How Babywearing Helps Me; A Deaf Mother's Experience

A deaf mother shares her experience with how babywearing affects how she is able to care for her child. 

Babywearing is so very important to me. Why? Because I'm able to know if my baby cries, is breathing, or using her voice. What? Yes, I am deaf. 

I think baby carriers are so beneficial for deaf parents. Sadly, some people think it's dangerous for us to wear our babies because we won't know if they choke or anything like that, which isn't true. 

You know the senses? Smell, touch, hear, sight, taste? Deaf people don't have the hearing sense but have an increase of the other senses, touch and sight. We get to feel all the details. Wearing our babies helps a lot. I don't see how it is dangerous for us to wear them? It is much safer for us to wear them than put them in strollers.. Why? We won't be able to hear them crying or screaming from there. We would have to watch them all the time while pushing the stroller. Keeping them close makes our life easier! AND, it helps them feel safe and comforts them knowing we are not ignoring them on purpose. 

And, a BONUS! --  we get to use BOTH hands to talk! Oh so much easier on us! :) (Picture shown that I got to communicate with both of my hands)

Babywearing is so much a lifesaver for me.. Of course, it is for everyone, but so much for us. #WEARALLTHEBABIES!! 

Why I love Babywearing

I knew that I was going to wear my first baby before she was even born. As a first time

mom, I had a lot of time on my hands to scour the internet for all things baby. I read a

multitude of articles on parenting styles, feeding, diapering, finding the perfect name,

and *babywearing*.

I didn’t know much about babywearing other than the claim from a friend that it would

make my life with a newborn much easier. In the list of

must-haves for baby to be was the Moby.

I got the olive Moby. I loved it. It was such a wonderful

feeling snuggling my newborn daughter so close. A few

times I even got my husband to wear our baby girl

*swoon*. I loved having her close. I wore her to the fair,

the zoo, the park, and even in a cave.

Unfortunately, the Moby soon became a tad

uncomfortable due to my rapidly growing baby and it’s

tendency to be quite stretchy, so I invested in an Ergo.

The grey galaxy ergo, to be exact. This was the

beginning of my babywearing adventure. I fell down the

rabbit hole and I have yet to find my way out. I’m on my 3rd baby, I’ve owned *dozens*

of carriers, it’s an obsession. I love every bit of it. The obsession is not a necessary part

of babywearing. ;-)

So, your friend keeps telling you that you *need* to wear your baby. You like the idea,

but you’re not really sure if it’s for you. You wonder if it will really be all that comfortable.

Can the baby breathe in there? Is it expensive? Will it really get that much use? You’re

on the fence and not sure if you’re ready to take the plunge.

I get it. Parenting is full of choices, some much more trivial than others. So, I surveyed

some moms, dads, grandmas, sisters, etc and asked them why they wear their babies.

My hope is that their experiences will shed some light for you and help you to make a

more informed decision. :-)

That’s a half-truth. My hope is that their experiences will convince you that you *must*

babywear! #wearallthebabies

“Babywearing makes my life easier because I can keepmy baby happy with snuggles while getting things done!”

-Jade

“I made an army of 6 children that will overrun my house and cause utter chaos in public if I didn't have some way to contain them. Oh, and the bond, you know, because babies love to be glued to their caretaker/food source.”

-Laci

“I have 5 young children. If it were not for babywearing, I would have a hard time getting things done and I would miss out on lots of snuggles….Whether you have one child or a whole bunch, babywearing can literally be life changing.” -Ashlee

“I baby wear because I refuse to leave the house without makeup on, because I like to cook

dinner every night, and because my girl ADORES being worn. Anything that keeps baby and

mom close to each other's hearts is a win in my book!” -Shelby

“Couldn't do photography without my baby pack” -Gerry

“I love that she holds and hugs me while I'm wearing her.” -Manda

“We are still able to do things like hike and sight see when traveling, just as if we didn't have babes -- because they're along for the ride. It's just what makes the most sense for our family.” -Madison

“It's a way to instantly soothe cranky babies and children. They love to be snuggled up to Mama, and I can get things done at the same time.” -Kristin

