Counterfeit Ergobaby Carriers

Tweet It seems I have stumbled upon a hornet's nest in the seedy underbelly of the babywearing community. There is a BIG problem with counterfeit ErgoBaby Carriers being imported from China and sold as the real thing through eBay and swap groups. It's a big enough issue that ErgoBaby has a post dedicated on how to avoid purchasing counterfeit ErgoBaby carriers.

Popular co-op groups that make bulk purchases of popular items from cloth diapers to amber necklaces to save a few bucks have begun purchasing counterfeit ErgoBaby carriers, too.  Cuddly Butt! Cloth diapering & co-ops on Facebook is one such group (I was recently booted & blocked from the group, so I can't link it directly right now).

The co-op leader makes it very clear these are not authentic.

People evidently don't like being called out for peddling counterfeit products in the US!  WHO KNEW?!?!?

Anyways, since this illegal operation came to light, I have learned that not only has the group & co-op leader been reported to Facebook several times, but many people have also reported this to the appropriate entities in the federal government.

Some of you may find this to be extreme; I don't.  Here's why:

1 - These counterfeit ErgoBaby carriers, or "Fergos," as Cuddly Butt! likes to call them, are not just replicas. They are produced to look exactly like legitimate ErgoBaby carriers, right down to the ErgoBaby tag on the front of the carrier.

2 - These counterfeit ErgoBaby carriers are not safety tested for use with infants & children, which is a requirement in the United States. Personally, I am concerned with lead levels coming from untested items in China. It happens frequently with inexpensive children's toys & jewelry.

3 - These counterfeit ErgoBaby carriers are ILLEGAL to sell in the US! The counterfeiters don't pay taxes, aren't held accountable for humane working conditions, & are not held to safety standards for the products they are making. Customs has the authority to seize the imported counterfeit items.

4 - These counterfeit ErgoBaby carriers are purchased for cheap and then re-sold as authentic ErgoBaby carriers to unsuspecting parents who have no idea they are purchasing fakes and have no recourse should something happen to them or their child while using the carrier. Again, this is ILLEGAL!

I'm not the only person upset by this, either. Larger babywearing groups are doing their best to stop the influx of counterfeit carriers within their local communities. Babywearing International of Chicagoland has a great post about the problem with counterfeit baby carriers.

If people were buying knock-offs that weren't trying to actually pass as authentic ErgoBaby carriers, I probably would have walked away. If you want to take that kind of chance with your child to save a few bucks, that's your call. However, the fact that these carriers are repeatedly passed off & resold as authentic carriers to unsuspecting parents & caregivers pisses me off, quite frankly.

The co-op uses official ErgoBaby carrier names & images for ordering

Thankfully, a few people have seen the light since this story starting spreading in the babywearing community and have since pulled their orders. Hopefully, more parents will make the ethical, legal, & safe choice in the future.  If you are financially strapped, there are resources to buy authentic & safe carriers, both new & used. There are even groups like The Feel Good Child Carrier Movement that offer carriers to parents for the cost of shipping and help connect people to pass on really good "pay it forward" deals. Affordable and downright cheap options exist that are safe and legal.

Babywearing International of the Triangle offers some tips on spotting a quality baby carrier. Check out my babywearing basics post for information about different types of carriers and carrier rental programs.

However, there will always be people who don't care.

Yep, bringing counterfeit items into the US is H-I-LARIOUS!

Please help spread awareness of these counterfeit carriers so that other parents & caregivers can be aware of the issues by sharing on twitter, facebook, and in your local babywearing & parenting groups.

Keep wearing your babies...just do it safely.

2012 International Babywearing Conference

Tweet Last week, I saw that one of my friends here in Hampton Roads was making a day trip up to DC for the free public day at the 2012 International Babywearing Conference.

Naturally, I told her we should carpool. Jilliane somehow managed to convince her husband & four kids that they would have more fun at home instead of at a conference in DC and our roadtrip was in motion.

