PSA Recall on BabyTrend BackPackCarrier

Another recall…Please click the following link for more information:
www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07138.html

The Amautik and Hip Bundles

Today Jen Gordon of Hip Bundles (www.hipbundles.com) came to the meeting to present the amautik as well as various carriers she carries with her online business, Hip Bundles.

The amautik is the mother’s parka that is worn by women in the Nunavut region of Canada. This beautiful parka is deeply rooted in Inuit tradition and culture and is an everyday item of use for women in the north. Through design, colours and use, the Amautik identifies a woman’s maturity, her geographical place of home and the season.

Although not traditional, a man can wear them too!

We as a group, had opportunity to hear the stories of the amautik, its place within northern Canadian history, and the efforts to protect the amuatik as intellectual property of the Inuit. We also had opportunity to try out both the summer and winter amautiks.

After Jen’s formal presentation and demonstration, we dug into her grand display of carriers ranging from Kozy mei tais, BabyHawk mei tais, Maya Wrap ring slings, EllaRoo wraps, MamaPonchos, Nori jackets, and on and on!

We also made time to work with individual members and help them troubleshoot their carriers that they brought along.

I felt like a kid in a candy store and managed to snag some great deals for the library on a Suses KinderPoncho and a Maya Pouch. As well, a member donated a couple of copies of the babywearing edition of Mothering magazine.

And, as a note:
Jen is a rockin’ person. She’s totally in the know when it comes to carriers, safety and assessing the needs of her customer. I really get the impression that she has facilitated many long-term babywearing relationships between caregiver and child.

I would definitely work with her again and sincerely hope she comes back and visits again!

PSA on Infantino Carrier and Carrier Safety

Today I received notification that Infantino has issued a recall on their SlingRider product. Please click here for more information.

Please note that not all baby carriers on the market are safe. I urge all caregivers to throughly inspect their carriers regularly for pulled stitching, fabric weakness or other defects in product or wear and tear.

I also urge caregivers to look at the positioning of the child. Again, not all carriers on the market, including carriers one may think have undergone stringent testing are. An excellent article on safe positioning can be found at TheBabywearer.com.

It pains my heart to think that a caregiver, thinking that they were purchasing a product that would help them nurture their child, ended up with something that led to serious injury or discomfort.

I have never been one to endorse any of the Infantino products or many of the carriers available readily on the market. Please please, select your baby carrier as you would any product you would purchase for investment for your child’s future. Thorough and careful research is necessary.

For excellent information, articles and many reviews on various baby carriers, you can take a look at www.thebabywearer.com.

Also, if anyone reads this blog, and has been carrying their child in the Infantino SlingRider, please contact us via email.

A Day of Wrapping with Didymos

Today we had a nice sized group to watch the Didymos instructional video.

The Didymos video showed many ways to tie various sizes of wraps.

Afterwards, we played around with the carriers in the room and did a lot of socializing.

It seemed to be a ring sling and Ergo day, with questions about Ergos and ring slings throughout the room.

The Library

I am really excited to share that our first contribution to the library, purchased with membership dues, has been added! We received an amazing deal on a Chic Papoose Pouch in a size medium.Carriers in the library are available for persons in attendance to the meetings to try out, as well as for members to sign out to borrow for periods of time.

The photo shows the pouch in action for a back carry!

Onbus, Wraps, Mei Tais and More!

Today it was like carrier overload! We WERE going to play the Didymos instructional video but decided to play it when we had a larger audience of beginner wrappers. Instead, we just jumped right into playing with carriers. Two wonderful women baring their fabulous stashes of carriers to dig into.

We had a go at several different wrap brands, Didymos, Storches, and Hoppediz. We also played with a BabyHawk mei tai, a Kozy mei tai, a traditional mei tai in the traditional tie, an onbuhimo, a dupioni silk ring sling, and the ever elusive Felix Pera winter jacket that accommodates a worn baby in both a front and back carry. We got to see a couple of back carries in action and to try out a few ourselves.

Overall, for a very cold day, it felt very fruitful! I know I learned a few tricks that I didn’t know before (such as a back carry with an onbuhimo!)