www.indybel.com together with the Mother, Baby & Toddler Show are looking for 6 pregnant women to star as models for the Indybel Maternity Fashion Show on October 10th 2009 at the Palacio de Congressos in Estepona.
If you will be 5 or 6 months pregnant in October and fancy taking part in the coast’s most exciting maternity fashion show, then we’d love to hear from you and your gorgeous bump!
Prior to the show, the successful 6 models will receive a model master class from our professional show choreographer, where they will learn to walk and turn on the catwalk, receive tips to improve confidence and learn the steps needed for the day.
On the big day our models will be pampered by professional hair stylists and make up artists and will also receive a great gift from www.indybel.com. The fashion show itself will be photographed by the official show photographer and all our models will receive a great photo of their moment on the catwalk.
There are no height or shape specifications. We are simply looking for fun loving real pregnant women who fancy the chance of being a Catwalk Queen for the day!
If this sounds like you then we’d love to hear from you!
Simply email info@indybel.com and tell us why you think you’d make the perfect Indybel model!
Please include your name, date of birth, due date and the area where you live. Please also include 2 recent photos. One recent close up shot of your face and one recent full length shot.
The closing date for applications is Friday 21st August 2009.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Customers Questions - "Do I really need to buy maternity clothes?"
We get lots of emails from our customers in Spain and throughout Europe asking questions about being pregnancy and baby in Spain. We thought it might be fun and useful to post a few of those questions ... and our replies ... just in case they might help others too ...."Hi, I'm 5 months pregnant and just starting to grow out of my normal clothes. I don't see a lot of point in buying expensive maternity clothes when I can just buy cheap T shirts and leggings in larger sizes ... I love some of the maternity clothes on your website, but do you really think it's worth buying maternity clothes? "
K. Johnston Alicante
Hi there K ... thanks for your email.
K. Johnston Alicante
Hi there K ... thanks for your email.
Well ...maternity clothing is very much a matter of choice and yes it's true you can get away with buying cheaper clothing in bigger and bigger sizes which is actually what I did during my pregnancy. However what I did find was that these cheaper tops were pretty poor quality and didn't last very long, nor was their length long enough to cover my bump properly. While it worked ok for tops, it's also difficult and more pricey to buy bigger and bigger bottoms. We don't necesarily believe you need a whole new maternity wardrobe, but a few staple items do make the world difference, especially if you need smartish clothes for work.
Don't forget, maternity clothes are not just about supporting your bump, they can also make mum to be feel great, glam and stylish, especially on those 'bad bump days'! A good maternity swimsuit for example will make you feel sleek and toned and show your bump off proudly, whereas the non maternity version might make your pregnancy body feel bulky and flabby.
A few staple items might include a nice pair of maternity jeans, a nice top, a skirt and a dress that can be either dressed up or down. If you work you may need a pair of nice black trousers or another skirt. You can then add items as and when you need them and dress your wardrobe up with non maternity items, such as long scarves and belts to hide or show off your bump!
A good friend of ours who is pregnant with number 2 recently commented that she didn't buy any maternity clothes first time round but did invest in several of our Seraphine items second time round. She said that rather than spending more money she saved money as the good quality maternity items took her through the nine months and will take her beyond, and they make her feel and look great. It actually worked out cheaper and easier than spending a fortune on different sized normal clothes and having to restock every month as she put more weight on.
We did find the maternity wear in Spain fairly uninspiring during our pregnancies which is why we now stock the gorgeous, affordable, stylish and high quality Seraphine and JoJo Maman Bebe ranges.
Best of luck with the rest of your preganancy and let us know how you get on ...
indybel x
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Pregnancy and Birth in Spain - Government start to make changes
As British mums living in Spain we are all aware of the differences between giving birth in the UK and giving birth in Spain .. some good and some bad. But although Spain is often seen as more traditional than the UK in terms of the issues surrounding pregnancy and birth, things are starting to change as the Zapatero Government brings in some welcome and some controversial changes regarding abortion and the morning after pill ... This article from the Brussels Journel by Soeren Kern http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/3990 outlines some of the policies currently under discussion...
