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!

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

Buggy Fit

It can be hard losing those extra pounds after having a baby ... well it's not hard losing the monetry pounds ... prams, cots, nappies and forumula takes care of that quite nicely ... losing the bodily pounds takes more effort unfortunatly ( although shopping does help! )

I was quite intrigued this morning to pick up a leaflet for Buggy Fit ... "the ultimate fitness class for mums and babies" .... I'm past the buggy stage myself at present but thought this might be useful for others looking to get fit and make friends with other mums because that's half the fun of this type of thing ....

Buggy Fit is basically power walking and re-toning ( walking fast with your buggy in other words ) ... the benefits of doing Buggy Fit as opposed to joining a gym are you don't need to pay for a creche or babysitter as baby comes on the walk with you, you get to chat with other mums and your baby gets to socialise with other babies and you can all motivate each other to keep going ....

If you fancy trying Buggy Fit in the Costa del Sol area then contact Sally on 628 679 689 or email sallyelisabeth@live.co.uk

The Indybel Maternity Fashion Show 2009!

Well, we've talked enough about the Indybel Maternity Fashion Show which took place on 10th October 2009 ... so we thought we really should post some pictures of our fantastic models wearing our Seraphine and JoJo Maman Bebe maternity ranges. Don't forget all our models are REALLY pregnant and have never modelled before ... but as you can see they all look absolutely amazing and so professional! Proof, not that it's needed, that women can and do look wonderful when pregnant!

Gorgeous Tina, who is nearly 6 and a half months pregnant in our pics, models our favourite Seraphine Paula Bootleg Jeans, the Seraphine nightwear range and the Seraphine little black dress range. She also carries the Skip Hop City Chic changing bag ... just one left in stock now!

Here's lovely Stacy from San Pedro who is due on Christmas Day!! Here she's wearing the fab Seraphine Melanie black top which can be dressed up or down depending on the look you are trying to achieve and the ultra comfy JoJo Maman Bebe checked nightshirt. Perfect for cuddling up in front of the TV, wearing in hosptial and padding round the house in the early days with your new baby!

Here's our new 'yummy' mummy Sarah ( mum of two actually! ) modelling our fav baby accessories ... the baby Kangaroo sling, the bebe au lait breastfeeding cover and the fab cuddledry towel. ( which she bought at the show and says she loves! ) Sarah is also wearing our Seraphine maternity jeans and JoJo Maman Bebe white top showing maternity clothes are comfy and versatile just after you've had a baby too!

Sultry Rebecca is expecting baby number 2 in Janary 2010! She certainly has her hands full as her little boy is only just one! Here she's wearing the JoJo Maman Bebe support top with our Indybel lounge pants, a great daytime look for a busy pregnant mum! Then for a more sophisticated look she looks fab in the slinky Seraphine Beatrice cardigan and jeans and finally in the Seraphine reversible skirt and Melanie top.



Marbella babe Louise is due any day now and was eight months pregnant in these pics! She models our favourite winter must have, the Seraphine Tessa shift dress which she wears with Seraphine leggings, creating a funky and cool look alongside Stacy. Louise also wears the Seraphine nightdress which is perfect for hospital visits or lounging at home and finally shows how great working pregnant girls can look even when 8 months pregnant in the JoJo Maman Bebe white embroidered shirt.

Gorgeous Isabel was due yesterday ( no news yet! ) and is 8 months pregnant in our pics with her second baby! Isabel shows how sensual maternity clothes can look, proving yet again that busy pregnant mums really do glow! Here she shows off two looks featuring Seraphine little black dresses and also models the popular Seraphine I love U T shirt and Seraphine Tara Denim skirt. Proof again that all our clothes look fantastic even when you are 8 months pregnant!




For the final group shot all our girls looked fantastic in evening and glam nighttime looks. A big thank you to all of them from Indybel for their commitment, enthusisam and professionalism and for showing how amazing our maternity clothes can look.

All the clothes in these pictures can be purchased from the pregnancy store at http://www.indybel.com/

Capture the moment ....

