First Ride

By a@limdez.com 26/08/2019

Baby safety in cars has come a long way since the 1960’s! But sadly, using seat belts and age-appropriate seats for little ones is still not common practice.

Cyprus is famed for its love for children and all things family, so it remains a mystery why the basic rules of road safety with regards to a child traveling in a car are being ignored by some.

What can be more important than ensuring your offspring’s safety?

We have all witnessed the child standing in the front between front seat and windscreen, the child standing in the rear between the two back seats, the child kneeling on the back seat waving at the cars behind, the child sitting on mummy’s lap…and all of the above without the seat belt.

Supported by the Ministry of Communication & Works, the Ministry of Justice & Public Order as well as the Police Headquarters and Department of Traffic, there is one company which has been exercising its Social Responsibility Commitment since 2006: ExxonMobil/Esso Cyprus.

As part of their efforts to educate and raise awareness to the importance of seat belts, they have been offering free child safety seats to newborns every month. The company chooses a specific date, publishes it, and if your baby is born on that date you are entitled to a free child safety seat!

In my opinion this fantastic scheme is under-publicised. Frequently, when the subject of children and car safety comes up, I have noticed that very few mothers are aware of Esso’s great initiative.

So here’s our contribution to spreading the word. The winning dates for child safety seats for 2019  are:

  • January 11
  • February 14
  • March 4
  • April 23
  • May 6
  • June 17
  • July 5
  • August 19
  • September 8
  • October has yet to be announced

And here are the dates for 2018, seats are still up for grabs if your baby was born on:

  • January 2
  • February 28
  • March 8
  • April 3
  • May 7
  • June 16
  • July 24
  • August 31
  • September 9
  • October 4
  • November 26
  • December 13

Should these dates apply to you, bring your baby’s birth certificate to your nearest ESSO station to claim your free child safety seat!

Yep, you read it here first 🙂

 

Note: This article was first published on MumsinCyprus on June 6, 2013. We have edited it a bit, and reposted it with the updated winning birthday dates for 2019 and 2018. 

Postpartum and baby blues – my story

By Anthi 26/06/2019

Last week, a colleague’s daughter gave birth to her first child and she told us that she was crying all the time, even when someone asked her how she was doing, she was starting crying. I immediately told her that I was crying all the time too! And it is normal and it is ok!

But why don’t we already know that BEFORE giving birth, so that we can be mentally prepared and potentially anticipate it? I certainly was oblivious to the existence of the so called “baby blues” and how difficult the first days/weeks of the postpartum period can be for a new mom, so now whenever someone asks me how it was for me, I am being honest and tells them that for about a week I was crying all the time.

First of all I had to learn how to care for a newborn when up to that moment, I had never even held a baby before. So I had to learn everything, from changing his diaper to changing his clothes, which I had to change too almost at every changing of the diaper because I wasn’t putting the diaper correctly so his clothes were getting wet and pooped every single time. It was taking me ages to do the whole changing thing, because I was afraid not to hurt him while putting his clothes on.

And not only that, I was also recovering from an emergency c section. Imagine recovering from a major surgery, because it really is a major surgery despite the fact that it is done so often nowadays, and also having to care for a newborn.

I was thinking that I was not a good mom because it was taking me “so long” to learn, which now that I look back, I do not know why I was so harsh on myself. I gave birth on Saturday morning and by Tuesday midday I was home with a newborn. Why was I not giving myself more time before wanting to do everything perfectly on my own I do not know, I blame it on the hormones and on my stubbornness.

On Wednesday, I decided that I needed help so I took my mom up on her offer to stay with us for some days even though her offer seemed ridiculous to me prior giving birth, because she lives down the road – so why would I need her to stay with us during the night too? My husband was amazingly supportive and he was doing everything from day 1 with our son, but I also needed my mom because she was the expert with babies and I needed her, especially during the night.

