Win Tickets To The Baby Show at NEC, Birmingham in May
Taking place at London’s Earls Court, ExCeL and Birmingham’s NEC throughout the year, The Baby Show is the biggest event in the UK dedicated to babies and pregnancy. With leading baby and parenting brands on show; offering new products and the latest developments from the baby world; appearances from a range of experts on everything from breast-feeding to nutrition for children; and a host of in-show entertainment – The Baby Show is the no. 1 destination from anyone with or expecting a child.
Each Show features thousands of must-have products for both parents and babies from the UK’s leading brands such as Pampers, Mothercare and Tommee Tippee; expert advice on pregnancy, birth and parenting skills; and entertainment for all the family. Visitors to the show will enjoy a fantastic shopping experience and be able to test out the latest products for their little ones; whilst offering a fantastic opportunity to speak to expert midwives, nursery nurses and, of course, fellow mums and dads. February’s Show at London ExCeL saw appearances from the likes of baby expert Miriam Stoppard, nutrition expert Annabel Karmel, breast-feeding guru Clare Byam-Cook and others taking to the stage to share their collective wisdom. May’s show is set to be even better and not one to be missed!
We’ve teamed up with The Baby Show to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the show.
The lucky winners, getting a pair of tickets to the BabyShow at NEC, Birmingham 21-23 May 2010 are: Susannah Brown, Razina Imtiaz, Hasna Ghalib, Debbie Dubberley and Lucy Camp.
Congratulations, make the most of it and please leave us your feedback after the show!
The Baby Show 2010 takes place at NEC, Birmingham (21-23 May) and London’s Earls Court, London (22 – 24 October). Tickets are available now and can be ordered from
www.thebabyshow.co.uk
The Baby Show, NEC, Birmingham, 21-23 May 2010
At the end of May, The Baby Show will be taking over Birmingham's NEC for a 3-day celebration of all stages of pregnancy and early motherhood. The Show will be the ultimate destination for all expectant parents; those with little ones already in tow and anyone else interested in hearing the latest developments from the world of parenting.
Leading brands Sainsburys, Ella’s Kitchen and Organix are signed up, not to mention all the great entertainment and expert advice that parents come to expect from The Baby Show. Like the London Baby Shows, the Birmingham event will see the UK's most-loved parenting brands showcase the most innovative baby products; whilst leading experts on a range of baby and childcare issues will take to the Persil and Comfort Pure Stage with Prima Baby to provide insights and advice for parents; would-be parents and everyone else with an interest in babies!
Qualified nurse, midwife and author, Clare Byam-Cook returns after the success at the London Shows where visitors are given invaluable and celebrity acclaimed guidance on breast feeding. Annabel Karmel also returns to share the wealth of her advice on children’s nutrition.
Behind the scene of the Baby Show:
Exclusive interview for GreenKiddie with Dr Sarah Schenker, Registered dietician and independent advisor to Ella’s Kitchen
Sarah, how do you think mums are changing their parenting habits in terms of feeding their babies and toddlers?
Mums and dads are becoming more and more aware of the importance of feeding their babies healthy foods to give their little ones the best nutritional start in life. Good nutrition in the early years is vital. Children’s early experiences of food play an important part in shaping later eating habits, and good eating habits support healthy growth and development. There is more choice than ever before for parents, especially amongst the range of organic baby foods. The key is to look for products that have no added salt or sugar, and provides a variety of foods at the appropriate consistency and texture for the weaning stage your baby is at; for example soft and smooth for stage one, thicker and lumpier for stages 2 and 3. Some products give parents the chance to explore fun, interesting tastes and textures with their babies throughout the weaning process which makes mealtimes much more fun and interesting for baby.
What do you think of cooking with kids as a form of "craft activity" and fun-spent family time?
I think this is really important. Children should be encouraged to become involved with food from an early age; including planning what to eat, shopping for ingredients, learning simple preparation skills and sharing food with others.
What is your opinion on the baby-led weaning method?