Ever since my daughter was born we've been meaning to get some professional photo's done of all of us, ideally to capture her in all her toddler glory before the awkward years set in and she's turned into a stroppy teenager!

So, last week I decided to take advantage of a special offer for mums in Spain put together by Curran Photography in Mijas Pueblo. The offer co-incided with my sister being on holiday here with her newborn, so we decided this was def a good opportunity to get some great pics of all the cousins together.

Curran Photography is a very friendly business run by husband and wife team Justin and Julie. They had lots of toys for Bella to play with which helped her to relax and really she was photographed without even knowing it! There were also a few baby accessories on hand for the baby photos.

As a perk, Susan and Jessica Chruchill from Lavish Artists were also on hand to do hair and make up on the day. This was great fun and a nice pampering experience for us busy mums! Bella also enjoyed having her hair done and her insect bites covered with make up!!
We went back yesterday to see a slide show of our photos and were very happy with the results, which certainly do 'capture' the moment! Subsequently we all spent a lot more than planned on the gorgeous pictures, but hey they are only young once!! As a gift for my parents, my sister and I also bought a lovely picture of the four of us on a wall canvas.

Curran photography also specialise in weddings and commercial photography as well as family pics and will be holding another mums and babies session soon. Lavish artists also work independently doing hair and make up for weddings, celebrations, pampering parties and commercial events such as fashion shows.

Indybel happily recommend contacting either company .... details below!!

Curran Photography ( based in Mijas Pueblo )
653 448 470
info@curranphotos.com
http://www.curranphotos.com/

Lavish Artist
655 277 180
http://www.lavishartist.com/
http://www.hairandmake-upartist4u.com/

Have fun!

Gearing up for the first ever Indybel Maternity Fashion Show!

Next month see's the first ever Mother, Baby and Toddler Show in Estepona and as well as taking a stand, Indybel are putting on a maternity fashion show!!

This is a very exciting event for us, but has certainly been complex to mastermind!
I used to work in TV and for years my job was choosing contestants for entertainment shows, finding our models reminds me a little bit of my former career, although it's actually more difficult!

When we conceived the idea of the fashion show we decided that we wanted to use pregnant models on the catwalk. We feel that our maternity ranges are unique in that they are gorgeous, high quality, stylish, trendy, affordable and comfortable clothes. In addition the great thing about maternity clothes is that they really grow up and down with you ... they'll accelerate your bump if you are feeling loud and proud and they'll hide it if you are feeling a bit shapeless or having what we call a 'bad bump day'! Knowing all this we truely felt that 'real' pregnant models were the only ones who could really wear the clothes well .. using models with pillows stuck up their clothing just didn't seem to be right!

So last month we posted our plea for 'real women pregnant models' on a number of websites and forums including our own and are delighted to say that we have had a huge response! Thanks to all the lovely girls who have responded, some are in their first pregnancy, some on their second or third ... some are nervous and others very confident, but all are 'real' and we are so excited to see the clothing on them.

The bumpband at www.indybel.com

This week we have been busy confirming our 6 models and arranging our first model get together next week. The aim of this meeting will be for our models to meet our choreographer Lousia who is fab and for her to teach them a few catwalk moves. Hopefully we'll also be able to try some of the outfits on the models and work out who will be wearing what and which looks will look better on which girls! There is so much to do! Plus as we are fully aware that our models aren't professionals, we are very keen to make them feel as positive, comfortable and happy about the experience as possible.

Seraphine awardwinning bootleg jeans, available in Spain from www.indybel.com ... so comfy you can wear them right up until the birth!

We have also been busy ordering in clothing for the show. Our aim is to show that you don't need to spend a fortune on hundreds of maternity peices, but can achieve a great look throughout your 9 months with just a few staple high quality maternity peices which can then be mixed and matched with other items. Our key peices include our gorgeous Seraphine boot leg maternity jeans, the Seraphine denim skirt and Seraphine Leggings. In addition we'll be showcasing a fab ethnic print dress from JoJo Maman Bebe which can be worn with leggings, jeans or as a dress in it's own right as well as some great adaptable tops from JJMB and of course our own Indybel lounge pants. Plus there's our nighttime range which is also great for looking glam during hospital visits!!
Of course all the peices are avaliable on our site too ( http://www.indybel.com/ ) and not just at the show.

