I’m all about anything that makes traveling with a baby easier. That’s why I’m here to chat about babywearing while traveling, something that you really need to consider if you’re planning to travel with either a baby or a toddler, even if you don’t babywear at home.
And if you do babywear at home and you’re wondering if you should while you travel: the answer is definitely yes! Read on to learn how babywearing while traveling will make your life so much easier.
Babywearing is a fairly broad term that encompasses anything that allows you to safely carry your baby or toddler while leaving your hands free. This includes baby carriers like the well-known Ergo, slings, hiking baby backpacks, wraps, and anything else that allows you to essentially “wear” your baby. (More details about the different options below!)
Some parents love babywearing, some hate it, some feel that their kids hate it – it is not for everyone.
Unless you’re traveling. In which case, it is for you.
Benefits of babywearing while traveling
Babywearing while traveling makes everything so much easier, because it is not always practical or even possible to bring a stroller, and you are going to need an easy way to transfer your child(ren) when the stroller doesn’t work out.
In America, we take for granted that we can get wherever we need to go with a stroller. This is thanks in large part to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has ensured that public places in America are wheelchair-accessible, which of course means that they are usually stroller-accessible, too.
This is simply not the case in most of the world, where you will encounter roads that are impossible to navigate with wheels, cities that are only pedestrianized with stairs, restaurants and museums that do not allow strollers, or any number of other situations that make travel with a stroller impractical.
It’s not that taking a stroller is absolutely the wrong choice. Now that we have a toddler and a baby, we almost always bring our UPPAbaby Minu, and you can read about why I love to travel with the Minu here. But there are many times that the plans for the day will make it impossible to bring the stroller – even one as light and portable as the Minu.
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And you don’t want to be stuck holding your kid the whole day when that is the case.
We learned this the hard way on our trip to Italy with baby. We knew better than to bring a stroller to Rome, but we somehow left the house without any baby carrier.
Rome, with it’s utter lack of sidewalks, is a tough place to have a fiercely independent 18 month old who wants to walk on her own. A baby carrier would have contained her and kept her safe. And because I was traveling in the third trimester, I couldn’t really contribute too much to carrying her.
And so this is how we got around Italy for 3 weeks. While babywearing does require you to carry the full weight of your child, any good baby carrier is designed to distribute the weight in a way that minimizes pain and discomfort.
Shoulder carrying does not.
Babywearing at the airport
One great thing about babywearing while traveling is that you will have your baby carrier at the airport, which is a lifesaver if you are not bringing your stroller through.
The fewer things you need to carry through the airport, the better. And no one wants to deal with chasing a wily toddler through the airport, and babywearing is a fantastic way to keep a little one contained and safe.
Airport security can be hit or miss, but I find that the majority of the time they do not ask you to take the baby out of the carrier. You can usually walk right through wearing the baby.
Read more about surviving airport security with a baby here!
Another advantage of babywearing at the airport is that you can keep on wearing your baby all the way until you get to your seat in the plane, keeping your hands free to get everything settled before you take the baby out. That is a huge help. (I don’t recommend this with a toddler. The more running around they can do before you board the plane, the better!)
Napping and babywearing
While we’re traveling, our routines go out the window. We’re not the type of travelers who can make it back to the hotel for nap time every day. These kids need to nap on the go.
Napping in the stroller is easy enough, but it turns out, most babies are perfectly happy to nap in a baby carrier, too. Babies love being snuggled up again you, and the motion of walking puts them right to sleep. It’s just like being back in the womb.
On our recent trip to Vietnam, almost every nap time took place in the carrier, because there was way too much to see and do to lose 2 hours every day.
Considerations of babywearing while traveling
Babywearing does come with a few drawbacks. For one thing, depending on your carrier, babywearing can get pretty hot. Especially if you are traveling to a climate that is much warmer than what you are used to, you might be in for some sweaty days ahead.
You can mitigate this by bringing a carrier that breathes well. The Ergobaby Cool Air Mesh Carrier is a great choice for that.
A baby on your back or front can sometimes get in the way. It can be hard to sit normally, bend down to pick things up, and other activities that you take for granted and wouldn’t need to worry about with a stroller. I love these photography tips for babywearing moms from A Pragmatic Lens. She talks a lot about the adaptations that she makes as a photographer when she’s babywearing.
Another downside is that you will, of course, have to bear the weight of your child. Depending on your child’s age and your fitness level, babywearing might slow your travels down a bit. I’m not the world’s most fit mama, and while I can get around for most of the day wearing the baby off and on, there are some excursions – and hikes! – that I will skip because it’s just going to be too much while wearing the baby.
Babywearing also doesn’t last forever, and there will come an age where your children can’t quite keep up with you, but you don’t really want to lug them around on your back, either. I know lots of people babywear their toddler, and I have done it on occasion. But for me, this is a last resort – this happens when the baby is asleep in the stroller and the toddler is tired. I can’t do this regularly.
If you’re considering whether to bring a carrier for your toddler or preschooler, I recommend trying it at home first to see if it will be a realistic option while you travel. I have heard from so many mamas who toddler-wear (or preschooler-wear) that the Tula and Kinderpack are great choices.
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My recommendation for babywearing while traveling
There are many categories of baby carriers, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, what works for one family will not necessarily work for others, but I have found that the best baby carrier for travel is one that is adaptable to a variety of settings, travels lightly, and has some support.
For this reason, I recommend either the Ergobaby OMNI 360 baby carrier or a meh dai like the Fidella that I own.
I’ve talked in depth about the pros and cons of different types of baby carriers for travel here, including my thoughts about soft structured carriers, ring slings, pouches, hiking backpacks, shoulder carriers, and more! Check that out if you’re looking to narrow down your baby-wearing choices.
Finding more babywearing resources
Welllllll… I was just about to recommend the ultimate babywearing resource group for you, a nonprofit called Babywearing International. I used them extensively when I was learning to babywear, through their website, facebook group, and local meet-ups where they teach you how to use your carrier or any of theirs. BUT, I just went to their website and it is now a CBD oil sales page!
When BWI broke up in 2018, it looks like they did split into several local chapters. Try searching for your city + babywearing. For example, our local chapter is now a nonprofit called Seattle Babywearers, and they still hold monthly meetings and host a lending library so that you can borrow a wide variety of carriers. I love having this resource and have relied heavily on their expertise!
The last time I went to a meeting was to learn how to back-carry for our trip to Tel Aviv. One of the wonderful women there recognized me as the crazy lady who had shown up to a meeting to learn how to use my meh dai while in active labor – something I had completely forgotten I had done until she mentioned it! Priorities.
Another resource that I have found immensely helpful is the Babywearing Swap Facebook group. This is a B/S/T group, but they are also a wealth of knowledge about babywearing in general. And if you’re in the market for a carrier, you can find whatever you’re looking for there.
If you have upcoming travel plans with your baby or toddler, I hope you’ll consider bringing along a baby carrier. It makes all the difference to have that option available. Leave any questions in the comments!
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