Topponcino for Newborn Comfort and Security {Natural Baby Product Review}

My baby boy, Caleb, at 4 weeks old. Photo taken by Billy Economou of BE Studios.

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Topponcino

My mom, Deb Chitwoood of Living Montessori Now, introduced us to topponcinos, and we’re so glad she did! We have used a topponcino with Caleb since his birth.

Topponcino use began before Montessori education, but it’s widely recommended by Montessorians.

We first used Caleb’s topponcino when our family visited us in the hospital. It was great to have a secure way for everyone to hold him while Caleb was comfortable being passed around. Once we were home, my 4½-year-old niece, Zoey, was able to hold Caleb on a topponcino while I had a hand in front of the topponcino.

Most of the time, my husband and I haven’t used the topponcino to hold Caleb at home. We love holding him so much without it. But Tom and I have really loved using the topponcino around our house!

Favorite Ways to Use a Topponcino

Here are some of our favorite ways to use our topponcino!

• As a portable way to keep our baby right by us as we do work around the house.
• To have our baby near us while showering.
• To have our baby next to us while getting ready.
• To have our baby next to us while working at home.
• To have our baby next to us while working out.
• To have our baby next to us while doing laundry.
• To move our baby around and have him near us while doing chores such as vacuuming. It also works great to put him on his topponcino where we’ve just cleaned. That way we can clean everywhere, including his play mat.
• To keep our baby near us when he first goes to sleep for the night until we all go to our bedroom for the night and we put Caleb in his bassinet.
• As a portable place to play.
• As a portable place to take naps around the house.
• As a portable place to place him next to us outside (in the shade and outside of peak sun hours, of course). The photos above were taken outdoors when we did a professional photoshoot when Caleb was 1 month old. We brought the topponcino in case we wanted photos of Caleb on the ground. It worked great and was so useful.
• When he was first held as a young newborn by someone new. We used it a lot at the hospital with our visiting family.
• To have a young child hold our baby. Our 4½-year-old niece, Zoey, was able to hold Caleb this way.
• As a bed for hotel stays (when Caleb was younger).
• If we needed to put our baby to bed and we all still had to be out. We babysat our nieces the other evening, and we brought Caleb’s topponcino with us. We were able to do Caleb’s bedtime routine and put him to bed on his topponcino right by us even though we weren’t at our house.

What I Love About This Topponcino

In addition to what I wrote about as our favorite ways to use a topponcino (see above), here are some of the many things that I love about this topponcino. This is based on the topponcino we have but will likely be applicable to most topponcinos.

• It helps your baby feel secure.
• It helps your baby be comfortable. It is a soft fabric and has a nice padding while still being thin and firm.
• It’s nice for your baby to be on the comfortable temperature surface of a topponcino versus a cooler surface. The topponcino can be placed on a cooler firm surface such as the floor. Note: Use common sense and don’t place your baby on a topponcino on a raised surface.
• It’s natural. Our topponcino is organic, and there are organic cotton cover options.
• It’s light. This is nice for moving it around the house.
• It’s very portable. It is simple to move around the house with one hand, to store away, or to take in your suitcase for a hotel or overnight stay.
• It’s great for transitioning from holding your baby to placing him or her on the ground without it disturbing your baby.
• It’s safer than a blanket on the ground because a blanket could get pulled over your baby even when placed underneath.
• It goes great with Montessori if you’re following Montessori principles with your baby.
• It gives your baby a safe, secure place near you while you work at home, do chores, or anything you need to do.
• It can give you some time to do work or something you need to get done with your baby near you (while supervising your baby of course).
• You can take it anywhere – even outdoors and on a trip.
• Many babies like topponcinos. Our baby, Caleb, loves his topponcino. Our niece, Sophia, who is 3 months older than Caleb also loved using a topponcino.
• It’s doesn’t take up much space and is easy to store.
• Ours is a good-quality topponcino.
• Ours is machine washable, which makes sanitizing after a diaper blowout much easier.
• The covers are nice and soft. Plus, you can just wash the covers if the entire topponcino isn’t dirty.
• It’s attractive and looks classy even in main living spaces. We’ve enjoyed having it most of the time in our living room and the floor of our bedroom next to our bathroom for when we were getting ready.
• There are many cover options.

What I Don’t Love About This Topponcino

There isn’t much that I don’t love about this topponcino, but here are a few things. Again, this is based on the topponcino we have but may be applicable to other topponcinos.

• I wish this topponcino were longer and possibly wider. Caleb’s been in the 90th percentile, usually high 90th percentile, in height. So, he grew longer than the topponcino pretty quickly.
• Ideally, you need at least two. I wish we had more than two. Between washing them from a diaper blowout or spit up, two was barely enough to have one clean. A couple of times, both were in the wash if that happened really close together. It would have been ideal to have more for other places around the house as well as to use as clean backups.
• That it’s mostly meant for newborns. I wish it were made for newborns and older babies. Our topponcino has been so great for newborn and beyond.

THINGS TO BE AWARE OF

• As with any baby product, make sure to be with your baby and monitor your baby while he or she uses the topponcino.
• Leave plenty of extra space around the topponcino. You want the area to be safe around the topponcino. You don’t want to risk tripping near your baby.

The Topponcino We Have

These are what we have at home for Caleb and at my mom’s for when Caleb and I visit.

You only need these two items to have an incredible, portable play and nap place that can help you keep your baby near you, get more done, and much more:

Organic Cotton Topponcino

Organic Cotton Topponcino Covers, Eyelet Cotton Topponcino Covers, or More Topponcino Covers

More Topponcino Options

Here are more topponcinos to choose from!

If you’re wanting a longer topponcino or a wool-filled topponcino, this is a good option.

Topponcinos on Etsy

Topponcino Covers on Etsy

Topponcinos on Amazon

Another Way to Use a Topponcino

Another great way to use the topponcino is to have your baby nap or play on his or her back on a topponcino while you work out in the same room!

Fitting in Workouts with a Baby – Using a Topponcino

FAVORITE BABY ITEMS

See all my baby product reviews and posts with baby products by visiting my baby products category! Also, check out all my natural baby product reviews at my natural baby products category.

Do you have a topponcino or do you plan on getting one? What kind of baby products or topics would you like me to do a post on?

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