Any mums in Spain want to chat?

[skydancer1]

That's it really. I'm English (DP too). We have a two year old boy and live in Valencia.

Hey Patito, congratulations on passing your driving test. I am sure it was easy... I passed mine ages ago! (and promptly decided not to drive, as other traffic made me too nervous!) On first attempt I knocked up some large bins and got beeped by driver behind me for correctly making a stop (and delaying him!)
2 months and a bit to go & hoping to be in VLC for December. I still haven't managed to find out how to send private messages so that I can exchange e-mail addresses for those of you near VLC, if anybody knows how, I'd be glad for some help.
We are actually having quite a nice June/July here in the North, hardly any rain for the last month makes me much happier than in winter! : )

Hey all. Congrats patito on the driving test. When's the baby due - I never remember things like that, and I'm too lazy to scroll back through the messages We've just got back from good ole blighty. We haven't been back as a family for 5 years. We had a great time. One week down south and one week up north in a fantastic caravan, which was kitted out better than our house! The weather was pretty diabolical but we mainly went to see family and that's what we did so that was good.

One other piece of news from me - we went to England as a family of four and have come back expecting another one - gulp! DC3 is due in March. It is a bit of a shock and I don't think it's really sunk in yet. We've yet to formulate a plan as to where we going to fit everyone, but I'm sure we'll get round to it

HI

Supersophie Congratulations , thats great news. How are you feeling? March is a good month, I wont be doing a summer pregnancy again ( hadn´t planned on another, maybe unconsciously there though). Not too big or tired for Christmas and then little one out before it gets too hot in the summer. DS was born in March thats why I comment (and compare with this prganacy).

Not that Im complaining about prganancy, only 4 weeks left, so really gearing up for it now. Although feel woefully unprepared, I seemed to have it all sorted well in advance for DS1 but time just slips by. Doesn´t help that we´re at the beach or swimming pool most days neither. .

Hi congratulations SuperSoph on expecting your new baby! : )
Here I have another 8 weeks till I give birth and should be in VLC from Dec, really looking forward to it & to a meet up next winter.
Have been told I cannot exchange e-mail addresses privately unless I am on something called CAT, will have to think of another way!
I have a couple of questions that maybe you ladies can help me with:

1. I have heard car seats are not compulsory for little ones in Spain, is that true? (we have already bought ours so are planning to use it in Spain anyway for occasional use - taxis & family and friends)
2. What's your experience of introducing little one to the water? Does beach or pool work better? I can't swim and am keen that she'll get used to being in the water as a baby, have heard there's a good pool in VLC but as ever without a website. What sort of nappies/baby equipment do you need?

Little one's new trick is to stretch her little arms and legs inside mummy and then gather strength for quite a big kick - we are all loved up with this our first baby & can't wait to meet her! Nothing else seems to matter, not even the return of the crappy weather (rainy & chilly oop North).

HI

Futuremum car seats are needed. Laws are same (I think they are European wide?) as in UK. Re: water, as a baby just paddled DS in sea, and started him "swimming" in the pool at around 4 mths. They sell "swimmer" nappies in all big supermarkets. But it is far more economical to buy normal trunks with padded liner which are easier to come by in UK. I got mine from Mothercare. WE also got him a "churro", long bendy floater we picked up in Decathlon for 2€, Haven´t used armbands much at all as we are always in water with him. Hes now 2 and still goes swimming regularly with said churro.
Hope this helps

Hello we've been in Spain since February and live in Malaga.

DH is Irish, I'm German but we've lived in the UK for the last 10 years. DS1 is 3, DS2 was born at 27 weeks at the end of February and is still in and out of hospital with lung problems.

Anyone from this area on here?

Hi southcoaster,
I haven´t posted on her before but I am in Nerja. Ouch 27 weeks! was he born in Materno? my dd was 34 weeks on 28.02.08 we still have a fair few appoitments there. Do you attend a local CAIT etc?

Hi isw, yes born at the Materno and stayed there for 5 months. Home 2.5 weeks ago, then back in hospital with bronchiolitis and back home since Thursday. We came on holidays originally when I was pregnant and my waters broke prematurely, it's been quite a journey to say the least. He's still on oxygen now but doing well.

The local CAIT? Tell me more. We're doing physiotherapy 4 times a week and I know that we have to do more but as I said he hasn't been home for long so I'm now in the process of setting it all up.

When I say we came on holidays we had thought about living here and were looking at property but it seems that DS2 made the decision for us with his early arrival.

So what do I need to know about CAIT where do I find them, is that through the local Centro de Salud?

Hiya,

CAIT is the Centro de Atencion Infantile Temprana - which if you are already having physio you may be attending already. We get physio twice a week, swimming twice, riding and speach therapy. They can also help you apply for financial help etc. You can email me kate @ donkeyaid dot com if you like rather than clogging up these lovely ladies thread!!

Hello southcoaster and isw

southcoaster what a way to move countries! Hope all continues to go well with your little boy.

We live on Northern coast so quite some way away from Malaga.

isw thanks will email you.

patito, thanks, he is doing well so far so fingers crossed.

Hi southcoaster, I only just saw this thread, I live in Seville. Hope your DS is doing OK, what an incredibly difficult time you've had. How has the medical care been? I've found it pretty good. A dr in our local hospital spotted a very rare blood problem my DS had, and without wishing to sound dramatic, might have saved his life. All fine now, but terrifying at the time, as was totally out of the blue. Anyway it gave me confidence in the health system here.

