Wouldn’t it be fab if a cloth bot baby won!

April 2012

THE SEARCH IS ON TO FIND BRITAIN’S GREATEST BABY SMILE!

A baby’s smile is infectious. Their wide gummy grin has the ability to melt any frown and soften even the hardest of hearts.

However, when it comes to the baby who has the country’s greatest smile every mother would say their child wins that title hands down.

In an effort to settle the argument once and for all, Bonjela, Britain’s number one teething gel* has launched the Britain’s Greatest Baby Smile competition.

The contest comes as part of the 12-month Britain’s Greatest campaign – from the makers of Bonjela, Reckitt Benckiser – which celebrates everything that is great about Britain in 2012.

Bonjela Teething Gel provides effective, soothing relief from teething pain. Its local anaesthetic action relieves pain and soothes sore gums, while its antiseptic action can help prevent minor mouth infections – for turning those teething pain-frowns upside down!

The nationwide competition will kick off on April 10, and the winning baby will be launched into the spotlight as the face of the new advertising for leading* baby brand – Bonjela.

The competition is being held in partnership with supermarket giant Tesco and Bounty website, with brands Nurofen for Children and Karvol participating with in-store promotions.

For a chance to show off your baby’s winning smile, pick up your camera and get snapping. Entry couldn’t be simpler, just head to Bounty website and upload your picture. The entry phase closes on May 8, so make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity.

Once all the photos are collated, they will be short-listed to 10 baby finalists by our expert panel that includes:

• Helen Wynne, who was recently awarded Tesco Achieving mum of the year, will be sharing her expert opinion. As the mum of a child with special needs, Helen used her experience to set up her own inclusive child-minding centre, Blythswood in Wrexham.
• Lisa English, Brand Manager at Reckitt Benckiser
• Blogger Emma Shepherd, who writes the popular baby blog “Me. The Man and the Baby.”
• Lisa Penny, Head of Stakeholder relations from Bounty
• Vanessa Tilley, Marketing manager for healthcare and pharmacy at Tesco
• Lucy Butler, Editor from the Tesco baby and toddler club
• Debbie Bird, Editor at Babyworld
• Katya Crichton, Art Director from creative agency Euro RSCG

Once the top 10 have been agreed by our panel of experts, the final decision is in your hands! The photos will be posted on the Bounty website on the 16^th May 2012, for people to vote for their favourite cheeky smiles.

Make sure you share the link with as many people as possible on your social network pages to get as many votes as you can. Don’t forget to encourage your family and friends to nominate your photo too!

The new face of Bonjela Teething Gel will be announced on the June 20, 2012 with advertising to launch in 2012.

Lisa English of the Britain’s Greatest Campaign, said: “We’re really excited to launch this competition to find Britain’s Greatest Baby Smile.  We expect there to be a lot of competition and look forward to finding the winner for our new advertising campaign.”

More details can be found here:

www.bounty.com/babysmile

Wendy

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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For years The Nappy Lady has just stocked flat mattress protectors. These are the most cost effective and versatile as they can be moved to any bed no matter the size.

So why have we added fitted mattress protectors?

While fitted protectors cost more that than flat ones, they do have some benefits. If a baby in a cot is sick or has a nappy leak (shouldn’t leak in a good cloth nappy though), with the fitted mattress protector you can just take off this one layer and replace. The mattress underneath is fully protected. If you use the flat protectors for a baby in a cot, these would be placed underneath the normal fitted top sheet. If you need to change the bedding in the night you’d take off the top sheet and the flat protector and then you’d replace both. This gives you slightly more washing.

Once my children are older (30months+) and night time training or trained, they have all slept directly on their flat mattress protectors. If they are sick or wet the bed i’ve only had to whip off this flat protector and put another one on. Their normal fitted sheet underneath has been fully protected and therefore i’ve no need to have to “fit” anything over the edges of the mattress in the middle of the night. This system has worked exceptionally well for years in our house.

Now our eldest is approaching seven years old, he’s had some urinary problems following an operation to correct a hypospadias he was born with. I still think he can’t “feel” a full/nearly full bladder until it’s right at the very last second. He’s now normally reliable at night as long as he goes to the toilet right before bed. If he forgets to go before bed (and Mummy forgets to remind him), it’s quite likely he will wet the bed so i like to have a protector just in case. He’s now starting to go to sleepovers and it’s these times i especially worry about him wetting the bed as he gets very embarrassed by it. At sleepovers he’s more likely to have been drinking a lot of juice which i find really stimulates his bladder, plus he’ll be having so much fun it’s easier to forget that toilet visit. This is where these fitted sheets are fab. His friends will never know that his travel mattress has a bed protector on it as it looks and feels just like normal. If he takes the Tencel fabric sheet these are incredible soft too. He’s happy that he doesn’t look different but also knows he’s got the bed protected just in case. I put two of these fitted sheets on so if he does have an accident in the night he can take it off his travel bed easily and there will be a clean dry layer underneath. His friends will never need to know.

