Most babywearers are introduced to babywearing with the uninspired big box “crotch dangler” style of baby carriers –  the Infantino, the Bjorn, the Chicco – and most babyworn babies are indoctrinated to their babywearing career by being subject to the unsupported and uncomfortable method of FFO (Front Facing Out!)  With these mass produced baby carriers being so common, most civilians don’t bat an eye at a newborn drooping pitifully from its new mother’s baby harness with its wee arms extended over the front flap and its legs in an unnatural & flaccid sag.  Most admire baby’s hair, or lack of hair, or sweet outfit, or cute hat, but what we babywearers know with every babywearing bone in our body is that these carriers are not good for our babies!  They don’t support – they suspend!  They don’t cradle – they dangle!  They don’t hold – they hang!  As a friend of mine says, Friends don’t let friends FFO!

PAXbaby.com

PAXbaby.com

Front Facing Out is not a popular way to wear your baby in the stricter world of babywearing, however I’d like to point out that there is always the exception to the rule!  I have a handful of exceptions in which case a baby carrier with FFO capability is invaluable!  I was thrilled when Beco introduced to the babywearing population the Beco Gemini which features the ability to forward face because not only will that option lure in the unsuspecting parent who would usually buy a Bjorn but the Beco is “so much cuter,” but the Gemini also allows me to use an organic, Made in the USA, ergonomic carrier in a FFO position without needing to own a “crotch dangler”!!!  These circumstances happen very rarely, but when they do, I’m grateful for my Gemini!

PAXbaby.com

FFO circumstance #1 – Sitting to view a sibling’s class or play.  You need to be able to sit back so you can’t have baby on your back!  Baby wants to see the happenings as well!  FFO your baby so that they can interact with the world but be very observant of their signals to you of discomfort or overstimulation and limit their FFO time to about 10 minutes at a time!

PAXbaby.com

FFO circumstance #2 – Wearing an older baby while they are eating.  I can clearly remember the first time I wore my Gemini to Disneyland!  When Baby #5 got hungry and PAXdaddy handed him a messy granola bar, I simply turned him around and all the crumbs went cascading onto the ground outside Pirates of the Caribbean instead of down my cleavage!  What a relief and easy clean up that made!  These days we can use a custom Flat Hat to act like a bib to protect the Gemini itself as well!  Urge baby to finish up quickly because wearing an older baby with his spine against you is NOT going to feel good after a while and certainly is not ergonomic for babywearing participant!

PAXbaby.com

FFO circumstance #3 – Wearing a baby who wants to be included in a craft!!!  Crafting with children is always a challenge, but add into that messy mix a baby who wants to be involved, and you have a recipe for disaster!  Luckily, by inviting baby to help while being worn lessens the catastrophic demise that usually occurs when baby “helps!”  Strap baby onto your front and put in his arms reach harmless tools that will help him create his masterpiece without damaging your crafting area permanently!  In our case this past week, the kids & I were making a Christmas surprise for the PAXdaddy!  Every year, we make him something with their hand prints, and this year, a friend inspired me to help the kids create Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments featuring their very own paw prints!!!  Of course we couldn’t leave out Baby #6, so into the Beco Gemini he went, and we imprinted his very own ornament with his tiny hand print!

PAXbaby.com

THANKS for reading, and keeping an open mind when you first read the blog post title!!!  Remember, the main purpose of babywearing is to bond with your baby and remain available to them as they grow so if you need to fudge the rules once in a while, I understand!  I’ve been there & done that, and have made the decision to FFO with a happy baby then try to back carry with a screaming one!  Let baby participate, and you will be a better babywearing team for it!

PAXbaby

Homemade Salt-Dough Ornaments

PAXbaby.com

Ingredients & tools needed:

• 4 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Salt
• 1 1/2 Cups of water
• Rolling Pin
• Parchement Paper
• Cookie Cutters
• Toothpick
• Ribbon
• Acrylic paints

PAXbaby.com
Instructions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.

2) Prepare your cookie sheets by lining with Parchment Paper.

3) Mix Flour, Salt and Water together. The dough will be sticky at first.   If it’s crumbly, add a little bit more water. If it’s too sticky, add a bit more flour.

4) Knead the dough by hand or use your mixer for  25 minutes. This will eliminate “most” of the air bubbles.

