chicken, Veggies & Brown Rice 6m+
Parents love these pouches for a few reasons, but as one mum wrote: “I could tell that he liked these pouches much more than others we had tried. Perhaps they tasted like the veggies that I made for him.”
Parents love to have these on hand when they are on the go with their little ones. “This yet another Only Organics pouch that my son loves. I like to have fruit purée pouches on hand to mix in with yoghurt and he devours them,” said one parent.
Parents love these snacks because they’re healthy and come in a small packet that’s perfect to throw in the nappy bag.
“Really good. And super easy for little ones to hold,” said a reviewer. “Pretty healthy compared to other snack foods. Only a small packet which is good just to shove in the bag for the day.”
“I can’t believe nobody told me to get one of these with my first – actually the greatest thing ever. Now I can finally put baby down for a while and get stuff done!” Kate D.
“Our most used baby product. We take it everywhere, it’s compact so it fits perfectly in the car whenever we head out.” Jenny J.
“[My baby] loves being in it, and gets to experience the world without being in our hands or laying in his cot. We also get a good break from holding him while he’s awake and we can get things done too.” Sarika P.
“It makes mum life so much easier! While learning to do everything with one arm is a fact of life for mums, those hands-free moments are a game changer.” Jessie F.
A multifunctional baby lounger, the Cushii has been created to lend you a helping hand, giving your baby a soothing and ultra-soft place to lounge, feed, play, and have supervised rest time.
Cushii loungers can be used inside or outside, and as they’re lightweight and portable they can be easily taken on day trips or to visit friends and family.
Made with plant based and recycled materials, the silky smooth Cushii lounger can help regulate your baby’s body temperature – and yes, they’re machine washable, too!
This giveaway closed at 11.59 (AEDT) March 9th, 2022. Terms and conditions here.
5 best prams of 2022
A pram is one of those big-ticket items that you want to get right the first time. There’s nothing worse than realising a few months in parenting that maybe the pram you chose isn’t quite right for your family. So which is the best pram?
To help you figure that out, the Tell Me Baby community has rated the prams they’ve tried, and they’ve shared their opinions on what has, or hasn’t, worked for them.
Here are 5 prams the Tell Me Baby community loves. Each one has a rating of at least 4.4 stars out of 5 (click through to each pram’s page to see its current ratings).
Read all the pram reviews. You can also see our prams comparisons to find the top-rated products and tips for buying a pram.
Baby Jogger City Select
The Baby Jogger City Select ticks a lot of boxes. It converts from a single stroller to a double by adding a second seat, to a triple by adding a glider board, or a travel system by using a car seat adapter, and you can also add a bassinet kit to handle a newborn.
“As a single pram, it’s sturdy, reliable, and easy to use,” said one reviewer. “I love the big basket underneath,” said one reviewer.
A great option if you’re looking for a lightweight pram, the Bugaboo Cameleon 3 Plus weighs 9.6kg.
As one reviewer said: “[It’s] simple to fold, the easiest handling I’ve ever known. It’s not too heavy and the size of the under basket is a winner for me!!!!”
The Edwards & Co Oscar Mx is an all-terrain, three-wheel pram with a reversible, parent-facing seat.
Parents seem to love everything about this pram. “Oscar Mx is so lightweight, easy to push/maneuver. The brake is Havaianas-friendly too!” said one mum.
There’s a very good reason this Mountain Buggy pram is called the Nano: weighing at just 5.9kg, it’s very lightweight, easy to fold, and has no problem fitting in a small boot.
“This pram is super easy to fold, and it’s nice and light to lift,” says one reviewer. “When folded it does not take up much room in the boot unlike over prams and will be good for traveling.”
Another pram that grows with your family, the Redsbaby JIVE³ combines refined aesthetics with versatile functionality and a unique one-piece fold to convert into a compact, easy-to-use tandem.
“It’s easy to pack up, light and drives beautifully! Absolutely love this pram. Would never recommend another brand. Goes anywhere too, including my horse competitions!! LOVE IT!” said one reviewer.
Have an opinion about the pregnancy or baby products you’ve tried? Earn rewards by reviewing baby products from home – you’ll earn points that can be exchanged for vouchers at Coles, Target and Kmart! Sign up here to start earning.
