Infantino Slings Recalled

Here's a link to the NYTimes article about the recent recall on Infantino slings. Slings have gotten a lot of bad press in the last 2 weeks, so here's what you need to know:

• Wear a baby younger than 4 months in the Upright Inward-Facing, Tummy to Tummy position
• Do NOT carry baby in the "Cradle Carry" position any longer! This is the "risky" position according to all these reports.
• Make sure NOTHING covers the baby nose & mouth, like the sling fabric, clothing, or anything else or the baby could suffocate in 2 minutes.
• Be sure you can SEE your baby's nose & mouth
• Make sure the baby's head is not bent forwards towards his/ her chest because this can impede airflow & breathing.

If you are feeling anxious, then wait until your baby has good head control and start using the sling later (3 - 4 months old) and I assure you that you'll love it and get a lot of use out of it! Just read our reviews at www.thebabywearer.com

Fabrics Posted to Stylish Section of Website / new Hat combos

The new fabrics are posted to the Stylish Print BABY SLING section of the website. Next, we'll making hat samples and photographing them, then posting them to the REVERSIBLE HAT section. The combos I'm planning for hats are:
KYOTO FLORAL / CURRY (browns, russet, peach, pink, light olive, gold accents)
FANS/ MANDALA (pastels, light avocado, khaki, tan, white, lilac)
RED IKAT / RED ROSES (bold reds, magentas, hot pinks, accents of kelly green)
LOTUS / WATER LILY (pink, aqua blues)
JADE FLORAL: will go with Ocean Folio, Grey Petals, Lotus, and more
HYACINTH / RED ROSES: fun contemporary floral with red roses reverse (can also be paired with Water Lily)

New Spring Fabrics for Hats & Slings April 2010

Here are thumbnails of the new prints we're working with for spring/ summer of 2010. You can mix & match with solid colors, and I will take requests! Also, Pine-Blue Blossom, a long-time favorite is no longer available and Grey Petals has been discontinued, so for hats, Ocean Folio & Luna Floral will get new fabrics for the reverse side.

I'm still looking for a great Black & White print for adult hats.

Warning Issued on Using Sling Carriers for Babies Under 4 Months of Age

Reposting from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Parents should take extra care when using sling carriers for infants younger than 4 months of age, according to a warning issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The group is investigating 14 infant deaths associated with the slings over the past 20 years.

The CPSC says the slings pose a suffocation hazard to young infants who cannot yet control their head and neck movements, especially those who are frail or have breathing problems.

If parents choose to use a carrier sling, they should make sure their child's face is visible at all times, according to the CPSC. The group's press release includes diagrams showing the right and wrong ways to use the slings.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release

Are slings safe?

In the last couple days there have been a few articles in the New York Times and The Huffington Post regarding the safety and pervasive popularity of slings and other soft baby carriers.  From what I understand, there is some concern about the possibility of very young infants suffocating in the "Cradle Carry" position if their head bends too far forward, obstructing airflow when they breathe and also there is risk of fabric falling over the baby's face, but not so much in an Upright Tummy to Tummy position. We have had this warning on our website for the last few years.

I personally prefer the Upright Tummy to Tummy position anyway. I find it much easier to do and the babies seem more comfortable. The baby's head is right on your chest where you can monitor their breathing very easily and it is less likely for anything to obstruct the baby's face. If you're a really nervous parent, then wait until your baby is holding his or head up, and then start using the sling, probably around 3 -4 months of age. Certainly the risk of suffocation would seem to be minimal for an older baby that can sit up on her own in a Hip Carry position or a Forward Facing Kangaroo Carry position.

It seems to me a bit extreme to claim that all babies now need to be pushed exclusively in strollers for their safety. That would be like saying all babies ought to be born by C-section because it is safer and we can control the risk scenario better. (Not a statement I agree with, by the way, having safely home-birthed two children.)

Obviously, for 99.9% of  modern history (50,000 years and counting), strollers didn't even exist and mothers had to carry their babies somehow. And I bet plenty of rural and poor mothers around the world don't have money for strollers nor would a stroller make sense in those environments, so let's not start demonizing all babywearing!

My advice? As always, use common sense, be aware and watchful, and avoid the "cradle carry" position just to be safe. You can still breastfeed the baby in the sling, but when you're done, put the baby in the upright inward-facing position, re-tighten the sling, and make sure the baby's head isn't bent forward. No reason to throw the baby out with the babycarrier, so to speak.

If you're too nervous to buy a sling, you can always check out our fabulous sun hats! I never heard of a hat accident or recall!

The Baby Wearer Reviews

Many of you are finding us via our amazing reviews on www.TheBabyWearer.com. I would be greatly appreciative if you would take a moment to add a new review of your own so there are some recent posts there! Thanks so much!

And of course, please post on your favorite parenting blogs, yahoo groups, websites, Facebook page, Twitter accounts, etc.! It all helps!

Organic Cotton

I have found organic cotton I could use for slings. Would you be willing to pay a premium for organic cotton? They'd probably cost about $118 and you could pick an accent fabric if you wanted one. It comes in black and a natural (which is kind of boring, to be honest, and would show stains, BUT - it would probably be cooler than solid black if you're in a hot climate).

New Fabrics ORDERED!

Despite my own private budget crisis, I have ordered more OCEAN FOLIO and LUNA FLORAL for slings (and matching hats). Unfortunately, PINE-BLUE BLOSSOM is out of print. Too bad, that was a popular one.

I also ordered a bunch of other cool fun prints that will make fabulous reversible hats and accents for slings. If you're a person who likes fashion adventure, you might even be willing to wear these crazy prints as an entire sling. Look for these new items to be posted in 2 - 4 weeks.

Bringing back popular prints, adding new ones

I've realized I've been remiss in updating the Stylish Prints of our sling category. I'm re-ordering Ocean Folio, Pine-Blue Blossom, Mocca, Luna Floral as well as hopefully some other fun prints for hats & slings & sling accents. Here is a sneak preview of some of the items I'm thinking about. Would love to know what you all think.