A Year in the Life - ERGObaby

Would never have imagined living through 2 big earthquakes... 

1st one being woken to the wildest roaring and shaking I've experienced, 2nd hanging on to my husband and baby for dear life while trying to dodge 100kg rolls of falling lino in a flooring shop. I still haven't decided if I preferred being asleep or awake when they happened.

Life has definitely changed since Feb 22nd - not just the fact that 7 weeks later we are still shoveling liquefaction from our yard out to the kerb... ( oh the places it managed to find it's way into!!) and constantly discovering new cracks in the walls, but life has changed for our kids. Today my 4.5yr old son was quite happily playing with a block puzzle, when all of a sudden

I heard him yell "EARTHQUAKE!!!!" - his new game you see is to build up towers and 'shake it down'... just like the broken buildings we see all around us. My poor wee
son experienced far too much for your average 4 year old on Feb 22nd. After hiding under the table at his kindy to dodge the falling ceiling heaters, they sought safety outside, only to watch the outside area flood and fill with volcanoes of liquefaction. They had to then all move & sit outside by the gate on a narrow concrete path. The carpark and road was torn apart ( seriously.. some major damage) and the worse part was all the other kindy parents rushed to get their kiddies within 30 mins... and My hubby and I didnt make it to school and kindy till about 4.45pm. So my poor son was the last one to be collected, cold hungry and frightened when we got there. My hubby dropped me off at the cnr near the school & I had to run thru raw sewerage to get to my daughter - those are memories and moments I'll never forget.

But we got off easy, we still have a house to live in. Sure we lost an enormous amount of personal belongings, because unlike our house ( being built on piles) our double garage has a concrete floor and is/was a huge storage area... and yes so that got filled and flooded with liquefaction... 2 FULL heaped caged trailer loads so far of our special things are now residing at the dump. We are thankful our house was spared, even tho currently it still has a mass of icky wet liquefaction underneath it, the flooding under the house has subsided but the silt remains. Worried about the winter and a crawling baby with all that muck under the floor. We still have to use a chemical toilet, but at least its not an outside longdrop

So after about 2.5 weeks of trying to do the bare necessity to repair damage, clear pathways thru the house to get to rooms and clean up as much broken glass as we could find we decided... no we made 'sure' we went away. It was far too stressful to remain at home. We actually couldn't live there for quite a few days until we made it safe for the kids. Thank goodness my eldest 2 fully understood what was safe and what wasnt.. and more importantly, I couldn't be happier that my 7month old ( at the time) was no where near crawling!!! At least I could control the situation when we spent hours cleaning and sorting. I set up a rug in the middle of the lounge with toys, books and games and told the kids they weren't allowed off the rug!!

A family member generously gave us some money to help, so we used that for petrol and food while we were away and some other wonderfully kind and generous other friends offered us their house in Queenstown. It was wonderful to go to Queenstown again and more importantly, the kids have been there before and so going to this house was very familiar for them and they settled in within minutes. The old familiar board games and beds... it was normal!

We had a fantastic time away, so relaxing and strangely surreal to be out of the 'war zone' We managed to get a few 'deals' while we were away too and had a great time on a boat cruise - Perfect Ergo moment if ever there was one! It was the 1st time the kids had been on a boat and we also spent hours at the local pools zooming down the hydroslide - another 1st for them too!

William is getting bigger by the day - he still comfortably snuggles in the Ergo. I'm sure at some stage I can start rear carrying him... but I dont want to! I LOVE him in the front or in the side carry position, and he does too. He is 9 months old today.... nine months!! Yikes soon he'll be a one year old.

xx Gill

The ERGObaby Performance

Coming to Belly Beyond at the end of September 2010 ...

The all new ERGObaby Performance Carrier!

