Its Telethon time!

We are Perth-ites these days (Though I'm originally from New South Wales, born in Newcastle, grew up in Sydney and Uni-ed in Wollongong... and hubby is from Perth but we met and married down in Busselton). And as such we are well aware of our proximity to the Princess Margaret Children's Hospital. WA like most states makes a concerted effort to support their children's hospitals (In Victoria it is the Royal Children's Hospital, in New South Wales it is Westmead Children's Hospital). But here in WA we have quite a unqie setup...

WA is the largest land-mass state in Australia. It has the most geographically strewn capital city also. In a sentence, we're spread out! And as such, when something happens that necessitates a child's transfer to the Children's Hospital, they come from far and wide to get here. From Broome to Albany and everywhere in between! Needless to say, they have a big job to do when it comes to co-ordinating the hospital's ability to do that as well as all the referrals and appointments that come with a specialist hospital like that.

We've had plenty of contact with PMH in the last year. Our little fella, Ayrton, has had an operation as well as having to have a sleep study and repeated follow-ups with the respiratory clinic... we actually have an appointment with them tomorrow! We have alot to be thankful for there. The surgeons have helped us make sure that our son could develop the ability to crawl and walk, and the follow up teams that looked into his sleep apnoea have at least helped us to keep tabs on where Ayrton's development is at.

After the operation... little man quite wiped out!

In preparation for the sleep study... nothing wrong, just trying to hold all the wires in place!

This weekend is Telethon weekend. We were a bit slow on the uptake this year (Side tracked by minor illnesses in the household!), but we want to commit something to this year. So we're having a sale and all the profits will go to Telethon. EVERYTHING in our Baby Safety department will go on special from 1pm WST on Sunday and will stay on sale until Saturday 1pm WST. 

This will include some great products like the Cherub Infrared Thermometer (Gives and ear or forehead digital reading in 1 second with fever alert!), our huge range of baby gates as well as our Baby Hearing protection. 

All you have to do to claim this promotion is checkout. There is no special codes and the adjusted prices will be shown. We just want to get some money for the kids!!!

If you have any enquiries please don't hesitate to contact us! admin@beetlebugz.com.au

If you would like to make a direct donation to Telethon, please go directly to their website: http://www.telethon.7perth.com.au/

The importance of Infant and Children's Hearing protection

"Hearing is a gift most people take for granted until they start losing it. Because the chronic din of ordinary life is higher than ever, reducing excessive noise can improve your hearing health, no matter your age. Make protection of your hearing part of your everyday lifestyle."Simon C. Parisier, MD, co-director of The Cochlear Implant Center at The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary and founder of The Children's Hearing Institute.

My parents and In-laws are great. I love them. Super suportive... but they still have some ideas that are quite different to my own when it comes to child rearing. My own parent's words of wisdom when our son came along ALL centreed on de-sensitising him to noises when he was sleeping. My own father went outside and mowed the lawn as soon as I was brought home from the hospital. It was his way of saying "We have a baby, we don't need to give up our loves and tip-toe around our children..." Whilist I have to agree with him in part, I don't believe that it needs to be carried out to the extents that some parents do. They expect babies to sleep through rock concerts (Literally!), still work and visit Drag Strips when 8 months pregnant (Fine if you are in the insulated corporate box.... not so fine when you're on the side line with a helpless infant in your belly!)... some even expect their children to be able to handle the same levels of noise exposure that they subject themselves to. The fact of the matter is, infant and children's ears are MUCH different to our own. For more information on this and how hearing damage is propogated, check out this FACT SHEET from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communicative Disorders (NIDCD).

Below is a table that outlines different noisy activities and the exposure times until hearing damage.

	Average decibels	Exposure time until hearing damage
Gunshot	165db	Immediate
Rocket launch	180db	Immediate
Power tools	100db	15 minutes
Speedboat	110db	2 minutes
Lawnmower	90db	2 hours
Personal stereo system on max level	105db	4 minutes
Chainsaw	110db	2 minutes
Jackhammer	120db	15 seconds
Average Rock concert	110db	2 minutes
Chainsaw	110db	2 minutes
Firecrackers	140db	Immediate

In utero even an Infant's hearing can be damaged due to the simple fact that sound travels better and further and faster in water... and what do babies live in for the 9 months before they are born? Anywhere from 18-24 weeks onwards a child's ear and the parts in it are being developed and become active. They can hear us speak... so why wouldn't we expect that they'd equally be able to hear other loud noises and be damaged by them, just as they are outside of the womb?

