Made in Britain & Available up to 9mths!

Tags

babywear, best of brittannia, british, british manufacture, clothing, made in Britain, preemie, Teddy & Me

At Teddy & Me we’re devoted to designing beautiful clothes for babies from tiny preemies up to nine months of age. Our designs are traditional but with a modern feel; inspired by bygone eras when babies looked like babies. Since we launched in 2008, Teddy & Me baby clothes have become so popular, they’re worn by babies all over the world.

 We’re passionate about everything that makes Britain great and are proud to say that our clothes are still made in the UK. As you would expect our cotton of the highest quality. Its eco-friendly and ethically produced to Oeko-Tex standard. Dyed, printed and manufactured into our lovely clothes in Nottingham, once the heart of British textile manufacturing.

Available all year round, our trans-seasonal range is a wonderful addition to any discerning children’s clothing store. Many of the prints are exclusive to Teddy & Me and available from a tiny 2lbs in weight, making us one of only a few premature baby clothing suppliers. Did you know Teddy & Me clothes were worn by premature babies long before they were available on the high street? Read our story here

Interested in becoming a stockist? Teddy & Me would love to hear from you! We’re looking for retailers in the UK, Europe & Worldwide.

Call us on +44 (0)1926 856 069 or fill in the contact form below for further information.

 

Name(required)

Business Name

Location

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Prematurity Day 2013

Tags

bounty, house of commons, premature birth, Teddy & Me, tommys, world prematurity day, WPD

As World Prematurity Day draws to an end we wanted to explain why we promote this very special day. WPD aims to promote awareness of the 15 million babies born prematurely around the world each year. Premature births affect a huge number of families, sometimes with devastating consequences. It’s an experience that will change your life and in many ways never leave you.

It is not known why some babies are born prematurely but progress is being made to understand the factors leading to premature births to help reduce rates. As well as impacting on lives, premature birth has an impact on our economy too, costing £939million on average each year in the UK.
Tommy’s, a charity that funds medical research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth; and Bounty Parenting Club partnered to create the Five Point Pregnancy Plan. Launched in 2011, the plan, provides essential information to women on maintaining a healthy pregnancy through diet, exercise, and advice on smoking, mental health and obesity in pregnancy.

Tomorrow our founder, Sharon Ward will be representing Teddy & Me at an event to mark World Prematurity Day at the House of Commons and to hear about the work being done by Tommy’s and the Bounty Parenting Club. This reception represents a wonderful opportunity to meet and learn about the progress being made in reducing complications in pregnant women across the UK.

“I’m so pleased to have been invited to this event. Teddy & Me have close links with charities working to support families across the UK and as the mum of a premature baby; I know firsthand the devastating impact a premature birth can have on a family. However, supporting families after a premature birth is only part of the story, research is the key to preventing premature birth and we’re keen to help in any way we can to support this. ” – Sharon Ward, Managing Director.

Happy World Prematurity Day ~ Together we can make a difference x

World Prematurity Day ~ 17th November

Tags

premature babies, premature birth, Teddy & Me, world prematurity day

15 million babies are born preterm around the world – that’s 1 in 10. More than 1 million babies die before their first birthday due to complications from preterm birth, and many of those who do survive face a lifetime of disability.

Premature birth is the leading killer of newborns worldwide. Did you know that more babies die from premature birth than from better-known health problems like malaria and AIDS?

Much can be done to reduce the high toll of premature birth. Feasible, cost-effective care could save more than 75% of babies who currently die as a result of being born too soon.

What if one day millions of people around the world joined together to show how much they care about protecting the health of babies? That’s the idea behind World Prematurity Day.

On November 17, join us in creating a surge of awareness around the critical problem of premature birth.

Get involved: http://bit.ly/WPDTakeAction

A Prince is Born

Tags

prince george of cambridge, royal baby

It has been a week of huge excitement in the UK with the much anticipated arrival of His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge.

In full glare of the media, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduced their first born child to the world on Tuesday afternoon. The third in line to the throne, who was born on Monday at 16:24 BST, will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

To date there have been six King Georges, most recently the Queen’s father, although his first name was Albert and he was known to his family as Bertie.

