Ergo Baby Carrier Review

Next to  nursing, nothing calms a fussy baby faster than being held safely in the arms of a loving care giver.  In fact, according to Jean Liedloff, author of The Continuum Concept; babies are born expecting some form of human contact almost constantly until the reach the crawling stage.  Of course, their expectations don't stop there but may be suspended momentarily while exploring a little of their environment.  Now, I'm a small woman and both of my sons were almost 25% of my body weight before spending more of their time exploring than in-arms.  I would not have been able to offer my children the in-arms experience they desired without my one indispensable baby necessity: the Ergo Baby Carrier.

First the eco-points:

• The Ergo Baby Carrier is made of all natural cotton, and available in organic cotton as well.
• (Unlike strollers which are made of plastic, metal or other resorce intensive materials.)
• The Ergo Baby Carrier is of a high quality which is able to be passed for use with multiple children.
• With the Ergo Baby Carrier you can take your baby along with you on earth friendly activities such as hiking and camping.
• The Ergo Baby Carrier makes it easy to keep your baby with you during daily activities such as doing dishes or folding laundry which reduces the need for costly baby entertainment toys such as bouncing gyms and swings.

Now the mama baby benefits:

• Babywearing reduces stress on the baby which reduces stress on the mamma, (or daddy, or other caregiver.)
• Baby's who spend much of their time in arms naturally feel more included in the rhythms of their environment which creates for them a sense of being included and respected. (my own observation)
• Children who have enjoyed the benefit of babywearing may learn to talk sooner, according to Dr. Sears; The Baby Book.
• Baby's who experience emotional stability in infancy by being held in-arms instead of being left to cry for long periods of time may have a more stabile emotional center throughout life.  (Based on the theory that our bio-chemistry patterns are set up early in our childhood.)
• In-arms is a safe place for baby to be, especially during the crawling stage or in unfamilliar surroundings.
• There is no more  stimulating or interesting pattern for baby to look at than the face of a loving parent or caregiver.
• Daily weight bearing activity (not milk) builds strong bones.  (Got Ergo?)

I could go on and on with the benefits of babywearing (and please leave your own observations in the comments section!) but getting back to the Ergo, I have personally used the Maya Wrap, a wrap sling, the Snugli, and the Kelty Carrier.  They all have their good points: the Maya wrap is great, but not ergonomic and did hurt my shoulders when the kids got over 15 lbs., the Snugli was great for my husband so the baby could face out but only good up to 20lbs or so, the Kelty is great for my husband to go on hikes with an older child in the pack, but absolutely nothing was ever as comfortable as my Ergo Baby Carrier.  Husbands can wear the Ergo Baby Carrier too as it's adjustable for any body type. I wore both of my sons in it from the day they were born until ... well Micah was 2 years old and would fall asleep in the car during errands and I would take him out and put him in the Ergo on my back and continue with my day; Meric is 16 months old and still goes in it every time we go into any place that I don't want him running around. 

Where to buy:
Ergo Baby Carrier at Baby-Wise
Ergo Baby Carrier at Buy.com

I hope this review of the Ergo Baby Carrier has helped you look forward to spending a lot of time holding your baby, or find a gift for an expectant mom!  Either way, thanks for reading and please share your experiences in babywearing below!

Review: Organic Cotton Fireside Throw by Gaiam

Every milestone of independance in my young son's life has been marked with a symbolic gift of sorts.  When he learned to "go potty" we got him a "potty-train" (it was a wooden Diesel from the Thomas and friends set).   When he weaned himself from breastmilk to almond milk, we bought him a snuggle toy (a soft baby giraffe).

So when he was ready to sleep in his own room and bed, I wanted to give him a special blanket that would comfort him and keep him warm and cozy.  I didn't know exactly where to look, but I knew that it had to be just the right size for a three year old, made from organically grown cotton, a soothing color and ultra sweetly soft.

Thats when I discovered the Organic Cotton Fireside Throw from Gaiam. It's name evokes a well deserved romantic self-indulgence, however you mom's will buy one for your kid first and use it as an extra reason to snuggle them to sleep at night.  My husband is the first to covet it for TV time if we  leave one in the living room, although at 6 feet tall it's still just a throw for him.  For a small child however, whose just moving into the big boy world of his first single bed, the Organic Cotton Fireside Throw is plenty roomy enough for nightly slumber.

Micah has been sleeping in his own bed for a year or so now, every night with a rotating snuggle buddy and his special blanket.  I recently got myself one to help lure me out of bed for early morning meditation... "Okay, I'll get up... if I can bring the blanket."    So far it has worked like a charm!

More organic bedding by Gaiam can be found in their Eco-Living section.  My family also enjoys their organic sheets, various pillows, pillow cases and comforters; drop me a line if you have any questions about those!

Caring for baby’s clothes naturally with Kleen Free enzyme cleaner…

When purchasing clothing for babies, every mother knows: buy big.  Babies grow so fast that they might only wear certain sizes for a few months before they are grown out of them.  I always buy my boys clothes in the next size up.  When wearing natural fibers such as cotton, buying a little big helps account for some shrinkage.  Also, rolling up sleeves and pant legs a little means that the garment's use is extended for you when you roll them down again after a growth spurt. 

Now, if you shop for kids clothes at American Apparel online (or in store if you live on the west coast) you might think you are buying big, only to realize when you receive your gear that they look small already without even being washed yet!  American Apparel runs almost 2 sizes small on some of their cuts, especially after washing.  I just bought my 4 year old, who wears a size 4 in most clothing, an AP size 6 that looks really small to me.   I discovered American Apparel on my recent week long research project to find out where our clothing is made and by whom and do they enjoy basic human rights?  As for American Apparel, their garments are made in downtown Los Angeles, by mostly Guatemalan immigrants, and yes.

Having to buy clothing for the kids is new to me as we've enjoyed immaculate hand-me-downs for the past 4 years.  I learned something valuable from this experience too, kids are messy!  The clothing I received was all well cared for and stain free.  My girlfriend told me that these clothes had been through at least two children already, some of them many more and yet they were all still very clean.  Because of this, I developed an erroneous observation, and very bad habit:  I never bothered to put a bib on my first child!  Now many of those shirts and pants are dotted with avocado bits, speckled with blueberry juice and mushed with banana mash.  Now, the next child to inherit them will always look like he's already had his breakfast.  Luckily the next mom can't complain because she's me, and the next baby is my second son. 

My second son is now the fourth and sometimes the sixth child to wear this round of hand-me-downs and I'm getting better at taking care of the clothing that I inherit as well as the clothing that I buy new.  Trust me, once you've spent a week researching the ethics of a company, waiting for calls back from their P.R. rep, explaining to your husband why they cost so much more, checking ebay and craigslist for used versions and finally deciding on sizes and colors before ordering online... you begin to take better care of your "investments."

Children's clothing is transient.  Your baby may wear a garment for about 3 months, then it will be "new" again to a succession of other children until it has become unwearable by someone's standards and gets thrown out.  This could literally be 10 or more kids!  This past year I passed on my baby's very elaborate newborn organic layette, it's already finding it's third home and in excellent condition. 

So, I'll tell you my secret: enzyme cleaner.  I use Kleen-Free Enzyme cleaner in a spray bottle on every spill and spot they get.  This stuff is a must in any house with kids or pets.  It comes in various size bottles but the gallon is the most economical as it is highly concentrated.  It takes me almost 9 months to get through a gallon using it for everyday cleaning and laundry.  It's an enzyme the "eats" protein.  They sell it for lice, bedbugs and other tiny-crawly things, but we use it for food stains and all household cleaning.  The gallon is about $70 with shipping and worth every penny. 

My eco-tip for the day is: Take good care of your children's clothing as these garments will have a long and adventerous life with many children in many homes when your little ones have outgrown them.  After all, re-use is one of the 3 R's!

Butting In For Child Safety (spreading the word on BPA)

It was a classic "eve-moment" in the baby isle of the grocery store.  An unsuspecting mother-to-be, heavy with child, anticipation and protective instinct holds a sippy cup in her had with intent to purchase in preparedness for her unborn...

"Excuse me," I always begin, knowing that my interjection could punture her trusting world view "have you heard about the recent research on plastics containing BPA?  Those sippy cups you're holding were the poster-product of the recall suggestion. (They were Nuby brand.)"  Experience has prepared me for a range of responses at this point.  While most mothers are happy to hear information pertaining to the direct safety of thier child, another common response annoyance at my interuptive, know-it-all attitude. 

"No, I haven't.  What's BPA?" Relieved to have a receptive audience, I begin my discourse on the harmful affects of Bisphenol-A, along with suggestions of BPA free products that can be found in the same isle.  On this occasion, the encounter ended with me escorting this pregnant woman across the store to the sporting goods isle to show her the Thermos brand stainless steel sippy cups called Foogo (read product review).

There are many informative and detailed blogs about BPA.  The summary is that BPA is an estrogen disruptor.  It's use is banned in Europe and Canada but it is still currently being used in the US.  BPA is found in #7 plastics (polycarbonate), canned food and some plastic toys.  Polycarbonate water bottles including the popluar Nalgene bottles made prior to year 2008 contain BPA.   Some baby bottles and formula can liners contain BPA.  Actually, the liners of most canned foods contain BPA.

Vitamix containers made prior to 2008 contain BPA, although the company has begun selling new containers that are BPA free (called the Tritan) and are available for sale through the company's website for about $150. 

As in the case of BPA, I wonder how many other toxins will be finally exposed in the media as being harmful to humans after we have been exposed to them for many years already.  For this reason, I feel compelled to interupt pregnant mothers during the joyful project of making a shower registry, to let them know that there is sometimes a safer alternative. 

My eco tip for the day is: Speak out.  I happen to know a little bit of useful information.  You might also know things that can help others make safer decisions for their children and planet. It's important to remember that information is power.  We can empower ourselves and each other by being open and communicating about the world we have found ourselves in.  So much seems out of our control. Who, exactly is putting toxic chemicals in our children's food, food containers and toys?  Talk to strangers about how we can improve our world.  Start small, like I did that day, with a useful tip to help someone protect their loved ones.  Eventually, the light of truth will make our world transparent!  We can help it along!