Nature's Playground! Tips For Taking Your Baby To The Beach

There's nothing like a day at the seaside to make you feel that summer's here, but when my own children were babies, I struggled to get enthusiastic - the thought of carrying car loads of baby gear down to the beach, then trying to pacify hot, restless, crying babies with sand and grit everywhere was not particularly tempting!

But with a little organisation and thought, some of our best family outings were at the beach.  The seaside environment is perfect for little babies - breathing in the salty air and having a little splash in the sea can help with everything from a stuffed up nose to eczema.  And when they are sitting up or crawling, babies love to explore the new and different textures and sounds - dry and wet sand, seaweed, pebbles and rocks, the noise of the waves, seagulls and other children.  Nature's playground! Here are our tips for having a relaxed, fun day with babies at the beach...

Sun Lotion by Green People

Sun Protection:
Always make sure your child is protected from the sun. The reflection from the sand and water and the wind coming off the sea can be particularly dangerous, even if the sun isn't shining.  We recommend Green People Sun Lotion - an organic lotion offering the maximum available sun protection from an organic sun care product - UVA and up UBV protection up to 96%. It is suitable for sensitive skin, and is also water resistant.


Sun hats are a must, too.  If your baby enjoys a game of taking the hat off and throwing it away, as mine did, go for a hat with ties so you can be sure they are covered up. BabyBanz sunglasses and  UV suits are also a great way of making sure your baby is protected, and they are getting more and more popular, especially for older babies and toddlers.

UV suits by Splashabout

Shade:
Shade is a must, especially if you have a young baby.  Beach umbrellas are fine and pop-up tents are perfect.  Look for one that has UV protection and make sure there is enough room in there for you and the children, especially if you are breastfeeding.


Temperature:
In addition to keeping your baby shaded, help them to keep cool (or warm!) by removing or adding layers of clothing.  If you can, select clothing that is made from natural fibres that allow the body to breathe.  Make sure they have plenty to drink to avoid dehydration, and cooling off in the waves can help a lot - just watch out for the temperature of the sea! It may well be too cold to completely immerse your little one, so stick to dipping their hands and feet in the water if in doubt.





Food:
If you are exclusively breastfeeding, the only "gear" you need is yourself, although a lightweight muslin may be useful to protect your baby from the sun or wind.  You may also need a beach chair or something to lean against to protect your back, as hunching over your baby as you nurse them get's really painful!

If your baby has bottles or babyfood, make sure you take extra.  The fresh air can stimulate the most sluggish of appetites and you don't want to cut the day short because your little one is hungry. Check out in advance if the beach has a cafe that is happy to warm bottles - that can cut down on the amount of equipment you need.

Finally - toys!
Depending on their age, the beach environment may be stimulation enough, but the repetition of filling a bucket with sand can keep older babies happy for hours, so a simple bucket and spade is perfect.  After all, you are at the seaside!

For more ideas about enjoying the summer with your little ones, visit our Summer Essentials pages at Borndirect.

Recycled Plastic Sand Set by Green Toys

Bristol Study Day - Attachment Theory, Neuropsychology and Infant Carrying

A study day run by The School of Babywearing in Bristol in September will look at the research behind babywearing and how these insights can be used in antenatal classes for expectant parents and/or in babywearing education and advocacy. This is an ideal CPD day for babywearing educators, and is suitable as a study day for anyone with an interest in attachment theory, baby development and infant carrying.

The course describes the evolution of modern child developmental psychology, leading to the most recent scientific advances in child psychology, drawing from the fields of mammalian and primate research, attachment theory, neuropsychology and studies into the effects of parent-infant physical contact/movement and infant carrying.

There is a growing medical and public health interest in improving parenting quality and child psychological health in the UK, due to mounting evidence of the effects on lifelong wellbeing and economic productivity. The practice of ergonomic babywearing has a strong potential role to play in achieving improvements, but there is currently limited understanding of this potential amongst medical, early years and public health professionals.

