May Newsletter - Peppermint.com


May Newsletter 2003
Amanda & Ellery using two kangas. See Amanda's new kanga wearing instructions.	In this issue: Carrying Baby on Your Back New Carrier: EllaRoo Wrap Comparing Wraparound Baby Carriers "Dream package" Contest Thank you!
Happy May! I hope this letter finds you all well. Many of us start out carrying our tiny babies in one-shouldered slings, with or without rings (EllaRoo Sling, Maya Sling or Pouch, Rebozo, Selendang, Kanga). We nestle our little darlings down into the pocket and happily go about our business. Then we turn around and they weigh 20 lbs! While some parents can continue to use the one-shouldered slings comfortably, many of us need to transition to something that distributes the weight over a wider area. Here are the options we offer for this challenge: Wraparound Baby Carriers - These carriers are long lengths of fabric that wrap around you and your baby. They distribute the weight of your baby across both shoulders, and hold baby very securely against your body. Examples: EllaRoo Wrap, Didymos, Moby Wrap. Torso Baby Carriers - These carriers wrap around the torso, without touching the shoulders. Many people love them, some can't stand them. I have come to the conclusion that the key to these carriers is body shape. They work best on women who have the archetypal "mama" shape, with plenty of bust. But two cultures (at least) have decided over the centuries that this is the way to go - who are we to argue? Examples: Kanga African Carriers, EllaRoo Podaegi Carriers. Back Baby Carriers - These carriers derive from the Chinese style. They are usually lightweight and easy to use. They are not quite as comfortable as the wraparound styles, as they don't spread the weight over as much surface area, but they are quite good, as easier to learn. Examples: EllaRoo Mei Tai, EllaRoo Chinese Mei Tai, and Sutemi Pack (a modern, constructed version). All of these can be used to carry baby on the front, side, and back. All of these baby carriers will help you extend your baby wearing. But be gentle with yourself - carrying 20-30 extra pounds is hard work! New Carrier: EllaRoo Wrap Things are hopping around here! The EllaRoo Wraparound Baby Carrier is an exciting new carrier for us. It has the just-right stretch qualities of the Didymos and Girasol, but it is much lighter weight, for those of us carrying babies in Southern summer temperatures. The 4.6 m EllaRoo weighs just 1 lb, versus 1.5 lb for the Didymos. This lightness also makes it easier to manipulate, which is important when you are dealing with such a length of fabric. This month we are offering our newsletter readers 10% off of our new carrier for the next two weeks. Comparing Wraparound Baby Carriers We now carry several wraparound style baby carriers! What in the world could prompt us to do such a thing? Let me compare them for you, and hopefully you will understand our choices: EllaRoo (right) - Just-right stretch, which forms around baby, while still being totally secure. Handwoven fabric makes for a higher price-point. Works great front or back. Lightweight, as compared to Didymos. Moby Wrap - Stretchy, making for a very cushy ride. Great price-point. Works best on front (IMO). Didymos - Just-right stretch, which forms around baby, while still being totally secure. Intricately-woven organic fabric makes for a higher price-point. Works great front or back. Wraparound carriers are my very favorite all-around carriers. The hand-woven, or jacquard-woven (like Didymos), fabrics are certainly the best. But you can get a lot of enjoyable use out of any of these carriers. "Dream Package" Contest All of the baby slings and baby carriers that we offer on Peppermint.com are rated to carry children until at least 30 lbs. It is very important to us that our carriers be versatile and as economical as possible. However, many people find that they like to keep several different styles of carriers for different uses, e.g. putting baby to sleep, running errands, hiking, housework, nursing. I want to hear your dream package of carriers! Respond to this email with your favorite 2-3 carriers, chosen from our selection. Include your reasons for choosing these carriers, and any stories and/or pictures you would like to share. I will choose several (not sure how many!) from the entries to include on the website, as discounted packages. This is your chance to share your hard-earned knowledge and experience with new parents in search of the perfect baby wearing system. Contributors of chosen entries will receive a beautiful Arco Iris Mexican Rebozo, which is a part of my husband's dream package. Thank you! How are we doing? I like to hear and see how your slings are working out for you. If you get a spare moment in your busy, busy schedules, I would love a note and a picture. If you like what you have read here, I would greatly appreciate it if you would forward this to a friend - or two! Thanks for your support! And have a good month. ~Vesta Hartman Garcia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We would be delighted if you would join our (no more than) monthly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.