40 Interesting Facts About Babies

Before Birth

Interesting facts about unborn babies.

• Older women have more chance of multiple births: Older women have higher hormone levels, so they are more likely to produce more than one egg and have twins or triplets.

• You may be able to predict gender: The Chinese Lunar Calendar crosses the month a baby was conceived with the mother's age to predict gender, and is often correct!

• Fathers health can also influence: A Mothers health is not the only factor that poses risks to unborn babies. Dad should adopt a healthier lifestyle before conception too.

• Early developing baby is smaller than a grain of rice: At just four weeks old — in the womb — your baby is "tinier than a grain of rice," according to Australia's Better Health Channel.

• Babies have fingerprints: Even before they are born, babies have fingerprints from around three months in the womb.

• Babies can "see" light: Even though your baby is inside your tummy, they can open their eyes at seven months and follow light.

• Babies cry before birth: Babies develop vocal chords that are capable of crying before leaving the womb.

Newborns
Interesting facts about newborns.

• Babies like Wednesday's: The day on which most babies are born is Wednesday. But for over 15 years, it was Tuesday.

• "First" babies are smaller: The first child born to parents is usually smaller in size than babies born later.

• More babies are born prematurely: Since 1990, preterm babies are born much more frequently. Roughly half a million each year.

• Peak crying times: You may feel like babies cry nonstop, but in fact, late afternoon and early evening are the most common times for babies to cry.

• Babies recognize mum first: Babies begin to recognize their mother's voice when inside the womb, and they usually recognize their mother's face earlier than other people.

• They can protect themselves against choking: Called a 'protective reflex', newborn babies' tongues automatically push out foreign objects to keep them from choking.

• Most babies are born with blue eyes: Eventual eye color develops later, most babies are indeed born with blue eyes.

• Newborns recognize the smell of breastmilk: You may notice that a newborn will get fussy or become more alert when his breastfeeding mother comes into the room. That's because he can smell her milk.

• Babies cry for two hours a day: Most babies reach a peak in overall crying time around 6 weeks old, and then settle down dramatically after 3 months.

• Heart rate and breathing rate is much faster than adults: Babies' hearts beat at twice the rate of adults, and they breathe at least twice as fast, too.

Eating and Sleeping
Facts about how much babies eat and sleep.

• Babies develop flat heads after sleeping: Sometimes a baby will develop a flat head after sleeping on his back. You can correct this by putting your baby on his stomach when he's awake and getting him to look to the side when he's lying down watching you.

• 5 hours is a full night's sleep for new babies: While babies 'nap' a lot, a 5-hour 'proper' rest is usually sufficient.

• Babies can be breast fed until four months: Babies can receive all the nutrition they need to grow normally from breast milk up until four months of age.

• Babies should sleep on their backs even when sick: Some parents fear that baby will choke if vomitting while sleeping on their back. But baby's natural reaction is to turn its head if sick.

• Newborns sleep 16 - 17 hours a day: Although they sleep more than half the day, they actually only sleep one to two hours at a time.

• There is no set time for starting solid foods: Many babies may start responding to solid foods at 6 months, while others may not be ready until they are 2 years old.

Learning
Fact about how babies learn, recognize words and faces.

• Babies start learning language early: They start to recognize words when they're just 10 months old.

• Babies "label" objects: Babies take the words you use when you talk about something and "label" the word to the corresponding object. It's a natural learning process.

• Babies learn by using all of their senses: It's important to help your baby use all of its senses — including touch and smell — when teaching them new things.

• Their brains grow faster in the first two years: The brain's nerve endings are all linking up during this important time.

• Babies learn by watching faces: Encourage family members and friends to make eye contact with your baby, since this is a principal way of learning for them.

• Babies recognize numerics: At seven months, babies have demonstrated that they can recognize numbers!

• Babies learn from books: Reiterate familiar objects, animals, colors and sounds with your baby by using picture books.

• Babies pick up on conversation and speech rhythm: Speak clearly, make eye contact, and stress normal conversation and speech patterns and your baby will soon develop a normal speaking rhythm also.

Growth and Development
Facts to learn more about crying patterns, smiles, and when to expect dribble.

• Crying patterns: Some doctors and scientists believe that babies who received more comfort when they cried were less likely to cry when they grew older.

• Smiles start at 6-12 weeks: Many babies start smiling before 12 weeks, but this is the general marker for normal development.

• Newborns don't have the bridge of the nose: This may make it easier for them to be delivered naturally. The bridge develops later.

• Drooling begins at 2 months: When a baby starts to put thier hands in her mouth, at around 2 months, dribbling quickly follows.

• Babies gain a lot of weight: Babies double their birth weight by 4 months and triple it after only one year!

• By 13 months, most babies should be able to say several words: Besides "mama" and "dada," babies should have been able to pick up a couple of more words by now.