5) Roll the the dough out to about 1/4 of an inch thick.

6) Use cookie cutters to make desired shape, or trace a bowl like we did!  Place cut-outs on the cookie sheet. Don’t forget to make a hole for hanging!  We used the end of a glass straw to make uniform holes in each ornament.

7)  Press baby’s hand firmly into the dough, or use their fingertips to mark the small ornaments.

8 )  IMPORTANT: Salt-dough has a tendency to “bubble”, which will cause the ornament to crack. To help prevent bubbling, take a toothpick and lightly poke tiny random holes all over the ornament or in a creative pattern. This will help release the air.  The holes may be noticeable so make ’em pretty. Once the ornaments come out of the oven you can poke holes on the bottom as well to release some of the trapped air as well. This may help prevent them from cracking in the future.

9) Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are a very light golden brown on the bottom. Keep a close eye on them, because they can burn quickly!

10) Take the ornaments out from the oven and let them cool.

11) Paint them!!!

12) Give them to your loved ones & hang on your tree!

PAXbaby.com

Hope you have a wonderful time crafting with your little ones, and feel free to use this recipe!  It was given to me by Andrea!!!

PAXbaby.com

*happy babywearing*

PAXbaby.com

The post FFO situations! appeared first on PAXbaby.

Do you love babies?  Do you love babywearing?   Please help save a baby’s life by writing an email to discourage people from reselling their Infantino Sling Riders!  And help to save babywearing from getting a bad rep through these accidents and deaths from dangerous carriers!  Although these Infantino carriers have been recalled and are not being manufactured any longer, they are still being passed from unknowing babywearer to naive new mommy! Google Craig’s List and email the national listing addresses with a letter listing the reasons to destroy their sling and NOT to resell it!   Or put up a Want Ad at Freecycle!  I’ve already had 2 responses to my ad and will be picking up my Slings of Death this weekend to dispose of permanently!  Impress upon them the fact that $5 or $10 is a small price to pay when saving a baby’s life!!!  If you see a babywearer still actively using a “bag sling,” hand them one of our print-at-home babywearing cards in the hopes of introducing them to a safer, more comfortable, longer lasting baby carrier!

PAXbaby.com

If you need ideas on what to do with your Slings of Death after that, just ask!  I have some great ways to destroy these slings and get some aggression out too!  Heeheee!

PAXbaby

*happy babywearing*

PAXbaby.com

The post Be a good neighbor! appeared first on PAXbaby.

A hilarious babywearing timeline by Caitlin:

March 2011- Babies R Us

PAXbaby.com

We’re registering for our baby shower. My boyfriend walks by the carriers section. This is what follows:

PAXbaby.com

Him: I want a baby backpack. Like The Hangover. Picks up Moby, looks it over, and hands it to me. This is weird. How do people hold babies with fabric?
Me: I don’t know. It’s one of those hippie mom things. Put it back. What backpack do you want?
Him: Shrug. How about this Infantino one? It’s cheaper than those Bjorns.
Me: Fine.
Bar Code Gun: Beep.

PAXbaby.com

August 2011- The K Household

PAXbaby.com

Me: There’s a woven wrap on sale for $90! Can I get it?
Him: Don’t you have a lot of carriers already?
Me: I have a ring sling and a meh dai but that’s for quicker trips and they’re a little harder with a newborn. And I have the Moby, which is great for now but I need a woven for when she’s older and heavier.
Him: Shrug. Get what you want. I’m still mad you threw my backpack in the dumpster.
Me: Infantino stinks.

PAXbaby.com

So what changed my tune in five short months?
PAXbaby.com

I had my darling baby girl in early July. The first time we ran errands alone I was lost. The stroller bottom suddenly looked very, very small. Car seats aren’t safe on the top of carts and putting a giant bucket seat inside the cart doesn’t afford you very much room either. How was I supposed to shop? Then, while I was at BRU supposedly buying diapers with one of our gift cards, I picked up a Moby. I turned it over and read the directions. Too complicated. I put it back. I remembered we had the Infantino backpack but the size limit started at 8 lbs, and Baby K was a petite 6 lbs 11 oz at birth, and an even smaller 6.3 at discharge. At the time, she was well under the limit. I picked up the Moby again and concentrated on the directions. I’d seen people do it. I was college educated. I could fold some fabric and hold my baby. I put it back again. Wearing your baby was for crunchy mamas. I wanted to raise an independent baby, one that would walk and not demand to be carried everywhere, one that would fall asleep without be strapped to me. No, I’d have to find a different way then babywearing to shop. I didn’t want people to stare at me like I was a weirdo.

