A Beautiful Collaboration: Every Mother Counts & Ergobaby

The following article was written by my friend, MGC contributor, and blogger Wendy Bradford of Mama One to Three. Not only am I a supporter of Every Mother Counts, but I am also a fan of Ergobaby‘s products and use their baby carriers nearly every day. I am so grateful that Wendy was able to attend this event and share with us the fabulous collaboration that Every Mother Counts and ErgoBaby have produced.

Ergobaby and Every Mother Counts have created the Guest Designer collaboration, a multi-year project with various celebrities to benefit the health of women and families around the world. I was able to talk with the stunning and kind Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts at the launch event.

Ms. Burns is a passionate mother of two who advocates babywearing and limiting technology–her own active children enjoy television only on the weekends. Like many mothers I know, though, she acknowledged the needed the distraction technology can offer busy, tired moms. Her children (Grace, 9, and Finn, 6) have accompanied Ms. Burns on trips around the world for her organization. Although Every Mother Counts is small-Ms. Burns told me they have just become a four-person team-its impact has been global and life-changing for so many.

Burns founded Every Mother Counts to combat this tragic statistic: 1,000 women die every day from complications of pregnancy or childbirth. Experts agree that 90% of these deaths of girls and women between the ages of 14 and 44 are preventable.

“I founded Every Mother Counts to help raise awareness about a global tragedy that is largely preventable. Through partnerships like this one with Ergobaby, we hope to engage new audiences to better understand the challenges and the solutions while encouraging them to take action to improve the lives of girls and women worldwide.”

Ergobaby will introduce four premium products this fall in the collection: the Print Carrier, the Solid Carrier, the Not-Just-a-Diaperbag, and the Waist Pack, ranging in price from $75 to $165. A portion of all proceeds will go to Every Mother Counts to help ensure babies around the world get to experience their mother’s love and embrace.

The print, chosen by Ms. Burns, is an authentic African fabric; it brings a fashionable twist to the much-loved and always-used baby carriers and bags that parents need.

A designer in Togo designed the “Umbra” pattern. Chantal provides for her family through textile design. Ergobaby has more information on its website about this creative pairing:
“Her batik method involves a specially carved wood stamp, hot wax and a white piece of cotton. Ergobaby is proud to work with The Collaborative Group, an organization that brings sustainable employment to women around the globe, to source design from the very regions served by the Every Mother Counts partnership.”

Ms. Burns founded her amazing organization after completing the documentary film No Woman, No Cry. The film tells the stories of four at-risk pregnant women in different countries. Ms. Burns’ understanding of world cultures; her own serious experience with a pregnancy complication; and her devotion to seeing mothers and children remain healthy, alive, and together make her a star among working mothers, busy wives, and concerned global citizens.

Her work and this beautiful Ergobaby collection deserve all of our attention.

I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.