Sling Safety

I cannot even begin to describe how frustrated I am by the recent media activity regarding sling and babywearing safety. So much of what is being reported is simply not accurate and only accurate when referring to specific baby carriers that really should have never been available in the first place.
I'm sure a lot of parents have been seeing these articles articles and have been scared and turned off of babywearing.
I am here to tell you that there are TONS of perfectly safe baby carriers that are widely available and affordable.
We as parents have a responsibility whenever we are using anything related to our children's health and safety. We need to understand that just because items are sold in stores does not mean they are safe and fool proof. We need to take responsibility as adults and parents to make sure our babies are safe. When using any baby product we have to make sure we are using them correctly. It seems most recalls on baby items are due to people misusing them. i.e. the bumbo seat specifically says to not use it on a raised surface. However people plop their babies on top of the counter in the bumbo and sure enough Bumbo falls! Like seriously what do people expect?!?!? Bathtub ring. DO NOT LEAVE BABY UNATTENDED IN BATHTUB RING. You guessed it, baby drowned and now those are outlawed.
Granted some of the carriers on the market should never have been as they are quite obviously unsafe. Any amount of common sense should prevail in most situations. If a newborns face is squished so that they cannot breathe that is unsafe and baby should be positioned so that the airways are accessible.
Babywearing is a learned skill and babies expect to be carried. Babywearing has been around far longer than most of us and North America is really just way behind in this "trend".
So for all the fear mongering that has been surrounding babywearing please don't paint all babywearing with the same brush. Get reputable, safe carriers and learn how to use them. Also recognize that lots of carriers can be used for the life of your baby however, different carries apply to different ages and stages. i.e. you are not going to cradle carry a one year old nor are you going to back carry your 3 month old. I have three different styles and have used them all at different stages and for different situations.
Here are some great links for safe babywearing and retailers.
the babywearer
babywearing international
parenting by nature

Hypocrite?

As most of you know I am a wanna be hippie ;) I cloth diaper my kids, I wear cloth pads myself (TMI I know...) I use reusable everything I can and only natural products for cleaning as well as on my skin and my children's skin.
I've been thinking a lot lately though about the fact that I don't follow this lifestyle for my diet. If anything I consume more "poison" in my eating habits then anywhere else in my life. With all the chemicals in our foods and additives it is no wonder the human race is full of disease and behaviour problems.
So, I wonder why am I so concerned about our environment and the world we live in but not my own body? The answer I would give is that our world needs to last for generations to come and so my children have a healthy environment to grow and live in. I wonder though wby I don't think my children deserve a healthy mom to grow and play and live with?
I have read quite a bit on "clean eating" and this is something that totally appeals to me. I realize it is quite a task to take on but I would really like to try this one meal at a time.
If anyone has any great tips or books or websites please leave a comment.

Extreme Parenting

I was watching 20/20 tonight and the whole show was about "extreme parenting". Some of the stories I thought were outright craziness however, some of them I totally thought were right on track.
Home birthing for instance. I think with the right planning and back up plans and a midwife this is a total possibility and probably a really empowering experience. Looking back on my birth experiences it makes me wish I had done things differently.
"Extended" breastfeeding. This is another topic that I feel quite strongly about. I believe in child led weaning. Now personally I think my limit would be three-four years of age but that is just me personally. If you really feel the nutritional benefits are important then I would pump but that is just me. I personally question the whole value of the cows milk we drink anyways. I find it odd that we are the only species that drinks another species milk. That is a whole nother post though ;)
I know some people think that I am a little bit hippie in the fact that I cloth diaper and "wear my babies" but I just think I am going back to a simpler life and maybe if I had the chance to do it again I would save my money on buying formula and try and have a more natural birthing experience.