PAXbaby.com

I went to the diaper aisle. They were out of our brand in the size box we buy, and the only option was the bigger box. That wasn’t an option because I didn’t have anywhere to put it. I was suffering from a bit of the baby blues, a bit of the insanity of parenting a baby with colic, and a bit of the punch drunk of not sleeping,  Now I couldn’t even provide diapers for my kid. I bought the Moby. People were already staring at me like a weirdo for sobbing next to the Pampers anyway.

PAXbaby.com

I’ve never done drugs so I don’t really understand the concept of a gateway drug, but if it’s anything like a gateway carrier, then I completely get it. The minute I put Baby K into her wrap she quieted down and became almost pleasant. If anyone reading this has a baby with colic, you know how precious those quiet moments are. I wanted more of this, stat. In my frenzied babywearing research, I came across the PAXbaby website. It answered so many of the questions I had. I love the wrap but I wanted something a little quicker to learn with a bit less of a curve. I got my first ring sling. I didn’t care for it at first, but PAXbaby to the rescue with the backwards RS carry. I acquired a meh dai that both Baby K and I looooove. I got a woven (and then another one). I googled until I understood what my options were, and I wanted to try them all. I threw the Infantino in the dumpster, much to the chagrin of Mr. K.

PAXbaby.com

PAXbaby.com

*happy babywearing*

PAXbaby.com

The post Call me crunchy appeared first on PAXbaby.

Babywearing parents, now is the time to stand together, and whether you are a wrapper, slinger, or buckler, we must fight for the right to carry our babies without being stared at & feeling guilty!  Thanks to big box companies like Infantino, the entire baby carrier industry is under scrutiny, causing many WAHMs (work at home moms) to close their virtual doors and put away their sewing machines.  The new strict regulations have come into existence since the recall on Infantino’s “sling of death” bag slings – manufactured for years even though studies proved years ago that their carriers were a potential hazard!

PAXbaby.com

PAXbaby.com

The sad truth is that now baby carriers are considered to be dangerous until proven safe.  Unfortunately, that proof is costing our beloved manufacturers – most of them sweet moms who “just wanted to stay home with their kids and help share the babywearing love” – a lot of time & effort.  The Baby Carrier Industry Alliance is a team of avid babywearers with lawyer support who are fighting for our babywearing rights and privileges to carry our babies as we please!  If you haven’t joined yet, please do!  YOU can make a difference!  And another small way you can help is to make sure that anytime you hear a parent discussing buying an Infantino product, explain to that parent why they should NOT!  Think about what would happen to this company if parents simply stopped buying their carriers!  After all, friends don’t let friends buy Infantino!

PAXbaby.com

PAXbaby.com

This was my recent response to a mom asking about the new Infantino “soft structured carrier,” the Infantino Balance!  “This carrier may look OK, but truly, I can’t support a company that knowingly sold dangerous carriers and has now submarined the baby carrier industry putting so many WAHMs out of biz… Just not acceptable, Infantino!”

PAXbaby.com

PAXbaby.com

Thank you for your continued support of THIS WAHM ((((hugs)))) and please do think about joining the BCIA!

PAXbaby.com

*happy babywearing*

PAXbaby.com

The post A quick word… appeared first on PAXbaby.

Last month, we challenged our BabyHawk fans to find and destroy a bag sling, or 2 or 3!  These “slings of death” were the cause of at least 2 babies’ deaths and the source of the media hysteria against babywearing. Thanks to bag slings like the recalled Infantino Slingrider and the Wendy Bellissimo sling, us babywearers are being chased around markets by little old women claiming that we are trying to kill our babies and being reprimanded in parking lots by well-meaning fathers pushing their children in strollers. We know what a dangerous sling looks like, and your favorite BabyHawk baby carrier  is NOT a dangerous sling – manufactured in China & produced by a large company that knows less about babywearing than the little old lady in the market!

