Babywearing International of Southern Idaho

Extreme Babywearing: Fun or Foolish?

2012-02-01T09:18:00.006-07:00

(By Kimber Tower)

Babywearing has a lot of lingo. It takes awhile to figure out what a veteran babywearer is talking about sometimes.
I mean, if I told you, "I took that 4.6 and I started with a hip scoot onto my back, then I rucked the shoulders but changed my mind and went with a tibetan tie... I know, I know, I could just do a double hammock, but I didn't want to adjust the center mid-tie," you would probably have me committed.

(However, all the babywearers out there followed what I said and each of them probably had a better idea for what I should have done because if you can count on one thing in babywearing it is that we are always coming up with new ideas for how to tie a baby on.)

On top of all the lingo, we also have a lot of catchphrases. "Close enough to kiss", "Spread the babywearing love" and "chin off chest" just to toss out a few.

Of all this babywearing specific chatter, there is one specific quote that I have heard the most since I began to babywear: Safety First.

Safety first means a lot of things. Check baby's positioning and monitor him while he is sleeping. Be careful walking through doorways. Have a spotter when you are learning a new carry. Be quiet, the baby just fell asleep! (Okay, that one goes for all parenting, but seriously, when you have a baby who hasn't been sleeping great who finally passes out, it WON'T be a safe situation if someone wakes that kid up!)

Today we are going to talk about safety in babywearing in regards to what you are doing when babywearing. While I personally love to proudly brag up the fact that you can do ANYTHING while wearing your baby, it seems I need to clarify that. You CAN do nearly anything while babywearing. That doesn't mean you SHOULD do certain things.

I live in Idaho and we are an outdoorsy people here. We have lakes, mountains, hot springs and lots and lots of cows. The winters are frigid and the summers are steaming. We ski and snowmobile December through June (seriously) and we water-ski and cliff dive in August when it is finally warm enough to do something fun. Extreme Sport's middle name should honestly be Idaho.

With that in mind, I've seen some seriously extreme babywearing around here from time to time. I am ashamed to say I often mentally cringed when I saw it but said nothing for fear of "rocking the boat".
Yesterday I read an article that tipped my little boat over and I can't just sit back anymore. It is about a young mother who is defending her choice to wear her baby while she is rock climbing. (You can read the article HERE.) There is a picture with the article of this mother rock climbing 30 feet up with her baby on her back in a carrier. The mother is wearing a helmet and the baby is not.

Okay. I'm not going to judge this person as a mother because my thoughts are that I don't want her to judge me as a mother. We all make different choices and I don't want someone judging me because I do all sorts of things some would find completely horrific (*cough* cosleeping, extended breastfeeding and virtual schooling plus I refuse to buy garbage bags *cough*). However, I am going to judge this woman as a babywearer and my judgement is that she is not honoring "Safety First" when she is babywearing while rock climbing. Now, while I am a bit of a babywearing expert, I am NOT a rock climbing expert. So I asked a few what they thought. The overwhelming concensus was there are too many variables in rock climbing to make it a smart idea to strap a baby to your back for fun. Even worse, that baby is not capable of understanding the risks of their situation so if they were to be injured or killed it is even worse. Simply, rock climbing while babywearing is taking an unacceptable risk.

The long and short of it is this:
If you have to wear a helmet or any other special safety gear to participate in an activity you should NOT be wearing a baby while you do it. (Unless you in a life or death situation. Then do what you need to do to for you and your little one to survive.)

Now I'm going to get specific about things that just are NOT safe to do while babywearing:

Rock climbing
Skate boarding
Roller skating
Skiing (and all derivatives)
The Luge (is it luging? Either way, I actually don't know that anyone should attempt this, but I digress)
Snomobiling (I was raised by a professional and I am certain my dad would agree with me, not a smart idea)
Sky diving
Kayaking and rafting
Hockey
Parkour
Bicycling (and any and all derivatives to the more or less extreme side)
Anything that involves being in the air yet not in an commercial or other passenger airplane
Atv riding
Surfing
Water skiing
Swimming (I don't mean hanging in the kiddie pool with a baby in a carrier or jumping around in the ocean while the waves go up to your thighs, I mean swimming laps type swimming)
Juggling with knives or fire
Pretty much anything involving knives and fire
Horseback riding
Bull riding
Mud wrestling
Sumo wrestling (however, toddler wrestling is approved as it is usually inescapable)
Gymnastics
Recreational drug use
Drinking (alcoholic beverages and hot drinks specifically, though I have been know to spill some Kool-aid on a newborns head when I develop that dreaded "hole in lip" so if you don't want your baby to have a spot on their head dyed "Rockin' Ragin' Red", maybe be careful with all beveragesAlso, I'm not talking a glass of wine, I'm talking throwing back shots or frolicking about with scalding hot tea or coffee. I have a child with a scar from scalding hot water for tea that she got as a toddler. It happens)
Driving (a baby carrier does NOT replace a car seat ever ever ever)
Drag racing
Shooting guns (this comes from someone who believes in the right to bear arms, in case you were wondering)
Dog sledding
Committing petty crimes such as breaking and entering or vandalism (really I think that grown ups should be avoiding this too, but at the very least don't give your kid a record before they are old enough to use the potty in jail on their own)

I think that I covered most of the important things and some of you may feel like I was stating the obvious. Here is the deal: I have seen many of these activities attempted by parents wearing their babies. I have had parents ask me if these activities are safe in the past and while I've said "no" when asked, I realize now that if a few people are asking there are probably a lot more people who would benefit from know this information too. So, there it is. You CAN do nearly anything while wearing your baby, but you SHOULDN'T.

I realize I am risking offending people I know by writing this article and I apologize for any offense given as that is certainly not my intent. I'm not casting any judgement as a parent, but as a babywearer, there are just some things that are not safe for the general public to attempt and someone needs to say so. I hope you can respect where I am coming from and know I write this out of concern for the safety of babies and parents who don't fully understand some of the risks they are taking when they choose to pair babywearing with certain activities.

I also know that there are some cultures where it is the norm to ride a bike everywhere or a horse or perhaps your only means of travel in the winter is by snowmobile. You are probably an expert at those means of travel and I doubt you would take any unnecessary risks with your child during these activities. The key to all of these is the risk level and how necessary it is. Another key here is having the ability to assess your situation and know your level of expertise and then being able to make a safe choice for that situation. Take horseback riding and babywearing. Riding a sleepy horse in a circle is one thing, barrel racing is entirely another. The problem is that not everyone knows their limits or cares and so there needs to be some sort of safety line drawn in the sand to assist those who aren't sure what is safe and what is not. When in doubt, just don't. Your baby is too precious.

Safety first. Always.

It's cold out, but that shouldn't stop you from going out

2011-11-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

**This month we are focusing on babywearing in the winter. This post was previously published on our blog in Feburary and we thought it was still appropriate, especially now that it's getting cold again. Happy Babywearing (in the cold!)**

In celebration of Idaho's sub-zero temperatures this week, we're going to talk about babywearing in the cold.

First, I want to stress that sub-zero temperatures are really cold. And you should know your limits, as well as make conservative decisions while out in the cold, especially with your baby.

There are a many different reasons we take our babies (and by babies I mean babies and toddlers) out in the cold. We need to go out to the store, or to a meeting, or general errands, story time at the library, sending an older sibling off on the bus in the morning or outdoor chores.

More reason we might take our babies out in the cold is that we are out skiing or snowshoeing or just taking a brisk walk around the block a few times to get our blood moving and get out of the house for a bit. It's good for the soul and makes us happy, healthy parents.

For general errands, I don't worry too much about my baby getting cold. I put him in a couple layers, put his little wool socks on him and this amazing wool hat.

Then I put a ring sling on, put my coat on and pop him in and out from his car seat. The same pop-in and pop-out idea works well with nearly any carrier if you tie it loosely and put your coat on over it. If I feel it's breezy or too cold, I do just wrap my coat around him, use the ring sling tail as a wind shield, and kind of hunch over with my back to the wind. If you aren't sure how to make it work, try it at home in the warmth of your living room a few times to get it down.

The reason I don't worry too much about him getting cold on quick trips is because he's up against my body and my body heat keeps him warm. Plus, that little hat is amazing. I feel like it keeps the wind from going all the way to his core. If I feel like it's going to be too cold, I put a little fleece outfit on him, which could be his fleece footie jammies. The issue is also that I don't want bulky clothing on him in his car seat.

Now of course there are those times when you will be out for extended periods of time getting your Christmas tree, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, or whatever you like to do in the winter snow and cold. (You probably want to refrain from things like downhill skiing and ice skating with a baby on your back.)

If you aren't into buying extra baby gear, you still have options. This is a great example:

She put her baby on her back in her Ergo and put her husband's coat on backwards. Of course she needed help to get it zipped up, but it worked and she got out and had a great time in the great outdoors. (Notice also that she's using poles. A great way not to fall down!)

Along the same lines you can wear a too big coat the right way and the baby on your front. Many of us have husbands that are bigger than we are, so that can be convenient. And inexpensive.

Here's another example:

It was a gorgeous day that day and I felt that I didn't need a ton of layers. So I just wore a base layer with a fleece over it and put him in a few fleece layers, including that awesome hat and wool socks and these awesome little wool mittens. (He got all his awesome wool for Christmas.)

When I got back to the car and all back in his seat I felt his hands and feet. He was toasty warm still. He also slept through the whole adventure. (Notice also that I have poles. Again, they are a great way to not fall down with a baby on my back!)

Something else you can do is put your baby on your back and wrap a large blanket around you and the baby. This is basically what many traditional cultures did, even using the blanket as the carrier. You can find some good instructions with photos for a front carry here.

And while we're on the subject of traditional carriers, we can't forget the Amauti. The Amauti is a traditional carrier of the Inuit people. It's a coat that goes on over your head and it has a large pocket in the back. It also has a large hood that goes over both you and the child. On first glance it may look like the child is in the hood, but that is not the case.

Here the baby is pretty bundled because it was so cold. But again, after our trek out to get the Christmas tree I checked his hands and feet and he was toasty warm.

And here's a picture of it with the hood over both mom and baby.

The trick is finding an Amauti. The design is legally protected by the native people and they are not mass produced. But with a little determination and a little help, it's very possible to find one. There are individuals out there who make them or they are available used as well.

There are other great options when it comes to clothing made specifically for babywearing in the cold. There's the Peekaru fleece vest:

This vest can be worn with a front or a back carry over your favorite carrier. On not-so-cold days you can wear it with just a base layer. On colder days where you need a coat, you can put your baby in a front carry and put a coat on. You probably won't get it zipped, but you are both still plenty warm. The same company also makes an amazing coat, The Peekaru Soft Shell, that can be worn in either a front or a back carry.

Another option is the Kindercoat. Made by Childrens Needs, a company out of Utah. It's a great option for both front and back carries with your favorite carrier. And the way it's made, it converts easily into a nice coat when you are not babywearing. Check out their many other outerwear options as well.

If you are looking for something more fashion conscious, the MCoat may be be just what you are looking for. It's an amazing down coat that works as a maternity coat, a babywearing coat, and a regular coat with just a couple zips. It doesn't work in a back carry, but it is a gorgeous and warm piece of clothing.

Yet another option is a simple accessory for a carrier. Catbird Baby makes a carrier cover that tucks around your baby and creates a windproof barrier as well as providing warmth. It's inexpensive and very practical.

If you are more of a do-it-yourselfer, there are patterns for babywearing coats like this one or you can just make something up.

Obviously this is not a complete list of all the cold weather babywearing options, but it ought to be enough to get you started and get you thinking. The whole goal is to keep your baby warm while getting out and about, whether it's a quick trip to the store, outdoor chores that must be done, getting an older kid on the bus, or an all day excursion in the great outdoors. Basically, you can't do it wrong if your baby is warm and comfy and you get done what you want and need to.

Bowl, Baby! Bowl!

2011-10-31T14:38:00.000-06:00

We had a little bowling party this week. Babies came, too!

And, the baby got to bowl!

So did his big sister. She was pretty excited!

Go play! Babywearing makes it so much easier! And so much more FUN!

I love babywearing meetings

2011-10-19T13:57:00.001-06:00

I think my favorite part of babywearing meetings is the brand new moms. I really wish that I had discovered babywearing with my first baby. Because it's so powerful!

These brand new moms come in looking for something. I'm not convinced they really *know* what they are looking for. They are tired--the kind of tired you only get when you have a newborn. They are not quite in their element because this "mom" thing isn't quite who they are yet. But they are looking for *something*. Sometimes *anything* will do.

And then we throw a carrier on them and get their baby all snuggled in.

And suddenly, there is a baby who is comfy and happy and a mom who suddenly feels that everything in the world is right. Or at least it can be.

Behold, the power of babywearing!

And then these moms who came in weary and unsure nearly skip out of the meeting full of confidence and hope. I've seen it over and over and over again. I am just as in awe of it now as I was the first time I witnessed it. And every time I see it it brings those feelings I had when I first figured it out rushing back so powerfully that I nearly cry.

Hold your babies close! It's where they are supposed to be!

