HugaMonkey® Baby Slings blogs

Letter from a Baby

Leah — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:33:04 +0000

"I think there should be indecency laws about that, because I don’t want to see it in a public place." This was one of several expressions of disgust made by Lisa Rollins on a recent radio broadcast. Apparently, Lisa feels the natural act of a mother feeding a baby is inappropriate, indecent, and gross.

“I don’t see anything wrong with going into a restroom if you don’t see a specific nursing area and sitting on the toilet seat.” Seriously? A toilet seat!? Lisa continued to say that a woman should sit in her car (even in 100 degree weather) to feed a baby. Or just stay at home, for cryin' out loud! Because all nursing mothers know that staying in the house 24 hours a day does wonders for your sanity. Whatever you do, never let another human being see that you are actually feeding a baby.

Anyway, here's the letter I wrote in response:

Dear Radio Station,

I am a baby who breastfeeds. It's great! Perfect food any time I need it, provided by Mother Nature. I do have a complaint, however. The other day my mommy actually took me into a restaurant and started feeding me in there. Seriously!? Do you know how disgusting it is to see grown ups eat? The slurping and the teeth thrashing and the biting. Repulsive! I almost lost my appetite.

I'm starting a coalition of babies to ban adults from eating in public. It is a grotesque show. There should be laws against that kind of indecent behavior. Have you adults no shame? You can eat in the privacy of your own homes, or in your hot cars. If that's not possible, for heaven's sakes, take your dinner plate into the bathroom. I don't see why anyone couldn't just sit on the toilet seat to eat their spaghetti and green salad.

Sincerely,

A Baby

HugaMonkey Featured on BizMommy.com!

Leah — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:54:44 +0000

A cute, short little interview for BizMommy.com, a great website about moms running a business.

Baby Gear Recalls: Are Your Baby Products Safe?

Leah — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:28:05 +0000

With the recent baby sling recall, our minds got wondering and wandering about what other baby products have been recalled. We wanted to see what's been recalled and why, and the volume. Here's a nifty infographic of all that info - the what, why, and when of the baby gear recall world.

Pretty interesting stuff.

Click for bigger version, its really, really big, press escape or click on the big version to come back here and share!

Bad Product Image: We're Sorry

Dylan — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:30:18 +0000

We sent this email to all our customers today:

Hey MonkeyHuggers!

You may have noticed this picture on our site or in our packaging:

We wanted to give you a heads up that that way of carrying your baby isn't a good idea.

When we took the pic, we thought it looked cool, Leah was in control and baby Nash was ok. However, we realize that it may be sending the wrong message and many may try to hold their baby that way. DON'T do it! For safe methods, check out our baby sling instructions.

We're very sorry and hope that you'll forgive us. Next week we're going to release a baby sling safety ebook - so keep an eye out for it.

Group Hug!
Leah, Dylan, Clint, Carrie

6 Breastfeeding Myths Busted - Report from The Journal of Pediatrics

Leah — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:33:59 +0000

Go boobies! I've said it before and I'll say it again - Breast is Best! I was not surprised by Monday's report from The Journal of Pediatrics. It stated that if mothers exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of a baby's life, the lives of over 900 babies per year would be saved, and $13 billion dollars in health care costs would be eliminated. Seriously!?! Those are some HUGE numbers!

Breastfeeding as a necessity took a plunge in the late 60's during the feminist revolution, and became widely viewed as an act that "tied women down". By 1975, over 75% of American babies were formula-fed. World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, and all other medical establishments have straight up said that formula is inferior to breastmilk. Yet, only 12% of women still breastfeed when their babies are 6 months old. Why?

I'm going right into my personal opinion here, and addressing some of the reasons I've personally heard for not breastfeeding:

It hurts!

This one I agree with. It hurst like crazy! You'll read books and have consultants say that if you're doing it right, it won't hurt. But when you're going from zero nipple contact to something sucking on them really hard for 8 hours or more a day, it hurts. The good news is, it goes away. I've met very few women who have had pain past 1-2 weeks of nursing. And a week or two of pain is way better than death and hospital bills, in my opinion.

Baby Sling Recall: HugaMonkey's Fox News Interview

Dylan — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:40:29 +0000

Q & A: What Makes The HugaMoney Safer?

Leah — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:06:15 +0000

With the growing concerns from recent baby sling recalls, HugaMonkey wants to reassure baby wearers everywhere that carrying a baby in a sling is still safe.

Q: Why were the Infantino slings recalled?

A: Over the last 20 years, 14 babies have been reported being found dead in a baby sling. 3 of those deaths occurred last year in an Infantino baby sling.

Q: What is it that makes the Infantino slings unsafe?