The ERGObaby Performance Carrier is durable, lightweight and breathable - ideal for the active Mum and Dad. Designed for use in the great outdoors, the streamlined design offers a smooth supportive fit for parents and babies, with a longer body and waist belt than the Standard ERGObaby Carrier. A breathable mesh lining and 'CoolMax' panel keeps you and your baby cooler and more comfortable, whatever the weather. The Performance Carrier is suitable in all climates and can even be carried through water when it’s time to cool down. This is thanks to the high performance, quick drying fabric and lack of batting in body of carrier.

The revolutionary ERGObaby Carrier redefines babywearing. Attracting a multitude of international product awards, it offers hands-free closeness like no other and is perfect from birth to pre-school, up to 18kgs. The ERGObaby supports your child in three easy-to-use positions - front, hip and back - and adapts to your child's growing needs.

• Perfect for active parents in all climates
• Offers premium support from newborn to preschoolers up to 18kgs
• Features high performance fabric
• Durable, water repellant outer layer ideal for outdoor sports
• Keeps Baby and Parent cooler
• Breathable mesh lining features ‘CoolMax’ panel for extra wicking
• Lightweight and compact
• Sleek, streamlined design is 1/3 lighter than ‘Standard’ carrier range
• Offers typical ERGObaby versatility and longevity
• Perfect from birth to 18kgs with 3 carry positions – front, back, hip

You will be able to pre-order these carriers from Belly Beyond for delivery at the end of September 2010.   If you can't wait until then, check out the current range of ERGObaby carriers which are still the best carriers in their class.

RRP is going to NZ$239 approx

ERGObaby Carrier Sienna Sunset

This stunning new limited edition ERGO baby Carrier now available at Belly Beyond.

Made of Organic cotton twill, for a more elegant look and feel. This exquisite Organic carrier features delicate floral embroidery across a dusty Sienna background. The lining and hood pocket also display the embroidery with a background of various shades of orange, pink, blue, and green stripes - reminiscent of the most brilliant sunset.

Babywearing Mirror - Ideal for Ergo Baby Carriers

As if the internet needs another photo of me!! But I promise it's for a good reason - the original image showed a *cough cough* rigid type backpack in use and that would never do on an Ergo site!

More info

ERGO Baby Carrier Heart 2 Heart Insert - How does it work?

The Original Infant Insert supported your baby with both feet to the one side in a sling like, cradle position. The contributions from research studies, customer feedback, chiropractic support and working directly with newborns, led ERGObaby to create a new insert that would allow the carrying of your baby in the tummy to tummy position, with baby close to your heart. Introducing the new Heart to Heart insert!

The new innovative design promotes healthy maturation of the spine by supporting the pelvis, hip joints and leg position rather than putting your baby in a compromising sitting or hanging positions before the spine is ready. The insert has a specially padded and shaped cushion that can be quickly and easily placed in the carrier and readjusted or folded to pad just the right places for your infant to ensure optimal support for the natural curvature of a baby’s developing spine. .The ERGObaby Infant Insert Heart to Heart also supports the safety of the baby’s head and neck in this critical stage of development. Thanks to the ERGObaby Infant Insert Heart to Heart and Carrier in combination, you can carry your newborn close to your heart so you can remain attentive to your little ones needs and at the same time continue daily activities.

While wearing babies in the vertical front carry position, ERGObaby advocates facing the baby inward, towards the parent. Dr. Evelin Kirkilionis describes it best in her book “A Baby Wants To Be Carried”:

“Infants in outward-facing orientations can’t turn away from surrounding stimuli…that become overwhelming. In this position the baby cannot make eye contact with his or her parent to evaluate facial expressions, social cues, and so forth to make assessment of the situation. Only choose a baby carrier that allows your child to face you…never out.”

The ERGObaby Carrier with Infant Insert Heart to Heart truly is the only carrier you will need from newborn to toddler. The insert can be used from birth through to around 6 months of age.

You can see the new Heart to Heart insert on our webpage here. 

Used with permission from Babes In Arms

ERGO Baby Carrier Heart 2 Heart Insert - It's a definite yes from the experts!