Louis is Prince William’s fourth name and is likely to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle and the last British Viceroy of India before independence in 1947. Prince Charles was immensely fond of his great-uncle who was assassinated by the IRA in August 1979.

The prince’s other middle name – Alexander – is one that three medieval Scottish kings have had, and was also the name of the famous 4th Century ruler Alexander the Great. The Queen’s middle name is Alexandra.

We wish the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; and their new baby boy every future happiness. Welcome to the world Prince George of Cambridge.

Family Centred Care

Tags

Bliss, family centred care, neonatal care, POPPY project, premature babies

You may have heard the term ‘Family Centred Care’ spoken by doctors and nurses. Health professionals now recognise the importance of parent/baby bonding and parents are encouraged to be actively involved with their baby’s care, which is better for you and your little one.  Allowing you to make decisions, rather than be made to feel like observers whilst your baby is cared for in hospital.

Experiencing the birth of a premature baby is very traumatic and whilst the clinical care received in UK neonatal units is outstanding, less consistent attention had been paid to the non-clinical issues.

Such as the affect the experience has on families, coping with the ‘journey’ through neonatal care. For some this includes transfer to units far from home, making the impact on family life huge, particularly if there are younger siblings. We shouldn’t forget the financial implications of such a move either.

Also parents experience of the transfer home, which can be frightening, as the weight of responsibly is passed on, until now nurses have been available at the press of a button.

‘Family-centred care in a neonatal unit involves health professionals actively considering how it feels for parents to have a premature or sick baby and working within a policy framework to improve the family’s experience. This means being willing to ‘stand in the shoes of parents’. It involves introducing practices and providing facilities that encourage and support parents and families throughout the care pathway. It is vital that mothers and fathers are included at the centre of the care process, alongside their baby or babies.’

 http://www.bliss.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Poppy_report_web.pdf

Providing family-centred care means that health professionals:

• Recognise and value parents as being at the centre of the care process alongside their baby;
• Respond to parents’ emotional and social needs by communicating clearly, and seeking informed consent for any treatment;
• Show parents how they can care for their baby, and encourage them as they gradually become the main carers.

POPPY Report :  Key elements of family-centred care for premature babies and their families are listed below.

• Recognising and valuing the roles of parents, siblings and other family members.
• Developing awareness of parents’ needs, the emotional impact of preterm birth and individual differences in parental responses and needs.
• Recognising critical steps for parents on the care pathway.
• Maximising opportunities for communication with parents and local community groups
• Providing practical help with infant care and parent interaction, including behavioural cues
• Increasing confidence in role as a parent and supporting the parent infant relationship.
• Providing psychosocial support.
• Valuing and supporting mothers’ ability to nurture their baby through expressing breast milk and breastfeeding.
• Providing appropriate family-friendly facilities.

Resources:

http://www.bliss.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Poppy_report_web.pdf

http://www.preemiehelp.com/

For more information about Teddy & Me – http://www.teddyandme.co.uk

World Day of Human Milk Donation

Tags

breast milk, milk donation, premature babies, World Day of Human Milk Donation

Sunday 19 May is the first annual World Day of Human Milk Donation, a day to raise awareness of the importance of donating breast milk for newborns in need.

Premature babies have not finished growing inside their mother’s womb and require a special balance of nutrients, hormones and growth factors to thrive in the outside world.

Breast milk donation is so important because sometimes mums who give birth prematurely may experience a delay in their milk coming in or, their babies are too sick or too immature to breastfeed and may not be able to express enough milk.

Because of this, sick and premature babies who are being cared for in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) or special care baby units (SCBUs) may receive donated milk for a few days or weeks until they can be fed by their mums.

On World Day of Human Milk Donation, events will be taking place to celebrate. The Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital Milk Bank in London will be having a tea and ‘boobie’ inspired cake party from 2pm-4pm, with a Great British Boobie Cake Bake Off competition and raffle to raise money. Other milk banks will also be getting involved, such as The Cheshire and North Wales Human Milk Bank members of which will be fundraising by walking up Mount Snowdon.

