The most recent baby sling warning from the CPSC was released Friday, March 12, 2010 and brought to light an important subject. If you are a client of Sprout Soup, you may have heard us talk about sling safety, especially if you come in to try our carriers while you are pregnant or if you bring your new baby in. Our number one rule for new babies is no cradle carry. We want to see your new baby upright and against your chest in a tummy to tummy position. Babies love to be near your face where you can lean down and kiss their head; on your chest where they can hear the beating of your heart. This position is possible in many different carriers, like the Moby Wrap, Beco Butterfly and even ring slings like the Maya Wrap. This is the safest position for your new baby.

So what makes a sling un-safe? Some carriers are unsafe due to design. The Infantino SlingRider is one of these carriers. The Infantino is also sometimes called a “bag sling” because it functions like a shoulder bag that baby is placed inside. These carriers are usually worn low on the body, with the baby resting somewhere around the wearer’s waistline. Baby can easily slide down into the sling, becoming cramped or rolled into a ball with their chin pressed to their chest. This is a safety concern for small babies who do not have strong neck muscles and whose airway can easily be compressed when in this position.

How do you know if your baby’s position is safe in the sling? First, make sure you can see your baby. Don’t allow your baby to sink down into a sling where they are covered by fabric or where they will be resting around your waist. Keep your baby high and on your chest. Second, look at your baby’s chin. Watch out for “chin-to-chest.” What this means is the baby’s chin is pressed into his chest, which restricts the airway. You should be able to see your baby’s neck (perhaps underneath the rolls of luscious baby fat!), or baby’s head will be tilted up, away from their chest. You can even verify safe positioning by seeing if you can place a finger between baby’s chin and chest. Finally, upright positioning is the safest, but a safe cradle carry can be achieved by keeping the baby high and at a 45 degree angle with the ground, instead of horizontal in the sling with their back parallel to the ground.

So is there a reason to panic about baby slings? Certain slings, yes. We believe there are some slings, like the Infantino SlingRider, which should not be on the market. Two infant deaths occurred last year in Infantino SlingRider carriers. The company refuses to admit that their sling is unsafe. Other slings which have bulky padding and don’t allow the wearer to adjust the position so baby can either be held upright or at least high and at a 45 degree angle can also be unsafe.

Unpadded slings, and our favorite infant carrier, stretchy wraps, allow baby to be worn tummy to tummy, the safest position possible. These slings are also adjustable to fit a variety of people and still hold the baby high and upright. Slings are only unsafe when used improperly. Please use the information on this page to consider your baby sling and make sure it is safe and you are using it properly.

1. For Little Foodies
2. A Closer Look: Milkies Milk-Saver
3. March Events
4. March Classes
5. $5/$10/$15 Sale
6. Local Green Spotlight

Alternatives for Little Foodies

It’s a momentous event when your baby begins solid food! The funny faces, the exciting new tastes! You want the best for your baby, making sure everything is safe and all natural. That goes for tableware, too. Glass is the best material for serving and storing food, especially hot foods. But when
there are kids around glass isn’t always practical, until now.

Kidishes are kid-friendly bowls, cups, and plates made from tempered glass. Strong and durable, they can withstand banging on the table or being pushed to the floor along with those strained peas. Diswasher and microwave safe!

Natural wood is also a safe alternative to plastic. Our Bambu Infant Utensil set has always been a hit.

If you’re looking for a more earth friendly alternative to the “Take and Toss” plastics, check out the Dandelion line of ReUsable plates, bowls, spoons and forks. They’re made from corn, using significantly less fossil resources by switching to a renewable and sustainable resource.

Introducing the Milkies Milk-Saver. An innovative way to collect breast milk that would otherwise be absorbed into a nursing pad and thrown away. The average nursing mom leaks 1-4 ounces of milk every time she feeds her baby. Save every drop with this reusable milk collector. At Milkies, we care about the safety of the materials that make up our products. The Milk-Saver has been rigorously tested to ensure zero chemical leaching and contains no BPA or phthalates.

