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September 22nd, 2011
Yet again, I’m apologising for not posting much lately, but it’s that time of year. Between school holidays and trade / consumer shows, July – October are very busy at Cheeky Wipes HQ, hence our radio silence.
In fact we’ve just got back from 5 days in Cologne exhibiting at Kind & Jugend which is one of the biggest trade shows for baby and nursery. It covers 5 massive halls and runs for 4 hectic days but is well worth attending. I was delighted with our stand position and we picked up quite a few new potential distributors, in places as far ranging as Austria to the Ukraine!
Aside from the chance to showcase your products, these type of shows also allow you a chance to see what your competitors and colleagues in the baby and nursery trade are up to. I love this aspect, it stimulates my creativity around ‘what’s next’ for Cheeky Wipes but also usually means I end up bringing home more ’stuff’ than I took with me.
I thought I’d spend a bit of blogtime showcasing my favourites, the fabulous pressies I brought home for the kids to make upo for my Mummy guilt over leaving them for 5 days.
First off, I got one of the fabulous Sugar Booger ‘Zippee’ lunch boxes from Ore Originals. I was keen to talk to these guys as I’d just spent an hour the previous weekend looking for a lunchbox for no2 son which didn’t feature Ben 10, Spongebob or similar! They have a great range of funky, non-character lunch boxes, which are great quality and well priced as they should range from £10 – £17. They’re going to be available in the UK from the New Year, so make sure and look out for them.
No2 son was also really easy to sort out. The stand opposite us was Hevea Baby Products, a Danish baby designer who started making dummies, teethers and bath toys from natural rubber which is sustainable and better for your baby and the environment!
I spotted their ‘Alfie’ duck immediately as no2 son LOVES rubber ducks, even the plastic ones. I’m much less keen as I find that all bath toys have holes in them (for squeaks??) which are just a nightmare as they eventually end up filled with black, yucky, water. Aside from being a decent size (16cm x 19cm means he’s a Daddy ducky!), Alfie has no holes and is great to play with in the bath – or chew on as no2 daughter has discovered!
That wasn’t all I brought back from K&J, but will drop an update out next week to fill you in on the rest of my goodies, including an ‘interesting’ one for me….
Tags: review hevea, review hevea alfie duck, review sugar booger, review sugar booger lunch box
Posted in Buying For Baby, Product Reviews | 1 Comment »
June 23rd, 2011
Just a quick one from me. You might have realised that it’s National Breastfeeding awareness week (even the Daily Mail picked up on the breastfeeding ‘flashmobs’ around the country). I thought I’d share a little story with you, which happened today in my Doctors surgery.
I’d taken Aerin for her first round of jabs and, not surprisingly, the poor bubba objected to having both of her starting-to-be-chubby thighs speared by the quite scary nurse. It was the same scary nurse who administered my flu jab, in the waiting room, javelin stylie, but that’s another story.
You have to wait around afterwards, so I promised Aerin a bit of booby to take her mind off her trauma. I’d forgotten my mamascarf and obviously she was a bit grumpy, so she fussed a bit latching on, pulling my cardigan up which I was trying to use to feed discreetly and generally not being terribly helpful.
The waiting room was full. Directly across from me sat a lady in her late 40’s with her teenage daughter who smiled reassuringly when she saw I was breastfeeding and obviously having a few ‘issues’ with my wriggly daughter. To one side sat a lady in her 70’s who had previously informed me that she never bothered with any vaccinations for her kids, back in the 50’s they didn’t have any and it didn’t do her lot any harm. Hmmm.
As she got up to leave she stopped and said ‘I think it’s a shame, they should cordon off a bit of the room and put a screen around you’.
Now, I *think* she was trying to be helpful and supportive, suggesting that we might have been more comfortable in private where we weren’t in full view of everyone. And she was of a different generation, where breastfeeding in public wasn’t the done thing. And luckily I’m not an overly sensitive person or a first time Mum who might have taken it differently.
But if you see someone like me, with a little wriggly one just remember it’s always better simply to smile reassuringly and say nothing.
Tags: breastfeeding, breastfeeding discreetly
Posted in Family Life, baby | 2 Comments »
June 21st, 2011
I think we’re edging further and further into ‘too much information’ territory here but I’m going to plough on regardless. We’ve covered off breastfeeding and jelly bellies but this time I’m thinking more about the birth itself and your poor nether regions.
