Today I am delighted to be able to bring you this sponsored post all about a mum owned baby carrier company called Joy And Joe. Plus I have a discount code for you all!!!
From the moment I first saw the Joy and Joe website I fell in love with her gorgeous red/white polka dot baby carriers. How I wish I had seen those carriers when my little girl was a baby!! I would have so loved to have had a modern, fashionable polka dot carrier for her.
I used a baby carrier with my daughter from birth up until she was about 2 years and I absolutely loved the feeling of having my child so close to me at all times. I can highly recommend that you give baby-wearing a go as it is such a wonderful feeling. It is especially useful if you want to leave the house without having to take a pushchair with you…great example would be if you fancy a trip to the beach. Have you tried pushing a buggy on the beach? I have and believe me….It’s harder work than a gym session! :o) I would have also been lost without my baby carrier when I was in the airport going on my holidays. It was such a relief to have two free hands to carry the bags!
I never tried using one of these fabric baby wraps with my daughter but looking at the instructional videos on the JoyandJoeBabyWrap You Tube channel they look like they can be very comfortable for both the parent and baby when worn correctly.
Adebisi first had the idea of starting her company back in 2009 when she was nursing her 2 month premature baby on the intensive care unit but she didn’t actually launch the business until 2011. She chose to name it after her two children…Joy and Joseph (Joe) and I think that is such an amazing gift that she has given them :o)
The term ‘Kangaroo Care’ (mother to baby skin to skin bonding) used in the NICU unit inspired her to start creating her super comfy baby carriers that you can all buy from her web shop today. Adebisi has a rich African heritage and with that comes the renowned tradition of mothers wearing their babies and toddlers in baby carriers / wraps. She had drawn from those influences of looking after her premature baby and her cultural traditions to design the Joe and Joy baby wraps.
Baby wearing is a great way to bond with your child and it offers you a indescribable feeling of contact with your child. You can choose to wear your baby wrap in many different carrying positions and you can carry your child in it from birth up until they weigh 35lbs. The carrier will evenly distribute the weight of your child around your back and it will also utilise your shoulders as the width of the fabric will fit snugly around you and your baby’s body. If you breastfeed your child you should find you can also nurse your child when wearing your wrap. It might take a little while to get it right but once you have the correct position sorted you should find that you can then feed your child discreetly in public, should you so wish.
You don’t only have to use your baby carrier to carry your child when you go out and about, you can also use it as a means of comforting your child in the home when they are fussing or crying. When they hear your heart beat and feel the warmth of your body they should hopefully start to calm down and relax. Adebisi has told me that Dr Sears has pioneered research that, backed up with scientific statistics, emphasises the importance of baby wearing. I certainly agree, as a once baby-wearing mum myself, that it is very true that wearing your baby close to you is a very important way to bond with your child.
When you first visit the Joy And Joe website, I am quite sure you will surprised by the prices. The baby wraps can be bought for as little as £13.50. That is the first time I have seen a baby carrier at such an affordable price and there is a very good reason for this. Joy And Joe have implemented a low price guarantee so that they can rest assured that their baby wraps are can be afforded by all families. Adebisi wants me to emphasise to you all that the reason for the low prices is not because the wraps are low quality. She says that like many other businesses in their first year of operation, she is more motivated by building a loyal customer base than making a profit. I love to sew and even I couldn’t make a baby wrap like this for a cheaper price. It would probably cost me double! Thank you Joy And Joe for making baby-wearing affordable! :o)
All of the carriers are approximately 5 metres long and made from 100% natural British manufactured cotton (interlocked cotton jersey) which is high quality with a one-way stretch. There is a wide choice of colours and prints available but as I’ve mentioned my favourite is the polka dot prints. You can see all the available designs here. The fabric ends on the wraps have been tapered so that it is easier for you to tie them around your body and the edges of the wraps are fully overlocked which is something you don’t always see on wraps that are under the £20 price point. The fabrics used are sourced from one of the leading UK fabric manufacturers which gives these baby wraps ethical appeal as not only are they Made in Britain but also made with British fabric and packaged here too!
The wraps are designed as one size fits all (up to approx a size 22) and they have a unique integrated pouch which you can use for storage when you are on the move. The wraps do not have any buckles, straps or snaps. All you have to do is tie the material snugly against your body, following the instructional videos online or the full colour instruction leaflet that comes with the wrap, and then place your baby or child into the carrier…always making sure they have good airflow.
As I said earlier I have never tried one of these fabric baby wraps as I opted for an eye-wateringly expensive baby carrier…but if I’d known about Joy And Joe’s affordable baby carriers I would most definitely have bought one to try with my daughter. The carrier I used was very bulky to take out and about with me, when not in use, but these fabric wraps look like they can be quite compact when folded up.
Some of the great reasons to buy a baby carrier from Joy and Joe are as follows:-
- Adebisi offers you ongoing support and information. As a baby-wearing Mum she knows what she is talking about. :o)
- The wraps conform to British and European safety standards BS EN 13209-2:2005 and she can show you her test certificate on request.
- In her own words – ‘As a business, we are very customer friendly and this is evident in the amount of time, effort, research and money that has been invested into Joy and Joe baby wrap carriers. A hand written thanks you usually accompany very order to show customers that they are truly the backbone of our brand and they are truly valued. We provide contacts that allow customers to speak to us whenever they questions and we are a brand that is growing and growing because we listen to every customers feedback and we even work on criticisms with a positive approach to ensure we get better continuously ‘
- By buying from Joy and Joe you are helping to support a small mumpreneur run business that firmly believes in their corporate social responsibility. They constantly strive to contribute to the society in a positive way whenever and wherever they can. An example of this is that since May they have listed some of the baby wraps under a special charity listing on ebay which means that 10% of the sale price of each of those baby wraps goes to the down’s syndrome association. In the future she hopes to help other charities as well.
- Joy and Joe Baby Carriers is a business member of the BCIA (baby carrier industry alliance) which was formed in 2010 to advance the well-being, growth, and interests of baby carrier manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers. The BCIA website is here.
- Joy and Joe have secured a product liability insurance which should give you peace of mind when purchasing your carrier.
Joy And Joe has received some fantastic feedback from it’s customers. Here are some of the things people have said :-
- Super soft, lovely product, super fast delivery and a wonderful friendly service
- Fantastic item v impressed and well packaged
- Its great, Just as good as the more expensive moby wrap
- Lovely product, can’t wait till baby arrives and we can use it! Thank you.
- Brilliant sling, no different to one 3 times the price. Really pleased!
You can read the rest of the testimonials here.
If you would like to buy yourself a Joy and Joe baby carrier then please visit the website here.