Here to help

Independent health store advice on natural babycare

Looking for advice on natural health and wellbeing? Your local independent health store can offer a wealth of expertise. This month we talk to Ivy Lloyd, natural remedies advisor for Wild Oats Natural Foods in Bristol

There is definitely an increase in parents visiting our store looking for natural remedies and we’re finding that many of our products make nice gifts for new parents too!

We often have new mums and partners coming in store for probiotics for their newborns to support immunity early on. Optibac Baby Drops use a strain of bacteria that is linked with improving atopic dermatitis symptoms, and also reducing the risk of colic. We also usually recommend that breastfeeding mums take a multivitamin and mineral formula that is specific to pregnancy and breastfeeding as the essential nutrients will support both mum and baby.

Eco-friendly and sustainable suggestions

I feel new parents are more and more discerning when it comes to choosing eco-friendly and sustainable baby products with as natural as possible ingredients. For example, Tidoo nappies which are 60 per cent biodegradable, and Earth Friendly Gentle Aloe Vera Eco Baby Wipes which are 100 per cent biodegradable and have no artificial fragrances or colours. We stock other products from Earth Friendly, Weleda, and MooGoo that you can confidently use for babies’ sensitive skin. Another product recommendation for a bit later down the line is to keep Weleda’s Chamomile Teething Granules on hand for when the time comes.

Recommendations for new mums

We also have a lot of family members and friends who come in looking for products to help new mums with self-care and relaxation. They usually go for products like Amour Natural’s Lavender Pillow & Room Spray, MooGoo’s Nipple Balm and Dr Hauschka’s Blackthorn Body Oil, which supports skin elasticity. Laughing Bird do a beautifully rich Shea and Cocoa Butter Foot Cream with garden mint, rosemary and tea tree to help re-energise tired feet. For stressed new dads, and mums who aren’t breastfeeding, I like to tell them about Pukka Herbs’ Inner Peace herbal supplement and Viridian’s L-Theanine & Lemon Balm which contain lovely nervous system-supporting herbs. In terms of advice and tips for new parents, our top tip would be to take care of yourself as a new parent by tapping into your support network. Connect with other new parents, practise self-compassion and optimise your nutrition to support your vitality day-to-day.

Wild Oats

Wild Oats opened its doors in 1981 out of the passion of founders Mike and Loes Abrahams. The natural health store grew from strength to strength and by 1987 the shop had doubled in size. Wild Oats is now known as Bristol’s oldest health store and proudly serves the local community from their flagship store in Redland as well as their ever-growing website.

Contact information
Call the store on: 0117 973 1967
Visit at: 9–11 Lower Redland Road, Bristol BS6 6TB
Shop online at: woats.co.uk
Follow on social media at: @wildoatsbristol

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