Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - Traveling and Babywearing

It's Sunday, Midland's Babywearers!

Yesterday was Leader Emily's last meeting with us before she heads to Italy with her family, who is being stationed there. In the spirit of traveling, it made perfect sense to spend today talking about babywearing and travelling.  But before we get into that, I'd like to spend a few minutes reminiscing about our time with Emily.

For those that don't know her well, Emily is a woman of many talents. Doula, Yoga Instructor, wonderful mama to 2 year old Rhein, wife to Jesse, gracious hostess who has opened her home to us more than once, fantastic friend, and enthusiastic babywearer, just to name a few. It has been such a pleasure to co-lead with her, and the Midlands will be poorer for her absence. She will still maintain a virtual presence in the group, and I'm halfway serious about trying to figure out how to Skype some more babywearing yoga lessons. I'm not sure when I first met her, but I remember the first time that online Emily clicked with In Real Life Emily - we were at a park near the soccer fields and she had some amazing conversion carriers - including a Didymos Houndstooth buckle carrier (I later learned it was a Madame GooGoo). I was surprised that I didn't already know her well (because, obviously, I already know all the Babywearers in town, duh!) then I realized her husband is military, and that explained it. I hate that her time here was so short, but I know it is not the end of our friendship. I know, as a military brat myself, how difficult it is to maintain friendships from afar, but with Facebook and Skype, it's entirely possible to carry on lasting friendships with people you've never even met, and to continue friendships with people that move far, far away. Emily, my friend, you will be greatly missed by all of us.



 Now, as I wipe away a few tears, back to business.

It's come up in the Facebook group quite a bit lately, questions about travelling with littles, and babywearing, and how to combine the two. So today I'm going to talk about what to pack, what to wear and when, and tips for navigating the airport.

What to Pack

Whether you are travelling by car or plane, packing space is usually limited, so choosing which carriers to take can be quite a challenge, especially if you are like many of us and have a few to choose from. Things to consider:

Emily's son contemplates what to pack for Italy

How many carriers to bring? How many children are going to be worn? If you have more than one
child that likes to be carried occasionally, especially if you are going anywhere that involves a lot of walking, you probably should bring one carrier per child that might need to be worn. If you are going anyplace that one might get too dirty to use, bring an extra. My general rule of thumb is one carrier per child that will be worn plus one extra. Not counting special use carriers, like water carriers.

Which ones to bring? Unless your child/ren is especially attached to a particular carrier, I advise bringing your beater carriers. Ones you don't mind getting a bit dirty, as with travel in mind, they are going to see hard use, be tossed in floor boards of cars, floors of hotel rooms and restaurants and bathrooms . . . This isn't the time to use any carrier that needs special care. That said, if you are getting special pictures made, sure, bring the carrier you want to use for that. But bring the beaters, too. For me, travel is when buckle carriers really come in handy. They are comfortable for both you and baby for long periods, are made of durable, easy to clean materials that aren't fussy, and anybody can use them, even your husband, or relative or friend could wear your child if need be. If you will be going in or near water, a water sling is really a great thing to pack. They don't take much space up in your luggage, either. Made of quick drying mesh, these carriers are really a must-have if you go in or near the water often. If you don't own one, post in our Facebook group, there are many floating around that one of our generous members is usually happy to lend.

What if I only have one carrier? Bring that. You are an expert in using that carrier, be it ring sling, buckle carrier, wrap, or mei tai. What if you have an older child that might like to be worn, but don't have a second carrier? If you've been to a couple meetings, you could borrow something from the Lending Library, or you can post in the Facebook group, asking for a something to borrow. Seriously, among our 350+ members, you'll find some of the most amazing parents in the area, always happy to lend a hand (or a carrier).

When to Use Which Carriers:



Heidi tandem buckles at the airport

Buckle Carriers: Unless you have a newborn or are IN the water, buckle carriers are great everywhere. In the airport, at theme parks, hiking on a trail, at the mall, use them, use them, everywhere! Why: they are ergonomic, 2 shouldered carriers that will distribute your baby or toddler's weight on you comfortably, anyone can use them (so someone not familiar with babywearing can wear it easily), you don't have a lot of fabric dragging around in places that are less than clean, and they are fast to put on, especially in situations that might be time pressed, like the airport.






Amber using a water sling at Carowinds

Ring Slings: My choice for newborns who need to be worn and fed easily, and for toddlers that want up and down a lot. Ring slings are a front/hip carrier only, so if you want your toddler on your back, I'd advise using a different carrier, like a buckle carrier, mei tai, or woven wrap. Ring Slings also make a great secondary/back up carrier, because they don't take up much space in your luggage or diaper bag. Water Ring Slings are also a great thing to bring or borrow.

