Yummy mummy natural toiletries now available in Spain from indybel.com

We are delighted and excited to announce that we are now stockists for Boo Boo, the very latest luxiourous skin care range to come from the UK. Boo Boo products are specially designed for baby's delicate skin and pregnant mums to be or new mummy's with all their needs taken into consideration ....

This is what Boo Boo say about their range ...

At Boo Boo we're passionate about what goes into our products. By taking the finest quality, natural ingredients we create skincare that treats, nurtures and makes even the most delicate skins feel extra special.

All our goodies are made in the UK and are free from parabens, sulphates, TEA petrochemicals, synthetic colours and DEA. We never test on animals. All our bottles are recyclable and we try and keep packaging to a minimum.

Indybel now stock a wide range of Boo Boo products for mum and baby including Miracle Oil, Magic Balm, Bottom Butter and Top to Toe wash .... We also stock the gorgeous Mummy and Me pampering kit which is a lovely gift for new mums to share and bond with their little one .... to see the full range of Boo Boo products in Spain visit http://www.indybel.com/

Indybel Distribution

Indybel are delighted to announce that we are now distributors for baby products in Spain.

www.indybel.com distribute innovative and high quality British and International pregnancy and baby products in Spain. If we are passionate about a product then we know your customers will be too!

Traders / Retailers

We now have a select number of products that are avaliable to buy wholesale from Indybel to sell in Spain. ( please note, some products may only be avaliable to particular regions ) To obtain a list of wholesale prices ( all prices listed on the trade area in the site are RRP ) and terms and conditions please contact info@indybel.com

Manufacturers

Do you have a British or International pregnancy or baby product that you would like to see distributed in Spain? We are always looking for exciting new products to introduce to Spain. To find out more about working with Indybel in Spain please contact info@indybel.com

For more information and to see products currently avaliable for distribution visit our trade area

Advertise Your Business with Indybel!!!

We now have the opportunity to offer businesses banners on our main site http://www.indybel.com/

If you are looking to attract families and parents in Spain then our VERY COMPETITIVE RATES could be just the thing for you!

Why advertise with us!

http://www.indybel.com/ is a website dedicated to pregnancy and baby in Spain. Our site is bilingual meaning we are highly accessible to both Spanish and English parents and parents to be throughout Spain, the Islands and Europe. Our statistics show that we have many customers from The States, Asia and Scandanavia as well.
We sell innovative and organic products for pregnancy and baby in Spain. By keeping up to date with new innovations in baby products and writing about these on our site and blog ( http://indybelpregnancyandbabyinspain.blogspot.com/ ) as well as our consistent SEO work and relationships with relevant businesses we consistently maintain a high profile on google and the other search engines.
We attend baby shows and relevant events throughout Europe, selling products and distributing marketing material to bring new customers to the site. We are currently recruiting agents throughout Spain to distribute marketing materials for us in different areas. This means we constantly have a presence at local groups and events such as mother and baby groups and children’s play centres.

Who visits our site?

· Pregnant women in Spain, the UK and Europe ( we have a customer base in Greece and Italy ) Women trying to concieve in Spain.

· Mums and Dads in Spain, the UK and Europe

· Grandparents and families

· Customers from all over the world looking to send gifts to celebrate a pregnancy or birth in Spain

· Those interested in the topics of pregnancy and baby in Spain and those seeking information on giving birth in Spain and having a baby in Spain / pregnancy and baby professionals such as midwives and those who work in the industry.

· Our visitor and customer base is 75% female

We launched our site in August 2008. Since that time our site statistics show an average of 2,578 product hits per month. These are statistics for actual hits on a product’s in-depth information rather than just browsers to the site. This works out at an average of 92 in depth product hits per day. In other words 92 hits from serious customers and those interested in pregnancy and baby in Spain. This figures are not counting those just browsing or looking for information on pregnancy and baby in Spain.

Banners

Advertising with Indybel is a great opportunity to reach a dedicated audience of parents and parents to be in Spain and Europe.

All banners are situated on the left hand side of the site at the top of the page scrolling downwards and can be seen prominently as soon as someone enters the site.

All banners appear on all the main product and information pages of the site and
on both the English and Spanish sides of the site.

Banners can be either jpg, gif or png format. We can accept varied dimensions.
If you don’t have a banner and would like us to arrange for you banner to be made please contact us for a quote.

Prices

We offer banners at very competitive prices!

1 month – 34.99€ + iva
3 months – 104.95€+ iva and ONE MONTH FREE

All advertisers also receive a free write up and post in our blog. Please supply information for this ( approx 300 – 500 words )

If you are looking to reach parents and families in Spain or pregnant women or those thinking of starting a family then this is the site for you!

To book a banner or for more information please contact
info@indybel.com or call 625 377 095

Christmas Sales at Indybel ....

Christmas has come early to Indybel and Spain !!

To celebrate we've started our sales early ... check out the sales section to snap up these incredible bargains!!

* All Beaming Baby Toiletries NOW 3€ ( from 6.99€ )

* Gorgeous Organic snuggly blankets for winter reduced from 46€ to JUST 30€

* The very clever Hipseat is now JUST 39€ instead of 56€ ..... WOW!!!!!!

* All Bio D washing products - 50% OFF

* Pregnancy lounge pants, perfect for relaxing - NOW only 10€

PLUS LOTS LOTS MORE!!!

Second IVF attempt at Clinica Fertia ....

Well, I haven't written lots about my second ivf attempt as in many ways it was similar to my first!

This time round the clinic ( Clinica Fertia in Fuengirola ) made some changes to try to ensure I got as many eggs as possible which they felt would increase our chances of having some better quality embyro's ... so they

* Scanned me every month to find the best baseline month with the most follies
* Increased my medication ( upped the puregon dose and started menopour from day 1 )

I stimmed for a day or two longer than last time and funnily enough found the injections much harder this time, maybe it was doing more a day! EC went really well, from my 14 follies, 10 eggs were collected and I went home with mild ohss which was quite painful but no pain no gain!! Two days later I had a 2 day transfer. For me this was the most terrifying part. Last time at ET we were told the quality of our embryo's were very poor and very fragmented. We had been warned that if the same thing happened it would be best to start genetic testing or look into other options. However wonderfully and amazingly we had 4 perfect top grade lovely embryo's! The dr said it was like looking at the embyro's of two different women! 2 embryo's were put back and 2 frozen ... I can't tell you what a difference it made to our positivity knowing we had produced such wonderful embryo's after last time. First time round I left the clinic after ET in tears, this time I left on cloud nine knowing we had the best chance we could have ...

And so began the 2ww ... as usual week one was fine ( the ohss was painful and I did look 6 months pregnant ) but by week 2 I was becoming a wreck! On my first cycle I started spotting at 10dpt so getting past that was my milestone. 10 days came and went and no spotting, I did have cramping and other pre menstral signs but I also felt different to my last cycle and def more hopeful.

On official test day I had to go to get a blood test. I was so nervous and went shopping afterwards. The clinic rang a few hours later .... BFP!!! Big Fat Positive! Hurrah I'm pregnant!

