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Whichever path or new adventure you choose to take at the end of maternity leave, it often comes with a complete mix of emotions, whether it’s sadness, relief, dread or excitement.  But it can be an intimidating place, outside that insane mama bubble, and having 6 months ago experienced the return to work, I had all the same feelings as the first time.  The utter sadness of leaving my baby, the nervousness of walking back into the office.  Even the smallest thoughtful touch from colleagues and friends can make it an easier transition; a bunch of flowers on the desk, a text on the way to work, a glass of wine waiting at home…

But it also made me think I could offer a gift box to raise a smile in that moment, so i’m super happy to launch our new Back-To-Work Mama Bundle.  Perfect for colleagues, partners or parents to treat those mama’s on their big day back at work.  I’ve carefully selected a few treats that mamas can enjoy in the office or at home, from some really wonderful independent brands.

And to celebrate this launch, i’ve asked the very lovely Eleanor from Flexible Working Mums Hertford to share some top tips for going back to work.  Hope these come in handy for anyone heading off on their new adventures…

Over to Eleanor:

I can still remember very clearly the moment I set my out of office and logged out of my laptop ahead of my first maternity leave. Of course, the reality of having a baby very soon was starting to kick in, but I was also very conscious that when I next logged on to check my work emails that I would be a working mum! And as much as you can prepare for having a baby, far less advice is offered by way of transition to becoming a working mum.

Having returned to work myself after having my son I have also managed many women in the same situation back into my team so here I offer my hints and tips for transition to successful working mum.

Do Not Feel Guilty…. about anything. Do not underestimate the incredible role model you are being for your child by going back to work, it can be so important that children see dad and mum working, learning about equality starts at a young age. Little people also have a great knack of making us feel incredibly guilty for leaving them but guaranteed before you have even left your childcare provider they are loving being there.

Be Realistic…. I have seen it so many times where women return to the workplace and attempt to pick up where they left off in an attempt to prove they are still ambitious and dedicated to their career. You have nothing to prove so go easy on yourself. Give yourself some time to adjust to your new routines and responsibilities outside of work and don’t over commit yourself in the first few months back at work. Your time will come again, it’s just a case of transitioning back and learning to adjust.

Find Support…. Ensure you surround yourself with supportive people. Maybe look for a workplace mentor, someone who has been in the same position as yourself is always a good choice and you can use them to help you to navigate your transition back to work. Also keep an open and honest dialogue with your boss. If you have returned to work on a flexible working basis make sure you communicate how it’s going and working for you. Your friends and family will also be super important at this time and although initially you may feel like you don’t have enough time to spend with them they will totally understand, so again, don’t feel guilty.

And finally, Be Kind To Yourself. It can be very easy to forget your own wellbeing so make sure you make time for that cuppa with a colleague or after a long day reward yourself by lighting a candle and have a lovely warm bath. Good luck and remember… you have totally got this working mama.

We would love to hear your top tips too, feel free to comment away. How did you manage the return to work?  As always, a massive fist bump to all mamas forging their own paths, whether back at work or staying at home.   Jo x

When I started The Baby Duck I knew Pop Ups were going to be an important part of the business, but I also didn’t realise how brilliant they were going to be.  It’s definitely hard work, but once set up, it’s a fab way to understand what customers are looking for.  Generally online shopping is far more anonymous, so being able to chat to new mamas who are shopping for their babies, or people shopping for their friends, is great.

Here’s five reasons why I love Pop Ups so….

1. It’s a great way to remind myself of my full range! So often, I forget that I have some little gems tucked away.  If I had a shop, i’d be able to admire these lovely items everyday, but alas, at the moment my stock is safely tucked away.
2. I absolutely love discovering the best ways to display and merchandise our products.  In a parallel world, if I had a dream job, I reckon i’d want to be a window dresser – I love everything from the planning to the set up.
3. It means I get to go ‘shopping’ for display items.  This is fun.  I love shopping.  My best buys were my six crates which come to every pop up with me – it’s a fab way to transport products, and a lovely way to create an impactful stand.  My second best buy was a little trolley.  It’s made a massive difference to a. my back. and b. the ease of setting up.
4. Neighbouring stall buddies – i’ve met some amazingly talented people during some of these events and often they become a fab support network through social media too.  It also means I can shop, and work, at the same time.  Bonus.
5.  It makes me feel proud every time I set up…being an online shop, its easy to forget how far we’ve come.  But seeing my range evolve and grow, it’s a very different to the first pop up I ever did, and that makes me super happy.