So as the date draws nearer we are really getting very excited. Hopefully after next weeks meeting we'll be able to start to see it really coming together .. we'll keep you updated and maybe see you there!!

A customer service rant!

At Indybel we believe absolutely 100% that good customer service is one of the most important parts of our business ... aside from the fact that we enjoy chatting to and helping our customers, we firmly believe that if someone makes the effort to contact us then it's the least we can do to respond to them and try to help them as much as we can. So, we always respond to emails straight away, try to help customers who have queries about our products and make sure we've done everything we can to ensure our customers are happy and satisfied. We still do this for people who are not our customers as it's just good manners. For example a lady emailed last year trying to find a particular dummy in Spain and we spent a good few hours researching dummies for her on the internet. Other customers have emailed us asking if we can help find products that we dont' stock, and even though it means no revenue for us, if we can help then we certainly will and frequently do.

So it always annoys me when other retailers don't see the importance of customer service and when I'm on the customer side it makes me even more esperated.
There is one shop in particular that does seem to wind me up the wrong way time and time again and yet I still go back ... and rant!

El Cortes Ingles is Spain's largest department store with stores dotted around Spain in all the major towns and cities. On the whole they have some nice stuff and I like the supermarket there and it's a good place for a browse on a rainy day, but after a few years of going there I can honestly say that in my experience the customer service is not good.

On the whole you seem to be greeted by unsmiling, unhelpful and unknowledgeable sales assistants who aren't that keen to 'sell' or help. The baby dept in particular has always seemed particularly unhelpful to me, but I had to go there last week to source a new mattress for my old pram in preparation for my sisters visit. As I bought the pram there and it's a major Spanish brand Jane, I thought they would be able to help me, but after a lot of shruggling of shoulders they told me that they don't sell mattresses and don't know anywhere that does ... oh I said, but I saw a mattess in another shop down the road ... to looks of great surprise ... eventually they mentioned a shop in Malaga that might sell the mattress but there was no question of them phoning the shop for me to make an enquirey. At my assistance they reluctantly got out their Jane catalogues and flicked through them but couldn't help and when I asked if the Jane website might sell them they didn't know. Maybe it's me, but surely assistants in a baby dept should know more about baby products? I recognise some of these assistants from 2 or 3 years ago, so it's not like they are new. The general attitude is of not really caring ... if it's there they are happy to sell it to you, if not then they don't want to know.

So I gave up on the mattress and went to the toy dept with my toddler. She wanted a slide. There were two possibles on display. One at 34 euros and the exact same one next to it with added stickers at 40 euros. I waited about 15 mins for a sales person and then asked to buy the 34 euro slide. Oh no, he told me, we don't have this one in stock, it will take 5 days to order. 5 days to order a 34 euro slide ....??? Why bother having it on show then? I'm pretty sure the consumer has the right to be able to buy goods on display if it's suggested they are for immediate sale. So I asked him if I could purchase the exact same 40 euro slide for 34 euros as they didn't have the 34 euro one in stock ... not a chance!!

Feeling dejected I headed to the supermarket. The thing that really annoys me about the supermarket in the Cortes Ingles is that you are only allowed in one end and it' s the far end the furthest away from every staircase, escalator and lift ... so you huff and puff all the way there with your bags and a toddler and then have to go through the rigmarole of having your bags bagged up ... then if you exit without buying anything you are only allowed down one tiny weeny ailse ...

I do know it's my choice to shop there, but I also feel that good customer service, especially in such a large institution, is a right and not a priveldge. If small shops can manage friendly helpful service why can't huge institions who have access to staff training programmes and management programmes? When I go back to the UK I can't help but sometimes compare the customer service in shops such as El Cortes Ingles to their British counterparts such as John Lewis and Marks and Spencers and sadly there is a lot lacking here in Spain. I think in time these shops will have to begin to take customer service more seriously but until then I will either just have to practice deep breathing exercises or shop elsewhere!!

The heat is on!

I recently came across this article about pregnancy and the heat. I have one or two very heavily pregnant friends at the moment and they finding being pregnant in Spain in August pretty uncomfortable. Yet the heat can also be potentially dangerous for pregnancy so it's important that all mums to be keep themselves out of the sun as much as possible and drink lots of water. Here's the article in full ....

I have always had a low tolerance for the cold and prefer warmer temperatures. All that changed during my first pregnancy. I turned the office air conditioning down to a low setting and had a fan on at every opportunity. The heat was almost unbearable.

This heat intolerance is true for many pregnant women since, in general, they have a reduced tolerance to heat. The summer is here and most people would agree that it is very hot. I can certainly empathise with the discomfort of women who are pregnant during the summer months.

However, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to more than just discomfort. It can lead to a serious condition known as hyperthermia. This condition occurs if someone's body temperature becomes higher than its normal level. It is different from a fever in that a fever is a controlled rise in body temperature usually as a protective response to different factors such as infection. In hyperthermia there is an uncontrolled rise in the body's temperature, which may be due to impairment in the body's temperature regulation system or its cooling system.

Unfortunately, there are risks to the developing baby if a pregnant woman has this condition. If she develops hyperthermia early in pregnancy, her baby is more likely to have a birth defect, especially neural tube defects which are abnormalities involving the baby's spine and/or brain. Later in the pregnancy the condition can raise her risk of preterm labour (labour before the pregnancy has reached full term).

Fortunately, a pregnant woman's risk of developing hyperthermia is low. Nevertheless, the higher temperatures of summer can lead to other conditions. A recent study done in Israel showed that the rate of oligohydramnios was higher for pregnant women in the summer months as compared to the other months of the year.

Drink enough water

Oligohydramnios is a condition in which the volume of amniotic fluid surrounding the developing baby is lower than normal. It has been associated with a higher risk a foetal distress and an increased risk of a pregnant woman having a caesarean delivery.

So what can a pregnant woman do to avoid some of these possible complications?

She should keep well hydrated by drinking several glasses of water daily, at least 10. She can employ the use of fans or air conditioning where possible to keep cooler. She should wear cool clothes such as those made with cotton material in light colours that reflect the sunlight.
She should avoid direct sunlight as much as possible; use a large rimmed hat or an umbrella in situations where shade is not readily available. She should avoid being outdoors at the hottest times of day; use sunscreen to protect her skin as sunlight exposure can worsen pregnancy - induced darkening of the skin. Finally, swimming is not only a safe exercise for most women in pregnancy, but it is a fun way to keep cool in these hot summer months.

Dr Monique Rainford is a consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist

Sizzling Hot Summer Sale!

Yes it's August and so we have now launched our Sizzling Hot Summer Sale!!

Everything .... yes EVERYTHING in our summer section is now in the sale ... so from maternity beach wear, to toddler towels, to baby sunhats, to the fab shade a babe and even our UV tent ...

All summer items are now less 25% meaning YOU can make some massive savings if you buy now!!

Summer in Spain lasts well into October so this is a great opportunity to buy some brilliant summer baby and pregnancy products that will last well into the autumn ...

Check out all our sale items at http://www.indybel.com/ now .... our sale items can either be found in the Beach and Sun section of the Baby Store or head straight to the sales section on the main menu at the top ....

JoJo Maman Bebe arrives in Spain ....

We are delighted to announce that we are currently the first and only Spanish stockists for the popular and well renouned UK baby brand JoJo Maman Bebe!

We have long been fans of this hugely successful brand which has several UK stores as well as a thriving online business throughout the world. JJMB are well known for the quality of their products, innovative products and organic products and we are therefore delighted to be working with them in Spain and hope our customers will enjoy the chance to order JoJo Maman Bebe quickly and easily here in Spain.