“I love being heart to heart with my littles, I love having my babies snuggled into me, breathing in sync with each other and just being… it creates this world in which parent and child can be utterly close and hearts overflowing in any situation.” -Jen

“I missed the hands free fun and interaction with my 3 year old, like playing at the park or just exploring. It's so convenient to be able to do the things he loves without tired arms or wrestling with a stroller. It helps me give them both the attention they need at the same time.” -Chelsea

“I started because I'm cheap. I hate big bulky bucket seats, and wanted the price tag of the convertible. Without a car seat, I knew I needed a carrier. That's when I found a mei tei for $9. It was just what I needed. Once baby came, I found out how calm he was snuggled close to me. I found how nice it was to snuggle his tiny head. I found freedom to move and grow stronger as I carried him. I have found my way to raise my baby, and it's right next to me.” -Lori

“I travel for work and I have used baby wearing in assisting to keep a close relationship with my son.” -Ryan

“It keeps baby happy and helps with my ppd. I love all the different kinds of carriers and how you can always find something to love… It's an amazing experience and when you get a new carrier or learn a new way to wrap you feel like a superhero.” -Kelly

“I have 3 kids and I need to carry the baby so I can hold hands with the older children. It's all about safety and convenience for me.” -Ashley

“I have 5 kids (7,4,3,22 months, & 6 months). It makes it easier when we go out and it's also easier when I am doing things around the house and my son wants to be held.” -Rebecca

“I wanted to hold my baby all day and found a way to do that.” -Lauren

"Baby wearing made my life easier whenmy second baby came and I really got into it and I was able to chase a toddler, nurse, and hold my newborn all at the same time! -Corie

“I am particular on who gets to hold my baby, and babywearing tends to keeps others hands off. Also, carseats get heavy and strollers are a pain. I love the bonding and the cuddling. I was mostly afraid of the price for a carrier. I wasn't sure I would get my money's worth out of it or even use it at all. Now that I have one, I use it everyday! It's a life saver!” -Chelsea

For all you need to know about baby wearing and more check out the rest of the blog. You’ll find reviews, different styles of carrying, safety information, and more. :-)

                                                                                                                                                     

Jessica Eubanks is a chaser of toddlers, a wearer of babies, and a lover of her husband.

Babywearing After the NICU

I went into premature labor at 29 weeks and gave birth to identical twin girls via emergency C-section at 30 weeks.  My daughters were in the NICU at St John for 89 days.  During that time my husband and I were only allowed to hold them for a maximum of 20 minutes every three hours, though there were many days that we held them less.  

I was very worried that my children would not have a bond with me and I was stressed about bringing unattached children home.  As a former educator, I knew the importance of building trust and attachment in infancy and was extremely worried that we had missed the critical window.  When the girls finally came home, they were miserable.  They cried almost every minute of every day.  I thought I was going to lose my mind.  

Luckily a friend of mine, Ann Bennett, introduced me to babywearing and even gave us a Moby wrap.  I was also able to purchase an Ergo soft structured carrier, and quickly fell in love with babywearing. 

First Time Babywearing

Although I had first thought babywearing sounded strange, I quickly realized that it was truly a life and sanity saver.   Babywearing gave my husband and me a chance to spend time skin to skin with our daughters.  Babywearing allowed us to build an attachment that we had missed out on in the NICU.  Babywearing helped improve our very tenuous breastfeeding relationship (which is still going strong at 15 months!).  Babywearing helped soothe my very colicky, very refluxy girls.  Having twins can be a difficult balance of tending to the needs of both children, who both always seem to need something at the same time.  By babywearing, I am able to meet the needs of both girls without sacrificing my own.  Babywearing made a big difference in making up for some of the losses in the NICU.

Katherine Conner works for Early Head Start and is pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma.  She and her husband live in Broken Arrow with their twin daughters and two dogs.  In her extremely rare free time, Katherine likes to run, read, and cook.