• Babies born today have life expectancy of 78.11 years: Science now says that the average life expectancy for today's newborns is an average of 78.11 years — 80.60 years for females and 75.65 years for males.

• Cold babies do not grow as fast: Since babies can't shiver, they use up fat to keep them warm, which can interfere with normal growth.

• Cause and effect: We know that toddlers and older babies are mischievous, but babies tend to experiment with cause and effect from just 5 months old!

Ryanair calls for EU action over ATC strikes

SKIES OVER EUROPE CLOSED MULTIPLE TIMES THIS YEAR AS FRENCH, SPANISH AND BELGIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS CARRY OUT STRIKE ACTION.

Ryanair, Europe’s well known low budget airline, called on the EU Commission to take urgent action to end the ongoing chaos over European skies as Air Traffic Controllers strikes which will closed key areas of airspace.

After a summer of repeated European ATC strikes, work to rules and staff no shows, UK passengers and airlines have their travel plans cancelled or disrupted while the EU Commission stands by doing nothing. Ryanair questioned why consumers are being repeatedly hijacked by protected, cosseted, overpaid ATC workers while the European Union sits on its hands doing nothing.

Ryanair called on the EU Commission to take the following action.

1.      Remove the “right to strike” for essential transport services such as Europe’s ATC.

2.      Sack any ATC workers who participate in these illegal strikes (in the same way Ronald Reagan sacked and replaced striking ATC staff in the US in the 1980’s).

3.      Deregulate Europe’s national ATC services in order to allow non striking ATC’s (such as the UK and Ireland) to keep the skies over Belgium, France and Spain open, while overpaid, underworked ATC’s in these countries go on strike again and again and again.

Ryanair’s Head of Communications, Stephen McNamara said :

“How many more of these disruptions, delays and strikes must Europe’s consumers suffer before the EU Commission finally takes some action? These ATC strikers are the modern day equivalent of highwaymen. They don’t care about consumers, they don’t care about passengers and they repeatedly strike because they know they can shut down Europe’s skies and hold EU Governments and passengers to ransom. It is ridiculous that Belgian ATC controllers can strike for 24 hours with no notice whatsoever, thereby causing maximum disruption and suffering to air passengers. It is also appalling that Spanish Air Traffic Controllers, some of whom earn almost €1 million per year, continue to engage in strikes, go slows and work to rules, which have caused delays and misery for millions of European passengers all summer long.

“The European Commission should stop “talking” about ending delays and do something. The single greatest cause of air traffic delays in Europe are Govt owned and mismanaged ATC services. It’s time the ‘right to strike’ of this essential service was removed, or failing that, if these people don’t want to go to work, then sack them and replace them with military and other Air Traffic Controllers who do want to work.

“How many more times will Europe’s skies be closed before the European Commission finally takes some action to end this recurring ATC chaos.

A toddlers rules of possesion.

If you have a toddler, you may be familier with some or all of these... 

1. If I like it, it's mine. 

2. If it's in my hand, it's mine. 

3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 

5. If it's mine, it must NEVER appear to be yours in anyway. 

6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. 

7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine. 

8. If I saw it first, it's mine. 

9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically
becomes mine. 

10. If it's broken, it's yours. 

Finance for new regional airport in South East Spain.

The regional government of Murcia has come to the rescue of the new airport that will cover our area in Corvera.

After looking at options, the new airport now has backing of up to 200 million euros.  The ruling government of Murcia comunidad presented their budget plan to the regional assembly recently.

Building work being undertaken by Sacyr Vallehermoso, partnered with Cajamurcia, CAM and Grupo Fuertes banks, slowed down recently due to the failure to obtain adequate loan funds to complete the project.



Due to the huge financial risk the regional government is taking in guaranteeing this loan, there are strict conditions being applied.

For example, the loan cannot exceed 200 million euros, and must take place by Feburary 2010.  The loan will then have to be repaid two months after completion of the work.

The PP issued this statement: “The serious lack of credit possibilities which has resulted from the financial crisis has affected this project which has been declared of regional interest, the International Airport of the Region of Murcia, to the point that, if the contractor doesn’t have backing from the Autonomous Community, it will not be able to access the financial aid necessary for completion."

So, the new International Airport for the Region of Murcia now has a later date for completion of June 30th 2011. However, as the airport will run a series of tests before it commences commercial services, it looks like passengers will not be able to fly to and from the airport until September 2011.


The roads connecting the airport are already complete and open, the tower is constructed and the concourse is well under way. And it is expected that the roof of the main passenger terminal should be in place by next March... Watch this space!

A light hearted A-Z glossary of terms for mums.

Amnesia: A mental medical condition that enables a woman who has gone through labour to be intimate with their partner again.

Bottle feeding: An synthetic substitute for breast feeding designed and developed by mummies that provides an opportunity for Daddies to get up at 2AM, too.

Defense: What you'd better have around de garden if you are planning to let de children play outside and you want to see dem again.

