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September 27th, 2010

A Year in the Life of an ERGObaby: and Charlize Makes 3

Posted by Leah in A Year in the Life of an ERGObaby | 1 Comment »

After only a short wait, today we can introduce you to our newest ERGObaby who we will be following over the next year. Read all about her dramatic birth and her first outing in her ERGObaby below.

Candice writes: Number 3 has  has arrived and it’s……. another girl!! Jayde (our eldest) said it would be a girl and any boys names suggested got ‘Don’t be silly’ or ‘that’s funny’. She was adamant it would be a girl and her name would be Charlize. She was right.

My first 2 both arrived 4 days late so I thought I had a few weeks up my sleeve to get a car-seat organised and pack my bags. However, 16 days before my estimated due date, Charlize had other plans. Matt got a list of things to bring back to the hospital the next day that I hadn’t packed and also had to go get a car-seat before we went home.

The birth was very dramatic with Charlize making a fast appearance after my waters broke and with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. It felt like an eternity as we waited for that first cry! I stayed in hospital for 4 nights to enjoy the first bonding moments together before heading home to 3 under 3! Total madness!

Things with Charlize are going well. She feeds for what feels like all day, then sleeps pretty well at night with one wake usually between 1.30-3am. Her sisters adore her and every time I put her down for tummy time they have to lay down and talk to her. Miki is very helpful handing me at least 5 nappies at change time and Jayde loves reading with me as I feed.

I was a bit scared about using the ERGObaby the first time around. I had a friend lend me her insert after having Miki and I couldn’t work it out, but the Heart2Heart was so easy to use and she has never stayed awake in it! I love the Galaxy Grey colour and the star embroidery is super funky!

Our first outing was when Charlize was 5 days old and I had to go to the bank and get some groceries. Thankfully Matt was taking the week off work so he had the 2 older ones, so I just had Charlize. I popped her in the Heart2Heart then the ERGO and she was all snug and looked so tiny.

I decided in my freedom to grab morning tea before doing the boring things. We sat down and I drank my hot chocolate (before it turned to a lukewarm chocolate for once) and had a whole muffin to myself (instead of being left with crumbs). Charlize then decided she needed a feed so I kept her wrapped in the Heart2Heart while feeding her, then popped the ERGO straps back over my shoulders and kept going. After waiting in the huge line at the bank and then doing a big shop at Woolworths I felt great! Really feels like you aren’t carrying much weight at all. So there began my baby’s ERGObaby journey.

I was so worried how things would go with 3 girls so close together. Jayde is still a pram lover especially on long shopping trips or the zoo and Miki is only 16 months and does not walk where I want her to yet, (usually the complete opposite direction!) So the ERGObaby is the perfect answer for us: Jayde and Miki go in the pram and Charlize in the ERGO. I’m loving using it on park visits as I can still hold frightened hands to go down the slide or push when they are on the swing.

 

Then the big ERGObaby test, the zoo! I got a yearly membership as I just have to pay for myself as kids are free under 4. We can now go a few times each month as after that initial outlay it’s a free day out. We usually pack a picnic, but as my sister was up from Esperance and it was a last minute thing I just threw some snacks in my nappy bag. The kids had a ball checking out the reptile room. The HUGE crocodile was in its outside area on the grass. The zookeepers were feeding the Orangutans by the time we got there, so they came right up to the glass Charlize slept the whole way through her first zoo trip!

I also bought along my old ERGO and gave it to my sister to try with her 4 month old who also fell asleep once she was in it. They both liked it so much I let her take it home to use. I look forward to going back to our usual zoo trips now that I know I can be comfortable with my hands free if I need to catch a stray child or sit down for lunch.

It’s starting to warm up in Perth so we will be getting out and about more and I look forward to seeing how the ERGObaby goes in the Perth heat.

September 15th, 2010

Calling all Bloggers – help us celebrate Australia and New Zealand Babywearing Week 2010 and WIN cash and great exposure!

Posted by Leah in Australia and New Zealand Babywearing Week | No Comments »

Calling all Bloggers – help us celebrate Australia and New Zealand Babywearing Week  2010 and WIN cash and great exposure!