IBW 2011: Make it Monday

2011-10-12T15:29:00.000-06:00

The Idaho Babywearers have been busy this year!
We were able to help organize International Babywearing Week for 2011, and boy has it been fun.
One of the events was "Make it Monday", a day when we were able to teach others how to make their own safe baby carrier.
We had a blast!

Woo hoo!

Our newest Volunteer Babywearing Educator, Rachel was teaching a mama how to use her mei tai.

Our President Angela and darling new Melina in the super awesome wrap donated to us by Didymos in honor of International Babywearing Week! Thank you Didymos! (Now all of you come check this wrap out from the library, it is awesome!)

Our other President Marie with James wearing a Boba donated to us in honor of International Babywearing Week! Thank you Boba!

Looks like one baby doesn't want mama to sew right now!

Here is another little one (almost) patiently waiting to be worn in her new carrier!

Check out our new leader in training (in the middle) Kendle Hammon! We are so excited!

VBEs and buddies.

All of our leaders who were at the meeting. We are excited that nearly all of us have our Volunteer Babywearing Educator Certification. By the end of the year we hope all of our leaders will be certified!

Katie modeling the awesome Taylormade mei tai also donated to us for this week! Thank you Taylormade! (That babydoll is kind of scary though.)

Angela modeling with the read deal.

Our first finished carrier! What sewing skills and what a good looking mama!

We had a great turnout, a fantastic time and we hope you will all come out and sew with us again!

Thursday we will have a Babywearing 101 class, come join us! Check out our facebook page for details!

Walk It Wednesday!

2011-10-10T14:28:00.004-06:00

To celebrate International Babywearing Week, we’re going to strut our babywearing stuff for “Walk it Wednesday” down at the Idaho Falls Greenbelt Trail! We’ll meet at 1pm at the corner of Memorial Drive and E Street (there’s a bandstand and picnic tables at this area of the park along the river). We’ll walk south toward the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho where there's a playground for kids--about a 15 minute walk. There is easy parking across the street from our meeting point at the LDS church (north corner of Memorial Dr and Riverside Dr/E Street). See you this Wednesday--let's gather in mass and turn some heads!

Here's a map of our meeting point: Memorial Dr & E St

Preparing for International Babywearing Week 2011

2011-10-03T22:23:00.000-06:00

The Idaho Babywearers have been a BIG part of International Babywearing Week 2011!
We helped plan the activities for the week, organize the awards and help get sponsors.
One of the biggest jobs we had was to send out the packets to groups all over the world!

Rachel, Angela, Marie and Kimber got together last week to get the packages ready.
(Melina helped too!)

The official Babywearing International Groups got some extra goodies in their packages! Another reason we are thrilled to be a part of BWI!

Kimber was very excited about the packages!

Melina got a bit tired. Poor thing.

But Angela worked through the night getting boxes ready to ship out, complete with duct time in true Idaho fashion.

Wanna know what we got in OUR kit? Keep watching for a blog post!

Come sew your own!

2011-09-29T07:17:00.000-06:00

Mark you calendars! Monday October 10 from 6:30 to 9pm at the Rigby Library we will be hosting a Make it Monday sewing lab to celebrate International Babywearing Week! If you have some sewing skills and a sewing machine, you are invited to come sew with us! We are requesting a $2 donation to help cover the cost of the library space.

Kimber, who created the Ball Baby mei tai, will have pre-cut Ball Baby kits available at the event. A kit will be $10. It is JUST the fabric all pre cut and in a bundle. They will be available that evening. You might want to bring a few different colors of thread, or something neutral.

A BBO mei tai in action

So you've never made a carrier before? That's okay! There are lots of FREE patterns for pouches, mei tais, ring slings, wraps, and even soft structure carriers at Sleeping Baby Productions. (PLEASE keep in mind that these are patterns offered for free for PERSONAL USE. No selling, please!)

pouch, stretchy wrap, ring sling, stretchy wrap, pouch.

The single most important factor in a baby carrier is SAFETY. And the two most important things for you to do are find a safe pattern and buy the right fabric and other supplies (like thread or rings). Quilting fabric is NOT appropriate for the weight bearing parts of the carrier. Canvas or a sturdy twill is what you need for straps and body fabric of a mei tai. A sturdy linen or similar fabric is lovely for ring slings. If you want to make your carrier a pretty one, you can buy that pretty fabric and use it to accent your carrier. Also, we recommend you pre-wash and dry the fabric. That way you can wash your carrier without worrying that it will shrink and get all funky.

Locally the best place to find awesome canvas is Home Fabrics in Idaho Falls (solids are in the back). You can also find decent fabric at Walmart and Jo-Ann's.

If you are making a ring sling, don't go to Jo-Ann's or any other craft store and get craft rings. You MUST buy rings that are specifically made for baby carriers. You can find those here at slingrings.com. They are super reasonably priced and safety tested, etc. Lots of manufacturers use these exact rings and they come in MANY colors. (And we can't in good conscience let you use un-safe rings!)

Ring sling

What you need to bring:
--The printed pattern you plan to use
--Fabric, rings, padding, etc. necessary for your particular pattern
--Sewing machine in good working order
--Iron and ironing board or pad
--Thread (Good thread!)
--Scissors
--Other notions that are necessary for sewing
--$2 donation to cover the cost of the space

What we will do:
--Help you make sure your carrier is safe
--Answer questions you may have along the way
--Provide some yummy snacks

We know that you probably have kids and all, but we do ask that you only bring non-mobile babies. There are lots of sharp things involved in sewing and we would really hate to see a baby get hurt!

Come join us for a fun evening out! (And if you have any questions, email Heidi--mrs_donnelly at hotmail dot com)

FREEHAND!

2011-09-27T10:30:00.000-06:00

Last year for the conference the Freehand family came and brought us one of their BRAND NEW soft structure carriers. I was absolutely intrigued by it, but was pregnant and had an uncooperative toddler. So I didn't get to try it.

Plus, everyone hogged it and it was checked out constantly.

Then a couple months ago the Freehand family visited us again. And they brought another soft structure carrier.

But alas, I still didn't get my hands on one because they were all suddenly checked out again.

But then I got to run the Rexburg meeting this last month. I called Jentri when we were done to drop the carriers off at her house and report on the meeting. I was so disappointed that the Freehand hadn't come back and I couldn't borrow it!

"It's at my house," she said. "I haven't gotten it back in the bag. That's my fault."

I may have squealed in delight. I finally managed to get my hands on the Freehand!

Let me tell you, this is a great carrier! I don't have an infant any more, but it's super impressive for my toddler and preschooler!

Super light weight. Great support, even for my three-year old! We took it on a hike on Sunday.

The Little Mister in it. He's one and pretty chunky.

I found it pretty darn comfortable for the hike down and back--about a mile total.

He seemed pretty comfortable and content, too.

Here's the three year old. She got tired of walking and the husband had the one year old.

Now the base on this is pretty narrow, but the way the straps come out of the base they provide some pretty awesome support so the bigger kids aren't hanging in the carrier. I think it's brilliant! (The Freehand mei tai has a similar design with the triangle extension of sorts at the base.) Again, super supportive and comfy for me!

Awesome carrier. Awesome company. Awesome Freehand family that you can feel good supporting.

Happy Babywearing!

International Babywearing Week, October 10-16th 2011

2011-09-21T15:54:00.000-06:00

International Babywearing Week is fast approaching and there are some great contests! Check em out and enter! Spread the babywearing love!

Google Doodle Contest

Winner could get their doodle on Google.com during IBW2011

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Doodle must be original artwork by the entrant or a team of entrants
A team of entrants must submit the artwork together.
Winning doodle will be submitted to Google.com. It is up to Google.com to accept the winning doodle
There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded
Limit of 3 entries per person or team

Email entries to: ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

DOODLE in the subject line
Your first and last name (include all team members, please)
Email address
Mailing address
And don't forget to attach your entry!

Best babywearing blog post or series by an individual

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Entry can be a single blog post or a series.

Blog entry must be an original piece on a personal blog.

All photos must be the property of the blogger OR the blogger must have permission to use the photos.

There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded.

Entry must be babywearing related.

Entries must be published between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.

Email entries to: ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

PHOTO CONTEST in the subject line
Your first and last name
Email address
Mailing address
And include links to your entry!

Best babywearing blog post or series by a business

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Entry can be a single post or a series

Blog entry must be an original piece on a blog maintained by a business.

All photos must be the property of the blogger OR the blogger must have permission to use the photos

Entry must be babywearing related.

Entry must be published between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011

There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded

Email entries to:ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

BUSINESS BLOG in the subject line
Your first and last name
Email address
Mailing address
And don't forget include links to your entry!

Photo contest

Deadline: October 1, 2011

Limit of three entries per individual

Photos must be the property of the individual OR professional photos may be entered with permission of the photographer

The contest is open to professional photographers

By entering the photo contest you are granting Babywearing International permission to use the photo for official BWI business.

Photos must be taken between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011

There must be a minimum of three entrants for prizes to be awarded

Email entries to:ClanTower@gmail.com

Please include:

PHOTO CONTEST in the subject line
Your first and last name
Email address
Mailing address
And don't forget to attach your photo!

Rexburg Porter Park Celebrate Youth

2011-08-23T20:50:00.000-06:00

What a fun time. Nothing like bringing all the kids down for a fun FREE day in the park!

Marie and James in the Boba:

Jentri and Kylan in their Ergo (I think they live in that thing and she is the queen of tricking it out!)

Our awesome booth:

We're working on a banner, but in the mean time, a Wrapsody works just fine.

A couple mei tais in the breeze (pink Kozy and black Baby So Smart)

FYI, our co-president, Angela, is due any day now. She looks so great! And sporting an Angel Pack!

This totally made my day. A little monkey-wearing. And TWIN monkeys no less!

And some cowboy wearing, too! We love cowboys!

That mei tai is made by Sweet Slings and it's really quite fabulous!

Proof that we were there and having a great time in our Ellevill!

What fun spreading the babywearing love! Come see us at a meeting soon!

Beware of fake carriers!

2011-08-18T23:11:00.003-06:00

Recently BCIA (Baby Carrier Industry Alliance) released a warning against fake carriers. One of the contributers to the warning was Hamilton Radcliffe of TogetherBe. He and his wife Melissa came and visited us at a meeting in Rigby recently and we love them and their products. But apparently they are awesome enough and original enough that someone, most likely out of China, has copied their design and is making an inferior product and is selling it to unsuspecting parents.

Unfortunately, TogetherBe is not the only company that is having trouble with the fake copies of their designs. Ergo, Hotsling and Moby are also dealing with it.

There are several issues here. First, it's illegal. These fake companies are not only stealing the design, they are stealing the logo, the photos and packaging design. And they are selling many of these fakes under the real brand name. Others, like TogetherBe, they have re-branded and claimed it's being made by another company.

The products they are making are inferior. Ergo, Hotsling, Moby and TogetherBe all make a great product that have great reputations. These copies are not safety tested and the fact that the people making them are making fakes in the first place should be an indication of how much they don't care for your baby's safety.

At the Rexburg meeting this month a mother brought in her fake Ergo. It came from the site http://www.ergobabybabycarrier.com/index.php. Compare that site to http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/, the real Ergo Baby site. Yes, the images are they same, but it's pretty easy to steal images.

So here's how the carriers compare. On the left is the Galaxy Gray Ergo from our lending library. On the right is the fake Ergo--that claims to be an organic, but I highly doubt it's anywhere near organic.

And the flip side.

One of the most obvious differences is the labels on the flip side. Here is the real label:

Pretty standard label. It meets all the labeling standards, I'm sure. It's even in a couple different languages. Also notice the address . . .

And the fake label:

Notice the typo. "Never nubuckle . . . " HUGE red flag! Ergo has been doing this for long enough now that they aren't going to let something like that get past them. And the fake label has no address or contact information. Another HUGE red flag! Labeling standards require an address.

There is also a slight difference on the woven label. Here is a real Ergo Organic label:

And the fake:

These are all very minor difference in comparison to the quality difference between the two carriers. The fake Ergo was inferior in quality to the point that it was not even close to the same carrier as the real Ergo. The fabric was different, the webbing was different, the buckles were different and the stitching was sloppy. There have been reports of straps ripping and buckles breaking on the counterfeit carriers. In fact, Hamilton Radcliffe of TogetherBe easily ripped a strap of the fake FreeHand mei tai he bought to test.

You cannot tell from the photos on the website if the carriers are fake or not. The website photos are the same photos as the real site because that's where they were stolen from. Even the packaging is copied.

Bottom line is that if you are looking for a great baby carrier, you are most likely looking for a good deal as well. However, price should be a huge red flag for you. Ergo, like many reputable companies out there, has very strict pricing policies and they rarely go on sale. So if you do find a brand new Ergo for $78, it's most likely a fake. Ebay is not the best place to buy them, either. The best thing to do is go to the manufacturer's website and find the retailers through there. Do your research. Ask around. Call the real company. Talk to us about where to get your carrier. Don't get a fake and let the criminals take your money in exchange for a questionable product just to save a few bucks. The real thing is worth the extra money and then some.

If you are like me, you are super picky when it comes to who you trust with your children. The same should be true of who we trust when we carry our children.

