Carry Me Away is a babywearing resource center for parents who want personal attention and the best in baby carriers without being overwhelmed by options.  We only sell carriers that we or those close to us have personally used so that we can provide customers with factual recommendations based on personal experience.

Our mission at Carry Me Away is to provide the best baby carriers on the market, along with outstanding customer service. We pride ourselves on providing help before, during and after a sale to ensure that proper wearing techniques are being used for the safety of both the wearer and the child. We want all customers of Carry Me Away to be comfortable, safe and fashionable!

Carry Me Away was founded by Glenda Criss-Forshey in 2005.  She left the business to focus on babywearing education in the non-profit sector and is now the secretary of Babywearing International.  Glenda chose the current owner as her successor in large part due to Laurel’s passion for babywearing education. 

About the owner:

My name is Laurel McCarthy (nee Hilfiker), and I’m the owner of Carry Me Away.  I took over CMA in 2007 after several years of providing babywearing education and local retail sales in my home town of Napa, CA. 

I’m wife to James (JJ) McCarthy and mommy to Jack (age 6) and Maddy (3). We live in California, but I originally hail from the East Coast, via Washington DC and New York City.

How I got started in babywearing:

When Jack was born, I registered for and duly received a Baby Björn. Since I was a woman before I was a mommy, I loved being able to be close to my son while hiking, socializing with friends, doing things around the house and even exercising in the mom-baby class at the Queen. And I LOVED being stroller-free at the grocery store, on crowded San Francisco streets and at the mall. I was crushed to discover that when Jack hit the 16 lb mark (at 5 months), I could no longer use the Björn since it hurt my back, shoulders and neck to carry him for more than just a short time. Then I discovered the Kangaroo Korner Adjustable Fleece Pouch (KKAFP). That was the best baby gear purchase I’ve ever made. I loved cuddling with my son and keeping him close to me but also being able to do other things. Of course, that first sling led to experimentation with countless other carriers, some of which I returned, many of which got added to my "stash."

Since Napa didn’t (and still doesn’t) have much in the way of baby carriers available, I quickly found myself something of a babywearing emissary.  Eerywhere I carried my children, it seemed, parents approached me to ask about my carriers, often commenting “I wish I’d known about those when my child was small” I found that I enjoyed educating others about the many benefits of wearing your baby and showing them that using slings and carriers is easy, fun and stylish, too. I began my biz as a guest speaker at the Queen of the Valley's postpartum mom's speaker series and then expanded to teaching monthly classes and offering private sessions. Eventually, I realized I needed to start selling carriers, too, since none of my favorites were available locally.  And thus my little business was born…

When I found out Carry Me Away was for sale, I jumped at the chance to take on a great company from a woman I admired. 

My “Qualifications”

First of all, I’m a mom of two, so I’ve been there, done that! Secondly, I’m obsessive about thoroughly researching EVERY baby purchase I make, which is why I feel confident that the carriers I’m offering for sale are some of the best on the (ever-expanding) market.

Oh, and I have my Masters in Social Work from Hunter College in NYC and am licensed in California (hence the LCSW title thing). In my day job, I’m a social work supervisor for the County of Solano. I consider my babywearing venture an extension of my personal and professional mission to provide support and assistance to other parents in whatever way that I can.