A guide to pregnancy, breastfeeding, babywearing and life with a baby, for English-speaking parents in Slovakia.https://karkulka.sk/en/en-gbhttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/complete-guide/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/complete-guide/You wear maternity clothes for a few months, but every day. You don’t need many; you need to choose them well. This guide takes you through what is worth having, when to buy it, and how to spot the pieces that will still work after the birth, for breastfeeding. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/baby-essentials/complete-list/https://karkulka.sk/en/baby-essentials/complete-list/The baby kit is not a competition to see who has the fullest nursery. A newborn needs a safe place to sleep, a few clothes, nappies, food and you. Everything else is comfort you can buy later, once you find out what you actually use. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 5.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBaby essentialshttps://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/early-signs-of-pregnancy/https://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/early-signs-of-pregnancy/At the start you may feel nothing at all. Or everything at once. Early signs of pregnancy vary, and on their own they do not confirm a pregnancy. A test and a doctor do that. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 2.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPregnancyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/first-weeks/https://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/first-weeks/The first weeks of breastfeeding are a learning curve for two. Your baby wants to feed often, your breasts are changing and a lot is new. This guide sums up what is normal, how to tell breastfeeding is working, and when there is no shame in calling for help. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 8.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBreastfeedinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/birth/hospital-bag/https://karkulka.sk/en/birth/hospital-bag/Your hospital bag need not be big, but it should be packed in good time, with the documents on top. We put the list below together from the lists of Slovak maternity hospitals (pôrodnice) and the recommendations of the UK’s NHS. Tick off what you have and send the link to your partner. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 5.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBirthhttps://karkulka.sk/en/baby/newborn-clothes/https://karkulka.sk/en/baby/newborn-clothes/First clothes are the part of the baby kit that people most often buy too much of, and in the wrong sizes. Yet size is not about age but about body length, and your baby will grow out of it faster than you expect. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 5.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/wrap-or-carrier/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/wrap-or-carrier/There is no single best sling or carrier. There is the one that suits your baby, your body and your days. We compare the types by what really matters, and offer a helper that narrows the choice to two or three options. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 6.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-positions/https://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-positions/There is no single right position. There is the one in which you are relaxed and your baby can latch on well. It is worth knowing at least three, so you can switch as the situation demands. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBreastfeedinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/ergonomic-carrier/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/ergonomic-carrier/You will learn a buckle carrier faster than a wrap. But “ergonomic” is not a quality mark; it is a set of features you can check for yourself. Here is what they are, and how to adjust the carrier. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 5.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/first-trimester/https://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/first-trimester/The first trimester is often the most tiring, even though nothing shows on the outside. Your body is working flat out. Here is what really helps in these weeks, and what can wait. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPregnancyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/maternity-leggings/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/maternity-leggings/For many pregnant women, leggings are the first and most-worn maternity item. The difference between comfortable and irritating lies in the waistband, the fabric, and whether they are opaque enough and warm enough for the time of year. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 1.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/baby/safe-sleep/https://karkulka.sk/en/baby/safe-sleep/Safe sleep rests on a few simple rules that any household can follow. We have summarised them from the 2022 recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the UK charity The Lullaby Trust. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 5.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/baby-essentials/what-not-to-buy/https://karkulka.sk/en/baby-essentials/what-not-to-buy/Baby kit lists are often longer than they need to be. Some items are simply unnecessary; others are explicitly not recommended by safe sleep experts. Here are both. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 3.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBaby essentialshttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/breastfeeding-clothes/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/breastfeeding-clothes/Nursing clothes are not essential. You can breastfeed in an ordinary top. But a well-chosen piece saves a lot of hitching up, a cold tummy, and unfastening with one hand while a crying baby is in the other. Here is what is worth it and what isn’t. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/carrying-a-newborn/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/carrying-a-newborn/Carrying a newborn is lovely, and it also calls for the most attention. In the first months a baby cannot hold up their head and cannot change position by themselves if they are struggling to breathe. That is why a few simple checks come before everything else. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 8.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/baby/dressing-for-the-temperature/https://karkulka.sk/en/baby/dressing-for-the-temperature/The most common question of the first weeks is “Isn’t she cold?”. Yet the opposite problem is more common. Here is a simple way to check that your baby is neither too warm nor too cold. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 3.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/expressing-and-storing-milk/https://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/expressing-and-storing-milk/Expressed milk gives you freedom: someone else can do a feed, you can go back to work or just go out for a few hours. To keep it safe, you need to know a few simple rules about cleanliness and timings. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBreastfeedinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/trimesters/https://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/trimesters/Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters. Each has its typical changes, and each calls for slightly different clothes, a different rhythm to the day and different preparations. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPregnancyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/back-to-work/https://karkulka.sk/en/breastfeeding/back-to-work/Going back to work need not mean the end of breastfeeding. The Slovak Labour Code (Zákonník práce) gives breastfeeding employees paid breastfeeding breaks. Here is how many there are, how to claim them and how to manage expressing at work. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBreastfeedinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/carrying-safely/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/carrying-safely/Babywearing is safe when your child is positioned correctly and you can see them. This page sums up the principles that apply to wraps, ring slings and carriers alike, and links to the sources they are based on. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 8.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/third-trimester/https://karkulka.sk/en/pregnancy/third-trimester/The final weeks pull two ways: you want everything ready, and at the same time you have less and less energy. So it helps to split the preparations into a few steps and to start in good time. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 6.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPregnancyhttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/when-to-start-wearing-maternity-clothes/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/when-to-start-wearing-maternity-clothes/Some women reach for maternity trousers at 10 weeks, others wear their own jeans until almost 30. Both are fine. Comfort decides, not the number of the week. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 2.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/winter-maternity-clothes/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/winter-maternity-clothes/Winter in the third trimester brings one extra question: how to do your coat up over the bump. The answer need not be a new coat. Often an insert, good layers and warm leggings are enough. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 0.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/baby-wrap/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/baby-wrap/A wrap is a length of fabric that only becomes a carrier once it is on you. That is why, more than with anything else, it matters how it is tied. Here are the differences between the types, the principles that apply to every carry, and the checks to make every time. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 7.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/ring-sling/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/ring-sling/A ring sling is a piece of woven fabric with two rings. You put it on over one shoulder and tighten it through the rings. It is quick and packs small, but for long walks a wrap or carrier will serve you better. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/ergonomic-carrying/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/ergonomic-carrying/In babywearing there is a lot of talk about the “froggy” position and “healthy hips”. Here is what the International Hip Dysplasia Institute actually says about it, what is established and what is exaggerated. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 6.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/babywearing-in-winter/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/babywearing-in-winter/In winter your baby in the carrier keeps you warm, and you keep them warm. The usual mistake is to dress them as if for the pram and then cover them up as well. Here is how to layer, what to cover, and what never to. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/babywearing-in-summer/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/babywearing-in-summer/In summer, two bodies snuggled together turn into a small oven. You can still carry in the heat, just for shorter spells, in the shade and with frequent checks. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 3.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/babywearing-clothes/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/babywearing-clothes/Babywearing clothes have an extension at the front (or back) for your baby in the wrap or carrier, and an opening for their head. So one coat keeps you both warm. Many models also work during pregnancy as a coat over the bump. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 2.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/front-hip-and-back-carries/https://karkulka.sk/en/babywearing/front-hip-and-back-carries/As your child grows, the way you most like to carry them changes too. Every position has its place. Which one to use when is decided by your child’s age, the sling or carrier and its instructions. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBabywearinghttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nursing-tops/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nursing-tops/Nursing tops and vests are the most-worn pieces of the whole breastfeeding period. It is worth choosing them so they can be worn in pregnancy too, and so they survive dozens of washes. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 2.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nursing-hoodies/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nursing-hoodies/A hoodie is the warm layer you wear at home, on walks and at night when breastfeeding. A good nursing hoodie opens without your having to take off the whole top layer and get cold. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 0.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nightdresses-and-pyjamas/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nightdresses-and-pyjamas/In the maternity hospital you will spend most of your time in a nightdress. The midwives examine you in it, you breastfeed in it, go to the shower and change your pads. So it is worth choosing one for practicality, not just looks. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 4.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nursing-bras/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/nursing-bras/Your breasts change in the first trimester and again when your milk comes in after the birth. So a nursing bra shouldn’t be tight or “exact to the millimetre”. It should support, and not dig in. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 6.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clotheshttps://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/maternity-dresses-trousers-and-tops/https://karkulka.sk/en/maternity-clothes/maternity-dresses-trousers-and-tops/Leggings won’t do for everything. For work, for visits or in summer you also need trousers, dresses and tops. Here is what to look out for. Updated 13 October 2026; sources cited: 0.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaternity and nursing clothes