This year marks the inaugural celebration which runs parallel with International Babywearing Week  from  6 – 12th October. During the weeklong celebration, babywearers – parents carrying their babies and children in slings or carriers – will converge on their local parks, cafes and other meeting points to show the freedom that pram-free parenting can offer.

ANZBW is a BIA initiative that is sponsored by ERGObaby. Participants will be in the running to win up to $1500 worth of cash grants for their chosen community project or charity and a bevy of prizes from ERGObaby.

We invite you to support Aus + NZ Babywearing Week by simply doing what you do best – blogging! Simply tell your readers about the celebrations by writing a post, uploading the ‘I Love Babywearing’ button to your page, and mention that it is a Babes in Arms initiative sponsored by ERGObaby. Feel free to find any creative way to share the news and you could win a $150 cash prize and an ERGObaby carrier to use as a prize on your blog (or just for you!)  if your blog generates the most traffic to our website out of the select group of bloggers (as tracked by Google Analytics).  

As coordinators of Aus + NZ Babywearing Week, Babes in Arms will happily reward any blogger’s efforts by posting a link to your blog on our Facebook page which includes 2300+ fans and Twitter your details.

Thanks for considering helping raise awareness of Babywearing and assist parents to network with other babywearers. Good luck with your blog!

 

Terms and Conditions 
  • Distributors, their staff or relations are not eligible to enter. (Please note, a ‘distributor’ is a company or individual that imports and sells products wholesale to stores and other resellers.)
  • The safe use of baby slings and carriers during any event is essential. Please review the Safe Babywearing tips and the dangers associated with ‘bag style’ slings via our Blog
  • Each host is responsible for complying with any relevant by-laws or government regulations in regards to the gathering of people in public areas.
  • Event title cannot contain any product brand name(s)
  • The ‘I Love Babywearing’ icon cannot be used by distributors of other products
  • Babes in Arms has the right to refuse promotion of sites that host competitors items
  • Please ensure that logos are hyperlinked as followed: BIA – http://www.babesinarms.com.au/ ERGObaby -http://www.babesinarms.com.au/ergobaby/ergo-carriers
 
Disclaimers
  • The views expressed by individual event hosts or participants are not necessarily those held by Babes in Arms, initiators of Australia and New Zealand Babywearing Week Celebrations.
September 14th, 2010

Breeze Baby Colour Styling – WINNER

Posted by Leah in Colour Styling | No Comments »

With summer getting closer and closer, we have been working around the clock to bring some brand new designs and colours to our various carriers and slings for your selection. In mid-August we presented you with a selection of colours that we “could” look at developing for the Breeze Baby sling.  Thank you all for your vote!

Of course we promised to choose one special voter with a set of BabyLegs. So without further ado, the winner is……

Kelly Rusbatch

We will contact you shortly via email, or you can beat us to it and send us your details to: community@babesinarms.com.au with your shipping details and favourite BabyLegs legwarmers.

September 14th, 2010

Design Styling of the Babywearing Kind – WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Posted by Leah in Colour Styling | No Comments »

Towards the end of August we asked all our readers to help us to select the more gender neutral and stylish colours and patterns from a choice of 29 for our upcoming fully adjustable Peanutshell sling. We promised to choose our favourite 3 entries based on comments. They are (in no particular order):

Hilary Garlic Fingers Matney,

Kristie (comment 3 on our blog post), and

Natalie  Gardiner

We will contact you shortly via email, or you can beat us to it and send us your details to: community@babesinarms.com.au with your shipping details and favourite BabyLegs legwarmers.

September 12th, 2010

Australian and New Zealand Babywearing Week Update!

Posted by Leah in Australia and New Zealand Babywearing Week | 2 Comments »

This year marks the inaugural celebration of Australia and New Zealand Babywearing Week which runs parallel with International Babywearing Week  from 6th to 12th October. 

Host a local babywearing celebration together with your friends and have the opportunity to win lots of great prizes, including $1500 (AUD) worth of cash grants to donate to your nominated baby or family-focused community project, charity or group. To find out exactly how to register your event see our past post with all the details here.

Registered events include:

WA – Harvey – Harvey Babywearing Lunch and Walk
NSW – Haberfield, Sydney – ABA Babywearing information meeting
NSW – Hunter Valley, Newcastle – Babywearing picnic
WA – Scarborough Beach – Beachfront Babywearing Walk
NZ – Wellington – picnic and sling walk

Think you have an idea? Register it today and help share the babywearing love!