I’ve attended PopUp events big and small / bad and good, and some of the most successful Pop Ups have been the ones I was expecting the least from.  But lugging my crates and stock around, and stringing up the bunting and fairy lights is pretty much worth it every time.

So if you have the chance to take your small business out on the road, do it.  Do it, but just try not to spend all your money on neighbouring stands.  And equally, if you have any top tips on Pop Ups – I’d love to hear them, so do comment below…

x

New baby gifts.  Before I had children of my own, I used to stand in the middle of beautifully branded baby shops and wonder where to even start.  What exactly is the difference between a muslin square and a muslin swaddle / what is the best size babygro / can newborns have too many stuffed toys…

Which partly, is why I started creating our New Baby Bundles.  So we can either help that way and provide you with some bespoke ideas (click here)  Or alternatively, here are our top tips for new baby gifts:

1. Cakes or pastries – always take cakes or pastries or biscuits when you visit a newborn.  This is Tip 1.  You could just stop here.
2. Muslin Swaddles are completely brilliant – for swaddling, for mopping up milk, for wiping dribbles, as a breast feeding cover, for snuggling, as a pram cover… and right up to beyond toddler age (some of our favourite picnic blankets are 4 year old swaddles from my firstborn)  They are approx. 120x120cm, so huge, and so functional.  And brilliant – did I mention brilliant?
3. Kokoso Baby Coconut Oil – having a totally natural skin care product is so lovely, it means it’s perfect for newborn skin, and can help with all those newborn skin conditions; cradle cap, nappy rash, baby acne, dry skin.  And it can also be used for the rest of the family too – from conditioning hair to healing toddler scrapes, it can even be used as a natural nipple cream for mama’s.  It’s a brilliant all-rounder, which makes it a great new baby gift.
4. Babygro’s – if you’re seeing a very newborn baby (and obviously, it depends a lot on the size of the baby)  it might be worth considering buying first size or newborn.  0-3month babygro’s are brilliant, and will last, well…hopefully 3 months, but often first size outfits are also super useful too 🙂
5. Baby Milestone Cards – I absolutely love these monthly photos, to track those teeny tiny babies growing and changing.  On the back of our Monthly Baby Milestone Cards you’ll also find little prompts and spaces to record all those amazing milestones too – so it becomes a Baby Book too.  Our cards are all totally unisex, and super soft to touch.
6. Too young for toys?  After emerging from the newborn baby bubble and once the baby starts developing touch and sight, our teething elephants are a brilliant multi-functional gift, helpful for those painful teething days and a fab light-weight toy to pop in a nappy bag or pocket incase distractions are needed
7. Cuddles.  All the cuddles (for the new baby, but probably also for the new mama too)

One other gift that is nearly always a winner, is a gorgeous personalised print, there are SO many amazing creative small businesses out there, i’ve popped a few of my favourites here:

LittleM Papergoods

Hope & Rainbows

Larollie

Wall Circus

And if we can help with anything, we love to chat all things baby gifts – so just pop us a note to jo@thebabyduck.co.uk or take a look at our New Baby Bundle page.

x

OK.  So I love shopping for new babies…

Which partly, is why I started this little business.  (Thought process at a simplistic level was – I’m really very good at shopping – husband might disagree – therefore buying on a larger scale could be fun?)  And it’s always so easy to find the super cute clothes, practical helpful bits, and gorgeous toys which make completely brilliant gifts for babes. But I also firmly believe that new mamas REALLY need treats too.  A couple of friends, when my little boy arrived last year, bought me vouchers for manicures or massages, some gave me sweets, and lots bought me cakes and pastries – and these were just so gratefully received.  Because they reminded me in those early foggy days that i’m still me, not just a slightly weepy milk generator.  No matter how you give birth or become a parent, it’s an incredible feat – but a knackering one, so, amongst all the wonderful baby bits, popping in a little treat for Mama too is always a good plan.   And that’s why over time, I’ve tried to include some lovely treats for mums in our online store alongside our For Baby collection.

Another thing I have definitely learnt about all this mum-ming, is the importance of encouragement, support and wisdom –  frankly, not only having just given birth – this is welcome anytime.  And I am definitely not going to pretend that i’m brilliant at sending cards – I’m not.  But I wish I were.  And lots of you are, so that’s why you’ll find a little (and growing) selection of greetings cards (and Parenting Cards) in our shop, to give any new mamas you know a friendly boost.