A: There are three major components that contribute to the unsafe slings:

Baby's Position. The baby is laying down flat in the sling, making the full pressure of its body rest on the center of the back. This causes the baby to curl its head toward its chest and cut off its air supply.
Sling Position. The sling is worn with the baby's head below the mother's bustline. The bust can then hide the baby from view, making it impossible to keep close tabs on breathing and movement.
Fabric. Most of the recalled slings were constructed with 3 layers of fabric that were able to close completely over the baby's head. Many slings had velour or nylon blend fabrics that do not allow airflow into the sling.

Q: How do I position my baby safely in a sling?

A: In a HugaMonkey, or similar sling, the pouch seam acts as a positioning guide where the baby's bottom should always rest. In this position, the baby's head is above the mother's bustline with its head up and exposed to the air. The sling should also be snug so the baby does not roll around, sink, or shift. In this position, the baby is easy to hear, see, and feel.

Q: What are HugaMonkey baby carriers made of?

Grape Jelly Tastes Like Poverty - Memory Based Foods I Can't Overcome

Leah — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:52:40 +0000

Here's the scenario: 6 kids, 9 years apart, youngest baby with a heart defect, single mom. Were we poor? Oh, you bet your bottom dollar we were. But let me set one thing straight right away: we were happy. My mom worked her tail off and did the best she could under her circumstances. She was an awesome mom.

Growing up poor never leaves you, no matter how old, wise, wealthy, or fancy you get. Not that I'm any of those things just yet. But I still feel the residuals of being the kid who went to thrift stores or got hand-me-downs from neighbors for new school clothes. I still hate the thought of that blue duct-taped bike with the banana seat that mom said was my "new" bike. It's hard for me to spend money on things even now - things that seem like "fluff", that I won't die without. The biggest thing that stays with me is the food.

Uncle Dean had a big farm and would bring over 250 lbs. of potatoes in the fall. Mom put them in the cellar, whose door was an 18" square by the stairs. When Mom needed potatoes, whoever was closest to her had the horrid task of reaching their arm as far as they could into that little opening and grab a few tubers from the chilly darkness within. Although we never saw nor heard any evidence of one, we were sure a giant rat would bite our fingers in that black hole. Or maybe a black widow.

All winter long, we ate baked potatoes, potatoe soup, french fries, 'taters and eggs, mashed potatoes... I could go on like Bubba Gump. Suffice it to say, we ate a lot of potatoes. For a little while, my older brother worked at the local meat packing plant and would bring home the ends of the ham or bacon that were too small for slicing. We ate like kings on those nights! Potatoe soup with HAM! When I'm feeling really homesick, I make myself up a batch of potatoe soup with ham and peas.

Government Warns Against Shoes

Leah — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:48:09 +0000

The Department of American Foot Transportation (DAFT) is planning to issue a warning in the near future regarding the danger of footwear, specifically shoes.

"We have seen countless accidents, both minor and serious, and even deaths occur while people are wearing shoes," said Gloria Fitzfootster of DAFT. The government agency feels it necessary to invade and intrude into every possible sector of traditional American lifestyles, stating that "intervention is the best invention".

Urgent action and panic should be taken by all US citizens regarding the safety hazard of shoes and shoe wearing.

- - - - - - -

In no way do I want to undermine the injuries/deaths that have occured over the last decade because of certain types of baby carriers. But I am also furious with the idea that the government feels the need to step in, instead of the companies themselves doing their own regulating, checking, and improving.

I'm also upset at the unneccessary fear this is going to cause. Is your baby going to suddenly and spontaneously fall from her baby carrier and get seriously injured? Most likely not. There have been injuries resulting from everything from high chairs to cribs to bouncer seats. And you're still using those, right? With any product, baby related or not, there are inherint risks. The important thing is for you, the parent, to be informed, active, and secure.

Love & Marriage: 6 Tips to make Your Marriage Rock!

Dylan — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:00:45 +0000

My mom recently gave a presentation at a church meeting about marriage and how to make it better. She's been married for 37 years so I think she knows what she's talking about! Here's what she had to say:

I put together just a few pieces of advice that I think would help any marriage be better. I’ve illustrated them with stories; most are true, and they all get the point across.

1. Try to be a cheerful person.

A wise rabbi said, “Receive all people with a cheerful expression.”

How does a man feel with a woman who continuously looks angry or sad or irritated or frustrated? The fact that you might be feeling unhappy does not entitle you to inflict your bad mood on others.

It’s true that you can’t always control what you are feeling, but you can always control how you express yourself. You would prefer to be greeted by someone in a cheerful, pleasant manner, wouldn’t you? So would your husband.