Montessori Baby Essentials
All the baby essentials, that often keep mothers overwhelmed, should not only be beautiful, but also have a meaningful purpose and a functional design. Maria Montessori’s idea is much older: to support children’s development from day one and to encourage their independence.
Photo by Klaudia Lipka
Topponcino gives the baby a sense of security by smelling like its mother (its closest person)
Topponcino was introduced by Maria Montessori and was already used by our great-grandmothers. It is a small soft type of mattress that helps newborns transition from the womb into the world. It is an ideal element to help the parents and the baby get used to each other.
It is important that the mother takes the topponcino with her to the bed already before giving the birth, so that it smells like her beforehand and she can start using it straight after the birth as a base for breastfeeding and for the baby’s activity.
At the same time, you should not forget that the Topponcino is not a night pillow or a blanket.
Photo by Klaudia Lipka
Topponcino is the first (after the mother) environment for the baby, on which it is always laid or carried. The familiar feeling then accompanies the baby even if the parents move the cushion somewhere else. Whether in its bed, pram, Moses basket, on the sofa with the parents or in mum’s arms, the Topponcino is with the baby all day long.
At the same time, we should also ensure that the baby can perceive its environment undisturbed at eye level. To achieve this, it is recommended to place the baby on the Topponcino in the Moses basket a little higher, so that it can experience the world without any obstacles (instead of just admiring the basket walls and the ceiling). The distant vision supports the eye development, which are still so imperfect in the first months of life.
In addition, Topponcino makes it easier to hold the tiny body in your arms, to pass it from arm to arm from parents to grandparents, siblings and other caregivers, as it balances the weight and keeps the baby’s head stable.
Photo by Klaudia Lipka
It also takes the stress away from the baby, as the infant is comfortably carried at a constant temperature and is not forced to constantly cope with a new strange environment (and new fragances!). The surface that the baby is in contact with does not change and therefore it gives them a certain security.
Topponcino plays an important role not only in Montessori education but also for those parents who practice Attachment Parenting.