Mr. B using a Mei Tai at the fair

Mei Tai: Mei Tai are great for all the same reasons buckle carriers are, with the exception of being easy for people not familiar with wearing to use. Mei Tai are not difficult to use - but have a little more of a learning curve than a buckle carrier. This would also make a great back up carrier, especially as you can buy the Infantino Sash at most retailers for around $30.

Laura, Kangaroo Carry

Wraps: First, lets talk stretchy wraps. Unless your baby loves stretchy wraps or it is all you have, I'd leave this one at home. They are bulky, take up a lot of valuable storage space, are HOT, and it's a lot of fabric to be messing with as you are on the go. Now, Woven Wraps are another story. My babies sleep better in woven wraps than anything else. I love them for times I know my littles need a nap and might fight the buckle carrier. If you have them, and are proficient in using them, I'd bring a shorter woven wrap (sizes 2-4). It's less fabric to deal with, faster to put on, and useful for front (rebozo), hip (Robin's or Poppin's), and back (RRRR, Ruck, DHTAS - double hammock tied at shoulder, shepherd's . . . YouTube these if you are unfamiliar) carries. Downside to woven wraps: unless you are good at wrapping other people, if other people want or need to wear the baby, it's hard to pass your baby or toddler off with a woven wrap (I, personally, love when other people wear my kids. It's great bonding, gives me a break, and helps share the babywearing awesomeness). Also, Woven wraps can feel less secure on a wriggly baby or toddler, who might fight being worn if they are over-tired, over-stimulated, or just freaking out because they are in a strange place. If you are a new wrapper, wrapping in public in a strange place can be a little intimidating. In that kind of situation, it's really best to bring carriers you are confident and familiar with using.

Travelling in the Airport:

Which carrier to use for terminal navigation? Most of our local mamas have advised using buckle carriers.  Will you need to take baby off for security? That depends on the security guard/TSA agent. Some will make you take baby off to go through security, others will wave you through and do an alternate wand check. Based on local mamas experience, it seems most flights will allow you to wear a lap baby through take off and landing - though this isn't always true either (I really wish we could give you tried and true, consistent advice. Turns out there are just too many other variables. Like other humans. LOL).

To make it more comfortable while sitting, loosen the straps of your buckle carrier, or loosen the rings on your ring sling. Nursing or feeding the baby during landing and take off can help with ear discomfort and fussiness.  Leader Jackie likes ring slings for traveling by air:

"I like ring slings for on the plane. They make you take them off for take off and landing and it is easy to slip the ring sling off and put them back in while seated if necessary. They are also is good to use as a blanket and nursing cover".

The main take away from all of this? Babywearing makes travel easier. Whether you do it in a woven wrap, ring sling, or buckle carrier, it just makes sense to make use of what's in your parenting toolbox, and babywearing is the ultimate travel tool. Make room in the luggage for carriers!

Justin, rocking a
nursing cover cape, kinderpack,
and double stroller at the airport

Strollers. I love strollers. I have two in the back of my mini-van that see frequent and heavy use. They are very useful things to bring, handy for carrying snacks, drinks, diaper bags, and resting a sleeping child that might be too hot and heavy to carry long - that said, especially if you are travelling by air, I'd think really long and hard before checking a stroller. If you think that having one is a must at your destination, I'd see if you can borrow one from a friend there, rent one from a theme park or zoo that you'll be visiting, or just buy a cheap one at a consignment store or Wal-mart. Even if you are travelling by car, strollers take of valuable trunk space that might be better given over to more important things, like coolers, tents, luggage, etc.




Will you be travelling this summer? Maybe you are looking forward to this winter and travelling then. No matter what time of year or reason for travelling, babywearing is an essential part of navigating your destination easily and with as little fuss as possible.

Upcoming Events:

 

Thursday, July 24th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Church on Broad River Road - we'll be helping you with basic wrap carries, and there will be a demonstration for kids, by kids, for wearing their dolls.

 

Saturday August 9th - 10 a.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion on Assembly Street - we'll be demonstrating and trouble shooting how to do a rebozo knot and how to use ring slings - both great options for short carries that don't use much fabric and are therefore great carries/carriers in the summer heat.

We also have playdates scattered, including a Charleston Beach trip! Come over to the Facebook group to learn more.

Babies Wearing Babies

Happy Blog Day, Midlands Babywearers!

