In honor of International Babywearing Week, I am going to talk about one of the biggest reasons for babywearing… convenience!
Babywearing is not only convenient in day-to-day life, but also while traveling. We have already taken three vacations in my son’s 8 months of life, and babywearing has SAVED us! Whether it was exploring new cities, hiking in National Parks, or lounging on the beach, we have chosen to pack a baby carrier over a stroller every vacation for these reasons:
1. Bringing a baby carrier instead of a stroller saves A LOT of room when packing. We really only use wraps and ring slings, which can be easily folded up and fit into pretty much any bag!
2. Going through airport security is always stressful, add a baby to the mix and you are inevitably going to come out the other side with extra gray hairs. Depending on the kind of carrier you have, you can go through security while wearing your baby which leaves your hands free! (Tip: You cannot go through security wearing your baby in a ring sling with metal rings! They put you through the metal detector rather than the body scanner when you babywear so you can’t have anything metal on your body!)
My son fell asleep in his Moby wrap while waiting for our flight in the San Diego airport!
3. If you are visiting a city where you will be doing a lot of walking, babywearing can be safer than pushing your baby in a stroller. Your baby will always be close to your body when walking down busy sidewalks or crossing the street, rather than being several feet in front of you depending on the stroller!
Babywearing while hiking in Muir Woods National Park!
4. When you travel with a baby, you have to take breaks from time to time to nurse, change diapers, or just unwind from how overstimulating travel can be for babies. I love checking out the parks when we visit new cities, so I try to plan these breaks when we are near a park. Wraps make great blankets for babies to lay on while taking one of these quick breaks!
5. Nap time can be difficult on the go, but your little one will be more likely to sleep while snuggling with you than sitting up in a stroller. If your baby falls asleep in the carrier, you can just continue on with whatever activity you were doing!
6. One of my favorite reasons for babywearing while on vacation is that my son can really enjoy the vacation this way. He can experience new sights, sounds, and smells that he normally wouldn’t from a sitting near the ground in a stroller.
My son looking out over the water on the glass bottom boat ride in Pennekamp State Park!
Tasting the mangos at the Fruit and Spice Park in Miami!
Babywearing and traveling is awesome! Do you babywear and travel? If so, what are your reasons for packing the carrier instead of the stroller?
*Many babywearing groups do not endorse forward facing in a wrap. This photos were taken on a vacation before I knew about this recommendation.*
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I’m currently a stay-at-home mom to my son who was born in January of 2015. I have my degree in Anthropology and spent the two years before my son was born teaching. After months of struggling with nursing, I was finally able to have the beautiful breastfeeding relationship I dreamed of. These struggles helped me find my passion for helping other mothers in their breastfeeding journeys and guided me to study to become a lactation counselor.
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