So for a week she was staying the night too, she and my husband were taking care of the diaper changing during the night so that they would give me time to get out of the bed (yes it was taking me THAT long to stand up when laying down with my incision), and they were placing my son on the right position so that I could breastfeed,which again did not come easy for me but I wanted to do it. They were encouraging me and supporting me and taking care of me so that I could heal and take care of my baby.

During the day, my grandmother was coming over and she was doing the dishes and my mom was ironing the baby clothes and my dad was giving me a pep talk about how I got this, I just needed to give myself time. I had an enormous support system and 10 days postpartum, I had finally started seeing that we were going to be ok and my uncontrollable crying and weeping had completed stopped.

My incision was feeling much better, I could move much better, I learned how to properly breastfeed and we were exclusively breastfeeding, I got used to waking up for the night feeds without a problem, I even learned how to put the diaper correctly. And I came to the conclusion that there is no such a thing as a perfect mom, but I can try as hard as I can to be an awesome mom.

I hope I did not scare the shit out of you if you are reading this and you are an expectant mom, because you can be awesome from day 1 and rock motherhood. But if you struggle like I did, know that it is ok, it is normal, it passes. Ask help and accept help. It is ok to accept help, you do not have to do everything by yourself just because you are the mom. Give yourself time to learn how to mother, because the day a child is born, the mother is born too.

Yours truly

Anthi Savva Radis

You can read more about Anthi here

MiC’s #WednesdayWin – Medela Purelan Nipple Cream and Contact Shields

By MiC Carine 04/06/2019

New week, new #WednesdayWin!

After the runaway success of our previous competitions in the Marathon Trading series of brilliantly useful and totally recommendable products, here comes #WednesdayWin number 5: your chance to 1 of 3 sets of the Medela Purelan Nipple Cream and Contact Shields!

Clearly these two nipple saviours are destined to be a new mum’s best (breast) friend, as our delighted MiC Testing Team reviewer testimonial shows: breastfeeding can go on, regardless of…everything!

 

The Purelan cream has one single ingredient: medical grade lanolin, whereas the Contact Nipple Shield is made of thin silicone. Both are effective tools for mums to better handle babies with latch-on problems, or for flat, inverted and sore nipples.

To find out more about how you can improve your breastfeeding experience, have a look at our previous post on this topic.

Medela to the rescue!

Entering the draw is easy and possible as of today, but be quick, this competition is only open until Monday, June 10!

How can I win this amazing prize?

To enter the competition, simply email: carine@mumsincyprus.com with 

“Medela Purelan Nipple Cream and Contact Shields” in the subject line.

Please also provide us with:

  1. Your full name
  2. The town you reside in (in Cyprus)
  3. Your mobile telephone number

THE COMPETITION WILL CLOSE ON MONDAY, JUNE 10 2019 AT 17:00!

The winner will be drawn and announced on or after Wednesday June 12th.

The Medela products will then be sent via courier to the lucky winner!

As with our previous Medela products, the amazingly efficient electrical Swing breast pump and the high quality, indispensable breast milk storage bags, Purelan and Contact can be found at pharmacies across Cyprus, New Baby City, Mamatoto and Mothercare, as well as online with WaysExpress.com.

Good luck 🙂

 

MiC Product of the Week: Medela Purelan Nipple Cream and Contact Shields

By MiC Carine 30/05/2019

Of all the products from our Marathon Trading series of family-friendly items, this week’s are by far the most intimate ones. It can hardly get more personal than nipples, can it?

Yet, just after we give birth, our breasts – along with the nipples – get touched and squeezed by doctors, nurses, midwives and lactation consultants, making them everything but private 🙂

The breastfeeding period can be hard at first, and new mums often need all the help they can get for the newborn baby to latch properly, feed sufficiently, and for the milk production to be sustainable.

This is where this week’s two products come in: Medela’s Purelan 100 Lanolin Nipple Cream and the Medela Contact Nipple Shields.

Purelan offers natural soothing care and protection for dry, cracked and sore nipples, so that breastfeeding can go on regardless.

