We have moved!
Come on over to our new website babywearingwellington.org.nz for all the latest news on Babywearing in the Wellington region.
See you there!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Counterfeit carriers - buyer beware!
The range of baby carriers available has expanded a great deal over the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, as carriers become part of the mainstream, some unscrupulous people are trying to cash in by making illegal copies of popular carriers. These copies are a problem as there is no guarantee of workmanship, materials or quality control. You trust your baby carrier to safely support your baby and it's also something that they're likely to chew on. With a fake you just have no idea what you're getting - whether they used safe dyes, whether the stitching is appropriate etc, etc. These counterfeiters are sneaky and use the original marketing material from the proper carrier manufacturers (without permission), so what you think you're buying could look completely different when it turns up. Proper carrier manufacturers have put time and money into their testing and marketing, which of course is reflected in the price of the carrier. Yes, genuine carriers can be expensive but I know what I'd choose to use with my children. Carrier manufacturers are working hard to shut down the counterfeit trade but with all this talk of fakes it can seem a bit overwhelming if you're in the market for a new carrier and don't want to get ripped off. So here's some tips to help you ensure you end up with the genuine article.
- The most copied carrier is the ErgoBaby, followed by the FreeHand mei tai (the fakes are labelled as Minizone but use all the FreeHand stock photos). Manducas have avoided being copied so far.
- If buying a new carrier, make sure you go through an authorised stockist. This is especially important in the case of ErgoBaby carriers. Babes in Arms is Australasian distributor and has a list of authorised Ergo stockists on their website https://www.babesinarms.com.au/ergo-online-stockists. They also have a list of known counterfeit sites. The counterfeit sites look legitimate on first glance but then you realise the English is not right and the prices are too low.
- If buying second hand through somewhere like Trademe, ask the seller where they purchased it from. If they can't tell you, I'd give it a miss. If there's a new Ergo on Trademe, check the sellers other listings to see if they're selling other ones. If so, they'll be fakes as Ergo won't allow second parties to sell via auction sites. Same goes for eBay and ones sold directly by Amazon (authorised Ergo sellers who sell via Amazon are fine though).
- If the price of a carrier seems to good to be true, it probably is.
- There's been a few small businesses here recently selling cheap mei tais (around the $40 mark). The photos for these have been the same as the Minizone ones which are the fake FreeHands. Again avoid. This review says why http://southlondonslings.com/sling-info/safe-babywearing/untested-baby-carriers-and-illegal-fakes/
- Other tips here http://www.first-signs.com/fake.html and http://store.ergobaby.com/counterfeits
If you're unsure about the origins of your own carrier and worried it might be a fake, there are a few sites with some things to check:
However, some older versions of the Ergo may take some or all of the boxes for being a fake despite having been purchased from an authorised retailer. This is because early counterfeits went off previous Ergo versions. Ergo then updated their design to try and stem the fakes. Pre 2007 ones are less likely to be fakes. These sites have some info on the matter http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1275219.html, http://www.aias.ca/2012/10/the-case-of-not-counterfeit-ergo-baby.html
If you're unsure of the origins, though, and your one meets the criteria for being a fake, I'd err on the side of it being fake.
It's a real shame that these fakes have created so much confusion around what should be a simple purchase. Hopefully ErgoBaby and other carrier manufacturers will be able to get on top of the countereits in the future. In the meantime, we hope this has helped out anyone planning to buy a carrier.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Babywearing as a nanny
Here's a lovely story from Isa about her introduction to babywearing while working as a nanny:
A few years before my own baby was born, I worked as nanny in a nanny share situation. I looked after two little boys from two different families, one was 22 months when I started, the other 15 months. The families provided me with a twin stroller – a total disaster in Wellington, in my opinion, unless you're using one to stroll along Oriental Parade. So I opted to try the single mountain buggy and a framed baby backpack. It worked, but was very tiring. I really didn't like trying to push (and hold on to) a heavy push chair up and down the hills of Wellington and the framed backpack was killing my back. It hurt the whole time I was using it, and then for days after. But it was better than the alternative. So I taught the older boy to walk on his own, and by the time he was 2 ½, I usually carried the younger boy on my back while the older one walked.
After a year of working with them, the younger boy's family told us they were moving overseas in a few months time. Another family was found, with an 11 month old, and for a while I had the three of them. This little baby cried for eight hours the first day. It was awful. He only wanted to be held (because he was so miserable, not because he was necessarily used to being held). My arms and back ached, and when I came home from work that day I researched ways to carry online and found – wraps! I bought five metres of woven fabric, folded it over lengthwise and stitched it together. My first sling! It was pink with little flowers on it, and I was very proud of it. The little baby liked it too, he stopped crying and rested against my chest, and I wore him all day in it, with no pain at all. Yay! The first few times it was a hassle trying to tie it on right but I soon I got the hang of it and could do it anywhere.
This was early in 2007 and I'd never seen anyone around Wellington with a wrap or sling or even an Ergo. My home-made sling got quite a bit of attention at music groups and playgroups, as well as out in public. It made my life a lot easier. For the time I had all three boys, the middle child went on my back in the framed backpack. It allowed me to do projects with the older kids, or prepare meals, with the baby tied to me, resting and cuddling. It made outings easier, and I could get involved with the older children at music and other activities.And I found that babywearing is a wonderful way of bonding quickly with babies and young children. This makes a huge difference as a nanny, when you are usually left on your own with children who do not, at first, know you very well. It benefits the child greatly, as there is a much shorter period of adjustment so less stress all around.