Drooling: An evolutionary advance in higher mammals that allows teething babies to wash their chins clean of chocolate spread and tomato sauce.

Dumbwaiter: A descriptive term describing an individulal employed in the services of any eatery who asks parents if the kids would like to see the dessert menu.

Family planning: The art of spacing the birth dates of your children the correct distance apart in order to keep your entire family on the brink of financial disaster without actually becoming destitute.

Feedback: The inevitable result when your baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots you are force feeding him or her, that you purchased cheaply from the supermarket for the first time yesterday.

Full name: What you will inevitably call your child when you are very agry with him/her - A degenerative condition that normally continues well into their adult life.


Grandparents: Adult individuals who think that your children are wonderful, even though by subtle hints they make it obvious to you that they are sure that you are not raising them correctly.

Hearsay: A skill that toddlers learn to perform perfectly when mummy or daddy mutter a naughty word in front of them. Normally in a crowded public place, at high volume.

Impregnable: A woman whose memory of labor is still vivid.

Independent: How all parents want their children to be, as long as they do everything they say and follow their impartial advice to the letter throughout their entire lives.

Look out!: An instruction which is always too late for your child to do by the time you have screamed it at them.

Prenatal: A term referring to a time when your life was still somewhat your own.

Prepared childbirth: A contradiction in terms.

Puddle: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it.

Show off: A child who is, by definition, more talented than yours.

Sterilize: What you do to your first baby's dummy by boiling it and to your last baby's dummy by blowing on it.

Storeroom: The distance required between the supermarket aisles so that children riding in shopping baskets cannot quite reach anything.

Temper tantrums: What you should try to keep to an absolute minimum, so as to not upset your children.

Top bunk: A location where parents should never put a child that they have clothed in Superman pj's for bedtime.

Two-minute warning: When your baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises.

Weaker sex: The kind that most mummies have after the children have completely worn you out all day.

Whodunit: None of the kids that live in your house.

Whoops: A multi-cultural and multi national exclamation that translates roughly into the english as "Quick, get a sponge!"

HolidayExtras.com Customer Awards 2010

Holiday Extras is the market leader in UK airport parking and airport hotel packages and was recently named as one of The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For.

The HolidayExtras.com Customers' Awards 2010 has seen more than 24,000 travellers cast their votes in a number of categories, recognising those industry leaders that leave a lasting impression on the customer.
Whether voting for the Best Airline or Best Airport Hotel, the Most Recommended Airline for Travelling with Babies or the Best Hotel Restaurant, the awards provide a platform from which travellers can pass judgement on the travel industry. 

The nominees in each category are: 
 
Best Airline
Aer Lingus
Continental Airlines
Flybe
Jet2.com
Virgin Atlantic

Best Airline Cabin Crew
Aer Lingus
bmi
easyJet
Jet2.com
Virgin Atlantic

Best Airline for Value for Money
Aer Lingus
Continental Airlines
easyJet
Jet2.com
Wizz Air

Best Airport
Belfast International
Glasgow International
Heathrow
Newcastle
Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield

Best Airport Car Park
Birmingham Short and Medium Stay
Heathrow Business Parking T4
Heathrow Official Valet Parking
Manchester VIP Valet
Newcastle Meet and Greet

Best Airport Hotel
Gatwick Courtyard by Marriott
Bewley’s Hotel Manchester Airport
Manchester Hilton
Sofitel London Gatwick
Stansted Radisson Blu Hotel

Best Airport Hotel Restaurant
Manchester Bewley's Hotel
East Midlands Thistle Hotel
Edinburgh Quality Hotel
Gatwick Mercure
Sofitel London Gatwick

Best Airport Lounge
Bristol Servisair
Edinburgh Servisair
Gatwick South Servisair
Heathrow T1 Servisair
Newcastle Servisair

Most Family-Friendly Hotel
Belfast Park Plaza
Heathrow Park Inn
Heathrow Premier Inn
Liverpool Hampton by Hilton
Manchester Etrop Grange

Most Recommended Airline for Travelling with Babies
Aer Lingus
Air Canada
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
SWISS
Thai Airways

Most Recommended Airline for Travellers with a Disability
Aer Lingus
Air Canada
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
SWISS
Virgin Atlantic

Travel Personality of the Year
Sir David Attenborough
Julia Bradbury
Ben Fogle
Stephen Fry
Michael Palin

The complete list of winners will be announced in September...

Some ideas for when the grandchildren come to visit.

Attention Grandparents! Are you being visited by your grandchildren this summer? Here are some suggestions, courtesy of 'The Baby Hire Centre', for making that time more rewarding for both you and the children.

Where Should We Go and What Should We Do?

 

Children are more interested in activity than information. They learn through active involvement. Take them to places that will make an impression, either because of what they actively do there, or because of something unique about the setting. A child may not remember the paintings in an art museum, but may have positive memories of the museum because she played in the big fountain or found the paintings on the museum ´s website before or after they visited. Think about how you can make a trip 'hands-on'. Look for opportunities that will actively involve the children.