It's rare that I find someone as silly as I am...

Anyone who watches television probably knows that our region got ROCKED by storms over the past few days.  The drive up to & in DC was not as uneventful as we would have liked due to fallen trees & power lines. Jilliane was impressed with my mad driving skills.

this tree was just a few blocks from the conference location

I was pretty excited to finally meet Amy & Tim of NuzzleMe Creations in person. I am a huge fan and own two of their Ultimate Man/Mama Carriers, one standard & one stay-cool carrier. Yep, I sound like a commercial and I don't care. I haven't received anything free or discounted from NuzzleMe Creations, I just like their products. Bonus: TIM is the man behind the Ultimate Man/Mama Carrier. You have to appreciate a guy who can rock a sewing machine like it's his job.

Wait, it is...

Me, Tim, Amy, & Jilliane - NuzzleMe Creations

Jilliane & I were excited to meet Amy & Tim, which should be obvious by our cheesy grins. However, nothing could have prepared me for Jilliane turning into a total fangirl at the Didymos/Birdie's Room table.

Barbara from Birdie's Room is great

 FYI - I want to be like Barbara from Birdie's Room when I grow up. She's so incredibly nice and, dammit, the woman is gorgeous. She's also trying to help me fine the only wrap I ever sold and regretted, Didymos Ellipsen Primavera.

Anna, Jillliane, & Tina of Didymos

Didymos is a wrap company based in Germany. They produce some wonderful quality wraps for babywearing in a variety of patterns, styles, & colors and are well known and well regarded in the babywearing community. Anna & Tina were super nice and it was really neat being able to meet them in person, too. They had three yet to be released wraps available for purchase and a ton of other wraps at discounted prices. I was so tempted but had to remind myself that I hardly ever wear Klaw anymore and I can't really justify it, regardless of how beautiful it is. (Check out the skirt & dress...they are made from Didymos wraps!)

Jilliane & I won a few things in a raffle the conference was hosting (we bought 35 tickets). I won two pairs of Beco baby socks and a Britax carrier . I was going to burn it but they did include a seat extender to make it more ergonomically correct, so I'll probably sell it on ebay or craigslist.

We also attended a Toddlerwearing 101 class that was offered but it was not great. The instructor was not familiar with wrapping toddlers and wasn't able to offer any suggestions. Jilliane ended up teaching different carries to the other parents in the room. I even learned a tip from her that will help me wrap Klaw more quickly.

All in all, it was a great day. It is rare to find someone who can enjoy ~8 hours in the car with me in crappy traffic and still like me when the day is over. I only scared Jilliane a couple of times and Jilliane totally won a dance-off on I-64 with some twenty year olds, so she is completely awesome in my book.

HA! I almost forgot the true highlight of the day - Jilliane & I were mistaken for college students at Catholic University. This doesn't happen very often, so I am going to revel in it for quite some time.

I know some of y'all probably think a babywearing conference is kind of odd. Some of y'all even thought a blogging conference was kind of odd when I went to Blissdom. You'd think some of the other conferences I've attended are even more odd!

Have you ever attended or wanted to attend a niche conference? What was it? Did you enjoy it? If you could create a niche conference, what would you like to see happen?

Babywearing

Tweet I am often asked about babywearing by friends and family members. Most people who know me know that I go a bit overboard when something interests me and I try to find out as much as possible...almost to the point of obsession!  However, this also means that I rarely have an opinion that I can't back up with decent research.  I decided to create a blog entry to cover what I have shared with other people.  Keep in mind, this is just my personal opinion!  I am not paid by any companies nor have I received any free items (although, I would love to get some free stuff! hahaha).

Here goes....