Call it what you will, there’s no denying that your vagina (noo-noo in our house!) will never be the same after birth. (Why do you think Tena lady pads sit right alongside maternity towels in the supermarket?)
After my eldest son was born by forceps with the accompanying episiotomy I literally couldn’t sit down for a week. Pain from my stitches was SO much worse than labour and only industrial strength paracetamol helped, plus baths with lots of salty water which stings like a bugger but apparently it helps heal quicker.
I made the mistake of checking out the damage about 4 weeks post birth and was horrified by what I saw. ‘That can’t be normal’ I thought in my naivety, so I mentioned it to my Doctor at the 6 week check. Unfortunately he confirmed that it was normal and that I should ‘keep doing my pelvic floor exercises’ by stopping weeing mid-flow.
But gradually it did get back to normality of a type, only to be punished again by delivering children no 2, 3 & 4. This time round my noo-noo was able to squeeze said children out without artifical help and without tearing, possibly because I was able to have the water birth that I had so wanted first time round. What a delight to be able to sit down without flinching! Or maybe things were just that bit slacker down there!
Whatever the reason, there’s still a penalty to pay. I have to be really careful when I’m exercising (star jumps are the worst) in case there’s any leakage….yuck!
I know now why my Nanny had mahoosive knickers with long pads in them and have no wish to aspire to the same. Not a good look under your jeans methinks. So I’ve put a little note ‘PELVIC FLOOR’ on the car steering wheel to remind me to exercise those little internal muscles which are so key in many aspects of your life. Â So if you see me driving along making strange faces, you’ll know why.
Tags: birth, delivery, labour, pelvic floor
Posted in Family Life, baby | 5 Comments »
May 31st, 2011
….I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some things you don’t find out until AFTER you have your baby, that might have come in handy to know beforehand.
First off, I’m thinking about breastfeeding. I’m all for breast-feeding, and think it’s a wonderful thing to do both for your baby and yourself. It’s absolutely the best nutritionally for your baby, helps your post-baby stomach contract back into place and helps you lose weight. It’s free and very convenient! If nothing else in my case it forces me to sit still, put my feet up, focus on my baby and stop rushing around which is always a good thing!
But why didn’t anyone ever tell me that it could hurt? In all the literature, there’s pictures of smiling Mums and cute babies with their mouth wide-open and full of boob. Both Mum and baby look calm and content. Rewind 6 weeks ago and you would have pictured me dowing paracetamol before a feed to try to lessen the pain and whimpering for the first few minutes until the pain eased.
To be fair with no1 son, it didn’t hurt initially as he had a great latch, opened his mouth nice and wide, lips back, just like the babies in the literature. However at around 4 months I got thrush in my nipples and it was absolute agony and took forever to clear up. It felt like I was being stabbed with a million needles every time he latched on and was most unpleasant.
No2 son and no1 daughter was a different matter. They didn’t latch on brilliantly, I got really sore, painful nippes and ended up using nipple shields which definitely helped, but probably weren’t great for my milk supply. That being said though, they did enable me to continue breast-feeding when I might otherwise have given up.
My lovely Aerin again hasn’t got a brilliant latch and this resulted in me having really sore cracked nipples at about day 3, when my milk came in and she just couldn’t latch on easily bless her. It was toe-curlingly painful and horrid, much worse than labour! There were tears and tantrums and sobbing phonecalls to the lovely ladies at La Leche helpline who gave me some great advice such as having a bath with Aerin which is when I realised that it was possible to feed painlessly and gave me a glimmer of hope. But my poor boobs didn’t heal easily, despite copious amounts of lansinoh. It came to a head when Aerin was 2 weeks old and I had enough and I called my Mum to tell her that I was quitting breast-feeding as I was dreading every feed.
I started alternating formula feeds with breast feeds and for me this was the best thing that I could have done. It took the pressure off and it gave my boobs time to heal up (and toughen up) so within a week breastfeeding was pain free and I was able to stop the bottle feeds and switch back to breast-feeding which I’m delighted about.
From speaking to other Mums, we reckon that if you are unlucky and have a baby with a poor latch it can take about 3 weeks for your boobs to toughen up. If I hadn’t know that breast-feeding could be pain free I would have stopped. So my advice for anyone in a similar position is to stick with it if you can. Talk to a breast-feeding expert, as breast-feeding shouldn’t be painful if your baby is latched on correctly. Do what you have to do to get through this period, whether it’s using nipple shields, taking pain killers, using bottles to give yourself a break or whatever. Persevere and it will get better.