'Spaniards are currently debating a controversial plan by Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to liberalize the country’s abortion law. The new measure would obligate the public healthcare system to provide free abortions without any restrictions for women 16 years and over up to the 14th week of pregnancy, and up to 22 weeks if there is a risk to the mother’s health or if the foetus is deformed. Women can also undergo the procedure after 22 weeks if doctors certify that the foetus has a serious deformity or incurable illness. The new bill would reform the present law, passed in 1985, which legalizes abortion only for certain restricted cases: up to 12 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape, up to 22 weeks in the case of severe foetal malformation, and at any point if a doctor certifies that the pregnancy represents a threat to the physical or mental health of the mother.
The Zapatero government says the new law is groundbreaking in Spain because it regards abortion as a right, not a crime. Equality Minister Bibiana Aído says that with the new law, “no woman will go to jail for interrupting her pregnancy.” In actual practice, however, abortion is already essentially legal on demand in Spain because the existing law is not enforced. According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, the number of abortions has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching a record-high 112,138 abortions in 2007 (the latest year for which official data is available), or more than 300 every day. At the current rate, one out of every five pregnancies in Spain will end in abortion by 2010. By some estimates, that would rank Spain as having one of the highest abortion rates in Europe.
The most controversial part of the proposed reforms would give girls aged 16 the right to abort without consulting their parents. The move, which has outraged Spanish voters on both sides of the political aisle, is the latest in an ambitious program of social change under Zapatero, who critics say is resolutely determined to destroy Spain’s Judeo-Christian ethical foundations, primarily by deconstructing the traditional family.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Trinidad Jiménez announced that effective immediately the government will make the so-called “morning-after” contraception pill available at pharmacies without prescription, provoking accusations by the conservative opposition Popular Party that the Zapatero government views abortion as just “one more method of contraception.” For her part, Deputy Prime Minister María Teresa Fernández de la Vega says the new bill is necessary to “preserve the dignity of women.” She also says it is “in line with today’s Spanish reality.” But Spain’s real reality is that abortion, in addition to corroding Spanish attitudes toward life, is also imploding the Spanish population'.
Soeren Kern is Senior Fellow for Transatlantic Relations at the Madrid-based Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group
'Spaniards are currently debating a controversial plan by Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to liberalize the country’s abortion law. The new measure would obligate the public healthcare system to provide free abortions without any restrictions for women 16 years and over up to the 14th week of pregnancy, and up to 22 weeks if there is a risk to the mother’s health or if the foetus is deformed. Women can also undergo the procedure after 22 weeks if doctors certify that the foetus has a serious deformity or incurable illness. The new bill would reform the present law, passed in 1985, which legalizes abortion only for certain restricted cases: up to 12 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape, up to 22 weeks in the case of severe foetal malformation, and at any point if a doctor certifies that the pregnancy represents a threat to the physical or mental health of the mother.
The Zapatero government says the new law is groundbreaking in Spain because it regards abortion as a right, not a crime. Equality Minister Bibiana Aído says that with the new law, “no woman will go to jail for interrupting her pregnancy.” In actual practice, however, abortion is already essentially legal on demand in Spain because the existing law is not enforced. According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, the number of abortions has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching a record-high 112,138 abortions in 2007 (the latest year for which official data is available), or more than 300 every day. At the current rate, one out of every five pregnancies in Spain will end in abortion by 2010. By some estimates, that would rank Spain as having one of the highest abortion rates in Europe.
The most controversial part of the proposed reforms would give girls aged 16 the right to abort without consulting their parents. The move, which has outraged Spanish voters on both sides of the political aisle, is the latest in an ambitious program of social change under Zapatero, who critics say is resolutely determined to destroy Spain’s Judeo-Christian ethical foundations, primarily by deconstructing the traditional family.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Trinidad Jiménez announced that effective immediately the government will make the so-called “morning-after” contraception pill available at pharmacies without prescription, provoking accusations by the conservative opposition Popular Party that the Zapatero government views abortion as just “one more method of contraception.” For her part, Deputy Prime Minister María Teresa Fernández de la Vega says the new bill is necessary to “preserve the dignity of women.” She also says it is “in line with today’s Spanish reality.” But Spain’s real reality is that abortion, in addition to corroding Spanish attitudes toward life, is also imploding the Spanish population'.