Check out this amazing letter from an ERGObaby fan who knows her onions!


Dear ERGObaby,

I am a prenatal chiropractor in Los Angeles who you sent a Heart to Heart insert and ERGObaby carrier to. I am so very excited about your new insert and so excited to tell you about all of the success I’ve had in spreading the word about your awesome products!

Regarding the new insert, I cannot say enough good things about it! The spinal support that it provides to newborns/infants is superb, with the focus being on the sacrum, pelvis and even hips where they need it the most. I really appreciate that baby can be snugly supported against the parent so as mom or dad is moving around the baby’s neck and spine are comfortably held in place – no flopping like with other carriers, and even so much better than the old insert. Another feature that is so very important for developing infants is that they can be placed into the carrier in their natural “frog legged” posture until their hips are ready to spread on their own.

I am frequently applauding new parents for wearing their babies in whatever carrier they have chosen, and then find myself gently discussing why specific features of their carrier could be better. Now I find myself pulling out the ERGObaby carrier while I have this discussion so that the parents can visualize and even test out this healthier choice for both baby and parent. All too often it is not until babies have developed lumbo-sacral or hip trouble that parents think about the various postures their babies have been in that may have caused it. It has been my mission for some time now to support the use of wraps and carriers that do not force a baby’s hips to be externally rotated and excessively spread prior to when the baby is developmentally ready for this posture. I am so happy to say that you have successfully designed a product that enables parents to use one carrier throughout the development of their baby!

An interesting trend that I have observed in my practice is that parents seem to be happy with the less “body-friendly” carriers until their little ones reach about 15 pounds. Time and again moms (and sometimes dads) will come to me with back and shoulder pain that started during a walk with their baby in the carrier. More often than not the carrier in question is the Bjorn style and the parent will explain that it is no longer comfortable to wear their baby for more than thirty minutes to an hour. After I let them test out the ERGObaby I hear the same quote come out of so many parents mouths “I should have just bought this in the first place!”

So thanks to your generosity in giving my office the ERGObaby and infant insert I am able to educate more parents early on – as in during pregnancy – about the benefits of a carrier that grows with their baby. This has certainly helped to create much healthier and happier new parents.

On a personal note, I have a four month old daughter Geneva who I walk daily in the ERGObaby carrier with the new insert (though I think she is soon to outgrow it). Many of my patients have seen me walking around town and into the office with her in the ERGObaby carrier and if we haven’t already discussed it as an option for them, we suddenly have new motivation to. Many friends of mine have converted to your carrier as well after hearing about the long walks and adventures both my husband and I have had with Geneva in her carrier. In particular we went to Berlin, Germany when she was 10 weeks old and your ERGObaby carrier was a life-saver! We would walk the city from early morning to late evening with her bundled in a snowsuit sitting cozily in her carrier. She’d come out to nurse or stretch while we rested for coffee or meals, and then she would happily settle back in for another nap. I am happy to report that I carried her for days like this with no back pain or fatigue whatsoever! I have attached a photo from this trip as it was such a special time for us that was made even more enjoyable with ease of the ERGObaby carrier.

It has been such as joy to speak with ERGObaby users who haven’t seen the new insert yet…or until they see me with it. At least once a week I am stopped at the farmer’s market or on a hike and parents will tell me about when they used the old insert and how it was more cumbersome for them. I happily tell of the developmental benefits of the Heart to heart and people seem so happy and eager to try it with their next baby or to tell a friend.

Thanks again for creating such a fantastic product, and for sharing it with me and my patients! I look forward to a continued relationship with your company.

Sincerely,

Lalanya Bridges

Reprinted with permission

ERGObaby Sport - does it fit small people too?

The ERGObaby Sport carrier is designed with extra strap length in the waist band and shoulder straps, so it has a larger fit range and thereby makes it the perfect carrier for larger mums or hefty Dads.