New Policies Explained

2011-08-17T08:12:00.003-06:00

Recently Idaho Babywearers became an official BWI chapter and changed their name to BWI of Southern Idaho. With that exciting change, we also launched our new policies. What appears to be lots of changes really isn't. It's lots of what we already have been doing in a neat little written out package. And since we decided to focus on our policies at our August meetings, we also thought we'd explain them some here, too.

We strive to maintain a lending library of carriers that are current models, affordable and from reputable manufactures. Nothing may be more irritating than falling in love with a product and find that it is no longer available or super hard to find or $500--or all three. We also have some industry experience and know many of those in the business. Therefore we do try to support the folks we know are good folks.

Meeting attendance is free. Trying out a carrier at a meeting is free. Checking out a carrier to take home and try for a month is free. As an advocacy group, we think this is important. We do fundraisers instead of charging for our services. We encourage you to support us in those efforts!

Our library is meant as a "try before you buy" resource. It is NOT meant as a "borrow instead of buy" resource. As a group we strive to maintain the library to the standards stated above. One of the ways we do that is by supporting babywearing businesses, and they support us in a way. So, we encourage you to support those businesses by purchasing their awesome products because in all honesty, we only have awesome carriers in our library.

To keep the carriers available to people who want to try them, you can only check out a specific carrier model once every six months. Example: you cannot check out a Red Moby one month and the Twilight Moby the next month. However, you CAN check out a red Moby one month and a Wrapsody stretch the next. We have people who come to meetings in order to check out specific carriers. But if someone checked out that carrier for the fourth month in a row (or hasn't returned it and it's overdue), they can't even try it at the meeting. This kind of defeats the purpose of our group and we need our carriers available to the next prospective parent or caregiver.

You are only allowed to check out one carrier at a time. Not one carrier per meeting. One carrier at a time. If you go to one meeting and check out a carrier and two weeks later go to another meeting and return that carrier, you may check out another carrier. If you think you need two carriers, bring your husband. We love having guys at our meetings and are thrilled when they want to check out carriers!

You must attend a meeting in order to check out a carrier. While we love what we do and we love babywearing, we are also volunteers. Every month we carve time out of our busy schedules to run meetings and we ask the same of you. We are happy to help, but these are our personal boundaries and they keep us happy with our decision to volunteer our time.

As an official chapter of Babywearing International (BWI) we are required to encourage BWI membership. To do that, after your first two check-outs you must join BWI and pay the membership fee in order to check out a third carrier. Membership is good for a year. You are still able and encouraged to attend meetings and try carriers at meetings without joining BWI. In our experience, it is quite rare that a person coming to a meeting and looking for a carrier does not find one they love within two check-outs. If after two checkouts they cannot find what they want and cannot afford the membership fee, they can still try carriers for free at meetings. By joining BWI you are supporting babywearing advocacy both on a local level and on an international level. It's a win/win situation for everyone. And quite affordable.

Our leaders are subject to these same policies. We pay the fees and are limited to one carrier at a time and we are also on the hook for replacement if we lose or ruin it.

If a carrier is lost or stolen or damaged while in your possession, you are responsible for the full replacement value. Quality baby carriers like the ones in our library are not inexpensive. And they are worth every penny. But as a group we work hard to be able to put them in your hands. We aren't asking you to treat them as if they are gold. We are asking you to be respectful of them. Please think twice before taking them camping or giving your child a red sucker while they are in the carrier or even throwing it on the floor of your car. We know that you have a life, but we also know that some of our carriers have been damaged because of misuse and abuse. In fact, at a recent leaders meeting we examined several carriers that had been stained or otherwise damaged.

Here is Frances, a Wrapsody stretch that now has a hole in it the size of a quarter.

The hole started as a small puncture, but then a finger went through it. This particular carrier is valued at $75. Here's a picture of it in comparison to the width of the wrap.

Frances is no longer a carrier that we can lend out because of safety issues. Another carrier we examined was the Sequoia Waves Didy Tai. This particular carrier is valued at nearly $200.

One of the loops on the shoulder strap that works as part of the hood was ripped half way off.

While this isn't a safety issue, the main issue is that there was damage. If you have an issue with your carrier, whether it is staining or other damage, please call us as soon as possible so we can try to help you not have to pay for the damaged carrier. We cannot stress this enough.

Also, we re-vamped our check-out forms. There is a place on the form to note any damage you or your leader find in the initial inspection when you check the carrier out and when you return the carrier. Both inspections are super important and they are in place for your protections.

If a carrier is not returned by the due date, you may be charged for the full replacement value. You can return the carrier at a meeting or you can mail it to the address on your check-out reminder form. If something happens, like you go in to labor and are giving birth during the meeting, we do ask that you communicate with us as soon as possible and get the carrier back to us as soon as possible. Communication, communication, communication. But we do understand that life happens.

If you cannot make it to the next local meeting and your carrier is due, you may mail the carrier to the address on your check out form or make arrangements to return the carrier to Babywearing International of Southern Idaho on or by the due date stated above. Again, communication, communication, communication. It makes the world go 'round and keeps all the BWI of Southern Idaho leaders from asking you for money. We don't want your money. We just think everyone should wear their babies.

If a carrier is not returned on time, you risk losing your check-out privileges and may be charged for the full replacement value. We can't stress it enough. Communication, communication, communication. We want to loan you carriers, but if we don't get them back on time, we can't send them off to the next family. That makes us kind of cranky. Please get on our email list, follow us on facebook, get on our blog. Call us. Get those carriers back to us on time or we can't let you take them home with you any more.

Babywearing International of Southern Idaho reserves the right to request a check for the replacement value of the carrier when you check it out. They will only cash the check if the carrier is not returned in a timely manner and in good condition. We really don't want your money. We just want our carriers back. Pretty please.

Babywearing International of Southern Idaho knows that babies are messy. If the carrier is soiled in my care, we ask that you spot clean it, but not wash it as washing it may damage the carrier. Some carriers don't get along with wash machines very well. And we would rather we ruin our carriers by washing them than you ruin them. Then you don't have to pay for them. But do try to get the stain out. And call us if it isn't coming out like you want it to. Communication is so very important!

By checking out a carrier to you, Babywearing International of Southern Idaho agrees to show you how to use the carrier safely. And by checking out a carrier, you agree to use caution and common sense while using it with a child. It is your responsibility to use the carrier responsibly. We cannot be everywhere all the time. And we are not telepathic or omniscient or any of those things that require super natural powers. So, we need you to be smart and cautious. If you are really struggling, we have several meetings a month and you are welcome to come to another one or you can call a leader and we are happy to help you.

Babywearing International of Southern Idaho cannot be held liable for any injury that may occur to you or a child while using this carrier. This is the last thing we want to happen. Please be careful with your baby and the carrier. Better safe than sorry.

HAPPY BABYWEARING!

Babywearing Fashion Show!

2011-08-02T19:06:00.000-06:00

In place of our traditional Idaho Falls Saturday meeting, we're kicking off August with a Babywearing Fashion Show at the Jefferson County Fair (Rigby)! We're excited to show off many of our new carriers and share the babywearing love with the audience of the fair's Cutest Baby Contest. The contest begins at 10am at the fairground's main stage, and our BWing fashion show will be featured as entertainment while judges deliberate from 10:45-11:00am. As we sport our most fashionable accessories (our babies, of course!), we'll bring new meaning to the question, "Who are you wearing?" Come join the fun!! (And the lending library will be available for carrier checkout directly after the show.) Join us this Saturday, August 6th for all the fun!!

Check out our new Catbird mei tais!

2011-08-02T12:34:00.000-06:00

Literally! You can check these Catbird mei tais out at a meeting this month!

Top to bottom: Astrid, Spring BE mei tai, and Chocolate Lollipop!

I (Heidi) am a big fan of these carriers. They are solid and versatile, and the company is a great company. The fabric is a brushed, sturdy canvas, which is what makes the carrier soft and supportive. Catbird's new Babywearing Essentials line is a solid colored, less expensive collection that still gives you all the comforts of the regular line in a simple package, including head support and the elastic loop for gathering the base so it fits tiny babies who want their legs out.

Here's me with my Mr. Chunk 11 month old in the BE mei tai. So pretty and supportive!

Come check them out this month!

And coming soon--Catbird's soft structure Pikkolo!

Ethnic Babywearing

2011-07-24T14:32:00.000-06:00

We all know babywearing is great, but it is by no means a new trend in the world! Check out this awesome slide show of babywearing in its ethnic origins...

Check it out!

NEW Lending Library Information and Policies

2011-07-08T15:23:00.002-06:00

Since we are now an OFFICIAL chapter of Babywearing International, we must implement some new policies. We promise they won't be painful and they are still super user friendly. Here are all of our policies all in one place (though still in draft form). You saw them here first!

We strive to maintain a lending library of carriers that are current models, affordable and from reputable manufactures.
Meeting attendance is free. Trying out a carrier at a meeting is free. Checking out a carrier to take home and try for a month is free.
Our library is meant as a "try before you buy" resource. It is NOT meant as a "borrow instead of buy" resource.
To keep the carriers available to people who want to try them, you can only check out a specific carrier model once every six months. Example: you cannot check out a Red Moby one month and the Twilight Moby the next month. However, you CAN check out a red Moby one month and a Wrapsody stretch the next.
You are only allowed to check out one carrier per month.
You must attend a meeting in order to check out a carrier.
As an official chapter of Babywearing International (BWI) we are required to encourage BWI membership. To do that, after your first two check-outs you must join BWI and pay the $30 membership fee in order to check out a third carrier. Membership is good for a year. You are still able and encouraged to attend meetings and try carriers at meetings without joining BWI.
Our leaders are subject to these same policies.
If a carrier is lost or stolen or damaged while in your possession, you are responsible for the full replacement value.
If a carrier is not returned by the due date, you may be charged for the full replacement value.
If you cannot make it to the next local meeting and your carrier is due, you may mail the carrier to the address on your check out form or make arrangements to return the carrier to Babywearing International of Southern Idaho on or by the due date stated above.
If a carrier is not returned on time, you risk losing your check-out privileges and may be charged for the full replacement value.
Babywearing International of Southern Idaho reserves the right to request a check for the replacement value of the carrier when you check it out. They will only cash the check if the carrier is not returned in a timely manner and in good condition.
Babywearing International of Southern Idaho knows that babies are messy. If the carrier is soiled in my care, we ask that you spot clean it, but not wash it as washing it may damage the carrier.
By checking out a carrier to you, Babywearing International of Southern Idaho agrees to show you how to use the carrier safely. And by checking out a carrier, you agree to use caution and common sense while using it with a child. It is your responsibility to use the carrier responsibly.
Babywearing International of Southern Idaho cannot be held liable for any injury that may occur to you or a child while using this carrier.

Saturday's Meeting

2011-06-29T19:25:00.004-06:00

Hey Baby-wearers!

Tis' I, Kayla Bailey!!

Due to our nation's great holiday we will be canceling our Idaho Falls meeting this Saturday @ The Methodist Church.

Remember there is still a meeting in a couple of weeks!

ENJOY YOUR 4TH!! Practice safe babywearing and I'm eager for you to email some pictures!!

Here is mine:

Okay, so this is my neice, "Jewels," She was falling asleep, so I wapped this jacket around her head...

WELL! This morning I attended a meeting (taught by Melissa and Hamilton!!) and learned so much more of how to secure babies asleep in a Mei Tei carrier! Please come to the meetings so all of us can show you some awesome new tricks!

Do you know what I'll be doing this holiday weekend? YUP! Sporting some babywearing!

I challenge you to take a picture of your babywearing for the weekend!

Red, White, and Blue!!!!

Special Babywearing Meeting

2011-06-28T21:47:00.003-06:00

Wednesday, June 29th at 10am.

Come on over and meet with Melissa, Hamilton and the crew as they tell us about their babywearing adventures, show us their awesome carriers and let us ask all sorts of questions about babywearing, their business and how the dog they found last year (named Rigby) is doing!

We are lucky they are coming to visit us and this will be a great experience for any family. Kids are welcome (but please help clean up Marie's house afterward).

We are official!

2011-06-24T07:46:00.001-06:00

We have been welcomed into Babywearing International!
Watch for more official chapters opening throughout the country and an exploratory committee is working to bring BWI to Canada soon!

In other events, International Babywearing Week is this October 10-16! Watch for more information in the next few weeks!

This upcoming Wednesday at 10am Melissa and Hamilton from Freehand Baby Carriers and Togetherbe will be coming to speak with us. They will be at 470 Annis Hwy in Rigby.
They will talk to us about their carriers, their family and pretty much anything we want to talk to them about. We hear they may have a few new carriers for people to try on too!

Come and have some fun (and maybe score a goodie here or there). We're celebrating being official finally!

The History of the Mei Tai (More fun than history class.. I promise!)

2011-06-08T08:48:00.000-06:00

mei - to carry on the shoulders

tai - belt; band/ bring

The mei tai (pronounced “may tie”—as in “May I tie this baby on you?” Thanks Kimber!) originated in China and has been around for possibly thousands of years. It is what is also known as an Asian Baby Carrier (ABC) It is a simple, yet strong and effective design, consisting of a square or nearly square piece of cloth with parallel unpadded straps emerging from the sides of each corner. Traditionally the ends of the straps were secured by twisting and tucking them. These carriers were usually made of simple cloth and typically used by peasant women working in the fields. Weren’t they smart women? They knew even back then that happy baby= more work done!