Baby led weaning means forgetting baby purées and weaning spoons and simply letting your baby feed himself. Many parents unconsciously choose baby-led weaning, particularly with second or subsequent children. Babies love to copy their older siblings and try to grab food from their plates and are often much happier if they are allowed to feed themselves.
Baby led weaning shouldn’t start until six months old, this is when most babies have strong necks and can sit up if they are supported. Their hand-eye coordination has developed to the extent that they can reach out and start to grasp food and grip it in their palms.
If you start baby led weaning at six months you will be able to offer finger foods as well as mashed foods, as soon as your baby is ready to do so. Some parents feel that their baby is ready straight away.
Parents who have used baby-led weaning recommend using foods that are shaped like a chip, or have a handle, such as cooked broccoli spears. This is because small babies have not yet developed a pincer grip and can only clasp foods in their fists. If you would like to try baby led weaning, offer your baby a selection of nutritious finger foods suitable for your baby's age when you and your family are eating and let him join in. At first he might just play with the food, or he might grab pieces of food with his fist and start to suck on them. Carry on breastfeeding in between mealtimes. As your baby gradually eats more solids, the number of breastfeeds will start to decrease.
Weaning guides, full of top tips for parents are available and highlight what kinds of foods can be introduced at each weaning stage as well as advice on how you can make mealtimes fun for your little one. I have recently helped write one with Ella’s Kitchen which is available from their website.
What foods should be avoided during weaning?
The following foods should be avoided:
Salt
Babies up to 6 months old should have less than 1g salt a day. From 7 months to a year old they should have a maximum of 1g salt a day.
Don't add salt to any foods you give to babies because their kidneys can't cope with it. The baby foods you'll find on sale aren't allowed to contain salt.
Limit how much you offer foods that are high in salt, such as cheese, bacon and sausages.
Avoid giving the baby any processed foods that aren't made specifically for babies such as pasta sauces and breakfast cereals, because these can be high in salt.
Sugar
Avoid adding sugar to the food or drinks you give the baby. Sugar could encourage a sweet tooth and lead to tooth decay when the baby's first teeth start to come through. Don’t always offer puddings high in sugar at the end of meals as this can encourage a sweet tooth too.
Honey
Babies should not have honey until he or she is a year old. Very occasionally, honey can contain a type of bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines. This can cause serious illness (infant botulism). After a baby is a year old, the intestine matures and the bacteria can't grow.
Nuts
Whole nuts, including peanuts, should not be given to children under five years in case of choking.
Low fat foods
Low-fat foods, whether yoghurt, fromage frais, cheese or fat spreads are not suitable for babies or children under two. Fat is an important source of calories and some vitamins which they need.
What would be your tips and advice about coping with fussy eaters?
If your toddler or baby refuses a new food the first time it’s offered the important thing to remember is, DON’T GIVE UP! Keep offering and eventually your little one may accept it. You may even have to offer the new food over 10 times before he or she accepts it, but never force feed them. Remember also to let your child see you eating the new food, as this will encourage them to see that the food is safe to eat.
Join The Baby Show 2010
Taking place at London’s Earls Court, ExCeL and Birmingham’s NEC throughout the year, The Baby Show is the
biggest event in the UK dedicated to babies and pregnancy. With leading baby and parenting brands on show;
offering new products and the latest developments from the baby world; appearances from a range of experts on
everything from breast-feeding to nutrition for children; and a host of in-show entertainment – The Baby Show is the
no. 1 destination from anyone with or expecting a child.
Each Show features thousands of must-have products for both parents and babies from the UK’s leading brands
such as Pampers, Mothercare and Tommee Tippee; expert advice on pregnancy, birth and parenting skills; and
entertainment for all the family. Visitors to the show will enjoy a fantastic shopping experience and be able to test out
the latest products for their little ones; whilst offering a fantastic opportunity to speak to expert midwives, nursery
nurses and, of course, fellow mums and dads. With TV presenter and mum Tess Daly, baby expert Miriam Stoppard,
nutrition expert Annabel Karmel, breast-feeding guru Clare Byam-Cook and others all taking to the stage to share
their collective wisdom, February’s show is not one to be missed!