How Should I Plan Our Time?

*Don´t plan too much - Allow time for spontaneous activities the children are interested in.

*Intersperse high levels of physical activity with more quiet times. Children build up energy, and will need opportunities to "burn it off" by swimming, running, or climbing every few hours.

*Invite the children to have some say about the itinerary. Be flexible.

*Learn your grandchild ´s routine ahead of time. Is there a regular nap time? Bed time? Try to keep to that routine as much as possible.

*Balance special attractions, such as the water park or a trip to the beach, with time spent doing something quiet together, like reading, taking a walk, or watching a movie.

*Remember that, especially for young children, something that doesn´t seem like much to you may be an exciting event to them. For example, a few carnival rides at a local fiesta can provide great excitement.

*Invite your grandchildren to bring a friend along. They will have more fun and there will be less of a drain on you to provide entertainment all the time.

*Consider inviting some of your friends along on days out, or for drinks at your home to help you out and allow for some "grown up" conversation. Especially if they have children/grandchildren visiting too, that your visitors can interact with.

*Plan back-up activities. Books, board games, coloring books, and toys that can be used in the car, on rainy days, or even while in restaurants. Evening meals out can last a long time for a child here in Spain.

*Pack plenty of healthy snacks for good energy levels. Children generally need to eat frequently, and their behavior and mood will be best if they have lots of water, protein, and fruit rather than sugary or high fat foods.

*Avoid the crowds. Try to plan the timings of any trips out so that you don't arrive at popular destinations just when everybody else does!

Remember, it is a real treat and a privilege to have relatives come to visit you in your Spanish home (Some people never receive any visitors to share their expat experience with). It is exciting for them and for you, and by the end of their stay, you will quite likely need a 'holiday' yourselves!

But remember that 'The Baby Hire Centre' has lots of handy items available to hire that will not only save families money, stress and inconvenience when travelling, but which will also help ensure that babies and small children are more happy, comfortable and relaxed whilst they are with you in an unfamiliar environment.

Click here to contact us, and discover how we can help make your visitors stay more enjoyable.

It has happenned again!

After our recent post reporting the sad death of an infant in our area, we were dismayed to hear today that another poor child has fallen victim to a swimming pool drowning.

As reported by The Guardian;

Another British toddler has drowned in her mother's swimming pool in Spain, police said today.
Gabriela Louisa Manning, two, fell in the pool on Saturday afternoon while her mother was inside the house with her partner and the girl's twin brother. The incident happened at the family's home in Benitatxell, Alicante, in the south-east of the country, where the mother and her children were residents.
A local police spokeswoman said: "On Saturday at 5pm we received a call from a British woman who said her two-year-old daughter had fallen into the swimming pool. An ambulance was called and when emergency services arrived at the scene the girl was unconscious. Efforts were made to resuscitate her but they were unsuccessful. Police are investigating the incident."
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national on 14 August in Benitatxell. We are offering consular assistance to the family."

We implore all our readers to spread the word as far and wide as possible in order to raise awareness of these unfortunate events in the hope that we can avert any more such tragedies.

Tragic drowning of British child in Spain.

A desperately tragic accident has resulted in the drowning of a 12 month old baby here in Almería province.
The child drowned after falling into a private swimming pool in a villa on the outskirts of the town of Cantoria.

The baby was holidaying with its British parents, who had travelled to visit their expat family in the area.
The accident happened on the morning of the 21st August, according to the Centro de Salud medical centre in nearby market town Albox.
The devastated parents upon discovering the child in the pool, immediately drove to the medical centre, where doctors desperately, but unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate the baby.


It is believed that sadly, the infant had passed away and was pronounced deceased upon arrival. Police have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, but say that it appears to have simply been been a tragic accident, and went on to warn other holidaying parents about never leaving small children unaccompanied near swimming pools of any size or type.
We would urge any families planning a similar visit to a destination that has swimming facilities, particularly a private pool, to please be aware of the dangers it can present.

Make sure you consider using safety gates to limit access to exterior areas, and swim vests for infants to wear in and around pool areas (like both examples pictured) so that any more tragedies such as this can hopefully be avoided in the future.

Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with those poor parents & their family/friends.

Be aware and stay safe when visiting us.

The British Consulate in Alicante has requested that its nationals be on alert when they arrive in either El Altet airport outside Alicante, San Javier Airport in Murcia or Manises airport outside Valencia due to the considerable increase in luggage theft.

The problem has apparently grown to such an importance that it now features on a travel advisory issued by the Foreign Office. The Consulate revealed that people should be careful when going to pick up their rented car at any of these airports, as they may be followed.
 
When the recent arrivals get to the car, they discover that one or more tires are flat, and in the confusion of being offered help their luggage disappears. 

