The Born Guide to Washable Nappies

Washable nappies are really easy to use. Whether you're a seasoned cotton nappy user or a complete beginner, washable or reusable nappies are quick, simple and cost-effective. And every nappy changed can make a difference in protecting the environment and protecting your baby's skin.

Here's why using real nappies could be the right choice for you and your baby:

3 Main reasons to use washable nappies:

1. Cheaper: The average saving is £600 for your first baby, more with subsequent children.

2. Healthier: You are placing fabric next to your baby's skin rather than chemicals.

3. Less Waste: Each baby in disposable nappies produces 1 tonne of waste that goes into landfill.

Now you're ready to find out more, here's a video that describes the different kinds of cloth nappies you can get.

Using Real Nappies is really easy.

For more information check out our Guide to using Washable Nappies  or shop online at Borndirect.

Love, Love, Love, what the world needs now

Water Cystal exposed to the words 'Love and Gratitude'

Water and the power of thought

I was fortunate enough to go to a talk by Masaru Emoto on Tuesday in Cheltenham.  His research on water is amazing. The premise is that is water is around positive thoughts and words, when frozen the crystals will be beautiful and symmetrical, if they are around hateful or angry thoughts and words they will not.  If this is true, and all his research suggests that it is, consider that in the womb a baby is surrounded by water (amniotic fluid) and will be picking up the thoughts of the mother and anyone else around. And of course breast milk, or formula is predominantly water. You can read about Dr. Emoto's work here.  For our children he has written 'The Secret Language of Water' to raise awareness about how amazing and life giving water is.

Babyhood Film

We had the Screening of Babyhood on Wednesday. There was an interesting discussion after the film with Safia Farr, the Editor of Juno Magazine, we sell Juno, but you can also subscribe to it. It's possible to watch the film online too.  It's well worth watching.  Saffia mentioned The Flourish Summit, an event to be held in April.  Also, as a result of this the first National Children's Day will be on 15th May.

Love Food - Love Kids?

The wonderful Love Food Spring Festival was on this weekend. I was there on the Saturday with nappies and slings.  Next to me was an amazing body painter, Kate, who was there offering children's face painting. Kate is a body artist, you can see some of her amazing work here.  Lorna (Founder of the Love Food Events) and I have in the past run Love Baby events, and we would like to host a Love Kids event in June for children and teenagers. The idea being to give people inspiration and access to doing things that schools and clubs don't do. However we're both really busy, so if anyone is interested in volunteering to help we'd love to hear from you.

~Eva

Top Tips to Prepare for Breastfeeding

Just as you would prepare for birth, there are things that you can do to prepare for a smooth breastfeeding journey.

Relax. Listen to some relaxation recordings before the birth; this will also help with labour, and will help you when you have your baby as well. Listen to our free Hypnosis for Childbirth recordings from Tracy Holloway, from our site.

Relaxed Birth and Parenting also have a lovely CD, Arrival,  to help you relax and connect with your baby.

Consider a relaxing massage or Shiatsu (Acupressure) from a practitioner specially trained to work with pregnancy and post-natally.  Most practitioners on the Well Mother Register offer home visits for the first month, something I found really useful because I knew my baby was close by. They can also teach self massage of the breast, a useful thing to know to help prevent milk duct blockages.

Trust. Trust your body, trust your baby - when the two are put together frequently, comfortably and effectively, breastfeeding happens. Any form of bodywork, like yoga, Shiatsu, massage, meditation will support you to trust in your body and give you the mental space to just 'Be' with your baby.

Learn. Attend a class with a Lactation consultant or breastfeeding counsellor before your baby arrives. Breastfeeding is a new skill to learn, and because we don't see it in our culture every day, it is worth investing is a training session with your partner too. Supported mum = happy baby. Relaxed Birth and Parenting offer wonderfull weekly mother-to-be classes and couples workshops to help you prepare for your baby's arrival.

Buy a copy of 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding',  'Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding' or 'The Food of Love'

Understand.  Your breasts will change when your baby is born; if you know what to expect, you won't be caught off-guard. See the PDF and videos on our  Bravado Designs page whose nursing bras we sell.

Nurture yourself. Buy a comfortable nursing bra. I've yet to find a range that beats Bravado. Get measured around the 36th week of pregnancy.