How was breast-feeding for you? Many people find it pain-free so if you’re one of the lucky ones let us know. Or if, like me, it was painful do you have any top tips for getting through it?
Tags: breast-feeding, breastfeeding
Posted in baby | 18 Comments »
May 24th, 2011
I seem to have become a sling slut. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but having 4 kids and running a business at the same time means I definitly need some sort of ‘hands-free kit’….but at current reckoning I currently have 5 different carriers or slings, which does seem a bit excessive….
Baby Bjorn
With no 1 son, we bought a baby bjorn which is more of a structured carrier than a sling. H used it more when no1 son was little as I couldn’t get to grips with it – looking back now, that was definitely more my fault than anything to do with the carrier though because I used it easily with no2 son.
It’s a great choice if your man is going to be wearing bubs as it’s pretty butch but still comfortable. H carried no1 son all the way over the seven sisters to Eastbourne in it one day and it worked really well.
When no1 daughter arrived I decided I needed something more comfortable to wear indoors. She was a bit of a screamer you see, and didn’t like being set down, probably because she was hungry… So I ordered two ‘hotslings’ as I thought they looked quite groovy. Which they did to be fair but my LO absolutely hated being in it and screamed her head off, so they were not for us. I see since then than hotslings have made them adjustable now, so maybe that would have worked better for us. Hey ho.
I did a bit more research and found my ‘hands-free kit’ aka my Kari me Sling which I still LOVE and have blogged about it before way back in April 2009. It’s perfect at home, especially when Aerin tends to be a little bit unsettled in the early evening (coinciding with tea-time for everyone else, I think she just wants to join in). She can snuggle in close and have a cuddly snooze which is just lovely for us both.
So, given that I love my Kari-Me, why have I got myself another sling?
Well I wore my Kari-Me at the NEC baby show on Friday and found that the stretchy fabric wasn’t quite so good when I needed to be a bit more active. As I was bending over and lifting boxes etc, Aerin had a tendency to move about a little.
I popped along to the lovely Ladies on the Close Parent stand and borrowed one of their award winning close parent carriers. What a difference! Whilst the fabric still has a bit of ‘give’ in it, it’s heavier fabric and holds the baby more firmly in place which is reassuring. Having the fabric come together on the back means that the straps stay widely apart, spreading the weight of the baby evenly and making it super-comfortable to wear. I literally had Aerin in the carrier all day on Saturday and Sunday and didn’t have any back ache from wearing it at all. And even though the fabric is heavier, it felt cooler to wear as it doesn’t wrap around in the same way. You can even breast feed in it – I haven’t tried this yet but will certainly give it a go.
I almost wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told me there was a better sling than the kari-me, but just goes to prove that I’m wrong occasionally….
Tags: Baby Bjorn review, Close Baby Carrier Review, Hotslings, Kari-Me
Posted in Buying For Baby | 2 Comments »
May 18th, 2011
 Whoopee! Our new Cheeky Wipes Kits have arriuved and we’ll be launching them at the NEC Baby Show which is running from this Friday 20th May – Sunday 22nd May.
Pop along and see us on stand F32 and buy a kit at the special show price of £30!
Tags: NEC Baby show, new cheeky wipes kits
Posted in Baby Show News, Buying For Baby, Cheeky Wipes News | No Comments »
May 17th, 2011
Just before the lovely Aerin arrived we dug out our old car seat for the final time. It’s a Maxi-Cosi, so a good make, but has seen better days, ever since I removed the cover to wash it prior to the arrival of no2 son. I should really have checked the washing instructions first as it recommended sponge washing only. Oops. The cover came out of the washing machine frayed and a bit on the tired side to say the least.
I really begrudge shelling out for a new car seat, especially when it works perfectly but just looks a bit scruffy. So instead I’ve gone for one of the new car seat covers from Minnie Moo. They’re lightly padded and fitted with an elastic edging to ensure a snug fit. They even come with a hood to protect from the sun, although I haven’t fitted mine yet.
The fabric used is a funky cow-print – I went for brown but the standard black and white is lovely too.
They’re priced at £25 but compared to spending £80 on a new car seat, it’s definitely worth it.
And, even better, they are fully washable, brilliant if you have a travel sick baby!
So if your existing car seat is, like mine, a bit knackered, or if you’ve been lucky enough to be given one that’s just a bit tired you should definitely invest in one of these.
