Where We Wore in October

Jillian D. dresses up her toddler (and Kinderpack) in a ladybug costume for a Halloween party.

Paula R. wears her two year old on a walk in a Golden Thread Mistress wrap (woven by group leader Marcia S.) while on vacation in California.

Isabel T. wears her son on vacation in New York.  Her wrap is a Didymos Natural Linen Indio (dyed curry to merlot by Color Dip Studios).

Jessa Z. wears her ten-month-old son in an Ergo at the zoo.  

Jen C. (who has recently started the Jared plan) walks to Subway with her son in a Little Frog wrap.  

Tiffany S. wears her baby in a Moby while visiting giraffes during Boo at the Zoo.

Jillian D. wears her youngest in a KoKaDi Glamour Stars wrap at a pumpkin patch.

Jessa Z. takes her son "Captain America" trick-or-treating.

Why we should be concerned with fake carriers

Fake Prada bags, fake Gucci glasses, fake Rolex watches, fake...baby carriers?

Yep, they're out there.  There are fake Ergos, Becos and even Freehand mei tais.  But should we be concerned?  I mean, they work exactly the same, don't they?  The buckles will stay locked, the straps will still tie.  It'll work just fine!

Except, we don't really know that.  We don't know if counterfeit carriers are safe or "just fine."  They may look almost exactly like the real thing, but they aren't held to the same standards.  The materials may be sub-par or they may have traces of unsafe chemicals left on them.  We know that real Ergo carriers are tested for the safety of carrying children; we can't say that about the knock-offs.  So in cases like these, isn't it better to err on the side of caution?  

Yes, you can get fake carriers for cheap!  A counterfeit Ergo may run only $40 while a real one runs over $100.  But at what PRICE?  It's more than just money; could the price be your child's health?  Supporting illegal operations?

Let's talk ethics.  Ergo created a popular design.  It is theirs; they worked hard on creating it and they own it.   You buy a knock-off carrier because you like the way the Ergo looks, but you aren't paying homage to them; it's actually a bit disrespectful.  The people who deserve to be paid aren't being paid.  Instead, you're giving money to design thieves!   

But maybe you don't care and you're going to buy a fake Ergo carrier through a co-op anyways.  You're just going to use it for yourself and you're smart enough to make this decision for you and your baby, yes?  But what about the other people participating?  Do you trust them to do the "right thing" with their carriers?  Can you be sure that they aren't going to illegally resell them under the guise of them being real?  You can't.  And by taking on a "we're only responsible for ourselves and our own actions" stance, you are ignoring that this exact situation happens all the time.  I've seen mothers in online groups, lamenting that they bought an Ergo off of Craigslist, only to find out it was fake.  

There's also always the chance that your carrier won't even make it out of customs.  Customs has the right to seize counterfeit merchandise.  They're even cracking down online.  Just last year, Denver Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized over 15 websites that were selling fake baby carriers!

So how can you avoid buying a fake carrier?  Well, while eBay is a great place to buy HSA (highly sought after) wraps, it's notorious for having fake Ergos, Becos and Freehands (the latter of which is labeled "Minizone").  You know what they say, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.  
If you are buying in person, ask for the original purchase receipt, if possible.  If you have any reason to suspect that yours is fake, don't hesitate to contact Ergo with the serial number.  If you bought a counterfeit one on accident from a secondhand store, ask for a refund.  It was illegal for them to sell it to you.  

I accept that we are all adults and we each make our decisions based on what we consider risk factors.  However, as a group, our stance is that, for a variety of reasons, people should absolutely avoid buying and using counterfeit baby carriers.  

**This post was written by Paula R.

6/5 Monthly Meeting

Our monthly meeting was held today!  With Elizabeth C. moving away, meetings will no longer be held at Casa Verde.  We thank her for hosting us for this long.  :)  Future meetings will likely be at local parks if the weather continues to stay nice.

This meeting's topic was "Carrier Safety."  We talked about the "Cradle Carry" and while it is a valid carry, carries that hold the baby upright with their faces visible and kissable are the better option, as you can be more aware of the baby's airway.  (Vigilance about a baby's breathing while babywearing is important.)  We discussed forward-facing babies (wearing babies with their backs against our chests, facing out), and how there are also options such as hip and high back carries. These carries allow babies to get a good view and tend to more ergonomic for both the parent and the baby.  We also talked about narrow-based carriers.  These carriers are not considered unsafe. While there are more comfortable or ideal options out there, it is still safe for parents to wear babies in these kinds of carriers.

June Meeting Group Photo

Courtney K. tries out a wrap woven by group leader Marcia S.
(Photo provided by Courtney K.)