The news tired parents need to hear
“When will my baby sleep through the night?” It’s a question I ask my sleep-deprived self often.
If you’re like me and you have a baby who prefers to party at 2 am rather than sleep, the good news is you’re not alone.
And the even better news is that it’s completely normal.
In fact, a study from McGill University found it’s perfectly healthy for a baby NOT to sleep through the night in the first year.
“If there was only one thing I could tell parents, it would be to not worry if your infant does not sleep through the night at six months of age,” the study’s lead researcher, Marie-Hélène Pennestri told NBC News.
Researchers surveyed the parents of 388 infants aged up to six months about their sleep, development, and mum’s mood. They then touched base again with 360 of them at the age of one year and three years old.
The results show that it was quite normal for a baby to wake up during the night, and there was no effect on development or mum’s mood (more on this later).
“The results of this study indicate that by using a commonly accepted definition (6 hours of consecutive sleep), a high percentage of infants in our cohort did not sleep through the night at either age 6 months (37.6%) or 12 months (27.9%),” they write in their report.
“Using an 8-hour criterion for consecutive sleep, we found that more than half of the 6-month-old infants did not sleep through the night (57.0%), whereas 43.4% of infants at 12 months of age did not sleep through the night.”
Put simply, no, your baby is not broken. Even by the time they celebrate their first birthday, it’s completely common for babies to not be sleeping for 8 or even 6 hours at a time.
Great sleep expectations
If you’ve ever been woken every two hours for weeks at a time you’ll know that sleep deprivation is all-consuming. And it definitely affects your mood. But researchers think that the expectation parents feel that their baby should be sleeping through actually causes more stress than being woken up at night.
To take some of the pressure off, they think mums and dads should be better informed about normal baby sleep-wake patterns (and studies like this one), instead of being taught sleep interventions. And we couldn’t agree more.
Having a baby who wakes a lot at night is stressful. It’s easy to feel like you’re doing something wrong. But the reality is that it’s completely normal. All babies are different and they will all reach this milestone at different times.
So hang in there … you’re doing a great job!
Edwards & Co vs Redsbaby: prams compared
If you’re in the market for a new pram, you may have narrowed your selection to two very popular brands right now: Edwards & Co vs Redsbaby. But which pram is right for you?
Parents can also take a look at our pram comparisons to find out the most rated products.
Edwards & Co vs Redsbaby
Edwards & Co Oscar MX Stroller
Features
The Edwards & Co Oscar MX Stroller is an all-terrain, three-wheel pram with a reversible, parent-facing seat. It can be used from day one, thanks to the Newborn Insert Cushion.
But that’s not all, the Oscar MX Stroller is lightweight, weighing only 10.3kg and features puncture-proof tyres.
Price
$899
Pros
Parents in the Tell Me Baby community love how lightweight and easy to manoeuvre this pram is. Lots of reviews mention that having the ability to move the seat facing forwards and backwards was a big pro too. The Carry Cot (purchased separately) also received rave reviews.
“Not only was it lightweight, but very easy to put up and put down for both my partner and,” said one reviewer.
“The pram has been to the beach, on countless kilometre walks, out a night, out at dawn break, out in the wind, out on rainy days and hot 40 degree days and has always provided amazing coverage, comfort and safety for my Bub.”
Cons
A couple of reviews mention that the canopy could be longer to protect bubs from the sun. “Only drawback I found, now that the sun’s out in full force, is that you need the additional sunshade cover as the canopy doesn’t have full shade bub’s legs,” said one parent.
Example review
“I have recently purchased this pram and absolutely love it! Super smooth and easy to manoeuvre. So light and folds compact. I have used it on The trails near home and have even been able to slowly jog with it. A nice big basket and I love that I can face baby towards me or away from me. Newborn insert came with it and is great! Also, love how it looks.”
The Redsbaby JIVE³ Pram grows with your family, converting from a single to a tandem pram. So if you’re hoping for a large family, this pram might be just what you need. The JIVE³ Pram seat is reversible and reclinable. It also features an extra-large, ventilated extension canopy and the frame weighs a light 8.3kg (weight will increase with seat or capsule).