In line with our other ‘free from’ recommendations, the cream is made from natural medical-grade lanolin. Nothing else. No parabens, additives, preservatives nor fragrance, this is a hypoallergenic product that replenishes natural levels of lipids in the skin. It can even be used on chapped lips, dry noses and dry skin in babies – that’s how pure it is…. (Pure + Lanolin = Purelan!)

On to the Contact Nipple Shields then. Not sure what that is? As stated on Medela’s website, a nipple shield ‘is a thin, flexible piece of silicone that you place over your nipple before breastfeeding to protect it. There are holes in the tip so your milk can pass through to your baby. Some mums worry that having a ‘barrier’ between themselves and their baby may interfere with the intimacy of breastfeeding, which is why Medela Contact nipple shields have an open section to ensure you still enjoy plenty of that special skin contact.’

That’s pretty great! Our MiC Testing Team clearly thought so, too.

Najat is a mother of 4 breastfed babies and found these two products essential for her personal success in breastfeeding. ‘The gel is a must to soothe and help me get ready for each feed. The shield is also vital to help me breastfeed successfully’ Najat said in her review. She added ‘The ease of use and packaging with the box for the shields is brilliant. The Medela brand is well known and the quality has not disappointed. I found the packaging slick and easy to open. The product itself was easy to use.’ When we asked whether she would recommend it, Najat replied she only ever recommends things she has tested and used and that are helpful, ‘so I would definitely recommend these’.

Another delighted tester of the silicone nipple shields is Desi, who relies on Medela’s experience in breastfeeding. She trusts the brand and praises the quality and reliability, adding ‘especially the nipple shields, which I happened to use since before taking part in this test, allow me to breastfeed my baby.’

Due to the nature of these intimate products, our testers obviously did not send us lovely photos of their nipples, so it is our pleasure to provide a couple product shots instead.

As with our previous Medela products, the amazingly efficient electrical Swing breast pump and the high quality, indispensable breast milk storage bags,Purelan and Contact can be found at pharmacies across Cyprus, New Baby City, Mamatoto and Mothercare, as well as online with WaysExpress.com.

And yes, thanks to the endless generosity of the team at Marathon Trading, these two breastfeeding savers will be the up for grabs in our next MiC Members-Only Exclusive #WednesdayWin competition!

Aren’t you glad you’ve found us? 😊

MiC’s #WednesdayWin – Angelcare Baby Bath Support

By MiC Carine 27/05/2019

Part 4 of our #WednesdayWin series is here!

As you know by now, our Product of the Week reviews are always followed by a #WednesdayWin. And the amazing Baby Bath Support by Angelcare is no exception.

Reviewed and much praised by our MiC Testing Team, you will agree that it is another must-have item for your baby!

Thanks to the wonderfully generous team at Marathon Trading we can this week offer you the chance to win one (of two) of these beauties, and they’re pink, just like the one in this picture!

Of course it’s not just about the awesome look of the item, but the incredible design is also sturdy, hygienic, ergonomic and safe. The material used is free from chemicals, mould and mildew resistant, PLUS it quickly warms to the water temperature and your baby’s body.

So there you have it! Go on, enter the draw to win an Angelcare Baby Bath Support as of today, but be quick, this competition is only open until Monday, June 3!

How can I win this amazing prize?

To enter the competition, simply email: carine@mumsincyprus.com with

“Angelcare Baby Bath Support” in the subject line.

Please also provide us with:

  1. Your full name
  2. The town you reside in (in Cyprus)
  3. Your mobile telephone number

THE COMPETITION WILL CLOSE ON MONDAY, JUNE 3 2019 AT 17:00!

The winner will be drawn and announced on or after Wednesday June 5th.

The amazing bath support will then be sent via courier to the lucky winner!

Just in case you don’t want to wait until the 5th and prefer to bathe your baby immediately in such a highly comfortable and secure bath support, or you prefer to own the blue version, you can buy it at New Baby City, Mamatoto and Mothercare across Cyprus, as well as online with WaysExpress.com.

Good luck 🙂

 

 

MiC Product of the Week: Angelcare Baby Bath Support

By MiC Carine 22/05/2019

It’s part four of our Marathon Trading series of family-friendly, must-have inventions! We are delighted to present to you another wonderful ‘free from nasties’ product, the Baby Bath Support from Angelcare.

With its incredibly sturdy, hygienic, ergonomic and safe design, this bath support does exactly what it says on the tin (well, packaging in this case): it fully supports your baby in the bath.

While this may seem obvious, you may also know that not all baby bath support seats are created equal. This one is clearly superior and safe in every possible way, taking the worry out of bath time.

Here are the facts:

  • no nasties or toxins – no Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), no Bisphenol A (BPA), no Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) and no Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) either
  • because the bath support is made with mesh material that allows water to drain easily from the bath support and dry quickly, it is mould and mildew resistant
  • the top layer of soft material warms quickly to the bath water and baby’s body temperature
  • the ergonomic design provides optimal support and keeps your baby perfectly centered, keeping it from rolling, slouching or falling sideways into the water

But, as we always say, you don’t need to take our word for it. That’s why we have our magnificent MiC Testing Team test these products in real-life situations, with their babies.

Anne Marie is one of the Angelcare Baby Bath Support testers, she loves ‘the modern, contemporary look of the seat and how light it is to carry, but sturdy at the same time. The product looks perfect, is easy to clean and feels so safe and secure when in use’.

She adds ‘when using a conventional bath and stand, I’ve worried so much about being safe while using it, that it has taken the fun out of bath time. I definitely need this seat, as I no longer have to constantly worry whether my baby will be ok, I know that she is safe in the seat because the product is well designed and easy to use. It gives me peace of mind; I can play and bathe my baby safely at the same time.’ Overall Anne Marie found the seat was easy to use, the instructions were clear and simple.

Our second MiC Tester Lucy ‘was interested in this product because of its shape and bright colour. It looked like a very stable and secure product for giving a bath to my child.’ And once she started using it, she confirms ‘I really like the design, the material feels great, no sharp edges. The centre of the product is very soft and comfortable for the baby to sit in. My baby loves this, he sits there very comfortably, enjoying his bath, laughing and moving with his hands and feet. It provides me with ability to enjoy bathing my baby with security.’

Would Lucy suggest the bath support? ‘I would definitely recommend this product to another mum. Especially if you have your first baby, this product gives you pleasure, security and you do not have to worry about drowning your child. You can wash him with shampoo and foams and because he sits so securely and comfortably you can easily wash the soaps out without the help of your husband or other members of the family. Your baby will like it for sure, as they feel comfortable and secure sitting on this inside the bathtub’

Well, you heard it here first 😊

Go ahead and place the Angelcare Baby Bath Support on your list of your baby care ‘Must-Have’ items, you will not regret it. After all, nothing is more important than the safety aspect in everything we do for our children!

You can find this product at New Baby City, Mamatoto and Mothercare across Cyprus, as well as online with WaysExpress.com. They all stock them in Pink and Blue.

But if you would like to try your luck at winning one instead, stay tuned! Thanks to the generous team at Marathon Trading, we’re giving you a chance to win one of two Angelcare Baby Bath Support seats in our upcoming MiC Members-Only Exclusive #WednesdayWin competition!

p.s. you’re welcome!

MiC Product of the Week: Kinder by Nature Wipes

By MiC Carine 15/05/2019

This week’s showcase from the Marathon Trading range of family-friendly items is one that you and your family will have a use for, regardless of the age of your children. Introducing: Kinder by Nature Wipes, made by Jackson Reece.

Oh, hang on…I can hear you say ‘Wipes? Wipes?’

Relax.

They’re not just any wet wipes.

They are fully biodegradable, all the way down to their packaging. These wipes are organic, hypoallergenic, not tested on animals and free from nasties such as harsh chemicals, parabens and other irritants. They are pH balanced, made from natural ingredients, contain aloe vera and purified water.

Really.

And because we have such a fantastic team of MiC product testers, we asked them to tell us what they thought of the Kinder by Nature wipes.(no, the little kid in the picture isn’t one of them, but he’s cute! And happy!)

Anthi was delighted to receive the wipes as her testing product: ‘Upon reading biodegradable, organic aloe vera, paraben free and the rest that is stated on the pack, I just knew I would love them! Exactly what I love using for my son and myself too.’

It seems our timing was perfect, as Anthi’s son had diarrhoea during the testing period. ‘Even though they are biodegradable, they were as good as the synthetic wipes, meaning the diarrhoea was not passing through the other side of the wipe so my hands were clean.’ (hmmm, it seems these wipes were truly tried and tested!!!)

Anthi added ‘as my son is still in diapers, we need wipes all the time and anything that touches his skin cannot have a negative impact. We also use them to wipe his hands and face. I have already recommended this product because we love the ‘Kinder by Nature’ wipes. The organic status is what most of my mama-friends look at the moment, especially for their babies’ skin’.

Nasia particularly liked that the wipes had no chemical ingredients and no perfumes and that ‘the package design is attractive and that “Kinder by nature” gives you the full info about the product. It’s very positive that using it on baby’s skin doesn’t leave soapy moisture like similar products. As a concerned parent, I always try to find and use products that are harmless for my kids and contain as many natural ingredients as possible. Having in mind the environment, and the upcoming regulations about waste, I try to find products that can be recycled or at least compostable, so the Jackson Reece baby wipes are perfect!’

Sarah loved the packaging and thought the ‘wipes felt soft’. She said that ‘the fact that they were a natural and ‘safe’ wipe was the most important quality of the product along with the functionality, as the daily requirement with a toddler can be quite large.’ Sarah added ‘knowing that the wipes will not fall apart or deposit any chemicals on my daughter is a huge benefit, whether I am trying to protect her skin from food smears or clean her hands from germs through adventures in nature – not to forget the basic essential of cleaning dirty bottoms.’

Well, there you have it! Who knows better whether a product is worth recommending than you and your sweet children, dear MiC mums?!

These wipes are obviously another ‘Must-Have’ item for today’s parents and thanks to the generous team at Marathon Trading, we’re giving you a chance to win one of three entire boxes of Jackson Reece ‘Kinder by Nature’ wipes in our upcoming MiC Members-Only Exclusive #WednesdayWin competition!

If you cannot wait to get your hands on this eco-friendly item and want to buy the ‘Kinder by Nature’ wipes right away, head over to your nearest pharmacy anywhere in Cyprus, to Mamatoto, or to Mothercare. If you are an online shopping fan, you can get them from WaysExpress.com.

Stay tuned!

 

MiC’s #WednesdayWin – Medela Swing Pump and Breast Milk Storage Bags

By MiC Carine 13/05/2019

Welcome to part 2 of our #WednesdayWin!

We’re particularly excited to announce the second installment of our #WednesdayWin series courtesy of Marathon Trading: Medela’s much loved Swing Pump and a pack of 50 breast milk storage bags to go with it! That’s a total retail value of over €200!!

Why is it much loved? Because it features a clever two-phase pumping rhythm, designed to mimic that of a baby sucking at the breast and improve efficiency of the whole process. Really quite unique!

But you don’t have to take our word for it…thanks to our MiC Testing Team, you can read for yourself what our three tester mums thought of our Product of the Week.

Spolier alert: they absolutely loved ❤️ it!!!

Enter the draw to win a Medela Swing Pump and a pack of 50 breast milk storage bags as of today, but be quick, this competition is only open until Monday, May 20!

How can I win this amazing prize?

To enter the competition, simply email: carine@mumsincyprus.com with

“Medela Swing Pump and Breast Milk Storage Bags” in the subject line.

Please also provide us with:

  1. Your full name
  2. The town you reside in (in Cyprus)
  3. Your mobile telephone number

THE COMPETITION WILL CLOSE ON MONDAY, MAY 20 2019 AT 17:00!

The winner will be drawn and announced on or after Wednesday May 22th.

The Medela Swing Pump and Breast Milk Storage Bags will then be sent via courier to the lucky winner!

Just in case you don’t want to wait until the 22th and prefer to go and buy this fantastic breast milk pump and those high quality milk storage bags for your pumping sessions right away, you can get them at Mamatoto, Mothercare, WaysExpress.com and in all pharmacies across Cyprus.

Good luck 🙂

 

MiC Product of the Week: Medela Swing Pump and Breast Milk Storage Bags

By MiC Carine 09/05/2019
Medela Product of the Week

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! If your daughter or son was born some days ago on Monday, they will forever share their birthday with Meghan and Harry’s firstborn… and with George Clooney, too! Ok, that’s the trivia out of the way, since we cannot escape the headlines this week 🙂

Jokes aside, breastfeeding is probably a big issue in your house right now. Hopefully you are managing well and enjoying this magical, bonding time with your new-born. Maybe you have even been wondering whether you will need a breast pump at some point? If you are intending to exclusively breastfeed your child, a pump and good quality storage bags for your breastmilk can be extremely useful tools.

Apart from the benefit it brings by stimulating milk production and keeping up supply, a pump allows other family members to bond with the baby over feeding sessions, as they can give your breastmilk via a bottle. Super useful, especially if you need to return to work after your maternity leave.

Pumping can also address the most common breastfeeding issues new mums can face, such as an engorged breast or the baby not latching on properly. Either way, many mothers view a good pump as an essential accessory.

As with our most recent Product of the week the NUBY Weaning Net Nibbler, we have asked our MiC Testing Team to review the Medela Swing Pump and Breast Milk Storage Bags for you.

 

Georgia told us that as far as the Swing was concerned, ‘It’s a 10! I wouldn’t change it for anything!’ With its little motor, the pump can either be used with a plug or the batteries, making it fit perfectly into your bag. The technology used actually imitates baby’s sucking behaviour and rhythm, so it feels natural to use and not awkward. Georgia added ‘also, something extra, as far as the customer service of Marathon Training, I must say they are always very kind and polite and willing to help as much as they can.’

In addition to the bottle that comes with the pump, Georgia also used the Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags. She particularly liked the ‘high quality material and that you can write important details onto the bag’ and ‘the innovative idea of creating a bag that you can store milk in the fridge or freezer with and be able to warm it up later on.’

 

Another happy MiC Tester is Erasmia. She was delighted about ‘the big box with 50bags!!!’ She found them to be ‘easy seal bags. They open easyly and pouring was easy as well. It’s a must when breastfeeding your child…breast milk is the best for our babies, so storing it is a must too, so that we are able to use it when someone else from the family needs to feed the baby’

Desi’s experience was also very positive. She strongly recommends the milk storage bags: ‘As a first-time mum I didn’t know a lot about breastfeeding. The long history of Medela actually made me trust their products. I like that the bag can stand by itself (very useful because you need to work with one hand). The label is easy to write on with any pen, you don’t need markers. The content amount indicators are more specific than other brands I have used. I like that you can write the quantity on the label. Very useful! The way that the bag is closed, which stops it from leaking, makes it east to store in a horizontal position.’ Desi added ‘I found it very useful to have stored milk for the period when I was sick, as well as for midnight feeding. And I feel better to store it in bags than bottles.’

So there you have it, happy mamas all around!

Thanks to the wonderful team at Marathon Trading, we will be offering you a chance to win these amazing breastfeeding savers next week in our next #WednesdayWin.

Yes, there will be a Medela Swing Pump worth €199 up for grabs, as well as three packs of Medela Breast Milk Storage Bags worth €19.90 each!! Really.

Stay tuned.

MiC’s #WednesdayWin – NUBY Weaning Net Nibbler

By MiC Carine 06/05/2019

The #WednesdayWin is back!

Kicking off our #WednesdayWin series courtesy of Marathon Trading, we are delighted to introduce to you one of the finest weaning hacks ever invented: the Weaning Net Nibbler by NUBY.

Apart from being mess-free, risk-free and wonderfully BPA-free, it really is perfect for introducing new foods and textures, like fruits and vegetables. The childproof, easy squeeze and twist locking system prevents the baby from opening the net, and the food item cannot drop out.

Our Product of the Week has thoroughly been tested by our MiC Testing Team. Read all about their feedback here, you can also meet the babies while you’re at it (very cute indeed!)

You can enter to win one of three Nibblers as of today, but be quick, this competition is only open until Monday, May 13!

How can I win one of these wonderful Nibblers?

To enter the competition, simply email: carine@mumsincyprus.com with

“NUBY Nibbler” in the subject line.

Please also provide us with:

  1. Your full name
  2. The town you reside in (in Cyprus)
  3. Your mobile telephone number

THE COMPETITION WILL CLOSE ON MONDAY, MAY 13 2019 AT 17:00!

Once the three winners have been drawn, they will be announced on or after Wednesday May 15th.

The NUBY Nibbler will then be sent via courier to the lucky winners!

Just in case you don’t want to wait until the 15th and prefer to go and buy the NUBY Nibbler for your weaning baby right away, you can get them at Mamatoto, Mothercare, WaysExpress.com and in all pharmacies across Cyprus.

Good luck 🙂

 

MiC Product of the Week: NUBY Weaning Net Nibbler

By MiC Carine 02/05/2019

You may already have seen some of the fantastic feedback posts made by our MiC Testing Team regarding the super products from the Marathon Trading range of family-friendly items.

This week, we are thrilled to introduce you to the NUBY Weaning Net Nibbler. This invention is so brilliant, it makes you wonder how you’ve managed without it for so long…we wish it was around when our children were in the weaning stage!

Mess-free, risk-free and wonderfully BPA-free, it really is perfect for introducing new foods and textures, like fruits and vegetables. The childproof, easy squeeze and twist locking system prevents the baby from opening the net, and the food item cannot drop out.

We put the NUBY Nibbler to the test with our MiC Testing Team, and Tatiana told us that ‘it’s a safe solution to provide the food inside of this product because it prevents chocking. Also, babies don’t get dirty or mess up the house like when they hold the food with their bare hands (which we were doing before).’ She particularly liked the appearance and the design. ‘It’s easy to open and put the food inside. And it’s safe because it locks really well so babies are not able to open it.’

 

Vicky’s 8 months old ‘was very enthusiastic about the product and seemed very comfortable using it even from the very first time.’ She let the baby use it for about 20 minutes the first few times ‘and he didn’t seem bored with it. He can now enjoy his fruits safely and all on his own! Highly recommend it!’

 

Marcela very much liked ‘the handle and ease of use’ as well as the design and colours. Most of all she loved that ‘my baby was able to eat alone and had fun while doing it’. Yes, we can see that 🙂

 

Once your baby has finished munching away on their fruit, the net can be detached for easy cleaning. The best part is that you can fill the NUBY Weaning Net Nibbler with frozen fruit or ice and you’ve got yourself a perfect teether!

Foods that also work well include melon, apple, mango, peaches and pears. Fully cooked potato, carrot and parsnip are equally great, your baby can discover a whole range of fruits and vegetable safely and independently.

We cannot recommend this fabulous weaning tool enough, so go ahead and put that on your ‘Must-Have’ list of items…unless of course, you’re feeling lucky. In that case you are welcome to enter our upcoming #WednesdayWin for your chance to win one of three NUBY Weaning Net Nibblers in our MiC Members-Only Exclusive!

Stay tuned!

It happened again…

By Anthi 14/01/2019

This is not the kind of post I wanted to have as my first 2019 post. It really wasn’t. I was planning to write a hopeful post, a positive post, I had already written it to be honest, it was the post for our rainbow baby that I wrote as soon as we heard the heartbeat, but I will never get the chance to press publish to it. So, no, this is certainly not the kind of post I wanted to have as my first post in 2019.

I had another miscarriage. The second one in three months. Two days before Christmas. Well the D&C was 2 days before Christmas at 9 weeks pregnant. The baby’s heartbeat stopped from 7 weeks although there was a strong heartbeat at 6 weeks 2 days. The baby was dead for 2 weeks and I had not realized it. Again. The first time was dead for 2-3 days before the doctor’s appointment. But again, no bleeding, no pain, just pregnancy symptoms as usual although now that I am looking back the last 3-4 before the D&C, they were milder than they used to be but I might be wrong. So, a second missed miscarriage; that’s how it is called when you only figure it out at doctor’s appointment because there are no symptoms of miscarriage.

Deep down I knew it, but I did not want to believe it because I was thinking that all women that are pregnant after a miscarriage must be scared as hell and thinking of the worst-case scenario so that was what I was feeling. Surely there is no way I would have another miscarriage. God would not allow it. I had such an easy, perfect pregnancy with my son. And there are so many women that have one miscarriage, 1 in 4 actually, but not many of them have a second one. So, the baby is ok and I am just scared. That is what I was telling myself to calm me down. And I could have been right. But I was not.

During that 9-week appointment I knew it. I wasn’t looking at the monitor. I was looking at my doctor’s eyes. She did not have to say anything. I just saw it in her eyes. “It happened again… right?” I asked her. “It happened again…” she replied. My uterus was fine, there were no placenta issues, just no heartbeat and she could tell by the baby’s size that it stopped at 7 weeks. She could also tell that I had no indications that I would miscarry naturally anytime soon. And because this time the baby was so tiny, she could not tell if there were any visible abnormalities as the first time. So, we decided to have another D&C but this time to take it for biopsy. I was numb. Until I left her office.

My husband was not at the doctors with me because it was a late night appointment and he stayed home with our son. The first time it happened, I called him from her office crying. This time, I couldn’t tell him from the phone that it had happened again. I just couldn’t. I called my mom from the car and then my sister. I needed my mom to take care of my son the next day and my sister to be with me at the hospital because my husband would have to take the baby for biopsy himself, drive it to the lab from Limassol to Nicosia because it was 2 days before Christmas and the normal courier services were not available. And I was crying.

The next days are a blur. We cancelled all our Christmas plans. Physically, I couldn’t do it. Emotionally, we couldn’t do it. I was still grieving for the first baby and now we lost another one. I was not expecting to get pregnant so soon (after all it took us 9 months to get pregnant the second time around) so as soon as we got the green light from my doctor to try, we started trying. And we got pregnant. And we lost it again. All within the last three months of 2018. Why did it happen again?

It is confusing. It is heart-breaking. My mind tries to find answers to something that might never be answered. I have a million questions. I make a million scenarios in my head “what if I had done that differently”, “or that” “or maybe the other thing”. There are so many tests I want to take (Google is the worst!) but I don’t think I have enough blood to take all of them. We expect the biopsy results end of January but what will they mean? If there was an abnormality with the baby, was it due to bad luck or is there something wrong with my eggs? Or maybe my husband’s and my genes are incompatible? But if the baby was fine, then what caused its heart to stop?

So many “ifs” my brain hurts. Even my “whens” turned into “ifs”. “…when we give a sibling to our son” has been replaced with “…if we manage to give a sibling to our son”.

A fellow mama told me that I am going down a deep hole and I need to come back up. I agree with her. Everyday I’m going down that deep hole but everyday I’m coming back up. Some days I need help to come back up but every day I’m coming back up. I know I need time to heal. I need time to grieve my babies. I need to feel all these things I’m feeling. I even allowed myself to question my faith for a bit and be mad at God. I am not mad anymore and that is how I know I will eventually stop going down the deep hole.

The irony in all this is my last 2018 post. It was all about beating the Christmas blues. Well my Christmas holidays were not blue; they were pitch black. But I kept my promise to myself of going back and reading that post as many times as possible to remind myself of my blessings, so I did have some brighter moments too.

I wish I could end this post on a positive, hopeful note. But I am not there yet. I lost two babies. I am their mother and I am grieving. I know I will be alright eventually. I just need a bit more time.

To whoever is reading this and is going through similar things: You are not alone. It will be alright in the end.

Yours truly

Anthi Savva Radis

You can find more about Anthi here

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