Babywearing on vacation in Hawaii

Plus Size Babywearing

For years I never thought a thing about my size.  I was a size two going into college.  I danced (ballet ya’ll) six days a week.   I was a twig.  Then I slowly started gaining weight, and then I got married and had babies.  I went from twiggy to plus size in a matter of years.  When my precious little guy was born, I saw a Moby wrap and I thought, “I must have that.”   I quickly went from, “I must have that” to “…but I’m too fat” and “What will people see when they look at me, the fat mom with the tiny baby wrapped to herself?”  If you are a plus size mom, I bet you’ve had the same thoughts. 

The thing is  1) No, you aren’t too fat to babywear.   2)  Yes, the carriers will fit you.   3) People will see a mother who is wearing her baby, and a tiny baby they want to touch and ask a million questions about.  They are too enthralled by your ability to multi-task and by your beautiful child and how in love you are with your child to care about your body image.

Some things I’ve learned over the past four years of babywearing as a larger mom are this. 

• Get a carrier with a pattern you love! 

Don’t buy a carrier with a dark color to try to hide your roundness or blend into your surroundings if what you really wanted was the carrier with the bright pink flowers or the one with the puppy dogs all over it.  Get something you really like and enjoy wearing it!  People will see the cute pattern and the baby anyhow.  If you are going to spend the money, get something lovely instead of the drab gray if you really hate gray.

• Don’t buy the “plus size” without first trying it out. 

A standard size carrier, wrap, or sling is probably going to fit you.  I’m a size 22 with 40K breasts, and all the standard carriers fit me *with room to spare*.   Ring slings come long anyhow.  If you are also short as well as plus size, you’ll probably find the longer sling under your feet.   If you wear the standard size buckle carriers and mei tais properly (let’s put the waistband at our natural waist instead of our hips gals), you’ll probably be like me and have to roll up all that extra strap hanging down.  I found out the hard way that just because I am bigger doesn’t mean I need a size 7 or 8 wrap…waaaay too much fabric hanging down at my feet.  So, when you see that cute Ergo and then see it comes with “waist extenders”, please don’t automatically buy the plus size accessories.

• Don’t buy a carrier without trying it first

Really, this could go for anyone, but don’t see something online or in your friend’s picture and just go buy it.  This may end up costing you a bundle in the end, and worse, will make you feel bad about babywearing and your body.  Everyone has different body shapes and what works for one person may be incredibly uncomfortable for someone else.  I’ve found some carriers have buckles that rub my arm fat horribly.  Some make my breasts contort into weird positions.  Wrapping was annoying to me because I can’t reach around my back with my short chubby arms.  However, other types had rings that I loved, and straps that didn’t rub, and easy ways of getting a baby on my back. Find a group with a lending library, like Babywearing Around Tulsa, and go to a meeting to try before you buy.  If you can’t make it to a meeting, at least borrow from another member or friend who owns what you are interested in and see if you like it first.  Meetings are nice because an expert can help you put it on correctly and be sure it fits you correctly. It’s better to be able to just set something back on a table than to have it bought and at home, where you can cry over it and get down on yourself for it not fitting well.  There’s something out there for everyone, but it may be trial and error to find the one for you!

• Yes, you can breastfeed in a carrier!

If you aren’t breastfeeding, this doesn’t apply to you obviously, but many babywearing mamas are also breastfeeding mamas.  Many plus size mamas are plus size all around…hello big boobs!  Just because you are a larger size, doesn’t mean you can’t breastfeed in a carrier too.  It may take some practice though.  My advice is to start by finding a shirt you can lower and pull the breast out the top of vs trying to lift up a shirt in carrier.  Sports bras are my go-to nursing bras for this since they have no fabric impeding the lifting process on the top.  Find a carrier you can lower easily or turn baby a bit in too.  I liked that my ring sling tail covered the top half of my chest.  Ideally, find another mom who is or who has breastfed in the same carrier you have and get help!  If I hadn’t had a real-life, in-person tutorial, I may not have tried hard enough to figure it out.  Breastfeeding in a carrier is wonderful once you get it down though.  Large breasted mamas can breastfeed while babywearing! 

• Be confident! 

Easier said than done, but be confident that you are a beautiful woman and a good mom.  This stage of your child’s life is gone in a flash, so have fun and enjoy snuggling with your little one.  Here are some of my favorite babywearing pictures of this fluffy mama and my kiddos….with at least one in my pajamas.