Obviously with my history of miscarriage nothing is certain yet. I have my first scan at 6 weeks at the end of this week and I am petrified of seeing no heartbeat for a second time. But on the plus side I know we made great embyro's this time, I know I can still get pregnant and we have frosties in the freezer which would make a third attempt much easier. But for now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my wonderful clever embyro makes it this time .... !

The moral of my story is that you can have a disasterous first cycle and a very good second cycle, so don't give up if it didn't go to plan first time. I might not stay pregnant but it was a very different story for this cycle and a very different cycle from day 1 ...

So what did I do differently?

This is what everyone wants to know ... well this is what I changed 2nd cycle ....

* I started having acupuncture from about 3 months before EC. I found a wonderful acupuncturist who specialised in fertility and she worked very hard to stimulate more follies, increase the quality of my eggs and improve on my general wellbeing. I believe 100% that the acupuncture worked for me. I had one session per week and two on the day of ET as well as two in the 2ww. I am still having them now!

* I took Royal Jelly and Omega 3 as well as Pregnacare Conception which I took in my first cycle. Royal Jelly is supposed to improve egg quality and fertility and Omega 3 is an anti oxident and embyro's like a nice anti oxident environment apparently! I stopped the Royal Jelly after EC

* As before I drank tons of water and ate tons of protein once I started stimms

* I chilled out!! We moved house 2 days before I started injecting and I firmly believe that having to deal with movers and packing mean't I had no time to think about ivf and was much more chilled. During stimms I was busy unpacking and therefore not stressing. I also carried on as normal with my daughter, taking her to school etc ... last time family took over, this time we managed by ourselves and I think without the fussing ( well meaning I know ) I just got on with stuff more easily

* I didn't rest up after ET! My clinic recommend 2-3 days sofa rest and no movement and then taking it easy. It didn't work for me last time and I didn't feel good staying on the sofa. Family practically strapped me down on in and I just felt like an invalid and frustrated. This time I rested the afternoon of ET but still padded around the house making dinner, putting my daughter to bed etc. The next day we stayed at home in the morning but then I took my daughter to the park to meet her friends and although I sat in the cafe it was nice to be out and about. We nipped to shops after before going home to relax. The next day we went on a family day out and had a real laugh. We had a little work and lunch out ... For me, all that was so so much better than sitting at home obsessing ...

I am very happy with the treatment I got at Clinica Fertia this time round. I felt they were positive but honest with me and wanted to do the best for us. They seemed more friendly this time round, I think they knew me better and maybe I was more relaxed with them too ... it was a more informal cycle which was nice.

CLICK HERE TO MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN

The Babybjorn Stylish Dad Competition!!

The superstylish Babybjorn carries are not just a hit with mums but with dads too! These days you see just as many men walking around sporting babies in carriers as you do mums which is why Babybjorn have decided to launch their Stylish Dad Photo Contest 2011!

The competition which has already been a huge success in Scandanavia, Australia and Japan has now hit Spain with a bang! If you are a stylish dad or your partner is a stylish dad and you'd like to enter him then all you have to do is take a picture of Stylish dad carrying his tot in a Babybjorn carrier and follow the instructions as to how to send you photo on www.babybjorn.es/concursofotos

There's plenty of time as the competition opened on Nov 1st and continues until Feb 28th 2011! The winners will be chosen by March 2011.

As for the fab prizes, well ...

First prize is 600€ worth of Babybjorn products
Second prize is 300€ worth of Babybjorn products
Third prize is 200€ worth of Babybjorn products ...
3 fantastic prizes!

So .... if you are a babybjorn owner get snapping now and if not you can buy a selection of gorgeous babybjorn carriers at http://www.indybel.com/ in Spain and you might just end up winning one of those fantastic prizes too!

Good Luck!!

Holo - a hole lot of fun during pregnancy!

One of my pregnant friends has always slept on her tummy ... since finding out she was pregnant she has continued to sleep on her tummy but now that she is getting a bit bigger she's beginning to find it a bit uncomfortable. So she was delighted when I told her about indybel latest product ... the holo!




The holo is basically ... a lilo with a hole! The brainchild of a pregnant mum to be who found a holiday to Spain uncomfortable with her bump, the holo is now taking the world by storm! So okay obviously it's a summer product and a holiday product first and foremost but the holo is not just for relaxing in the pool while pregnant .... oh no, you can also use it to sunbathe on your back, meaning baby is away from the evil sun's glare ... and you can use it lie by the pool and read a book on your front ... a pleasure many have to forgo during pregnancy.
The holo is very compact, it can be easily inflated and deflated which means taking it to the beach daily is no problem and it fits perfectly in the suitcase too ....

Okay so that's holiday's covered, but what about the rest of the year? This to us is where the true beauty of the holo shines through .... it's a fantastic product for resting in your home ... if you are one of the many ladies who prefer to life on your front and watch TV or read a book or even take a nap then the holo is just as useful in your front room as on the beach ....

And that's not all .... it can be taken to massage session or used for physio or osteopathy, meaning that finally pregnant women and their bumps can lie comfortably during treatments. It's already being used by experts in these fields to treat pregnant women with great results ... so good news all round really ....

So that's the holo .... let's see now ..... perfect for the pool, the beach, the garden, the lounge, the bedroom, the spa! What else could you want!

The holo is avaliable in Spain from http://www.indybel.com/ for retail in our store and also for wholesale so if you happen to be a Spanish retailer and are looking for the next must have pregnancy product, get in touch!!

Genius Genii

It's hard work getting a good night's sleep during pregnancy ... which is why a product like the dreamgenii pregnancy support pillow really can make all the difference to your and your baby's wellbeing during pregnancy.

We've been selling the dreamgenii pillow here in Spain for nearly two years now and are delighted to report that customers seem to love it and really do find it helps them to find a comfortable sleep position and soothe aching limbs. At the recent Salon Bebe show in Torremolinos the pillows were flying off the shelves!

But it seems we are not the only ones to be impressed. The Dreamgenii® Pregnancy Pillow has now been certified by the European Medical Devices Directorate as a Class 1 Medical Device. It is used by thousands of women during pregnancy, as well as by UK National Health Service Midwives, Breastfeeding Coordinators and in NHS delivery suites to provide comfort and support to pregnant women and new mothers.

This important achievement of this Pan European Standard further underlines both the unique nature and effectiveness of the product, and demonstrates that it not just provides a source of comfort for pregnant women but is a genuine piece of medical ‘kit’ which can deliver significant benefits as well.

In fact it is the only pregnancy pillow in the world that can deliver these benefits.

Finally a big congratulations to dreamgenii who have recently scooped up a selection of International awards .... seems this pillow really is magic!

You can buy dreamgenii in Spain at http://www.indybel.com/ - check out the pregnancy store for more info!

Fisher Price Recall Toys Worldwide

I just heard on the radio that toy giant Fisher Price have issued a worldwide recall for more than 10 million of their products due to manufacturing flaws which have resulted to injury in at least 7 children.

This is very scary. As parents we spend most of our time 'keeping an eye' on our children whilst they are playing. Playtime should be fun but quite frankly it's anything but fun for anyone other than the child.