The Consulate also advises that on the E15, A7, A70 and N332 main roads many people have fallen victim to people passing themselves off as plain-clothes policemen, and had valuables stolen as a result.

The Consulate and Neighbourhood watch make it plain that in all cases concerning traffic incidents or inspections, these are only carried out by uniformed members of the police force - be they the National Police, or more typically, the Guardia Civil who will be in green and white vehicles or pairs of motorcycles and be in green unform with ID and high visibility jackets.

Another giveaway is that Guardia Civil traffico officers always carry a sidearm pistol. Unscrupulous people trying to pass themselves off as such do not.

 Remember, 'The Baby Hire Centre' representatives can meet you at airport arrivals to assist you with all of your baby equipment needs.

Availability of Baby & toddler items in Spain

Formula milk

• Milupa Aptimil - as in the UK, the tin labelled "1" is for babies up to 4 months (or later if the baby has been breast fed) and "2" is for older babies.
• Hero - one of the cheaper brands and comes in versions 1 (blue tin, for younger babies), 2 (pink tin) and 2 with probiotic formula (green tin).
• Nestle - various types. Again tins marked "1" are for younger babies and tins marked "2" for older babies.
• Almiron - various types and made by the same manufacturer as Cow and Gate. However these are generally only available in pharmacies and you should not rely on being able to find any.
• Specialist formulas, including soya formula are available in pharmacies.

NB.

• Spanish formula milk comes with metric scoops. 1 scoop is usually used with 30mls (rather than 1 oz) of water.
• SMA, any organic baby milk and Farley’s milk are not readily available in Spain. If one of these is the only thing your child will drink, you should bring some with you.
• Ready mixed formula is much less common in Spain and is usually only available in formula type 2 (for babies 4 months and up)

Baby Food

Various types of baby food are available in Spain, including Hero, Nestle and Hipp Organic. The variety, however, is nothing like that in the UK. Rusks are not available, although you can buy "baby biscuits" which are like small Rich Tea biscuits. Organic baby food is available, but is much less common.

NB - All baby foods in Spain contain a small amount of salt, even where the equivalent brand in the UK does not. It has to be said that this doesn’t seem to be a problem - babies do not die of salt poisoning in Spain - but if you are worried you should bring some with you.

Nappies and Wipes

• Huggies - exactly the same as in the UK
• Dodot - Pampers, more or less (made by the same manufacturer)
• Johnson&Johnson (wipes) - the same as in the UK
• Other cheaper brands are also available and as in the UK, quality varies. For those thinking of moving to Spain, reusable nappies and accessories are either unavailable or extremely hard to get.

Our personal shopper service is available for clients hiring baby equipment from us.

Come visit us with Monarch next summer!

Award winning low fares airline Monarch has launched its summer 2011 programme, enabling people to get a head start on their travel plans for next year and grab a great deal on flights.


For summer 2011 Monarch will operate a huge range of flights to and from Mainland Spain including:
Alicante – Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester
Almeria – Birmingham and Manchester

Fares start from just €40 one way (including taxes) and are available to book now on www.monarch.co.uk until the end of October 2011. Monarch operates scheduled flights from Mainland Spain, the Canary and Balearic Islands and Gibraltar to Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester airports. In addition to year-round low fares, Monarch also offers a range of tasty hot and cold meals that can be pre-booked or purchased onboard.

To enable customers to select where in the cabin they sit and ensure that families and groups sit together, seats can be pre-booked from €9 per one-way flight, or from only €19, extra-legroom seats are available, which offer up to six inches of extra space.
Passengers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid the queues at the airport and take advantage of online check-in which is available between seven days and 4.5 hours prior to departure.

So grab yourself a bargain and come visit us here in Spain.

Remember you can pre-book all of your equipment needs for babies and small children at www.thebabyhirecentre.com

The high cost of hire car company child seats in Spain this summer.

Travelling to Spain with children can be a costly affair. In fact, that is exactly why The Baby Hire Centre exists.

But now there is even more reason to use our services. According to moneysupermarket.com, Spanish car hire companies are charging nearly 500 percent more for baby seats than other providers this summer!

And what's more, their research has also revealed that Spain is the most expensive destination overall when it comes to car hire companies charging for child car seats...


Parents with small children travelling to Spain and hiring a car at the other end may, quite sensibly want to book a car seat rather than bring their own.  But, the research compiled by the online travel comparison site tells would be hirer's that it vital to use the services of specialist baby equipment hire providers rather than car hire companies, as prices can vary by nearly 70.00€ for just one week's rental!

The weekly cost of car seats for the seven most popular car hire destinations across ten of the top car hire providers  proved hugely expensive.

Car seat rental from The Baby Hire Centre costs as little as 3.10€ per day

 
For example, at Alicante, Malaga and Palma Mallorca airports the cost of a baby or child's seat from Europcar was 83.00€! for only one weeks hire! Whilst the equivilent hire charge from The Baby Hire Centre is only a mere 25.00€ including delivery to the airports by their uniformed representatives within their free delivery coverage area.