The fitted mattress protectors are available in either cotton or Tencel fabric.

Wendy Richards

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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Tonight i will be running a competition to win a free albert freetime nappy. If you don’t already follow us on Facebook then please come and join us! www.facebook.com/TheNappyLady 

If you join the facebook page you also get access to a free discount code or special offers (i change it every month). Plus access to the latest news, tester requests, freebies, advice and support and competitions.

Hope to see you there tonight. Competition starts at 6pm!

Wendy

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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A common question I get asked by first time cloth nappy users is: Does the extra bulk of a cloth nappy effect baby’s hip development?

The answer is NO!

Cloth nappies keep a newborns hips slightly wider apart than disposables do but this is actually the optimum position for a newborn. When a baby is born their hip joints haven’t fully developed and at birth and at their 6/8 week check the Doctor will check for “clicky hips” or hip dysplasia.   If baby has clicky hips they often need to wear a pavlik hip harness. This harness keeps their legs wider apart so that the hip ball and socket joint are held in a deeper position and can develop properly. This usually helps prevent the need for hip operations later on.

Cloth nappies don’t hold the hips in as wide a position as a hip harness but the extra width and support cloth nappies provide can sometimes prevent the need for a hip harness at all. In the past hip dysplasia was treated by putting the child in 2 bulky terry squares at a time to achieve the wider leg position.

One of my recent customers Kirstie has written about her experience with clicky hips.

“We had already decided our son would use cloth nappies before he arrived and we purchased a complete nappy system from Wendy during antenatal. He stared wearing them after the meconium had been passed out his system.
In his fifth week he was diagnosed as having a “clicky hip” and he required a Pavlik harness. We were reassured to learn from the paediatrician that the cloth nappies had been helping to keep his hips in a better position compared to the thinner disposable nappies. At first it was tricky to weave the nappys’ velcro fastenings through and underneath the harness straps, but after a couple of days we were changing nappies fairly expertly. We had a few leakages at first as the harness was keeping his legs wide open but as soon as his thighs bulked up the seal around the legs was tighter and no more accidents.
He is now four months old, and was only in the harness for 7 weeks. We are happy knowing that the cloth nappies are still augmenting his hip joints.
We regularly receive positive comments about using cloth nappies, and we are really pleased that we made the decision to use them.”

Once baby is also cruising and walking their bottoms and backs will thank you for choosing cloth. Learning to walk requires a lot of falling too. The impact (especially on hard floors) is softened by the fluffy padding of their nappies. I know i’d certainly prefer to fall over with a thick layer covering my bottom than just thin trousers!

For more benefits of Cloth Nappies see our article “Advantages of Cloth Nappies.”

Wendy

www.thenappylady.co.uk
www.facebook.com/TheNappyLady

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So what are these chemicals and what might they do?

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate)
This is frequently used in shower gels and shampoos to make them foam up. It can however be a skin irritant. Prolonged exposure can also make skin problems worse for individuals with sensitive skin. SLS can also be absorbed into the skin and can mimic the activity of the hormone Oestrogen

Parabens
Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics. Parabens can also mimic the female hormone Oestrogen. Evidence suggests that a lifetimes increased exposure to oestrogen is linked to an increase in the risk of breast cancer and has an adverse impact on male reproductive functions.

It’s not always easy to find products which don’t contain any hidden “nasties.” They might be free of one sort and have something else instead. For our children I use the Earth Friendly Baby (and now the Earth Friendly Kids) range. These are mild and gentle on their delicate skin, only contain natural/organic ingredients. They are hypoallergenic so great for the sensitive skin of our middle child.  They contain no artificial colouring, or artificial fragrances, no SLS or parabens. They are also not tested on animals and approved by the Vegetarian Society. Pretty good credentials compared to your a “normal” kids bathroom products.

These can now be found on the site in the new “We Also Love…” section.

Wendy Richards

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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TotsBots Triumphs Again  

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Wizard Duo
The Wizard Duo is an all in two nappy system. This is a fairly new class of nappy and is somewhere between a two part system (nappy and separate wrap) and an all in one (wrap and nappy permanently sewn together). The Wizard Duo outer wraps come in different sizes, xs 8-12lbs, small 10-18lbs, medium 18-27lbs and large 27-35lbs. This makes the system more expensive however it also means there is no compromise on fit as there is with a birth to potty wrap.  The Wizard wraps only come in popper fastening however I find them to be very adjustable and I didn’t have any problems getting a snug fit.  The poppers on the nappy tabs are positioned vertically above each other (just like the Bumgenius range), this makes an extremely secure fastening far more secure in my opinion than nappies that have horizontal off set popper positions.

