Mince Pounds

During the Christmas season we will be giving you one 'Mince Pound' for every £10 you spend with us. You can use your mince pounds' full £1 value to put towards the cost of tickets to the pantomine at Greenwich Theatre , the ice rink at the Old Royal Naval College, or visit the new Peter Harrison Planetarium at the Royal Observatory.

Mince pounds are an initiative by Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site to encourage visitors to leave the commercial high streets and shopping centres and head to 'London's Christmas Village' during the festive season.

More stalls at Greenwich Market and shops in Greenwich are displaying the Mince Pound sign and will be handing out one Mince Pound to everyone who spends £10 or more.

Greenwich Market's Christmas Lights Switch On

Christmas festivities in Greenwich Town Centre kick off this year with the 'switch on' of Greenwich Market's Christmas Lights on Friday November 30th with the emphasis on entertainment for parents and children running between 3pm – 7pm.

The lights will be switched on at 5pm by the cast of Greenwich Theatre's pantomime 'Dick Whittington' bringing the magic of Christmas to the Market square and the town centre. Other interactive activities include The Arts Collective workshops, craft making and face painting and hair design.

Father Christmas will be taking time out from his busy schedule to be there from 3pm with FREE presents for all the children, but the grown ups need not worry - there will be FREE mulled wine courtesy of the regular market fruit juice stall 'Ye Olde Drink Co' Mince pies have been pledged by Marks and Spencer (tbc).

Bump2Bubba ante-natal classes

Run by Tania, an experienced midwife for mothers-to-be and their partners who want to enjoy labour and not to be frightened by it. Tania will provide honest and realistic information about labour and help parents-to-be to make decisions with confidence. The classes start Friday 9th November and Tuesday 13th November at the Greenwichwest Community & Arts Centre.

Also Tania’s HypnoBirthing course will be on the 18th November and 25th November from 10-4pm.

You can find more information about
Bump2Bubba classes here .

Coming soon: Swaddlebees One Size Organic Velour

click picture to see a slideshow with more features (may take a while to load)

Organic velour is a wonderful fabric for nappies: soft to the touch, very absorbent and fast to dry. And a birth to potty nappy - who could ask for more?

added on 26/nov/2007: they are in stock here

Nappy rash - treatment

- The most effective treatment, although not always the most practical one, is to temporarily discontinue use of nappies, allowing air to get to the affected skin.
- Commonly recommended remedies include oil-based protectants, which often contain petroleum jelly and cod liver oil or zinc oxide based ointments.
-If the rash is not settling after a few days, or is very raw, discuss with your health visitor, nurse, or doctor. There are also other types of rash such as Seborrheic (similar to cradle cap) and Atopic (allergic reaction characterised by itchiness), which require special treatment.

Other possible actions you can take:
- Discontinue the use of wipers. Wash baby with warm water using a gentle soap and cotton wool.
- Change detergent, or use less
- Try to make an extra rinse cycle.
- Consult your doctor if there are skin problems, eg eczema, in the family.

Nappy rash - prevention

- Change the nappy as soon as it is wet or soiled. It may be as often as hourly in newborn babies. - When possible, allow the baby to lie in a warm environment without a nappy for a while, before putting on another one.
- Use a barrier cream at nappy changes. Some barrier creams have antiseptic properties, which can help to deal with any germs.
- Wash your nappies with non bio-detergents and use less detergent than the quantity recommended by the detergent manufacturer.

Nappy rash - causes

The simplest cause of nappy rash is prolonged exposure to wetness from urine or stools. Both are responsible for increasing the skin PH and for promoting the activity of faecal enzimes. The result is the breakdown of the outermost layer of the skin, which in a baby is still very thin, and so the area becomes red or sore.
Once damage occurs, the skin can become susseptable to germs resulting in a rash with secondary infection.
Diet is another possible cause of nappy rash. Breastfed babies, for example, have a lower incidence of nappy rash, because their stools have lower pH and lower enzymatic activity. An increased likelihood of nappy rash occurs when a baby's diet undergoes a significant change (i.e. from breast milk to formula or from milk to solids). Treatmemt with antibiotics, or detergents remaining in the nappies are other frequent causes. Babies with sensitive skin may even react to minute particules of these chemicals, especially if they contain a "biological" additive.

review :: Imse All in One Nappy

I had almost given up stocking all-in-one (AIO) nappies because all that we had tried were either very bulky or had leaked. However, at the beginning of 2007 Imse Vimse announced they were designing an all-in-one nappy for parents who wanted an one-piece easy-to-use nappy. They have got it absolutely right. The Imse All in One nappy comes with gusetted legs which prevents leaks - this is the first AIO with gusseted legs which actually makes all the difference to prevent leaks. Not only that, this nappy has two booster pads permanently attached so there are many layers of fabric at all times for great absorbency. Customers that bought this nappy have said "I'm very impressed", "The nappy I was looking for because it is very easy to use", "Finally a nappy that does not need all other pieces and bits"

impact of cloth nappies on the environment

Washing and drying cloth nappies does have an impact on the environment. For some useful tips on how to reduce the impact, the Environment Agency (UK) advises parents to:
- only flush liners containing stools
- use low temperature detergents
- buy more nappies initially and wash full loads
- not use fabric softener
- look at the label and try washing at a lower temperature
- air dry rather than tumble dry where possible
- purchase electricity on a green tariff

Prices for Baby Beehinds Hemp Nappies have increased

Baby Beehinds has inform us that the price for their hemp nappies have increased from £9.99 to £10.99. They now cost the same as the Baby Beehinds bamboo nappies. However, we offer our customers all natural colours at £10.50