Unfortunantly when you are pregnant, there isn't alot you can do except avoid those situations where noise is excessive (In my case, working as a Junior engineer on the floor in a Rail Yard, I had to take a desk job from 24 weeks onwards for this very reason!). In infants and children though, we have access to some great products that will even have the KIDS wanting to look after themselves! Beetle Bugz are proud distributors of Em's Ear Muffs and we focus on industries such as Motorsports to make sure that even the smallest members of the family are able to participate!

Designed in Australia, Em's 4 Bubs use a headband to hold the earmuffs in place, which helps disperse pressure more evenly around the skull of your baby. With a 22dB noise reduction rating, Em's 4 Bubs are the world's smallest hearing protection earmuffs, designed just for infants. These are also the ONLY earmuffs recommended for use in under 6 month olds!

Like Em's 4 Kids earmuffs (Please see our safety section for these!), they can be used in a wide variety of settings - from concerts and car races (Where we use them!) to sporting events and shopping centres. We've even used them when renovations were going on around us. Use them to protect your child's hearing or to help settle them when disturbed by a noisy environment.

Em's 4 Bubs headbands are available in three sizes:

* Small (newborn - 6 months) * Large (6 months - 18 months) * Extra Large (18 months and up)

For the slightly older kids, we stock Em's 4 Kids Earmuffs! Weighing only 190 grams, these earmuffs are light but sturdy. They can be folded up to fit in the palm of your hand, making them easy to carry with you, or store away.

Like Em's 4 Bubs earmuffs (Please see our safety section for these!), they can be used in a wide variety of settings - from concerts and car races (Where we use them!) to sporting events and shopping centres. We've even used them when renovations were going on around us. Use them to protect your child's hearing or to help settle them when disturbed by a noisy environment.

These are best for use for 12 month olds and up. If this is your first earmuff purchase for your 1+ year old, skip the Bub's earmuffs and head straight for these!

For more information on these or any of other Baby Safety Products, please check out our website! www.beetlebugz.com.au

Welcome Baby Belly Indo!!!

We are VERY proud to announce that we have added another brand to the Beetle Bugz Stable... Baby Belly Indo!

We have recently started wearing the brand (Ok... me Kirsty... not the boys!!!) to accomodate my "growing bump" (Which is due May 2012!) and were so pleased with it that we just HAD to stock it! I've found the clothes to be affordable, beautiful and of such great value. I'm so happy with these ideals and how they fit with what I wanted Beetle Bugz to be about (Affordable stuff making for sustainable families!) that I am beaming with pride at being able to bring them to people! :D

Baby Belly Indo is a brand which was designed by an Australian Mum for ex-pats living in South East Asia and Australia. All garments were made in a Fair Trade facillity in Bali, Indonesia. Her designs centred on generous maternity clothes, cut so that tops were longer to cater for growing bellys that inch up normal shirts, as well as side gathering to ensure even the biggest bump could be housed comfortably.

The designer chose fabrics that breathe and stretch to accommodate your changing figure, as well as ones which could be layered together to create new and different looks without introducing too much fabric, or having to change too much of your existing wardrobe.
Some of Baby Belly Indo clothing can be worn after baby has arrived or doubles as a nursing top.

Yep, the days of dowdy and frumpy maternity wear are long gone because today is the era when hordes of hip moms-to-be are celebrating motherhood by wearing trendy clothes that enhance the beauty in them and their new role...
Motherhood offers thousands of ways for expectant women to be themselves.. so why shouldn't your clothes reflect who you are and who you are becomming?!

The full range of tops can be seen at: http://www.beetlebugz.com.au/category.php?SC=11

And their Nappy bags are GREAT too!!! We have the only other Faux Leather one (In Red) and it goes EVERYWHERE with me... even when I don't have the baby! It is so roomy and beautiful and just plain USEFUL! I can't wait to share these with other mums and mums-to-be to help them in getting their lives whilist out and about ORGANISED! :D But even if you are the fashionably lazy like me... they just do the work for you!

The Full range of Nappy Bags can be seen here: http://www.beetlebugz.com.au/category.php?SC=9

Can't wait to see what everyone else thinks of them! :D