Dettol Baby Blanket Donation 2014 #SharetheMemories

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Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser asking mums to ‘keep the
memories, not the bacteria’ for national charity campaign

Dettol Antibacterial Laundry Cleanser has teamed up with UK children’s medical research charity, Sparks, to donate baby blankets to underprivileged children in the UK and abroad.

The campaign Dettol’s Baby Blanket Donation, aims to promote the dangers of bacteria on blankets and highlight the shortage of baby blankets available to infants born to disadvantaged families.

Every minute of every day, approximately 50 babies are born into poverty and will experience conditions lacking basic essentials including hygienically clean blankets. Poor hygiene conditions can contribute to illnesses such as diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.

Dexter BlanketJust a few of Dexter’s very special blankets xx

Laboratory tests commissioned by Dettol - on washed blankets donated by volunteer mums - show that baby ‘blankies’ carry a variety of bacteria even after a 40°C wash with a third of the washed blankets harbouring coliforms – a group of bacteria linked to faeces. Dettol is hoping to raise awareness of this research as well as donate much needed funds to support children’s health.

We’re delighted to be part of this exciting campaign. By working together with Dettol we can make sure more children are born healthy and stay healthy. One in 30 babies in the UK is born with a condition which may affect them for life. Yet, each year less than £10 per child is spent on research into children’s health. Sparks funds pioneering research to change this. Our medical breakthroughs improve the health of thousands of children but this is only possible thanks to the generous support of individuals and
families across the UK Zillah Bingley, Chief Executive at Sparks

Dettol are encouraging mums across the UK to “keep the memories, not the bacteria” by donating a blanket via Freepost and sharing their special recollections and photographs of their babies’ blanket on social media. Once collected, the baby blankets will be hygienically washed with Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser before being re-distributed by Dettol to families in need. Dettol Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser has also pledged to donate £1 to Sparks for every blanket collected to raise much needed funds for UK families with children who are affected by serious illness or disability.

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Celebrity mum of two, Rachel Stevens, is already on-board with the campaign having donated the first blanket and is calling out to mums across the UK to share their memories and donate blankets to needy children. She commented:

The Dettol Baby Blanket Donation really resonated with me as a mum. I remember bringing my girls home for the first time in theirs and what a special time that was. Many babies across the world will never get the chance to experience the comfort of a warm, clean blanket. That’s the reason why I’m supporting the campaign, asking mums to donate blankets to those in need so that those babies don’t miss out Rachel Stevens

Blanket donations will be collected until the end of December. Memories can be shared with
@DettolBlanket #sharethememories or on Dettol’s Mission for Health Facebook page. For fulldetails on how to donate please visit www.dettol.co.uk/donate


REVIEW: Puckababy GoGo Newborn

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Ooooh how much have I been looking forward to sharing this review…?! I love Puckababy products and honestly believe they are unrivaled in terms of comfort for baby, ingenuity and practicality. Dexter has only just outgrown his Puckababy 4 Seasons sleep bag and it’s still in near perfect condition ready for Heidi to snuggle up in when she gets a little bigger. Not to be outdone though, Heidi has her very own Puckababy GoGo Newborn to keep her nice and warm when she’s out and about or having cuddles with mummy.

So what is it?Puckababy GoGo Newborn

It’s a multifunctional babywrapper designed to keep baby warm and safe from head to toe. Using exactly the same blend of quality, luxurious and snuggly fabric that is synonymous with the Puckababy brand, it will protect baby’s delicate skin from the cold and any external stimuli. This makes it the ideal travel companion for trips out in the pram and car journeys, whilst also being perfect for sleep-times at home. Imagine a modern and more sophisticated take on a traditional swaddling blanket and you won’t go far wrong.

Heidi has been busy reviewing the Gogo ® Newborn which is suitable for babies aged 0-7months although I’d actually argue that the GoGo has a longer life-cycle than this as it’s really generous in size.

What sets it apart from other blankets out there?

Puckababy themselves are keen to stress that they symbolise rest and a sense of security and I have to agree that the GoGo embodies each of these.

First up it has a hood. Working in much the same way as a baby toweling set, it therefore stops warmth escaping from the head. This also works to reassure your baby. As Heidi is forever flailing her arms and is really easily startled, the Puckababy does a great job of shutting out the outside world - it’s like a mini cocoon. As she isn’t such a fan of hats (name one baby who is!) it also means I’m not constantly having to tug one over her head.

Additionally it has two little pouches for her feet meaning they’re fully enclosed at all times. This is a real frustration with traditional blankets as babies legs are often left exposed meaning they’ll cycle their legs and thrash. Not only will this distract them from sleeping (surely the holy grail for any new parent!) it also means you often end up popping yet another blanket over their legs which can make them too warm. In the GoGo the legs are therefore always nicely tucked in and all of baby’s body is warmly embraced. howtouse_gogo1

It’s also far safer than swathes of loose fabric as it has a velcro band around her tummy (which in turn creates pockets for her little legs - see above), to prevent her thrashing around and undoing the swaddle effect. Once she’s secured within the blanket, there’s an additional set of velcro on the outer layer to seal her in. This works on two levels - from a safety perspective it means she’s less likely to wriggle about and get a face full of fabric, and also from a parents perspective there’s no need to continually rearrange the blanket. This is fabulous as it means I can use my hands to simply stroke her face or rock Heidi rather than faffing around. It’s also incredibly soft and cuddly for me when I’m giving her a quick squeeze.

The Puckababy GoGo Newborn is also designed to work seamlessly with your car seat / buggy as it has little slits through which to pass your seat belt / harness strap. Again, it’s little details like this that set the GoGo apart from other blankets. You get a real sense that it’s been designed with safety and security in mind which is really reassuring.

As it works so effectively at calming her down, we’ve used it just about everywhere:

After toweling her dry we pop her in it after a bath to warm her up whilst we sort out her clothes for the day.Heidi bathShe’ll also wear it when she’s in her car seat to help drown out her brothers whinging! Carseat It’s also perfect for pram journeys as it keeps her swaddled and means she doesn’t feel every lurch, jump or jolt when mummy is steering! 020

Or just for cuddles before settling down to sleep.Heidi GoGoHeidi is modelling the ‘white with grey dot’ design which has a grey interior. There are also 3 other colourways to choose from all of which are gender neutral and equally stylish. Made from 100& microfibre and 100% cotton it washes like a dream and is really soft to touch. All of the little details are exactly what I’ve come to expect of the Puckababy brand - there are no itchy labels, the insignia is discreet and neat, all the seams are strong and durable… it’s designed to last and be handed down from baby to baby.

If you order from the website, your Puckababy will arrive in a sweet little box and with its own unique coat hanger for easy storage. The instructions are also a cinch to follow so you can get using the product straight away. Older babies (9 months+) aren’t left out either as they have the GoGo Kidz, a soft cloak designed to last right through to toddlerhood (basically a larger version of the GoGo Newborn without the foot pouches and it fastens with a chunky button).

Price-wise, you’re definitely pay for the quality as with all Puckababy products. But given we’ve had such an amazing experience with the 4 Seasons Bag I know it’ll last Heidi and we haven’t stopped finding uses for it. Craig has questioned just how much use we’ll get out of it in the thick of summer but I just know we’ll stash it under her pram and will end up pulling it out several times as early evening approaches and the temperatures drops.

In conclusion, I’d definitely recommend the Puckababy GoGo Newborn for active and hard-to-settle babies. Get ready for lots of admiring glances from other mums and dads though - I’m forever being asked where I got my GoGo from.

The Puckababy GoGo Newborn is priced at £49.99 and available to purchase online www.puckababy.co.uk. I’d also recommend popping over to say hello on Facebook and Twitter for competitions and more testimonials.

If you’re pregnant, you can also request a free beautifully illustrated sleep book from the website - this is rammed through of tips and advice for helping get your little one off to the land of nod.

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Settling Into a Sleep Routine - Guest Post from Kate at Family Fever!

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As promised, my blog has been taken over by the mummy blogger dream team this week whilst I’m skinny dipping with the bump in faraway places. First up we have the fabulous Kate from Family Fever. Kate has a huge family and so there is no one better qualified to give advice on routine parenting dilemmas. As mummy to three seriously scrummy children - Gemma (She’s a very cute Drew Barrymore look alike), Jacob and Max - she’s been through it all! Her post today is all about how to settle baby into a sleep routine. We found this pretty easy-going with Dexie , but we’re under no illusion that every child is different and we could well be in-for-it this time around! Notepads at the ready!

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Getting your little one into a sleep routine can be really hard, yet there are some little tricks that can help you to achieve the holy grail of a full night’s sleep!

With my children I have always found that a set routing before bed is really important, even right at the beginning. We start with a warm, bubbly bath in a warm room. Following the bath it’s a massage with some baby massage oil. It is worth attending a few baby massage classes if you can, as you can learn some great massage techniques to help with relaxation and any specific problems, such as relieving colic.

Once baby is in their pyjamas, it’s time for a feed. This is always done in a well lit room to prevent baby falling asleep on the breast or bottle, as I believe it is important that babies learn to fall asleep on their own. This way, if they wake in the night, they may be able to settle themselves without needing a feed. While feeding, I find it a lovely time to softly sing or chat to your baby, the sound of your voice will naturally relax your baby, and it’s a great bonding experience too.

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Dex (3 months) taking over our bed… clearly we were getting it oh so wrong… 

Once feeding is over, we pop baby into a baby sleeping bag. This keeps them warm and toasty all night, as they are not able to kick off their blankets. Just ensure that they are dressed appropriately, so if it is really warm, use a light sleeping bag and a bodysuit. If it is cold, you can use a thicker sleeping bag and a sleepsuit. We use a nursery thermometer for peace of mind.

Then it’s into a dimly lit room for a story. We have done this right from the beginning as reading to children is so important, and even right at the beginning babies enjoy listening to the soothing sound of your voice, and looking at pictures in books.

Finally, put your baby into their cot awake. This way they fall asleep on their own, and are more likely to be able to settle themselves again if they wake in the night. If your baby cries when you pop them down, place your hand on their tummy and say shhhh shhhh. Leave a soft nightlight on if it helps your baby settle. This can also be useful for night feeds. If you do feed in the night, keep the room dimly lit, and try not to interact with baby too much, keep it sleepy and soft so that baby learns to understand the difference between day and night.

This has always seemed to work for us, and all of our children have slept through the night from a fairly early age.

To find out more about Kate and her family beyond her blog, you can connect with her on the following social media accounts:

Twitter - @FamilyFever

Facebook - Family Fever

 

 

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