Pregnancy
How your body changes during pregnancy
An overview of the three trimesters of pregnancy, week by week. What usually changes in your body, what to do about it in practice, and what it means for clothes and comfort.
2 min read
Karkulka from pregnancy to your first adventures together
Practical information on pregnancy, breastfeeding, babywearing, baby essentials and life with a baby, written for English-speaking parents living in Slovakia. Calmly written, with a date and sources on every article.
The path, one step at a time
Five stops from the first weeks of pregnancy to your baby’s first year. At each one you will find the two guides that matter most.
- Early weeks to week 40
Pregnancy
What changes, what to wear and what to get ready.
- The final weeks
Birth
A bag packed in good time and documents to hand.
- From the first hour
Breastfeeding
Getting started, positions, expressing and going back to work.
- When you feel ready
Babywearing
Wrap or carrier, safely and ergonomically.
- The first year
Baby
Sleep, dressing and sizes.
Pregnancy
The trimesters, early signs and getting ready for the final weeks. Health questions always belong with your doctor; we offer a checked foundation. The whole section
Pregnancy
What you need in the first trimester
The first trimester in practice. Folic acid and vitamin D, tiredness and nausea, your first visits to the gynaecologist, clothes, and what not to buy yet.
2 min read
Pregnancy
Getting ready for the third trimester
A practical plan for the third trimester. The hospital bag, documents and acknowledging paternity, the car seat, baby kit, a sling or carrier, nursing clothes, and what to watch for with your baby’s movements.
3 min read
Breastfeeding
The first weeks, attachment and clothes that open with one hand. Following WHO and NHS recommendations. The whole section
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding – a guide to the first weeks
The first feed, how often to breastfeed a newborn, signs of a good latch, how many wet nappies to expect, when your milk comes in and when to get help. Based on the WHO and the NHS.
In-depth guide 5 min read
Clothes
Clothes for breastfeeding – what is really worth it
How nursing tops, hoodies, dresses and nightdresses work, which designs open with one hand, which fabrics to choose and how many items are enough.
In-depth guide 4 min read
Breastfeeding
Expressing and storing breast milk
How to express milk by hand and with a pump, hygiene, how long milk keeps at room temperature, in the fridge and in the freezer, thawing and warming. Based on the CDC and the NHS.
3 min read
Babywearing
The heart of Karkulka. Wraps, carriers and ring slings, the T.I.C.K.S. rule and the M position, carrying in winter and clothes for two. The whole section
Babywearing
Wrap or carrier – which is better?
Wraps, ring slings, ergonomic and hybrid carriers compared by your child’s age and weight, ergonomics, learning curve and safety. With a quick helper.
In-depth guide 4 min read
Babywearing
How to choose an ergonomic carrier
What to look for in an ergonomic carrier. Panel width and height, a knee-to-knee seat, carriers from birth, the EN 13209-2 standard, facing out, and adjusting it correctly.
In-depth guide 4 min read
Babywearing
Carrying a newborn – a safe start
When to start carrying a newborn, which position is safest, how to check the airway, what to consider with premature babies, and how to avoid overheating.
In-depth guide 4 min read
Babywearing
Baby wraps
Stretchy or woven wrap, how to choose one and what to watch for when tying. The T.I.C.K.S. rule, the M position and carrying a newborn, with sources.
7 min read
Clothes for pregnancy and breastfeeding
What to buy, when and in what size. And which pieces last from pregnancy through breastfeeding to babywearing. The whole section
Clothes
Maternity clothes – the complete guide
What to buy, when and in what size. A wardrobe for three trimesters, fabrics, cuts that last beyond the birth, and things that aren’t worth it.
In-depth guide 6 min read
Clothes
How to choose maternity leggings
Over-bump panel or under-bump waistband? How to choose the size, fabric and thickness, what makes good winter maternity leggings, and how long you will wear them.
In-depth guide 4 min read
Clothes
Winter maternity clothes
How to dress for winter in pregnancy. A maternity coat or an insert for your own coat, lined leggings, layers, and what you will still use when carrying your baby.