The workshop is facilitated by Dr Henrik Norholt, Chief Science Officer for Ergobaby.  Dr. Norholt is a member of The World Association of Infant Mental Health, The Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health and the Society of Emotion and Attachment Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the LIFE Faculty of Copenhagen University and is a resident of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Dr. Norholt has been engaged in studying the effects of infant carrying on child psychological development through naturalistic studies since 2004 and is actively engaged in developing research into novel attachment- and lactation-promoting interventions through his international network of family practitioners, midwives, obstetricians, pediatricians and child psychologists.  He is a frequent lecturer at various midwives’ and early years practitioners’ universities, colleges, association meetings and conferences.

Ergobaby Inc. is one of the world’s leading companies within infant carrying equipment.  In 2009, Ergobaby initiated a research strategy to stimulate international research in psychological and physiological aspects of infant carrying. The overriding ambition of the research is to strengthen infant and parental development. An international network of collaborators within midwifery, infant mental health, obstetrics and pediatrics has been established and is working towards this end.

The School of Babywearing™ is part of Babywearing UK, a social enterprise that runs a variety of training courses for parents, professionals, businesses and other interested organisations about wearing babies and children in slings and baby carriers.

Study Day Details:

The day will run from 9.30am - 4.30pm on Sunday 7th of September with an optional additional evening session which will take place over a meal in a nearby restaurant. Refreshments will be provided. To find out more and book, please visit the School of Babywearing booking page. For more information about the School of Babywearing itself and the courses it offers for parents and professionals, visit the School of Babywearing  website.

Festivals With Kids - Our 'Must Have' Tips!

Festival season is well and truly upon us and we are getting more and more parents popping into the Born shops in London and Bristol to pick up last minute essentials!  Taking babies and toddlers to festivals is fantastic fun but can be a little daunting - the trick is to be organised and plan well!  To help, we have composed our own ideas of Festival 'Must Haves' to get you started!

    

Getting Around

A decent sling or baby carrier will make life with a baby or toddler so much easier for you at festivals, especially if there are big crowds - it's no fun staring at a forest of legs for hours!  Consider something like the ERGObaby Ventus Graphite Performance carrier (above) - lightweight and perfect for hot days, but with plenty of support and comfort.  Check out the Hippychick Hipseat too - very useful for when your little one is having a hop-on, hop-off sort of day!

If you're taking your stroller, make sure that you have all-terrain wheels that can cope with mud! If it's hot, take a seat liner - AeroMoov make great liners that breathe and actively keep your child from getting hot and sweaty. Strollers are great at festivals for nap times out and about, so don't forget a Snoozeshade to give your little one some privacy.






If your toddler prefers to walk, we think the Toddler Daysacks from Littlelife are ideal. With plenty of room for nappies, snacks etc, these backpacks come with a removable safety rein (perfect in a crowd) and an integrated rain hood, immediately transforming your little one into their chosen animal! Functionality, safety and dressing-up in one!

Toddler Daysacks with Reins by Littlelife

 

 

Wet Weather Gear

This is England in the Summer...need we say more?! Get well-equipped with all-in-one waterproofs and don't forget the wellies!! The Aigle Lolly Pop Boots are lovely wellies made from natural latex with a cotton lining, so they're comfy and built to last!

 

 

Hoping for Sunshine!

Keep your fingers crossed and don't forget to pack sun protection for your little one. Even if it's not scorching hot, if your child is out all day it's best to cover them with sun protection.  We recommend Green People's Sun Lotion and After Sun.  Sun hats are a must (we like the ones with little ties to ensure they stay on) as are baby sunglasses - being out in the day light all day makes these an essential piece of gear to protect your child's eyes.

First Aid and Protection

Hopefully, first aid won't be needed, but prevention is better than cure, so remember to take insect repelling bug balm and mosquito patches to keep the little blighters at bay, especially in the evenings.  Keep a little bottle of Weleda Combudoron Spray in your bag just in case anyone does get bitten - it helps to relieve the itching and swelling naturally. Rescue Remedy is always useful for bringing a sense of calm back to the proceedings!

Nappies

Many family-friendly festivals actually now have great toilets and shower facilities, but being prepared is always wise! Festivals are one of the few times that Disposable Nappies and Nappy Sacks are very useful for your baby or toddler, but you can still stay eco-friendly with this bio-degradeable range from Bambo and Beaming Baby.  And if you don't want to carry round a complete changing bag, check out this portable changing kit from Skip Hop - roomy enough for all your changing essentials, yet sleek enough to carry on your wrist.