Donating breast milk can help save babies lives, and World Day of Human Milk Donation could be a great time to start. For more information and Milk Bank locations, visit the UK Association for Milk Banking’s website

The UK Association of Milk Banks (UKAMB) is promoting this day in the UK.

Find out more about what is happening on the UK AMB site: http://www.ukamb.org/

For details of the event at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital Milk Bank and how to give your support see: http://www.ukamb.org/2013/05/14/world-breastmilk-donation-day-19th-may/

Click here to download the full flier.

Special thanks to Bliss – http://www.bliss.org.uk/2013/05/18/world-day-of-human-milk-donation/
Teddy & Me – Premature and Tiny Baby Clothes – http://www.teddyandme.co.uk

May is National Preeclampsia Awareness Month

Tags

hellp syndrome, preeclampsia awareness month, Sharon Ward, Teddy & Me Website

Each year thousands of women and babies die or become very sick from preeclampsia, a life-threatening disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Awareness  is the key to saving lives and all pregnant women should read this post.

Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy) and up to six weeks postpartum, though in rare cases it can occur earlier than 20 weeks. HELLP syndrome and eclampsia are other variants of preeclampsia.

Affecting  5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterised by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms.

Globally, preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year.

What is HELLP Syndrome?

Sharon Ward, founder of Teddy & Me gave birth to her son Daniel at 34wks because of HELLP syndrome, which is considered to be a variant of preeclampsia. Both conditions usually occur during the later stages of pregnancy, or sometimes after childbirth and are life threatening.

In some patients who are developing HELLP syndrome the primary preeclampsia indicators of high blood pressure and protein in the urine may not be present, and its symptoms can be mistaken for gastritis, flu, acute hepatitis, gall bladder disease, or other conditions. While some of these other conditions may also be present, there is no evidence they are related.

Early diagnosis is critical because the morbidity and mortality rates associated with the syndrome have been reported to be as high as 25%. As a result, patient awareness of HELLP syndrome, and how it relates to preeclampsia, is helpful to ensure optimal and timely medical care for mother and baby.

---

Symptoms of HELLP Syndrome

The physical symptoms of HELLP Syndrome may seem at first like preeclampsia. Symptoms reported by the pregnant woman developing HELLP syndrome may include one or all of the following:

• headache
• nausea/vomiting/indigestion with pain after eating
• abdominal or chest tenderness and right upper quadrant pain (from liver distention)
• shoulder pain or pain when breathing deeply
• bleeding
• visual disturbances
• swelling

Signs to look for include:

• high blood pressure
• protein in the urine

The most common reasons for the mother to become critically ill or die are liver rupture or stroke. These can usually be prevented when caught in time. If you or someone you know has any of these symptoms, please see a doctor immediately.

Most often, the definitive treatment for women with HELLP Syndrome is delivery of the baby. Transfusion of some form of blood product (red cells, platelets, plasma) is often needed. Corticosteroids can be used to improve fetal lung maturation in the very preterm pregnancy

‘My experience of HELLP syndrome is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I had no idea that I was seriously ill. Be aware of the symptoms and contact a doctor if you are at all concerned’ ~ Sharon Ward, M.D Teddy & Me

Information provided by: http://www.preeclampsia.org

For Premature and Tiny Baby Clothes visit: http://www.teddyandme.co.uk

Premature Baby Clothes; and why they are so important!

We’ve all seen shows such as One Born Every Minute and premature babies are almost always naked except for their nappy so you could be forgiven for thinking clothing isn’t important but it has a vital role to play.

Whilst being cared for in Neonatal Intensive Care, babies often only wear a nappy; this is because they are inside a thermostatically controlled incubator which is also humidified to help keep skin moist. Medical staff need to be able to see the baby’s skin colour at a glance; it’s also important for them to see the chest rise and fall as they breathe.

