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Review: Pupsik Studio Baby Pouch Carrier [Giveaway #10]

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:29:00 +0000

Pupsik Studio Stylish Baby Pouch Carrier in Aqua Marine

This Review & Giveaway article is sponsored by Pupsik Studio based in Singapore.

Most babies love to be carried and Vee is no exception. At 16 months old, he probably still misses living in Mummy’s womb sometimes. I love babywearing Vee as it keeps him calm on clingy days while freeing up my hands. We have two ring slings and a soft structured carrier, and were eager to try out Pupsik Studio’s baby pouch carrier.

What is a fitted pouch carrier?

A fitted pouch carrier is a simple one-piece design, with no adjustment needed through rings and buckles. The size is meant to fit the caregiver (usually Mummy!), and there are 3 to 5 carrying positions to meet baby’s needs as she grows from a newborn to a toddler.

About Pupsik Baby Pouch Carrier

These are the main features of the carrier:

Material: Made of high quality cotton fabrics with a slight stretch for comfort
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Limit: Up to 20kg child
Extras: (1) Leg padding (2) Pocket to hold loose items
Choices: Currently 6 solid colours and 10 lovely prints
Country of origin: Made in Malaysia

First Impressions

Compact and highly portable baby pouch

The baby carrier is packaged in a durable plastic pouch with snaps, which keeps it clean when not in use. I am very impressed by how compact it is — only slightly bigger than my palm! The pouch carrier comes with a small booklet explaining safety precautions and wearing instructions. There are step-by-step photos showing how to put on the pouch and wear it for 3 carrying positions — cradle carry, kangaroo carry and front carry. The sewing is also very well done.

How We Tested It

Fit / Ease of Use: Pupsik Studio has a user-friendly online sizing calculator that helps customers choose the correct size based on weight, height and bra cup. It recommended the Small for me and the fit is perfect. It took very little learning to wear the pouch and put toddler Vee in it. No rings and buckles means absolute convenience indeed!

Home: It comes in useful when I need to carry him up/down the stairs and hold other things (usually cups and handkerchiefs) at the same time. Otherwise, it is difficult to juggle so many things while ensuring he does not tumble down the stairs.

Outdoors: Nowadays, he is more willing to sit in the stroller, so I pack the Pupsik pouch carrier (instead of the soft structured carrier) in the diaper bag. This saves lots of space and we can travel with a light diaper bag. If he becomes clingy, it is easy to pop him into the pouch while we continue running errands. (Note: A sized carrier means only I or another caregiver of similar size may use it.)

Period of Use: Since the weight of the child is bore by one shoulder and Vee is already 28% of my weight, I use the carrier only for short periods of time (less than 30 minutes). I love the thick leg padding which protects Vee’s chubby thighs.

Laundry: I washed the pouch carrier once by hand and there was colour run. The water became clear after 5 to 6 rinses (erm… I lost count as I was preventing Vee from barging into the washroom). The simple one-piece design means quick drying time for reusing again. (Tip: Always wash new garment by hand or separately before first use.)

Overall, we like the Pupsik Baby Pouch Carrier and it would be in our diaper bag for a long time.

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What we like about it:

Light and compact — saves space in diaper bag
Packaged in a reusable plastic pouch to keep the pouch clean
Easy to use
Machine-washable
Leg padding protects baby’s thighs
Variety of colours and lovely prints to match Mummy’s skin tone and wardrobe

What can be improved:

Prevent colour run by choosing fabric/dye which is less prone to colour run, prewashing the carrier, or reminding customers to wash separately before first use.

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Win Your Own

ONE (1) lucky subscriber will win a Pupsik Baby Pouch Carrier worth S$45.90 each. This is how to participate:

Subscribe to Mummy’s Reviews™ in a reader or via email (existing subscribers counted)

Send an email to me with the following information:
- Your name
- Facebook nickname, if any
- Visit here and tell me the colour / print of the carrier you would like to win
- If you are a new reader, mention how you got to know of this Giveaway
- Blog / Website URL, if any

To get EXTRA entries:
- 1 extra entry: “Like” Mummy’s Reviews™ Facebook page (existing fans counted)
- 1 extra entry (unlimited total): For each participant referred by you (e.g. through sharing the Giveaway on Facebook)
- 3 extra entries: Share this Giveaway on your blog / website

Other Information

This Giveaway is open to subscribers with a mailing address in Singapore and Malaysia.
It will run until 5 July 2010.
The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Send in your entries now and good luck!

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

To get your own Pupsik Baby Pouch Carrier and a wide range of unique products for Mummy and baby, visit Pupsik Studio.

Special Treat: 10% discount on baby pouches
Discount Code: MUMMYSREVIEWS
Validity Period: Until 31 July 2010

The Pupsik pouches are also available at these retailers based in Malaysia:

Mothercare (MidValley, KLCC, The Curve, 1Utama, Subang Parade, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Pavilion, Alamanda, Gurney Plaza)
Little Me Store (Kota Kinabalu — 4 stores throughout, Sandakan)
Kid’s Avenue, Kota Kinabalu
Poppies (Kuching, Sibu)
Toys World (Miri)
Baby’s Gallery (Miri)
Peekaboo Baby (Penang)

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Disclosure: I received a Pupsik Baby Pouch Carrier for review.