So our Gift Edit this week features a couple of ideas, focusing especially on accessories  – because as a new mum, it’s still nice to wear accessories, even if from the neck down, you are wearing pyjamas…

for the monochrome loving mama:

This gorgeous chunky Mama Knot necklace made for us by the wonderful Fickle Craftroom is perfectly baby safe whilst being super stylish, made with jersey cotton and featuring two silicone beads (for teething babes), with no sharp bits or fastenings to worry about.  The monochrome contrast is also fab for new borns as a sensory stimulation, and the chunky design, fab for little hands as they learn to grab and hold.  Easy to clean by popping in the washing machine – so stylish and practical.

And our exclusive ‘Hey! Mama’ card designed by lovely Maeve at TooWordy is perfect for all – from baby showers & brand new mamas, to established, experienced not-so-new-mamas.  Its striking design also looks fab in a frame too.  Add to this our Monochrome Mama Knot necklace, and you have a gorgeous little gift bundle.  Make this a bigger gift, by adding in our ‘Hey! Mama’ tote bag, a super roomy stylish grey tote for all those baby bits.

Too Wordy + The Baby Duck ‘Hey! Mama’ Card £2.50

Fickle Craftroom Mama Knot Necklace £ 12.00

For straight talking, colourful loving Mama’s

Silicone teething necklaces are a great option for mamas to easily accessorise – whilst also being completely perfect to occupy grabby, dribbly, teething babies.  Also they are super washable, so easy to keep clean to protect those little ones.  And you know when you go out and completely forget to pack entertainment or toys?  Well these necklaces come in handy for that too.  We stock the lovely Little Magpies and her brilliant ‘Jesse’ necklaces   Choose from three colour-ways; Ice-cream / Pastels or Candy.

Then get straight to the point with this ace This Mama Does and her ‘Shit Just Got Real’ card (nothing like a straight talking greetings card)  Check out our This Mama Does Parenting Cards too, which are also brilliant for recording those parenting highs and lows.

This Mama Does Shit Just got Real £2.50

Little Magpies Teething & Nursing Necklace  £ 12.95

Those newborn baby bubble days go so fast, but these gorgeous necklaces will last so much longer, and be super useful during those early years, making them a really thoughtful gift.  And although it’s lovely to send cards to the Baby, it’s always nice to pop a note to tell that lovely Mama that she is amazing…  She is enough…  She is doing great.  And of course, a gorgeous bunch of blooms / cake / wine / gin is generally also always a great gifting option too.  That goes without saying.

Or take a peek at more treats in our For Mama collection – you can shop it here

x

Hello.

We’ve been around for a little while, but a new look and a new website brings new beginnings. Hurrah.  And hope you like it.

The Baby Duck began when I was on maternity leave the first time round. Locally I struggled to find anywhere in our little market town where I could shop for colourful clothes and gifts for my baby girl, and for friend’s babies too. And because my girl was a great day-time napper, I found myself a little time to start this small business. After building the website, sourcing suppliers, attending tradeshows and building a network, our little online & pop-up shop opened in 2013.

And the great thing about this new ‘mumboss’ way of working, was that it opened my eyes to a whole new network of amazing women. Mostly, mamas creating brilliant brands based on their experiences, but also other amazingly brilliant women… all of whom are super talented and offering something a little bit different, and a little bit more special than the high street.

And since we started, this shop-small market has completely exploded, and now there are a huge number of small brands offering more choice, to customers – of course, but also more choice in terms of their own lifestyle and the juggle of life and family and work. Which is ace.

And that’s not the only change; over the last 6 months or so, brilliant ambassadors like the fab Anna Whitehouse (Mother Pukka)  – and many others – are leading the charge in driving more flexible working into bigger businesses too. And that’s massive. And important.  And I believe is also driving support for smaller businesses now able to start up on that basis of flexibility.

So a lot has changed in a few years. Including the fact that our second baby arrived in 2016, and so now I get to test out all the brands and products that we stock on our own little one again – because whatever you find here in our little shop, is something that we believe to be useful, and lovely, and perfect for our own kids. And so hopefully yours too.

So if you’re looking for a new baby (or new mama) gift – check out our New Baby Bundles. Or if you’re looking for a little treat for your own little one, have a browse of the shop, and look out for some exciting new brand collaborations to come.

Also, its inevitable that we might have a few website teething issues, so feel free to get in touch if there is anything you think we can do to make your shopping experience even better.

In the meantime, I’m off to have a G&T to celebrate our little re-launch.  This has taken a million hours of website building, so it’s a bit like a third baby to me..!

Thanks for stopping by x