Reviewers rave about how light and compact the Redsbaby JIVE³ Pram is. There are also lots of accessories that can be purchased to go with this pram, including “UV bassinet and seat shade, car shades, coffee cup holder, rain cover and pram organiser,” said one reviewer.
Cons
Some parents thought the basket was a little small. “My only complaint is the basket which is on the smaller side and I find the pushbuttons easily pop undone.”
Example review
“Bought the jive 3 pram with bassinet, second seat and the capsule and CONSTANTLY get compliments about how nice my setup is. It’s easy to pack up, light and drives beautifully! Absolutely love this pram. Would never recommend another brand. Goes anywhere too, including my horse competitions!! LOVE IT!”
So which pram is best: Edwards & Co vs Redsbaby? At the end of the day, these are two very reputable brands that make excellent products. They are also both reasonably priced. The pram you choose will depend on the needs of your family and personal preferences.
Have an opinion about the pregnancy or baby products you’ve tried? Earn rewards by reviewing baby products from home – you’ll earn points that can be exchanged for vouchers at Coles, Target and Kmart! Sign up here to start earning.
The secret baby sleep weapon not many people know about
Looking back through photos of my baby when he was a newborn, I came across a bunch of selfies. They were all the same: me sitting on the couch trapped under a sleeping baby.
I wasn’t a fool. I knew the importance of a good nap. “Sleep promotes sleep,” people told me. There was just one tiny problem: my son would only nap on me during the day.
So I sat. And I sat. Because my baby needed sleep.
“Get off the couch!”
When my son was three months old, I was chatting with a friend (while he napped on me). She asked how everything was going. I told her that life is great, except for the part where I sit on the couch all day every day and had done so for the last month.
“Get off the couch!!!!” she said. “You’ll be surprised how quickly he adjusts to sleeping in his own cot.”
She was right. Mentally and physically, I couldn’t sit on that couch anymore.
But how?!
Despite all the books on baby sleep I had read, I was still a new mum and had no idea what I was doing.
I still have no idea what I’m doing, but I found someone who does. Another friend kept telling me to call the Tresillian’s Parent’s Help Line, but I was hesitant. Wasn’t Tresillian for babies who didn’t sleep at all?
I was so very wrong. I wish I had called them sooner.
Tresillian’s Parent’s Help Line is now the baby sleep secret weapon I recommend to all new parents. I have their phone number saved in my favourites. Most importantly, it’s free! Free sleep advice from an expert. No googling for hours to find contradicting advice. No giving your email address in exchange for a free pdf outlining awake windows. Free and magic.
A lovely nurse called me. I explained my life story, telling her that although I really want my baby to have lovely long naps, I can’t spend another day sitting on the couch.
A mum with a plan
When I got off the phone, I was excited. Not only that, but I had a step-by-step plan.
I won’t bore you with all the details, but the short version is that I actually had to put him in his bassinet (scary) if he was ever going to get used to sleeping in it. He needed to be drowsy but awake while I helped him to fall asleep in his own space. I had to be consistent, and I had to pat his bum a lot!
A few weeks later, he was napping like a pro in his own bassinet. He even self-settled a few times. Although he wasn’t taking long naps, he was napping. Of course, there were days when none of my magic tricks worked, so we went back to the couch. But not every day. Now he’s eight months old and napping brilliantly in his cot during the day. (The same cannot be said about the night – but that’s another story).
So how does it work?
Call the helpline number (1300 272 736, 7am-11pm, 7 days) and listen to the prompts. Leave your phone number and a brief message explaining what you need help with. Hang up and wait for them to call you back.
Don’t worry: they will call you back. I promise. Sometimes it can take a few hours, but they will call you! Don’t forget to turn your phone off silent.
Hot tip
To get the most out of this amazing free service, I recommend being really prepared. I like to write down everything that happened the day before: what time my bub went down for naps and for how long, when he ate, that sort of thing. I tell them the behaviour I am struggling with, read them my day, and we go from there.
The trouble with babies is that they keep changing. Once you think you have their magic sleep formula figured out, the wind changes direction and their sleep regresses. But that’s when you ask the friendly people in the McDonalds drive-thru to add an extra shot to your coffee, and you leave a message for a lovely nurse to call you back and help devise a new plan to help your little one through it.
Tresillian has Family Care services across three states (NSW, Vic and ACT), and anational Parent’s Help Line, Day Services, and Inpatient Residential services. Find out more.
Mum celebrates son’s birthday on the wrong day … for two years
A mum has taken to TikTok to share a funny story about how she found out she was celebrating her child’s birthday on the wrong date … for two years.
In the video, Emily Vondrachek (@thevondyfam) says she just got off the phone with her paediatrician, who was trying to bill her insurance company for their last visit. The claim wasn’t going through because there was a discrepancy with the birth date.
“Per my words,” the mum says she told the paediatrician, “My son’s birthday is the 26th. I am his mother. I know his birthday.”
They told her, “The insurance company says his birthday is on the 25th.”
Before calling the insurance company to tell them they’d made a mistake, Emily scrolled back through Facebook looking for the birth announcement to double-check. Sure enough, she had been celebrating her son’s birthday on the wrong day for two years!
“For two years I’ve been celebrating his birthday on the 26th. And now I have to call my paediatrician back and say, you know what? I had my kid’s birthday wrong,” she says.
“You know the worst part?” she adds. “The worst part. He’s my middle child. It’s my middle child.”
And to be honest, people weren’t surprised it was a middle child whose birthday had been mixed up.
“Of course it’s the middle child 😂😂😂😂” one person said.
Another added: “Middle child here: my whole family forgot my birthday one year. End of the day I said, guess I’ll wish myself a hbd. Shoulda waited a day I guess.”
“Before you even said it was your middle child I said to myself ‘it must be the middle child,’” shared another.
“I tried making an appt for my child at the vet”
Others shared similar parenting fails of their own in the comments, making Emily feel much better about what happened.
“That’s ok, I tried making an appt for my child at the vet,” wrote one parent.
Another shared, “I spelled my OWN NAME wrong on my child’s birth certificate.”
“My dad has twins. Only twins. He forgot my birthday two years ago. Not my sister’s. Haven’t let him live that down.”
At the end of the video, Emily says she’s having a special day with her son to make up for the mistake.
“I love my kids, okay. I love my kids,” she says. “They may not have their birthday celebration on the correct day but they celebrate it the next!”
7 best formula dispensers to help feed your baby on the go
Long gone are the days when you needed to lug a formula tin around with you to feed your baby on the go. Instead, parents can easily store and make their baby’s bottles using very handy baby formula dispensers.
So which are the best baby formula dispensers? To help you figure that out, the Tell Me Baby community has rated the best formula dispensers they’ve tried, and they’ve shared their opinions on what has, or hasn’t, worked for them. (Read all the best formula dispenser reviews.)
You can also take a look at other feeding accessory reviews to find other products that parents find handy.
1. Dreambaby Formula Dispenser
The Dreambaby Formula Dispenser has three compartments that provide convenience at feeding time. Many parents say they would be lost without this product.
One reviewer wrote: “It is super easy to use, easy to clean, and fits perfectly in our nappy bag! I haven’t had any spillage and I think it is great value.”
Another popular product is the Philips Avent Milk Powder Dispenser. The dispenser is made from BPA-free material and can be sterilised or cleaned in the dishwasher.
A big pro for parents is that the compartments in the Philips Avent Milk Powder Dispenser can be removed if you don’t need all three. “We love how the 3 compartment insert can be left in or taken out,” said one parent.
Featuring a revolving easy-pour spout that prevents spills when transferring formula to water, the Heinz Baby Basics Infant Formula Dispenser is safe and easy to use. While it’s perfect for preparing bottles for when you’re on the go, one mum also said she uses it for night feeds too.
“I bought two so I can prep the formula each morning so that it is ready to go as soon as a bottle is required, which during the night is so handy and also when out on the go!” she said.
4. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Milk Powder Dispenser
Designed to be used with the Closer to Nature baby bottles, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Milk Powder Dispenser holds up to four scoops of powder and fits inside the neck of the bottle, so it takes up less space in the nappy bag.