If your child is playing outside possible hazards range from falling, tripping, banging heads, being knocked over, being sunburnt, catching cold, being bitten by an insect ... and so on. I used to work in TV where we were never allowed to do anything without a risk assessment. If as parents we had to do a risk assessment for our local parks or even going to the supermarket we would never allow our children to leave the house.
Inside play is not much safer. Inside hazards include falling over, falling down stairs, falling up stairs, falling into stairs, kitchen hazards ( too many to list! ) table corners, doors and windows, slippery floors and finally toys.

Now toys should be safe. We spend a lot of money on toys and as part of the deal we expect that our toys have undergone the safety standards expected. We also expect that the age specified on the box is correct. Sadly this is not the case. Whilst most toy manufacturers do a great job in insuring their toys are as safe as can be, they ( and we ) cannot discount the genius of children and their desire to explore. And so toys go in mouths, in ears and in eyes. They are pulled apart, dissected and tasted. As a parent you have to keep a constant eye on your child when they are playing with their toys and you have to accept that however safe a toy may appear, in your childs hands you just cannot take any chances. We do however have to put a level of trust in the manufactures that assumes that basic accidents should not happen.

According to recent news articles, the Fisher Price products recalled 'span furniture to infant and children’s toys and hazards include choking and scarily, “genital bleeding.” A list of recalled items includes:
About 7 million Fisher Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles
About 950,000 Healthy Care, Easy Clean and Close to Me High Chairs
About 100,000 Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand ‘n Play Rampway
About 2.8 million Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise Playground, Baby Playzone Crawl & Slide Arcade, Baby Gymnastics Play Wall, Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium (C3068 and H8094), 1-2-3 Tetherball, Bat & Score Goal.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission was aware of 46 incidents where pieces of some of the recalled toys came loose, and in three of those incidents, a child had started to choke on the toy’s parts.'

The recall began earlier this week in the US and Canada, but according to the radio report today has now spread to Europe and Spain.

Malaga's Children's Hosptial improve facilities and care for mums and newborns!

At indybel we have long been champions of newer birthing methods and support these by selling birthing balls and slings etc .... Last year the Costa del Sol hospital became highly acclaimed in the area for their new birthing policies which included allowing mums to move around and choose their own birthing position and the insertion of a birthing pool at the hospital. It can only be a good thing therefore that other hospitals in the area are following their example. It was great to read the following article in the Euro Weekly News ( http://www.euroweeklynews.com/) this week which shows that things really are improving for mums to be in Spain .....

MALAGA Children’s Hospital aims to increase the bond between newborn babies and their parents by allowing access to the neonatal area at the time which best suits them.
This way, parents can take part in the care of their newborns which reduces stress. They will be provided with identification cards, which if they wish, they can give to other relatives at the weekend. It is believed that this increased contact will help development and increase confidence in the babies, while parents learn more about health, feeding, hygiene and safety, so they can continue to care for them once they take them home.
All parents and relatives will be supervised by medical personnel, who can ask them to leave if they consider it necessary.

The Children’s Hospital intends to improve other aspects of perinatal care, such as allowing women to give birth in a sitting position thanks to special chairs. They also plan to use massage balls and electric stimulators to alleviate back pains, as well as devices to make sure that the environment is as quiet as possible, covers for incubators, special sashes so mothers can keep their babies close to their chests, and other novelties.
The Junta de Andalucia Health Service also provides documents in which women can express how they wish to be attended during the birth of their babies, and if they have any special wishes or needs.
Some 6,638 children were born at Malaga Children’s Hospital last year, 8.7 per cent less than last year.

Many mums-to-be in Spain still not aware of the risks of drinking during pregnancy ....

I was quite surprised to read the following report in the Euro Weekly News ( http://www.euroweeklynews.com/ ) last week ....

Betweeen 25 and 45 per cent of pregnant women in Spain consume alcohol during pregnancy, according to a report by the National Association of Health Informers.
Despite the risk of the baby suffering malformations, mental and behavioural disorders, known as Alcoholic Foetal Syndrome, one in five women admit to drinking up to five alcohol drinks in one sitting.
Excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause developmental problems and damage the heart, kidneys, liver, bones and brain of the unborn child, as well as leading to an underdeveloped head, a lower bridge of the nose, a thin upper lip or small eyes.
Other possible problems include neuropsychological, memory and learning problems, hyperactivity and poor results at school, as well as alcoholism.



I have to say that I find it incredible that in this day and age when we can't fail to be aware of the risks that women can continue to put their unborn babies at risk like this. I'm not being a killjoy, I enjoyed a few drinks myself when pregnant but just one here and there when out for dinner or at a family celebration. The rest of the time I didn't need it, didn't fancy it and didn't want to unnecessarily harm my baby.

I can only assume that unfortunately these mums to be are very young or very under educated. Maybe dr and midwife surgeries in Spain need more information about the drinking recommendations for pregnancy so that everyone is able to be aware of the dangers ......

Looking for The Perfect Baby or Christening Gift in Spain?

Recently I went to a Christening and was desperately trying to find a really special and unique gift. The photo albums, silver frames, spoons and memorablilia in the shops are lovely but I was looking for something more personal and a little bit different for my friend's baby.

In the end someone mentioned a baby momento plate to me. Personalised birth momento plates are basically hand painted plates with a picture or character and the baby's name, date of birth and birth details such as weight, time of birth, length etc ... I loved this idea and commissioned a special plate for my friend's little girl featuring Tinkerbell and the baby's details. Our Christening gift was an instant hit! Everyone loved the plate which looked amazing ... really cool design and lovely glittery paints ... and featured all the baby's details which will now never be forgotten. My friend is going to mount the plate on her daughter's bedroom wall.

What was really great about this gift was that firstly it was so personal, a real baby keepsake, and secondly I was surprised by how quickly the plate was made. After I had specified the details we received a call 4 days later to say the plate was ready. Price wasn't an issue but at 39.99 euros I thought it was very reasonable considering the amount of work in the peice. A few weeks later another friend was looking for a present for a couple who had just had a little boy and I instantly thought of the plates. She loved the idea too and ordered one straight away ...

Ever the businesswoman I began to think that other customers in Spain might like these plates, either as a lovely gift to celebrate a new born, a christening or baptism gift in Spain or even a lovely present for a child's first, second or third birthday ... using of course their favourite character on the plate!

So .... we are now delighted to offer Personalised Baby Birth Plates for sale at http://www.indybel.com/ in Spain .... Customers can choose their own charater and text and our artist will do the rest ....
I can personally promise that you will be delighted with the result too!

To find out more or to order a baby birth plate in Spain for a christening, new born gift or a birthday click here!

Little Cheerleaders ...

My friend Vanessa has come up with a great new idea which will leap into action this Saturday on the Costa del Sol.

A trained cheerleader herself, this autumn Vanessa is bringing The Costa All Stars Cheerleaders to the coast. Designed for children aged from 3 - 13 years her classes will combine dance with gymnastics alongside chants, cheers and team games! Perfect for energetic little one's who need to burn off some steam!

