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When it comes to helping your baby sleep well, one of the most important (and often overlooked) factors is making sure they’re full. Hunger will always win over sleep, it’s part of their survival instinct. Babies need to take in more calories than they burn to build up fat stores, fuel their growth, and get through important developmental leaps. Even while sleeping, they’re busy using energy, their little bodies are repairing, growing, and their brains are working hard to keep them alive and learning. Why Hunger Can Disrupt Sleep One of the most common reasons little ones wake frequently is simply not getting enough milk or food during the day. With so much conflicting advice out there, it’s easy to get confused: “Don’t start solids until 6 months.” “Don’t do purées.” “Baby-led weaning is the way to go.” “Food before one is just for fun.” It might surprise you, but many conversations I have with tired parents end with the same realisation - their baby wasn’t waking because of a “bad habit” or a “sleep regression”… they were just hungry. 💡 Quick Tip Box: The Sleep-Hunger Link ✅ A hungry baby will always prioritise feeding over sleeping✅ More food in the day = longer, more restful stretches at night✅ Quality nutrients help regulate growth, digestion, and brain function The Simple Truth: They Need Fuel to Sleep While other things like awake windows, sleep environment, and settling methods matter, hunger is one of the easiest things to fix. Babies need: Carbs for sustained energy Protein for muscle and brain growth Fats, vitamins & minerals for overall health From 6 months onwards, a balanced plate for main meals looks like: 1/3 carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread, oats, sweet potato) 1/3 protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, dairy) 1/3 fruit & vegetables (fresh, cooked, or mashed) 💡 Quick Tip Box: Daytime Feeding Checklist ✅ Offer milk feeds before naps to prevent hunger wake-ups✅ Provide balanced solids after milk once solids are introduced✅ Mix spoon feeding for nutrition with finger foods for skill development✅ Keep water available with solids to aid digestion Why I Started Lil’Kooee I’ve spent over 20 years working with mums, dads, and bubs and one thing I kept seeing was how the right feeding tools and knowledge made a real difference to sleep. That’s why I created Lil’Kooee a range of bottles, teats, bowls, and spoons designed to help parents get the right amount of quality food into their little one’s tummy. 💡 Quick Tip Box: Signs Your Baby Might Be Hungry at Night Wakes and feeds fully, then returns to sleep Short naps or early morning wakes despite good settling Increased fussiness in the late afternoon Poor weight gain or slow growth Your Baby’s Daytime Food Impacts Nighttime Sleep If your baby is waking more often than expected for their age, take a closer look at their intake during the day. Often, a small increase in protein, carbs, or overall portion size can make a big difference to both naps and overnight stretches. How Lil’Kooee Helps Our products are designed with feeding and sleep in mind: Natural Instinct Bottles & Teats - better latch, better flow, less air = more milk in tummies Weaning Spoons - narrow, flat tippped design for easy mouth entry and less mess Bowls & Plates - suction bases to keep food where it should be When tummies are full, sleep becomes easier. Need More Help? Lil’Kooee feeding products make it simple to give your baby the fuel they need for better sleep. If you also need personalised sleep support, head over to Happy Baby Consultancy - I’d love to help you and your little one rest easier.

What Parents Need to Know About PP Plastic and Microplastics As parents, we do everything we can to keep our babies safe, especially when it comes to feeding. That’s why sterilising baby bottles is a non-negotiable part of early parenting. But did you know that the very process designed to protect your baby might be quietly exposing them to something harmful? Let’s talk about PP plastic bottles, sterilisation, and the growing concerns around microplastics. What Are PP Bottles? PP stands for polypropylene - a lightweight, affordable plastic commonly used in baby bottles. You’ve probably seen them: clear or frosted plastic, usually BPA-free and labelled as microwave or dishwasher safe. They’ve been around for decades and are still one of the most widely used bottle types on the market. But Here’s the Catch: Heat and Plastic Don’t Mix Well Recent research has raised a big red flag: when PP bottles are exposed to heat, especially through steam sterilisation or boiling, they can release microplastics into your baby’s milk or formula. A 2020 study published in Nature Food found that sterilised PP bottles can release up to 16 million microplastic particles per litre when formula is prepared at 70°C (as per WHO guidelines). That number increases the more bottles are reheated, scratched, or reused. Yes - that’s millions of tiny plastic particles potentially ending up in your baby’s tummy. What Are Microplastics - and Why Does It Matter? Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, invisible to the eye, that can enter the body through food or liquids. While research is still emerging, early studies suggest these particles may: Interfere with gut health Carry hormone-disrupting chemicals Trigger inflammation or immune responses Babies, with their developing systems, are especially vulnerable. Safer Alternatives for Peace of Mind The good news? You have options. If you’re sterilising bottles regularly (and most parents are!), consider switching to a material designed to handle heat without leaching plastic particles: Material What It Is Why It’s Better PA   (Polyamide) BPA-free plastic alternative High heat resistance, no microplastic release under sterilisation What Can You Do Right Now? Check your bottle material: Look for the recycling symbol or label. “PP” = polypropylene. Avoid reheating in the same bottle: Instead, sterilise, then prepare formula in a separate container and transfer if using PP. Switch to heat-safe materials, Especially if you sterilise daily. At Lil’Kooee, we hope to make a difference. Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, or combo-feeding, we’ve got your back. Got questions about bottles or sterilising safely? Let’s chat. Reach out anytime. Shop the safer choice for your baby.