The winners of our Baby Show competition, winning a pair of tickets for the show at ExCell 19th - 21st February are: Lynn Coombs, Limei Liang, Yvonne Crook, Maggie Menski and Sabrina Kapur.
Congratulations to the winners! Enjoy the show and make the most of it! We look forward to your FEEDBACK!
The search for The Face of The Baby Show 2011 begins
The UK’s biggest and best Baby Shows look for one beautiful baby to front the national campaign
At next weekend’s event at ExCeL, The Baby Show will be starting their search to find the UK’s most adorable baby.
Parents who attend The Baby Show next weekend (19-21 of February) will be able to enter their little ones into The Face of The Baby Show 2011.
The Baby Show is the UK’s largest consumer event dedicated to babies, birth and pregnancy. The Show will include hundreds of leading baby brands including Pampers, Heinz and Britax; entertainment for all the family, talks from leading experts such as Miriam Stoppard and Clare Byam-Cook and appearances from celebrity mums including Tess Daly. The Baby Show is the ultimate destination for all expectant parents; those with little ones already in tow and anyone else interested in hearing the latest developments from the world of parenting.
The Face of The Baby Show One will be chosen following the Earls Court Baby Show in October and will receive a professional photo session with Sonam Studios that will be used on all marketing material throughout 2011 and appear on The Baby Show’s website www.thebabyshow.co.uk. The gorgeous baby will also win a modelling contract for 1 year with top child modelling agency Truly Scrumptious.
Parents will be able to enter at all three of this year’s Shows:
- ExCel, London (19-21 February)
- NEC, Birmingham, (21-23 May)
- London’s Earls Court, London (22 – 24 October)
Tickets are available now and can be ordered from www.thebabyshow.co.uk
Oops-a-baby! Nearly 1 in 5 babies to be born in 2010 were not planned, reveals The Baby Show
In a comprehensive survey of mothers and expectant mothers, The Baby
Show discovered that nearly 20% of babies due to be born in 2010 were not planned and 46% were conceived outside of the bedroom. Over 1,000 parents and parents-to-be responded to a survey commissioned by The Baby Show, who looked into the circumstances surrounding the conception of babies due in 2010; to discover the days, times and places babies in the UK are conceived.
Some interesting results have been revealed. - Nearly half the respondents conceived their babies outside of the bedroom. While cars were not a preferred place for conception, according to the survey, every 10th baby has been conceived while couple has been on holiday. Most babies were conceived on a Saturday, with only 8% of babies being conceived on a Monday – fair enough! And in terms of time of the year, April is the most popular month and September is the least popular month to conceive a baby. Of those that were trying for a baby most parents were lucky enough to conceive for between 1-3 months.
‘‘The Baby Show carried out this research to paint a picture of how babies are currently conceived in the UK. It was surprising to see that nearly a fifth of babies due to be born in 2010 were not planned”, claimed Nicole Muller, Show Director, The Baby Show. “The fact that most babies were conceived on a Saturday night between the hours of 6pm and 10pm supports the belief that people are making their own entertainment in the current economic climate.”
The Face of The Baby Show 2010 is Revealed!
Winner chosen from over 5,000 babies - Over 4.5 million votes cast Oliver Withers is named The Face of The Baby Show 2010 with Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine
Baby Oliver Withers beat off stiff competition from over 5,000 of the country’s cutest babies to be named as this
year’s Face of The Baby Show 2010. Parents across the UK entered their baby for the competition, after attending
The Baby Show or visiting the Prima Baby website (www.babyexpert.com). A public voting process followed, with
more than 4.5m votes being cast, to narrow the entries down to 16 lucky finalists who, along with their parents, were
all invited to a photocall earlier this month. On the day, 7-month old baby Oliver Withers was named as the new face
of the show and mother Sarah Withers, 28, couldn’t be more proud: ‘I’m elated that Oliver’s been chosen as The
Face of The Baby Show, it’s confirmed to us just how gorgeous he is.’
