# Babies!



## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

So, who has had a little one here in Spain? I'm a bit lost because all of my knowledge of "good" baby products or tips is from the US. 

Does anyone have any good websites to recommend? Any recommendations for products that are worth it (or not)?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> So, who has had a little one here in Spain? I'm a bit lost because all of my knowledge of "good" baby products or tips is from the US.
> 
> Does anyone have any good websites to recommend? Any recommendations for products that are worth it (or not)?


my younger one was tiny when we came for our first long recce & I found the supermarket nappies / diapers to be every bit as good as the expensive ones I bought in the UK - that was nearly 16 years ago though 

But I've seen on local FB groups that they are still often recommended  

I've seen that a couple of young friends of mine who have recently had babies have recommended this forum /website SerPadres.es. Embarazo, parto, bebé. Guias útiles, expertos, y consejos para la etapa más hermosa de tu vida.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Elenetxu you're asking about babies? Did I miss something?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

AllHeart said:


> Elenetxu you're asking about babies? Did I miss something?


you must have missed the announcement reggers:


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> you must have missed the announcement reggers:


Yes, I did. Thanks for letting me know.

How fabulous! Congratulations Elenetxu!


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

Bepanthol cream and Dodot nappies. Don't compromise and try the cheap stuff, especially if baby has sensitive skin.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> my younger one was tiny when we came for our first long recce & I found the supermarket nappies / diapers to be every bit as good as the expensive ones I bought in the UK - that was nearly 16 years ago though
> 
> But I've seen on local FB groups that they are still often recommended
> 
> *I've seen that a couple of young friends of mine who have recently had babies have recommended this forum* /website SerPadres.es. Embarazo, parto, bebé. Guias útiles, expertos, y consejos para la etapa más hermosa de tu vida.


This is a huge help! Thank you!!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

My daughter's 21 this month so I'm not up to date on this. As with everything there are fashions and trends so I can't advise you directly. My only advice would be to be open minded without losing sight of your own values.

One thing that was really different in my day was for example feeding baby. In the UK babies had been fed ready prepared jars or tins of food for decades. Here everything was still prepared daily by the family and that's when we got our first hand blender (minipimer) and I think that's still the way, thanks goodness 

I was just wondering yesterday when you were due. You haven't had the baby already, have you?


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Congratulations!

Our youngest is 2 but the memories of those first months are already hazy!

Here's what comes to mind:

Nappies - try the cheaper ones to begin with, but you may find they don't fit and end up with more expensive ones (we use Dodot - look out for special offers)

Nappy cream - we use eriplast after having tried various brands

For when they're ready, Atopic piel bath gel and LaetiAT4 skin cream have worked. Also Nivea is a good cream to start off with.

Powdered Milk - you may find the baby gets a taste for whatever milk you start off with, so make sure it is readily available and reasonably priced. We used a Nestlé milk - but I can't remember the name.

Perhaps the biggest financial decision is the pram/buggy/stroller/transformer thing. Almost inevitably people want a lightweight umbrella stroller after about 6 months and stop using the other thing altogether, so don't splash out an one of those 3-in-1 things unless you can get hold of one cheaply. There are a couple of makes which are fairly light weight, fold like an umbrella and can take a carrycot (one is made by Cybex and the other by McClaren) so I recommend either going for one of those from the start, or getting a cheap pram for 6 months and then a decent mcClaren style stroller later on (which you'll use for years).


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

I should add that I think you should avoid powdered milk completely for as long as you can.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> My daughter's 21 this month so I'm not up to date on this. As with everything there are fashions and trends so I can't advise you directly. My only advice would be to be open minded without losing sight of your own values.
> 
> One thing that was really different in my day was for example feeding baby. In the UK babies had been fed ready prepared jars or tins of food for decades. Here everything was still prepared daily by the family and that's when we got our first hand blender (minipimer) and I think that's still the way, thanks goodness
> 
> I was just wondering yesterday when you were due. You haven't had the baby already, have you?