However, this doesn't mean smaller sized people can't use it. I'm very petite at 5 foot nothing and weighing in at a rather puny 48 kg and I wear the ERGOsport as one of my everyday carriers.

If you are tiny like me, you might get the odd funny look if wearing your older child (eg, 3 years +) in the Ergo carrier because to an untrained eye the child might appear the same size as you are (just joking!)

Ergo Baby Carrier Heart to Heart Infant Insert

The all new infant insert from Ergo will be here mid-late this month.

It's the Heart2Heart and can been designed in conjunction with research studies, chiropractic support and customer feedback. This means you will be able to cuddle your newborn tummy to tummy, hence the Heart2Heart name.

More details coming soon.

Limited Edition Organic Ergo Baby Carrier

Can you say Per-tty?

How gorgeous is this Limited Edition Organic ERGObaby Carrier with embroidery detail? This is a true limited edition and I think it’s possibly the only one in the country, so it’s a pretty big deal! Has all the brilliant Ergo features:

· Wear 3 ways (front, hip or back carry)

· Newborn to 4+ with the same carrier

· Physiologically correct positioning for babies spine and hips

· Disperses the child’s weight to the parents hips for pain-free carrying

And we've donated it to the Slingbabies Fundraising for Kangaroo Kids in NICU.

Watch our Facebook page for more info on how to get your hands on it.

Blokes wearing Babies AKA Babywearing Dads

I just thought I'd share these new images. Fantastic shots of the ERGObaby Sport Carrier don't you think? Nothing to do with the guys wearing them I promise.

We are finding a real trend in Dad getting involved in babywearing including researching carriers and this streamlined version of the Ergo seems to appeal to the lads. It's got a longer strap length capacity so it's ideal for larger people and its front, hip or back carry makes it a good choice of carrier from newborn right up to 3+

Here's Mr Belly Beyond getting in on the act.

Now someone send one to Brad and we'll be set!

Another Celebrity Ergo Fan

Courtney Thorne-Smith was spotted wearing an ERGObaby Carrier this week in Santa Monica.

See the pics here

Check out the fabulous feedback from other Ergo owners in the comments section.

For more info or to buy the carrier, visit Belly Beyond ;)

Free Babylegs with every Ergo Baby Carrier

FREE STUFF YAY!

Every Ergo Baby Carrier purchased from us, gets a free pair of Babylegs. Absolutely perfect for the cooler months to elimiate Gapiosis.

Read about Gapiosis here

NZ Guitar Record Rocks Out

I went along to the NZ Guitar Record attempt at Sky City this morning, where 730 other guitarists rocked out to Jordan Luck's iconic "Why Does Love Do This to Me"

We arrived at 11am and got through registration pretty quickly and was assigned the prestigious # 0261. The team at Music Works tuned my guitar (bonus!) and we looked around for a good spot (funnily enough right next to Jason Kerrison of OpShop fame).

Zac attracted a lot of attention in the Ergo on my back and a lot of people stopped me to get his photo!

Johnny Love was onstage doing a good job of warming up the crowd, playing 3 chord favourites and it was clear that the room was ready to perform. Some guy from Juice TV spent a bit of time on stage thinking he was funnier than he actually was. Zac must have agreed and dozed off.

We'd been there an hour when Jordan and his band arrived and whipped through the song. They did it again for good measure and it was so loud that I don't think it really mattered what chord you were playing as long as you were having fun. What the crowd lacked in musical skill they certainly made up for with enthusiasm.

The current record of 1951, set in Poland last year, was safe but you get the feeling that if the event is held again next year, they just might get close.

All in all a great morning out. Thanks Jordan, Juice TV and Sky City for putting it together (and to my gorgeous husband for carrying the gear ;) )

(Left: Zaccy sleeping through most of the event - mmm, noice photo of me!)