Cherrios is for 3 -5 year olds, Sparlers for 6- 9 year olds and Costa All Stars for 10 - 13 year olds. All as well as the fun of learning to cheer, older children will show off their skills at sporting events up and down the coast during the autumn and winter.

Classes start in Sept in Benalmadena and Calahonda. To find out more email costaallstarcheerleading@gmail.com or call 677 493 280

Galaxia - New Soft Play center in San Pedro, Marbella

As it was the last week of the summer holidays and the weather was cooling down a bit we decided to check out Marbella's newest soft play last week ... Galaxia!!

Galaxia is a large well equiped soft play with great plans for the future! At present there is a party area, under 3's area with a ball pool, swing and various padded toys and a large over 3's area with a trampoline, slides, bridges and tunnels and ball shooting area.

There is also a great outside play area which is completely enclosed and safe for little ones.

There is plenty of adult seating and the outdoor seating is particularly nice with comfy outdoor sofa's and umbrellas. At the moment Galaxia provide a small mouth watering menu which is set for expansion and will include Sunday roasts in the autumn! A great idea for families wanting to eat a nice lunch in a child friendly setting.

The owners are really friendly and welcoming and really hope the center will become as much a relaxing venue for parents to chill out as an exciting place for children to play. Future plans include a toy shop, dance studio, mother and baby mornings and charity events and there is also a space exhibition center which is open for school trips. Other nice touches include mini toilets and a nice baby changing area.

We really liked Galaxia, the spacy interior, warm welcome and yummy menu mean it's def somewhere we'll be going back too!

Galaxia can be found on the Centro Comercial Guadalmina, just under Supersol. For more info check out the website http://www.galaxiaplay.com/

First IVF in Spain .... bfn!

I know I've harped on about my ivf journey on here enough, so thought I really should post the result just in case anyone out there was wondering .... well sadly it was a bfn ... big fat negative!

The 2ww is horrendous, symptom spotting aside I was a nervous wreck! I started spotting at 9 dpt ( days past transfer ) and although I was told this could be nothing it had turned into a full period by 14 dpt ...otd! ( official test day)

Ever hopeful I still went for my bloodtest. The clinic had told me they'd ring me later that day with the results ( a Saturday ). Unfortunatly they didn't and I had to ring them on Monday! I already knew by then anyway but I have to say I wasn't impressed by the aftercare! The receptionist practically admitted on the Monday that they'd forgotten to ring me on the Saturday!

So onwards and upwards. We fully intend to try again and this time I'm going to have acupuncture which is supposed to really help. If nothing else I need something to relax me during the 2ww! I won't lie, the aftermath of an ivf is awful, having come so close you feel like you are miscarrying and have to take time to grieve for the loss. Now a month later I am coming to terms with it but still feel upset when I think about whether it's ever going to happen for us again.

Hopefully we can try again Oct / Nov ... so more ivf stories then!

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN CLICK HERE

IVF in Spain - Egg Transfer

Well ... my IVF journey is nearly at an egg ... it feels like it's been a very fast process and has gone fairly smoothly ... not sure if that's a good or bad thing!!

We went for Egg Transfer and paid the rather hefty bill of 3,900€!!!! The cost of IVF is not cheap. This will either be a very expensive baby or a the most expensive period of my life! I think the end bill was slightly more as we ended up having ICSI ... I also spent 1,000€ on the drugs so the total cost of our first IVF cycle has been nearer to 5,000€. Unfortunatly none of our eggs made it to freezing so if we have to try a second cycle we'll have to pay the full price again. Based on a normal ratio of IVF working one out of 3 times, our baby could cost us 15,000€.

I found Egg transfer itself quite uncomfortable. It's like a slighly longer smear test and as there is no pain relief you do feel everything. It's not exactly painful but you do grit your teeth a bit!

So now I am at home resting with my little embies on board. I really hope they make it. Today is 5 days past EC which means they should be turning into Blasto's which would mean they have a good chance of continuing to implantation. I think implantation should take place sometime this coming weekend. There is very little scientific reasoning as to why embryo's do or don't implant and nothing that science can do to help them. Having had a normal pregnancy and a miscarriage I can only hold onto the fact that I seem to have a good implanting history and so this time shouldn't be any different. The biologist told me the quality of my embryo's was very good so I'm holding tight onto that!!

After ET I was told to rest and do nothing for 2 days, after I am supposed to take it easy although I can resume normal life. It's been pretty hard doing nothing as I am quite an active person. My daughter is staying with my parents but will be home tonight so normal life will resume whether I like it or not ....

Whatever the outcome I am very happy with my treatment at Clinica Fertia. I would say that some of the early appointments and scans were a bit rushed at times and I wasn't always given very much information ( I got most of my info from the fab IVF forum ) but during EC and ET the clinic were fantastic and the biologist is brilliant. Clinica Fertia do need to sort out their appointment times as you always have to add on a 45 minute wait to any appointment but other than that I am very happy with the treatment I received there. If this cycle doesn't work I would def do another cycle at Fertia as I feel they have learn't a lot about me and my body this cycle and have the expertise to use that information more successfully in the future.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN

IVF in Spain - Egg Collection!

Well, it's all happened rather quickly for me!

I went along to my second stims scan on Wednesday the dr told me my follicles were ready! By this she mean't they'd grown to the right size for collection. Hurrah that means that I only had to do a week of injections! I had to do one more shot that night .. it's called a trigger shot and is basically a special injection you have to take exactly 36 hours before Egg Collection. I think it matures the eggs ready for ovulation. So I did my last shot on Wednesday night at half past twelve and then spent a relaxing Thursday with no injections and nothing to do except eat a lot of protein and drink a lot of water!!!

Friday was actually a holiday here in Fuengirola but IVF clinic's don't have the luxury of holidays or weekends as they are ruled by our eggs and so they opened especially for me on Friday! I think actually in hindsight having EC on a holiday was great as we were the only people there and so had the undivided attention of the clinic and no queues or difficulty parking!! I also felt quite special as an anaethiatist, the biologist and the dr had come in especially to collect my eggs ....

The actual procedure was very very quick. I thought I'd be put to sleep but I was only sedated. I was chatting away ( in a drowsy way ) to the dr's who kept telling me I should try to be quiet and could feel a bit of prodding down below ... I thought they were just getting everything ready but then they told me it was all finished! Our appointment had been at 10.30, they started around 10.50 and I was in recovery by 11.15. I had to stay for a while so they could monitor me while the sedation wore off and my husband had to go and do his thing with a plastic beaker. He informed me after that there were some seriously hardcore magazines in his little room!

By half twelve we were allowed to go home. The biologist ( a man named Luis ) was lovely. He informed me they'd got 8 eggs and told us a bit about the procedure for fertilising them. He was there throughout the morning and was really supportive, warm and friendly. I am so glad he's going to be looking after my little eggs on their fertilisation journey!

I thought the whole team at Clinica Fertia during my egg collection were great .... they were warm, friendly and caring but also professional. I was very happy with the way the egg collection went and felt I'd been looked after well.