Yes we used the hand blender to make our own purees all the time - although we often tended to freeze them rather than make them each day. We used the jars only when we were away from home.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Congratulations elenetxu!


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> My daughter's 21 this month so I'm not up to date on this. As with everything there are fashions and trends so I can't advise you directly. My only advice would be to be open minded without losing sight of your own values.
> 
> One thing that was really different in my day was for example feeding baby. In the UK babies had been fed ready prepared jars or tins of food for decades. Here everything was still prepared daily by the family and that's when we got our first hand blender (minipimer) and I think that's still the way, thanks goodness
> 
> I was just wondering yesterday when you were due. You haven't had the baby already, have you?


I'm due at the end of July. I just realized that the date is coming up and that maybe I had ought to get to work  

I asked la suegra for a pressure cooker for my birthday. Baby food jars are few and far between here so it looks like I'll be cooking!


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

gus-lopez said:


> Congratulations elenetxu!


Thank you!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

You're due at the end of July?! OMG, it could only be worse if you were due at the end of August. May I suggest you do a little clothes shopping for you and Baby for the hot weather, starting with something like this.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

AllHeart said:


> You're due at the end of July?! OMG, it could only be worse if you were due at the end of August. May I suggest you do a little clothes shopping for you and Baby for the hot weather, starting with something like this.
> 
> View attachment 41178


better to save this for the winter then


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Helenameva said:


> better to save this for the winter then


OMG that's perfect! Yes, definitely better suited for the winter. But what if it's a Boy? I'd recommend something like this for the winter.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I wouldn't worry too much about the baby overheating. Elenetxu's in Cantabria...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Elenetxu, I know more about kittens than human babies so I won't offer any advice - just congratulations (and a rather naff emoticon)! reggers:


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I wouldn't worry too much about the baby overheating. Elenetxu's in Cantabria...


hahahaha, thank you PW. 

I don't think the little one's Basque-Spanish music teacher father would be too keen on flamenco or Sevillana garb.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Elenetxu, I know more about kittens than human babies so I won't offer any advice - just congratulations (and a rather naff emoticon)! reggers:


Hahaha, I know far more about dogs than I do children. Needless to say, I'm a bit nervous!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> hahahaha, thank you PW.
> 
> I don't think the little one's Basque-Spanish music teacher father would be too keen on flamenco or Sevillana garb.


I'm happy to hear that you don't have to suffer through heat.

So all bull fighting outfits are out of the question also? That's too bad, because I have just the right one picked out for you...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> hahahaha, thank you PW.
> 
> I don't think the little one's Basque-Spanish music teacher father would be too keen on flamenco or Sevillana garb.


If Dad's got anything to do with it poor babe's going to end up wearing a txapela


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> If Dad's got anything to do with it poor babe's going to end up wearing a txapela


I'm much more worried about the suegra. She knit my nephew a mendigoizal with the laburu all over it and I fear the little one will get the same. I hope it's not disrespectful to call a mandigoizal a "sweater with balls". DH's mom kept my husband's "typical Basque" outfit as well, so that might be coming our way. 

DH is not all that big on anything Basque or nationalist related, with the exception of the Athletic Club. I have already been told that the little one will be given a full uniform as soon as he's born.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> I'm much more worried about the suegra. She knit my nephew a mendigoizal with the laburu all over it and I fear the little one will get the same. I hope it's not disrespectful to call a mandigoizal a "sweater with balls". DH's mom kept my husband's "typical Basque" outfit as well, so that might be coming our way.
> 
> DH is not all that big on anything Basque or nationalist related, with the exception of the Athletic Club. I have already been told that the little one will be given a full uniform as soon as he's born.


I can't see anything disrespectful about telling someone their sweater looks like a sweater with balls. 