Soeren Kern is Senior Fellow for Transatlantic Relations at the Madrid-based Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos / Strategic Studies Group
Losing weight after having a baby ....
Now that bikini weather is here I know many mums ( myself included ) who are trying to lose those extra few pounds or more that have stuck since having a baby. Yet while we all want to look great it's important not to rush and to take your time losing the baby weight, especially if you have only recently had a baby and are still breast feeding. You need to nurture your body and lose weight gradually. Unfortunatly celebs such as Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman with their have baby, be back in jeans in 3 weeks attitudes don't help. What us normal mums have to remember is that these celebrity mums aren't normal. They have nannies who look after their babies while they head off to the gym and they starve themselves to get back in shape rather than focusing on the nutritional needs of their body and their new baby. I think I'd rather have those special moments with my baby and a few extra pounds than the stress to lose weight that celeb mums must feel!
An article in today's Daily Mail / Femail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/) reports on losing weight after having a baby ...
Mothers urged to take a year to lose their excess baby weight to help their child
New mothers should take up to a year to gradually lose the weight they put on in pregnancy, doctors say.
Rather than trying to copy celebrities who appear to snap back into shape just weeks after giving birth, they should shed the extra pounds slowly for the benefit of both the baby and themselves.
And eating sensibly is more effective than punishing exercise regimes, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care said.
'Having a new baby is a major change in lifestyle,' its guidelines said.
'One of the reasons that pregnancy weight can be difficult to lose, or can lead to lifelong weight problems, is that a woman changes her eating and exercise habits. 'After childbirth, weight loss is complicated by the extra stresses the mother is facing, and her need to provide nutrition for her baby if she is breastfeeding.
'Women are exposed to many unrealistic images of female body size, and body size around pregnancy or after birth is no exception.
'That makes it difficult for many women to be satisfied with their figures, and it can damage their self-image and enjoyment of their body. You do not have to be move- star thin to be happy, healthy and have a healthy baby.'
Don't forget that for us mums lucky enough to live in Spain, there are some great ways to lose weight HEALTHILY!
* Take a stroll along the paseo or beach with your baby ... early mornings or late evenings are best in this heat, and a quick paced stroll can do wonders for your thighs!
* Enjoy the Spanish diet of fresh fish, meat, salads, olive oil and vegetables ...
* There are many mother and baby exercise classes, such as baby yoga and swimming ... great ways to bond with your baby and lose weight at the same time!
* Drink lots of water ... easy in this heat and important, as keeping hydrated stops water retention
* Don't forget that sex is also a great form of exercise and a great way to make sure your partner isn't feeling left out with all the attention focused on the new baby!
An article in today's Daily Mail / Femail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/) reports on losing weight after having a baby ...
Mothers urged to take a year to lose their excess baby weight to help their child
New mothers should take up to a year to gradually lose the weight they put on in pregnancy, doctors say.
Rather than trying to copy celebrities who appear to snap back into shape just weeks after giving birth, they should shed the extra pounds slowly for the benefit of both the baby and themselves.
And eating sensibly is more effective than punishing exercise regimes, the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care said.
'Having a new baby is a major change in lifestyle,' its guidelines said.
'One of the reasons that pregnancy weight can be difficult to lose, or can lead to lifelong weight problems, is that a woman changes her eating and exercise habits. 'After childbirth, weight loss is complicated by the extra stresses the mother is facing, and her need to provide nutrition for her baby if she is breastfeeding.
'Women are exposed to many unrealistic images of female body size, and body size around pregnancy or after birth is no exception.
'That makes it difficult for many women to be satisfied with their figures, and it can damage their self-image and enjoyment of their body. You do not have to be move- star thin to be happy, healthy and have a healthy baby.'
Don't forget that for us mums lucky enough to live in Spain, there are some great ways to lose weight HEALTHILY!
* Take a stroll along the paseo or beach with your baby ... early mornings or late evenings are best in this heat, and a quick paced stroll can do wonders for your thighs!
* Enjoy the Spanish diet of fresh fish, meat, salads, olive oil and vegetables ...
* There are many mother and baby exercise classes, such as baby yoga and swimming ... great ways to bond with your baby and lose weight at the same time!
