Ante-natal Classes in Spain

Around 3 months before my daughter was due I attended antenatal classes in Marbella, Spain. I found these classes invaluable for several reasons. Firstly giving birth in a foreign country is very daunting, so to be able to attend a class run by an Irish midwife who had worked in the Spanish hospital system for many years was very reassuring. We covered everything from the many stages of birth including what might happen in the days before the birth and indeed if things became difficult during the birth to what to do after the birth including feeding and bathing your newborn baby. The other fantastic thing about these classes was that through them I met a group of girls who have since become great friends and confidents. We started to meet up from around the time our babies were all 3 months and have since swopped stories and fears, given advice and information and attended all sorts of groups and baby activity meetings together. Our little ones have also grown up together and are now all great friends and are so excited to see each other. The lovely midwife who ran our classes has recently handed themover to another Irish midwife on the Costa del Sol. If anyone would like more information about the classes just let us know.

When we began Indybel we immediately contacted the midwife who ran the classes above and she very kindly agreed to take some of our flyers to her classes. She was very pleased to see that we were selling raspberry leaf tea and birthing balls, two items she felt were very important to pregnancy and not easy to find here in Spain. She has also been a fan of our dream genii pillow. We'd like to thank Anne here for all her help and support over the past few months and wish her lots of luck for the coming months!!

Due to the success of our relationship with Anne we decided to contact other English midwives in Spain to see if they would also be interested in our products. We are now delighted to be working with two lovely midwives in the Madrid and Barcelona regions. If there is anyone who is pregnant in Madrid or Barcelona who would like their details or who is pregnant in the Costa del Sol and would like details of the ante natal classes in this area ... just drop us a line at info@indybel.com

Both our Madrid and Barcelona midwives were also really pleased to see we stocked the birthing ball and one was also delighted to find our stash of natural nappies being a great advocate of real nappies .... if there are any other English Speaking midwives working in Spain who would be interested in working with us please do get in touch ... we'd love to hear from you.

New for 2009 ...

We've been a little quiet on the blog front for the last few months, largely due to illness! Throughout December and January we have all literally been plagued by flu, bad colds, gastro bugs and an incident involving a hairclip and a stomach! Nursery culture means that if something is going round there is a pretty good chance your child will catch it, then your child brings it - as in the bug - home and gives it to the rest of the family. By the time the child has recovered everyone else has it and after that it's just a vicious cycle. I ended up on antibiotics and Lesley ended up spending numerous hours in doctors and hospital waiting rooms. We continued to work in on Indybel but it's not very pleasent for your customers when you are coughing and sniffing all over them at Christmas fairs and toddler groups, so thank you to all our kind customers who ignored our streaming noses and haggard faces!

February is supposed to mark the departure of the flu bug but my daughters just come home with a runny nose again. Still she was well for a whole two weeks, which is quite remarkable given the last few months ... so can't complain!!

We've been working hard at Indybel to source new products for the coming year. We're delighted to announce that we are now selling two brands of baby sling. Baby slings are becoming more and more popular here in Spain so we are really pleased to offer two alternatives to our Spanish customers with two different price ranges. The first is the Kari Me which has won many baby awards in the UK and has been tried, tested and loved by Lesley. The second is the baby Kangeroo which is a ring sling style of baby sling. Both have their merits so be sure to read the descriptions carefully on the site to make sure you know which is right for you, they can be found in both the Baby Store and Mum's Essentials and even in Dad's stuff because after all why shouldn't dad carry the baby?

We really hope the slings will be a hit in Spain. We feel there is a huge demand for them because when Lesley wore the Kari Me to our local shopping center in Fuengirola she was surrounded by people wanting to know where she found her sling .... so now you know!!

Other new products this month include the BabyBjorn Balance Chair, the new version of the popular 123 chair and two new Babydan bedrails for toddlers, one is the wooden kind and the other a super duper travel bedrail which fits into it's own travel bag. Ideal then for nights at the grandparents or in hotels.
We're working on launching ranges of organic baby clothing and UV protective products for summer, so keep an eye on either of our sites. Due to popular demand we'll also be adding a nipple cream in the next few days.

A little note about delivery .....

Just a quick post to say that we've just added a new delivery option to our Indybel pregnancy and baby products in Spain checkout services!!

We still have our two courier options which are of course faster and safer ... these include

10€ ( and upwards if the weight is really large ) for Indybel 48 hour courier delivery anywhere in mainland Spain

7€ for all packages up to 1 kilo .... couriered to your home between 3 and 7 days ... anywhere in mainland Spain and the Islands

and now .....

3.50€ normal correos delivery for all packages up to 1 kilo .... allow between 4 and 14 days for delivery but we estimate most packages should arrive ( in normal circumstances ) between 4 and 8 days .... throughout Spain ....

So with so many great delivery options .... why not have a look at our products! ( http://www.indybel.com/ )

Show and tell .... everyone!