With the Wizard Duo you have a choice of nappy insert sizes. Either xs/sx 8-18lbs, med/large 18-35lbs or the onesize 10-35lbs (onesize doesn’t fit inside the xs wrap). The sized inserts make the neatest nappies however the Onesize offer the best value. For most people starting cloth nappies from birth i’d expect them to use xs/sm inserts and then more onto the med/large size. If you’re looking for a birth to potty system then i’d suggest using muslins until 10lbs and then moving onto the onesize insert.

Not only do you get a choice of insert size but there are choices of nappy fabric too. These are Staydry Regular (daytime), Staydry Nighttime, Bamboo and Cotton. The Staydry is AMAZING and my favourite. Everytime my baby used this nappy it was COMPLETELY dry to the touch and the first few times i though she hadn’t wet it at all even though she definitely had. The only way I could tell she had actually wet it was that it felt heavier than a dry unused pad. The Staydry layer also had another benefit, she’s currently teething badly and has very acidic wee, this has led to her developing nappy rash on an off just before the tooth pops through. However whenever i’ve used the staydry inserts she didn’t get a rash at all and her skin started to heal. Over night her wee is particularly strong, however using the staydry night time inserts next to her skin have been wonderful and no sign of a rash at all.  If you’ve ever struggled to use cloth during teething you should really try these staydry nappies! The Bamboo inserts are very soft, very absorbent and cheaper than the staydry inserts but do not have a stay dry layer so baby will feel wet, they are also the slowest drying insert (24hours+). The cotton inserts are the cheapest, average drying speed (overnight) but the lowest absorbency. The bamboo and cotton fabric is the same that is used with their famous Motherease Onesize Nappy. If you are trying EC (Elimination Communication) the cotton or bamboo inserts would be perfect to use and i can see the Wizard Duo becoming a very popular nappy for ECing families.

For night time i’ve ALWAYS been a supporter of a two part nappy system as it’s easier to get additional boosters inside and the absorbency of a two part nappy is generally higher anyway. I’ve tested the staydry night time onesize insert with an additonal basic booster and the system lasted her all night without any leaks. The additional booster is put underneath the Wizard  insert so that the staydry layer is still next to baby’s skin. The addtional booster was very wet and the nappy wouldn’t have lasted much longer (was on her 12hours). She is an average wetter but this is the first all in one or all in two system what has ever lasted her all night and i’ve tried MANY combinations. If you have an average wetter and want a slim night time nappy this is a system i’d recommend. Heavy wetters i would still stick with the higher absorbency two part nappy systems.

Drying time for the stay dry inserts are very quick so ideal for people with limited drying facilities. However just a warning, the stay dry inserts feel so dry to the touch make sure they really are dry before you put them away, as they might feel dry but the inner core might still be damp. I learnt to tell by the weight of them.

The idea with all in two nappies is that you just change the insert and use the outer wrap again. There are four poppers to secure the inserts into the Wizard wraps. If you’ve got a wriggly baby it could be a nightmare unpoppering the insert and then fastening a new one in. I got round this by having two wraps on the go and I always had the next one made up ready. My process was taking the soiled nappy off and putting to one side, putting the new nappy on and letting her off to play (or back in the cot or somewhere safe for a younger baby). I’d then unpopper the soiled insert and put it into the bucket and then popper a new insert back into that wrap and leave it ready for the next nappy change.

As the inserts are so slim they don’t take up much room in a change bag so if you like to travel light and find some cloth nappies too bulky for your change bag you’ll like these!

Am I am going to part with my samples…. no way these are now a permanent addition to my nappy system and my first choice for times of teething.
The Wizard range can be bought on the site and the link below takes you to all the parts:
http://www.thenappylady.co.uk/productGallery.asp?topCategoryID=1&subcategoryID=29

Demo video will be available soon.

Wendy Richards

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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Our eldest is in year 2 and we’re a bit concerned about the level they are teaching him at school. So far this year his homework has been incredibly simple and identical to the homework he did in year 1. As they are taught in mixed year classes (too complicated to explain but has worked well until this term it seems) plus we have a newly qualified teacher this year, we’re not sure if they are easing them in very gently or something isn’t quite right. It’s parents evening next week so we’ll get to the bottom of it.

I support the children’s’ learning at home and like to think of how all those little 20-30mins activities add up over the week and year. I know people who home educates completely but that’s just not for us.  I buy educational workbooks and posters but I find online activities work really well for us too, especially for Maths.  