* Drink lots of water ... easy in this heat and important, as keeping hydrated stops water retention
* Don't forget that sex is also a great form of exercise and a great way to make sure your partner isn't feeling left out with all the attention focused on the new baby!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Mother, Baby & Toddler Show ...
Finally southern Spain gets it's first Mother, Baby & Toddler Show .... !
This great show is long overdue as there is so much advice and info avaliable for parents in Spain, but often it's difficult to find the information you need and it's certainly never all in one place. The Mother, Baby & Toddler show takes place on the 9th and 10th of October at the Palacio de Congressos in Estepona and promises to be a really exciting and 'must be there' day out for all parents and children on the Costa del Sol. Indybel will of course be there with all our products and we'll also be presenting a maternity fashion show on the Saturday morning with key peices from our Seraphine and JoJo Maman Bebe autumn collections. We are very excited about this and will post more information about our fashion show here nearer the time.
In the meantime though, here are a few facts about the show itself .... pencil the dates in your diary and book your place now!!
This great show is long overdue as there is so much advice and info avaliable for parents in Spain, but often it's difficult to find the information you need and it's certainly never all in one place. The Mother, Baby & Toddler show takes place on the 9th and 10th of October at the Palacio de Congressos in Estepona and promises to be a really exciting and 'must be there' day out for all parents and children on the Costa del Sol. Indybel will of course be there with all our products and we'll also be presenting a maternity fashion show on the Saturday morning with key peices from our Seraphine and JoJo Maman Bebe autumn collections. We are very excited about this and will post more information about our fashion show here nearer the time.
In the meantime though, here are a few facts about the show itself .... pencil the dates in your diary and book your place now!!
Mother, Baby & Toddler is a brand new, two-day event, designed to be an invaluable source of information, help and advice for mums-to-be and families with babies and toddlers living on the coast.
As well as providing free seminars, workshops, live debates and question and answer forums, Mother, Baby & Toddler offers a great day out with maternity and children's fashion shows, baby cookery demonstrations, a children's play area with live entertainment, a free crèche to give mums a well-earned break to browse the stands, have a quick manicure, a coffee with friends or simply relax and make use of the free massage services on site.
Mother, Baby & Toddler brings together all the products, services and activities available for mums-to-be and new mums on the coast - from midwife services, choosing where to have your baby, baby and children's health issues, purchasing all the essential items, activities for pregnant mums and babies, decorating the nursery, buying clothes and toys, choosing a nursery, a school, nutritional and developmental help and support plus information on myriad other topics. Mother, Baby & Toddler is a one-stop-shop for expectant mums and young families, a place to come to find out everything you need to know about how to raise a healthy, happy and confident child.
Vital Information!!
Tickets - There will be a small charge on the day OR you can register NOW for your FREE ticket!
Dates - 9th and 10th of October 2009 / 10am - 8pm
Website - To find out more or register for your free ticket go to http://www.motherbabyandtoddler.co.uk/index.htm
Contact - lisa@motherbabyandtoddler.co.uk
We look forward to seeing you there!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hot Summer Nights ...
Keeping Your Baby or Toddler cool at night ...
I've been watching the temperature creep up at night in my daughers room ... just last week it was a comfortable 25 degrees ... last night it was a very uncomfortable 29 degrees! My little girl who slept amazingly well for her first two summers ( bizarely the hotter it got the more soundly she slept ) is now not liking the nighttime heat in Spain at all and is able to vocally tell me that 'my room is too hot' ... so although it's only mid June, it seems a summer of broken nights sleep is about to start, and I am bracing myself for the worst ...
I remember reading up on keeping bedrooms cool when Bella was born, afterall when you have a baby in Spain, hot summer nights are part and parcel of it all, but funnily enough although I was actually more frightened about her overheating her first summer, it seems that this summer now she is two and a half is going to be the worst. It's so hot that she's stopped napping too and is taking a long time to settle at night, so all in all she's losing sleep which I'm not too happy about. Time to take some action I think!!
Here are some of the tips I remember from reading about keeping your childs room cool in Spain ...
* You can put a fan ( or two, or three ) in a babies room, but when they are very small have it pointed away from the baby so they only get the breeze that bounces off another wall. This worked well for us, although I do remember having three blaring in the height of summer, all stragetically angeled at different positions ...