We've decided to attend a consumer show near here in Estepona ... this is qutie exciting because it's our first ( and hopefully not last! ) show .... we'd have liked a bit longer to prepare but we only decided to take a stand this week and the show is next weekend!! So we've had a lot of decisions to make this week ... which products to take, how to dress our stand, what promotional materials to have commissioned or make and not least childcare arrangements for the whole weekend for our toddlers!

Plus there's the added dilemma of Lesley's brand new baby Olivia ( congratulations! ) who will be attending the show with us of course. Olivia will actually be a bit of a feature on a stand promoting pregnancy and baby products in Spain, but of course with Lesley having only given birth around 10 days ago, it's not ideal that she's going to be on her feet for more or less 2 days in a row. I have to say I completely admire her, after Bella's birth I don't think I got dressed for about 3 weeks and didn't leave the house for about 6 ... but then I did have a C Sec .... anyway I'm sure she and Olivia will both be fine!

Anyway it's been quite exciting planning the show, we've had some great banners made up and have found our suppliers have been really supportive and helpful, sending us their own promotional material and linning up stock for after the show. We'll certainly be taking all our favourite products such as the Cuddledry towel, Birthing Balls, Inch Blue Shoes and of course our fab Seraphine range of maternity wear ... all the above are almost soley sold by only Indybel here in Spain .... plus most of our other products .... it will be great for customers and clients to actually be able to see, touch and examine the products on the day and of course they will be avaliable to buy on the day and take home straight away!!

So if you live in Malaga, Fuengirola, Mijas Costa, Marbella, San Pedro or Estepona or anywhere else within a driveable radius AND are pregnant, having a baby in Spain, want to have a baby in Spain, have a baby or toddler or two, then pop along and visit us ... we've got some great stuff for toddlers as well as for the babies and bumps! And don't forget all our products are British and International and also many are Organic ... plus we're the sole suppliers of many great brands, so if you are pregnant or have a baby in Spain this is a great opportunity to see some different products to those in the high street shops and department stores ...

Style N Beauty Show

Palacio de Congressos

Estepona

Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October 2008

FREE ENTRANCE !!

For more details see www.stylenbeautyshow.com

Driving with a baby or toddler

What is it about having a baby that means your car suddenly resembles the inside of a nursery after a particularly messy party?


Now I was never obsessive about my car prior to having my daughter, but it was a nice peaceful driving haven, where I could listen to my CD's, enjoy my little journey's too and fro, occassionally with a drink or snack. When it came to cleaning it was always the outside that was dirty, occassionally I'd take a few things home that had taken up occupation on the front seat, but I barely registered the backseat was even there, and the boot was a nice tidy space for the dog and shopping bags.


Nowadays with a 23 month old accompanying me on every journey it's a different story. For some reason my car and particularly the back seat area seems permanently litered with crumbs, crisps, biscuits, cereals and even chips. It doesn't matter how often I clean them all out, more seem to appear the next day... they hide in the little spaces between the car seat and car and then taunt me by appearing every now and again!


Food aside, there is also now a constant stream of soft toys, books and jangily things taking up residence in my car. The windows are covered with sunshades and fun sticky on things and instead of listening to 'mummy's music' or 'mummy's radio' I am constantly instructed to play 'nursery rhymes' and believe me when you've listened to 'If you're happy and you know it' for your 55th car journey in a row, you are anything but!


As for the boot, the poor dog now shares his space with a pushchair, various pushchair accessories, rain and sun baby options, such as unbrella's, covers, blankets and mosquito nets ... you never know when you'll be caught out, and occasionally he has the shopping shoved in around him too ...


So it was with particular delight this week that I finally received the lastest Indybel goodies .... driving accessories!!


Since launching http://www.indybel.com/ in August, we've been waiting quite a while for these auto accessories to appear in our shop. We've had our eye on them right since the beginning but they have been out of stock until now. I first came across them last year when I was looking for a mirror to enable me to keep an eye on Bella in the back without turning round. I couldn't find one anywhere in Spain, so it struck me that this would be a perfect thing for Indybel to sell as our aim is to sell pregnancy and baby products that are not currently avaliable or are difficult to find here in Spain. I found my mirror on a trip to the UK. That was last November.


Since then it's been a permanent fixture in my car and is one of those gadget's that I've got so used to, I can't imagine life without it anymore, nor how I managed before buying it. Of course it's an important safety product too, as before I was turning around to face the back seat every few minutes, just to check Bella was ok, now all it takes is a quick glance in my mirror, so at Indybel we are delighted to finally be able to offer two driving mirrors to our customers in Spain. One for viewing forward facing babies and toddlers and one for viewing rear facing babies and toddlers ... particularly useful for those first few months. Both retail for very reasonable prices and are pretty much essential items.


Then there is the Stow n Go ... a fab product which is finally going to allow me to keep my car tidy! Hurrah! This is a back seat organiser and I can finally organise my car, putting all of Bella's drinks, snacks, books and toys into the various pockets. I have a feeling she is going to love this as it will also give her something to look at and study other than the back of my head! And of course older children can reach in and organise their stuff themselves.