Many of these online sites are free and Ben likes to use ICT http://www.ictgames.com/ which covers both Literacy and Numeracy. His favourite at the moment is the money game where he has to scan the shopping on the conveyor belt to see the cost and then pay the correct amount using the coins.

Another popular one is the BBC KS1 Bitesize http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/ which again covers Literacy and Numeracy.  I haven’t checked but many moons ago when I worked for WH Smith (well 5 years ago but seems like another lifetime these days) BBC bitesize made some excellent educational guide books too.

I’ve also signed Ben up for a years subscription to www.themathsfactor.com  this is a maths site run by Carol Vorderman and offers him an interactive Maths program which adapts to his learning needs. Unfortunately this is a site you have to pay for (£14.99pm or annual subscription £130) but in relation to the cost of having a private tutor or locally we have a  http://www.explorelearning.co.uk centre, this is very economical. We work through it together, watching Carol’s short videos teaching each new skill and then he gets to practice online. Ben thinks Carol is his math teacher (how cool would that be if she really was your child’s maths teacher – well I think it’d be cool). There are little maths games and maths warm up sections all which just increase the amount of maths he does every day. The aim is to complete five 15-20mins “homework” pieces every week.  Ben is only at key stage 1 so I am able to easily help at this level.  As he goes through school and the maths becomes beyond me (used to be a wiz at balancing algebra equations but couldn’t tell you where to start now) I can see I’ll be relying on the mathsfactor algebra school to help.

I’m sure some of you know some great sites that I haven’t found yet. Please share them with me and I’ll add them to this post.
Wendy Richards

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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Lots of people have this fear of how they will use cloth nappies when they are outside the home. I must admit I was one of them however I soon learnt there was nothing to be scared of.

When I had my first child I used to leave the house with him wearing a cloth nappy but if he needed a change I’d put a disposable on him as it was “easier.” I soon realised though that this was a complete waste of a nappy wrap (I was using 2 part nappies – Totsbots nappy and Motherease wrap), as only the inner nappy needed changing. The outer wrap had been perfectly fine to continue using however I’d end up putting both the nappy and wrap in the wet nappy bag for washing. I then began to take my cloth nappies out with me and when he needed a change I just put a new nappy on and used the same wrap again.

Now six years on and baby number 3 is here, I don’t even question taking cloth nappies with me and I proudly change her into her lovely fluffy nappies.  Nappies have moved on a lot in this time and there are now some fantastically reliable all in ones and pocket nappies which are as near as you can get to disposables. If you are worried about changing cloth when out or having to put a wrap on as well (takes seconds though) then you could use one layer nappies as your changing bag nappies.

I frequently get asked is what to do with the poo when you’re out and if you end up with a really smelly bag.

Even if you use disposables you often get told at playgroups to take your disposable nappies away with you (if I do your tour of the Farnham Toy Library you’ll definitely get a reminder about this). Many halls used for playgroups only have the bins changed weekly and they don’t want smelly disposables left sitting there.  If I have to change a pooey nappy when I’m out and I have access to a toilet, I flush away the pooey paper liner so the poo has gone and all I’m left with is a wet nappy. If I don’t have access to a toilet, then I seal the nappy back up and store it in my wet nappy bag. I will then flush away the pooey paper liner at home.

I store all my soiled nappies in a wet nappy bag. This secures with a drawstring and keeps smells inside but also allows a little air to circulate so the nappies can breathe. If I only have a couple of nappies in the wet nappy bag, when I get home I tip them into my nappy bucket. If the nappy bag is full (i.e. been away for a weekend), then I open the nappy bag and tip all the nappies into my washing machine and do a normal nappy wash (adding any nappies in that might be in my bucket too).

You should also remember than a good cloth nappy is less likely to leak than a disposable. I’d much rather change a pooey cloth nappy, than apooey disposable nappy and pooey clothes!

Wendy Richards

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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Day 3: After just 3 days of using Skin Salvation, applied thinly morning and night. He’s stopped scratching and his skin is being able to heal.

Day 4:  Skin continues to improve. Some of the scabs have now come off revealing healed skin below. The deeper scabs remain but are continuing to heal. 

Day 5: Most of the deep scabs have now come off or shrunk dramatically. Darker areas are now scarring but no longer broken skin.

I’m going to continue to apply the Skin Salvation morning and evening (although i didn’t get a chance this morning before they went out) for a few more days while the final scabs heal. Then i’m going to be reducing applying the salve to bed time only. No new patches of sore, dry skin have appeared since i started using the salve.

His skin has never healed with any other cream natural or steriod so i hope you can see why i think this salve is amazing. More details on the Purepotions Skin Salvation are on the website.

Wendy Richards

www.thenappylady.co.uk

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