Admin can you link....

Rochelle from OHBaby just posted this response on their FB page and in an email to me.  I have bolded my comments under each paragraph, and am posting because I know all of you are DYING to know the outcome.- Jess
 
 
 
 
 
Dear Jessica, 
 
Thank you for your email. I received it late on Friday so apologies for the delayed response. 
 
I can see that you have been distressed by the article and I’m sorry for that. Our intention with the review was never to get into a debate over the pros and cons of baby wearing or not. It was simply to put some of the various models out there through their paces highlighting the 'good bits' and the 'tricky bits' of all. 
 
I'd like to offer an explanation to some of the points you raise. 
 
1. I'm sure you'll agree that selecting new product can be overwhelming for new parents. I thought it important to give a 'first-timer's' experience with these models, as a reflection of the reality for so many of us as we venture into the world of baby products. Being a novice means our writer was impartial, hadn't had any previous experience to judge carriers on, and had the logistical advantage of having a young baby. 
Jess- absolutely give someone impartial a chance to review the carriers, that's a great idea.  But expert guidance also has a part to play.  All sorts of other organisations (i.e. The Target show on TV) have an expert help with whatever they're reviewing.
 
2. We certainly did not set out to make baby-slings receive a poorer assessment than any of the other models we tried. In fact our 'tester' was such a fan of the Moby she has since purchased it for her own use. You'll agree that there are so many different models on the market it would be near impossible for us to give each and every one a fair and accurate review. So, we made our selections with the reader in mind - looking to cover as many different sorts of carriers as possible, which may help them find a type of carrier that would be best for their lifestyle. To that end we looked for some well known brands, as well as some lesser known NZ made products, we looked at a range of price-points, and a variety of styles. 
Jess- I'm glad your tester loved the stretchy wrap, they are brilliant!  You did cover many types which is great, but they all were quite expensive choices.  There are many carriers of those same types in NZ which are half the price.
 
3. I don't agree that the Baby Bjorn and ERGO were given prominence in the article because they are advertisers. It was simply the way the text worked best when it was laid out on the page. Further, our reviewer is not an OHbaby! staff member, so was not privvy to which of the products were our advertisers’ and which were not. Her opinions are entirely her own and independent. 
Jess-  Bjorn had no less than 3 prominent placings in the first 50 pages of the magazine.  And you chose which carriers were tested.  
 
4. Of course you are entitled to have a different opinion on the Baby Bjorn, however its popularity can't be ignored. We had over 5000 mums vote in the OHbaby! Awards, and it was their endorsement, not OHbaby!'s own, that saw it awarded the Gold Medal. Each of the sections in ‘bold’ is a paraphrase taken from the manufacturers/retailers own websites or product information. I can see that you dispute the line that Baby Bjorn is an “ergonomically designed carrier that ensures baby’s arms legs are in correct physiological position”. Baby Bjorn’s own website has testimony from a range of world leading experts. OHbaby! is not in a position to disagree with them. You may very well have a different opinion and you’re entitled to that – but if you dispute Baby Bjorn’s claims then I suggest you take it up with them directly.
Jess- I have contacted Baby Bjorn in the past with dismal results.  They don't want to, or have to, care because they have the biggest market share and still rake in the big dollars regardless of anyone's concerns.  And they pay those Paediatricians a lot of those big dollars to endorse their product :)
 
 
5. We deliberately chose a mannequin and a doll to illustrate the various products to avoid actual reference to our shots as a ‘how-to-guide’, we always recommend following manufacturers instructions. We also looked at all the manufacturers’ own websites and did our best to portray them as accurately as possible. I can see now that that the photographs could be seen as confusing to some readers, so have made reference to these being product shots only on our website, and we have also added images from the manufacturers’ themselves to help illustrate best practice. We have also provided links to their own websites for usage instructions and more information. Further to this, we have made this article live on our site for everyone to read and see the notes regarding the product shots. This can be viewed online here: http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/community/product-reviews/baby-carriers/
 Jess- yes mannequins is a great way to show off the carriers, but agree they were definitely confusing photos.  Thank you for adding the manufacturer's shots and links to their websites, that's wonderful!  
 
6. At OHbaby! we do pride ourselves on the expert advice and opinion we offer readers. To that end we have the expertise of a panel of 'experts' in their chosen fields, as well as the collective experience and knowledge of the women in the office who between us have had some 20 pregnancies. I believe our readers are intelligent and savvy enough consumers to do their own research before buying anything we may feature in the magazine. And of course, every family has a different lifestyle and different needs.   
 
Finally, I believe any information that new mothers can have is advantageous, so invite you to write an article that we can publish on www.ohbaby.co.nz. You will see that we have also provided a link to your website at the bottom of the online review. 
Jess- I would love to write you an article, what a great opportunity to collaborate :)  thanks for the link on the online version of the review.
 
On a personal note, believe that I am a fan of baby-wearing. I still use my ERGO with my two and a half year old and sometimes even soon to be five year old. I love to 'wear them out' in it - and never consider it a chore. 
Jess- that's wonderful, I still wear Miss Almost-3 as well, it's so handy!
 
I hope you find this letter goes some way to explain our intentions behind the article, and that you don't dismiss OHbaby! outright. I am never too proud or smug to think we get it right 100% of the time, so while we may have to agree to disagree on a few of the points above, please know that I always have the readers’ best interests at heart, and any education I can receive that will help achieve that is always welcome. Now that you've so ardently brought slingbabies.org to my attention, I hope that we can find ways to work together in the future to ensure many more happy mums and healthy babies. 
 
Jess- thank you for your response, I'm so glad to see your efforts to adjust the article online to make it clearer.  Slingbabies.co.nz would love to work together with you in the future, babywearing safety is top on our list :)
 
Warm regards, 
 
Rochelle.



Edited by pudgy