Drink pregnancy well-being tea and have a packet of Mama's Nursing Support Tea in your cupboard. It's not just that these teas contains fantastic vitamins and minerals, the very act of making loose leaf tea will help you to relax, and drinking it will calm you. Think of it as your 'calm down for feeding' ritual, where nothing else matters but giving your body and your baby some TLC. Amanda, the Herbalist from Welcome World who makes these teas, also makes a tincture that may help to boost milk production.

Find Breastfeeding Buddies. Speak to other mums who have breastfeed. Find out if there is a breastfeeding support group close to you that you can go to before your baby comes so you can meet other breastfeeding mums. These groups LOVE having pregnant mums visit.

Attend a Baby Calm or Relaxed Birth and Parenting ante-natal class where you can  meet other mums to be to share your journey

Make it comfortable. Try a good nursing support pillow, if it works for you, buy it, it will end up having lots of other support uses too! In the first few days of breastfeeding, getting the positioning correct is important to prevent baby latching oncorrectly. Sitting upright and with your feet and back supported makes this easier.  After you have mastered the art of getting your baby attached, you may not need it, but for those first few days or weeks it may be your best friend.

Buy a tube of Gold Cream, you may never need it but having it there just in case will give you peace of mind.

Keep help at hand. Know where to get help if things don't feel right, or go wrong. There is a lot of support out there. Better to ask a silly question than suffer in silence. Visit www.lcgb.org for skilled local help, keep your local contacts handy so if you need to contact them you can do that straight away. Pain and/or slow weight gain is an indicator that attachment needs experienced and speedy attention.

Set yourself up for success. Read about how to  have a 'Baby Moon', and why it's important to keep unnecessary people away during this special bonding time.

Your baby will need to feed at night, and it's recommend by Unicef/Baby Friendly that baby is in your room for at least the first 6 months. This can be in your bed or in a crib, cradle. cot or Moses basket next to your bed.

Find an Osteopath or Chiropractor you can take your baby to after birth for a check over. Regardless of what kind of birth you have, it's a good idea to do this to make sure there are no issues that could impede good attachment or can cause discomfort to baby or you. We are happy to give you names of trusted practitioners, or see Born Together.

Read positive articles about breastfeeding, read websites that support breastfeeding mums such as www.normalfed.com.

Print these Positive affirmations for breastfeeding and read them every day in the last month of pregnancy, and after your baby arrives:

~Eva, with help from April, Amanda, Becky, Dominique, Juliana, and Suzanne

Born is 13 Today

13 Years ago Georgina and I opened the doors to our Gloucester Road store.  We took over the premises on Christmas Eve 1999, and spent the next 3 months decorating, shop fitting and buying stock.  It's interesting to see just how few of those suppliers are still around.  This industry is tougher than most think. The subject matter, babies, is of course wonderful, but the 'industry' that surrounds it is not so cute.

We set out to be different. Not selling things we felt people really didn't need and choosing products that were 'best in class' and things that we ourselves would want to use.  13 years ago we struggled to find suppliers to fulfill our buying remit. Now we are spoilt for choice, which is a good thing, because it means that suppliers are more conscious of how products are made and the people who make them. It means our stores and web site are now heaving,  and Bristol looks very different from the picture above.



One thing we've always been really selective about is our choice of pushchairs.  The factories they are made in are of paramount importance. Why would we sell a pushchair made by a child or someone in forced labour? The reality is that there are still companies for whom the morality of this is not an issue, but for us it definitely is. As is the materials they are made of. Unfortunately due OTT British safety standards our strollers and cots are laden with unnecessary chemical fire retardants. That's why when Orbit Baby Strollers came along we were very excited to know about their commitment to avoid using these chemical in their strollers. They are the 'Worlds Greenest Stroller'. So we were very excited when they said to us that they wanted to celebrate their UK launch by giving away a pushchair to one of our lucky customers, to highlight just how eco friendly their brand is.

Last year Orbit Baby were bought by Ergobaby, the manufacturers of brilliant baby carriers.  They are also the brand that is most similar to us in its ethos. They don't just sell carriers and pushchairs, they are promoting an ethical and heart centered parenting  lifestyle, and one that leaves behind a legacy which our children and future generations will be proud of.  For us it's fitting that we get to celebrate our birthday by launching a competition with them.

In the next few days we'll be sending out information on how you can be in with a chance to win an Orbit G2 Stroller. To make sure you get that email you need to be on our mailing list. Go to our home page and fill in your email address in the box at the bottom of the page.

~ Eva

Bravado Pregnancy and Nursing Bras Video Reviews

I think Bravado Pregnancy and Nursing Bras are by far the most comfortable nursing bra you can buy, especially the Bravado Silk Seamless, which has received 5/5 stars in reviews from customers who have worn it.