Apparently you can teach about/draw fish in a mei tai too.

Aside from the mei tai, there are other Asian baby carriers. Many are similar to the mei tai and found in other countries all over the world, such as the Japanese onbuhimo or the Korean podaegi. (check ‘em out, they are pretty nifty too!)

A variation on the traditional mei tai was popularized in Australia in the 1960s, coming to the US in early 2000s. There are now hundreds of different brands of mei tai available with a variety of features, but the 4 long straps from each of the corners, main squared fabric section, and wrap style tying method are found in almost all of them. Many today also have features such as head supports, pockets, sleeping hoods, and padded straps, among many others. Mei tais are suitable for front or back carries with children ranging from birth to around 35 to 45 lbs (or about a toddler at 3 years.)

And the rest is history!


Check out our young Kimber posing in her Ball Baby Mei Tai with her stylish kidlet in a mohawk.

Meet the Leaders: Kimber Tower

2011-06-07T13:54:00.001-06:00

Kimber Tower began her babywearing journey in 2002 when her first child was born. She had no idea what she was doing but knew she needed a way to keep her baby close to her while she was working. She aquired a ringling that was way too big for her and used it.

With her next child Kimber knew there had to be something more to this baby carrier thing.
She began to research and decided to try a pouch. She found a Hotsling pouch on ebay, put the baby in it and the heavens sang.

Kimber was the designer of the Ball Baby mei tai (now owned by Taylormade Slings) and her pattern is still available for anyone to make free of charge.

Kimber formed the Idaho Babywearers in 2006 and has been happy to see it grown and expand.
In 2008 she taught at the 2nd annual International Babywearing Conference in Chicago.
In 2010, Kimber was lucky enough to help the Idaho Babywearers organize and host the 3rd Bi-Annual International Babywearing Conference in Rigby Idaho.
Kimber is looking forward to attending and assisting with the 2012 conference in Washington D.C.

Kimber is currently serving as secretary for the Board of Directors of Babywearing International. She is a Volunteer Babywearing Educator through BWI and is thrilled to see more leaders certifying in her area.

Kimber lives in Rigby with her husband, 4 children and way too many pets. They believe in attachment parenting, serving their community, forming healthy eating habits and changing the world, one family at a time. Kimber is currently reading "Radical Homemakers" and is loving it.

Kimber tries to attend any meeting she can make it to.

Idaho Falls June Saturday Meeting

2011-06-07T09:39:00.000-06:00

This month was the smallest meeting we have ever had at our Saturday meetings! It must be the lovely weather!
Sorry this pictures are blurry, the camera wasn't willing to cooperate.

For some the part ended before it even began.

Natalie trying a double hammock back carry in a Wrapsody Gauze wrap with Katie spotting her. Katie is wearing a Boba (they are new to our library and awesome!)

Corey was thrilled at what he was learning.

Katy and Katie!
Look at the beautiful Sakura Bloom!

Natalie cleaning up the mess with Liam in a Silly Goose. We love our geese!

Next meeting is tomorrow in Rigby and then Thursday in Idaho Falls.
Our Pocatello meetings will start this June or in July and we cannot wait!

Rigby and Idaho Falls Meetings

2011-06-06T17:33:00.000-06:00

June is Mei Tai month. We will be discussing this fabulous Asian baby carrier and show you the many ways you can wear it.

The Rigby meeting is this Wednesday at 10am. If it isn't really windy or cold we are going to meet at the City Park. If the weather is bad we will meet at Marie's house 470 Annis Hwy. Check facebook in the morning and we will have the location posted.

The Idaho Falls Daytime meeting is this Thursday at 10am. 537 Valley Drive.

Hope to see you there!

Meet the Leaders: Jentri King

2011-05-31T13:13:00.001-06:00

Jentri is an Idaho native who was born and raised in Twin Falls. She wound up in Rexburg 8 years ago for school and just can’t seem to get out. She is the leader of the Rexburg meetings.

Upon preparing for her many adventures of rock climbing, backpacking, and camping with her husband and a new baby, she was directed to what she later learned was “babywearing” by a fellow outdoor mama. She was introduced to stretchy wraps and mei tais as a way to get from the car to the crag and still be able haul all your gear. She was intrigued and found out more than she ever thought there was to know about babywearing at the 2010 International Babywearing Conference that was held in Rigby, Idaho. Her enthusiasm was palpable and she was sucked in by the Idaho Babywearers leadership and became a group leader several months later.

Jentri lives in Rexburg in her tiny apartment with her husband (who is going to school) and little boy (who thinks it’s his job to get into everything). She spends most of her time attempting to clean her house while getting ready for the next adventure and cleaning up after the last one.

Lending Library Addition--BOBA soft structure carriers!

2011-05-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

We're super excited to add Boba to our already fabulous library! These soft structure carriers have some super awesome unique features! I tried one with my 2-year-old for about an hour around the house and it was awesome!

Come see them first at the Ashton meeting this Thursday at 9:30 am.

The biology of kissing babies

2011-05-09T08:45:00.001-06:00

When I wear my babies on my front, or even just hold them close, I find myself nearly constantly kissing them.

It's just what mothers do, or should do. Biologically, it is essential.

When a mother kisses her baby, she ‘samples’ those pathogens that are on the baby’s face...Those are ones that the baby is about to ingest.These samples are taken up by the mother’s secondary lymphoid organs like the tonsils, and memory B cells specific for those pathogens are re-stimulated. These B cells then migrate to the mother’s breasts where they produce just those antibodies that the baby needs. -Lauren Sompayrac

Wearing our babies, kissing our babies, and nursing our babies is what nature intended.

And now you have one more reason to wear your baby, kiss your baby, and nurse your baby!

Idaho Falls meeting this week o nTHURSDAY (daytime meeting)

2011-05-09T07:48:00.000-06:00

Yay! We now have 3 meetings in Idaho Falls for all the busy schedules!
This week is our daytime meeting.
It will be at 10am.
Address is: 537 Valley Drive.
We will talk about pouches again at this meeting in case you missed it and then of course have the lending library available!
Feel free to bring the kiddos and we look forward to seeing you there!
If you have questions feel free to call the number on our sidebar or email us!

(Next week is our Nighttime Idaho Falls meeting for those who are looking forward to the night meeting.)

Meet the Leaders: Heidi Donnelly

2011-05-08T19:39:00.002-06:00

Heidi Donnelly is an Idaho transplant, having moved here in 2009 with her family from Washington state. She soon discovered that Idahoans wear their babies just like Washingtonians and felt right at home nearly immediately.

Soon after her first child was born, Heidi discovered babywearing, but she could not figure out how to make it work. Only after her second child when she discovered mei tais, pouches and wraps did she realize that she was simply a ring sling ding-a-ling, and babywearing quickly became a passion. Since then she has mastered the ring sling and uses all types of carriers with comfort and ease.

She lives in Ashton with her husband, three girls, one boy, one dog, several cats, one horse and a flock of chickens. You can find her many days cooking, sewing and baking up a storm and wasting away on facebook while ignoring her laundry and other housework.

Heidi is the Ashton Idaho leader and Rexburg Idaho co-leader and is the resident wrapping queen of our Leaders. She is a certified Volunteer Babywearing Educator through Babywearing International. She was one of the main organizers of the 2010 International Babywearing Conference held in Rigby Idaho and is a well respected babywearing expert. Meet her anytime at an Ashton or Rexburg meeting.

Idaho Falls Babywearing Meeting Saturday

2011-05-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

Babywearing meeting Saturday, May 7th in Idaho Falls! 2:30pm at Trinity United Methodist Church. Address is 237 N Water St in Idaho Falls. It is behind the Museum of Idaho. Come hang out for a bit, let the kiddos play and enjoy spending time with other families who love babywearing!

Don't Forget the Spring Fling this Saturday!!!

2011-04-21T15:18:00.003-06:00

Just a friendly reminder to join us at the FREE 2nd Annual Baby Spring Fling THIS Saturday (April 23rd) from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00p.m.

There will be Earth Day activities, many baby and family-focused vendors, lots of organizations targeted on helping you be the best parent you can be, and in honor of the Easter holiday season, an Easter Egg Hunt with a visit from you know who!!!

Make sure you check out our Idaho Babywearers booth where you can check out a carrier to put your tot in while enjoying the festivities. See you there!

Reminder of MEETINGS in Rigby, Boise and Pocatello this week!

2011-04-12T10:32:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder for our Rigby Babywearing Meeting tomorrow Wednesday, April 13th from 9:30 to 11:00. We are going to be meeting at Angela's house since Marie has a new little baby. Angela's address is 455 Claremore Drive.

Thursday you can meet the Treasure Valley Babywearers and one of our Idaho Babywearer's leaders in Boise in the afternoon! Just comment on this post and we'll give you the information (or post it here as soon as we have all the details worked out)!

We also have one of our great Babywearing Guru's down in Pocatello this Saturday April 16th from 9 am - 1 pm at an Emergency Preparedness Fair at the The Highland stake center, 2160 Satterfield Drive. Kimber and her husband Sam will be teaching an emergency babywearing class and will be available to answer your babywearing questions. They will be doing a presentation at 10:30 and will be there the rest of the time for you to try carriers and ask any question you want!

Saturday meeting in Idaho Falls TOMORROW!

2011-04-08T11:01:00.000-06:00

Just a heads up!

Idaho Falls weekend meeting: 1st Saturday of the month at 2:30pm at Trinity United Methodist Church. Address is 237 N Water St in Idaho Falls. 227 3200 for details

We will be having fun with carriers and telling you all about the Baby Spring Fling that Idaho Babywearers are in charge of this year! Come play!

Idaho Falls Meeting tonight!

2011-04-06T08:49:00.002-06:00

We'll be meeting at 1436 Falcon Drive in IF.
The time is 7-8:30pm
It should be a ton of fun!

The FIRST Idaho Falls meeting!

2011-03-19T20:07:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to be meeting in Idaho Falls now!
(Special thanks to Rachel for letting us use her house for meetings.)

We also have 4 new leaders in training for the Idaho Falls groups:
Kayla, Katie, Rachel and Natasha.

Welcome aboard girls!

Some shots of the meeting:

It was a really fun group of ladies and something that was exciting was finding out a few gals had just googled "Idaho babywear" and found us and showed up to our meeting! Fantastic!

Next month I (Kimber) will be in Pocatello teaching a babywearing class with my husband and we plan to meet with the new Pocatello leaders in training so we can start organizing the Pocatello meetings.
I am also hoping to make it up to Boise to meet with our sister group, the Treasure Valley Babywearers.

It is very exciting to see the growth of the Idaho Babywearers right now!

Spring Fundraiser time!

2011-03-15T15:09:00.000-06:00

What in the world are the Idaho Babywearers up to now?

Check it out HERE.

It is going to be a hoot!
Spread the word and come join the fun!

Your Baby(wearing) Bump

2011-03-09T22:25:00.002-07:00

One of the things about most babywearers I know is that at some point we get pregnant... again!
A lot of women think that means no more babywearing.
Yet, most toddlers I know still want to be carried by mama, so why are we removing one of our most useful tools from our parenting arsenal?

You CAN still babywear when you are pregnant.

For the first few weeks you can use front and back carries as if you aren't even pregnant.
But then the BUMP shows up!

Check our Angela. She is barely into her second trimester and looking amazing for BABY NUMBER FIVE ON THE WAY!
Back carries are perfect when your waistline disappears.
Angela has tied this above her belly for her comfort and little Eliana looks pretty content on mama's back.

But guess what... you can wear your baby up until you go in to labor if you really want to.
I was wearing my three year old up until about 4 days before I had my fourth baby.
It is doable and very comfy. Okay, as comfy as it gets when you are a million years pregnant.

Look at Marie! She is due to have her fourth little one this month!
(No, that baby on her back isn't hers! That is Liam and he belongs to another mama.)
Notice how Marie has buckled the wait strap below her waist. She could got above like Angela, but is more comfortable this way.
Still comfy, able to parent and getting a work out!

You can always wear a baby on your hip in a ringsling or a pouch if you want. I've even tried a front carry really high above my belly. It worked but it wasn't my favorite.

Of course, it is great to wear a baby when you are pregnant, but my favorite part of pregnancy is when it is over and I can wear that squishy newborn on the outside!

Can't wait to see our newest members of the Idaho Babywearer's family this year!

Rigby Idaho March Meeting

2011-03-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Look at these awesome babywearing parents!
Don't mind the doof in the middle there, she needs to get more sleep.

One of our presidents, Angela.
As you can see by her expression, our meetings are a HOOT!

This Saturday is our first Idaho Falls meeting!
2 pm at 1436 Falcon Drive.

Come join in on the fun!

Just one more place we find babywearing

2011-03-06T20:49:00.001-07:00

Children's literature! My first grader brought this book home from school this weekend.

And look at this mama right there sending her kid off to the 100th day of kindergarten.

Ophelia (stuck with 100 stickers from her hat down to her boots) has twin siblings. But that certainly doesn't stop her mama from walking her to the bus stop!

