Mothers Sharing, a new group for Bristol

A new weekly support group has started to support Bristol mums-to-be and mums.

The group takes place every Monday at 10.45am to 12pm and is held at the wonderful Family Practice, 116, Gloucester Road, BS7 8NL Bristol, just 2 minutes from our shop.

Subjects that may arise are positive infant feeding, (breast and bottle feeding), sleep issues, coping with change, boredom and the transition from couple to family. This is a place to bring your worries, to be heard, supported and leave feeling you have picked up some useful tools for mothering.

We aim to bring relaxation and joy to parenting experiences, and presence and enjoyment to every moment.

The group facilitator is the incredibly experienced Dominique Sakoilsky, Director of Relaxed Birth and Parenting and a personal friend.  It was Dom who first helped me navigate the uncharted world of pregnancy, birth and parenting when I moved to Bristol 17 years ago. She is a Relate trained relationship and personal counsellor as well as a pregnancy and postnatal yoga teacher, Craniosacral therapist and also has a Ante-natal and Doula training course.  It's a fantastic honour to have to lead these sessions.

In Dominique's back up team are Suzanne Yates, founder of Well Mother Shiatsu, Suzanne is a  Body-worker and Birth Educator and author of numerous books on Shiatsu. Suzanne travels the world teaching massage therapists and health practitioners, including midwives of the benefits of Shiatsu for pregnancy, birth and post-natally.

Amanda Rayment, from Welcome World Herbal teas has supported many a mother with her nutritional and herbal advice as well as her teas.  She brings many years of experience and the knowledge that with a little guidance we can all be our own healers.

April Whincop is Bristol's expert breastfeeding practitioner, she sees clients privately and has also run La Leche League support groups for 16 years and works within the NHS and as peer support trainer within Barnado's.  Customers we have referred to her describe her as 'the Mary Poppins of breastfeeding' because she really does know everything there is to know.  The group believes that the right support at the right time can make a huge difference to a mother's breastfeeding experience, however we are also supportive of mothers who choose to bottle feed and will offer support with what we've called 'Positive infant feeding'. The group is non judgemental and open to all mothers, breastfeeding or not.

Also on hand will be Juliana Hounsfield, owner of the Family Practice; a family  of osteopaths who are highly experienced in the treatment of babies, children and mothers.

We will have some spare slings on hand and will be happy to carry babies to give you a break if you need it.

Sessions will take place weekly except on bank holidays


Attendees are asked to contribute £7 to attend. Herbal tea and biscuits will be provided. Babies are of course welcome.

Please link to the events listing on Facebook, post on Twitter or share with your malling list.

Love Eva

The long-awaited new arrival from Stokke is here!

This weekend saw the birth of the Stokke Steps – an innovative high chair and baby bouncer combination. As with other products in the Stokke family, Steps promotes the concept of growing with the child and we think it will be a great partner to it’s older brother, the Tripp Trapp chair.  The Stokke Steps comes in 2 colours, Natural beech and Walnut.






The Steps begin with the Baby Bouncer, gorgeously comfy with an ergonomic design and unique cradling motion to ensure that your baby is lying or sitting in total comfort.

The bouncer has a stand incorporated so you can use it on the floor, but we love the way it easily snaps into place on the high chair and brings your baby up with the rest of the family. By enabling your newborn to be up at the same level, it encourages increased eye contact, interaction and bonding - after all, who wants to be down on the floor looking at feet?!  Let your baby share the banter!

When your little one is old enough to sit unaided, they can move to the next step – the Baby Set, keeping your child safe while providing lots of wriggle-room! There’s a padded cushion to add to the comfort, with slots for the included five-point harness.

The Steps high chair is the first chair from Stokke to have an attachable tray accessory – giving the option of drawing the chair up to the table with the family at mealtimes, but using the tray for snack times, or messy play (it’ll make a great drum, too!).

Finally when your little one is not quite so little, the high chair becomes a stand-alone chair, designed with style, function and comfort in mind. The adjustable height footrest means that toddlers can climb in and out of the chair on their own and allows the chair to adapt as they grow – right through until they reach double figures!

We love the new sibling for the Tripp Trapp, with it’s innovative, versatile and stylish design and at under £450 for the entire Birth to 10 years Complete Package, we think it’s money well spent. But what do you think of the new addition to the Stokke family? Do you have a favourite? And could this spark the beginning of a new sibling rivalry?!










Watch the Stokke Steps in action

Frugi Spring Collection is here

There are three signs that tell me that Spring is here – daffodils in the park, easter eggs in the shops and the release of the Spring/Summer Frugi Collection at Born!

Well okay, this year we have puddles in the park and easter eggs have been on sale since December, but Frugi have brought out some fantastic new designs to make us all feel summery!

