You might be ready for Christmas but are you ready for your baby's arrival?

If you are expecting a baby at this time of year it's difficult for your baby excitement and anticipation to not take 2nd place to everyone else looking forward to Christmas Day.

16 years ago my daughter Maya was due on Christmas day and I found it very frustrating when friends and family and of course shops and the media were all preoccupied with Christmas whilst I was preparing for what was definately my most important day.  She was born 1 day early and for me, her birthday is still more significant to me than Christmas day as it was the day I became a mother and my life changed.

For us January is a particularly busy time when the imminent arrival of a baby can't be ignored.  If this is your first baby, navigating your way through the masses of baby gear can be daunting, not to mention time consuming.

Making the experience of preparing for your baby, both for products and services easy for new parents is what we love doing. No matter how much time you surf the internet checking out reviews or asking friends with babies, it just won't give you the same insight that we have. It's our job to source the best quality and designs and sift out all the things that are surplus and frankly just not fit for purpose.  I'm very proud to say that we do sell absolutely everything you could need for a new baby and if we dont sell it it's because you don't need it. We also connect with people we regard as experts in their field, so if you have an achey back, need advice on breastfeeding, cord blood banking we can point you in the right direction.

This service is free to anyone who walks through our door, but to make sure you have some dedicated time to talk through all your needs please book an appointment with us for our 'Your Baby Your Way' consultancy service.  If you have a pregnant friend you think would benefit from a session why not buy them ones as a gift or forward them the link?

Wishing all our lovely customers a wonderful festive season and a special blessing to all the midwives, doulas, and health professional working at Christmas to support those mothers giving birth during this time.

Love from Eva, Georgina and everyone at Born.

Belly Bandits and Binding – About so much more than Skinny Jeans

When I first read about Belly Bandits,  I was very quick to presume that they were some sort of modern girdle to get women looking stick thin and fitting into their pre-pregnancy jeans within hours of giving birth.  Full of indignation, as I continued to read, I learned that far from being a modern westernised concept born of vanity, belly binding has been practiced by women around the world for thousands of years to protect their bodies and accelerate the post-birth healing process.

Ancient Symbol of Motherhood

One of the earliest forms of belly binding found was in the Mayan culture where women wound long strips of cloth and braided grass round their abdomens to push the stomach muscles back together, reduce postpartum bleeding and reposition the womb.  As the stomach healed and contracted, the cloth was shortened and tightened. In many tribes, this sort of belt was worn with pride and was in itself a symbol of motherhood.

Over the centuries, the practice spread around the world until each culture had it’s own practice of belly binding. Indian women would bind their stomachs as part of a ritual to warm and close the "open" stomach and birth canal after giving birth. It was also believed that binding would accelerate the body's process of getting rid of waste blood after the baby was born.

Since then, Japanese mothers have used a "sarashi" and Hispanic women wrap their bellies with a "faja" to help speed the healing process of their stretched-out midsections. In fact, mothers in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Latin America, Spain and the Philippines have commonly used and still employ some form of abdominal compression wraps to care for their bodies after giving birth.

So what are the benefits of Belly Binding?

Your stomach takes a fair bit of battering during pregnancy and often muscles become loose or separated. After giving birth, using a compression support such as the Belly Bandit encourages the use of your core muscles and gently persuades tummy muscles back together again. It helps to reduce the swelling of the uterus and decreases bloating from water retention.  Wearing a Belly Bandit gives your back and legs additional support and is great at supporting your upper body during breastfeeding. It has even been shown to minimize stretch marks and reduce the risk of hernias. And if you’ve had a C-section, you can position the Belly Bandit over the scar to protect it and keep the stomach compressed.

So yes, Belly Bandits can help you get back into your skinny jeans quicker but much more importantly, they help accelerate the healing process and are one of the kindest gifts you can give to your body after giving birth. I only wish I’d known about it sooner but I’ll be telling my daughter about it and hopefully she’ll be telling hers.  It’s time to reawaken this important tradition - after all, thousands of years of motherhood can’t be wrong.

Belly Bandits are available in Born stores or online at Born Direct

Visit the Belly Bandit website for more information.

Love

Helen

Christmas gift ideas

A few slightly different ideas for Christmas gifts. Make sure you place your order in plenty of time, last day for delivery before Christmas is 18th December - just  2 weeks away! Our shops are open until 4pm on Christmas Eve.

In case you just dont know what to give, how about a Born gift voucher? These can be emailed so can be delivered instantly with no need to worry about wrappying or post.

For mum-to-be and baby



A lambskin is the perfect thing to lie on when pregnant, super soft, warm and great for taking on mums scent so that when your baby comes it will smell of mum and therefore become a comforting place for baby to sleep safely.  A great mattress to take on sleepovers with your baby too.

Bowron Lambskin's are tanned with non-toxic chemicals so that they won't emit any harmful fumes when your baby lies on it.



For dad and baby



What better Christmas gift than a father in love with his baby? A baby skin to skin with dad will release feel good oxytocin in both of them.  Also what better way to take a post Christmas lunch dinner than with baby cuddled up cosy and close.













For bath time

Bath time is fun time with these colourful bath toys from Meadow Kids.  Add in some organic bubbles from Earth Friendly Baby to wind down in the evening.











Dinner time



Christmas wouldn't be the same without Christmas dinner and with the Tripp Trapp, Handysit or Mountain Buggy Pod your baby gets to be part of the family celebrations and fun.  The Handysit, Pod and Totseat are also great for taking with to friends and families houses too.









A friend for life



Who doesn't have a favourite toy that they were given as a baby? We think Charlie Bears are the perfect life long friend, made from organic cotton so perfect for cuddling and the occasional chew.











Merry Christmas!