Rechelle B. checks her baby's seat. She is using an Ellevill Tri-green woven wrap.

Gretchen M.'s daughter rocks a torso carry.

Where We Wore in May

Comment and let us know which photo is your favorite!  

Rechelle B.'s son reads a book in Didymos Natural Hemp India
while she gets some yardwork done.

Maureen S. milks a goat while wearing her baby
in a DIY Osnaburg wrap.

Marie C. takes her baby to the zoo in a Natibaby Amazonia
on her first Mother's Day.

Avelynn M. nurses her baby in Didymos Katja at her local Safeway.

Stella K. takes her daughter on the subway in her Ergo.

Isabel T. takes her baby sightseeing at Bryce Canyon.
Isabel's wrap is a Didymos Natural Linen Indio.

Cora K. and her husband explore Denver with their children on their backs!
Cora's pink wrap is a Natibaby Pink Zebra wrap.

Gretchen M. wears her sleeping three year old in Didymos Katja
during evening church service.

Lyndsey D. wears her newborn in an Ergo at Oceanside State Beach.

Crystal A. wears her daughter in an Ergo on Mother's Day at Fox Run Park.

Mindy R. rucks her baby at the Living Treasures Wild Animal Park in Pennsylvania, where they pet and fed baby animals.  The wrap she is using is a Wrapsody Breeze Presley.

Mindy N.'s husband wears their baby in a Diaper Dude Camo-print Boba 3G.

Nicole R. goes miniature golfing with her baby in a mei tai.

Rebecca L. wears her toddler daughter in Didymos Rosa
while exploring Sand Dunes National Park.

Jennifer P. wears her son in KoKaDi Glamour Stars
at America the Beautiful Park.

Gretchen M.'s family explores Cahill Cabin.  Her husband is wearing
their daughter in a sustain.bow (Girasol wrap conversion) Tula.

Paula R.'s daughter conquers the playground with her doll in a Beco Mini.

Meet Our Leaders: Jillian Droppo, Kristen Miles and Marcia Stewart

Earlier this month, we voted for these three members to become our new group leaders. And here are their bios!  :) 

Marcia Stewart

I started my interest in babywearing when my cousin registered for a pouch sling when she was pregnant in 2008. I thought it looked like something I could sew, so I started researching and came across Jan Andrea's site (sleeping baby productions). In her DiY section, she linked to thebabywearer.com. I joined, and was instantly drawn to babywearing. Before I even was pregnant with my first son (who is now three), I already had a selection of baby carriers. Woven wraps were my favorite from the beginning. I love that the fabric is endlessly versatile: blanket, fort, scarf, washcloth, and baby carrier all in one. I love fibers of all kinds, and the beauty of wraps really draws me in. My first son was very colicky and wrapping saved me. I could wrap him and he would sleep for much longer than if he was in a crib, and I could still get things done, with my hands free! We went on lots of long walks in our wraps, went shopping, and even toured the Statue of Liberty. Now I am wrapping my second son and am so glad I knew about babywearing before I began motherhood. I love sharing the joys of babywearing with my friends!

Jillian Droppo

We have lived in Colorado Springs for 4 years. My husband is in the army. We have 2 beautiful daughters Heidi, 5 years, and Hayden, 14 months. We are hoping to add one more to our family in the near future. I love Colorado and being outdoors, hiking, running, playing at the park...

I started babywearing when my youngest was born. I now wonder how I made it through my oldest's infant and toddler years without it. My first carrier was a Beco Gemini followed by a Moby. I now love woven wraps of all types, WCRS and my KP.

In addition to my love of collecting baby carriers, I also have a love of collecting cloth diapers. Some people just simply use cloth because it is greener, cheaper... I began using cloth for those reasons but now just can't seem to stop buying them. They are just so cute!

This group is full of such amazing women and children. I love that I have found a local group of families that share common interests. I am looking forward to being a leader of this group, getting to know everyone a little bit better & spreading the babywearing love.


Edit:  As of September 2013, Kristen has stepped down as a leader.  

Kristen Miles

My kids are Caleb, age 8, Emery, age 6 and Catherine, 1. We started babywearing almost 9 years ago with a Baby Bjorn - don't judge! We didn't know! We loved it for the same reasons that people love great carriers and babywearing in general, though - I was hands free and my high-needs son was having his needs met. Win win! Too bad it was painful if you wore it for too long. 

When my daughter was born, I had found a WAHM that made these great hemp pouches and she was worn from 2 days old in it! She was tiny for her age, so we could use the pouch for a very long time, and then the Bjorn, too. When she was a toddler we got an Ergo, but I didn't have anyone who could show me back carries, so it didn't get a ton of love. I really didn't know moms who wore their babies then - so it is great for me to have this group! 