Choosing the winner of our Destroy-a-Bag-Sling contest was too hard for us to decide on our own, so we have our top choices, our leading contestants, our most outrageous sling destructions, and we want YOU to decide which Destroy-a-Bag-Sling Mission deserves a FREE custom BabyHawk Oh Snap! The 2 runners up will each receive a $25 BabyHawk gift certificate.

To view the contestants, go to the BabyHawk Facebook page.  View each of the contestant’s entry. Ponder, think, and decide which fulfilled the criteria the best! Did the entry show safe babywearing? Did the entry have pizazz and spirit? Did the entry do our babywearing community justice?  Did the entry make a statement worthy of a free BabyHawk Oh Snap!???
Choose between Babywearers Unite for Safe Slings contestants #1, #2 or #3.

Leave your 1 vote as a “Like” at the PAXbaby’s Facebook page before Thursday June 17 at midnight PST.

Invite all your friends to vote and become a PAXbaby fan because the more votes we  get, the more prizes will be awarded to our voters!!!!  1 lucky voter will be selected randomly for a fabulous babywearing prize! 2 voters will be selected after 50 votes, 4 prizes will be given out of we can get 100 votes, etc..!!!

And what better cause than to support our babywearers, destroy the myth that ALL slings are equal, and take out those bag slings out of commission!!!! Just 1 vote per babywearer please! Spread the word! Get voting! Round up those babywearers who would LOVE to have a chance to win a babywearing accessory so unique and cool everyone is going to need one! And help 1 lucky mama take home a brand new custom fantabulous BabyHawk Oh Snap!

*happy babywearing*

The post Vote for your favorite! appeared first on PAXbaby.

A few days ago, I sat at a Sit’n’Stitch playgroup at our local mom gathering place, a store called Birth, Baby and Beyond. I was holding my Beco carrier in my lap, sewing up tiny little wear spots on the black straps in bright yellow thread (for safety reasons). This soft, floppy carrier, worn from daily use had cradled my baby through his early days, and has been the best investment in my parenting arsenal. I put the needle aside carefully to look at my son, now almost 30 lbs. of active and independent boy.

It was in that very room of the store owned by a local doula and birth advocate (now my friend) that I first learned about “babywearing” and the course of my life took a drastic and wonderful change. The doula who owned this baby boutique advertised free baby classes in The PennySaver, and I clipped out the one that said “slings and carriers” and showed up one night with my nearly 20 lb. 5 month old. The night of the meeting, a few other moms and their babies gathered in the classroom space to listen to Tammy present all the carriers. Then we got to try them out with her help, and she assisted me with a meh dai.

Bailey was so happy in the carrier, and I was SO comfortable. It was amazing! I had my hands and arms free AND Bailey was close and safe! At the time, Tammy didn’t have any buckle carriers other than front packs to demonstrate. I already had an Infantino front pack and a Lamaze Close Comfort sling (which I’d later find out was rather dangerous). So, I hit google and looked up mei tais. meh dais led me to SSC’s (Soft Structured Carriers) like the Ergo, Pikkolo, Patapum, and the Beco. Since I still had money from working through my pregnancy, I decided to buy myself a GOOD sling.

But, what would I choose? I looked at all the options I could, scrawling brand names and defining features on scraps of paper, feverishly clicking through pictures of happy parents wearing their happy babies. When I finally took the plunge and bought my first “real” carrier, it was a 4th Generation Beco Baby Carrier, on sale for $120 with black straps and Amy Butler’s Sky Temple print. It still surprises me that I didn’t buy a meh dai or a Moby wrap. I didn’t take any “baby steps” before going straight to the Beco SSC, but I never regretted my choice once. I got it in the mail, broke it open, popped Bailey in and never looked back.

Over two years of constant daily use, even with other SSC’s and other carrier types tried out for novelty, and the Beco was always our favorite. Now, looking at the faded black of the straps and the slightly pilly surface of the print, I think about retiring our trusty 4th gen. Not only did it serve us well through sickness, spit ups, shopping emergencies, potty accidents, hikes, and special occasions, it also helped many other moms as I took over Tammy’s slings and carriers class. I was so happy with babywearing that I wanted to share my love and enthusiasm. My stash grew exponentially, but no matter what, I always went back to our Beco.
I found a forum called TheBabyWearer.com, attended an International Babywearing Conference in Chicago, watched the Tummy2Tummy DVD over and over, and volunteered countless hours advocating for moms and babies and helping them to learn safe and comfortable babywearing. I have learned so much, and gained so much through babywearing. A good sling can change your life, and I know that my big, risky decision to buy an expensive baby carrier (having never even touched an SSC in my life) eventually led me on a path of self-discovery and ultimately gave me a way to give back.