I recently made some video's of the bras and tank tops so that customers can see the features of the bras.  I've had so many customers say that they wish they had bought Bravado bras first as they'd spent a fortune on bras they were not comfy or they had outgrown. These are two features you can count on with Bravado; stretchiness and comfort.


The Bravado Silk Seamless Pregnancy and Nursing Bra



The Bravado Essential Tank for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding


The Bravado Original Pregnancy and Nursing Bra


Bravado Washable Cotton Nursing Pads

~Eva

Pregnancy Massage with Becky Stanley

Massage, or the laying on of hands, is an ancient tradition that can be dated as early as 1000 BC in China. We know that touch from a loved one has a positive effect, simply holding someone's hand can be beneficial to both giver and receiver. Loving touch or massage stimulates the calming hormone oxytocin, which when released reduces stress and slows us down. Long, slow breathing helps the elimination of  toxins and blood is nourished, which in turn is beneficial for a baby's growth. Massage is deeply nourishing and relaxing, a woman can feel more at home in her changing body, and this relaxation also has a  positive effect on how she feels about her birthing process. Massage during pregnancy can help alleviate backache, heartburn, and can release some water retention. A woman's skin can become sensitive while it stretches and tightens, so massage can nourish the skin giving it some elasticity. Massage is also so much more than that; many women tell me that what they love most is the sense of finding themselves in their body again, of regaining a sense of confidence in their own skin and this confidence can support a woman to make clearer choices as a mother, Massage simply gives you a space to relax into you.

While a baby is in the safe space of the womb, their skin is in constant contact with the amniotic fluid, warm and comforting as it flows around them; as a baby grows, more of their skin is in contact with the inner wall of the uterus and the sensations become closer, they are held as they gently sway within. Massage offers a woman the chance to immerse herself in the feelings of security and reassurance, this in turn allows her the time to really improve the bond with her baby before it's born.

Continuing that bond is vital for a baby's continued sense of well being. There are many ways to conserve this bond; breastfeeding, skin to skin time, baby wearing, and massage. The baby massage that I teach focuses on strengthening the bond between parent and baby and offers simple touch techniques to help alleviate symptoms such as colic, sleeplessness and teething discomfort.  Massage also provides for a baby a sense of themselves within the space, massaged babies grow with a confidence in their surroundings and can be more emphatic to others. Touch is reassuring -  just simple relaxed touch, massage and holding a baby can boost their immune system by reducing stress and preventing many ailments.

Massage is something we all have at our fingertips, a simple yet profound treatment available to everyone. Pregnancy, birth and motherhood are special and transformational times, and massage can transform your experience allowing it to become more relaxed, enjoyable and deeply personal.

If you are interested in attending a baby massage class or booking a massage treatment for yourself then I have listed contact details, please see below.

~ Becky Stanley





FB - Mother and baby massage













0117 9245654

40 Fernbank rd

Redland

Bristol

BS6 6PU

This weeks fun and games

Changing to Cloth does make a difference

I had a phone call this week from a landlady. A couple who live in one of her flats had just had a baby, and the nappy waste they were producing was taking over their allocation of bin space.  She wanted to know if there was anything she could do to encourage them to use washable nappies, like a laundry service. Unfortunately there are no longer any washable nappy services in Bristol, there used to be, but both closed down. 

Free Relaxation for Birth Downloads from Tracy Holloway

Hypnosis for labour and birth works.  I've spoken to many women who have attended classes or listened to hypnosis recordings and have benefited from doing so.

I met Tracy Holloway when she used to hold Hypnosis for childbirth classes here in Bristol.  Since then her work has taken her in a different direction. Not wanting her fantastic Hypnosis recordings to go un-appreciated I asked Tracy if she would be happy to allow our customers to have access to them. She agreed, and so we have put together a page of information, a PDF Guide and free access to the 4 recordings that are designed to promote a mother to baby (heart to womb) connection, keep you relaxed during pregnancy, labour, birth and motherhood.

You'll never really know how beneficial these recordings were to you, because if you do them you won't know what your birth would have been like if you hadn't.  On the page you can read Lou's story of her births in the Testimonial section, the first without having done any relaxation preparation and the second with. Make your mind up after reading them as to which birth you'd prefer and then decide if going to sleep listening to the recordings is worth giving a go.

We'd love to hear your birth stories, as the more positve ones we hear the more we can transform conciousness around birth.