Fast forward some years, and our littlest has also been worn from day 1, but I know more about better carriers! We used a Moby (I actually hated it, but I know most people love theirs!) before we graduated to a Babyhawk mei tai. Our carrier getting the most love this go-round is the Scootababy! Works so well for my in-and-out-up-and-down girl! With two school age kids and all of their activities, we are on the go constantly, and babywearing has been a life saver. So many places that I literally couldn't have taken a stroller. I see moms struggling with theirs in tight places and just want to spread the babywearing love to everyone!! At home I wear her on my back in the Ergo (or for longer all-day outings), but the hip carry in the Scootababy works best for us on errands and activities. We try to practice a lot of elements of attachment parenting so babywearing fits well in our lives, but I just like to encourage all parents to look into a good quality carrier - it really can improve your life with baby in so many ways!

Meet Local Babywearer Raina

Business owner Raina Seabaugh knows all about juggling motherhood with being a busy working mom. She and her husband own Little Monkey Bizness (a Denver-based franchise) here in Colorado Springs. They had always talked about owning a business, but it wasn't until after having their two children that they decided that it needed to be one that was child-centered.

“We looked at multiple franchises but couldn’t see ourselves working there on a daily basis, or having it be a place that our kids would enjoy coming,” Raina says. “Our very active son is five years old and he prompted us to look at opening a place where he could get out his energy, especially in the winter.”

A friend introduced them to Little Monkey Bizness, which seemed to fit the bill.

"We felt Colorado Springs needed an indoor play area that was safe, clean, and open for anyone to come in seven days a week," she says.

Despite working six days a week, owning a business where children can play has its perks. Raina can bring her own children there with her, including her two-year-old Mackenzie.

She occasionally wears her daughter in her ErgoBaby Carrier while she works. As a toddler, Mackenzie doesn't need to be worn much as a young infant; however, Raina thinks it is wonderful to have the option of being able to wear her if needed.

"Owning a business has definitely been an adjustment and I think it is important to assure my kids that I am still here for them," Raina says. "I feel that wearing Mackenzie helps in those times when I still have lots to accomplish at the business but she needs me to pay attention to her. She can say hi to people and talk to me about other things and I can still do my job."

She first discovered babywearing with her older son, who she carried in a Baby Bjorn. Mackenzie, however, wasn't as fond of that particular carrier, so they turned to the Sleepy Wrap (now known as the Boba Wrap), which Raina fell in love with. Her daughter was six weeks old when a new swim season started and babywearing helped Raina succeed in her role as a swim “coach on deck,” while continuing to fulfilling her role of a mother physically with her daughter close to her in their wrap.

For more information on Raina's business, Little Monkey Bizness, check out their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/monkeybizness.colospgs.

***

Q&A with Raina

What carrier do you use and what do you like about it?

I currently am using an ErgoBaby Carrier. I like it because Mackenzie can be on my back and I am still able to work at Monkey Bizness. I can work the register, make coffee, clean the art room, and interact with customers easily. She’s also very comfortable and can fall asleep there if she is tired. I struggle with working-mom guilt and I love the ability to have Mackenzie close to me more often.

What benefits have you personally found in babywearing? How does babywearing help out in your home life? Does your husband babywear as well?

I think having my children close to me is the best thing about babywearing. It is the easiest way to calm an upset child and help me feel close to them even when I have to multi-task. Being a mom isn’t easy! We have to make so many things happen at once, but don’t want our kids to suffer because of all the other things going on in life. I like the conversations I can have with my daughter when I am wearing her. I think she benefits from seeing first-hand a lot of what I am doing, and I believe her speech is better because I can introduce her to more things around us. My husband did wear our older child more than our younger one and he loved it as well. I have passed on our Baby Bjorn to my brother, who just had his first child, and he loves having his daughter close to him as much as possible.

Have you gotten any comments about "wearing" your child from customers?

Customers have commented that it is nice that my kids can be at work with me, and I agree. It’s a huge benefit to owning our own business.

Would you recommend babywearing/toddlerwearing to other parents?

I really would! I think close, physical touch is so important with your children, for both the kids and the parents! As a new mom, wearing my first child made me feel less trapped, like I could get other things done and wasn’t bound to my house. It helped me get out and meet other moms, it was a conversation starter, and it calmed my baby whenever he was fussy.

***
I noticed that we had some extra traffic in the last 24 hours!  If you are interested in learning about babywearing or cloth diapering, please join our facebook group to chat: Colorado Springs and Teller County Babywearing and Cloth Diapering Group.

**This post was written by Paula R.