Why Do Baby Carriers Cost So Much?
Over the past few weeks I’ve been asked a bunch of times about the high price of baby carriers in my store. I have to be honest – now that I’ve lived in the babywearing world for four years and counting, I don’t really flinch at the thought of spending a couple hundred dollars on a long peice of woven fabric – I mean, have you seen how pretty they are? :)
- (I know, not the best wrapping job. :D Just focus on the prettiness.)
But I do remember when I started out with my first daughter, The Princess. I cringed at the thought of spending more than $50 on a stretchy wrap and I had some severe anxiety about buying my first SSC – a Beco Butterfly. It was $150 and I bought it off eBay. I had never seen one in real life, let alone tried it on. But when it came in the mail, I immediately fell in love. Worth every penny.
Wasting Our Money
Contrast that to some of the other things I bought for The Princess. Hmmm… let’s see. The crib became a large storage centre for our cloth diapers when we discovered that our baby would only sleep smack next to mama. And the change table? It now holds our fish tank. We bought a glider for rocking The Princess in, but soon discovered that she would hit her head on the hard edges whenever she stretched out. And the cushion covers aren’t even removable – why didn’t I foresee that being a problem?! (I don’t think you notice the cat puke stains unless you look right at them).
The list of things I spent top dollar on goes on and on. The tummy tub. The bumbo chair. The numerous strollers.
We were nomads most of my son’s first year of life, and the only baby gear item I couldn’t have survived without was our Beco Gemini. I rocked him to sleep in it during the Tohoku Japan earthquake, climbed Diamond Head in Hawaii in it, walked the beaches in New Zealand in it, used it in airports, in trains, and whenever he was grumpy or sleepy. We don’t own a crib or playpen, and managed without a swing, bouncer, Bumbo, change table or recliner….Our nomadic year taught me that all babies really need is a safe place to sleep, warm clothes, milk in whichever form you choose, some kind of diapers (EC is not an option for us!!), and someone to love them.
- Emma Otsuki
For fun, I asked on the Canadian Babywearers FSOT Facebook page what people thought they needed but never really used:
- High chair, strollers, baby swings (Michelle)
- Bouncy chair, breast pump (Cathy)
- Breast pump, bumbo (Meggan)
- Bumbo (Kris)
- Bumbo, crib, stroller, baby bath (Carrie)
- Crib, stroller, change table, baby bath tub, diaper bag, special furniture (Angela)
- Nursing cover (Jennifer)
- Swing, nursing pillows, cheap carriers (Maria)
- Fancy high chair, change table, mobile, noise machine (Melissa)
- Bouncy seat, exersaucer, nursing cover, baby blankets, baby hooded towels, baby facecloths, diaper bag (Melissa)
- Bassinet, Bumbo, Breast pump, bottle warmer (Karri)
- Crib (Sara)
- Crib (Corrie)
- Fancy High chair (Catherine)
- Playpen (Marie)
- Strollers, cosleeper (Lauren)
- Crib, bucket car seat, playpen (Anika)
- Bumbo, bottle warmer (Jacqui)
- Baby bath tub, nursing cover (Karlie)
- Baby bath tub, bassinet, tons of clothes (Katherine)
- Playpen, receiving blankets, bath tub (Andrea)
- Bassinet (Kara)
I remember how stressed I was to make sure I had everything ready before The Princess was born, including most of the stuff in that list – and so much of it just didn’t get used! I wish that I had bought them used or borrowed them from a friend and used my money for more important things. Like baby carriers. :)
Why Do Baby Carriers Cost So Much?
But back to the original question: why do the baby carriers cost so much? There is so much I want to say about this, and it’s going to take me a few posts to cover:
- You get what you pay for (today’s post).
- Supporting local stores is important (coming soon).
- Tips for saving money on baby carriers (coming soon).
You Get What You Pay For
It basically boils down to quality. I like the carriers that I sell. I think they are of excellent quality. I think they retain their value, should you choose to resell them. I think that they will last a long time and be comfortable.
Let’s take ring slings, as an example. Most people ask about the Sakura Blooms in particular, so its a good place to start. I sell their double layer slings in linen and silk, and they start at $160 CDN. Why do I sell these? Because I really like them. I think the double layer = triple comfort. And because they are beautiful. And because they clean up so easily. And because they are so great with newborns and toddlers alike. But I also sell Maya Wraps, which are $85 and also lovely to use. From time to time, I bring in another brand, but I try to keep it pretty simple so people aren’t overwhelmed. Yes, you can buy cheaper ones. I don’t know how they’ll hold up because I haven’t tried them personally. Feel free to try them, but remember that most times you get what you pay for.
So many people tell me that they tried babywearing, but their baby wasn’t happy or they found it too painful. Often, they tell me that they purchased a cheap department store baby carrier (yes, Snugli, I’m referring to you) or they bought a used carrier that came without any instructions and they never figured out how to use it comfortably and safely.
And you know what? That sucks. That sucks for those parents because they lost out on a great tool. That sucks for their baby who might have enjoyed the extra contact that babywearing brings. And that sucks for other people who might ask about their experience and then decide to skip the carrier altogether.
The benefits of babywearing have been proven, for both baby and parent. I strongly believe that every parent needs a quality carrier – far more than a baby wipes warmer or Bumbo chair. I understand that the budget might be tight, but there are so many better places to save money.
Did you know that in Germany, paid babywearing consultants come to your house and recommend a wrap weave based on you and your baby? I love that babywearing is taken so seriously! I hope that some day we take baby carrier selection in North America just as seriously and stop settling for whatever is on sale at the department store.