Skip Hop Pronto! Portable Changing Kit

If Nothing Else, Remember These 3 Essential Items!

1 - Ear Defenders for your baby or toddler - these can protect your baby's ears from the loud music and can also help them get to sleep, especially if they are having a daytime nap in their buggy. 

2 - Lots of Baby Wipes - these are vital and not just for your baby! Perfect for nappies, hand and face washing, and general freshening-up, we recommend getting packs of eco-friendly wipes like Earth Friendly Kids or Beaming Baby that are free from nasty chemicals, especially as you are likely to be using your hands to eat.

3 - Bucket with a lid! For night-time, we strongly recommend a bucket with a lid as an emergency family toilet! Who wants to be up in the middle of the night negotiating the portaloos?! Trust us, you will be very glad you took this!

For a directory of family friendly festivals and lots of great tips, visit www.festivalkidz.com

The All-New Bugaboo Bee3 Stroller - Pre-order at Born now!!

Introducing the all new and improved Bugaboo Bee3 Stroller! Perfect for families on the go, the extra strong but lightweight pushchair includes parent-facing, recline and lie-flat options to give a beautifully smooth ride and it's still as compact as ever. With new colours for the seat fabric and an extendable sun canopy to match or contrast, the Bugaboo Bee3 is now compatible with it's own free-standing carrycot, so your newborn can stay undisturbed, safe, secure and happy!

So what's the difference between the old Bee and new Bugaboo Bee3?

The stand-alone carrycot:
Perfect from newborn onwards, this free-standing complete carrycot comes with a comfy mattress, cosy apron and two adapters that make it quick and easy to click the carrycot into place on your Bugaboo Bee3 Stroller. Compatible to use with the Bee3 extendable sun canopy, the lightweight carrycot has a solid base and strong handles so you can carry your baby from house to buggy without disturbing their precious sleep!

Stronger chassis:
The Bugaboo Bee3 chassis and seat unit is extra strong without compromising on it's light and compact feel, making it easy to push, fold, carry and store wherever you are. The unique seat grows with your child and adapts to their needs by extending, reversing to a rear-facing position and adjusting to a part or full recline in just a few clicks.

Larger underseat basket:
The new underseat basket now has a whopping 22 litre capacity - plenty of room for changing bags, shopping bags or other baby essentials!

Improved raincover:
The raincover for the Bee3 is extra long, ensuring that your little one is protected from the wind and the rain from head to toe!

5 point harness:
The five-point harness is attached to the seat unit for extra strength, giving you peace of mind that your baby is well-protected and safe.

New fabric colours for the seat, carrycot and extendable sun canopy!
The Bugaboo Bee3 is launching with some fantastic new colours that you can mix and match, truly personalising your stroller!

When Can I buy it?

The Bugaboo Bee3 is not available until September 2014, but you can pre-order with us now! For more information, check out our website, pop into one of our stores, or contact our customer services.

It's the Born Summer Sale! Up to 50% Off!

As the summer holidays approach, our thoughts at Born turn to one thing - Autumn and Winter!! In order to make room for new stock, we've put together some amazing bargains for our Summer Sale including kids clothing, maternity wear, cloth nappies and toys!

Frugi Summer Dungarees down to £16.80

Now's the time to make sure your little one is all set for the holidays and where better to start than our fantastic Frugi sale range, with up to 30% off on gorgeous organic kids clothes. 

30% off Frugi Organic Shorts & T-shirts

We especially love the Frugi organic cool shorts and t-shirts - fun, unique and SO comfy that your toddler will want to live in them day and night!

If you're heading for the beach or the sunshine, don't forget to protect your child from the sun and wind. We've got wide-brimmed and legionnaire-style sunhats in the sale for under £10, as well as cosy reversible fleeces with 30% off for when the evenings get chilly!

Save £9 on Frugi Fleeces and save 50% on this Reversible Sunhat for Babies!

Organic Baby Socks Gift Set at £8.40

If you're needing to stock up on the basics, our in-sale baby socks, bibs and hats are a steal! Save £3.60 on this Organic Baby Socks Gift Set from Petunia Pickle Bottom at just £8.40. 

Team them with some beautifully soft leather baby shoes - with 50% off!

We've also got ultra soft cotton baby hats for under £5, with bibs to match for the same price.