I was told to go home and rest and take progesterone capsules three times a day ( down below not by mouth! ) I was feeling really groggy from the anasthetic still and Luis told me to take it really easy for the rest of the day, although I should be feeling much better by tommorrow.
I took him at his word, went home and slept for two hours and then parked myself on the sofa with Sky + for the rest of the day! I spent a lot of the afternoon chatting with the girls on the IVF forum who were so supportive, one of them had been through egg collection at the same time as me. That sort of support is so important ....

I slept well on Friday and woke up feeling fine on Saturday although absolutely petrifed about how many of my egg's had fertilised. Waiting for the call was worse than waiting for a call to say you've got a job or to see if an offer has been accepted on a house ... it was horrible. Luis rang dead on 11 to say that 4 of my 8 eggs had fertilised .... hurrah we have embryo's!!!!!!! Egg transfer is scheduled for Monday, I just hope my four lovely egg's make it till then ..... stay strong egg's and keep dividing!!!!!

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN

Shrek Forever After ...

I took my 3 year old to the cinema this week to see Shrek Forever After and we had a great afternoon!

The lovely cool air conditioned cinema was a welcome relief from the endless sun and the movie which we saw in VOS ( original sound version or English! ) was great, really funny and entertaining and great for little one's as there were lots of references to fairy tales, plus not too scary. As my 3 year old commented, 'I didn't even have to sit on your lap mummy'!

You can see Shrek in 3D or normal ... we went for normal, I think 3D might be too much for a 3 year old ... and it's on in both Spanish and English at cinema's across the country.

Afternoons in the cinema are def a great diversion in the summer and something we'll def be doing again ... Hmmm wonder if she'd like Toy Story 3?

Babybjorn Travel Cot Light

The Babybjorn Travel Cot light is a fantastic travel cot ... it's easy to carry, easy to set up, comfortable, stylish, light and created with the highest safety standards in mind ...

It's not difficult to see why the travel cot is so popular for holiday and has recently become one of our bestsellers.







The Babybjorn Travel Cot light is readily avaliable in Spain but not so easy to buy in the UK, for this reason we have sent several cots recently to UK customers and have several enquiries per week about this product from the UK.



Delivery to the UK costs in the region of 40€ using a secure courier service and takes approx 2 - 4 days!



If you are a UK customer and would like to order the Babybjorn Travel Cot Light for your holiday then please email info@indybel.com for more information. Or check out the travel cot on our website http://www.indybel.com/. The Babybjorn Travel Cot light is avaliable in Blue or Silver and we can also supply the lovely cosy 100% organic cotton fitted sheets ....

IVF in Spain - First Stims Scan!

Well after a week of stim injections ( and I have to admit I've become rather attached to my injection pen ... it's absolutely true that you become completely used to injecting yourself very very quickly ) it was time for my first stim scan. This was to see how many ( if any ) folicules I have managed to grow.

I was quite pleased to discover that I have around 7 follies ... this is a fairly average number for my age I think. A lot of people get between 10 and 20 and I even heard of one person who got 40 but a lot of people also only get 3 or 4 ... so I'm happy with my 7 for now! Maybe round two they would up the med's to get a higher number. One thing I'm learning about IVF is that in general the first attempt is largely an experiment. The dr's don't know how you are going to respond until you start so on cycle two or three of IVF they have a much better idea of how your body will respond to the drugs and can alter the doses and protocol accordingly. They say there is a 1 in 3 chance of IVF working, so if we do it three times we should hit baby bingo. Unfortunatley it's a grueling process for the female body and I'm starting to wonder if I have the strength to do it three times, even with such an amazing prize at the end.

After the scan I was told to continue with my injection pen AND a new injection in the morning and a different second injection everynight ... so I am now injecting myself 3 times a day! Wow in a week I've gone from injecting virgin to injecting expert.
These two new injections are tricky, they are both the old style syringe types which are pretty hard to manouver with one hand. The night time one is even more difficult as it consists of two glass vials which need to be broken and mixed with a long needle, before transfering to a short needle for the actual injection. While attempting this last night I pricked my finger.

The syringe needles hurt a lot more going in than the pen needle, they seem blunter and wider ... nice! Pushing the liquid in rather than pushing a button is also harder ... I now realise how wonderful my lovely injection pen is! Today I feel like a pin cushion. I used to be able to see the injection spots on my tummy, now my tummy is just a mass of spots and I can't remember where I've injected anymore! The skin on my tummy hurts this morning where I've used the syringe ... I'm presuming this is internal bruising as I can't see anything on the skin, but my word it's tender underneath!

This is the reality of IVF! It's not difficult, but it's time consuming and it's uncomfortable and after a week or so you start to feel like a lab experiment. Half the injections have to be kept in the frigde and taken at particular times so you can't always go out when you want and the whole thing is fiddly and if you don't like needles quite frightening ... then there's the physical symptoms. I've been lucky as I've been stiming for 7 days now without too many physical symptoms but I'm starting to get bloated now and I'm constantly worried about my thyriod being affected.

Don't get me wrong I chose to do this and I'm glad I did, but if you are considering IVF it's important you know what you are letting yourself in for!

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN

Baby and Pregnancy product sales at indybel.com

This July we have some great products in our summer sales ....

The Flexibath is Product of the Month and reduced from 39€ to 33€ .... PLUS a free gift!!!

We know summer in Spain is an expensive time for parents so we've also reduced our ....

Imse Vimse Washable Swim nappies, JoJo Maman Bebe UV sun protection tent, cuddlemoo toddler towels, Babybanz Sunhats and Seraphine Maternity denim skirt ....

Plus in our sales section we still have our great Birthing ball and Inch Blue speical offers on plus our Natalia baby massage oil, Skip Hop changing bags and limited edition Trunki's are all REDUCED ....

To check out all these great offers while stocks last visit www.indybel.com for pregnancy and baby in Spain ....

IVF in Spain - The First Injection

Last night I offically became a member of the self injectors club!!!

Since receiving my injection pen on Monday ( and a whole load of other scarey looking medications ) I've been slightly daunted by the size of the needle which looks a good 2 - 3 cms to me!

I watched the excellent online video which showed me how to set the pen up and do the injection and it all looked very painful and scary. Part of the problem was I was told I have to do my injections in the evening and so I spent the whole day waiting and worrying about it. If i'd had to have done it first thing in the am it would have been better!

I received lots of great advice from the more seasoned IVF girls on my IVF forum, all of them said that it looks much worse than it is and that once I'd done it I'd be amazed by how easy it is and wonder what I'd made such a fuss about ....

So last night with my daughter safely in bed and away from dangerous needles and Spain V Germany and Big Brother on the TV for distraction I attempted my very first injection! I actually did it along with the nice calm lady on the online instruction video ... this was a great way to do the first one as I did it step by step with the video and was able to pause and take a breath at each stage!
In the end I didn't faff around and just stuck the needle in and it was fine!!! When I pushed the button it stung a little bit and then I think I pulled it out a bit quickly because then it did sting for a few minutes and bled a tiny bit. My IVF friends tell me that if I do it more slowly tonight it shouldn't bleed at all but overall I felt it was a very successful first attempt and as they all said, I wonder now what I made such a fuss about ....