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Why I Love Babywearing

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:18:36 +0000

To share my love of babywearing with you, I have contributed a guest article entitled ‘Why I Love Babywearing’ to Today’s Motherhood. You may read the article here (January 2010 issue, pages 12-13) or below.

This article is launched in conjunction with Mummy’s Reviews’ first Special Treat for you.

Are you a babywearer?
If so, which is your favourite baby sling or carrier and why?

Cheers,
MieVee

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Introduction

I love this quote from AskDrSears.com “The womb lasts eighteen months. Nine months inside mother, and nine months outside.” My baby boy has just completed his nine months outside the womb. After spending many hours being carried in a baby sling or carrier, he has grown into a happy, observant and sociable boy. This article aims to share with you the benefits that babywearing has given us.

Benefits

1. Creates a Strong Bond

I often carried my newborn in a baby sling to replicate the womb-like experience that he has been used to for nine months. The close contact with me gave my baby a great sense of security as he could smell, hear and feel me at close proximity. This helped him adjust better to the outside world and enhanced our bond.

As a breastfeeding mother, I was able to respond to my son’s hunger cues quickly and feed him before he started crying (which is a late hunger cue).

2. Calms Baby Down

My boy was bothered by gassiness in the early months and his fussiness peaked at night. Putting him in our sling and walking around in the bedroom was a sure-fire way to calm him down.

My alert baby was also the ultimate nap-resistor after reaching ten weeks old. For his evening nap, I often walked around with him in the sling so that he could take a cosy nap. Whenever he stirred, I would bounce him a little so that he could settle back to sleep again, taking long naps of up to two hours.

At four months old, he suffered from reflux and carrying him in a sling at an inclined or upright angle allowed him to feel more comfortable and not choke on his regurgitated milk.

3. Keeps Mummy’s Hands Free

Another great benefit of babywearing is that I could carry on with the daily household routine and keep the baby contented at the same time. It is easy to wash dishes and prepare the ingredients for his meals when carrying him on my back using a sturdy baby carrier. Many second-time mothers also find it convenient to look after an older child while carrying the younger child in a sling.

4. Enhances Baby’s Learning

My curious baby enjoys observing my actions as I piggy-back him, and he is able to learn from my daily experiences – organising food in the refrigerator, washing vegetables and fruits, operating the washing machine and so on. This gives him an adult perspective to the world besides playing in his crib or play-yard.

5. Convenient Outdoors

There are places where wearing the baby is much more convenient than manoeuvring a stroller, for instance at a crowded night market (pasar malam), and during grocery shopping when hands are needed to push a trolley. For short trips, it is also easy to simply wear the baby and leave the house, with hands free to carry a diaper bag.

6. Keeps Baby Safe

Wearing my baby in a sling or carrier keeps both of us safer as compared to carrying him with my hands. With both hands free, I could hold on to handrails of staircases or escalators, or hold on to somewhere for support should I lose my balance.

Choosing a Suitable Baby Carrier

There is a huge range of baby slings and carriers that can be mind-boggling to the new mother. Some factors to consider are your build, your child’s build and developmental stage, your family’s lifestyle, ergonomics and quality of the carrier, and your budget.

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Why I Love Babywearing. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Special Treat: Baby Slings & Carriers Discount

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:00:28 +0000

Image from http://www.babyslingsandcarriers.com/

The review of our Beco Baby Carrier (Butterfly 2 DUO) has been a hit among Mummy’s Reviews’ readers, so I wrote an article on babywearing for Today’s Motherhood (to be published in January 2010) and approached Baby Slings & Carriers for a special treat just for you.

Who is Baby Slings & Carriers?

I was referred to Baby Slings & Carriers (based in Singapore) by a friend. It was a breeze shopping at its online store when I helped my sister-in-law purchase her Beco Baby Carrier. The available prints could be enlarged so that it is easier to choose one’s favourite.

We love that it offers FREE shipping for orders above S$120 to any Singapore or Malaysia address.

Pearline, the founder, replied my email enquiries very promptly and offered to check the carrier’s condition before sending it out to Kuala Lumpur. The parcel was received within a week of payment in great condition.

The store has a unique Babywearer’s Privilege Card programme that offers customer support and privileges to its customers.

If you are in Singapore, do drop by the flagship store at #01-56/57 Square 2 @ Novena (12p.m. to 8p.m.) to try on the wide range of slings and carriers.

Here is YOUR Special Treat:

Get 5% off the entire range of baby ring and pouch slings, baby wraps, and baby carriers at Baby Slings & Carriers! (They have a HUGE range!)

Details:

The 5% promotion is valid from 1 (0000hours) to 31 Jan 2010 (1159hours).
The discount code is “TMMR2009″ without the ” ” for online orders only.
You will get the same babywearing support with your babywearing support card.
Free shipping will still apply for above S$120 purchases after discount.

To receive free updates on future Giveaways and Special Treats, subscribe to Mummy’s Reviews via your favourite Reader or email.

