Dec 4 2014

Cellular blankets get the Farrow & Ball treatment with Abeille

Posted on December 4, 2014 by admin

We all secretly know that cellular blankets are the safest to use for newborn babies. They have dozens of air holes to ensure baby does not suffocate, and also retain warmth without overheating.

Yet when we shop for our babies, thousands of swaddle blankets jostle for position on the shelves of even the dinkiest of baby boutiques. We’re also bombarded with cute stripey knitted blankets, super-soft fleeces and jersey blends. To touch, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the chunkier blankets will keep your winter baby warmest, yet this is simply not the case. The clever ‘cell’ construction of a cellular blanket traps air to keep your baby warm in winter and cool in summer.

If we’re honest, the real reason the cellular blanket is so often overlooked is the sheer ugliness of it. They’re coarser and less tactile than their knitted cousins, and look so boring in comparison. Yet these are the only blankets our midwives recommend and our hospitals swear by. Simply put, they’re best for baby and we should be embracing them.

Step forward the prettified cellular blanket from Abeille!

Heidi Abeille

Abeille translates as bumblebee in French, and perfectly sums up the honeycomb construction of the cellular blanket. And it’s this name that close friends Michelle and Daisy chose when they started their new baby blankets business - with the simple idea to take the ‘essential’ Cellular blanket and make it beautiful again.

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Abeille have given their blankets the Farrow & Ball treatment, with 3 classic colourways to complement the vintage or shabby chic nursery. Not only this, they’ve increased the size from the traditionally pathetic dimensions we’re all used too (which barely covers baby within her moses basket) to 100cm x 75cm, making it a far more cosy environment to sleep under.

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Finally, they’ve increased the weight of the cotton to make it bouncy and noticeably softer on your baby’s skin. When folded up on the sofa, it looks plumper and far more luxurious than other cellular blankets.

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More colourways will surely follow to complement more nursery schemes, but the Farrow & Ball shades are a really good start (and handily unisex). Heidi has a lovely dove grey shade (forest) which perfectly matches her yellow, grey and white nursery palette. There’s also a snow white and creamy colour available from the website. Although Heidi is currently suffering with a runny nose and painful teeth, she was able to pose for a few pics for mummy with her new blankie.

At £19.99 there’s a considerable hike in price on other cellular blankets (usually under the £10 mark), but they’re still MILES cheaper than M&P’s popular £35+ knitted blankets and countless other designer brands. To get such a quality, well-proportioned and stylish blanket under £20 is pretty impressive.

Thanks guys! We love ours.

To find out more head to abeille.co.uk, or say hello to Daisy and Michelle on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest

Mar 4 2014

Co-Sleeping with Your Baby: Pros and Cons

Posted on March 4, 2014 by admin

The practice of co-sleeping, when parents share the bed with their child, has always been a controversial topic. Supporters believe it is better both for the infants and for the parents, as they have complete and immediate control on the baby’s needs during the night, while other studies have shown that co-sleeping could potentially be one of the causes of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

co-sleeping-baby-mom-infant-sleeping Image by Shutterstock.com

Why do parents choose co-sleeping?

Some of the benefits of co-sleeping might be:

Co-sleeping makes breastfeeding easier. It is already quite difficult for new moms to get a good night sleep during the first months of their children and having to wake up and walk at regular intervals to breastfeed does not help. Co-sleeping allows the mother to breastfeed her baby easier and quicker, directly in bed, simply rolling comfortably on one side.
Co-sleeping helps mother and child to develop the same sleep and awakening patterns, which also help both parents to sleep better. They might wake up more frequently, but there isn’t the stress of getting in and out of bed every time the baby needs them.
Co-sleeping might result in more independent children, although many disagree on that. Most researches show that children who co-slept grow up more self reliant, independent and less fearful.

Is co-sleeping safe?

Are the above benefits worth the potential risks related to co-sleeping? Despite the pros, many parents do not support co-sleeping as they find it to be dangerous for the baby, especially for infants, with the risk of SIDS. Main concern being the chance the parents roll over onto the baby, or the baby got caught in the sheets or pillows during the night.

That said, supporters of this practice said that it is very unlikely to happen as parents are conscious of the baby’s presence even when asleep.

However, if you are either a supporter of co-sleeping or you are thinking to experiment it, there are a couple of tips you might want to consider for the safety of your child.

Choosing the right bed, for example, is important for the baby. At www.bedstar.co.uk you can find different solutions suitable for co-sleeping, various beds and mattresses which might work better for you and your infant.

If you are not a co-sleeping supporter or you think it is time for your child to transitioning out of your bed, you might want to choose a crib to put next to the bed. You can even buy a device which allows attaching the crib to the bed, to simulate co-sleeping while eliminating the potential risk of rolling over your child.

When considering co-sleeping, try and think about the above pros and cons, if it is something that might suit your needs and your baby’s sleeping pattern. Remember it is a very personal choice and it might not work for everyone, it depends on how both parents feel about that and how the baby reacts.

He or she might sleep better when feeling safely hold and cuddled between his parents, others might wake up crying more often. It is a personal decision which you might want to talk to your child’s doctor as well.

Featured Post

May 3 2013

Matilda Mae Memorial Auction 11-20 May 2013

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

Yesterday was a bittersweet day for our community as it marked the first birthday of Matilda Mae - a birthday she was sadly not around to share with her mummy and daddy and brother and sister.

On February 2nd this year, at exactly 9 months of age, her mummy Jennie put her down to sleep in her cot. Nothing was out of the ordinary, Matilda Mae was her usual self. Unfortunately, she entered a deep sleep and never woke up from her dream. Matilda Mae died from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

We are all touched by Jennie’s story and have all shed tears at the loss of such a pretty and smiley baby girl. She is only a matter of weeks older than Dexie so it’s heartbreaking to think they won’t achieve the same milestones in tandem.

Jennie and her family have bravely shared their story and are working hard to raise awareness of SIDS through their support of The Lullaby Trust, the UK’s leading baby charity aiming to prevent unexpected deaths in infancy. Jennie, with the help of fellow blogger Ghostwriter Mummy and Tots100, have organised a special Memorial Auction to remember Matilda Mae and support the Trust in doing the vital work they do with bereaved families.

So many prizes have been pledged for the auction (from major children’s brands to independent retailers) - it’s yet another example of how much Matilda Mae’s story has touched us all.

Please do head over to show your support and bid on some items. It doesn’t matter if your bid is big or small, every penny that is bid will make a difference.

The auction starts on 11th May and runs until the 20th May – Click on the badge below for more information.