2 min read
Clothes
Nursing tops and vests
Short sleeves, long sleeves, a vest under a hoodie or a shirt for work. How to choose a nursing top that opens with one hand and stands up to frequent washing.
2 min read
For the baby
Baby essentials without the extras, clothing sizes and safe sleep. Baby essentials · Baby
Essentials
The complete baby kit
A practical newborn kit list, sorted into what you need before the birth, what is useful and what can wait. Sleep, clothes, changing, feeding, travel and babywearing.
In-depth guide 4 min read
Baby
Newborn clothes – sizes and quantities
How baby clothing sizes work (50, 56, 62…), how many items to buy, and which fabrics and cuts work well. With a size finder based on length or the WHO growth standards.
In-depth guide 3 min read
Essentials
What not to buy
Baby kit items that are often bought for nothing, and products that professional bodies do not recommend, such as cot bumpers, nests and inclined sleep products.
2 min read
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In-depth guides
The ten most important articles, worth coming back to. We do not measure readership; this is the editors’ choice.
- Maternity clothes – the complete guideWhat to buy, when and in what size. A wardrobe for three trimesters, fabrics, cuts that last beyond the birth, and things that aren’t worth it.
- The complete baby kitA practical newborn kit list, sorted into what you need before the birth, what is useful and what can wait. Sleep, clothes, changing, feeding, travel and babywearing.
- Breastfeeding – a guide to the first weeksThe first feed, how often to breastfeed a newborn, signs of a good latch, how many wet nappies to expect, when your milk comes in and when to get help. Based on the WHO and the NHS.
- What to pack for the maternity hospitalA complete list of what to take to the maternity hospital, based on Slovak maternity hospitals and the NHS. Documents, things for the birth, for you afterwards, for the baby and for the journey home. With an interactive tick-off list.
- Newborn clothes – sizes and quantitiesHow baby clothing sizes work (50, 56, 62…), how many items to buy, and which fabrics and cuts work well. With a size finder based on length or the WHO growth standards.
- Wrap or carrier – which is better?Wraps, ring slings, ergonomic and hybrid carriers compared by your child’s age and weight, ergonomics, learning curve and safety. With a quick helper.
- How to choose an ergonomic carrierWhat to look for in an ergonomic carrier. Panel width and height, a knee-to-knee seat, carriers from birth, the EN 13209-2 standard, facing out, and adjusting it correctly.
- How to choose maternity leggingsOver-bump panel or under-bump waistband? How to choose the size, fabric and thickness, what makes good winter maternity leggings, and how long you will wear them.
- Clothes for breastfeeding – what is really worth itHow nursing tops, hoodies, dresses and nightdresses work, which designs open with one hand, which fabrics to choose and how many items are enough.
- Carrying a newborn – a safe startWhen to start carrying a newborn, which position is safest, how to check the airway, what to consider with premature babies, and how to avoid overheating.
Recently updated
Karkulka is new; on every article we show when we last went through it. RSS
Pregnancy
Early signs of pregnancy
A missed period, tender breasts, nausea, tiredness and other early signs of pregnancy according to the NHS. What to do first, and when to see a doctor.
2 min read
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding positions
Four tried-and-tested breastfeeding positions according to the NHS and Ireland’s HSE, who each one suits (including after a caesarean) and what to check in each.
2 min read
Pregnancy
What you need in the first trimester
The first trimester in practice. Folic acid and vitamin D, tiredness and nausea, your first visits to the gynaecologist, clothes, and what not to buy yet.
2 min read
Baby
Safe sleep for your baby
On the back for every sleep, a firm flat surface without pillows or covers, sleeping in the parents’ room on their own surface, a room at 16–20 °C. Based on the AAP 2022 and The Lullaby Trust.
2 min read
Essentials
What not to buy
Baby kit items that are often bought for nothing, and products that professional bodies do not recommend, such as cot bumpers, nests and inclined sleep products.
2 min read
Baby
Dressing your baby for the temperature
How to dress your baby at home, outdoors and for sleep. Checking temperature on the chest and back of the neck, layers instead of thick items, a hat outdoors but not indoors, and the sun under 6 months.
2 min read