The most rewarding part of our babywearing journey has been the giving aspect. I often help moms who don’t have the financial means to purchase an expensive carrier, and we work together to find something that will get them hands-free and happy. I gather donated slings as loaners or donations for underprivledeged families. No matter who they are though, when someone comes to me to learn about slings, I can give them the knowledge that I’ve acquired over the years, and that costs nothing . . . but it’s priceless.

So, as I sat there, stroking my hands over our trusty Beco, looking for more worn out spots to reinforce, I thought about our second baby, due in 5 weeks. There’s another baby waiting to be held snugly in the embrace of this carrier, close to my heart. I guess I’m not going to retire it any time soon!

*happy babywearing*

The post Another Beco fan! appeared first on PAXbaby.

My guess is that someone has pointed out to these business owners the ergonomic value of baby carriers like the BabyHawk or the Beco leading to the release of the Infantino’s own Mai Tei product, the Wrap ‘n Tie, and Bjorn’s “invention” of a Beco Gemini – esque carrier complete with a waistband, padded straps, & the quintessential Baby Bjorn front facing out capability.  Here is what Bjorn has to say about their new Comfort Carrier:

BABYBJÖRN Comfort Carrier is an ergonomic baby carrier that provides the best possible support when carrying a bigger and older child for extended periods of time. The waist belt and the padded, adjustable shoulder straps distribute baby’s weight evenly onto your hips and shoulders. For extra comfort, the child can be carried using different leg positions and, as with all BABYBJÖRN Baby Carriers, you can carry your child facing inwards or outwards. BABYBJÖRN Comfort Carrier’s well-conceived design allows you to carry your child safely and close to you, and at the same time it’s hands-free.

Now, as a mom well versed in babywearing and the lingo of the babywearing world, I can see several key words that Bjorn is using to reel in babywearers previously critical of any carrier with the Bjorn label on it! ERGONOMIC, PADDED SHOULDER STRAPS, DISTRIBUTE BABY’S WEIGHT, HANDS-FREE.  Baby Bjorn has obviously been doing their babywearing homework, and they have discovered what features are most important to us.  However, this large manufacturer has made 1 very large error!  They have priced this new ergonomic Bjorn at around $200 retail, and that is a BIG mistake!  $200 could be spent on a gorgeous wrap conversion, a custom Mai Tei, or a legacy half buckle SSC that will go down in babywearing history!  But $200 spent on a China-made, Beco/ Ergo wanna-be with a Baby Bjorn label and a BRUS store receipt?  I don’t think so, Baby Bjorn!

How can you fight back?

By promoting baby carriers that we know, trust, and deserve to carry your baby!

Wear your WAHM made baby carrier with pride!

Pass out business cards to your favorite mom-owned baby carrier shop!

Urge your mommy friends to register for a GREAT baby carrier instead of a mediocre one!

Let a new parent borrow your own baby carrier and give a quick tutorial so that they can have a GREAT experience with it!

Smile at Baby Bjorn wearing parents, and slyly say “Did you know there is a carrier even MORE comfortable than that one!?!”

And most importantly wear your baby with confidence: let the whole world know that you are a BABYWEARER!

*happy babywearing*

The post What is wrong with the Bjorn? appeared first on PAXbaby.

Well we’ve got an entry that we think is just fab and we can’t wait to show it to you! Here’s an entry from Brandi, repurposing an Infantino SlingRider that she found on Craigslist.

Isn’t it just wonderful? Think you can top this? Maybe you can! Get out there, search and destroy!

The post Hey Ladies! Are you watching? appeared first on PAXbaby.

Look what we spotted at Target!

A bag sling sitting there just waiting to be demolished!!!!

Are you spreading the word of Safe Slings and the dangers of bag slings?  Let’s take ’em out!

The post Triple dare! appeared first on PAXbaby.

