Mothers on the Move, Mo+m

I love showcasing baby carriers here on my blog since they are such a huge part of our life. It's even more amazing when I can share one that is both a great priced gateway baby carrier and perfect for seasoned baby wearers who just want one more! I saw the Mo+m carrier and was afraid it was too good to be true so I contacted Mothers on the Move and asked about reviewing it for my readers. I have to say I'm really really impressed!!

As with any hobby, once you get "hooked" you realize the wide variety of prices out there.  Baby carriers are no different. Some are handwoven or machine sewn and not mass produced leading to such differences. It's hard to sell someone, who has never worn their baby but is interested in trying it out, on a $200 baby carrier. That's where Mothers on the Move comes in. Available on Amazon, with Prime shipping even for just $39.95 right now this carrier is definitely in the right price range to be recommended a lot.

I have posted before on my blog about the problems with buying a baby carrier from Amazon. Many times Amazon allows third party vendors to sell items and there is no oversight as to whether the are compliant with US laws. Baby carriers are actually a huge market for knock offs which haven't been tested or rated safe. I feel really passionate about only ever recommending CPSIA, BCIA compliant carriers and Mo+m is both! This carrier is ASTM F2236 - 14 & CPSIA Sec.101 certified and the products have been checked for Cal Prop 65 elements

In addition, when purchased form valid retailers (Amazon is one) there is a lifetime warranty on the carrier. I am sitting here today with a handmade and very expensive baby carrier that started to wear (there's an actual hole!) after very minimal use. I contacted the manufacturer and the response I got today was that it was just cosmetic not structural as only the outer decorative fabric has the wear hole so carrier could be used still. No mention of the fact that poor design led to this issue and now my expensive carrier I planned to still have value for resale once I was finished with it is worthless. Very disappointing and something that wouldn't happen if it also had a warranty.

Now for the fun features of the carrier. I have the Mo+m® Classic Cotton 3 Position Baby Carrier which has a mesh cooling vent, removable hood, and pocket in Navy.  

Here you can see the pocket open. It's large enough when expanded to hold my wallet and cell phone plus a disposable diaper. Game changer!!

Hood has been unsnapped here and is in it's front stash pocket. The large zippered pocket is behind that. 

The mesh cooling vent is open. It doesn't come completely off the carrier so no worries about loosing it but it opens to vent and add circulation to baby's back. 

Here carrier is snapped as it might be when wrong. You can see the chest clip is sturdy and glides along the webbing which keeps it in place. 

inside view of carrier showing mesh area. It's laying on my Lenny Lamb baby size carrier for comparison. It can produce a nice ergonomic seat! 

It's definitely similar in seat size to an ERGObaby carrier and lets you get a proper M-position seating  through infancy up to toddlerhood. It's comfy and great for the wearer too. The hood is perfect in that it's removable which leads to all sorts of fun customizable options too!! I know my Tula hoods are pimped and accessorized and this one is the next I plan to make our own.

Here is Oliver's seat. The base is 12" wide and O gets great support. 

At 14mo Oliver is able to go arms out if he wants or tuck them in for snuggles. 

The Mo+m is rated for babies between 12 lbs and 36 lbs.

If you're nearby and would like to see it in person just send me a message! I love sharing the baby wearing love!

I received this carrier in order to complete my review. No compensation was taken and all opinions are my own. Have a question? Ask away!!

Tula Love and where to get your own pretty carrier accessories!

So I've been asked a few times this year to help embellish baby carrier hoods and suck pads. It was fun but I hadn't done one for myself in a while so I couldn't resist turning this Tula, Treasure Hunt print, into my own!!

The rest of this blog post will show some other accessories I've created. If you're looking to have your carrier accessorized, check out my friend at Ghently Made Creations and all she can create! You might even get a "digitized by me" embroidery design on your accessory!!

A few years back I accessorized my Tula, toddler Rockets, shortly before churning it. 

Added suck pads to my Kinderpack carrier.

My handmade hood and reach straps with embroidery fully digitized and stitched by me. Now I need to finish the carrier to go with it for our own little Green Arrow, Oliver Q. 

A Tula hood I accessorized for a friend.

As mentioned up top here are some great collections from Ghently Made Creations. I digitized (made the embroidery file) for these two but Christina created (stitched the hoods themselves and then embellished and embroidered the designs) them all!! Be sure to visit her page!!

Wear all the babies!!! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram so you can see our baby wearing in action pics daily!

Bitybean Baby Carrier Review

I was lucky enough to receive a Bitybean carrier to review and share with the local babywearing community. It's a soft structured carrier designed for little ones between 8# (and 3 months old) and 40#. Besides being affordable (MSRP $59.95) it's portable and compact too. The carrier that comes with a small carrying bag that it rolls up into. It can literally be stuffed in your diaper bag so it's always available. Ask me how awesome that can be!

We went to the Ohio State Fair last week and I was rushing to get inside. I never forget a baby carrier but after we walked the whole giant parking lot and were inside I realized I hadn't grabbed a carrier. Lo and behold a few minutes later I remembered that inside the diaper bag in the stroller was the Bitybean. Score 1 for it's awesome packability!!