We've reduced some of our washable cloth nappies too - save on individual nappies or save a whopping £57.80 on a box of 20 New Generation Minkee Pop-in Nappies by Close Parent. 

£57.80 off this Pack of 20 Close Parent Nappies and Accessories

50% off all Hotmilk Maternity Wear

Why not use the sale to treat yourself? We've got a great range of fabulous maternity wear, with up to 50% off! There's £8 off Boob slim maternity trousers, £8 off Boob Maternity and Breastfeeding Vest and an amazing 50% off the Hotmilk range including this gorgeous Wrap dress at £30, the sensuous Nightfall Nightie at just £25 and all pregnancy and nursing bras!

50% off Push Alongs from Plan Toys

And if you're feeling really organised, take advantage of our sale of toys to stock up for birthdays and Christmas (sorry)!  With reductions on beautiful wooden nesting toys from Janod, soft play books from Lilliputiens and floating bath sets from Meadow Kids, you and your little ones are spoiled for choice!

This cheeky push-along Stegosaurus is down 50% to just £12.50!

There are loads more sale offers in our stores, so if you're in London or Bristol, call in and grab yourself a bargain! The In-Store Sale starts on Saturday 12th July and sale items are only available while stocks last.

Petunia Pickle Bottom Touring Tote Changing Bag - now under £100!

The Cat in the Hat - There's no doubt about that!

Have you been in our shop

In the last week or two?

Have you looked at our site?

There's a thing that is new

Pyjama Set by Bumkins

 

                                    

There's a thing with a cat
  and Thing One and Thing Two

  There's a thing with a fish
 and they're here just for you.

 There are PJ's in cotton

all snuggly and cozy

Just perfect for nights

and for days that are dozy

 

Dr Seuss Pyjama Sets by Bumkins

But that is not all we have.

No, it is not.

That is not all we have

here in our shop.

Cloth Nappy Cover by Bumkins

  There are nappies from Bumkins

with poppers that pop.

We'll help you to fit them

right here in the shop.

The waterproof covers 

are washable too,

so they're kind to the planet

and cheaper for you.

                          

   

                                                     Your baby is peckish?

                                                     Don't ruin their meal!

                                                  Give them snacks from our snack pack

                                                     It's truly ideal!

 But we are not finished yet.

Dr Seuss's Box of Fun

                                                 We are not done.

                                                 We have a box for you.

                                                One full of fun

 

           With board books of animals,

           colour and time.

        They're from Dr Seuss

            and guess what? They rhyme!

         So if you love the Cat

             and Thing One and Thing Two,

          they're here and they're waiting

         They're waiting for you.

Come to our shops

If you'd like to inspect

or visit our website,

it's called Borndirect

Buy Aden + Anais (Red) to Save Lives - It's That Simple

In 2010, 1,000 babies were born every day with HIV. In 2012, that number was down to 700.  By 2015, that number can be close to zero. An HIV-positive mother can pass HIV on to her baby any time during pregnancy, labor, delivery and breastfeeding, so the transmission of the virus must be blocked at each stage. Treatment using antiretroviral drugs costs as little as 40 cents a day to prevent the transmission from mother-to-child.

In a bid to join the fight against AIDS and the transition from mother to baby, Aden + Anais have pledged that 10% of the retail price of every Aden + Anais Limited Edition item will go directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.  The Global Fund promotes partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities, the most effective way to help reach those in need. This innovative approach relies on country ownership and performance-based funding, meaning that people in countries implement their own programs based on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing where verifiable results are achieved.  

When you buy an Aden + Anais product, 10% of the retail price goes from Aden + Anais directly to the Global Fund, bypassing (Red) who act only as the organisers.  100% of the money raised is used to help finance AIDS and HIV programs throughout Africa.

This Aden + Anais (RED) Musy Square 3-Pack can provide up to 5 days of life-saving medicine to help prevent a mother living with HIV from passing the virus to her baby.

This Aden + Anais (RED) Muslin Swaddle 4-Pack can provide up to 12 days of life-saving medicine to help prevent a mother living with HIV from passing the virus to her baby.









Choose (Red) and help fight for an AIDS free generation. Visit Born stores or check out our Borndirect website to see the Aden + Anais (RED) range and to find out more.