The most consistent costs were registered at Orlando International airport and the lowest average prices found were at Nice in France.  But the Spanish resorts were the most expensive places to hire from by far.


Bob Atkinson from moneysupermarket said:  "As many of our favourite holiday destinations have a legal requirement for children and infants to sit in seat, getting the right deal is more important than ever.  With prices of hiring a seat varying so significantly between car hire providers it shows that as well as shopping around for the car itself, it's important to consider the various 'add-ons' you might incur when hiring a car abroad.  Customers that don't could find they are paying more to hire a child or infant seat than they are to hire the car." 

You can find a helpful guide to choosing the correct seat to hire HERE.

5 ways that baby equipment hire can improve you holiday!

As specialists in providing professional baby equipment hire in Spain, 'The Baby Hire Centre' team know how important it is to create a safe, comfortable and familiar environment for babies and toddlers whilst away from home.

From only 1.43€ per day delivered

1. Most holiday apartments, hotel rooms and even rented villas in South-east Spain do not have a bath tub as standard fitting. Therefore a rented baby bath can be a absolute godsend whilst staying with babies.
We have even had reports from clients of having no choice but to take a shower with their baby. 'Taking turns' washing their slippery, soapy little one, whilst he or she is in the arms of their partner. A recipe for disaster!
Impossible to bring along in their luggage, these handy items are now one of our most popular hired items.

From only 3.33€  per day (including bedding pack) delivered.

 2. Holiday accommodation, even those sold as 'family friendly', rarely have a cot provided for little ones to sleep in. We ourselves remember turning a sofa bed to the wall to create a makeshift crib. and then lying awake all night wondering what will happen if our child awoke and climbed out, falling onto the unforgiving hard tiled floor of the hotel room. Packing and carrying around the airports a 25kg travel cot is no fun. But hiring one will probably be the best thing you have ever done for both you and your little one.
Not only are they a comfortable and safe place to sleep, but double up perfectly as a daytime playpen which can be easily moved around from room to room or kept in the shade. Keeping your child happy and safe, and you relaxed, whilst you concentrate on preparing a meal, making the beds, or reading that next chapter of your holiday novel. Safe in the knowledge that he or she cannot touch the oven or go near the balcony/pool.

From 2.62€ per day delivered

3. Meal times can be a fraught experience with young ones whilst away from home. There is the unfamiliar environment, the uncomfortable climate and even the food may smell or taste different to what your little one is used to. Add to this the fact that they have to sit on a grown-ups chair, which they may not be used to either and you have a potentially very stressful situation for both parent and child alike!
Once again we can help here... A high chair is probably the single most requested item from our clients, as they provide the security and safety of being strapped into a comfortable feeding station, which has the ability of being folded up and stored behind a door or under a bed when not in use and quite impossible to bring with you on your journey.

From 1.90€ per day delivered

Alternatively, a feeding seat, whilst perhaps not as useful in the apartment or hotel room, has the virtue of being easily transported with you to local restaurants, so that holiday family meals out can be more enjoyable and less stressful too. We regularly witness frustrated parents sitting at a table in a venue whilst juggling their own cutlery and drinks glass with baby perched on their lap! Hiring one of these handy seats alleviates any problems, is very lightweight to carry and takes up very little space in the boot of your hire car when venturing out.

From 3.10€ per day delivered

4. Car Seats (despite what anybody may tell you) are a legal requirement in Spain, and the 'Guardia Civil Traffico' will enforce on the spot fines for people traveling with children who are not correctly and safely secured into the vehicle.
There is often some confusion about which type of car seat is appropriate for certain ages of child so there is information to help you, if you are unsure HERE.

We have in the last couple of seasons had a significant increase in complaints about hire car companies with respect to car seats too. Namely that they have not had available seats that were pre-booked prior to arrival, or that visitors find upon arrival that the seat is of the wrong type and is not suitable, or is in poor condition in terms of cleanliness of fabrics or wear and tear on straps. All of which we think is wholly unacceptable.
Therefore, if you are being met by family at the airport we can deliver to them the day before your arrival, and collect from them again the day after your departure for no extra charge!

From only 1.90€ per day delivered

Note also that older children must also use suitable booster seats by law in Spain. Irrespective of age they must be in a booster if under 1.35m in height and must never travel in the front seat.

We encompass both local airports (Murcia - San Javier & Almería international) within our FREE delivery coverage area, and for a modest fee are able to help clients arriving via Alicante airport also. So there is no need to take a risk with your child's safety. All of our car seats are manufactured to EU standards and are maintained to the highest standards of cleanliness, as we have a strict policy of never hiring any product that we would not happily let our own children use.