My name is Kristin Riffe.  I’m married and have two little boys who keep me on my toes.  I used to teach elementary school, but recently decided to quit and start a small sewing business.  I would consider myself a partially “crunchy” mama, who is somehow both extroverted and a wallflower.   

 

Babywearing and Friendship

When I first heard the term babywearing I was very hesitant and didn’t even know where to begin. I was so scared; I know there was no reason for that now.  When my oldest daughter was born I wore her once or twice in a cheap carrier from a big box store and disliked it so much that I just knew that was all there was to offer for babywearing, so I gave up quickly.  When my second daughter was 5 months old I went to The Great Cloth Diaper Change in Tulsa.  I was immediately amazed at all the beautiful carriers and all the different ways all the sweet babies were being worn, but of course I was too shy to ask anyone about them.  Finally when my daughter was 10 months old I decided on what would be my first carrier, a Kinderpack.  And wow, I went crazy from there. I quickly started watching many YouTube videos and purchased my first wrap, Girasol Double Rainbow.  I then joined travelling wrap groups and that right there is how I started making some pretty awesome babywearing friends.  It is amazing how one thing can bring great friends together and you know they will be lifelong friends even though you may never actually meet them.  I have also met some pretty awesome local mommas through Babywearing Around Tulsa and Checotah Babywearing Mamas’ Facebook groups.  We may not see each other all that often but when we do we always have lots of fun just chatting about what we have been up to lately, we also will do the occasional shout out if we see each other while out shopping.

What are some ways that you have made new friends because of babywearing?

Mandi is a mom to two beautiful little girls. Mandi gets to practice babywearing in her home daycare often. In her spare time Mandi loves to be with her family and go to craft classes with her friends.

My Wrapping Journey

I’m a wrapper!!! I’ve wanted to say that for so long and now I can.

One year ago when my second daughter was born I entered into the wonderful world of babywearing. I had an Ergo which is a great carrier, but was determined to master wrapping.  I mean how hard could it be? All those mamas on YouTube made it look so easy. Making a seat in one graceful movement, perfect gliding passes…yeah not so much. I was having the hardest time figuring out all of the different carries. You should have seen us after trying our first back carry. There were definitely tears.  My daughter was crying too. She was super wiggly, I couldn’t get a good seat and passes would not pull tight.  (Don’t worry. I always practiced over a bed as any new wrapper should).  I don’t know exactly what it was. Maybe it was just my stubborn nature.  But every time I said I was going to quit something always brought me back to practice again.When my daughter was about 6 months old and after watching countless YouTube tutorials, I finally learned how to get her up on my back safely. A couple months after that I could get her up on my back fairly easily. I was even getting pretty decent at spreading passes. However, it still was not completely comfortable to me or my daughter and definitely not my first choice of carrier. I would still reach for a buckle carrier first. Not that there is anything wrong whatsoever with a buckle carrier. But I wanted to like wrapping. Correction, I wanted to LOVE wrapping.

I don’t know when it happened exactly.  But one day I was wrapping and it just worked. It felt right. After all those months of practice, tears and sweat, it just clicked and I wrapped my almost one year old with ease.  Then it happened again! And before I knew it I started choosing wraps over buckle carriers. It was even super comfy.  I was a wrapper!!! It may have taken almost twelve months but it happened!

Now, I am not writing this to, flaunt my “wrapping skills” or anything like that. I’m writing to encourage every person out there who wants so badly to wrap but feels that they just can’t.  Who wants to so badly to do a back carry but just can’t make a seat or tighten those rails. Who thinks that if he/she can’t master wrapping in a couple months they must be a failure. You are not a failure. You are learning a new skill and it takes time.

Here are a few tips I have gathered over the year that can really help the wrapping journey.

1.       Find a babywearing group. If you don’t have one in your area, at least join one on Facebook. They are an endless fountain of support and knowledge. I am eternally grateful for my group Babywearing Around Tulsa. I could not have made it this far without the lovely women I met in that group.

2.       Don’t give up after a couple tries. Be patient.  It may take some people longer than others but with time you can do it. Don’t hold yourself to a time table.