Tags: minnie moo car seat cover review
Posted in Buying For Baby, Frugal Living | No Comments »
March 1st, 2011
I’m delighted to announce that we can now take pre-orders for our fantastic new Cheeky Wipes Kits!
We listened to feedback from you and we’ve made the boxes ‘pop-top’ and easy to open with one hand, which is always helpful if you have a wriggly baby in the other hand! We’ve also included extra functionality on the boxes, such as fill water levels, number of wipes indicator and mucky bag clips.
The new kits are now available for pre-order only (to be posted w/c 21st March) with a special opening offer of £35 including UK postage (normal price will be £36.95 plus £4.95 postage)
The new boxes will be available to buy separately from the end of April which is when the bulk of our shipment arrives.
Clearance on mini kits, exclusive to existing customers  – £15.95, save £6
To make room for our new stock we want to clear our warehouse, so we’re offering mini kits for just £15.95 which include:
- 25 terry towelling wipes
- fresh wipes container
- fresh wipes bag
- 10ml of either lavender & chamomile or mandarin fresh wipes oil
They’re available using this link: http://www.cheekywipes.com/baby_wipes_kit_mini_offer
Stocks are limited so grab them while you can!
And finally…..we’ve got a new baby on the way at Cheeky Wipes, due to arrive around 20th March which is the same time as our new stock! Rubbish timing obviously. But around this time, the easiest way to contact us will be via email to Helen@cheekywipes.com – please be patient, it might take us a day or two to respond!
Tags: mini kit clearance, new cheeky wipes kits
Posted in Buying For Baby, Cheeky Wipes News, Green Living | 3 Comments »
February 1st, 2011
Just a quick post from me as I’ve just seen a fabulous review over on Mellow Mummy which the lovely Emma carried out.
Like myself Emma has ‘issues’ with baby wipes and even has a wipes index list. A couple of months ago, I spotted a post musing over the fact that she had tried making her own reusable wipes but that they hadn’t worked for her…. so I dropped Emma a line to see if she’d like to try Cheeky Wipes.
Her review is now online here and if you take a look, you can see that I’ve given Emma an exclusive peek at our new improved Cheeky Wipes kits, which are available to pre-order now.
Tags: baby wipes review, cheeky wipes review, mellow mummy review
Posted in Buying For Baby, Cheeky Wipes News, cloth nappy | No Comments »
January 25th, 2011
With baby no4 due in a couple of months, and the Excel baby show coming up, I thought it was about time that I mentally reviewed our baby equipment situation. After all, if there is anything I *need* then it makes sense to take advantage of the offers which abound at the show.
If you’re due to have another baby, you’ve probably got the essentials already: cot, pram, car seat, feeding equipment, and a travel cot. So what else do you actually need?
Essentials
Well depending on how old your first child is, you’ll need some form of transport. Options range from double buggies (I love my nipper out and about, but it’s massive!), or keep your existing buggy and add a buggy board if your child is slightly older. Alternatively, keep your older child in the buggy and just use a sling for the littl’un. I used a combo of double buggy / existing pram and sling depending on where I was going, how far it was and whether they would have space for my buggy or not when I got there!
Slings aren’t just useful when you’re out and about though. I called my Kari-me sling my ‘hands-free’ kit for bubs no3 as there was no way I could get anything done otherwise. It was a real life-saver and super comfy to wear around the house too.
Of course you’ll need more teeny tiny nappies (cloth or disposable) and if you’re using Cheeky Wipes it’s probably worth investing in some additional wipes so that you’ve got plenty on hand for those newborn poo’s.
Nice to have’s
I think pretty much everything else falls into the ‘nice to have’ list. Top of this list is one of the fabulous breastfeeding scarves from Mamascarf which not only allows you to feed more discreetly (without tucking a muslin into your bra strap which is what I’ve done until now!) but also supports the baby.
Next, some new baby-gro’s and vests as the old ones are a bit tired now. And I think I really want one of the fabulous baby blankets from My Little Patch, I’ve got my eye on a lovely spotted flannelette and minkee one which is just gorgeous.
Lastly, I might just treat bubs to some of the lovely Baby Shampoo from Burts Bees which is just gorgeous, so lovely to use on their super-soft skin and just yummy smelling without being overpowering.
Have I missed anything? Let me know if I have!
Tags: baby no2, buying for baby
Posted in Buying For Baby | No Comments »
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