I did my injection just as Spain scored the goal that put them in the Semi final of the World Cup ... I take this a good omen for my IVF cycle, after all if Spain can do it then so can I!

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN

IVF in Spain .... Shopping for IVF!

The other day I went on an IVF supermarket shopping trip!

Apparently while taking stims it's important to drink lots of water and eat a high protein ( and low salt ) diet ...

Taking this to heart I stocked up on water, meat, fish, nuts, peanut butter, cheese and milk. As well as course as that all important fruit and veg!

It's good to be healthy anyway but there's a lot to think about with IVF.

The coffee thing is confusing me. Some doctors say cut it out completely, some say it's fine. The evidence is inconclusive. Some people claim they conceived when they gave up caffine and some studies show caffine has an effect on implantation and of course pregnancy. During my pregnancy I cut down to one cup of coffee a day and one cup of tea which was well within the recommended daily amounts. Obviously I don't want to spend 5 grand on IVF and blow it because I'm drinking coffee but I do enjoy my morning cuppa.
I'm also very mindful of other advice which suggests you should make sensible changes but not change everything as your body won't know what's hit it, it's also important during a stressful process like IVF to have a few treats ....

Bearing this in mind I've decided to stick to my one cup of morning coffee for the time being. I might try to give it up during the Egg Transfer stage but I'm not going to beat myself up about it ... after all if one coffee makes me happy then surely that's a better state for my body than being tired and stressed out!

A touch of Red ... Line

When we started our online baby site Indybel a couple of years ago we shopped around for a logo and web designer and met with several companies. None were quite right and then I remembered Redline whom I had met while working for another company. We immediately liked working with Redline as they are a very 'female' friendly company. This is important as many companies over here are run by egotisitcal males who don't really think women should be in business! ( It's true! Sorry guys ) The girls who run Redline are both hugely talented and very supportive of small businesses. We also felt Redline were right for our logo as we felt that a logo for a baby store should be designed by women but most of all they gave the best pitch!




Two years on ( and having received many complements about our logo, we still have a good working relationship with Redline. As well as the logo, they have designed our flyers which again we've had huge compliments about ( One man even told me they were the most professional looking flyers he'd seen on the Coast! ) our business cards, delivery labels and exhibition banners. They are just about to start work on our new catalogue which we are very excited about.



In this climate of chop and change we are really pleased to have been able to secure a good relationship with a company that we value and enjoy working with. Redline make design a hugely relaxing process which is great and their prices are very reasonable.



Redline are based in Marbella and specialise in graphic design, marketing, exhitibions, pr, web design, SEO, copywriting and much much more .... Check out their website at www.redlinecompany.com

IVF = I'm Very Famous !

The only day while ranting on here about how taboo the subject of IVF is, I started thinking about celebrities who may have had IVF. Jo Joyner who plays Tania Branning on Eastenders recently gave birth to IVF twins and gave a number of interviews about her IVF experience which she said she felt compelled to do as so few people speak out about it ....

So, I did a little research and am proud to announce that I am in extremely good company!

So here, just for fun, is a little list of celebrities who have ALLEGEDLY had IVF!

1. Courtney Cox and David Arquette suffered numerous miscarriages before turning to IVF. They now have a little girl CoCo and hope IVF will provide her with a sibling ....

2. Christine Brinkley sought IVF to have her third child ....

3. Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton had a little girl naturally in 2007 after several rounds of IVF and clomid ....

4. Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives conceived her twins following IVF treatement ....

5. Celine Dion is currently pregnant with twins following years of IVF ..... her son was also conceived with fertility treatment ....

6. Hugh Jackman and his wife tried IVF for years before turning to adoption ....

7. Nicole Kidman ALLEGEDLY conceived her little girl following months of fertility treatments

8. Jennifer Lopez ALLEGEDLY conceived her twins via IVF although this has never been confirmed

9. Katie Price and Alex Reid are rumoured to be looking into IVF .... ALLEGEDLY!

10. Julia Roberts twins are also rumoured to have been concieved via IVF although she continues to deny any fertility treatment ....

11. Jane Seymour suffered multiple miscarriages and years of fertility treatments before finally having twins ....

12. Brooke Sheilds conceived her daughter after several IVF cycles ...

13. Emma Thompson went through several rounds of IVF in the hopes of giving her daughter a sibling. Eventually she and her husband adopted instead.

14. Trinny Woodall gave birth to her daughter after 9 failed attempts at IVF and two miscarriages

Aqua Park - Mijas Costa

Yesterday we went to the Mijas Costa Aqua Park for the first time. Our three year old had a great time and I have to say it was a really good day out!








At 18 euros per adult it's not cheap and that's before food and drinks but children under 4 can go in free which takes the edge off! We arrived at 11.30 and only had to queue for about 5 minutes which wasn't too bad although I'd imagine that July and August are a lot busier. We then secured beds ( which cost 3 euros for two ) right by the chidren's pool, so the perfect spot to watch the kids and sunbathe at the same time ... bliss!

The children's area is very nice. A large pool divided into two by a bridge houses a number of different slides and water type attractions such as elephants with water coming out of their noses and walkways under showers etc ... there are smaller slides for the really little ones and the water is thigh deep on adults so you do need to keep a close eye on toddlers but overall there was certainly enough to keep our energetic tot entertained for a good six hours. I woudn't necessarily recommend it for children under 3 but for 3 and over it's great ....

We had lunch at the restaurant which was clean and quick and chicken and chip type meals cost approx 4 euros per person so not too bad. There are numerous smoothie, ice cream and waffle stands dotted around the place too ....

For the adults there are number of different slides, a couple of swimming pools ( for kids too ) the wave pool ( which didn't have any waves while we were there ) ... grass areas and picnic areas. There is also an indoor games room, mini golf, trampolines and shows. The highlight of the day for my daughter was face painting in the water ... a rather odd concept but one that certainly pleased her!

The toilets were very clean and well maintained and you can rent lockers for your valuables for the day. The park was actually very well run with good queue management and a nice atmosphere ... but I couldn't say how it would be in high tourist season!

My main and only gripe has to be that the water was COLD ! I really thought the water would be slightly heated and more pleasurable but it was pretty cold and it was a hot day so it shouldn't have been that cold. I'm sure it must be heated when they open in April and even in September. Aside from that we all had a great day out and I'd def recommend it for anyone on holiday in the Fuengirola, Marbella, Malaga area or if you live here with little one's!

The Mijas Costa Aqua Park is situated just off the N340 in Fuengirola. ( Marbella to Malaga direction ) Take the first exit after passing the Miramar center on your left .....

Summer Holidays are here!!

Well it's that time of year again when the little one's break up from school for ..... gulp ... TWO MONTHS!!!!!!!

As much as I'm looking forward to having my little girl at home with me for a while and not having to get up to take her to school, two months is a long long long time!

A lot of parents opt for summer schools and to be honest if I didn't have family out here for most of July and August I'd be thinking about this too. The truth is it's just too hot a lot of the time to be constantly outdoors and so little one's get bored after a while and thinking up daily acitivites can be really hard. It's especially difficult for working parents or those without the support of extended families to help ....