As soon as the humidifier is no longer required and a baby has shown signs of improvement, if at all possible clothes are introduced. Initially something simple, offering ease of access, like a neonatal vest and hat because the baby has lots of wiring which needs to be accommodated. Quite often at this stage this is for the benefit of parents, who can feel overwhelmed by the sea of wires attached to their tiny baby.

Wearing a neonatal vest adds a bit of normality to an otherwise far from normal situation and if the vest is something Mum and Dad have brought, it may be the first thing they have been able to do for their baby and marks an enormous turning point in their babies well being.

Clothing becomes important when babies are transferred from an enclosed incubator to an open cot; usually this occurs in the High Dependency Unit as part of their transitional care. Because premature babies are unable to regulate their body temperature, they need clothes to keep warm. With little in the way of body fat, premature babies would otherwise waste calories trying to do this.

It’s not necessarily the case that an early baby requires intensive care, the needs of premature babies vary greatly. Multiple babies (twins and triplets) are often delivered early and will require no more than a short stay in a Special Care Baby Unit or Nursery where they will be monitored until they gain weight. These babies require less medical intervention and can wear ‘normal’ baby clothes in a tiny size.

Buying clothes for premature babies is a very positive thing to do and parents will often keep a garment as a reminder of how tiny their baby was. If you are in doubt as to the size and needs of a premature baby but wish to buy a gift, a hat or soft, warm cuddle wrap is always a good idea, as is a Cuski.

Information provided by Teddy & Me : www.teddyandme.co.uk

Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved by Teddy & Me Ltd.

Happy 5th Birthday Teddy & Me

Tags

Annie Othen Show, happy birthday, Inspirational Business Mum of the Year, judy naake, premature baby clothes, Teddy & Me, this morning programme, tiny baby clothes

Teddy & Me was born in 2008 after Sharon Ward, herself the mum of a premature baby, discovered that it was almost impossible to obtain suitable clothing for tiny babies to wear in a neonatal setting.  With the help of neonatal specialists and mums of special care babies, Sharon developed a collection of easy access garments designed to fit babies as tiny as 400g.  Here’s our story…

Our first leaflet, showing the original logo

After eighteen months of hard work, stress and sheer determination we opened for business in March 2008, the very month the true scale of our countries financial woes became apparent as people queued to withdraw their cash from Northern Rock bank.

Trading from a spare room at the home of founder, Sharon Ward, within weeks Teddy & Me clothes were winning praise when Sharon was nominated for Inspirational Business Mum of the Year. The nomination came as a complete surprise, as did the interest from the press when Yell.com (the sponsors) decided to use Teddy & Me as a case study for advertising! Thankfully the hard work paid off when orders came in thick and fast, as news spread amongst hospitals about our tiny clothes.

The very first press photo and article in our local paper

ITV’s This Morning programme announced their ‘Mumpreneur’ competition in July of the same year, the search to find a mum with a fantastic business idea. Sharon’s ‘eleventh hour’ application managed to secure her a place in the regional heats and so began a journey which would last three months and ultimately change the course of Teddy & Me’s future! By October the applicants had been whittled down to just twelve and Sharon pitched her business idea live to the nation on This Morning. She won the regional semi finals and appeared in the live final on 24th October, alas losing to Baby Ballet the overall winner!

ITV’s This Morning Mumpreneur Competition

Following the show Teddy & Me were inundated with requests from boutiques to stock their clothes; although at that point we had no clear idea how we would do this, since it required much larger scale manufacturing. A meeting with mumpreneur judge, Judy Naaké, was to provide us with the answer. Having built the St Tropez self tan brand into a multi million pound company, Judy is a highly respected business woman. We were thrilled when she decided to invest in the company and become a Director in March 2009.

Left – Judy & Sharon with Baby Maya at Leicester Royal Infirmary June 2009
Right – Sharon with Annie Othen at BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire

We always try to listen to our customers and found that many were frustrated that our clothing didn’t come in larger sizes. Parents of premature babies would often buy garments in every size but then be forced to leave us once the babies reached 8lbs. As well as increasing our stock of neonatal garments we set about designing a new range of clothes which would appeal to boutiques and be available in larger sizes. We showcased the ‘Hug’s & Kisses’ range at The Baby Show, Earls Court, London in October 2009.