3.       If possible try a few different wraps.  Different blends, weaves and thickness can make all the difference in a wrap job.  Now I understand I’m not made of money either.  That’s why I became a compulsive churner.  I have rarely owned more than one wrap at a time. With being able to trade or sell what I currently had I have been able to try a bunch.

4.       Don’t make the mistake I did and try back carries before you have mastered front carries. There are things you learn when front carrying that are essential to back carrying. Believe me. You will save yourself a lot of trouble.

5.       Lastly, don’t lose sight of what babywearing is about.  Don’t let the desire of obtaining a skill make you lose out on the bonding experience between you and your baby.  If you are getting frustrated, take a break. Carry your baby how you know best. Kiss their head and breathe them in.  After a few days or weeks try again.

I hope my ramblings have helped a little. I wish you all the best in your own babywearing journeys.

Blessings and happy babywearing

Megan

Megan Kloker is a God-loving, babywearing, cloth diapering, health nut who loves being a stay-at-home mom to her three children (Aiden, Nyah and Lena) and wife to her husband (Grant). She, grew up in Leona Valley California with her 10 younger siblings before she got married and moved to Springfield Illinois. Megan and family have since lived in Tulsa Oklahoma and have rencently moved to Fort Worth Texas. Megan loves being around people, drinking coffee and playing Dance Central.

Disney World, Two Kids and No Stroller

When I first said to my husband we should take our two littles to Disney World without a stroller, he looked at me like I was nuts. ‘No really, it can be done!’ I promised.

I immediately posted in Babywearing Around Tulsa, asking for experiences from others who had done the same thing. I was disappointed when there were as many nays as yays.

So, I kept that to myself and we boarded a plane to Orlando with a 2-year-old in a Kinderpack and a 9-month-old in an Ergo and no stroller.

And it worked out just fine. Below are some of our pictures and a few tips for taking on such a task!

A large theme park with two ages two and under is no small task. And it requires stuff. But maybe not as much stuff as you think. I tend to go minimalist anyway, but for this particular outing I made sure everything I packed was necessary. Refillable water bottles for everyone, sunscreen, a few snacks and enough disposable diapers for the day plus wipes was a much pared-down diaper bag from our usual day-to-day diaper bag filled with cloth diapers, ointments and oils of every kind.  

Ditch the diaper bag. I know, I just said I packed a diaper bag. And I did, I just packed it in a backpack, which is key when you are babywearing and have no stroller. I also utilized all of the little pockets on our carriers and attached my wristlet Baggallini to my Ergo for easy access. 

Bring extra adults. This may not be feasible for every trip, but we had my husband’s parents come along with us. This meant my husband and I could wear the kiddos and grandpa could wear the backpack. If we had not had the extra adults, my husband would have worn the backpack anytime my toddler wanted to walk, which was quite a bit, and I would have worn it on my back with baby on front in between.

Consider the weather. We took our trip to the big mouse’s house in May and we lucked out. The temps were in the 80s at their hottest and it was quite breezy. Even so, babywearing gets warm and we were all thankful for our recently purchased chilly pads. We just wrapped them around the torso of the kiddos when they were being worn. We also scheduled some built in breaks from babywearing: lunch inside and air conditioned shows interspersed throughout the day broke it up nicely. 

Know the rules. Before going, we checked out all of the rides and requirements online. I knew ahead of time that I would be able to wear my son on all of the rides we had picked out, anything that was all ages. Since this was a quick trip for the kiddos, we weren’t concerned with getting on rides that everyone wouldn’t be able to go on. Getting on and off the rides wasn’t an issue either since I was able to wear the baby. My toddler hopped in and out of the Kinderpack and my husband would just buckle the empty carrier back on like a backpack. I’m sure this saved time over searching for a stroller in the stroller park after every ride

Now that we’ve done it, I’ll admit it. I was pretty scared of not having a stroller. But by the end of the trip, my husband and I were constantly noting how in the way all of those strollers crowding the park were, how quickly we could get around and how nice it was to keep moving even though the little guy needed to nurse or nap.

Though it may not be everyone’s style, my husband and I had a blast wearing our babies at Disney World and can’t wait for our next big babywearing adventure.

