Here at Ergobaby, every day is women’s day. Being a company founded by a single mom, we believe in the power of women, specifically mothers and the power of a mother to find a solution that works best for her family. Almost twenty years ago, a mother living on Maui was not satisfied with the baby carrying options available to her. Looking to keep her new son close to her body, she tried several different carriers, but found nothing that satisfied her needs for comfort and balance. She was deeply inspired by indigenous babywearing practices and The Continuum Concept — the idea that, from birth, we must be treated with great care to achieve optimal wellness in our future life.
Karin Frost
With this premise at the top of her mind, and a background in design, she set out to create something that was beneficial for her baby as well as comfortable and easy for parents to use. Drawing inspiration from the traditional mei tai baby carrier, the ergonomic design of the very first Ergobaby Baby Carrier was born.
Today, we celebrate all women, mothers, women-identifying, trans, and non-binary, and all those who work here at Ergobaby. As women, our identities shift and change as we become mothers, and that shift is core to the work we do here at Ergobaby. We look for everyday ways to celebrate women and mothers, both in our content and “behind the scenes.” Our Women’s Leadership Club celebrates, uplifts, and inspires the work of women who make Ergobaby the wonderful place it is. From the humble beginnings of Karin Frost to a truly global team, it is the voices of women, mothers, women-identifying, trans, and non-binary who shape Ergobaby.
We also acknowledge that this isn’t a level playing field, there are still disparities among women in pay as well as access to safe birthing. In the United States, Black women are 243% more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes and Black mothers die at 3-4x the rate of white mothers, one of the widest of all racial disparities in women’s health. We believe it is our work to continue to raise awareness and support women working to make strides in reproductive health. Next week, we will be highlighting some of the women who are paving the way and doing this important work.
Articles About Black Maternal Health Crisis in the United States Resources from Pfw.guide:
- https://longreads.com/2018/06/13/a-frustrating-year-of-reporting-on-black-maternal-health/
- https://rewire.news/article/2018/04/11/maternal-health-replace-race-with-racism
- https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/5/28/21272380/black-mothers-grief-sadness-covid-19
- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/02/amber-rose-isaac-new-york-childbirth-death
- https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/magazine/black-mothers-babies-death-maternal-mortality.html
- https://www.colorlines.com/articles/read-how-racism-makes-pregnancy-dangerous-black-women
- https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/568948782/black-mothers-keep-dying-after-giving-birth-shalon-irvings-story-explains-why
- https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2018/feb/21/serena-williams-maternal-mortality-crisis
Christina is a mama, conservationist, DIY’er, vintage fanatic, dog lover and the Ergobaby director of community. She is passionate about babies, babywearing, birth, yoga, natural living, and healthy eats. When not online reading and writing about all of the above, she can be found spending time with her daughter, creating their family story in Los Angeles.