Given with love

~Eva & Tracy

'Where my Wellies Take Me' by Clare & Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Olivia Gill

Georgina met Olivia in the London store around 6 years ago when Olivia was a customer. Over the years they became friends. Last year, before this book was published I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia and seeing her sketch book of all the drawings she had done for this book before they were printed. It was amazing to see and what's also amazing is the way they have captured these illustrations in the final book. Olivia will be at Born Stoke Newington on Saturday 16th March between 11-4pm with a selection of her orginal sketches to look at and to inpire any budding artists. You can also buy the book at the event or reserve it for instore collection now to make sure you get a copy on the day.

The Guradian did a feature on the book and you can see some of the illustrations here

Olivia has kindly shared her story of how the book came about with us below.

~Eva



The creation of 'Where my Wellies Take me'

I met Michael and Clare when we were in Brittany staying with my parents in law. We had seen some posters for a festival of young peoples books in the little port of Doelan where we sometimes visit and so the next day, after a lovely picnic on the cliffs we all went along.   There was a small collection of tents pitched round the harbour with a boat ferrying people across the 30’ span of water from one side to the other. The largest tent had lots of tables with authors and illustrators signing books. It was a lovely atmosphere and quite small scale. Exactly how small became apparent when one of the organizers came up to us quite excited. She had found out that though Vincent had grown up down the road, he now lived in England.

Stem Cells From Cord Blood - Waste Product or Life Saving?

Jo Taylor was my midwife when Jacob was born. We’ve kept in touch over the 10 years since then and now Jo trains people to collect cord blood.  They ‘why’ and ‘how’ she explains in her blog below.

~Eva



Introduction

I want to introduce the topic of cord blood banking via a short illustrative piece about breast feeding - please indulge me and hopefully you will see the point!

Colostrum and Breast Feeding - there is a connection!

I first learned about the importance of colostrum to the new born as a farmer's daughter - colostrum has always been highly prized and surplus supplies are routinely collected and stored frozen on the farm for any sickly newborn animals who may need a therapeutic dose.  However, it has taken much longer to convince the medical profession of the crucial health benefits and potentially life- saving properties of human colostrum! Lots of babies, including the most sick and vulnerable, still go without the precious first dose of this highly specialised living complex of cells, antibodies, 'good bacteria', growth factors, nutrients and hormones, all specifically designed to prepare the immune system, the digestive tract and other organ systems for life in the outside world.

As a midwife, I have always supported women and babies to successfully breastfeed.  I've also helped other mothers in their battles to ensure their premature / special care babies receive the benefit of colostrum and breast milk, even if this had to be donated from another breast feeding mum. It is wonderful that through the hard work of a local campaign and public fundraising a local breast milk bank has now been established but nationally, provision remains patchy.

This week in Born 3rd March 2013

Been a while since I wrote, I always think not much has happened but then when I think about it, loads has.

Inspiring the next generation of mothers

Maya, my 15 year old, found this book called 'Treasure Yourself' by Miranda Kerr, which I have also been enjoying reading.  If you are also a mother to a teenage girl, you too may  look around for inspiring young women to whom your daughter can relate.  Miranda released pictures of herself breastfeeding her baby Flynn, which makes her a lovely positive role model in my book.

Film Screenings

We've got two screenings scheduled; the first one on March 20th is a film by Kate Jangra called Babyhood, and then on the 27th of May we are screening a film made at a conference held by the Holistic Childbirth Trust about 10 years ago. Ina May Gaskin (author of Spiritual Midwifery) came over for the conference; she brought with her a part of her quilt, which she showed to us.  Each patch represents a woman who dies as a result of childbirth in the USA from complications that arose from interventions. I can still remember how sad it was seeing this and knowing that those mothers would still be here for their children had they had different choices. You can watch the trailers and buy tickets here.

New Season's Clothing

Both spring summer collections from Noa Noa Miniture Baby and Imps + Elfs have arrived.  Now that March is here let's hope that Spring will soon come as there are lots of gorgeous clothes in both these collections.

Hypnosis for Childbirth

Next week we will be releasing FREE of charge Hypnosis for Childbirth recordings from Tracy Holloway.  So exicited to be offering these. My only regret is not knowing about these for my 2 births.  I've had such great testimonials from women who have used Tracy's recordings or attended classes (Katrina Berry runs them in our Stoke Newington store), that I know that hypnosis makes a difference.  The mind/body connection cannot be ignored. We will announce on Facebook as soon as they are ready.

~Eva