September 9th, 2010

Traditional Babywearin: Cwtching All The Way!

Posted by Leah in Babywearing Around the World, Wales | 1 Comment »

Today we pick up on our exploration of babywearing styles across the cultures of the world. With so many rich cultures and historic periods to choose from, we took inspiration from a fleeting glance of Catherine Zeta Jones in a magazine and decided to explore Welsh Babywearing.

Wales has a rich babywearing history deeply embedded in their shawl traditions.  Much like the tartans of Scotland, the pure woollen flannel shawls, or siôl magu, with their twisted fringes and varied patterns were available in a variety of patterns depending on your location. 1

Babywearing was often referred to as “cwtch” (pronounced “kootch”) in Wales, which in simple terms (although there is no completely literal translation), can be translated to mean to cuddle your baby close. To do so, a large shawl was procured. This was quite large, but very practical as it kept both mother and baby warm through the harsh British winter.

The traditional carry did not appear to keep bothhands free. Worn over the shoulder, it allowed the full use of the opposite arm and partial use of the second arm and hand. Like all safe babywearing practices, the baby was held high, chin up and visible to the mother at all times. 

Evelyn Hobbs of Tonmawr, Neath, nursing a baby ‘Welsh fashion’, c.1920s 2

 

 

Sketch of Swansea market by E. Hull, 1871 (watercolour) 3

The following video hows the tradition of Welsh Babywearing and demonstrates how the babies weight was used to secure the shawl. 

 

 

References / Acknowledgements

[1]  http://www.davidmorgan.com/welshshawls.htm 

2  http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/large/item/GTJ70605/

3 http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/large/item/GTJ40454

September 7th, 2010

Our MTV Influenced Competition WINNER announced!

Posted by Leah in Competition | 1 Comment »

With so many “Pimp My ERGObaby” entries, it was a mammoth task wading through them all and determining a winner. In fact, in the end, both Anita and Leah were at a stalemate and had to call in one of ERGObaby demonstrators to cast her vote.

The ERGObaby Eco edged past the competition by the scrape of a single hair (well…not really, but you know what we mean). The idea of real bamboo (not to be confused with rayon) and tea tree flakes was quite a development. We also liked the reusable bag that is kept in the zippered compartment and of course the Planet Earth logo (we all grew up watching ABC and “Captain Planet”).  A big congratulations to Laura I!!

A round up of all the entries will soon be published right here for your viewing pleasure. Can’t wait? Head over to the photo album on our Facebook page.

September 6th, 2010

A Year in the Life of an ERGObaby: Tahnee meets ERGO (August)

Posted by Leah in A Year in the Life of an ERGObaby, Parent Testimonials | 1 Comment »

We found out we were pregnant with baby number 5 in August 2009. It was a huge shock as we hadn’t been trying and we were only in our second month of business. Pregnancy, 4 kids and a hotel/pub to run wasn’t easy. Then in May 2010, baby Tahnee was born at my sister in laws house and we came back to the pub when she was a few days old. I’ll admit it was tough, business doesn’t stop just because we have a new baby. We tried using our ERGObaby carrier with her but having an 18 month old who was (and still is) going through the ‘it’s mine’ phase, it was impossible to wear her in it without him tantruming over his precious ERGO. Matt and I had discussed whether we should get another, there was no way I would get a pram because a pram never really worked for us before – we end up carrying the baby and pushing an empty pram around the place – not to mention the fact that we had very little space for a pram in the car.

Then there was the callout for a Year in the Life of an ERGObaby and here we are and Tahnee now has a beautiful organic ERGObaby to call her own. I’ll tell you now that we love our original ERGO, both Matt and I wear it – it’s easy to adjust and we wear it for hours without getting uncomfortable. The only thing I can complain about wearing it is that my darling toddlers just love to play with my hair when they are in a back carry and I end up with huge knots!

So anyway, back to Tahnee’s organic ERGO. I slipped it on for the first time on an outing to the supermarket(which is a whole 88km away from home) and could not stop gushing about how it’s even more comfortable compared to the other one we had, much to Matt’s embarrassment. Yeah, I need to learn to gush quietly. Tahnee snuggled down into it and went to sleep as if she had always been a little ERGObaby.