Top 10 reasons for Babywearing

The practice of Babywearing may be as old as human kind but it fits in so well with a busy modern lifestyle. Babywearing is beneficial for baby, it’s good for parents (studies show it lowers the risk of PND) and it’s becoming a way of life for an increasing number of Kiwi families.

The term Babywearing is simply the practice of carrying or wearing your baby in a carrier and more and more parents are cottoning on to how much easier life is - their babies cry less, are more content and enjoy being included in family life. Babywearing is not about having your child attached to you 24 hours a day but modern instinctive parenting which is mostly common sense. 

Babies of all ages thrive on cuddles and attention. How many times have you tried to put your little one down only to have them cry to be picked back up?  Babywearing skips that whole yo-yo process – by putting them in the carrier with you, the child receives the close cuddle and interaction they need and you are hands-free and able to get on with things.

A baby sling was my very first purchase for baby when I was about 13 weeks pregnant. The thought of being hands-free while carrying my baby appealed to my practical nature and I liked the fabrics and the simplicity. Little did I know it would become a way of life and the catalyst of a business specialising in the best baby carriers on the market.

Slings are very versatile and can be used from newborn right up to 2 years +  When my son was a newborn I could breastfeed in public and no one else was any wiser that Ieven had a little one with me. As he grew, he happily sat on my hip and would charm all who met him – he loved being up on their level rather than sitting in a pram at bum height! When he was too heavy to carry comfortably in the sling for long period of time I swapped to the ERGOBaby Carrier. The Ergo can be used from newborn to 3+ and can be worn in front, hip or back carry. One of my favourite things about the Ergo is the ability to swap from back to front carry – means I can breastfeed on the go which is handy when chasing around after a pre-schooler! So here are my top 10.

10 Reasons to Babywear  

1. Baby is happy. Their natural need to be close to you is met and happy baby = happy Mama
2. You are hands-free. Life doesn’t have to stop because baby needs a cuddle (this is especially meaningful when you have more than one child!)
3. Baby can sleep anywhere or on anyone in the right carrier
4. Perfect for ‘the witching hour’
5. Correct anatomical positioning for baby's precious hips and spine
6. Breastfeeding is easy and it’s private
7. Freedom to go wherever you wish - you won’t be hindered by, or even need, a pram
8. Great for colicky or reflux babies. Upright is a perfect position to keep nasty stomach acid down where it should be.
9. Babywearing is a great way for Dads to bond with baby
10.  Perfect for travel - you might be allowed to take your pram to the Departure Gate but it's usually not allowed on the plane.  Using a carrier means your hands are free to carry your hand luggage onto the plane - particularly valuable when travelling with little ones by yourself! Belly Beyond has a large range of carriers available so you are bound to find the perfect carrier for you.  Don't forget many families have more than one carrier!  

Baby Slings

• dulce&zoet 
•  Breeze Baby 
• Peanut Shell  
• Unido 
•  Natures Sway  

Soft Structured Carriers 

•  ERGObaby Classic 
•   ERGObaby Sport  
• ERGObaby Performance 
• ERGObaby Organic Range
•   ERGObaby Petunia Pickle Bottom Range  

Wrap Style Carriers

• Popit 
• Natures Sway  

Front Packs  

• Babybjorn

ERGObaby - the only Baby Carrier included in Parenting Mags Top 20 Baby Products of the last 20 years

The award winning ERGObaby carrier offers hands-free closeness like no other! Its revolutionary design means your comfort will not be compromised and baby's precious spine and hips are held in the anatomically correct carry position (unlike most front-packs!).

ERGObaby offers 3 carry positions – front, back, hip – that promote healthy spinal development for your child from birth to pre-school.

And, the ERGObaby was the ONLY baby carrier to be listed by Parenting Magazine as one of the ‘TOP 20 PRODUCTS over the Last 20 Years’ for its ergonomic design and amazing versatility.

We love our Ergos, use them almost every day and it's definitely a product we sell because we love it - not the other way around.