Ophelia's mama is smart and resourceful and she got herself a pouch. She also has pearls on and earrings in her ears at the bus stop that early in the morning! (Not too sure about her pants and slippers, but who am I to talk since I'm the queen of putting my snow pants on over my pajamas to go wait for the bus with my kid.)

It always makes me giddy to stumble across little things like this. And those little baby otters look so snug and happy.

Babywearing in a small town

2011-03-02T20:03:00.002-07:00

I'm new to this small town. We've been here for about a year and a half. Long enough for me to make a bit of a mark, but not so much of a mark that everyone knows me and what I'm about.

I consider myself a pretty hard core babywearer. I've worn my last three children very regularly, I lead the local meetings and I'm not afraid to tell someone they ought to just get a carrier. So far I have "converted" about four moms in this little town.

What cracks me up about the whole thing is that people see me with a baby tied to me and they say things like, "Jen has one of those! She does EVERYTHING with that baby." Or "L. has one of those. She does EVERYTHING with that baby."

These comments make me giddy. I feel like they are affirming me and my "mission" without even knowing who I am or what kind of a babywearing fanatic I really am.

This is Jen at Halloween.

She is the scout leader who got attacked by that bear (that is tied to her). I think it's a brilliant costume.

She also did several hikes--one I think was 11 miles through a foot of snow--with a group of other ladies. Jen was the only one with a baby and she didn't miss a beat. She did have some help--some of the other hikers took a turn or two carrying the baby for her. But she did the whole hike and she had a great time. She also left a lot of her fellow hikers with a pretty great impression of babywearing.

Babywearing in a small town is pretty great. I love that people tell me about all the great things my local babywearing friends are doing while babywearing. I love that they get it even without knowing much about it. And I love that they share their impressions with me, the crazy lady who thinks EVERY baby should be worn!

Carry on!

Did you know we have a Facebook page??

2011-02-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

We do! Right HERE. Go LIKE us because we LIKE you! Spread the word!

And this week's meeting is in Ashton. If the weather cooperates, it'll be at 9:30 at Ashton Christian Fellowship. Go down the stairs and take a right and then a left.

Babywearing in the cold

2011-02-02T15:54:00.003-07:00

In celebration of Idaho's sub-zero temperatures this week, we're going to talk about babywearing in the cold.

First, I want to stress that sub-zero temperatures are really cold. And you should know your limits, as well as make conservative decisions while out in the cold, especially with your baby.

There are a many different reasons we take our babies (and by babies I mean babies and toddlers) out in the cold. We need to go out to the store, or to a meeting, or general errands, story time at the library, sending an older sibling off on the bus in the morning or outdoor chores.

More reason we might take our babies out in the cold is that we are out skiing or snowshoeing or just taking a brisk walk around the block a few times to get our blood moving and get out of the house for a bit. It's good for the soul and makes us happy, healthy parents.

For general errands, I don't worry too much about my baby getting cold. I put him in a couple layers, put his little wool socks on him and this amazing wool hat.

Here the baby is pretty bundled because it was so cold. But again, after our trek out to get the Christmas tree I checked his hands and feet and he was toasty warm.

And here's a picture of it with the hood over both mom and baby.

Ashton Meeting 1/27

2011-01-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Come join the fun! And FYI, Ashton meetings are usually pretty small and intimate. So bring your baby, your carrier questions--or even if you are super new to babywearing and don't know what to ask or don't yet have a baby to bring, just bring your curiosity. We love to help!

If you have a carrier already and aren't sure how to use it or you aren't sure if you are using it correctly, bring it and we'll help you!

9:30am Ashton Christian Fellowship (address on the right). The signs are buried in snow, but it's the big tan and brown building on your left with the big parking lot. We meet downstairs to the right and then left.

Happy Babywearing!

Rexburg meeting this week!

2011-01-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Mommy 'N Me
24 S 1st W (west of Melaleuca)
228-0366

9:30 am

Come on over and enjoy some mommy company, check out some great carriers and learn a little something about babywearing. Bring a carrier you already have and we'll help you learn to use it correctly, comfortably, and safely.

If you have a carrier due, this is a chance to return it! Feel free to return carriers at ANY Idaho Babywearers meeting.

Happy Babywearing!

Thinking Outside the Box

2011-01-06T13:31:00.004-07:00

I had an "Ah, hah!" thinking outside of the box moment today that was inspired by babywearing.

I was fortunate enough to get a shower in this morning, but after I got out, my baby wanted to be held yet I needed to blowdry my hair.

No problem, I thought. I'll just set him on my lap since I always sit when I blowdry my hair. However, he has what we call "rolly-bum syndrome;" he's wonderfully chubby and can't sit still, resulting in rolling around everywhere. Super cute but not very practical. So, next option.

Put him in a carrier! He didn't want to be tummy to tummy and putting him on my back would result in lots of hair on his face since I'm a constant shedder, so what could option number three be?

I sat there, holding Liam with one hand while trying to blow dry with the other, when I spotted one of my winter scarves next to the vanity. Hmmm....I wonder....

I tied it around Liam's and my belly, securing it in the back, recalling some ways of babywearing with simple strips of cloth. He still contentedly looked around and I got my blowdrying done with both hands, not having to worry about him rolling right off my lap.

I've used scarves as slings for my newborns (which also come in handy as an impromptu nursing cover while out in public!) and now have figured I can secure them to a chair or myself when sitting and still needing my hands.

What are some "outside of the box" ways you do things that have been inspired by babywearing?

Note:It wasn't any of these that I used, and obviously some would be too flimsy for actual babywearing, but they were pretty, so I copied them on here. So there you go. ;)

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

When I was about little I remember being in church and writing "Happy 1982!" on everyone's bulletin. I wrote the year in numbers because I didn't know how to spell "year."

But now it's 2011 and we have babywearing meetings to resume! Come join us!

Rigby--1/12
Rexburg--1/19
Ashton--1/27

Times and locations are on the right as well as contact info.

Bring your carriers, your babies and your questions! It's cold out and we're happy to help you figure out how to keep that baby safe and warm!

Happy Babywearing in 2011!

Holiday meeting schedule

2010-11-01T20:10:00.000-06:00

The holidays are here and that means everyone's schedules are filling up fast! So, the holiday schedule will be as follows:

NOVEMBER
Rexburg and Rigby meetings remain the same.
Ashton meeting moves to Nov. 18th.

DECEMBER
All meetings are cancelled. If you check a carrier out in Novermber, it is due in January at the regularly scheduled meeting.

JANUARY
All meetings resume on the regular schedule.

Happy Babywearing! And Happy Holidays!

Recent meeting photos!

2010-11-01T20:04:00.001-06:00

Magic Ergo:

Scootababy:

Peekaroo babywearing vest over a Babyhawk Oh Snap:

See that little bug in the Amauti? Nothing like an Amauti here in Eastern Idaho winters!

And a little one-month-old snuggled in a Moby:

I think he's smiling.

Come join the fun!

Reason for alarm

2010-10-27T16:16:00.002-06:00

Recently there has been quite a lot of buzz in the babywearing world. I'm not "in the know" so to speak, but I know people who are in the know and their level of alarm regarding what is happening and what can potentially happen is very alarming. They can't give me specific details, but I've been watching and frankly, I can see why they are alarmed. I know enough.

Hotslings, a pioneering babywearing company, closed in August. Owner Kristen DeRocha, who has been in business since 2003, was and still is an influencial voice in the babywearing world. She has been active in working with the CPSC to create standards for baby carriers, spearheading the movement and chairing the ASTM Sling Standards subcommittee The fact that she closed her business should be a warning sign for all of us. But it is only one event leading to what is happening now.

In early 2008, the babywearing world was buzzing with concerns about bag slings. Basically, when a baby is carried in a carrier that looks like a duffle bag, the baby can be forced into a curled position that can potentially cut off their tiny airway. And the baby is covered in fabric which makes it hard for the parent to moniter the baby as well as potentially limiting the baby's fresh air supply. One carrier used in the study was the Infantino Slingrider. (Great information here)

In March of this year, the CPSC issued a warning about sling carriers for babies. Also in March, The CPSC Chairman had some strong words of warning in his JPMA Summit Keynote Address.

Regarding all of the 104 rules, it is not the intent of CPSC to write new standards that essentially create a marketplace with no products that can meet the rules. But we will not sacrifice an iota of safety in writing these new rules . . .

. . . One of the products that the Commission has recently added to the list of juvenile products that will be subject to a 104 rule is infant carrier slings. Although a draft mandatory rule is a ways out from being proposed, I want to make a good faith gesture today and give you advanced notice that a general warning is likely to go out to the public very soon.\

We know of too many deaths in these slings and we now know the hazard scenarios for very small babies, so the time has come to alert parents and caregivers. We want to empower them to make a decision that is best for the safety of their baby, while realizing that slings play a role in the bonding of baby and mother in many cultures.

. . . A new Commission that has new powers – and we are not afraid to use them. If you resist our efforts to recall children’s products, be forewarned, this Commission stands ready to be creative in the use of our enforcement authorities . . .

A good faith gesture? Advanced notice? Empower them to make good decisions? New powers they are not afraid to use and use creatively? I'm not sure what all that means exactly, but it sounds very "politically correct," and "you can pat me on the back again later," especially in context. I encourage you to read the whole speech. It kind of made me want to vomit.

In March of this year, the Infantino Slingrider was recalled. Over one million of the carriers were recalled after three deaths were reported. Infantino will replace the recalled carrier with of of their Wrap and Tie infant carriers (and both versions look suspiciously like a Catbird Baby mei tai and a Babyhawk mei tai respectively. But maybe that's just me.).

Then, in June of this year, a work-at-home-mom had her ring sling recalled (all 40 of them) because in 2007 a ten-day-old baby died in one. When I read the original recall, I remember being alarmed because it stated that the CPSC, along with "concerned companies such as Infantino," were working to make carriers safer for babies. Some wonder if the recall notice was simply copied and pasted from the Slingrider recall, which would make it an innocent mistake. But, others wonder, since Infantino is a very large company with an obvious interest in making the environment for smaller baby and babywearing businesses hostile, if Infantino could have played a more direct role in the recall.

In July, the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance was formed. Basically, it's a group of small babywearing businesses banding together "to advance the well-being, growth, and interests of baby carrier manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and educators. It does so through advocacy, public relations, information sharing, industry research, and business development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, caregivers, and children." Members of note: Kristi of Wrapsody by GypsyMama, LLC who spearheaded the forming of the Alliance and recently was recognized for it by Babywearing International.; Vesta Hartman Garcia, founder of Peppermint.com and Ellaroo; Beth of Catbird Baby; Jan of Sleeping Baby, Arie of Tadpoles and Butterflies, Paul and Rochelle Price of Slingrings (Rochelle is the new Chairperson of the sling standards ASTM committee) and Kristen DeRocha who started Hotslings.

Hotslings folded in August. The decision to close Hotslings was directly related to what is going on with the CPSC and the babywearing and baby industry, according to the press release.

For months now the BCIA has been warning of an impending recall. The name of the company affected by the recall has not been released and there also has not been a recall issued. From the outside, this could appear that the BCIA and others are crying wolf. But, I beg to differ.

In the beginning of October, a statement was released by the online forum The Babywearer.com. It read in part:

A recall of a major baby carrier is being forced through this week. We want you to understand how this has been handled and to appreciate the immediacy of the problem!

Company was informed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that, after several years, a closed investigation of their product was being reopened.

Company was told by the CPSC to issue a recall of every product back more than ten years, and to discontinue sales, while admitting that there is no product flaw.

Company stopped all sales, with the intention of clearing up the matter and reopening shortly.

Company asked for the Health and Science report that the CPSC later claimed to have, indicating the need for a recall.

CPSC has NEVER complied; inside word is that there is NOT a Health and Science report.

Company was sent two draft press releases and asked to voluntarily recall their product or the CPSC would issue a unilateral recall (a forced recall) which included inflammatory language as well as a threat to pursue action against entire class of baby sling products.

Company held fast, knowing that the product is safe and a benefit to babies and stated they would be willing to work with the CPSC on a public education campaign about sling safety.

CPSC asked for Company’s financials.

Company complied.

CPSC said to company “You are no longer in business, we don’t need your cooperation in order to recall! Prepare to DESTROY all product next week!” Next week is International Babywearing week!

PLEASE NOTE: *THIS IS AFTER THE CPSC FORCED COMPANY TO STOP SELLING!

The "imminent" recall hasn't happened. Yet. This could be intrepreted that they are crying wolf. I interpret that to mean that the BCIA and the people they are working with have so far been successful in holding it off. However, it could still happen.

At the very least, we need to realize and remember that the folks who are raising the alarm are business people and advocates who are in the know and have a vested interest in the babywearing industry. They are people we can and do trust with our babies. We have made purchases with them and we go to them for advice and information. I've interacted with many of them and they are good people with the best interest of you and your baby in mind.

Also, there is information they have that they are not able to share. They are not crying wolf. They are doing what they can with the information they have without sharing information they can't share. Hotslings closed BECAUSE OF this information. Others with this information are making changes in how they do business and working to raise awareness the best they can.