Weekly Events Weekly activities are open to everyone and FREE. Age ranges are suggestions. Crafty Tuesday Tuesdays 11am-12:30pm Each week we have a new craft project, geared toward ages 2-6. Crafts take 10-20 minutes. Moms Groups Fridays 10am-12pm Weekly playdates are a relaxed time for moms to connect with other moms in the area and let their kids play. Monthly Events Activities listed here are FREE & open to all. La Leche League Toddler & Tandem Second Thursday 7pm - March 11 Support group for mothers nursing beyond one year and/or nursing more than one child. Contact Helen for info 740-485-2864 Parenting Discussion with Rebecah Freeling Thursday, March 18, 6:30pm “Mastering Media” Parents need a plan! Children are strongly attracted to TV, DVDs, video games, cell phones, and other techno devices. How much is harmful? How much is necessary? What is the best timing for permitting children access to media? And what technologies are appropriate for preschool children? (Hint: In this workshop you’ll use a hand drill and an egg beater!) Donations accepted. Columbus Attachment Parents Second Saturday 10:30am - March 13 Fourth Thursday 6:30pm - March 25 This month: Nighttime Parenting Babywearing Meeting Wednesday, April 13, 10am It’s a great time to get involved with our Babywearing Group! We’re working on a carrier lending library!	January Classes Kids’ Cooking Classes Thursdays in March, 11:15 am Rachel of HoundsInTheKitchen.com returns with new ingredients and recipes for children to explore. $4 per child per class. No registration is required. Cloth Diapers 101 Sunday March 14, 2pm or Saturday March 27, 10:30am Thinking about using cloth diapers on your little one? An overview of different types of cloth diapers, use and care. $10 per family registration required. Arbonne Baby Skin Care Tuesday, March 9 or 23, 12pm Introduction to Infant Massage Saturday, March 20, 10:00 am Caregivers are invited to bring their infants, (pre-crawling) to learn a full body massage protocol and techniques to help alleviate discomfort associated with gas, teething and other issues. Registration and pre-payment are necessary. Registration fee is $20 for one adult/infant and $25 for two adults and one infant. To register contact Melissa Weaver, LMT at melissa@melissaweaverlmt.com or 614.581.5893. EGGstravaganza Saturday, March 20, 12:00 pm All ages can participate in this cooking class including lunch, egg painting and more. $5 per child, $15 family max. Email rachel@houndsinthekitchen.com for details and registration. Mental Health for Moms Thursday, April 1, 6:30pm This workshop will equip moms and partners with tools and strategies for mental health during pregnancy, baby blues, life changes, work-life balance and more. Babies welcome, no registration required. Michelle Risser, MSW, LISW Download our March Calendar in PDF format - print out or keep on your computer for easy reference.
$5 / $10 / $15 Sale! It’s spring cleaning time! Stop in the weekend of March 12-14 for amazing deals on discontinued or out-of-season items, including Laptop Lunch, Foogo and Sage Creek Organics. Great stuff, three super-low price points! $5, $10 or $15!
Sprout Swap Wrap Up Sprout Swap is our twice-yearly consignment sale of gently used cloth diapers, baby carriers, and nursing mother items. For this sale we had a record number of items, and a record number of sales! We were able to re-home three-quarters of the items brought in to us! For those of you who had items in the swap, your credits and leftover items will be ready for pickup starting now and continuing through March 14th. Please arrange to have your participation in the February Swap settled by this date. If you are unable to do so by this day, please call us to make arrangements. Items not claimed or arranged for will be donated on March 26.	Local Green Spotlight: Watt Works Watt Works is the place to learn about and buy high quality, effective energy-saving and environmentally-friendly products and services. Our customers are those who wish to save energy costs and reduce their impact on the environment. Open Monday-Friday 12-7pm and Saturday 12-5pm. 1078 Goodale Blvd Columbus, OH 43212 614-458-1162 www.wattworks.comgreen@wattworks.com
Download our event calendar in PDF format.   Thank you for your support! Noah and Alissa DeRouchie www.SproutSoup.com

]]> http://sproutsoup.com/blog/sprout-scoop-march-2010/feed/ http://sproutsoup.com/blog/sprout-scoop-february-2010/ http://sproutsoup.com/blog/sprout-scoop-february-2010/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:43:22 +0000 Lissi http://sproutsoup.com/blog/?p=206 We’re a little behind getting the Sprout Scoop onto the website. Here’s a link to download the PDF with current events and info.

February 2010 Sprout Scoop PDF

In an effort to reduce paper and paperwork, we are trying an online registration for this year’s Sprout Swap! Please help us by entering your information and items online before dropping them off at the store.

1. You will need to fill out the form on this page once.
2. You will need to fill out the Item Registration Form once for every item or package of items you wish to enter in the swap.
3. Drop your items off at Sprout Soup during our normal business hours.

What happens next?
4. Shop the swap! February 19-21 at Sprout Soup.
5. After the swap you get paid! Choose if you would like to receive 100% Sprout Soup Store Credit for the value of the items you sold at the swap. Or you may have 80% in cash, given to you as a check.
6. Items that did not sell and your payment should be ready for pick-up by February 25. All items and credits must be picked up by March 14. Items not picked up will be donated and credits will be forfeited.

Please feel free to contact us with questions! We hope the application process is seamless and we can serve you quickly and efficiently! We are looking forward to another sucessful swap!