Have a fabulous Year 2010!

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Special Treat: Baby Slings & Carriers Discount. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.

Review: Beco Baby Carrier (Butterfly 2 DUO)

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:39:14 +0000

As Baby V grew beyond 8kg, it became strenuous to carry him in a sling, which places his entire weight on one shoulder. Another carrier that we owned also did not work because it strained the back. I read about soft baby carriers that provide an ergonomic sitting position (as opposed to baby’s legs dangling by the crotch) and became very interested in getting one.

A good friend recommended Beco Butterfly 2 to us and we pounced on the opportunity to try it out at Cozy Babies (a distributor) while in Singapore. We compared it with another well-known soft baby carrier and Beco won hands down. Since both the designer (HUES) and organic (DUO) fabric collections are listed at S$250, we chose the latter. We learnt from the owner of Cozy Babies, Ashley, that it is not possible for a front-facing baby to being carried ergonomically in a carrier (due to the way our spine is structured), therefore the Beco carrier cannot be used to carry a front-facing baby.

The straps fit narrower Asian shoulders well without the tendency to slip down; it is possible to back-carry the baby at an earlier age; and also possible to transfer the baby easily from one adult to another whilst in the carrier.

The wide padded waist belt effectively supports the lumbar spine and distributes weight away from the shoulders. The clips at the shoulder straps have safety features (need to be pressed at the front and sides) so that the baby cannot undo them, which is especially important during back-carry.

After a couple of practices, it became easy to adjust the straps for the perfect fit or transit from front to back-carry or vice versa.

For the past 1.5 months, we have been using the Beco carrier for our outdoor trips since Baby V prefers to be carried over sitting in the stroller. On a few occasions, the fussy-sleeper could even fall asleep in it easily, which are when the sleeping hood would come in useful.

Every morning, Baby V is also carried on my back as I prepare the ingredients for his meals. It is a breeze to do some light housework while he is on my back, even though he weighs about 10kg now.

I have recommended the carrier to my sister-in-law, who bought it from Baby Slings and Carriers when there was a promotion. She is very pleased with her Beco too!

What we like about it:

Ergonomic design — baby sits instead of dangles by the crotch
Even weight distribution — makes carrying baby a breeze
Safe to carry baby at the back
Long usage span — can be used to carry child up to 20kg (many carriers have a relatively lower limit)
Organic fabric option available at the same price as regular fabric
Easy to wash – machine washable
Many attractive prints to choose from

What can be improved:

I wish the price were low enough to get two so that it can be washed more regularly

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Get Your Own

In Singapore, Beco carriers are available in at Cozy Babies (distributor) and Baby Slings and Carriers (retailer). Both stores deliver to Malaysia too.

You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Beco Butterfly II Baby Carrier*

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*: affiliate link to support the growth and maintenance of Mummy’s Reviews™

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Review: Moms in Mind Sarong Sling (Baby Carrier)

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:55:00 +0000

When I was shopping for baby stuff (at Kiddy Palace, Jurong Point, Singapore) during pregnancy, my best friend recommended the Moms in Mind sarong sling (listed price: S$45, without demo video) to me. I trusted her opinion and bought a cotton sateen sling in Lilac-Pink, which turned out to be one of my favourite buys.

Aesthetics

The cotton sateen fabric is super-smooth and soft; the beautiful colour-combination and modern sling design creates an attracive layering piece when I wear it outdoors. I am always thrilled when other mums ask me where I bought the sling from. (Yes, I am a vain-pot at heart.)

Functionality

The loop-design makes it rather easy to secure the baby correctly in the sling. Practice makes perfect. I certainly prefer this one-size sling over sized ones.

The little zip compartment is just the right size for a handphone, face cloth and pacifier. What a thoughtful design!

The sling is suitable for shopping in crowded or narrow places where the stroller is inconvenient — for instance, pasar malam (night markets) and supermarkets. When Baby V cannot fall asleep in the stroller, he would be happy to be in the sling. He used to take long naps in it while I shopped in peace, until curiosity took over at about 3 months old.

When no nursing room is nearby, I simply nurse him in the sling.

At home, the sling keeps Baby V calm while he watches me prepare food for my daily tea-break or do other light chores.

The sling has been so useful that I ordered another one (in Light-Blues) online to ensure that there is always a clean one available. (Baby V never spares my beloved slings from regurgitated milk or saliva!)

However, as the weight of the baby is born by only one shoulder, I found it too strenuous to carry Baby V in it when he weighed above 9kg.

Pros:

Washes well (machine-washable, place in a laundry net) — looks new even after 6 months of frequent use
Cotton sateen fabric is very smooth, soft and breathable (keeps baby cool)
Versatile — several carrying positions possible
Attractive modern design

Cons:

For petite mums like me, the ‘tail’ of the sling could be too long
Weight of the baby is born by only one shoulder

(Tip: Wrap the tail around the loop to keep it short and neat.)

© 2009-2012 Veezian Pte. Ltd. | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Mummy's Reviews™ subscribers. If you like this post, you may share its link: Review: Moms in Mind Sarong Sling (Baby Carrier). Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited.