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Our Story
My name is Cari, and I’m the mother of an amazing girl named Tanna. The story of One Love does not begin with me — it begins with another amazing mother named Amy…
Amy’s Story
Amy discovered babywearing after the birth of her daughter Mia in Bangkok, Thailand, where she and her family were based. Like most babies, Mia was happiest being held and, like many, demanded to be carried most of the day. Desperate to find a way to keep her crying baby happy while going about the rest of her life, Amy turned to the front pack carrier, a carrier commonly found in major shops. The front pack carrier was a success — it was easy to use, Amy had her hands free, and her baby was calmer. But by the time her baby was 4 months old it was causing Amy stinging neck pain and to her disappointment an orthopedic doctor suggested she stop using the carrier altogether. Panicked, she turned to the internet for answers.
Amy researched extensively, subscribed to online forums, scoured websites, and joined list-serves. She found that indeed the front pack carrier had drawbacks, both for parents and babies, and that there were other carrier styles out there that were easier and more comfortable on the back. Following the suggestion of experienced babywearers, Amy bought her first mei tai baby carrier online and fell in love. She loved it and her daughter loved it — even her husband used it regularly. It was easy to get on and off, she had no neck or back pain, and it was even relatively cool in the Bangkok heat. She had her hands free and could live her life, with her little girl safe and happy.
Armed and inspired with all the information she had learned from her research and exposure at the International Babywearing Conference, Amy founded the Bangkok Babywearing Club to help other parents discover the joys of babywearing. With crumbling sidewalks, stifling heat, crowded markets, and an extensive public transportation system that has few elevators and ramps, Bangkok is an extremely stroller-unfriendly city. For many parents, using a baby carrier is the only practical way to get around town. Through the club, Amy realized that more and more parents were eager to use baby carriers — every month parents came to club meetings ready to buy one. However, high-quality baby carriers were not available in Bangkok and very few parents knew what to order. Aware of this need, the beautiful tradition of babywearing in Asia, and the rich variety of gorgeous fabrics in Thailand and the region, and with much international consultation, Amy launched One Love in October 2008.
My Story
By the time I gave birth to Tanna in November 2008, I had already bought or received 4 different types of carriers. Tanna did not like all of the carriers. But I discovered that she, like Mia, was happiest being held. She spent less time crying and more time in the quiet alert state. She loved being close to me wherever I went — and I loved holding her close to me while I went on with my life, with my hands free to do something else. My husband also loved wearing her — it was convenient for us, and it made her content. I ended up using the front pack carrier a lot because it was easy to use (and not so hot in humid Bangkok) and Tanna seemed to like it. But as she was a rather big baby, my shoulders and back started hurting after 2 months of wearing her. I couldn’t bear the pain and so I was desperate to find an alternative.
Luckily for me, I had the Bangkok Babywearing Club to run to for help. I borrowed a mei tai and immediately felt a tremendous difference — like a burden was lifted off my shoulders and back! I liked how the mei tai distributed my baby’s weight onto both shoulders, so much so that I could wear her for hours. More importantly, Tanna took to it right away. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my own mei tai! I bought my first One Love mei tai from Amy in February 2009, and it has become my most treasured –and probably most used — piece of baby gear that I still use. My husband also uses it as the straps are long enough for him. In fact, he prefers the mei tai over the soft structured carrier that I bought for him.
Before I moved to Thailand and became a mother, I was working in international development organizations and non-profit organizations. However, when I became a mother, I decided to stay home so I could raise my daughter. I used to love what I was doing and I missed working, but at the same time I wasn’t ready to leave my daughter for a full-time job. I was looking for an opportunity that gave me the flexibility to have meaningful work while spending time with my child.
So when Amy sent word that she and her family would be expatriated to China and that she was going to sell the business, I embraced this opportunity. I had become a devoted fan of babywearing, and I absolutely loved all the One Love products, especially my precious mei tai. What could be better than spreading the joy of babywearing to other like-minded parents, while still being able to spend lots of quality time with my daughter?
Babies have a fundamental biological need to be held and carried — a worn baby is a happy baby. Parents who wear their babies today can rest assured that they are raising secure, independent, confident adults of tomorrow; by allowing them to be dependent as children, parents create strong, trusting bonds with their little ones and thus meet their emotional needs for attachment and love. One Love celebrates this special bond between parent and baby through our beautiful and comfortable mei tai carriers.