From 2.62€ per day delivered

5. All holiday accommodations here in Spain have ceramic or marble tiled floors, including rented villas. Therefore there is one item available for hire in particular that really comes into it's own in these environments...

The Baby walker is commented on by more clients than probably any other product we hire. "we don't know what we would have done without it!" is by far the most common statement upon collection at the end of the hire period.
Little ones can whizz around easily (not possible on the carpeted floor in the UK), giving them a freedom and independence that guarantees a big grin of enjoyment, and lots of leg exercise!
And they are invaluable outdoors too. As patio areas and pool terraces are easily (but safely) navigated. But the protection bar around the base keeps unsafe things out of reach at all times...

They all come height adjustable, so are equally suitable for those with shorter or longer legs, and have a wipe clean 'play tray' that toys can be played with on, or a snack munched upon.

Whatever your requirements for baby equipment hire this summer the team at The Baby Hire Centre will be delighted to assist you. Contact us soon to secure the availability of your desired items.or visit our website.

www.thebabyhirecentre.com

10 Ways visiting families can beat budget airline fees.

We all know that, outrageously, budget airline ‘extras' include taking bags, checking in or even just paying!

These helpful tips from ‘The Baby Hire Centre’ (South - east Spain's foremost baby equipment hire provider), will help combat budget carrier charges;

1.      Hand luggage only: Most carriers have a 10kg allowance for hand luggage, so take advantage. If you travel with only hand luggage, you will reduce the risk of getting charged. And there is no waiting at the carousel!

2.      Hire baby equipment for delivery to your destination, or your arrival airport: You not only eliminate damage to expensive things caused by baggage handlers, but also avoid having to carry heavy and cumbersome paraphernalia all around airports for hours whilst avoiding the ‘per item, each way’ charges applied by the airlines. Contact ‘The Baby Hire Centre’ for help with this.

3.      Pre-plan packing: It is cheaper to pre-book cases online, so planning is important. Think about reducing the number of cases you need, and remember those strict size restrictions.

4.      Stick to carry-on rules: Remember ‘duty free’ bags and handbags will be viewed as ‘extra’ – so leave room to stow them inside your hand luggage when you board!

5.      Use your scales: Put cases on the home scales, or use empty check-in desk scales. Put any excess into your hand luggage. And share the weight, do not pool. Budget airlines have stopped families pooling allowances. So if you take an 8kg bag, your partner cannot take a 12kg.

6.      Consider things not normally used at home: A safety gate to prevent access to a pool/stairs/balcony, a baby bath because there is only showers in the villa/apartment, a travel cot that doubles up as a safe playpen during the daytime hours or even a baby walker for exploring the tiled surfaces or outside patios... Consider hiring from ‘The Baby Hire Centre’ those items that whilst not useful at home, are invaluable whilst away.

7.      Leave space: People often return from a break with more than they took. So try to leave space in your luggage for those return trip extras.

8.      Throw your excess?: If you are way overweight, it may be that the charge is so high that throwing items away is viable! Many clothes or items cost less to buy per KG than the £20/per Kg excess charge!

9.      Don’t bring baby equipment: If you are travelling with babies, take only what is absolutely necessary in a changing bag which can be worn over your shoulder keeping your hands free. ‘The Baby Hire Centre’ can even organise formula milk, nappies and wipes for your stay.

10. Wear the heaviest: Wear your heavy clothes and shoes, maybe multiple layers (if not too hot). A coat could be 2kg of excess baggage (cost = £30!). Once boarded, stow under your seat. And if you load pockets with books, magazines and more too, there are no rules to stop you!  

5 common misconceptions about baby equipment hire

We listen to our clients needs and concerns, and over the years have built up an unrivaled knowledge of what travelling families visiting Spain want, need and fear...

1. Car hire companies have car seats that are guaranteed to be available for visitors when they arrive, are of the correct type and are clean, safe and well maintained. 

Unfortunately, our experience differs. Having had numerous panic phone calls from parents who have arrived at the airport only to find that the car seat they have ordered in advance, is not waiting for them, or is of the wrong type for their age/weight of child, we know that car hire companies cannot be relied upon to safely (and legally) transport babies and small children away from the airport.
We have even received more than one emergency telephone call from visitors refusing to use the car hire companies' provided car seat because of dirty/worn covers. And worst of all, frayed/damged straps!

2. Equipment hire companies will not deliver to the airport. 

It is true to say that, foolishly, most will not deliver to airports, preferring to meet clients at 'drop off' points. Meaning that visitors who are not being collected from the airport by relatives/friends will find the hire providers services useless.

Suffice to say that 'The Baby Hire Centre' does NOT fall into this category. Our professional approach to providing solutions for young travellers results in not one... not two... but all three of the servicing airports of South East Spain being covered by our delivery representatives. Namely, Murcia (San Javier); Almería International and Alicante.