Recent announcements of childrens products being recalled because of what "could" happen if the product is used improperly instead of a recall based on solid evidence that it is actually a dangrous product may be a ridiculous show by someone (who may have been quoted above) and some "concerned" company (that may also have been mentioned above) working to make a name for themselves and working to make competition go away any way they can rather than working to actually make products better and safer and the world a better place for both babies and their caregivers.

It's all fishy to me. And it seems to be going against what Chairman Tenenbaum said in his speech about "empowering " parents and caregivers to make decisions that are best for the safety of their children. It appears to me that they are making that decision, and so many others, for us for their own benefit and touting it as something else.

For example, check out these recent recalls of childrens' products:

Fisher-Price Recalls Children's Trikes Due to Risk of Serious Injury: 7 million units sold, 10 reports of injury

Valco Baby Recalls Jogging Strollers Due to Strangulation Hazard: The opening between the grab bar and seat bottom of the stroller can allow an infant’s body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck by the grab bar, posing a strangulation hazard to young children when a child is not harnessed. (my emphasis)

Graco Recalls Quattro™ and MetroLite™ Strollers Due to Risk of Entrapment and Strangulation: About 2 million sold. Four reported deaths and six reported incidents inovlving eintrapment. "Entrapment and strangulation can occur, especially to infants younger than 12 months of age, when a child is not harnessed." (my emphasis)

Rumor has it that the CPSC is currently being investigated because of the attempted forced recall of the baby carrier.

Power corrupts. Money corrupts. Evidence seems to point to the CPSC and "concerned" companies such as Infantino are making a run to destroy the beautiful and beneficial practice of babywearing here in America and limit our choice of quality carriers. Be alarmed. Let's not let them get away with it.

What can you do?

You can support the BCIA. Join for as little as $25.
If you can't join, simply donate. They need both members and funds to fight the fight.
Contact your elected officials and tell them what you think!
Share your babywearing story.
Spread the word. Blog it. Tell your friends. Tell your friends friends. Tell their mothers!
Educate yourself regarding safe babywearing and safe carriers.
Support the people and businesses fighting the fight.
Tell the "mom and pop" businesses you know of TO BE ALARMED! Sprout Stuff only sold 40 carriers. She may have had good intentions, but she became an example of what can happen. Small shops who don't know about all this are easy targets for something this big and they are a danger to themselves and to the industry in general.
Encourage your friends to buy from reputable business that offer a quality product and know how to use it. Paying for a good carrier is always worth the money. All carriers are not created equal.

Go fight the good fight.

Ashton Meeting 10/28

2010-10-25T10:10:00.002-06:00

Come and join us at Ashton Community Church. We'll be talking about cold weather wearing options in addition to carrier options that are right for you!

Happy Babywearing!

Babywearing Week

2010-09-27T22:55:00.002-06:00

Babywearing week is October 6-12. Come celebrate with us. We will be having a meet and greet and the Rigby public Library and a sewing lab.

Saturday Oct. 9 Come join us at the Rigby public library from 11-3 for a meet and greet. We have invited La leche league and birthnetwork as well. We will be there with carriers galore! Come touch, try on, and check out a carrier from our lending library. This will be our Rigby meeting for the month of October. If you currently have a carrier from our lending library please bring it with you to the meet and greet, and exchange it for a new one.

Tuesday Oct. 12 7-? Sewing Lab. It will be at Marie Harris's home (470 Annis Hwy Rigby, Idaho)

Members of Idaho Babywearers will be on hand to personally help you make a carrier safely and correctly without losing your mind. We will be doing safety inspections and showing you how to use your carrier wehn you finish it.

We welcome ANYONE who wants to sew a carrier to come. Bring your friends and your family members who want to sew and learn with seasoned professionals!You will need to bring the following:
A printed out copy of the instructions from the baby carrier you want to make. A list of links to patterns will be listed below. We need the instructions so we know how to sew your carrier.

All materials your instructions tell you to bring. IE: fabric, thread, a sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape, iron etc. Don't plan on someone having anything you can use, you need to fend for yourself!Wear comfy clothes and be ready to have fun!

This won't be a kid friendly event due to the abundance of needles and irons. Please, only bring babies you can wear for the entire event or who won't be able to crawl or walk around for their safety.

*** Some important notes for making carriers:You MUST use durable fabrics. For example, if you want to make a mei tai you need heavy fabric like a twill or a canvas. You can used a quilters cotton for the decorative parts , but for the actual carrier it must be strong and sturdy. Home dec fabric will work too.

Let me say this again: Quilter's Cotton is a bad call for your carrier. You must have sturdier fabric, at least 7 0z

For ring sling makers, please buy your rings at slingrings.com We will not allow you to complete your carrier with any other kind of rings. Safety first! They ship quickly, are light weight and are worth every penny.

Here is a list of links to FREE baby carrier patterns. Remember, these patterns are given as a gift to you and you CANNOT use the patterns to make baby carriers to sell or for any kind of profit. These are only for do it yourself projects or flat out gifts.
Maya Wrap Ring Sling Pattern

The Sling-A-Ma-Bob (a hot dog style ring sling)

The Karma Baby Pouch pattern (Stacey is okay with quilter's cotton doubled up for her pattern, it's your call):
Upmama Adjustable baby pouch hybrid (easy and very nice to have a hybrid!)

:A multitude of different types of baby carrier patterns, including the Sleeping Baby style ring sling (in my opinion the comfiest type of ring sling) and the Ball Baby mei tai pattern. Most of these are very easy to sew:

Beth's Mei Tai (this thing is great!):

The Scandi Mei Tai (wicked fun to sew)

Okay, if you find another pattern you want to use, let us know so we can familiarize ourselves with it.

This is a going to be a really really fun night and we hope a ton of you come out to make a carrier.

Remember, anyone is invited to attend if they want to make a carrier! You don't have to be from Idaho even! Just maybe post a quick comment here or give an email so we know to watch for you!

Ashton meeting 9/23

2010-09-20T07:57:00.000-06:00

We will be meeting at Ashton Christian Fellowship as usual. But since preschool has started, come in and go down the stairs and right down the hall.

And if you have a carrier to return, please bring it back so you can try another one! Hope to see you all there!

Rexburg Meeting

2010-09-13T15:18:00.002-06:00

Our Rexburg Babywearing Meeting will be this Wednesday, September 15 at Mommy N'Me starting at 9:30. Mommy N' Me is located just west of Melaleuca. Come and try a new carrier and borrow one from our lending library.

Spotted in Pocatello

2010-08-14T12:29:00.001-06:00

A babywearing billboard!

Rexburg meeting is scheduled!

2010-08-12T09:28:00.000-06:00

Come join us at the first Rexburg meeting Wednesday, August 18th at 9:30 am. Jill of Mommy N' Me has generously offered her store space to us! Thank you Jill! (Her store is pretty awesome, so use it as an excuse to come check it out!)

24 S 1st W just west of Melaleuca. 228-0366

Come join the fun!

World Breastfeeding Week Picnic

2010-08-04T21:31:00.000-06:00

We just wanted to let you know that the Idaho Babywearers will be at the World Breastfeeding Week Picnic at Kate Curley Park in Idaho Falls this Friday, August 6 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. This is a free event with lunch provided and a lot of free give aways. We have donated a carrier for their raffle. Come and get a free lunch, let the kids play and maybe win a new baby carrier!

We have also started up our Rigby meetings again. We will be meeting at the city park the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00 am. We have a great lending library so if you want to try out a carrier come to our meeting Wednesday, August 11.

Ashton meeting, 7/28!

2010-07-20T22:03:00.002-06:00

New location, same time!

Ashton Christian Fellowship
9:30 am

I have to leave a little before noon, but that should still give us plenty of time. ANd I have a DVD player and a movie for older kiddos to watch if needed.

Directions:

From hwy 20, turn right onto Walnut (the intersection with the abandoned gas station)

Go through town to the T. There will be a stop sign and RR tracks on your right. Turn left and the church is about a block down on your left.

(There are little wooden signs pointing to the church at both intersections)

We'll be upstairs unless they want us somewhere else.

Hope to see you there!

Yellowstone!

2010-06-14T17:13:00.004-06:00

Yellowstone is a site to behold. One cannot come this close to it and NOT go see at least some of it. So, on Tuesday, the day before conference classes started, there was an opportunity to go to Yellowstone.

Old Faithful:

And a bunch of other sites. Babywearing is ESSENTIAL if you are taking a baby to Yellowstone!!

And if you are wondering why Kristi (above center) is not wearing a baby:

Thank you Ann Marie for the photos! Check out her blog here!

Day two . . . one more time

2010-06-10T23:14:00.001-06:00

The last session of the day today was the medical professionals panel. And I learned quite a bit. Towards the end, Elizabeth Strong from Ergo, also the moderator, shared a story about how she when to speak to a group of parents and it turned out that they were all deaf. She had an interperter and while she was speaking she realized that these parents NEEDED to be hands free. They needed their hands to communicate and having to choose between holding their baby and communicating didn't seem fair.

Arie Brentnall-Compton also shared that in the work she has been doing with some of the First Nations (Native) populations in Canada, babywearing saves lives. There are fewer maternal suicides, mothers in dangerous situations who are wearing their babies don't have to choose between leaving immediatly when they have the chance and going back for the baby.

I've heard over and over this week how that first moment you get your baby on changes your life. It feels right. Your instincts are suddenly in overdrive. And it's true. Babywearing changes lives. It saves lives. It gets to our human-ness on so many different levels. I want to shout it from the mountatin tops.

--Heidi

Day two . . . again

2010-06-10T22:54:00.007-06:00

Tonite was also the family dinner. A chance to visit and play.

And eat.

And there are blue boxes in the corner? Oh my . . .

Welcome to Idaho. We have great little bands who sing songs for kids. And love songs have lyrics like, "If my nose ran money, I'd blow it all on you . . . "

This is her first back carry. And it's Kelley's Kozy. And Kelley is helping. How awesome is that????

And it's beautiful.

While the band is inside singing about running noses, the outside entertainment was also quite entertaining.

For all you babywearing geeks out there, a celebrity shot.

Wish you were all here!

--Heidi

Day two

2010-06-10T22:24:00.004-06:00

It's hard to blog when one doesn't have Internet access. And it's hard to blog when one is putting on an International Conference. But today was a good day. A really good day. An amazing day. The concentration of amazing people in one place is really overwhelming for me. So overwhelming that about four times today I felt like I was going to just cry. And I am not a crier.

Tonite I got home and my four-year-old asked why I had to go teach all these people how to use carriers. I asked her if she liked being in a carrier. Of course the answer was yes. And then I told her that all these people are learning how to use baby carriers so they can carry their babies just like I carried her. Yes, my kids have missed me this last week. But see this dad right here?

This dad made a point to find me and tell me that he had a lot of ladies to thank. He wanted so badly to hold his baby, but he could not figure out how to do it. They had a mei tai and they could not make it work. And now the mei tai works. And now he's got a pouch--compliments of Hotsling--and he knows how to use it, too. Now he has TWO carriers that work and he knows how to hold his baby the way he wanted to. THAT is what the conference is about.

This is where I see him in a few years. Yes, I asked and he did this all by himself.

This is the Radcliff family. Melissa designed the Peekaru and together they run TogetherBe.

She called me yesterday because they were going to be late. Because they had a new member of the family just show up at the cabin they are staying at. A puppy. And they named it Rigby. And from that pile of free Hotslings she picked up a carrier for the puppy. Totally awesome!

This is me and Arie Brentnall-Compton on the "Rockin' Couch" down at the museum. Yes, it rocks. Literally. And it's rather theraputic, actually. (And by the way, Arie rocks, too!)

I love this wrap carry. Beautiful. And the Ergo is beautiful, too!

Babywearing is beautiful. And I am loving all these amazing, beautiful people filling Idaho with their passion and information. We hope it spills out into the rest of the world.

More to come . . .

--Heidi

Keynote speaker Kelley Mason

2010-06-09T21:13:00.004-06:00

Huge thank you to Kelly and her family for making the trip to come speak to us! I loved hearing her perspective on life, family and raising children. (And we got it recorded, so if you want a copy, they will be available.)

One thing she said really struck me. After her story of getting firewood from the wood pile to the house to keep the house warm while her baby sat screaming in the carseat on the porch and how she knew there had to be a better way, she said something about how discovering babywearing suddenly enabled her to meet her needs and the needs of her children. That is such a universal statement.

I've been putting together the museum display and have been struck at how even though every culture does it somewhat differently, all parents universally need to meet the needs of their babies while still meeting their own needs as well as the needs of their families. Native Americans used cradle boards and propped their children up against trees, or even hung them from trees to keep them safe and happy. The traditional Chinese culture coaches young girls into motherhood through the process of making baby carriers even before they are married. These young girls even raise their own silk worms and spin their own silk to do the embroidery on the carriers that they eventually wore to market to attract potential suiters. Sadly, many of these traditions are being lost.

Our western culture seems to have lost most if not all ties to the traditional ways of doing things. But then people like Kelley find that they have a need and they need to meet the needs of others and they can't do it with the tools they have. So they go out and create a tool. And then others who have the same need look at that tool and see it for what it is and want it. And a business is born. It happened to Kelley when she created the Kozy mei tai. It happened to Erika Hoffman, a mother of twins and the founder of Didymos, after she decided out of desperation to try the South American carrying cloth she had in her drawer. It happened to textile engineer Guenter Schwartzer, founder of Storchenwiege, after his search for a solution to help his daughter who was a new mom. It happened to Robyn of Babyhawk after she made a carrier that met her need for function as well as her need for style.