It really does make life a little easier. Take for example, grocery shopping. Most of us dread shopping with young children, even worse with a 3 AND almost 2 year old. There really aren’t any shopping trolleys designed for 3 children. Either I let my 3 year old run up and down each aisle making as much noise as possible and picking all the sugary cereal off the shelves to dump into the trolley, or I put two toddlers into the trolley seats and carry my baby. Then I’m picking things off the shelves with one hand and also trying to break up the toddlers from scratching each others eyeballs out because the seats are too close together and they are invading each others personal space. I swear I’m getting grey hairs just THINKING about it. Pop Tahnee in the ERGO and I have two hands free to break up fights and do my shopping.

I can also wear her whilst I’m doing the washing, vacuuming, mopping, serving customers and picking the kids up from school. The only thing I don’t do is cook because she is a bit too close to the stove for comfort (but I use to cook with Jye snoozing on my back when he was big enough).

These early days are super important for bonding with a baby and having her close to me all day just seems right to me. She is now 14 weeks and a happy, content little baby. She does have a touch of reflux, where she will vomit quite a bit after having a feed and carrying her has really helped with the amount of vomit, in fact I would have to say that the projectile vomiting has stopped since keeping her upright most of the day. The ERGO is easy to pop into the wash too, which we’ve had to do a few times now! Her head control is fantastic and she loves to peek out at everything going on around her, it has really given her a sense of being a part of our busy family life. She even puts her two cents in now that she has perfected the art of blowing raspberries!

One of my favourite things about the ERGO is being able to breastfeed while I work. It does take a little getting use to but it really is worth trying. I have breastfed Tahnee on demand since she was born which means that she doesn’t feed at the same time everyday. I know with my first few babies I stressed about being caught out somewhere that would make it difficult to give them a bottle. I don’t stress now, I simply let out the shoulder straps and feed her on the go – anytime, anyplace. Just be warned that most people love to peek under the hood to get a glimpse of your cute squishy little baby and be surprised when they come face to face with your breast – really funny when they pull back the hood without asking, believe me it happens more often than you think!

Living in a pub means work for us, every single day of the week. We are literally in the middle of nowhere, our town is just farms, our pub, a general store and a school. So when we do have some time to spend as family time, we don’t get to venture very far. As a family we love to go for walks, especially with 4 boys who are right into bugs and dirt!  Have you ever tried bushwalking with a pram? I didn’t think so. Matt will wear Jye (20 months) and I now wear Tahnee and we can go exploring in the bush across the road from our house. The kids love it, we love seeing them enjoy themselves and we all get some great exercise(this is more important to us than it is to the kids, they just want to spot a kangaroo or an emu)!

Right now our life is even more hectic. In addition to everything else, we are in the process of selling our little pub. We’ve already found a house to move into at the end of September back in the city and now we’re madly packing all our belongings. Matt made a few phone calls and was lucky that a previous employer had a position available for when we move. His job means that he will be going back to shift work though, which means the ERGO will get just as much of a workout while I juggle 5 children on my own most of the time. I may even have to try tandem ERGObaby wearing (a toddler in an ERGO on my back and a baby in an ERGO on my front). Does anyone have any tips on tandem wearing with the ERGO for me?

September 3rd, 2010

Dad Review Panel- Easy Peasy Performance

Posted by Leah in Babes in Arms Review Panel, Dad Review Panel, Dad Review Panel, ERGObaby Carriers, ERGObaby Performance | 2 Comments »

I’ve now been using this ERGObaby product for over a week now, and can comment on my use with it so far. We’ve been to the beach, we’ve been for walks, we’ve had lunch out and we’ve even been shopping using this product, and across all these areas it was a real joy.

With it, things that were difficult to do with my son were much easier – shopping and eating, rather than doing everything one handed, I all of a sudden had a spare hand…which was, well, handy! It also meant that certain things I had to do by myself, I could now do with my son. I like to exercise early in the morning, before he normally wakes up. In the past, if he woke up before I started, I either couldn’t go as I had to stay with him, or wake up my wife to look after him. With this baby carrier, I could take him with me and enjoy some more quality time with my son.