There are a couple of great sites for parents looking for activities for their children in Spain over the summer. If you are on the Costa del Sol check out my friend Aimee's site Kids in Marbella for little one's and babies in the marbella area. For the rest of Spain Mumabroad is a great site packed choc o bloc full of stuff to do .....

IVF in Spain ... Getting Ready ....

Well ... we are now officially on our IVF journey. On 18th of June I began to take the pill which is my clinic's verison of DR ( Down regging - preparing your body, closing down your cycle so the dr can start with a fresh slate so to speak ) and on July 5th I start stimming.

As exciting ( and nerve wracking ) as it all is, I feel it's important to be realistic ... at this stage the chances of getting as far as ET ( egg transfer ) are slim and that's miles before getting a bfp! ( big fat positive pregnancy test result )

So how does it all work?

.... As someone who up until a few months ago had never given IVF a passing thought I've had to learn a lot in a short space of time. But what I've learn't is really incrediable. It's amazing to think only 20 years ago women didn't have this opportunity and with more and more women suffering from infertility these days it's fantastic that something like IVF exists at all.

I do get a bit cross with people acting like IVF is a disease or infertility is an illness ... these days women who get pregnant just by dropping their knickers are the minority whereas women who struggle are the majority and yet we are labelled as odd and treated with sympathy. We are not ill thanks!

Worse are the awful people who ask 'when are you going to have another ... or when are you going to have children'. It's incrediably rude, I don't go around asking 'when are you going to lose weight, or when are you going to get your roots done'. I have some choice awnsers stored up for these people but don't think I'll ever be brave enough to use them! Worse are the people who say 'We only tried once and got pregnant, we got pregnant by accident, we weren't even trying' .... Grrrr .... just go away you insensitive thoughtless people!!!

The truth is IVF is incrediably common these days and I confidently predict that in twenty years time it will be the norm in terms of the favoured method of conception. The other week I was chatting iwth a friend who had two lovely little children and it turned out she'd had fertility treatment for both. The point is people just don't talk about it at dinner parties etc but I'd be very suprised if you didn't know several people who have suffered from fertility issues.

At the moment I veer towards panic and excitement that I am able to have a go at this amazing procedure. I've been told that there is nothing so amazing as seeing your 'baby' at cell stage, something you never get to do with a natural pregnancy.

BUT.... to get back to my point .... How does IVF work ?.....

In short, I take a lot of horrible drugs, inject myself, bloat up, become moody and hormonal and probably mess up my overactive thyroid meds while hubby doesn't have to do much at all ... then I go for scans everyday to chart the growth of my eggs.

Basically I'll be injecting stimms ... ( hormone stimulants ) which should make me grow approx 20 eggs on the chosen cycle rather than one ... ( no wonder I'll be moody! ) The thing is I might not grow 20 eggs, my eggs may not do well or horror of horrors I can over stim and they'll mature before the clinic gets a chance to get them out.

If we do get enough eggs and they are okay for egg collection then we do EC and hubby makes his deposit. Now comes the scientific bit ... if hubby has enough strong swimmers they'll swish them around in a testube with my good eggs and hopefully some will fertilise. Then you go away and have a sleepless night and wait to see if any have fertilised and if those which have are dividing ( cells ) in the right way.

Even someone with a good number of eggs might only end up with one or two that fertilise. And ... ideally you want enough to pop two back in and two in the freezer!

So ... then they grade them and a day or two later ( if you are lucky ) you go back for ET and hope you get two back in that are looking like they could be healthy embrio's and hopefully a couple more become frosties ( frozen eggs! ) ... ideally then if this cycle doesn't work you can have FET ( Frozen Egg Transfer )

Oh and don't forget if you go privately like we are this all costs a small fortune which counts for nothing if you end up with a BFN and if your cycle is cancelled mid way through I presume you lose the money already spent .....

We've got lots of things counting against us ...

* at 37 I'm at the wrong end of the success rate ... at 37 it's actually okay but at 38 your chances drop dramatically.

* Then there's my overactive thryoid which could be affected by the stimms. So if that goes out of sorts then we'd have to cancel the cycle as if I did get a BFP with my thyroid not under control then it can lead to miscarriage.

*Then there's hubby's migraines, kidney stones and ulcers which mean he's on a cocktail of pills which aren't great for fertility

* ...and oh and did I mention that during EC and ET I have to basically stay in bed which is hard with a toddler to look after

* ...and IF you get past all that you face the joys of the 2ww otherwise known as the two week wait, when you basically wait for the BFP or your period, all the while popping hormones that make you feel all over the place ... lovely can't wait for that bit!

It's all about PMA apparently... positive mental attitude ... So the above is the very LAST time I am going to have negative thoughts! My PMA is all about telling myself daily that the IVF will not only work but that I'll have twins! Ha ha, okay we can't afford twins and would have to move house, get a new car, give up my life for 2 years etc ... but hey if it works then I'd def be overjoyed with literally two for the price of one!!

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN

IVF in Spain - Choosing a clinic in Spain ....

Well it looks like our IVF journey is finally getting underway!

To recap, having conceived our daughter ( and a miscarriage ) naturally we are now just a year later faced with 'fertility' problems. It seems that my tubes have become miraculously blocked for no apparent reason and my husband has slightly 'lazy' swimmers! So together we are not doing a good job in the reproductive arena!

In the end we chose Clinica Fertia in Fuengirola over Ceram in Marbella. This was a very difficult decision and I feel like I should outline the reasons here for anyone who may be in a similar position to myself. I'm sure if this cycle ends in a BFN ( big fat negative - pregnancy test result ) we'll be thinking we should have gone with Ceram and maybe still will. While IVF does have a promisingly high success rate the chances of a BFP ( big fat positive ) in my age group are approx 50 - 60% so nothing is guarunteed, in fact far from it.
As someone on a wonderful IVF forum that I've become a frequent poster on commented, it would be amazing if IVF were a procedure with guarunteed success as it would make it easier and I have no doubts that in my daughters lifetime that may well happen ... for now though it continues to be a lottery ... with not too bad odds!

So why did we choose Clinic Fertia .... well mainly and this is important it's about 5 mins from our house. When doing IVF you have to visit the clinic frequently for scans, mini op's and tests ... Ceram is a good half an hour away and unfortunatly in a zone where parking is a nightmare. For simple logistical reasons CF won this point.

My tubes were actually diagnosed at Ceram and I received very good treatment there from the dr on my 3 consultations. I have to say the receptionist was not the friendliest woman I ever met in my life though .... nor someone you want to see when you are confronted with fertility problems. You want to see a nice smiley face. I went to Clinica Fertia where the receptionists were more friendly and the dr was also very nice and reassuring and most interestingly disagreed with the Ceram diagnosis that all was lost for my little tubes! I felt this was an interesting point. On the downside I have now had 3 appointments at Clinica Fertia and at every one have had to wait at least 30 minutes, even first thing in the morning ... Ceram were incrediably good at keeping their appointments on time ....