We will be launching the range with a small selection but hope to grow by the autumn. Products now on the indybel.com site include a family sized UV tent, gorgeous maternity tankini's which are part swim suit, part bikini! A lovely maternity kaftan which can be worn on the beach or over trousers and the popular organic swaddling blankets ... if these items are popular we hope to expand to include the gorgeous organic clothing range for newborns in the autumn and many other popular JoJo Maman Bebe items.
We are really excited about bringing this brand to Spain and hope our customers will love the products as much as we do!

Check out JoJo Maman Bebe at www.indybel.com in Spain NOW!

Pregnant in Spain?

We currently have a special offer on our Organic Raspberry Leaf Tea ...

50% Off!!!!

The tea is reduced to clear and expires end of July 09.

A great offer for those in the last stages of pregnancy and looking to drink the tea now! To take advantage of this great offer visit our new sales section at http://www.indybel.com/

Baby Showers in Spain

Last week a friend of ours threw a baby shower for another friend who is expecting next month and we were delighted to go along and celebrate her nearly imminent arrival!

Baby showers are largely an American concept and a favourite for celebrity mums in particular! But they have recently become popular in the UK and are now starting to be heard of here in Spain. The idea is to 'shower' mum to be with gifts and to have a bit of fun before baby arrives and mum is too tired to get together with all her friends!
Baby showers are very flexible concepts, you can organise as much or as little as you like! Traditionally they are thrown by friends, not by mum to be herself and are normally held at a friends home. Showers can be relaxed and simply involve a cup of tea, a gossip and the giving of gifts or it can be more elaborate with games, food, music and a real party atmosphere.

We had great fun at our friends baby shower and it was lovely to 'send her off' to motherhood in style.

At Inybel we now offer a baby shower service. This includes organising a shower for you or helping you to organise a shower and bringing a selection of gifts along for mum to be to choose from on the day. This way guests don't have to worry about what to buy and what mum to be needs or doesn't need as they can simply purchase something she really loves on the day! Mum can also make up a list and guests can purchase from our site at a later date, we'll then deliver everything gift wrapped to mum to be on a date of her choice. We can also organise games, food and music if desired and a few little extra's like our Indybel Baby Shower guest book.

We took one of these along to the baby shower we attended the other week and all the guests wrote lovely messages of good wishes and advice to the mum to be and she loved it!

If you'd like to find out more about our baby showers, check out our baby shower article in the main menu on our homepage

Or drop us a mail at info@indybel.com and we'll get back to you with more information!

COMING SOON .....

We've long been fans of the fabulous Skip Hop changing bags and so are delighted that Indybel are about stock some of our favourite designs.

Skip Hop Changing Bags originate from New York and have become known for their hip and cool design, fantastic functionality and celebrity appeal. Mums such as Heidi Klum and Courtney Cox are rarely seen without their Skip Hop's!

We'll be stocking the gorgeous City Chic and Duo Ranges as well as a great Skip Hop rucksack that could be used by either mum or dad and would be fab for those who live in the more rustic areas of the Spanish Countryside.

We very much hope the Skip Hop range will be on our site by the end of March at unbeatable prices! So if you're a Skip Hop fan or have been looking for the perfect changing bag in Spain, don't forget to visit http://www.indybel.com/ soon!

Midwives in Spain

For a while now Indybel have been working with several great British midwives working throughout Spain. Anne on the Costa del Sol has been actively promoting our services since the summer and we are hugely greatful for her support, we are now delighted to also be working with Shawn in Barcelona and Sue in Madrid. These midwives are a great support to us foreign mums in Spain. The Spanish health care services are excellent but it's great to be able to ask questions in our own language and fully understand the changes that are taking place in our bodies.

This weekend we were contacted by another midwife here on the Costa del Sol. Her name is Marion and she has a clinic in San Pedro where she runs both pre natal and post natal consultations, gives advice on giving birth in Spain and also has a baby and vaccination clinic. She's a great contact for all mums and mums to be on the Costa del Sol and we are delighted to now be working with her. If you'd like to find out more about Marian's services, check out her website at http://www.costadelsolmidwife.com/ Don't worry if you don't live near San Pedro, she does home visits too!!

Are you pregnant in Spain? Do you have a baby in Spain ? Yes ... then you may want to take advantage of our amazing Indybel March Special offers!!!

In celebration of British Mother's Day on 22nd March, Spanish Father's Day on 19th March and trying to help all mums beat the credit crunch in general we've got some amazing special offers on the site this Month ....

25% off ALL Seraphine Maternity Wear!

Yes, all our gorgeous Seraphine items are in the sale, everything from the award winning bootleg jeans to the stylish reversible skirt! All the Seraphine maternity items are great for year round wear and are comfy, hip and designed to make you look and feel fantastic. Worn by celebs such as Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba, the Seraphine brand is def our fav maternity wear brand EVER! And it's only available in Spain at www.indybel.com .... AND EVERYTHING IS IN THE SALE NOW ....!!!!

15% off selected Natalia natural skin care products for both mum and baby ...

Our gorgeous Natalia skincare products are soft and gentle and designed to pamper yours and babies skin .. we also have a range of Natalia Gift Boxes which are flying off the warehouse shelves! These boxes are great gift ideas and perfect for Mother's Day! EVERYTHING IS IN THE SALE NOW at www.indybel.com

And ......

15% off our entire natural tea range!!!

As one of the few stockists of Raspberry leaf tea in Spain we've noticed that our tea is extremely popular, so we've reduced it!!! Purchase raspberry leaf teabag, raspberry leaf organic loose tea and after birth tea this month at www.indybel.com and pay 15% less!!!

Great savings on all pregnancy and baby products in Spain ... to find out more visit http://www.indybel.com/ NOW!!!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Last Chance to take advantage of our fab feb special offers!

Don't forget our February Special offers run out this weekend!!!

At the moment there are huge savings on the gorgeous Seraphine Maternity Nightdress and dressing gown and all our lovely Natalia pregnancy products as well as the excellent Diaper Dude for dad ...

Offers end this WEEKEND!

To take advantage of these great offers NOW visit http://www.indybel.com/

Choosing a name for your baby in Spain

As non Spanish parents, it's actually really hard to choose a name for a baby who is probably going to be living for at least a large part of their lives in Spain. If you choose a British or Anglo name you run the risk of your child sounding like a foreigner and their name not being pronounced in the way intended ( think George ... Jorge or 'Horhay' ) .... and yet we don't always know as many Spanish names as we might think we do, so our choice becomes limited. As Bella's daddy is French we had the added problem of a name that would work in all three languages and be prononced the same in all 3 languages .... plus for those of us with foreign surnames, it's important to find a name that sits well with it's foreign counterpart ....

When we chat to our customers at fairs and playgroups they often seem to be struggling with the 'name in Spain' dilemma ... so here are a few suggestions to help you out!

According to recent news reports, the following are some of the most popular UK girls and boys names of 2008 ...

Girls - Emma, Sophia ( also popular in Spain ) Madison, Isabella ( another one popular here ) Olivia, Ava, Addison and Lily ...

Boys - Aiden, Jayden, Ethan, Jacob, Caden, Jackson, Noah and Jack ....

As for the Spanish, well according to the most recent records we could find, the most popular names here are ...

Girls - Lucia, Maria, Paula, Marta, Alba, Claudia, Sara, Ana, Sofia, Elena ....

Boys - Alejandro, Daniel, Pablo, David, Adrian, Alvaro, Marcos, Hugo ( apparently v. fashionable now) Raul ....

And a few more unusual ones ....

Celestina, Noelia, Ramona, Teodora, Delfina

Gustavo, Gabriel, Hernando, Leandro, Octavio, Vidal

We'd love to hear your suggestions for Spanish / English baby names ... just post them here ...

ARTICLE - Top Five Pregnancy and Baby Buys ....