Hello ladies it has been a while since I posted. I am on Mijas Costa in Malaga. I am from Scotland.

Southcoaster - what a dramatic arrival from your DS2, glad to hear that things are going well. Have to say, I think the medical care here is fabulous, they leave no stone untouched. My DD was born at home by accident and everyone who dealt with us was amazing

HI all

Just to post that Maia Grace was born on 1st September. Beautiful healthy girl who feeds and sleeps like a dream.

Hope all are well.

Hey all. Congrats patito :o

Unfortunately I had a miscarriage and am still going through quite a lot of horridness at the moment. However, I'll not dwell on that here as I want us all to stay happy :)

Hi southcoaster and isw and lovely to see you again MrsMcJnr.

Our DS2 was born with Down Syndrome and he gets fantastic care here. Much more than he would have been entitled to in the UK. Also, they arranged everything for us. Can't fault them for that. Just a shame that that attitude and kindness hasn't filtered through when dealing with my current situation. Hey I guess you can't have everything.

Hello, just wanted to introduce Bouncers Mother, Baby & Toddler Group which is held every Monday (under 1's from 10.30am to 12.30pm), Wednesday (0-3's from 11am to 1pm) and Friday (0-3's from 10.30am to 12.30pm), and takes place in Aloha Gardens, Nueva Andalucia. The group has been running for over 5 years now and is a great place for mums to meet new friends and the little ones to start socializing. There is a relaxed and friendly atomosphere with lots of toys & activities for every stage, comfy chairs for mums to chat, high chairs for feeding and a changing area. There are also quiet areas for breastfeeding. The price is 5euros per session with refreshments for mums and tots included. For more info please call Rachel on 669 772 133 or e-mail [email protected].

Hello, I am new to this thread. Finding all your comments very interesting. Just wish to say that I live in the Balearic Islands, in Mallorca and moved here in 1990. You may be interested in this website,

www.mumabroad.com/about-us

Meet the Founders, Rebecca Laidlaw, an Internet Marketing consultant & Carrie Frais, a Journalist.
This is what they have to say:

"We are both Mums of two small children living in Barcelona and both originally from the UK. We decided to set up MumAbroad in 2008 after being surprised at the lack of information available on services and activities available for babies and children in the areas where we live and it soon became apparent that there was a growing niche for an English language website which would offer parents from the International Community valuable information on the likes of child-related services, schools, family activities, shops and restaurants. Since initially launching in Barcelona, the site has grown to include the whole of Catalunya, Madrid, the Costa Blanca, Andalucia and the Balearic islands."

Good Luck! :)

Hi

supersoph sorry to hear about your miscarriage. My thoughts are with you.

Thanks patito. How are you doing?

Hi

Doing fine, adjusting to life with toddler and baby but it´s going really well. DD sleeps so well and DS just loves her (bit over kind/loving sometimes ).

We´ve just had a family visit which was a bit weird, my parents have seperated since DS was born so they all came out sans Dad and then he came out a week later on his own. On my Mums stay over she got ill and couldn´t take her scheduled flight and ended up going back on the flight my Dad arrived on .

Despite this was lovely to see them all.

How are things with you.?

Hello everyone

nice to find this group, i'm also in valencia, have been here for six years and love it, bloke is Spanish and we have 3 children.

Welcome vivasevilla [hgrin] Nice to meet new people.

patito - pleased to hear you're adjusting. Yes, I can imagine how that must have been a weird visit for you! We are all fine, just recovering from the dreaded lurgy. DH is off to El Hierro tomorrow morning. Every year him and a few other teachers take the Year 9's there on a Geog/Science field trip. Can't wait to have the bed to myself for 3 nights [hwink]

Sam has just had a plaster cast taken (to make a type of standing frame) of the back of his legs and lower torso to try and strengthen his muscles. Hopefully after a couple of months standing in this thing-a-me-jiggy for a little each day he'll be running around all over the place [hhmm] It's not that he can't walk it's just that he can't be arsed doesn't see the point!!!

Hello

Welcome Vivasevilla. Always nice to meet another happy mum over here.

supersoph Hope Sam likes his thingy-me-jig, and most imortantly that it works!

Off to a Halloween night tomorrow at the library, scary stories and the like. So tomorrow morning will be filled with making scary mask for DS [hgrin]. I always like a craft day.

Also looks like rain for the next few days...
Perfect timing for a visit from a friend from UK [hhmm]

Hi ladies,

An update for those of you who know me on this forum - FutureMum has now become a mummy to gorgeous DD1! Much loved, even when she cannot get to sleep until one or two in the morning : ( (seems to have a fear of her cot bed, although fingers crossed it's getting better). Very tired but happy overall, our lives are so different now!
Off to VLC in a month's time for the winter season, it would be lovely to meet up with those of you in VLC and region and exchange parenthood stories. I did try to find out how to exchange e-mail addresses without them being seen on the site, but there doesn't seem to be a way (!), so will need to figure another way to make contact.
Hope all is going well for all mummies and daddies in Spain!
Best wishes from FutureMum

congrats futuremum, hope all is going well i would love to meet up for a coffee (bom bons are my downfall) i'm usually here drinking mojitos aforementioned bom bons