Sarah and her husband Jay attended The Baby Show in Earls Court in October 2009 and decided to enter Oliver as the potential new face, as like all proud parents they had long thought Oliver was the prettiest baby around. Oliver will now go on to front the national advertising campaign for the biggest and best pregnancy show in the country, The Baby Shows 2010. Oliver also wins a modelling contract with London agency Urban Angels and will be in a feature all about the search for the Face of The Baby Shows in a forthcoming issue of Prima Baby magazine.
Alysia Lewis from Urban Angels comments: “We are delighted to offer Oliver a modelling contract as part of his prize. On the day he had a real photogenic charisma and just sparkled, so we feel that he will be the perfect baby model.”
Mum Sarah feels that winning the competition will be a wonderful way to record this part in her first baby’s life: ‘We’re extremely proud of Oliver and I’m making a scrap book of all the lovely things Oliver has done with The Baby Show.”
The Baby
Show 2010 -
The biggest and most
comprehensive Show
dedicated to pregnancy,
birth and baby in the UK
19-21 February 2010, ExCeL, London
21-23 May 2010, NEC, Birmingham
22-24 October 2010, Earls Court, London
In 2010 The Baby Show will return to London’s ExCeL, Birmingham’s NEC and London’s Earls Court, offering an unrivalled shopping experience, parenting advice and great entertainment, as the ultimate day out for new parents and parents-to-be.
The Baby Show is the biggest event in the UK dedicated to babies and since 2002 The Show has grown from strength to strength to become a series of hugely successful national events. This October’s Baby Show in Earls Court was a huge success with over 26,000 visitors attending.
Appearances came from leading experts including Annabel Karmel on nutrition, Clare Byam-Cook on breast-feeding and Dragons' Den's Deborah Meaden offering advice to the growing number of "mumpreneurs’’. Next year’s Shows will not only cement The Baby Show’s reputation as an essential part of having a baby, they’ll also continue to be a great day out for new and expectant parents. Each Show features thousands of must-have products for both parents and babies from the UK’s leading brands such as Pampers, Mothercare and Tommee Tippee; expert advice on pregnancy; birth and parenting skills and entertainment for all the family.
Fantastic Shopping Deals
Parents will get the best deals on those essential products with exclusive Show offers and free samples to take back home. The Baby Show is the perfect opportunity to speak face-to-face with brand experts, test drive the latest products and see the latest innovations – helping to take the stress out of parenting.
Expert Advice
Expectant parents can receive one-to-one consultations at The Show from fully trained midwifes to help put their minds at ease. They can also catch up with experts where they can receive all the latest advice and information on topics such as breastfeeding, nutrition and sleep. The Baby Show is also a unique opportunity to exchange advice with fellow mums and dads-to-be.
Entertainment for All the Family
The Baby Show is not only the place to find everything parents need under one roof, it’s also a fun day out for parents and toddlers. Entertainment at this October’s Show came from the iconic Teletubbies and next year’s Shows promise to be just as entertaining. Little ones and adults alike will be amused and excited by the whole host of interactive features The Show has to offer.
The Baby Show, ExCeL, London, 19-21 February 2010
The next Baby Show will take place at London's ExCeL between 19 - 21 February 2010. With leading baby brands including Pampers, Stokke and Organix already signed up - plus the great entertainment and expert advice that parents have come to expect from The Baby Show. The Show in February will be the ultimate destination for all expectant parents; those with little ones already in tow and anyone else interested in hearing the latest developments from the world of parenting.
The Baby Show 2010 takes place at ExCel, London (19-21 February); NEC, Birmingham, (21-23 May) and at London’s Ears Court, London (22 – 24 October). Tickets are available now and can be ordered from www.thebabyshow.co.uk