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Still not convinced? Well, how about I give you the chance to WIN a brand new Midnight~Sandstone Sakura Bloom silk ring sling in honour of Canadian Babywearing Week (May 22 – May 28)? The winner will be chosen on the last day (May 28) and there will be a few more opportunities to enter until then. Contest is open to Canadian residents only, excluding Quebec. Carrier may be substituted for one of equal or greater value at my discretion. End small print now.
For you first chance to enter, leave a comment and tell us what you bought as a new parent that turned out to be completely unnecessary! (And while it’s not necessary for you to join my Daisy Days Facebook page to enter, I’d really love if you did.)
Abandoning my Goals?
I started off Friday morning listening to Motherhood and Feminism on the CBC’s The Current. The segment started off with quotes from Elisabeth Badinter’s new book The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women. Badinter believes that Attachment Parenting – particularly the obligation to breastfeed for years, to cosleep with our babies at night and to wear your baby in a sling – is all an unnecessary burden placed on women that needs to be rejected. A few guests then went on to debate the idea that Attachment Parenting is setting women’s rights back. (No word yet on how Attachment Parenting is setting back the rights of men, but I digress.)
At one point during the interview, Renee Martin of Womanist Musings said that “motherhood shouldn’t be solely about sacrificing everything that you are and have for your children”. Which is exactly what I had planned to write about that day. How appropriate.
I’ve decided to sacrifice my goals for my children. Sorry Renee.
This topic has actually been on my mind a lot for the last four months and especially in the last couple weeks. If you scroll back in my archives, you’ll read about my desire to become a lactation consultant. My family supported my decision and so I enthusiastically signed up for my first online class – biology.
Oh, it was a long four months.
The class didn’t go very well, mostly because I was just too busy to devote time or energy to it. I missed almost every online chat session. I fell way behind in the readings. I only passed thanks to Biology for Dummies – which I bought a week before my final out of desperation. The course weighed on my mind heavily every day – I felt stressed because I was behind and super guilty when I didn’t spend every spare moment with my nose in my text book.
Then during exam weeks, I was a bit of a mess. I was up late reading and a total bear to be around. I know that my family suffered for it. I had less patience with the girls and less energy to play. And the whole time, I really wondered why I was bothering. I’m a better mother when I’m not stressed by deadlines – and I’m a far happier person.
Take night time, for example. I’ve discovered that if I go to bed with my girls between 9:00 and 9:30, they fuss very little and we all fall asleep really fast. That’s right – the Princess is not up until midnight anymore! Hallelujah! I’m getting far more sleep too – and even though I’m still working out the details (I can’t figure out how to wake myself up early before the girls), I’m pretty happy with this new arrangement.
But when I’m distracted by work, then I tend to mess up the bedtime routine and the girls are harder to settle down. I then wait tensely for them to fall asleep – and of course they toss and turn for what feels like hours. Then I become so flipping frustrated because they don’t seem to get that I have important work to do! And then I feel guilty because who gets mad at a kid because they can’t fall asleep? And then The Princess will stare at me with a concerned look and say “Mommy, you should smile more” and then I’m just a blubbery mess.
Finally she nods off and I stay up super late and then I am even more tired the next day. The kitchen gets messy, and the laundry takes on a life of its own. We eat a ton of takeout and I just feel defeated. And for what?
Contrast that to a day with no pressing deadlines, when I’ve gotten a great night’s sleep. I wake up refreshed. I have energy to take my girls to the park to play. I can act out The Shoemaker and the Elves for the 57th time. I’m happier, and my whole family is happier.
Mommy Math:
Mommy + goals + the total support of the family = everyone is miserable.
Mommy – goals = everyone is happy and peaceful. Added bonus =Mommy even might get the chance to write in her blog from time to time.
I understand that goals involve sacrifice, but I also understand that some things can be accomplished later on when the timing is better and the sacrifice isn’t so great.
So I’m probably not going to take another course for awhile. I’m also scaling back on other commitments I’ve made. Right now, I’m trying to focus more on my family.
Am I setting back women’s rights by choosing my family’s happiness over my own goals? Even if it makes me happier too? Maybe my goals are just shifting rather than being sacrificed – I’d like to be a strong women with an interesting life, deep friendships, a successful business, and a thriving family, and that’s a good enough goal for now.
Renee, I hope you can understand.
A Quick Life Summary
Yup. My mom is right – it’s been a month since I wrote here. It’s nice to have such a dedicated fan. *waves enthusiastically at mother*
It’s after midnight and I can’t sleep, so I thought I’d check in. Here’s a quick snapshot of life right now:
- I found a way to get The Princess asleep by 10 without any tears or screaming: I go to bed too. Then we all get a good night sleep and we wake up together in the morning. This is good because the house is so much more peaceful without nightly torture sessions. This is bad because I have zero time by myself. For things like blogging. Just as an example.
- I finished my biology course. I got an 86%, which means that I failed at failing. Oh well, there’s always next time. I still have to take Anatomy & Physiology, after all.
- The Pixie is so active now and she doesn’t let me rest for a moment. If she finds something that will fit in her mouth, she’ll eat it. If she finds something that won’t fit in her mouth, she’ll try to climb it. We now have to store all our kitchen chairs laying under the table when its not meal time.
- I have decided that our family needs to jump on the frugal-train, but I’m having a hard time finding the line between frugal and cheap. I also spend a lot of time thinking about society’s need to consume less, but I also need those same people to buy more from my store so I can stay in business. It’s a noodle-scratcher, to be sure.
I’ve written about all this and more in my head, usually as I’m chasing The Pixie from room to room. Hopefully this week I’ll get a chance to write one or two posts. I just haven’t figured out when yet.
In the mean time, enjoy this picture of The Pixie – I made the mistake of leaving the room for a moment but made it back before she managed to open the glass and get the tea cups… seriously, this sums up my life right now:
Where did she even find that chair?
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