Also in this fab out and about collection are comfy strap covers for irritating seat belt of pushchair straps, a great pushchair pouch for storing keys, phone and drinks etc ... and a security harness or reigns ... another product difficult to find here in Spain.




You can find all these fantastic baby and toddler driving, car and auto accessories at our Mums Essential store in the Out and About section at http://www.indybel.com/


So, if like you me, you are attempting to restore some tranquility back to your car ... go take a look!

http://www.indybel.com/ now stock baby and toddler driving mirrors, seat belt covers, seat storage and reigns.... all available in Spain from http://www.indybel.com/

The great weaning debate in Spain!

This week we recieved a new book into the Indybel Bookshop at our online store http://www.indybel.com/.
The book is Annabel Karmels fab new Baby and Toddler Feeding Guide and is a great introduction into they how, whys and whens of weaning. For those of you new to parenting, Annabel Karmel is a very well known and well respected baby and children's food writer in the UK. Her books are best sellers and she is well known for exciting and interesting puree's and seeing many a baby from their first spoon through to their first full meal.

Receiving the book bought back memories of my own weaning days with Bella. Here in Spain weaning is a bit of a controversial topic.
While in the UK it is usual for a baby to start weaning or solid foods at around 6 months, here in Spain the paediatricians often recommend weaning from as early as 4 months. I think it depends on the baby and their weight and their own development, but us British parents in Spain are often left confused as to when and how we should start weaning. I remember reading many a forum post on the topic and still wasn't sure when to start.
In the end I trusted my gut instinct. I didn't think Bella was ready when the doctor said and waited until I felt she was showing sufficient interest in food. Then I tried a few spoons of fruit and cereals. I also never put cereals in the bottle as is common practice over here ( but never done in the UK! ) and I also didn't rush in with the amounts suggested by the doctor at the beginning, but we took it at our own pace. I remembering feeling a bit guilty about this as at our monthy paediatrican appointments the doctor would ask, and is she eating beef? And is she eating turkey? And I'm afraid I would lie merrily, nodding my head, while all the while knowing my little one was eating no more than the odd spoon of fruits and vegetables.

Still we got through the transition to solids fine, on our own and in our own time and again I do think a mother's instinct for what her child needs is the best measure of what to do. During this period I did heavily rely on my Annabel Karmel book though. I took weaning very seriously and Annabel and I had many late nights together with my steamer/blending machine ( another great buy ) as I cooked up humungous amounts of different flavoured puree's, spooned them into little tubs, carefully labelled them and then deposited them in the freezer.

The next morning I would rush down and look in wonder at my little stash of frozen meals, and of course Bella loved them ... so thanks Annabel! These days we have graduated onto more substantial meals, and my days of puree making are over for now, but I will always look back on them fondly. Now and again I still do a big mash and veggie cook up and store it in the freezer for days when I need a quick food fix for Bella, and it always reminds me of my and Bella's weaning adventure ....

Annabel Karmels Baby and Toddler Food Diary is avaliable in Spain now from www.indybel.com
To order your copy simply visit our store ......

Pregnant in Spain .....

Finding out you are pregnant can be confusing enough, finding out you are pregnant in a country where you don't speak all of the language and where the medical and administrational systems are different to your country of origin ... well that can be downright scary!

This is what happened to me nearly 3 years ago. There i was pregnant in Spain and there was very little information availble in English to help me. Nowadays it's a different story, there is a lot of information around and a lot of help in English. There are English midwives, English mums sites and English mother and baby groups .... there are even a few English expectant mums groups. It's amazing how things have changed in the short space of just a few year

An example is two girls who have just launched a site for mumsabroad in Spain. Their site is great and packed with interviews, information and tips for mums living here in Spain or for those pregnant in Spain. They've been really supportive of http://www.indybel.com/ too and we are really grateful for all their good wishes. It's really nice to have the support of other mums in Spain as in many ways they are our customers! If mums who have been through the experience of giving birth in Spain think we are offering useful products then that's great!

Talking of useful products, this week we've had a rush on for our raspberry leaf tea. Our research shows that raspberry leaf tea is pretty much impossible to get hold of here in Spain and Indybel are one of the few companies who sell it, so it's great that people who need it are starting to find it through us. Someone asked me today what it does, well it relaxes the uterus, making the birthing process easier and is very highly recommended by midwives during the last few months of pregnancy. To find out more just visit our site http://www.indybel.com/ and take a look at either the pregnancy or organic stores ....

Well to all your expectant mums who have just found out you are pregnant in Spain ... congratulations! Don't forget to pop along to http://www.indybel.com/ for all your pregnancy and baby goodies ... we've got a great special offers on this autumn too ... our lovely bambino merino baby sleeping bags are reduced ... but just for October ... so grab your mouse and start clicking right now!!!!