It was comfortable, both for me and my son. There were times that his arms were resting on the upper straps and that made him uneasy, but these times were rare, and readjusting him and the straps made everything right again. I have used other baby carriers in the past, one thing that surprised me with this one was how light weight it was, yet at the same time it felt really sturdy. I’ve read the maximum weight on some products and felt it far too flimsy to cope with the weights they claimed, but with this product, even though it was light, it feels really strong, and my mind is at ease knowing my child is safely secured in it.

On a side note, my wife particularly, but many others also, have commented on the colour, they absolutely love it!

I did, admittedly, struggle getting it on by myself. In fact, even following instructions, I have yet to be able to do this. With my wife helping, it’s been fine, and she can get it on by herself. I’m sure with repeated attempts I will get there, but it does seem a bit difficult. That said, I don’t know what could be compromised, with everything feeling like it’s there for a purpose.

I would gladly recommend this product to anyone who wants to continue spending quality time with their child while doing all the normal things every day requires. In other words, everyone!

Rating it out of 5…

Comfort for baby – 4

Ease of use – 4

Versatility – 5

Overall Rating – 5

It really is a great product, comfortable, light, sturdy and safe. I’m confident putting my son in it and I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s already helped in our daily family life, and I look forward to using it all the more in the future.

September 2nd, 2010

Dad Review Panel – The Performance!

Posted by Leah in Babes in Arms Review Panel, Dad Review Panel, Dad Review Panel, ERGObaby Carriers, ERGObaby Performance | 2 Comments »

The ERGObaby Performance (grey) arrived on our doorstep just as I began a one week holiday at home. My wife eyed the parcel off with a hint of jealousy, which quickly turned into mischievousness as she handed me the instruction booklet. She thought it would be good for the review if I learnt to use it on my own.

I did not read the instructions. I think I should start by putting that one right out there. This is no surprise to any Dad reading this, though the Mums are probably gasping in horror.

The carrier was easy enough to figure out. A couple of buckles is really all there is to it. I did run into a few issues at first, mostly due to me being so tall. Initially I tried to put the waist strap on my waist. The problem was the being over 6ft tall my waist is a long way from my shoulders and my daughter ended up way down my back. The trick is to give the carrier a baby-free test run to figure out where the waist should sit. Once we figured that out we had no problems.

My holiday has been spent pottering around the house, doing some gardening, some tidying and all those odd jobs that seem to build up when you are away from home. I was also determined to help my wonderful wife so we could both enjoy a bit of a break. My wife laughed when I commented on how heavy and wriggly our nine month old daughter has become, she laughed harder when I walked inside one afternoon holding my daughter against my leg with one hand and shopping bags with the other. She had started on my hip but somewhere between the car and the back door ended up sideways against my knee. The following day, this time as I was trying to hold my daughter while helping hang out the washing, my wife let me in on a big secret. She showed me how to do a hip carry
using the ERGO. I have to say this is the most complicated of all the ERGO carries, but suddenly my hands were free again with the added bonus of being face to face with my daughter.

It  amazes me how the ERGObaby Performance is able to disperse my daughter’s weight across my body, so that her weight seems to disappear. I know I am strong and she is small, but she becomes very heavy in my arms after just a short period. With a carrier I can carry her for hours and my hands are free. As the week progressed I definitely became much more confident using the carrier. This meant that I reached for it more often, making it easier to get jobs done. We did everything from picking fruit to moving bricks together using the carrier.

I have loved carrying my daughter all week and I have loved holding her close. I work long hours away from home and I sometimes worry that my daughter forgets who I am. Carrying her all week has been a real treat. Our daily walk to get the paper will stick with me through the long  hours when I am back at work. Listening to my daughter babble away on my back as we walked is the sweetest sound in the whole world. Even as I start back at work I can still feel the imprint of her head as it rests on my back. I feel like the luckiest man in the whole world.

Here is how I rate the ERGObaby Performance out of 5 in each area:

Comfort for baby 5

Ease of use 4

Versatility 5

Overall Rating 5

This is the first baby carrier that I have felt was mine. This has a lot to do with the colours, fabric and style. I have happily worn the pinks, maroons, rainbows and other girly colours that my wife has chosen for herself, but now I am happy to have a carrier that can look great wearing.

Thanks,
Bill

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