The Bitybean has a separately available detachable hood for those times when your kiddo falls asleep while being carried. While hand washing and spot cleaning are recommended it can be machine cleaned in cold when required. Bitybean can also be used near an in shallow water. That makes it amazing for summer use at the beach or splash pad. I'm sure you're realizing it must be quite lightweight if it can be packed so compact. The carrier is made of nylon and polyester fabric. The straps are not padded but are wide and soft so they almost have a wrap like feel. It doesn't get diggy on me during normal use periods. Most important Bitybean is compliant with current US regulations and a member of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance. These are important to me and something I check before reviewing and recommending any baby wearing item!!

It's stylish and available in fun vibrant colors too!

So now that we have the technical details out of the way let's talk about fit and function. I have mainly used the Bitybean with Oliver in the Summer of 2015. He's 5-7mo old and like all the boys in the house a sweaty hot mess in the summer. After being overwhelmed by the sounds and sights of the Fair last week, in the arm holding was just not cutting it. I quickly popped on the Bitybean and up he went. A few moments later, he was content and calm snuggled next to mom. It was asphalt everywhere and quite warm so I wasn't super thrilled about constant babywearing that day but with the lightness and airflow the Bitybean offers, it was bearable.

Getting a proper M-seat with knee to knee coverage has been great in the Bitybean. Oliver is stil young so at this time we worry about hyperextending his seat and the carrier base being too wide. The Bitybean is soft enough to fold in and get him in proper position. On Carter (3years) in the same carrier that piece that tends to fold in automatically extends and support his leg much wider. For smaller babies under 15 pounds there is an inside seat with small buckle fasteners that ensure they cannot fall to the sides.

You can see the excess seat area support that simply naturally folds in for smaller children. 

I also love the softness of the neck/headrest area. It's an almost neoprene like fabric that provides support but has a little give.

If you're in the area and would like to see the Bitybean in person, just let me know! I'll have it out and about at any baby wearing events I attend and then again for personal use in between!!

Babywearing Safety and Form

So it's evident from my posts and pictures I thoroughly enjoy wearing my kiddos. Baby carriers are fun and functional not to mention the perfect thing for a mom to collect!!

I often get asked questions on carriers and wearing so I thought I'd put my thoughts into a few posts!!

Let's get started with safety. Proper baby wearing can be both safe and beneficial. It often calms upset children, encourages bonding, and offers comfort to both mom and baby. The main thing to remember is that if there is a task you wouldn't do while holding your baby, don't do it while wearing. Bike riding, skiing, even lawn mowing are all not recommended while wearing a child.

Keep babies' airway open at all times and do not allow their chin to compress to their chest. Baby should be close and snuggled against your chest all while high enough to kiss. Their backs need to be supported. A great baby carrier mimics the position you would hold your baby in naturally with your arms.

Graphic Source

In the past there have been large scale recalls of pouch or bag sling carriers. These types aren't inherently dangerous but they do easily lend themselves to poor carrying techniques. If you choose to use such a carrier please practice and be certain baby is in the carrier safely. You can find a local baby wearing chapter which would be happy to help you learn to use your carrier in person!!

Hip Dysplasia Institute

Soft structured carriers (SSC's) are a very versatile and popular carrier. They can be found in all the big box stores with more brands available online.  While wearing a baby upright in an SSC, it is perfectly safe to allow a baby's legs to spread out from birth on provided they are comfortable doing so. If they are not ready to do so, baby's legs can be tucked and froggy positioned provided they aren't bearing weight on their legs. A great way to do this is by use of a small blanket/burp cloth, etc. as a seat for them. This isn't my photo but we find this positioning perfect!! Some popular brands of SSC's include ERGObaby, Tula, Kinderpack, LILLEbaby, Boba, Lenny Lamb, and many more! They come in all different weights of fabrics to make summer or winter carrying possible too. I'll explore more specific carrier brands in upcoming posts. 

I can't find the original source for this as it's been saved a bunch on Pinterest and other sites and I myself have done the same. If it's your please let me know and I'll give you credit!

Avoid carriers which dangle baby off your front. They tend to be uncomfortable for both wearer and baby. They don't allow for the proper M positioning for hips which places baby's bum below they knees as shown below. he Hip Dysplasia Institute has great graphics I'll be including to show positioning! These carriers don't cause hip dysplasia as has been often rumored they just can exacerbate it if already present and aren't ideal.

Photo Source

If you own such a carrier there are ways to make it more ergonomic for baby's hips and your back. Using a scarf to position baby is a great hack!

Photo Source

 

Whatever your budget and whatever you carrier use it safely and remember to #wearallthebabies!!!

My Mei Tai

Before Carter arrived I spent one riveting Friday night making my very first baby carrier. It is probably my most in depth sewing project to date and required me to pay more attention to the pattern than I normally do. Even so, I modified the pattern and made it my own! I added in a head rest with padding and changed the overall shape a bit. Here's the final product in use. I could only try it on empty yet cradling my giant bump until he arrived. Now that he is here it's getting use. I have to say I love it possibly even more than my Ergo or Moby at the moment. The only draw back is that I can't just untie it and let it hang half on half off once he decides he wants out. I can do that with my Ergo and Moby stays on in between carryings. Maybe I'll make the same pattern but but buckles on it instead of long tie strings next. Then it'd be perfect! It's lightweight and much more cool both in temperature and fabric pattern!!

The pirate fabric panel is actually removable so it can be switched out with other fun patterns at a moments notice. I'm excited to have a fashionable carrier that changes without having to own a hundred different one. Hubby already asked why I needed this one when I have a Moby and an Ergo. He just doesn't understand!! Wait until I tell him I still need a woven wrap!