This summer is chock full of activities in the Midlands that I hope you are planning on taking advantage of. There are Farmer's Markets - Irmo has one the first and third Saturdays each month, Lexington's opens this weekend, Soda City in Downtown Columbia is every Saturday, rain or shine, and these are just the three I'm most familiar with, off the top of my head. I linked each of their Facebook pages  - go check them out, and I hope you run into another babywearer there! Yard Sales, including a huge, 23 mile one starting in Batesburg - the Peachtree 23 - you might not want to trek the whole thing on foot, babywearing, but you could, I suppose. There are movies in the park, festivals, fairs, and other, less scheduled outdoor activities like parks, barbeques, and reunions. Babywearing is a handy tool when you're doing any outdoor activity, especially over uneven ground that's difficult for strollers.

Your little one, who loves being worn, is sure to want to imitate you when you all are at home, wearing his stuffed animals, or her dolls, or anything else he comes across that he determines needs a little extra TLC. You can use any handy scrap of fabric, scarf, or muslin blanket that you have lying around as a make-shift wrap. But maybe your toddler wants a special baby carrier all his or her own, and you would like something a little more straightforward for them to use, that's designed for doll-wearing.

If you are not crafty, that's ok.

You can buy doll carriers. Many woven wrap companies offer doll wraps, including Kokadi - on their website, choose the wrap you want, and the smallest size available is "doll wrap"-  and Didymos who has a whole tab dedicated to doll wraps. You can buy child sized buckle carriers from Ergo and Boba. Doll sized Mei Tai and Ring Slings abound on Etsy. These all range in price from around $20 for handmade things on Etsy, on up to about $40 for a doll wrap from Kokadi, and the child size buckle carriers fall in between. All in all, it's actually a pretty affordable option, if your little one wants a carrier just like yours.

 

If you are crafty, that's ok, too!



T - my first model,
was unhappy with the results

G was thrilled to wear his froggy

There are tons of doll carrier tutorials out there. TONS. You can make a
DIY stretchy wrap, woven wrap, mei tai, or buckle carrier - if you have a little bit of time and materials. I consider myself only moderately crafty. I have no sewing machine, but I *can* sew.  I made a doll wrap in about the amount time it took a load of cloth diapers to go through a cycle in my washing machine. I cut up a flannel pillowcase (because I figure it's less likely to fray, and couldn't find a jersey one), and some spare woven cotton fabric I had leftover from an unfinished project (yes, I'm that sort of crafter - tons of projects started or materials bought for, few finished). The finished project is far from perfect, but it's serviceable enough for my kids to carry around their loved ones.

My doll wrap, all laid out 

Here are some links for DIY stretchy wraps (these are the easiest. No sewing needed. Just material and scissors):

Baby Doll Wrap
DIY Moby-style wrap
Hybrid stretchy/woven and Mei Tai

Mei Tai (I consider these moderate crafty level. You will need a sewing machine, ability to use a pattern, etc, or enough chutzpah to wing it)

Mei Tai Instructions



Doll Slings and Pouches - sewn
Doll pouch - crochet


Children of all ages love to imitate their parents and recreate their favorite memories with their dolls and stuffed animals during pretend play. Doll carriers are a great addition to any toy box!


I hope you get a chance to make or buy one soon, or play around with that spare muslin blanket or left over winter scarf. Saturday, June 14th, is our next meeting and we encourage you to bring your older toddlers and children who might enjoy a lesson in babywearing, too. We'll do a doll carrier demonstrations and help troubleshoot even our youngest Babywearers. For the adults at the meeting, we will demonstrate and trouble shoot some basic front, hip, and back carries. This would be a great time to finesse or tweak your favorite carry or learn a new one, or pass on your knowledge to a newer babywearer.

I hope to see all of you, your little ones and baby carriers there, at 10 a.m. in the LDS building on Assembly Street!

The weekday meeting this month will be Babywearing Yoga, led by Emily, who currently teaches a yoga class at Expecting Well. This will be a fun time for all ages, and we hope to see many of you at the LDS Church on Broad River Road, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 26th.

Have some friends you want to introduce to babywearing, but perhaps they aren't ready to come to a "babywearing" meeting yet? Come to the Midlands Baby and Kids Expo on Saturday, June 28th. We'll have a table, business cards, flyers, and the Lending Library available to look at and demonstrate carriers and carries or help troubleshoot a carrier you already own. This should be a great, fun, and FREE, event (that is air conditioned!), that the whole family will enjoy.

Come join the conversation on our Facebook page!