Having a baby in Spain can be quite daunting, in fact having a baby in any country where the language is not your own can be quite a scary proposition. I have many friends in the UK who found the whole process of pregnancy and birth confusing enough in their own country, so I take my hat off to all us girls who have been through a pregnancy and birth here in Spain. That's not to say that the information on offer is not good, nor the health care often excellent and the hospitals are certainly moving forward in terms of offering more progressive birthing techniques and options. But still doing everything in a second or unknown language in a country where customs are different to those you've grown up around is more difficult.

Knowing what to buy and not buy is also difficult and so Indybel have come up with our 'must have' baby and pregnancy wish list ... We're not talking cots and prams as of course we all need these things, but have concerntrated on the smaller and more unusual buys ...

Pregnancy and Baby Must Have's in Spain

1. The Cuddledry Towel.

Okay I didn't have one of these with my baby and now I wish I had know about them. The cuddledry is not only bigger, softer and more durable than your normal baby towel, but you can wear it too. This means that you have both hands free to bath your baby and can then snuggly wrap your baby up and lay your baby down without them getting cold .... fantastic !

2. Raspberry Leaf Tea

We heard a lot about raspberry leaf tea when thinking about stocking it and the midwife we work with down here is a big fan of it's ability to really help and move along a labour. Niether Lesley nor I drank the tea with our first babies and both had long and difficult labours. With her second baby Lesley drank the tea and had a four hour labour! We recently bumped into one of our tea customers who has just had her first baby, not only was the baby early but she also had an incrediably quick and easy labour ... enough said!

3. Natalia Baby Bottom Cream

There are a lot of baby bottom creams on the market but it's worth investing in a really good one as babies skin is so delicate, it's important to find something really gentle. The Natalia cream is all these things, not only that but Lesley has found that since using it on Olivia, not only has Olivia never suffered from so much as a little red patch, one jar ( using it generously ) lasted a good four months. So good value all round!


4. Seraphine Maternity Jeans

You can get away with a lot when it comes to maternity clothing, buying big cheap T Shirts, and large sized lycra for example! But it's a good idea to have one great staple item which will take you from 0 - 9 months and then back again! The Seraphine Jeans are this item! The fab bootleg cut and low waist means they are one of the most attractive looking ( if not the most! ) maternity jeans on the market. They are also made with a very comfy ultra soft denim designed to stretch with you and the waist is also ultra comfy. Lesley tried them on in the heat of August at 8 months pregnant and was amazed how light and comfy they felt, so if you want to invest in one item ... invest in these!

5. Kari Me Sling

This great award winning sling can be used in a variety of ways and actually works well into the toddler years. It is also designed to help you bond with and breastfeed your baby. Slings are becoming more and more popular amongst new mums, but particularly amongst those who are also rushing around after chaotic toddlers !

To find out more about buying for your pregnancy or baby in Spain, please visit http://www.indybel.com/

Lansinoh

Due to popular request from our customers we are now pleased to announce that we sell Lansinoh cream.

Lansinoh is the world's purest lanolin and has been specifically developed for the treatment of sore and cracked nipples alongside help with positioning and attachment.

How Does It Work?

Lansinoh works by the process of moist wound healing. Studies reveal moist wound healing offers a soothing environment for sore nipples and as no scab is formed healing is accelerated.

Lansinoh lanolin can be used also to soothe: chapped lips, nappy rash, dry skin on elbows, heels and knees, itchy stretch marks, minor cuts, burns and skin abrasions. Useful for all the family

A must have item for pregnancy and birth, buy Lansinoh cream in Spain now at indybel.com

ARTICLE - Me Time!

At www.indybel.com we offer a range of spa pampering days for pregnant ladies and tired and stressed out mums! In the interest of our customers we thought it only fair to test out the treatments ourselves ... here's what happened when I went for day of 'me time'!

Mummy Pampering at the Thermae Spa, Villa Padierna in Marbella

So, here I was at the Spa ready for a day of ‘me time not mummy time’ pampering treatments and how did I feel? Well pretty exhausted actually. Having endured a week of sleepless nights while my 18 month old dealt with the onset of some rather nasty teeth, I’d offloaded her onto the grandparents and quite frankly the only thing I felt like doing was crawling back under the covers. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the bags under my eyes were pretty close in size to the bags of towels and toiletries I had bought with me, and when you arrive in such elegant and beautiful surroundings as the Villa Padierna you want to look, quite frankly, equally as elegant and beautiful!