I was talking with a woman from Norway today and she said that where she is from, people tend to think that wearing a baby on ones front is dangerous. And she observed that here in the United Staes, people tend to think that wearing a baby on your back is dangerous. I guess everyone does it a little differently depending on their needs. But in the big picture I am seeing, it's almost as if America is trying to find its tradition again.

The theme of this conference is "Babywearing: the fabric of a global community." And really, I can't think of any better practice that would hold a community together than the raising of our children. Learn to wear your babies. Teach people how to do it safely. Help them find what works for them so they can meet their needs and the needs of their families. It's what this conference is all about. And it will make this world a better place.

--Heidi

It's here!

2010-06-09T19:49:00.002-06:00

The first offical day of the conference is over. And as an orgainzer, it went well! (Heidi here, by the way). Rigby is officially the babywearing capital of the world this week. I have never seen so many baby carriers in such concentration! You all are making babywearing SO beautiful. (And all you wrappers are AWESOME!!)

Photos will be coming as soon as we get them. We have professional photographers roaming the grounds we will be posting some of their photos here and links to their websites for you all to purchase what you love.

I have a whole bunch of things to say and not a bunch of time right at the moment. But I want to say right now that one of my favorite things so far has been watching people who have never met one another or who haven't seen one another since the last conference shake hands and hug and carry on like old friends. The babywearing community is amazing.

Kelly Mason from Kozy Carrier gave a great talk to end the day. I will be back later with some comments on that. And I had several people come up to me and tell me that even if they came all the way to Idaho and only took the one class that they took today, it would be totally worth it. That is what this conference is all about.

I shall be back!

--Heidi

The conference is HERE!

2010-06-06T15:32:00.002-06:00

June 9-12th, Rigby will be the babywearing capital of the world!

Want to come? It's free and it's going to be great! Check out the official conference site and register online. It's easy and there's something for everyone.

If you don't want to register, come at 2:30 each day (Wed, Thrus, Fri) and attend our all conference sessions. You don't need to be registered or even attend the conference to come. Keynote Kelley Mason and Family will be speaking on how babywearing has affected their family on Wednesday. On Thursday a panel of medical professions will be answering questions regarding babywearing from a medical perspective. And on Friday babywearing expert M'Liss Stelzer will be doing a special presentation that is sure to be very informative and interesting.

On Saturday come to Rigby days and walk in the parade with us! Or, watch and cheer!

Rexburg babywearing meeting!

2010-05-25T22:10:00.001-06:00

Elizabeth Sant is hosting the Rexburg babywearers group meeting this Wednesday (the 26th) at 3pm in her home (460 W 7th S Wagon Wheel apartment #2). Please feel free to come and learn. You do not need to have a carrier to come, there are carriers to try out and practice with at the meetings. Contact Elizabeth Sant at 569-2257 or email at sant.elizabeth@gmail.com Hope to see you there!

Rexburg babywearing meeting!

2010-04-27T16:33:00.002-06:00

REXBURG "IDAHO BABYWEARERS" MEETING
Elizabeth Sant is hosting the Rexburg babywearers group meeting this Wednesday (the 28th) at 3pm in her home (460 W 7th S Wagon Wheel apartment #2). Please feel free to come and learn. There will be carriers there that you can try on and learn about. Rexburg meetings will be every 4th Wednesday at 3:00pm. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to have a carrier to come, there are carriers to try out and practice with at the meetings. Contact Elizabeth Sant at 569-2257 or email at sant.elizabeth@gmail.com

Sharing Babywearing Love!

2010-04-26T09:54:00.005-06:00

Check out the fun website Babywearingvideos from one of the IBC attendees. She also has a super cute babywearing cartoon she made with her husband:

The Obtuse

The Obtuse © 2010 Slingers

We are so excited to have Jami attend the Conference and look forward to sharing more of the babywearing love with all of the attendees.

If you have a website, cartoon or blog that you would like us to showcase here on our own blog, feel free to comment below or send me an e-mail cnm1230@msn.com and we'd love to get it up!

New Babywearing Meetings! Idaho Falls and Rexburg

2010-04-17T23:30:00.002-06:00

We have new babywearing meeting locations in Idaho Falls and Rexburg.

Idaho Falls meetings will be held every 3rd Thursday at 1:00pm at Karianne Perrenoud's home (2314 Louise Ln). They start this month. That's this Thursday April 22! Click here for a map.

Rexburg meetings will be every 4th Wednesday of the month at 3:00 pm. The first meeting will be this Month, April 28th. Location to be announced. The time may be subject to change.

We Need Volunteers!

2010-04-13T23:35:00.002-06:00

As the IBC is quickly approaching, we need volunteers to help make things run as smooth as possible during this exciting event!

Not only will you receive a goodie bag complete with a snazzy volunteer badge to make you look super official amongst Conference attendees, you'll be able to use a walkie talkie with your own call name (Kimber already called "Gizmo" as her name), AND a free ticket of your choice for either the dutch oven dinner or rodeo for putting in 4 or more hours.

So, what does an IBC volunteer do, exactly? Good question. We'll need the most help during the registration frenzy, runners, swapping places with others throughout the day while organziers or fellow volunteers attend their classes they registered for, etc.... Babywearing experience is nice but not required.

We'll be having a lot of people unfamiliar with our small town so you may just need to simply point people in the right direction or offer recommendations for local eateries (doesn't that sound fancy?!).

More details will be forthcoming, but for now, feel free to e-mail me (it's Natalie...I haven't figured out a cool codename yet) at cnm1230@msn.com with your name, phone number and e-mail. If you have a preference for helping in a specific location or time, we will definitely try to make it work!

This will be a lot of fun and it's exciting seeing all of this unfold as we steadily draw nearer to the Conference!

Babywearing meeting!

2010-04-12T20:28:00.003-06:00

Tuesday April 13th at 9:30 is our next meeting! Come one come all. Bring you babies, bring your friends, you can even bring your dog if you feel so inclined. We'd love to have you. Learn to wear your baby or toddler (or dog), safely, correctly, and comfortably. Click here to go to the post with directions to the meeting.

We are working on setting up a group in Idaho Falls and Rexburg. They should be up and running by next month. Check back at the blog for updates.

Photo shoot!

2010-03-25T19:38:00.002-06:00

Have you seen all the beautiful photos on this blog and on the international babywearing conference website? You and your baby can be in some of them! We need more models to take pictures of the carriers that have been donated to us. There is no monentary compensation- but you will get a digital copy of the pictures that are taken (and they are just gorgeous).

We are having a babywearing photo shoot this Saturday March 27th at 3:00pm. We are meeting in Idaho Falls in the temple parking lot by the church building. Come and bring your friends!

Babywearing is safe!

2010-03-10T14:47:00.005-07:00

But bag style slings, like the infantino slingrider are not! I was happy to see an article posted about it. You can read that article here at cbs news
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/09/national/main6282437.shtml

Here is an article about bag slings that was sent to Infantino, the government and safety commisions a few years ago.

As with anything in life you need to know how to use baby carriers correctly. Ring slings and pouches can also be dangerous if you don't know how to position your baby correctly. click here for a great article on correct positioning for the safety & comfort of your newborn.

If you are new to babywearing find a friend or a local babywearing group to help you find the right carrier for you and your baby. Learn how to use it safely and correctly. If you live in Southeast Idaho come to one of our babywearing meetings. We meet monthly- In Rigby we meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 9:30. In Ashton the meetings are every 4th Tuesday at 9:30am. We welcome anyone and everyone. The meetings are free- plus we have a lending library so you can try out different carriers to see what suits you best. click here for directions to the Rigby meetings.

Also the international babywearing conference is coming to Rigby in June (hurray). Classes are free- register today! go to http://www.internationalbabywearingconference.com/ for more information.

Upcoming Events!

2010-03-10T13:59:00.004-07:00

March 22nd--Ashton branch of Idaho Babywearers monthy meeting. 9:30am at The Royal Station--406 Main Street, Ashton. Questions can be directed at Heidi--652-0117.

April 10--Baby Spring Fling sponsored by BirthNetwork of Idaho Falls. Come visit our booth while you are there!

June 9-12--3rd Bi-Annual International Babywearing Conference right here in Rigby Idaho! Registration is open and filling up fast! We are also looking for local volunteers. Anyone who voluneers four or more hours will get a free ticket to the Family Dinner on Thurday evening OR a free ticket to the rodeo on Friday night! Come help and meet babywearers from around the world!

We love babywearing!

Beautiful ethnic babywearing photos

2010-01-24T21:57:00.002-07:00

One of my facebook friends shared this flickr slide show. It is beautiful beyond words.

The beauty and convenience of babywearing has no cultural boundaries.

Directions to the Rigby babywearers meeting

2010-01-03T22:48:00.004-07:00

For everyone that wants to come to the Southeast Idaho babywearers meeting in Rigby, but have no idea where 455 claremore dr is- you are in luck because here are some directions for you.

If you are coming from the Idaho Falls area- hop onto highway 20, and take the first Rigby exit. Take a left onto highway 48 (1st south) at the light by subway. Go down highway 48 until you see claremore dr on your left. Turn left onto Claremore dr and follow the road around and 455 is on your right. NOTE: I believe that the sign for claremore was removed during construction- so if that is the case what you need to do is look for the red brick church that is at the corner of highway 48 and 3rd west. After the church is church street, (which you can access claremore dr from, you just take a left onto church, then a right onto claremore) and the very next street is claremore. It is a small street, so keep an eye out for it. You can see mapquest directions here.

If you are coming from the Rexburg area- hop onto highway 20, and take the Rigby exit and take a right. Follow the road as it curves down main street. At the light take a left onto state street. At the next light take a right down highway 48 (first south). Go down highway 48 until you see claremore dr on your left. Turn left onto Claremore dr and follow the road around. My house #455 is on the right. NOTE: the sign for Claremore dr was removed during construction, and I don't think that it has been put back up yet. If that is the case what you need to do is to look for the red brick church that is at the corner of highway 48 and 3rd west. The first street after the church is church street, (which you can access claremore dr from, just take a left onto church, then a right onto claremore) and the very next street is claremore. It is a small street so keep an eye out for it. You can see mapquest directions here

If you still aren't sure how to get there- or are driving and get lost, but happen to have a cell phone on you, just give me a call at 745-1497 or 360-2299 (my cell) and I will do my best to guide you.

Our first meeting is January 12th at 9:30- hope to see you there!

Regular meetings start in January 2010!

2009-12-18T17:00:00.004-07:00

We've been working on getting regular meetings going again. And now we have some new leaders and a schedule!

RIGBY:
2nd Tuesday of the month 9:30 AM
455 Claremore Drive
Marie 208-745-9092 and Angela 208-360-2299

ASHTON:
4th Monday of the Month 9:30 AM
The Royal Station
406 Main Street
Heidi 208-652-0117

We're planning to start a Teton Valley meeting in the spring.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in coming, spread the word!

And if you or anyone you know might be interested in starting a meeting in your area, let us know.

Happy Babywearing!

Put a Sling On

2009-12-07T17:44:00.003-07:00

Enjoy

The 2010 Babywearing Website is finally live!

2009-07-29T14:46:00.002-06:00

Check it out!
We still want your help if you are willing.
Businesses, babwearing, local and otherwise, there are tons of ways to help sponsor this conference and get your name out there!
We are still doing photo shoots for the site so holler if you will help us.
See it all here!

Babywearers after the city council meeting

2009-05-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

This just warms my heart to see!

city council meeting part 5

2009-05-10T20:52:00.000-06:00

city council meeting part 4

2009-05-10T20:51:00.000-06:00

city council meeting part 3

2009-05-10T20:50:00.000-06:00

city council meeting part 2

2009-05-10T20:49:00.000-06:00

City council meeting part 1

2009-05-10T20:45:00.000-06:00

We had a great turn out for the city council meeting where we announced the 2010 conference offcially!
Go Babywearers!

Make your own carrier: The finished carrier pt 2

2009-04-23T23:07:00.000-06:00

Beth's Mei Tai

Kimber's pouch

Karma baby pouch

Another satisfied customer!

Make your own carrier! The finished carriers pt 1

2009-04-23T23:05:00.000-06:00

No Sew ring sling from Sleeping Baby

Pouch from Karma Baby

Kimber's lazy seamstress pouch

Sleeping Baby ring sling

Make your own Carrier night April pt 2

2009-04-23T23:03:00.000-06:00

Make your own baby carrier night April!

2009-04-23T23:01:00.000-06:00

Okay, this was a hoot!
Heidi and I ran around like crazy ladies and I think we got 11 carriers finished with 3 nearly finished. Not too shabby!

Melanie and Dawn chatting

Busy seamstresses!

Look at everyone working so hard!

April 23 come to a Baby Carrier making class!

2009-04-12T15:41:00.009-06:00

Here are the details:

April 23 7pm (plan on being here 3 hours and be ready to jump right in)

We will be in the LDS church on the corner of 2nd West and 2nd North. It is a brick building and Rigby Junior High is right in front of it.