I googled the two clinics like mad and couldn't really find anything conclusive about either ... both had good and bad reviews on the net and both seemed to have good stats. In the end a friend of a friend said that she'd tried both and would def recommend Clinica Fertia over Ceram.

So in the end we chose ( not easily ) Clinica Fertia.

To be honest I don't know whether we made the right decision but it feels right at the moment. Having said that if it doesn't work at Clinica Fertia or the experience is not positive, I wouldn't hesitate in trying again at Ceram. I haven't heard anything particularly negative about Ceram, it was just that for this first try Clinica Fertia is more convienient ....

I hope this helps someone who finds themselves in the same situation as me ( although I also hope no one does ! )

****

Update 12 /01 /11

I am now delighted to say that I am nearly 12 weeks pregnant with twins following our second cycle at Clinica Fertia in Fuengirola. Despite some dodgy time keeping I have nothing but praise for this clinic who have guided us through two cycles and given us the amazing opportunity to have twins. I believe the clinic have always been honest and fair with us and worked creatively to improve our chances following a fairly disasterous first cycle. Many thanks Clinica Fertia!!!

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IVF AND FERTILITY IN SPAIN CLICK HERE

Ballet at the ITS in Fuengirola

A few months ago now my 3 year old started ballet at the ITS in Fuengirola ... The ITS is actually the International Theatre School and is run by Nicola Jones.

My little girl does a half an hour class on a Saturday morning and absolutely loves it ... they do a mixture of ballet style moves, jumps and dance. Parents can watch through a glass window and it def seems like a lot of fun with games like musical statues incorporated into the ballet to add to the fun.

Aside from letting off steam on a Saturday morning, my little girl is definintly becoming a more delicate dancer which is an improvement on her previous 'breakdancing' style! At 4.50 euros a class I think it's a bit of a bargain and well worth getting up early on a Saturday for! The dance school is housed in Centro Nordico on the Mijas Road, just up from Lidl, around the corner from the Mijas Costa Cortes Ingles and next to Puegoet.

Not sure what we will do over the summer as the school breaks until the autumn!

To find out more about autumn classes check the ITS out here

SEO Spain

When we started Indybel a couple of years ago we had very little concept of Search Engine Optomisation. I liked to pretend that I knew what I was talking about but in truth it was little more than an IT buzz word BUT we did know that 'it' was incrediably important to the growth our company!

Once our website was up and running I was given the job of 'SEO' as I was the more technical of the two of us and I was used to copywriting from my previous career and so I began a rather interesting education in SEO ... A friend gave me lots of advice and pointed me in the way of a couple of helpful websites and I began to use SEO on our website to help improve the our rankings in the search engines. I actually quite enjoy SEO, I think you are either an SEO type person or not. There is a huge amount to learn and a huge amount you can do to help your site, much of which is very creative and I've found that if you think creatively about SEO you can have a lot of fun with it and increase your rankings through the most unlikely means. The tricky thing about trying to do SEO in Spain of course is that you have to think about it in two languages!





I'm still very limited by what I can do in terms of technical skill and I'm still a bit of an SEO novice but I'm learning new stuff every day! Recently I was lucky enough to be contacted by Mike from Spain SEO who very kindly commended me on the work we'd done on the site so far and offered a huge amount of invaluable SEO advice to help me move things to the next level. This week I have started to tentatively put his advice into practice and I am sure it's going to make a huge difference to our rankings over the next few months ...

Spain SEO have a blog where they outline SEO basics and their services. If you are stuck in SEO no mans land ( or even in Spain ) and are looking for a friendly and easy to understand SEO site then I can't recommend this one highly enough. And if you're looking for friendly and easy to understand advice and help then I'd def suggest giving Spain SEO a call ....

Would you like to work for Indybel?

We are looking for Indybel Agents.

Are you a mum in Spain, great saleswoman or do you just love shopping?

We are looking for agents who can promote Indybel and our products in their area.

This is a great opportunity for new or expectant mums across Spain and anyone who is resourceful, creative and enjoys a challenge!

To find out more including how to apply please email info@indybel.com

This summer I am loving .....

.... the Babybanz Kidz Sunhat ....

Okay we sold these last year and I knew how great they are but I didn't buy one for my daughter as she seemed to have a million sunhats. This year with all her sunhats being too small I purchased the Babybanz sunhat for her. The great thing about this hat is that it offers total UV protection and has a massive rim so the back of her neck is protected while she plays in the pool or in the garden and her forehead and most of her face are also protected ....



The hat looks really cute too and has been the recipient of quite a lot of comments at our pool and on the beach, and thankfully she seems happy enough to wear it. The useful velcro tie means that I can alter the size for her head too so she can't pull it off all the time.

Def my favourite summer baby product so far this year!

June Special Offers

This June we have taken 15% off our Customer's Top 5 Favourite Summer Products!!

Flexibath WAS 39€ ..... THIS MONTH 33€

JoJo Maman Bebe UV Family Sun Tent WAS 54.50€ .... THIS MONTH 46.30€

Baby Kangaroo Sling WAS 39€ .... THIS MONTH 33€

Shade-a-babe WAS 37.50€ ..... THIS MONTH 32€

JoJo Maman Bebe Maternity Kaftan WAS 31.50€ .... THIS MONTH 26.80€

Check out these great savings now at http://www.indybel.com/

Offers last until 30th of June or until stock runs out!

Flexibath News - New Colours

The Flexibaths were flying off our stand at the Salon Bebe show ....




Parents loved the Flexi Bath which folds up in one easy movment meaning it can be used all round the house, popped in the car for holidays, weekend's away or for use on the beach and stored neatly in a bathroom cupboard, under a cupboard or under a bed ....





We now stock the Flexibath in a number of hip and trendy colours including Pink, Blue, Green and Red as well as Clear and White ....

Check out the new colours at http://www.indybel.com/ ( Flexibath in the Baby Store, Bath section )

New Product News .... The BabyDan Security Starter Set

Babyproofing can be a bit scarey ... there are so many hazards in the home it's difficult to know what to proctect your baby from first without being overprotective ... as parents we want to make sure our little one's are safe but at the same time it's important to let them explore and yes even have one or two little tiny accidents. I don't mean I let my toddler zap her fingers in plug sockets or stick her head in the oven, but the odd fall or knock warns your toddler to be wary of corners and hard floors and reminds them that they are not invincible!

When we started babyproofing our home I bought a whole array of products ... some good, some bad. We went through several table corner pads until we found some that stuck and as our toddler wasn't particularly interested in the toilet or fridge we never needed those locks, although we did need some for the kitchen cupboards, esp those full of cleaning products and the drawers where she seemed to delight in getting her fingers caught!

It's expensive buying so many products, so I'm really pleased that at indybel we now sell the BabyDan Security Starter Set ... this 21 peice box set contains everything you need to get started .... corner cushions, door stop, cupboard locks, plug covers and so on ..... once you know what you really need you can always buy more, but this is a really economical way to start!

Find the BabyDan security Starter set in Spain in our Babyproofing section in the Baby Store at http://www.indybel.com/