 

 

 

Lauren Holloman is the proud momma of two kiddos plus a small menagerie of dogs and cats. When she isn't busy chasing two kids who are running opposite directions, she writes, edits and designs. You can read her pet blog at tulsapetsmagazine.com.

Papa bear and his (steadily growing) Cub

After my first “blog” or whatever you would call it, I wanted to write another a few months later. My son Jase, just turned 9 months old last week and in the time from the last time I wrote about my little tater bug until now, some things have changed (mostly good!).

 

I was lucky enough to have a close friend that was able to sell me a Kinderpack at a good price and also was EXTREMELY lucky to win a Boba 3G organic off of Bobas website. I guess I unintentionally shy away from wraps for two reasons. 1.) I know its dumb but they don’t have a ton of affordable “boy/guy” color combos (or at least that I've seen), and 2.) I had so much trouble with the Moby wrap that I think I would have a lot of trouble with a woven. I'm not sure whether either of these statements are true but I guess that’s just how I feel at this particular moment.

 

 

That being said, I will say that I wear my Kinderpack and my Boba all the time and my son and I could not be happier. I think that wearing my son and not really caring what anybody else thinks has been one of the best things that I've been able to do as a father. I get all kinds of looks in the store and malls etc, and even comments from my friends but I sluff all of them off (as I watch their kids run around and break stuff) and think to myself “Thank god I chose to babywear”.  It helps so much in everyday life and the SSC is very comfortable and my son falls asleep in it all the time. I admit that the bubbles pattern might not be, in a manner of speaking, the most masculine print available but it was a well taken care of carrier at a good price and the safety of it matters more than the print to me.

 

 But honestly I get more positive feedback from people saying things like “ well, now that’s a cool carrier thing, where do you get one of those?” Which opens the door for me to totally overdo the next few minutes of conversation by totally feeding them a TON of info about baby carriers that I'm pretty sure they didn’t want to know in the first place. I'm a good story teller (just ask Kim Williams-Harris or her husband Luke) and I'm a fisherman, so I guess you could say I was born to talk J. But when I see something that I know is beneficial to all involved and I am passionate about whatever subject that may be, I go to maiming and killing to convince others as well.  (Kidding!)

 

 

I will say that in the past few months that I have seen the number of baby wearing daddys increase (sadly not as much as I would like) but it is increasing so I can't complain. I know that people like Somer and CJ and others have forwarded on my first blog in the hopes that it might help some shy or prideful daddy to babywear. That makes me happy and if my first writing helped even one dad to strap on their little one and charge into a store like a stormtrooper then it was well worth the (very little) effort.

 

Let me just send an observation to any dads that are just starting to wear or even remotely considering to wear. Do it. It truly is fantastic. The first time your child is in your carrier and he/she lays their head down to go to sleep on your chest and then falls asleep, you'll realize that that is one of the greatest feelings you've ever felt. I feel closer to my son than ever before when he does it.  You might get a strange look from some older person or a rude comment by someone who is ignorant of such new fangled things like this but just remember that these are the same people that didn’t like power steering and power brakes. So its not that they don’t like the carrier or you, they just don’t like change, and that’s ok.

 

For you dads who wear, Awesome! Keep it up for as long as possible! Even if you wear 5 times a year, your still doing better than the status quo. I want all guys everywhere to be as passionate as I am about babywearing because all health benefits aside, it makes me feel good about being me! I can't tell you the number of times I've had women of all ages come up and commend me for being such a caring daddy. Being a dad is the greatest thing ever in my life and I don’t do it for commendation or peoples attention or for any kind of kickback. But I will say that it feels good anytime someone tells me that I'm doing a good job.

 

To the ladies of the BWAT group, and all the others that I've come in contact with who babywear, Thank you for making me feel like im a part of something great. You all have been wonderful and keep it up!

 

Keep calm and carry your kids!

 

-- Jake



 

 

P.S. if any of you ladies husbands want to friend me on facebook, have any questions that they would prefer to ask a guy about etc…. do not hesitate to let me know. I'd love to help be a part of another daddy learning the awesome benefits of baby wearing!


Join Jake and others in his Facebook parenting group Parents of Great Kids.

