Sunday, February 27, 2011

Belated updates on CPSC news

I've been a bad blogger. I blame...ummmmm...homeschooling...my kids...busy business stuff...OK, Me. There's been so many things going on with none getting the full attention they deserve that I just realized I haven't updated this blog in months.

I'm sorry.

So, here's the scoop:

With a lot of hard work by the BCIA and support from babywearers concerned about not only the safety of carriers available to parents in North America but also the message that the safest place for a baby is close to it's mother, the CPSC has not issued any new recalls. In fact, in November they issued a statement indicating that they will be aiming for more education regarding babywearing safety instead of recalls. The Babywearing Institute and Dr. Evelyn Kirkilionis - preeminent babywearing researcher in Germany - are working with the CPSC on a babywearing education campaign. The BCIA has also issued a statement that they have pledged to work for this as well.

While this is great news and a great step by the CPSC, I still do not agree with the positioning recommendations illustrated in their November statement. Please remember to keep your baby in a vertical (upright) position in a carrier that supports their natural spread-squat position for optimal hip and spine development. The cradle carry position illustrated in the CPSC statement (and on many websites and manufacturer's instructions) is NOT an ideal position, puts a baby at too great a risk for potential positional asphyxia and does not support the hips/spine in the healthiest position possible. Proper positioning in a good carrier along with the education to understand what this is are key.

If you're unsure about any of the information you've found recently or if you're unsure how to use or choose a carrier for your little one, please feel free to contact me or a Certified Babywearing Educator in your area.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Becoming a Certified Babywearing Educator

A little belated, but none the less official:

I am now the first (and only) Certified Babywearing Educator in Washington. Yay!

In August I completed the Basic and Advanced training classes through the Babywearing Institute in Logan, Utah. In January I took another week to student teach the same series of classes to a group of great babywearers including the mamas from BabyHawk , as well as babywearing group leaders and store owners at Granola Babies in Orange County, CA.

I'm very excited to take the next steps in my babywearing education and in being able to more completely educate new babywearers. My journey isn't done and I'll be announcing some exciting changes, events and opportunities in the near future.

I did want to take a little bit of space to talk about my experiences in becoming certified.

Why'd I do it? Well, the simple answer is that I wanted to learn more. There were always those things that I tried to figure out on my own by reading through countless website posts, blogs, instruction manuals, asking questions and attending meetings but they just didn't seem to work for me or didn't seem quite "right". When I started running this library and helping people learn to wear their babies I passed on the best of what I knew. Now I know more, it makes more sense and I'll be passing that on to you.

The more personal answer is that when I had my first baby, 10 years ago yesterday, she needed to be attached to me at all times. There were no breaks and, what was worse, there didn't seem to be any answers about how to help her and help me live this new life. I searched every avenue I could think of, did the best I could with what I could find and wore her in a Bjorn for her entire babywearing career. When she was 2 and still desperate to be held and carried and attached at all times I went to an Attachement Parenting International meeting who's guest speaker was a babywearing "expert". This "expert" told me that there were no carriers that would fit a toddler and a fluffy mama like me. That's not true, of course - not even 10 years ago at the beginning of the renewed interest in wearing our babies in the United States. And, that was the sad end to our babywearing days - much too early for both of us.

I became a Certified Babywearing Educator so that the most current, full and science based information would be more easily available to parents and caregivers in the area. I also became Certified so that I could make sure that the information I was passing on was the best and most accurate available and so that new babywearers would be clear on where my expertise comes from.

How was it? It was great! A little bit hard - stretching the limits of my comfort zone in talking in front of groups. A little bit stressful - leaving my kids for the first time - Ever. A lot of great information. A lot of great experiences and new friendships. A lot of support for and validation of the concerns I'd been feeling about some babywearing advice I'd encountered.

Is it worth it? Simply, yes. If you have any interest in taking the classes but weren't sure if they were for you, I would highly recommend them. The research based methods taught at the Babywearing Institute are those that every babywearer should understand, practice and pass on - even if they don't intend to teach in any official capacity. The research is slowly making its way to the public forums, which is wonderful, but the in-person, hands-on experience really helped to make it concrete for me.

What's next? I'm working, slowly but surely, to become a Licensed Certified Babywearing Educator so that I can certify other new babywearing educators. I am available for private consultations, group presentations, consultations with parents and their child's physician, business trainings both locally and outside my area (if it works for my family). I'm also continuing to work on projects with the Babywearing Intstitute to spread the important messages of babywearing safety and optimal positioning and create a forum for babywearing educators to discuss these topics and build community.

What is most important to me is that you know that I started on this journey to do what I knew was best for my babies. I am continuing on this journey to try to make it easier for other parents to do the same. I want to pass on what I have learned through my experiences as a parent, my research and my education. I will only teach you what I have learned to be safe based on the best and most current research available. Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. Babywearing is part of me as a mom and as a person. Right now it is one of the best ways that I can share who I am.