Still the calm, beauty and effortless luxury of the spa had an immediate effect on my mood and tiredness and within minutes of arriving I began to feel much more relaxed and for the first time in at least a week, human again! According to their literature, the Thermae Spa promises it’s ‘exotic, opulent and dramatic surroundings will take you away from the stresses of daily life and lead you to a place of relaxation and calm’ … just what every tired and stressed mum needs!

On arrival we were ushered into the changing room where we found gowns, slippers and disposable knickers (this reminded me of labour!) waiting for us. As we emerged from the changing room we were greeted by the therapists who were to be in charge of our treatments and taken to our separate treatment rooms. As you’d expect from a Spa of this calibre the treatment rooms were a haven of peace and tranquillity, emitting amazing soothing smells and most importantly lovely and warm!

I started off with a body exfoliation. This involved having ESPA salts rubbed into my body. As soon as the treatment started I instantly relaxed. The spa policy is that the therapists are not encouraged to chat to you unless you insist upon it, so there was none of that tiring need to make pointless chit chat and I was able to lie back and really relax. After about 5 minutes I was thinking, hmmm I could really get used to this, this is really nice.

Everything about the treatments is luxurious. When the time came to wash the salts off my body (far too soon for my liking!) the therapist made a little aisle out of towels for me to walk the three steps from the bed to the power shower. I was given more towels and new knickers and told to make the most of the lovely toiletries and my therapist would be back in ten minutes to continue.

When she returned it was time for my facial. This was pure heaven. I had towels tucked under my knees which were amazingly comfortable and settled back to surrender my tired and spotty face. I lost count but there were several creams massaged on to my face over the course of the next 30 minutes and each was wiped off with a lovely warm towel. In between I was given an eye and head massage, absolute bliss for any tired mum. I lay there in a state of exhaustion but thoroughly enjoying every single second and mentally calculating how much time we had left and how much money I had with me so that I could think about continuing these amazing treatments for the rest of the day! I should also say at this point that for the next few days my make up less face was glowing.

Following my wonderful facial I was led to the relaxation room to well … relax. The relaxation room is a vision of white, white beds, white walls, white curtains .. and fruit. Here’s a tip, don’t eat too much fruit, I did and regretted it later! As well as fruit there was a lovely refreshing lemon drink to help you re-hydrate.

My treatments were now finished and I have to say I was feeling 100 times better and more glamorous than when I arrived. The afternoon was now to be dedicated to the pool and spa experiences …. the saunas and steam rooms, each one a treat in itself and each a masterpiece in interior design. The brochure promises that these ‘purifying steam rooms redolent of India and Bali transport you to where another world awaits you’ so I was interested to see where I would end up! I wasn’t disappointed, throughout the spa no corner has been spared in terms of beauty, sophistication and design. Every area and room has its own special ambience and much thought has clearly been given to lighting and smell and colour, all designed to relax and enchant. The steam rooms were filled with such ingredients as lemon grass, curry, mint and eucalyptus and ranged in temperature. The pool had amazing hydro jets and for the really brave and adventurous there is even a cold pool. ( freezing cold )

Having explored every room we smothered our hair in expensive conditioner and headed back to the relaxation room where we were served tea ( herbal of course ) and chatted ( quietly ) about our wonderful and thoroughly relaxing day.

So, did I feel that the ‘stresses and pressures of daily life’ had temporarily vanished, leaving me in a place of ‘relaxation and calm serenity’ … absolutely! And would I recommend the spa to other tired and stressed mums … in a second! Oh and if you can convince the grandparents to keep your baby for the night and get your husband to take you out to dinner after your spa day then even better!

To book a Pre or Post Pregnancy Pampering Spa day for yourself, a friend or loved one CLICK HERE.