I note here that you refer to your Baby as "him" decidedly here. So do you know you're having a boy? Do tell!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> I'm much more worried about the suegra. She knit my nephew a mendigoizal with the laburu all over it and I fear the little one will get the same. I hope it's not disrespectful to call a mandigoizal a "sweater with balls". DH's mom kept my husband's "typical Basque" outfit as well, so that might be coming our way.
> 
> DH is not all that big on anything Basque or nationalist related, with the exception of the Athletic Club. I have already been told that the little one will be given a full uniform as soon as he's born.


I think there's little chance of avoiding the full Athletic kit at some point (and probably at several points) for a child with a Basque father.
I wasn't familiar with the mandigoizal sweater, but it looks like a sweater with balls to me!

I've just thought of all the baby clothes you're going to get - all those faldones yuck yuck and yuck!! If it is a boy you're going to have, get ready for those *enormous* blue bows everywhere! On clothes, on the pram...Here you go









At least if it's a boy they are only around until babyhood is over. If it's a girl they have to have those bows (which are so big sometimes they look like the poor dear has got a plank of wood gripped to her hair) until they are teenagers!

I used to get a lot of clothes at Adams a British shop, but they closed down (probably not enough bows!!). H&M and Zara are probably the best bets here, but you'll be able to get loads of stuff in the States.
Oh another thing I remember is that I didn't, or rather my daughter didn't get any presents until she was born, nothing before so don't panic if you haven't got anything yet. The great majority of things were for a baby of 0 - 3 months, maybe 6, so if you don't specifically ask you might get a lot of stuff for a small baby and have to shell out yourselves for anything that you want later on, not just clothes, but toys, car seat, cot etc
And lastly something I got which I never realised would be so useful were 2 big lacey shawls that my daughter still uses if she's ill to put round her shoulders when sitting up in bed. They came in so handy.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

That's a huge help, PW! Thank you!

Yeah, the bows have already started rolling in. My MIL wanted a little girl so she said she's going to get revenge by putting bows on him any chance she can. I'm not a bow fan. However, I live an hour away from the in-laws in a small town where nobody (that I know of) will look down on more... *ahem*...sensible attire for a being who throws up, poops, and drools an awful lot! I'll save the bows for when we go to the _capi_ - or when the _capi_ comes to us! I had a good giggle the other day when my nephew came to visit. DH took him out to play in the puddles. My SIL just about had a heart attack when she saw he had gotten dirty! That's life in the pueblo for you, hon! 

We're lucky: they just opened H&M here in Santander (at Valle Real, if you're ever in need an in the area). Plenty of cheap baby clothes to be had between H&M, Primark, C&A and Kiabi! 

Thanks for the heads up about gifts. I got a call the other day asking what I wanted and I was caught totally off guard. I also find it terribly uncomfortable to tell people what I want. I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> That's a huge help, PW! Thank you!
> 
> Yeah, the bows have already started rolling in. My MIL wanted a little girl so she said she's going to get revenge by putting bows on him any chance she can. I'm not a bow fan. However, I live an hour away from the in-laws in a small town where nobody (that I know of) will look down on more... *ahem*...sensible attire for a being who throws up, poops, and drools an awful lot! I'll save the bows for when we go to the _capi_ - or when the _capi_ comes to us! I had a good giggle the other day when my nephew came to visit. DH took him out to play in the puddles. My SIL just about had a heart attack when she saw he had gotten dirty! *That's life in the pueblo for you, hon! *
> 
> ...


Love the comment about the pueblo! 

Yes, I think those are probably all good shops for you, and you'll get lovely stuff from the USA too.
I was lucky that I live so far away from the inlaws and could do more or less what I wanted without much interference.

As for the gifts - have you seen the prices of these things! Suck it up my dear!
I've just thought of another very useful thing, it's called trona de mesa. Great for visiting, for restaurants etc. There might be better designs out nowadays, but a gift worth investigating










Towels? Baby room stuff? Bath toys ?


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