Travel and Babywearing Go Hand in Hand

Staring at the looming list of potential baby items I could potentially add to my registry was  overwhelming.  With our first wee one on it’s way and an international move in the near future following the birth, I knew that the majority of conventional baby products would not serve us well.  But I was confident that baby wearing accessories were a mandatory add to our wish list.

Waiting in the airport to board our International flight.

Our carriers served us well stateside (a Maya Wrap Ring Sling and Boba 3G SSC) as we did things around the house and ran errands, but I had no idea the absolute necessity for baby wearing while traveling and living abroad.  This is what we’ve learned traveling extensively with a baby, and I hope these wearing tips can encourage you to travel and explore with ease!

We left our hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma when Finn was 5 months old to move to Bologna, Italy.  The 16 hour, 5000 mile trip with a teething babe may have been daunting, but our carriers served us well.

Our 'baby seat' using the tray table in front
with our osnaburg wrap.

Tip #1

Wrap when you fly.

I wore Finn in a size 5 DIY Osnaburg wrap all through the airport, security, and on board.  It was important that we avoided metal on our carrier to ease the security process (you can find out more about TSA rules here-they don’t  specify whether or not  you’re permitted to keep your baby wrapped), so I  was able to walk right through with Finn in a FWCC (ring slings or SSC would not  be recommended during this portion for that reason).  The domestic flight allowed Finn to stay wrapped during the flight as he was a lap infant.  The international flights mandated that he wear a secondary seatbelt for takeoff and landing.  It was an easy transition in and out of the wrap, and the wrap doubled as an extra blanket on board, a nursing cover, and even a baby seat!  The transatlantic travel was practically peaceful because of wearing.

Arrivals gate in Bologna, Italy.

Tip #2

Choose a carrier with long lasting comfortability for travel.

Venice, Italy

Our job involves extensive opportunities for travel, particularly day trips.  Strollers are no match against ancient cobblestones, a lack of handicap accessibility, or the thousands of stairs leading to majestic overlooks atop towers and bridges that sweep the European continent.  Therefore, a carrier must withstand an 10-12 hour day.  My ring sling was a favorite at home, but one shoulder support would have killed me trekking through Venice.  Our Boba 3G and now our Standard KP provided excellent comfortability for long days.  Finn loved riding on our fronts and backs and seeing the sights.  Its also easy for him to nap when both SSCs offer quick snapping supportive hoods.

Tip #3

Choose a carrier that can easily be worn by you or your travel buddy.

No matter how comfortable a carrier is, sometimes you or babe can get tired of each other.  Its important to bring something that your spouse or friend likes wearing as well. 

Milan, Italy

I looooved the ring sling when we moved, but my husband was not a fan.  So when we traveled, we brought our SSC (and still do).  Now that Finn’s heavier, my husband wears him most of the time we travel, but its important to be able to switch if Finn get’s picky about who’s wearing him.

Tip #4

Using the Boba to strap Finn into a standard
chair.

Don’t bring your prettiest, most expensive wrap unless you’re comfortable with it getting the tastes of travels on it.

Traveling involves eating out a lot.  Our carriers frequently double as ‘highchairs’ in the many European establishments that don’t offer one.  We often snack walking around.  I would’ve hated to get Belgian fry sauce on a wrap beauty.  I’m not as attached to the beauty of my travel carriers.  

Tip #5

Travel with your babe!

Wearing Finn has enabled us to not be limited in our work or travels or location of living.  We’ve seen more places in his lifetime than in ours before he was born.  He loves getting to see and taste incredible places around our globe, and baby wearing has made it seamless.

Corno Alle Scale, Italy

Brugge, Belgium

Florence, Italy

Verona, Italy

Lake Como, Italy

Rome, Italy

Mary Paulison is a Jesus-loving, babywearing, nurse-by-trade wife and mom transplanted from Tulsa, OK to Bologna, Italy.  Living life as an incognito hippy, she loves snuggling with her 14 month old son, Finn, circling the globe with her hunky husband, and working with college students at the oldest university in the western world.  In her spare time she can be found crafting everything in sight, decorating their apartment in a 320 year old building, scouring thrift stores, and reading Harry Potter for the thousandth time.