Frugi design and make their clothes from a child’s point of view – bright colours, fun styles and ultra comfy, with no scratchy seams or hard itchy labels.  All of their clothes, hats, bibs and blankets are fairly traded and made from 100% organic cotton – perfect for delicate skin and so soft & cosy that you won’t want to put your little ones in anything else!


This year, Frugi (appropriately based in Cornwall) are inviting us all to get partying on the sand with a gorgeous collection of kids beach festival clothes for spring and summer.  Girls can keep cool with this beautiful Reversible Pinafore Dress or get rummaging in the rockpools in the new Ocean Smock Top & Pull Ups Set. Staying nautical, we love these boys Sea Mates t-shirt bodies and they pair brilliantly with the supersoft and comfy Creature shorts.


For new arrivals, there are some fabulous summery babygrows, like the Festival Birdies, which can be paired with the matching muslin bib and cute knotted hat to make a great outfit and an ideal gift for parents-to-be!

Whatever their age, your little ones will need to be protected from the sun, when it eventually arrives!  Frugi have thought carefully about their sunhats, combining style and practicality with broad brims and neck shades, and cotton ties and elastic to keep them in place.

If you’re planning to party on into the evening (or for the inevitable cooler days!), the Frugi Reversible Snuggle Fleece will become a firm favourite and is an essential in the wardrobe of any toddler! Available in a Surf Blue Stripe or Red with White Spot, this snuggly fluffy fleece will keep your little one super cosy – and if it gets mucky, just turn it inside out and start again!

With the introduction of some great new styles and the return of some old favourites, the fun designs and super-soft comfort of Frugi at Born means that whether you’re beach bound or partying round a paddling pool, your little one will be all set!

It's about trust

Welcome to the new and improved Born blog for 2014. We have moved to a new platform and will be bringing you lots of interesting articles from the Practitioners in our Born Together community.

Our network of trusted Practitioners who work with us to support our customers are a unique way we stand out from other stores. You can find Born Together here. Our Born Together partners support our values for mindful parenting and making informed choices for your and your families health care. It's a part of the business I love sharing with our customers as it encourages them to look wider than the normal 'experts' that most seek guidance from. I've heard of so many times when a family was let down by a Health Professional when I know that someone more focused could have made the world of difference.  It's so sad when in conversation a customer shares their disappointment for the birth they wished had been a bit different or their breastfeeding experience that didn't work out, often situations that could have been great had they had the support from, in these examples, a Doula and a breastfeeding specialist. Both services we can help with referrals for.

Mayim Bialik, Actress, Dr of Neuroscience and AP mum.

Whilst sharing that knowledge is our passion, we are fundamentally a retail business. 2013 was a difficult year for retail.  Like so many other retailers we have had to compete with the 'pile it high sell it cheap' stores and websites.  One thing these stores cannot compete with though is our ethos as it's not something that can be marketed if the people you speak to or the words you read do not reflect the core values of the business.  The appetite for conscious conception, pregnancy, birth and parenting has, in my opinion, never been greater. It's wonderful to see babies being carried and people being ok with having their baby in their bed.  My attitude has always been to talk about these things as if they are normal and they become so. After all they are my normal and the normal that most of the rest of the world experiences.

The research on the benefits of skin to skin contact, baby carrying, breast feeding are now often cited in the media. It's not longer just in niche magazine like Juno and The Green Parent that you find articles on Attachment Parenting and home schooling.  Celebrities such as Peaches Geldof and Mayim Bialik openly talk about how they parent. It's this openness that is creating a paradigm shift and I must say it feels like it's been a long time coming.  In the meantime we will continue to harp on about why baby carrying in a GOOD sling is still better than carrying in any sling, and why rear facing pushchairs make a difference, and how getting support when you are a new mum for breastfeeding is THE most important factor in establishing a successful breastfeeding relationship. The support networks we have built up over the years for our families are what makes us different.  We can recommend an expert who can make such an impact, that the odd thing is you won't realise how good they are because you won't have had to go through the bad experience.  It's an interesting paradox, just like the fact that because we have great slings and nappies you won't have the experience of buying rubbish ones that don't work, or in the case of slings actually do harm.

So despite the current climate we know that there are still people who value good old customer service and in our case exceptional customer service who will love what we have to offer because it saves them time and money and not to mention the most important thing the stress of having to navigate the new world of babies. But importantly they can trust that we don't Bull***t! This time in your life is too important to mess with, isn't it?

If you are receiving and reading our emails you will probably have experienced our instore service. If so please tell your friends about us as word of mouth promotion is what we we rely on. Plus we have just reintroduced our Born info packs which contain a selection of product samples and information from local trusted practitioners.  So tell your friends to pop in and get one and save themselves time, money and stress.

With love Eva

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!