The Beauty of Babywearing

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Red Moby Wrap

Pocket Wrap Cross Carry

Wrapsody Bali Breeze Wrap in Iris

Front Wrap Cross Carry with Lexi Twist due to the heat

 Beco Butterfly 2 in Espresso Brown

 

Didymos Ellipsen Primavera Wrap

Reinforced Ruck Carry

 

Boutique Bella Bambini Ring Sling Wrap Conversion

made with Girasol Carson's Cove

Ellevill Jade Fog

Double Hammock Carry

NuzzleMe Creations UMC (Ultimate Man Carrier) mei tai

PHOTOBOMB: September/October

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This is long overdue...Klaw is now 7 months old and getting cuter by the minute.

Yeah, I went a little crazy with the photo-editing...

When the Watchdog Goes Awry: The CPSC’s Misguided Assault on Slings

Tweet When the Watchdog Goes Awry: The CPSC’s Misguided Assault on Slings

This is International Babywearing Week. If you know me, you know how much I enjoy wearing Klaw. He has loved being wrapped up and worn since birth. It has provided constant cuddles and almost instantaneous relaxation for Klaw during fussy moments. I am constantly complimented about how happy Klaw is and how comfortable he is in new situations and with new people. I give some of the credit to babywearing. He is a confident & secure baby. He knows Chris or I will be there to care for him; there is no reason for him to be fearful. Klaw is absolutely giddy with excitement whenever he sees us bring out one of the carriers. He loves being worn, cuddled, snuggled, whatever you want to call it. Not only is it a beautiful experience to share with our son, but it is a huge help. I can wear him while doing housework and I don't have to worry about him getting bored or getting into something. When we are out & about, Klaw isn't stuck in a carseat precariously placed on a buggy or on the floor. He's in the middle of the action...eye level with the big people. He is engaged with the environment and has a clear view of Mom &/or Dad so he can gauge our emotions; if we're comfortable, he knows it's safe.

The practice of babywearing has been around for thousands of years and now the CPSC is threatening it in the United States without just cause.

Babywearing is safe. Babywearing is life-saving.

peaceful parenting: REAL MEN WEAR BABIES

Tweet peaceful parenting: REAL MEN WEAR BABIES

I love my Babywearing Baby's Daddy!

Babywearing is addictive!

Tweet I'm so incredibly excited!  I'm part of a "babywearing swap" group and, well, I've been learning a lot about baby carriers, slings, and wraps.  The more I've learned...the more I've wanted to own.  First of all, babywearing fits in with my parenting style.  Second of all, my scrawny arms are physically unable to carry Klaw around in his awkward bucket (aka carseat) without me hurting myself.  I'm so not kidding - it throws my balance off kilter, which makes me walk funny, which hurts my neck & hips.  As prone as I am to injuring myself, the last thing I need to do is purposely add to the likelihood that it will happen!

So far, I own a ring sling made especially for me by a friend, a Moby stretchy wrap given to me as a gift (so great for snuggly newborns!), and a Gypsy Mama Bali Breeze in Iris (made from gauze & great for hot weather).

Now, on to the current excitement:  the new-to-me Beco 2 Butterfly soft-structured carrier (SSC) arrived today!!!  This carrier is mainly for Chris because he refuses to wear my wraps or sling outside of the house.  The Beco is a great carrier and gets excellent reviews so I am SOOOOO glad I found a Mama selling a used one in EXCELLENT condition!  I also found a used BabyHawk mei tai carrier in a hard to find print that I fell in love with...and I am in the process of buying it as soon as the funds are transferred to my PayPal account.

She's a beauty, isn't she?

This will be it for a while...although, I am starting to research woven wraps.  They are gorgeous but WAY too hot for the summer, so that is definitely on the back burner until it cools off significantly.  I guess this summer I am going to start finding stuff I can sell on eBay to fund my new addiction.

If you are interested in babywearing, there are several good sites to help you do it safely.  I like this blog entry because this Mama describes and reviews a TON of different-style carriers.  This article is a good summary of babywearing safety. Also, this forum is an excellent resource for finding carriers, advice, babywearing friends near you, etc.