*

I was new to babywearing and went to a second hand store Once Upon A Child. I wanted to get a sling so I could be “hands free”. Well they had an Infantino Slingrider there and not knowing any better I bought it. I used it when we went to Church, but everytime I put little man in there he would get ridiculously HOT. Like hot fever hot. It was so uncomfortable on my shoulder and back that as soon as I would sit down I would just take him out and hold him. I have since then sent the sling name brand part back to the company and would not recommend ever using them. I now have a BabyHawk meh dai that I absolutely love and is my go to carrier. I use it all the time.

Then – Does he look comfortable to you?

Now –  Aaaah, that’s better!

The post Comfort & safety first, please appeared first on PAXbaby.

Fight the evil with the good.  Stop the naysayers and prove that not all slings are dangerous and that babywearing can be & should be SAFE!

The Mission: Search and destroy all bag slings!

The Plan: Find ANY bag slings (including the recalled Infantino Sling Riders or Wendy Bellissimo bag slings) or any unsafe baby carriers.  Take these dangerous and uncomfortable baby carriers OUT OF ACTION permanently.  We suggest you look on Craigslist, Freecycle, or at your local thrift shops.

The Goal: To make the world a safer place for our babies by REMOVING THE THREAT of dangerous “sling of death” baby carriers, and to spread the word of Safe Slings!

The Results: To show your fellow Babywearers the work you have done, fill out the mission destroy file to document your mission with photographs, stories, and/ or a video.  1 entry per person, but you can destroy as many slings as you want!

The Best Part: The Babywearing individual who submits the BEST documentation of dangerous baby carrier mutilation will receive a brand new BabyHawk Oh Snap!!!!!

Balls to the walls, Babywearers!  We want to see your hard work in 3 weeks for review and choosing the recipient of a brand new Babyhawk Oh Snap!!!  Deadline for your response email is April 30!!! We will be judging your destructive entry for creativity and presentation.  Extra points for safe babywearing included!  Remember, show these bag slings no mercy!

Download the Mission Destroy Document.

Sponsored by BabyHawk

And PAXbaby

The post Babyhawk & PAXbaby double dare YOU appeared first on PAXbaby.

We have always received strange looks.  We have always been stopped for more information.  We have always been ready with a smile and a mini-lesson in babywearing.  But now, we are different.  We have been attacked by young men, grannies, and well-meaning daddies pushing strollers with crying infants.  We have been accused of trying to suffocate our babies with our own bare hands and a sling.  We are being whispered about behind hands, shouted at across stores, and taken to task by strangers because we are “still using those things.”

Yes, we know that babies have died, and yes, we know that there is a massive recall right now, but that is NOT this sling.  OUR sling is being worn properly.  OUR sling has baby positioned safely.  OUR sling isn’t causing deaths.  OUR sling is being unfairly maligned by consumers who don’t actually care enough about the issue to research fully.  OUR sling is having to defend itself against the in-laws who always knew “that thing” was a danger.  OUR sling is having to prove all over again why, how, and when OUR babywearing is perfect and safe!

So, don’t cower and apologize, babywearing parents!!!! It is hard to assert yourself to total strangers, but speak up so the truth can be spread!!!  Take the time to talk to these naysayers, and explain why their serious accusation is false! Don’t have a minute or a forceful voice?  Bring a few of these hand outs with you,http://www.sleepingbaby.net/safety.php and when you get the hairy eyeball from someone, just hand them one!   But if you can, just say it!  Tell them “Not all slings are equal! Mine is a SAFE sling!” Just say it!  Tell them “Not all slings kill! Mine is a SAFE sling!”  Just say it!  Tell them “Not all slings have been recalled, because MINE is a SAFE sling!!”  Tell them!!!!  Because we need to take down this rumor that the media has started!!!!

The post Regarding slings & strangers appeared first on PAXbaby.

Now, we have some babywearing art to provide you with a lighter way to share with your friends the basics of Safe Slings!  Enjoy, share, and look for more fabulous works of art as our very artistic friends create some wonderful babywearing art exclusively for PAXbaby.com and for the promotion of Safe Slings!

Pattie from Fancie Fannies on Etsy painted these adorable wooden dollies for PAXbaby!!!  They are on their way to California right now, but I can’t wait to see these babywearing mamas in person!!!  Thanks, Pattie, for creating these Safe Sling moms with such accurate detail & helping to spread the babywearing love!!!