Heidi Donnelly (owner of Silly Goose Baby Carriers) and Kimber Tower (owner of Ball Baby Carriers) will be on hand to personally help you make a carrier safely and correctly without losing your mind. Brittany Blackburn (president of Idaho Babywearers) will be doing safety inspections and showing you how to use your carrier when you finish. We will have other members of Idaho Babywearers available to tell you about babywearing and give you any assistance or advice you might need.

We welcome ANYONE who wants to sew a carrier to come. Bring your friends and your family members who want to sew and learn with seasoned professionals!

You will need to bring the following:

A printed out copy of the instructions from the baby carrier you want to make. A list of links to patterns will be listed below. We need the instructions so we know how to sew your carrier.

All materials your instructions tell you to bring. IE: fabric, thread, a sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape, iron etc. Don't plan on someone having anything you can use, you need to fend for yourself!

Wear comfy clothes and be ready to have fun!

This won't be a kid friendly event due to the abundance of needles and irons. Please, only bring babies you can wear for the entire event or who won't be able to crawl or walk around for their safety.

*** Some important notes for making carriers:
You MUST use durable fabrics. For example, if you want to make a mei tai you need heavy fabric like a twill or a canvas. You can used a quilters cotton for the decorative parts , but for the actual carrier it must be strong and sturdy. Home dec fabric will work too.

Let me say this again: Quilter's Cotton is a bad call for your carrier. You must have sturdier fabric, at least 7 0z

For ring sling makers, please buy your rings at slingrings.com We will not allow you to complete your carrier with any other kind of rings. Safety first! They ship quickly, are light weight and are worth every penny.

Here is a list of links to FREE baby carrier patterns. Remember, these patterns are given as a gift to you and you CANNOT use the patterns to make baby carriers to sell or for any kind of profit. These are only for do it yourself projects or flat out gifts.

Maya Wrap Ring Sling Pattern

The Sling-A-Ma-Bob (a hot dog style ring sling)

The Karma Baby Pouch pattern (Stacey is okay with quilter's cotton doubled up for her pattern, it's your call):

Upmama Adjustable baby pouch hybrid (easy and very nice to have a hybrid!):

A multitude of different types of baby carrier patterns, including the Sleeping Baby style ring sling (in my opinion the comfiest type of ring sling) and the Ball Baby mei tai pattern. Most of these are very easy to sew:

Beth's Mei Tai (this thing is great!):

The Scandi Mei Tai (wicked fun to sew)

Okay, if you find another pattern you want to use, let us know so we can familiarize ourselves with it.

This is a going to be a really really fun night and we hope a ton of you come out to make a carrier.

Remember, anyone is invited to attend if they want to make a carrier! You don't have to be from Idaho even! Just maybe post a quick comment here or give an email so we know to watch for you!

Announcing the Keynote Speaker for the 2010 International Babywearing Conference

2009-04-08T15:27:00.002-06:00

We are thrilled to announce that KELLEY MASON will be our keynote speaker!

Kelley is a babywearing pioneer, owner of the Kozy mei tai carrier (the Gold Standard of baby carriers) and a loving mama to 4 and one on the way and wife to Charlie! She is also the gal you see on the "Tummy 2 Tummy" babywearing instructional dvd teaching the abc section.

Kelley will be talking about the impact of babywearing on her family.

She and Charlie will also be teaching classes at the conference.

We are honored to have them!

Go to Kelley's site HERE to learn more about her!

THE conference logo

2009-03-26T21:28:00.001-06:00

Do you love it or what?
Thank you to Drew Harris (and his lovely model/slavedriver Marie) for creating this. It is perfect!

Who wants another sewing class?

2009-02-27T00:30:00.001-07:00

I think we should hold another diy carrier class! Anyone up for that? What kind of carrier do you want to make? Or should we all make whatever we want?

Reminder: La Leche League Meeting for babywearing tomorrow!

2009-02-23T15:59:00.003-07:00

So, we should go.

If you want the address, email and we'll send it to you.

7pm in Idaho Falls
Bring babies and carriers
It will be fun!

Meetings! Meetings! Meetings!

2009-02-19T18:39:00.004-07:00

Okay, here we go:

This Saturday 9am at Natalies house (email us for directions). This is a planning meeting for the 2010 conference. We'll go over what we have finished and talk about what we need to be doing next, hand out more monthly assignments, etc... If this can be as kid free as possible, that would be a bonus, but do what you can, we understand. If you want to be involved in the conference in any way, we welcome you! Please come and Britt will give you some slave work to do!

Next week on the 24th there will be a Babywearing Night at a La Leche League meeting in Idaho Falls. We are welcome to attend, but NOT as Idaho Babywearers, only as bwing people. Mamas, Daddies and kiddos are welcome. Might be fun to go and meet new people... and it is kind of LLL to invite us as individuals.

Okay, that's all the meetings so far. Hope to see all of you!

Idaho Babywearing Conference 2010 February Info so far...

2009-02-13T12:55:00.001-07:00

Kimber here. I will be posting this on thebabywearer.com shortly. Please please, go post at the babywearer if you are involved in the planning of this conference so people there can get to know your name.

Anyhow...

Britt is out of town, but she did give me permission to post this.

*** First off, if you are in Idaho, particularly SE Idaho, we welcome anyone wo wants to help. Please check the bwing blog (I'll put it in my siggy in a sec) and get in touch with us.

Now, on to the nitty gritty so far:

Who: Idaho Babywearing Conference 2010 (that is our organizations name and we have out tax exempt crap going right now)

What: A family babywearing conference (more on the family part in a bit) with an expo at the end (more on that too)

When: The 2nd week of June, Wed-Sat (hold on, I'm giving reasons in a sec)

Where: Rigby, Idaho (seriously hold on!)

Why: Okay... here we go.
This is the general plan for the conference.

Tues will not be a class day, BUT we are going to put on a Yellowstone Nat Park babywearing day for all the families. You don't have to go with us, but we bet we'll get a good group rate. This will be great time to bw together, go on a great family trip. socialize and hugely promote the bwing love! We will be photographing and blogging this as fast as we can upload to our computers.

Wed-Fri there will be classes from 9am-4pm with a larger either speaker as the last class or a group round table class. So, smaller classes earlier on, big class at the end. We will also be opening up certain classes to medical professionals, professional midwives, pediatricians, nurses, childbirth educators, doulas, etc at a different rate in order to enlighten the medical community both locally and not so much local. I promise, we will be posting more on classes later on, so fear not.

All late afternoons/evenings we will be hosting cheap to free family activities at different places that a nearby. A few we are working on (but we are not commiting to any of these just yet): Bearworld, Heise Hot Springs, a rodeo... there are more, but these just pop to my mind right now.

Saturday will be a great day for advocacy. Here in Rigby we have Stampede days the same week as the conference (we're doing this on purpose!). about 6000 people will be coming for the morning parade. This is a traditional small town parade, right down to the tractors and ponies. Bring a bag, because we throw a lot of candy to the kids! Our (well my first and now everyone's, lol) dream is this: At the beginning of the parade, all the conference members walk the route (it's not that long, promise) whilst wearing their babies. The news will be there of course (they are every year). We can hand out literature and so on. Think of the sight of a hundred (my personal wish is for 100) bwing families walking together, united in bwing. Seriously I get so excited just thinking about it. Think of the chance to make that impact on thousands of people!

Right after the parade is the fair/carnival at the city park down the street. Vendors, this is your place. The fee will be through the city most likely (no promises yet) and will be $25-$50. We're still working on that as needing tables and such will make it closer to $50,but still, I believe that is an okay price for a vendor. Again, the news will be there, there will be music, all sorts of fun family activites going on and then you go home.

We know there will be some arguments, here are out responses so far.

Date. We know. We know. We have been agonizing. We even asked the city if they would be willing to push back Stampede Days and shockingly, they didn't laugh at us. But, it was a no go, and we feel strongly that the opportunity to show thousands of people babywearing (plus the thousands more who will come when we're done beating the news to death with the BIG story of the conference coming here) is just too important. Also, if we work around the city schedule, it will be cheaper for the vendors and that is key if we are to have vendors at all. We are sorry, truly, but we have to stick to that week.

Location. We know again. Rigby. But... here's the deal. We can put on a cheaper conference if it is literally in our backyard. That translates into cheaper for vendors, for attendees... Idaho is going to be more expensive to travel too no matter what, but if we keep the cost down in attendance and such, we hope it won't be too prohibitive. Also, we are aching to show so many of you our beautiful tiny town! (But we are a bit afraid you won't leave once you find it...) Another reason, we will be able to work very closely with the city government, local businesses and local law enforcement for a few reasons: We know them, we're married to them, we are them! This makes our planning easier and the city more hospitable for you. Finally, because this town is going to make all of you feel like rockstars. This is a big deal and people are already thrilled that you are coming. They plan to put on their purty dresses, curl their hair and put in their teeth!

Travel. Yes, it won't be as easy as a big city. I suggest renting a car if you are willing to drive. Or, rent a car after you get off your plain. We live in the west and public transportation isn't really common here. We're asking around, but we're giving a heads up now that a car should be in your plan. However, when you get to the conference, you will be able to park for FREE and walk everywhere you need to go for the day. Food places are within walking distance, the grocery store, fabric and craft stores, realtors (I kid, kinda), parks, our houses. All walking distance.

Family aspect. Okay, this is a biggie to us. For a lot of you, it sounds like this NEEDS to be a family deal. We love that. While you are in class, we plan to have a list of fun cheap or free things to do. Golfing, fishing, swimming, parks, zoos... We are family oriented and we want this to be a family friendly affair. For the menfolk, we are working on some fishing guides, because this really is the best fishing!

Lodging. there are a ton of hotels nearby and we are working on discounts for you. Also, there are several great campgrounds, one at Rigby Lake which is lovely and not too expensive. We strongly urge you to get in touch with your inner mountain woman/man and enjoy the outdoors!

Conference cost. We are working on the price of where the confernce will be and honestly, that will make the biggest impact on price. (Another bonus to hosting here in Rigby is that the cost will be lower than at a lot of bigger places). We are shooting for less than I spend on groceries in a month and if you know me, that is CHEAP. We will keep you updated on that.

I need special things type requests. We love ya'll, we do. But, here's the deal. To keep conference costs low, we will not be doing any sort of special catering. For Real. We will be handicap accessible of course, but that is where it has to end. We are sorry, but we have to draw that line in the sand right this second so we don't get overwhelmed down the road. We hope you are cool with that.

So, there you have it. What we have to show so far. We are having monthly inperson meetings, we are moving along and we are excited.

More in the next threads.

Meeting next Saturday!

2009-02-11T17:58:00.002-07:00

Yes, it is V day this week and my hubby and I are going on a date in the morning and Britt is out of town, so next week!

Here is your important info:

10:30am at the Sugar Mill just past Rigby
We will be doing an update meeting about Idaho Babywearers presidency (we need to get that wrapped up!) and just general bwinr.g.

Now, if you are interested in learning about or being involved in the 3rd International Babywearing Conference, please come to the planning meeting that same day at 9am. Address will be posted later. Those of us with assignments, we need to finish them by that time (note to self!).

The conference is going to be awesome and we really want anyone who wants to help to come and be involved!

See you next week and happy V day!

First Meeting!!!!

2009-01-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today was our first meeting for the June 2010 International Babywearing Conference! Can you feel our excitement?! :) If you'd like to volunteer your time, resources, or support feel free to email us and we'll scoop you right up! It's going to be a crazy fun week - but we want to be all planned and ready for it early so we aren't scrambling at the last minute. We can't WAIT! :)

Meeting at Kimber's!

2009-01-09T22:33:00.003-07:00

Well, sorry for the short notice, but if there are any night owls or early birds out there, our monthly meeting will be held at the home of Kimber, where she's nursing a broken tailbone and can only travel so far before screaming pain occurs.

It will also be a little earlier at 9:00 instead of the regular 10:00 meeting.

Reasons: (because I need them anytime times change for an earlier showing)

~Brainstorming on International Babywearing Conference 2010 in Idaho
~Allowing us gab time before the Sugar Mill opens in case they want us to demo later
~Kiddies are a bit happier at that time
~Kimber broke her tailbone and that's the time she said, so there!

If you didn't get a chance to make it, don't sweat it though we may shun you for awhile. ;) We'll post the outcome, and hopefully Brittany will be taking some pics of us in all our morning glory so you can see WHY you missed out!

Happy Babywearing!

Another Meeting Saturday!

2009-01-06T18:26:00.001-07:00

10:30 AM
Will post the location later. Please post a comment if you are coming, not coming, whatever.

We need to talk about this babywearing conference stuff!

MEETING Jan 6th! Important!

2009-01-05T18:02:00.003-07:00

So, we're meeting at 7pm at Natalie's house

358 West 2nd North in Rigby

Muy Importante to attendo. Pleaso. (I ran out of spanish, sorry.)

We are discussing the 2010 babywearing conference, whether or not we CAN do it, we WANT to do it etc. We need every single voice on this one. Please show up.

We will also roll around in a pile of carriers for funsies.

Be there!

Call us for directions.