* As far as I can remember you can use air conditioning in older babies bedrooms. We never did this, I always thought it seemed a bit unhealthy, but a friend of mine has used air conditioning in her son's bedroom ever summer since he's been born, and he's never seemed to suffer from it. Again angle the breeze away from the baby's bed ...
* One thing we did do last summer, was put our portable air con unit in Bella's bedroom for an hour or so before she went to bed to cool the room down and then put the fans on .... this didn't keep the room cool all night but did make it more comfy for a few hours ...
* Try to keep shutters down during the day so your babies room doesn't get too hot ...
* I remember reading a funny tip which was to soak towels in cold water and hang them in the baby's room opposite the fan. I tried this when it was really hot during bella's first summer in Spain and it did lower the temp by a few degrees ... trouble was when the room is 30 degrees plus the towels dry in about 5 mins! Worth a go though!
* Obviously strip your baby down as much as you can .... newborns normally get colder and may require a vest or light sleepsuit, toddlers can sleep in as little as nothing .... check out the sleep cover / temp guidelines which tell you what clothes / covers a baby should have in different temps .... there is a good one on babycenter.co.uk
Happy Sleeping!
I've been watching the temperature creep up at night in my daughers room ... just last week it was a comfortable 25 degrees ... last night it was a very uncomfortable 29 degrees! My little girl who slept amazingly well for her first two summers ( bizarely the hotter it got the more soundly she slept ) is now not liking the nighttime heat in Spain at all and is able to vocally tell me that 'my room is too hot' ... so although it's only mid June, it seems a summer of broken nights sleep is about to start, and I am bracing myself for the worst ...
I remember reading up on keeping bedrooms cool when Bella was born, afterall when you have a baby in Spain, hot summer nights are part and parcel of it all, but funnily enough although I was actually more frightened about her overheating her first summer, it seems that this summer now she is two and a half is going to be the worst. It's so hot that she's stopped napping too and is taking a long time to settle at night, so all in all she's losing sleep which I'm not too happy about. Time to take some action I think!!
Here are some of the tips I remember from reading about keeping your childs room cool in Spain ...
* You can put a fan ( or two, or three ) in a babies room, but when they are very small have it pointed away from the baby so they only get the breeze that bounces off another wall. This worked well for us, although I do remember having three blaring in the height of summer, all stragetically angeled at different positions ...
* As far as I can remember you can use air conditioning in older babies bedrooms. We never did this, I always thought it seemed a bit unhealthy, but a friend of mine has used air conditioning in her son's bedroom ever summer since he's been born, and he's never seemed to suffer from it. Again angle the breeze away from the baby's bed ...
* One thing we did do last summer, was put our portable air con unit in Bella's bedroom for an hour or so before she went to bed to cool the room down and then put the fans on .... this didn't keep the room cool all night but did make it more comfy for a few hours ...
* Try to keep shutters down during the day so your babies room doesn't get too hot ...
* I remember reading a funny tip which was to soak towels in cold water and hang them in the baby's room opposite the fan. I tried this when it was really hot during bella's first summer in Spain and it did lower the temp by a few degrees ... trouble was when the room is 30 degrees plus the towels dry in about 5 mins! Worth a go though!
* Obviously strip your baby down as much as you can .... newborns normally get colder and may require a vest or light sleepsuit, toddlers can sleep in as little as nothing .... check out the sleep cover / temp guidelines which tell you what clothes / covers a baby should have in different temps .... there is a good one on babycenter.co.uk
Happy Sleeping!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Birthing Pools in Spain
As part of our commitment to bringing new and difficult to source products to Spain, we have been considering selling birthing pools. We do know that these are avaliable here but not easily. However we are aware that home birthing in Spain is somewhat behind home birthing in other countries and so we are unsure as how popular birthing pools might be here...
We'd love to hear your opinions, so if you might be interested in purchasing a high quality but very reasonably priced birthing pool, which is currently recommended by UK midwives, then please do email us at info@indybel.com
Thank you!
We'd love to hear your opinions, so if you might be interested in purchasing a high quality but very reasonably priced birthing pool, which is currently recommended by UK midwives, then please do email us at info@indybel.com
Thank you!
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