3. Travel cots are unsuitable and too uncomfortable for more than an overnight stay. 

It is true to say, that a fully sprung mattress in a full size wooden baby cot may be more comfortable for permanent use. However, the versatility and portability of travel cots is unsurpassed. They are perfectly suited to temporary use for one or two weeks.
Our clients have always sung their praises, telling us that they were invaluable for easily moving around small apartments quickly and easily and double up perfectly during the daytime as playpens. Keeping baby safe from balconies, staircases and swimming pools.
All travel cots from 'The Baby Hire Centre' also come with a complimentary bedding pack comprising of sheets and a comfortable blanket, making little ones snug as a bug at night-time.


4. It is cheaper and easier to take my own equipment on holiday, rather than rent.

Firstly, the airline penalty charges certainly do not make it cheaper! - All budget airline carriers make no secret of the fact that they prefer their passengers to travel with nothing more than one item of hand luggage (see the table below). Ryanair are even increasing their fees during the school summer holidays!

Secondly, there are other considerations.

• Your own (very expensive) equipment could be damaged by over zealous baggage handlers at either end of your journey.  We have all seen the way they throw around our luggage!
• You will have the major inconvenience of loading/unloading all of your equipment at the airport at each end of your journey. When you arrive at your destination apartment or villa, there will often be nobody there to help you with your tired baby and all of your equipment.
• You will have to carry your own equipment around the airports with you for hours. The Spanish airports often being very hot and lacking space, not to mention luggage trollies! Imagine how much easier it would be with just you, your child and a changing bag.

 5. Hire companies like 'The Baby Hire Centre' may not provide clean safe equipment. 

Absolutely not! - All items available from us are thoroughly checked and sanitised before each and every hire period. Rest assured that all equipment at 'The Baby Hire Centre' is also monitored for manufacturer recalls, being regularly replaced and updated as necessary.

'The Baby Hire Centre' is family owned and run by parents who have seen and experienced first hand, the stresses and inconveniences of travelling to Spain with babies and small children. We would NEVER hire out any piece of equipment that we would consider to be of a standard that is not fit for our own children to use.

We are now the foremost specialist baby equipment hire provider in Spain. But we have never forgotten that we are here because of our customers, and are proud to be able to say that much of our business comes from repeat custom or as result of referrals and recommendations.

If you would like to know more about any aspect of the services that we provide, please do not hesitate to contact us. And if you know of any families that our service would be of interest to, please tell them and help us to spread the word about what we do!

Baby equipment hire by the numbers

How To Order: Step-By-Step. 

This simple step-by-step tutorial is going to show you exactly how to order baby equipment easily, using our online order system, showing you example screen-shots along the way (in the orange boxes).

STEP 1: Add your security deposit first.

At the top of each of the product range pages (e.g. Out and About) you will find a button to add the returnable security deposit to your 'cart' (just like the example above). You must do this once, but ONLY ONCE to ensure that your order is processed successfully.

STEP 2: Select your required items.

Now you can visit the product pages and select the items and the length of time that you wish to hire them for. Click on the 'drop down' box displayed to the right of your chosen item and select either 1 - 7 days; 8 - 14 days or 15 - 21. Once the hire period is chosen, click the orange 'Add to Cart' button.

N.B. Don't worry if you make a mistake, you can change the contents of your cart at any time.
N.B. If you require a long term hire, please email us to discuss your specific requirements.

 

STEP 3: Review your cart.

 

You will now be directed to your shopping cart page where your chosen item/s will be shown.
You can adjust the quantities here and/or remove any items from the cart by clicking the 'remove' checkbox and then selecting 'Update Cart'. (As you can see, our example screen below now shows the deposit and item from steps 1 & 2).

'Continue Shopping' will return you to the product pages where you can continue to browse and add more items, whilst 'Proceed to checkout' will take you through to the next stage.

STEP 4: Proceed to the checkout.

Simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete you order.
You do not need to be a member of PayPal to use our secure payment system, but if you do have a PayPal account you will be prompted to enter your login details at this stage. If not, you can simply enter your details, and your preferred method of payment instead.

STEP 5: Finally, provide us with a few details...

When your checkout process is completed do not close the page or your browser. Instead you must choose the 'return to website' option on screen (actual wording may differ depending on browser).
You will be directed to a form identical to the example shown above. (if you fail to do this, don't worry, simply send us an email with your travel details instead).

complete the form and click the 'Send My Information' button, and you will have completed your entire online order process!
We will be in touch very soon afterwards to confirm your order details, and will send an invoice to you by email confirming your exact requirements.

Ready to order now? - Go straight to the product pages now at www.thebabyhirecentre.com.

Spanish holidays

Make sure that everything is not going to be closed when you arrive, or at least know that it is in advance to help you prepare!

A list of Spanish holidays (National, Regional and Local Bank holidays) is always a useful tool. No matter if you are visiting Spain for business or leisure, you might need to know your destination's local holidays.

The Official Calendars are published every year by the central and local Governments.