Why Are Major Baby Bottle Brands Facing Lawsuits Over Microplastics? What Every Parent Needs to Know As parents, we want the very best for our babies, especially when it comes to feeding. That’s why the recent news about major baby bottle brands facing class-action lawsuits should be on every parent’s radar. What’s Happening? In 2024, several lawsuits have been filed against some of the most popular baby bottle brands, including: Philips North America (Avent bottles) Handi-Craft Company (Dr. Brown’s bottles and cups) Newell Brands (NUK baby bottles) Mayborn USA (Tommee Tippee bottles) These lawsuits allege that their polypropylene (PP) bottles release microplastic particles when heated, which could be harmful to babies. Parents were not informed about these risks, and the labels often don’t mention this issue. In some cases, the “BPA-free” label has been criticised as misleading because it doesn’t address microplastic exposure. What Are Microplastics and Why Should You Care? Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, sometimes invisible to the naked eye, that can be released from plastic products when heated or stressed. In these cases, scientific studies have found that heating PP bottles can release up to 16 million microplastic particles per litre of liquid. These particles can be ingested by babies during feeding, raising concerns about their potential health impacts. While research is ongoing, many parents want to avoid any unnecessary exposure to microplastics. What Are the Lawsuits Seeking? The class-action lawsuits are pushing for: Damages for consumers Clear, accurate labelling about microplastic risks Reformulation of products to reduce or eliminate microplastic shedding Restrictions on the sales of these products unless they meet safety requirements What Does This Mean for Parents? If you’re currently using bottles made from polypropylene, it’s a good time to reconsider your options. Many popular brands you trust might be quietly releasing microplastics during everyday feeding routines. A Safer Choice: Lil’Kooee Natural Instinct PA Bottles At Lil’Kooee, we understand the concerns of parents who want safe, reliable feeding products. That’s why our Natural Instinct PA bottles are designed with premium, safe materials that do not shed microplastics even when warmed. Paired with our Natural Instinct teats, our bottles offer your little one a natural, worry-free feeding experience that prioritises health and safety. Final Thoughts Feeding your baby should never involve compromises on safety. While the lawsuits continue to unfold, making an informed switch to safer alternatives like Lil’Kooee’s PA bottles can give you peace of mind. Because your baby deserves nothing less than the best. Shop the safer choice for your baby.  

By Susie WarnerLil’Kooee Founder, Parent Consultant,   If you’ve ever welcomed a baby into the world, you’ve likely heard the phrase:“Breast is best.” It’s a phrase that’s been part of our maternal health language for decades - and yes, there’s truth in it. Breastfeeding offers numerous benefits for both the baby and the mother. However, what is often overlooked in the conversation is that not every parent can breastfeed, and not every parent wants to. And that’s okay. As someone who’s worked with families for over 25 years, I’ve seen the joy of parenting - but also the stress, guilt, and pressure that can come from something as fundamental as feeding. That pressure is rarely more intense than in those early days when you’re still finding your footing, learning your baby’s cues, and just trying to survive on four hours of broken sleep. So, I want to offer a different phrase, one that holds more space for the complexity of real life: Fed is best. The Missing Side of the Conversation Feeding your baby - whether at the breast, from a bottle, or a combination of both - should be a nurturing, connecting experience. But instead, many parents feel judged or unsupported, especially if things don’t go according to “the plan.” Breastfeeding can be beautiful, but also painful, emotionally exhausting, or simply unworkable for some. Bottle-feeding can be practical, empowering, and freeing - but is still too often seen as second best. Over the years, I’ve worked with so many parents who have been left in tears, not because their baby is hungry, but because they feel they’ve failed at something they were told is natural and automatic. The truth is, every feeding journey is personal, and there’s no one right way to nourish your baby. The Bottle Evolution - And What We’ve Forgotten In the wake of the “breast is best” movement, bottle designs changed dramatically. Companies rushed to create bottles and teats that claimed to mimic the breast in shape, feel, and function. And while the intention may have been supportive, the results haven’t always matched the needs of babies - or parents. What many forget is that for generations, babies were fed successfully using simple, narrow-neck bottles. There’s sound biological reasoning behind that. When a baby feeds from a bottle, there’s no hormonal letdown like in breastfeeding. Instead, babies rely on an instinctive sucking reflex, which is best activated through contact between the palate and tongue - something that’s naturally supported by a narrow-neck teat. Even today, most maternity hospitals use narrow-neck bottles for newborns. Not because they’re old-fashioned, but because they work, and they’ve always worked. Feeding Is About More Than Just Nutrition Feeding isn't just about getting milk into a baby’s tummy. It’s also about supporting development, particularly oral motor development. The way a baby sucks, swallows, and breathes during feeding can influence everything from chewing skills to future speech and language development. Unfortunately, not all bottle designs support these processes equally. In the effort to replicate breasts, some bottles have become bulky, hard to clean with PP funnels, or even disrupt the natural sucking rhythm babies rely on. Sometimes, simpler really is better. The truth is: a well-fed, loved baby is a thriving baby. And a confident, supported parent is far more important than how milk is delivered. We need to stop asking, “Are you breastfeeding?” and start asking, “How’s feeding going for you?”We need to stop equating formula with failure.We need to stop promoting one method over another as a moral high ground. Instead, we can acknowledge the nuances, the hard days, the wins, the bottle feeds at 2am, the pumping sessions between meetings, the tears, the triumphs—and most of all, the love that goes into every feed. What I Tell Every Parent I Work With You are not failing if breastfeeding didn’t work out.You are not failing if you choose to pump.You are not failing if you use formula from day one.You are not failing if you mix feed.You are not failing.You are parenting. And that’s the most important job in the world.