5 babywearing mothers each demonstrating Safe Slinging with a different carrier!  From left to right:

Robyn is wearing her baby in a mai tei tummy to tummy.  Kristi has her baby in the upright position in a wrap.  Karina’s blondey is safely positioned upright in a soft structured carrier (the Beco Butterfly in the Alice print to be exact!) Jessie has her little one on her hip in a comfortable pouch, and Mia is wearing her ring sling with a front facing baby.

And their sweet little backsides!!!!  Again from left to right is a mai tei, wrap, soft structured carrier, pouch, and a ring sling!

Thank you, Fancie Fannies, for this adorable hand-made babywearing art!!

The post Safe Slings art appeared first on PAXbaby.

Wendy Bellissimo Bag Sling

Infantino Bag Sling

If you are approached by “well meaning” strangers telling you that your baby carrier is a death trap, here a few key points to remember!

A bag sling bends your baby in an unnatural C shape, constricting their airway and making it hard to breathe.  YOUR sling or baby carrier can be worn safely in an upright position, called tummy to tummy!  Your baby can breathe in a normal, natural way, and you can easily see and hear that they are alright.  Bag slings have the babies low on the mother’s body out of sight and in harm’s way if the mother were to turn or be bumped from the side.

Safe Sling suggestions for newborn babies:

Moby Wrap – This is a stretchy wrap that conforms to your body and holds baby to you in comfort for both of you!

Sakura Bloom ring sling – Wearing your baby upright in a Sakura Bloom is comfortable and fashionable!

Freehand meh dai – With its padded straps and headrest, this mei tei would be an excellent choice for a heavier newborn!

Beco Butterfly II – The infant insert is adjustable and removable once baby is taller, but for newborns, this soft structured carrier offers a lot of head support and shade thanks to the detachable hood!

Olives & Applesauce – This soft structured carrier also caters to newborns with its insert and straps that can cross against your back in an X!

The post HOORAY – CPSC recalled the Slingrider today! appeared first on PAXbaby.

Please help save a baby’s life by writing an email to discourage people from reselling their Infantino Sling Riders!  Google Craig’s List and email the listing addresses with a letter listing the reasons to destroy their sling and NOT to resell it!   Or put up a Want Ad at Freecycle!  I’ve already had 2 responses to my ad and will be picking up my Slings of Death this weekend to dispose of permanently!

If you need ideas on what to do with your Slings of Death after that, just ask!  I have some great ways to destroy these slings and get some aggression out too!

The post Save a life – send an email! appeared first on PAXbaby.

Here at PAXbaby we are passionate about safe slings. We want to find other like-minded moms and unite together to make it known that there are safe and comfortable options out there.

What YOU can do!

1. Be prepared with business cards for your favorite baby carrier retailers so you can promote Safe Slings! (Email us and we’ll send you some! ;))
2. Slip cards into the boxes of the uncomfortable, non-ergonomic, and potentially dangerous carriers at the big box stores like Target and Babies R Us!
3. Speak out! When you see a mom wearing a “crotch dangler” or bag sling, get your courage up to go over and let her know what has been happening with those types of carriers.
4. Invade the baby shower with a fabulous gift of a Safe Sling and offer to demonstrate! The mom-to-be may be to shy to ask for help and will end up using a dangerous sling just because it looked easier!
5. Be an advocate! If you are part of a mainstream moms forum, or mom’s group, spread the word about Safe Slinging and which carriers to avoid! Moms will thank you for your help and will boost your babywearing esteem!

My Story!

I was 6 months pregnant with my 4th baby when I realized that the wonderful Maya Wrap ring slings that I had used for my 3 previous babies were just not going to cut it this time around! I’d need both my hands free to take care of my new baby plus my older 3 toddlers! Let’s face it, with 4 kids under 5, I’d need all the help I could get!

So, I stopped at Target with my belly and babies in tow to peruse their baby carrier selection. I knew I needed something with 2 shoulder straps so I chose a Infantino Euro Rider! I took it home and showed my husband all the features, and the first thing he said was “Take it back! It’s a piece of junk!” I was shocked because it’s a good company, yadda yadda…

He suggested I do more research online before taking the plunge. I googled baby carriers, and you know what came up? Yes, it was TheBabyWearer.com! I decided on a Beco. (see the picture of me below!) And the rest is babywearing history!

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