Babywearing under attack - is it really safe?

[go_romanovs]

 

Some of you may know that I went to a LaLeche Conference recently to speak on Babywearing safety among other things :). I have so so enjoyed myself! It was as if I died and went to heaven lol - tons of natural parenting mamas with breastfeed babies snuggled in slings, lotsa well-adjusted toddlers and children and respectful and helpful teens :) And I've learned a lot!!  It was just a really nice time to spend with friends and to broaden my horizons :)
I am big on safe babywearing and I am glad I had the opportunity to share what I know with other parents who came to my session. I dunno if you all know about what is going on right now, but the babywearing industry as a whole is under attack now with CPSA threatening to recall them all.  A few manufacturers formed a BCIA (Baby Carrier Industry Alliance) to work on baby carrier standards to be able to continue to offer safe carriers to parents. If you are a babywearing parent, I encourage you to look into what the Alliance is doing and support them  with all you've got (be it monetary, advertising or prayer support if you pray) - it is just crazy, what's going on!.  I won't bore you with too many details but if you are interested, here are the links I shared with the parents who came to my session at the conference.

shared these links with the attending mothers.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10165.html the official warning about sling carriers

http://baby-carrier.blogspot.com/2008/01/draft-babywearing-safety-bag-slings.html a blog about babywearing safety that was available to babywearing parents way before the recalls and before CPSC has issued their warning.

 

articles on proper positioning

 

http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf

http://www.sleepywrap.com/index.php?page=stroller-baby-carrier upright position in a carrier vs horizontal in a stroller

 

http://www.didymos.de/english/index.php?s=sah&t=babys%20anatomie

http://www.hoppediz.de/en/wissenwertes/the-art-of-carrying/wrong-carrying-methods/

http://www.storchenwiege.com/babycarrierresearch.htm 

 

recent events in the babywearing world:

http://babycarrierindustryalliance.memberlodge.org/ Baby Carrier Industry Alliance

 

http://babycarrierindustryalliance.memberlodge.org/Resources/Documents/bcia_white_paper.pdf a blog about babywearing and how BCIA is working towards continued availability of safe carriers to general public  

 

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=436088230753&id=268390162122&ref=mf - call and write your legislators, contacts and sample letters are provided.

 

http://thebabywearer.com/ where babywearers hang :)