One parent wrote: “They don’t take up much space, are easy to clean and if you use Closer to Nature bottles, they sit in the neck of them.”
Parents were very happy with the size of Munchkin’s formula dispenser. “I have to say this one saves much more space than my previous one,” said one reviewer. “With the Munchkin one, 1/4 of the size but with 3 compartments, it’s such a great choice. I wish I found this earlier.”
Pigeon’s Powder Milk Container is a slightly different design from many other dispensers on the market. It also features a top nozzle for easy pouring, and the compartments can be separated.
“I used these originally for formula. However, I now use them to carry snacks for my one-year-old. It’s a handy little thing,” said one mum.
Have an opinion about the pregnancy or baby products you’ve tried? Earn rewards by reviewing baby products from home – you’ll earn points that can be exchanged for vouchers at Coles, Target and Kmart! Sign up here to start earning.
Mum’s warning: “Stop kissing babies that are not yours”
After going through what no parent should ever experience, a mum is now warning others about a virus that’s deadly to newborns.
Sadly, Presley Trejo’s daughter Emerson passed away from the HSV-1 virus when she was just 12 days old.
“I know my family and I have been quiet about what exactly happened to our sweet girl. I wasn’t going to say anything yet but I’m tired of the speculation and it’s time to bring awareness to the terrible illness that took our baby away from us,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“Emerson ended up passing away from what is called the HSV-1 virus. It’s the Herpes Simplex Virus most commonly known as the cold sore virus or the ‘kiss of death’ for infants.”
“She just slept… and slept… and slept”
Recently sharing her story with 7Life, Presley says Emerson was born July 25, 2018, and was discharged two days later. At a routine check-up a couple of days later, a pediatrician found a small blister inside Emerson’s mouth but said it was very common and nothing to worry about.
Four days later, Emerson stopped breathing and was admitted to the hospital. Again, Presley was told the blister was normal and Emerson was put on fluids.
“She just slept… and slept… and slept… she wasn’t waking up very often to feed, so that concerned me,” the mum says.
Presley added that despite her concerns, the spot was “never tested” and three days later Emerson had stabilised and was discharged.
“I’ll never forget this day”
Once home, Emerson’s appetite still hadn’t returned. The mum was told that once the fluids left her system she would start feeding as usual.
Presley wasn’t convinced and turned to the internet where she read about the virus. Emerson’s symptoms matched exactly.
Expressing her concern to her doctor, Presley was told not to worry, but the doctor said that if Emerson didn’t wake for her evening feed she was to bring her in to be checked over. Emerson woke, so the mum planned a day out for the family the next day.
“I’ll never forget this day… what started out as such a beautiful perfect day would end up in the most horrific nightmare of my life,” she told 7Life.
Later that day Presley pulled her daughter out of her car seat. Her little girl started having seizures and began to change colour. Emergency services were called and they performed CPR.
Tragically, by the time Emerson arrived at the hospital, it was too late.
“In Emerson’s case, when we arrive to the hospital, her liver was completely gone. Her kidneys were right behind. Everything was failing. She was having multiple seizures until she was brain dead,” the brave mum said on Facebook.
“Her heart stopped beating and the only thing that kept her alive were machines. My daughter, my own flesh and blood who I created out of love, was on life support and I had to be the one to pull the plug on her life.”
“Stop kissing babies that are not yours”
Now the mum wants everyone to know how dangerous kissing a newborn can be.
“Everyone needs to know about this virus and what it does to children and their families! PEOPLE!!!! STOP KISSING BABIES THAT ARE NOT YOURS!!!!! WASH YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU ARE AROUND NEWBORNS!!!!! I have seen stories about other infants passing from this same virus but you never think it’s going to happen to you.
“Well this time, it did. … it happened right here to us. Our perfectly healthy, happy, BEAUTIFUL angel is no longer here with us because of a terrible virus that people need to be more aware of.”
What are the symptoms of HSV infection?
Unfortunately, adults infected with this virus shed it through their saliva. This can happen even if they aren’t experiencing symptoms of the herpes virus. Here’s what you need to know.
