Exciting BCIA update!

Today the CPSC issued a safety announcement in regards to baby slings.  This is a good sign that the CPSC may consider education as a viable alternative to a mass recall of baby slings.  The BCIA issued their own concurrent statement pledging to work with the CPSC on babywearing education.  The CPSC reached out to the BCIA regarding this statement and expressed a desire to improve communication between the BCIA and their agency!  This is a great step in the right direction and will hopefully lead to more cooperation in the future.

This is great news for the future of babywearing!  And it is in direct response to the pressure the CPSC has received from the entire babywearing community.  By standing together, we were able to send a clear message that the CPSC was able to hear.  But there is still more work to be done.  We need to make sure that the CPSC and the new Congress understand how important the babywearing industry is to all of us.  We can help by contacting the CPSC and letting them know that we would like to see them partner with the BCIA on a national education campaign, like the one they are planning in cooperation with Health Canada. Contact them through the CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772; or visit www.cpsc.gov/talk.html

And continue to spread the word, this alliance gets stronger the more of us there are!  The BCIA still has a lot of work ahead of them as they continue to secure the future of the babywearing industry.

For more information on babywearing safety, see the BCIA's safety guidelines.

Stretch wrap tip

I have really been enjoying carrying my newborn in a stretch wrap, but I am surprised just how stretchy some of the brands are.  I am actually planning to do a side by side comparison once my baby girl is a bit heavier, but for now I just wanted to give a little advice about using a stretch wrap.  The number one mistake I see people make with a stretch wrap is not tying it tight enough.

These wraps are stretchy and some are SUPER stretchy.  So it's important that you tie it pretty tightly before you put your little one in it.  Just how tight you need to tie it though depends on the specific wrap you are using and how big your baby is.  If you are going to put a 3 month old in it, then it will need to have a little more room then when you are wrapping a tiny 2 week old.  Also, you need to cross the straps a little lower in front of your body if you have a taller baby that you need to sit lower on your body.

Signs you may not be wrapping tight enough can be if your baby ends up way lower than when you first put them in, their butt keeps popping out the bottom of the middle panel of fabric, their head is below your chest or you cannot easily kiss the top of their head.  So when using a stretchy wrap, experiment a bit to see how tight you need it.  It take a bit of getting used to, but you'll be much happier when your little one isn't dangling down around your belly button!

For easy on-line instructions on how to use a stretch wrap, check out the Moby website.

Fun with Balloon Balls!

If you haven't seen these before, you have to!  These Balloon Balls by Hoppediz are so much fun!  My kids love bouncing on theirs, but they are a fun ball to play with and you don't have to worry about the balloon popping.

Balloon Balls are a simple cover made out of Hoppediz wrap fabric that you put a balloon inside and inflate.  What you get is a super durable, portable, bouncy ball!  We keep one in our diaper bag so we have something to play with at the park or where ever we might need something to do.  The best part is that if you twist the end of the balloon instead of putting a knot in it, then you can just untwist it when you're done, deflate it, and stick it back in your bag for next time!  We have had ours inflated for months in the house and they never lost air, even while being sat on, while twisted closed and not knotted!

Currently available in a 3 pack and 5 pack, each Balloon Ball comes with two balloons.  Simply insert the balloon into the slit and blow it up while inside the cover.  These are a great, unique toy and make really great gifts!

Accidents happen

It's one of our worst nightmares, falling while wearing our little one.  I just read a story about a mom that unfortunately fell and her baby suffered broken bones.  But posted along with that story were a ton of stories about other moms that fell while wearing their babies and their babies were not only fine, but had probably been safer because they were in a carrier and not being held in their arms.

Having fallen while holding someone else's baby, it is extremely frightening.  Every part of you tenses and tries to protect that baby no matter what.  The only though going through my head when I fell was please don't let me drop this baby.  Luckily, I was able to hold on firmly with one arm while using my other hand to brake our fall and by some miracle, I was able to hold on to the baby.  But I firmly believe that baby would have been much safer I had been wearing them.

Why am I so sure?  First, the obvious, like a seat belt, the baby carrier would have made it practically impossible to drop the baby.  Like in a car crash, when you fall, the baby falls too.  When you stop falling, the baby keeps falling making the baby exert more force while being pulled away from you.  This makes a 9 lbs baby suddenly feel much heavier and it is harder to hold on to them.  While babywearing, the force would be absorbed by the baby carrier and it is not longer a question of if your arms can hold onto this little football you are carrying.

Another reason that babywearing is safer in my opinion, is that most carriers support the baby's head, especially when they are little and need the most help.  Also, babywearing allows you to have both hands free, which gives you a better chance to break your fall.  And with baby so close to your body, it is easier for you to instinctively protect them with your own body.

Now I am not saying there is no risk.  Unfortunately, accidents happen and no baby is ever completely safe, whether in a stroller, car seat, or in your arms.  The situation that allowed that mom to fall on her baby without being able to stop herself would not have been avoided if she had not been babywearing.  If she had been holding her baby when she fell, she probably would have still fallen on them anyway or dropped them, which may have been far worse.  There will always be the story of the person that got hurt by their seat belt.  But that doesn't mean they would have been safer if they hadn't worn one at all.  I feel safe babywearing my little one knowing that if I do fall, they are cradled in a baby carrier and not in these arms that feel extremely inadequate to protect something so dear to me!


I am in no way an expert on evaluating safety.  These statements are simply my opinion! ;)