Judy & Sharon at The Baby Show, Earls Court

Our decision to sell clothes into boutiques turned out to be a winning one, sales increased to the point where the ‘spare room’ could no longer cope so Teddy & Me relocated to offices in Warwick, where it resided for 12 months before the need to expand again led to us moving to a unit at Holly Farm Business Park in July 2012.

Teddy & Me clothes became available through high street giant, John Lewis in the spring of 2012. The range was initially available in four stores but quickly expanded to other locations within the group plus online.

Left – Proud moment, Teddy & Me clothes go on sale at John Lewis Bluewater
Right – John Lewis Oxford St London

Teddy & Me clothes are now available in department stores and independent boutiques worldwide, with new stockists being added weekly. We remain passionate about what we do and we love working with a whole network of like-minded people, many of whom we’ve known  from the very beginning.

We’re really proud of how far we’ve come in our first five years and all that we’ve achieved. We may specialise in tiny products but we have big plans for the future and hope to increase the number of stockists worldwide over the next year or so and continue to develop new clothing collections and accessories.

There is one more person we want to wish Happy Birthday to…

Our first ‘model’ baby Jack who weighed just 4lb 10oz when this photograph was taken ~ Happy Birthday Sweetpea x

To find out more about Teddy & Me, visit www.teddyandme.co.uk

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Tags

Baby, bundler, Confetti, Confetti Hearts, hat, Neontal, NICU, preemie, premmie, romper, SCBU, sleepsuit, Valentine's Day

Confetti Hearts Design Bundler

It’s 14th February, it’s a Thursday, it’s Valentine’s Day! At Teddy & Me we’re sharing the love today with a focus on our Confetti Hearts range – perfect for your precious little bundle of love. The Confetti Hearts collection is designed to be mixed and matched and is available in sizes from just 1kg up to 6 months of age.  The garments are all made from 100% super-soft cotton and have been designed to accommodate any leads, drips or wires used in a neonatal setting.  The seams are all flat to avoid skin irritation and any poppers are nickel-free and thoughtfully positioned. For very tiny babies, the tee and nappy wrap is often their first garment worn in NICU or SCBU.  The tee opens at the shoulders to make routine examinations easy and the whole outfit opens out flat to make dressing and undressing stress-free.

The Confetti Hearts Cuddle Wrap is perfectly proportioned for a tiny baby and makes a beautiful gift.  It is reversible with the confetti hearts design on one side and the contrasting pink stripe on the other.  The wrap is especially useful for kangeroo care, keeping babies warm around the back and shoulders as they lay against your skin. 

A hat is essential in neonatal care to help baby stay warm.  Our hats are available with single or double knot and come in the stripe or confetti hearts pattern.  The sleepsuits come with matching hats too. Sizes start at just 1kg and cater for babies up to 6 months of age.

Our Confetti Hearts premature romper has a side popper opening for easy insertion of tubes/drips plus open toes allow for the use of saturation monitors within neonatal care.

Flat seams to the binding, at the shoulder and cuffs, prevent irritation to the skin. Whilst the super soft cotton fabric and thoughtfully positioned wash care labels make this a really comfortable romper for a tiny baby.

Its design has proved so popular amongst parents that we now offer sizes up to six months, allowing larger full term babies to feel warm and comfy.

To complete our collection, we have introduced a wrap-style bundler to make night time nappy changing a breeze.  Traditional baby bundlers are designed to be pulled over the head. We didn’t like that idea and set about designing a wrap style bundler, that allows all the ease of bedtime nappy changing without the tears.

Our bundler’s design is super practical and great for bed time, it means you can change baby with ease as the bottom is gathered with elastic, so no more waking up during nappy change!

We hope you LOVE our Confetti Hearts range as much as we do!  So many people have ordered from this range and come back for more items.

We’d love to share your photos of your little ones wearing their Confetti Hearts clothes.

Happy Valentine’s Day!