The wrap quickly became an important part of my life as a nanny - easy, nice, gently. And I couldn't
wait to have my own baby to wear!
(Unfortunately when my own daughter came along she hated my lovely wraps with a vengeance! But that is another story...)
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Real Perils of Babywearing
There always seems to be a lot of discussion about common babywearing myths, such as the 'risk' of carrying your baby too much for physical development, which has been disproven time and time again – my 5 and ½ month old crawler snorts at this myth. Or somehow making a child too needy where in actual fact it's often the opposite: worn babies become super independent toddlers because their need for closeness has been and will be met. However, there are some real and actual babywearing perils that we need to explore here:
Beware! The busybody
The first peril is of course dealing with people who perpetuate such myths as mentioned above. These people are usually well intentioned albeit misinformed, but occassionally a babywearier will encounter a parental nightmare: the Busybody. These strangers roam the streets looking for parents to opress. They lurk in supermarkets, carparks, libraries, and will leap out at unsuspecting parents when they least expect it. Babywearers are particular targets because of the lumpy protrusion of a baby on their fronts, hips or backs. This has a magnetic effect for the Busybody. Most busybodies are fairly harmless, but to a sleep-deprived parent, their ill-informed advice can carry quite a sting. Solution: partner or helpful friend must apply oil or lotion to the shoulder region each night for two weeks. Witty insults uttered retrospectively also have a soothing effect.
Be Alert! The Wet Wrap Sling
This is something that all Wrappers dread. A sleep deprived Wrapper can easily forget that her tail is dragging when relieving herself in the lavatory. The result: a nasty, wet surprise. This can be easily dealt with by having more than one wrap (which, let's be honest, is actually necessary to ensure your colourway doesn't clash with your outfit), and alternate the two between active duty and washing machine. The other solution: negotiate a better sleep deal with your baby... [insert disbelief, laughter and derision here].
Be Alarmed! The Food Baby
It is a wonderful thing that Babywearers have time to make some food and even [gasp!] eat that food with both hands free and baby happy in a sling. Many of us have, however, needed to lick the top of our baby's noggin to remove food spills. This can be harrowing if your baby has a lot of hair. Solution: wear a large lobster-style bib at every meal.
Be Concerned! An Early Life of Crime
One of the wonderful benefits for a worn child is that they too can experience a world geared for an adult's line of sight. My bub is always happy looking around shops with me, perched high in his carrier, whereas my little girl gets impatient in her stroller, where all she can see is knees, bottom racks, the last word on a poster, etc. However, there is a high risk of a worn baby entering a life of crime drastically early: shops displays are very tempting for grabby hands. All too often I have had to return, rather sheepishly, an item of merchandise lifted by the hands of my sweet angel.
Be Warned! The Addiction
All Babywearers start out with just one sling. Then you meet other parents with awesome slings and carriers and get a bit jealous. Then people start listing gorgeous pre-loved slings on Trademe at Very Reasonable Prices. Before too long, you have a sling for each day of the week and month of the year... and one just for special occassions.
Beware! The busybody
The first peril is of course dealing with people who perpetuate such myths as mentioned above. These people are usually well intentioned albeit misinformed, but occassionally a babywearier will encounter a parental nightmare: the Busybody. These strangers roam the streets looking for parents to opress. They lurk in supermarkets, carparks, libraries, and will leap out at unsuspecting parents when they least expect it. Babywearers are particular targets because of the lumpy protrusion of a baby on their fronts, hips or backs. This has a magnetic effect for the Busybody. Most busybodies are fairly harmless, but to a sleep-deprived parent, their ill-informed advice can carry quite a sting. Solution: partner or helpful friend must apply oil or lotion to the shoulder region each night for two weeks. Witty insults uttered retrospectively also have a soothing effect.
Be Alert! The Wet Wrap Sling
This is something that all Wrappers dread. A sleep deprived Wrapper can easily forget that her tail is dragging when relieving herself in the lavatory. The result: a nasty, wet surprise. This can be easily dealt with by having more than one wrap (which, let's be honest, is actually necessary to ensure your colourway doesn't clash with your outfit), and alternate the two between active duty and washing machine. The other solution: negotiate a better sleep deal with your baby... [insert disbelief, laughter and derision here].
Be Alarmed! The Food Baby
It is a wonderful thing that Babywearers have time to make some food and even [gasp!] eat that food with both hands free and baby happy in a sling. Many of us have, however, needed to lick the top of our baby's noggin to remove food spills. This can be harrowing if your baby has a lot of hair. Solution: wear a large lobster-style bib at every meal.
Be Concerned! An Early Life of Crime
One of the wonderful benefits for a worn child is that they too can experience a world geared for an adult's line of sight. My bub is always happy looking around shops with me, perched high in his carrier, whereas my little girl gets impatient in her stroller, where all she can see is knees, bottom racks, the last word on a poster, etc. However, there is a high risk of a worn baby entering a life of crime drastically early: shops displays are very tempting for grabby hands. All too often I have had to return, rather sheepishly, an item of merchandise lifted by the hands of my sweet angel.
Be Warned! The Addiction
All Babywearers start out with just one sling. Then you meet other parents with awesome slings and carriers and get a bit jealous. Then people start listing gorgeous pre-loved slings on Trademe at Very Reasonable Prices. Before too long, you have a sling for each day of the week and month of the year... and one just for special occassions.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September slingmeet - ring slings and pouches (Part 1)
 |
| Me and my 2 year old in a Didymos wrap converted to ring sling by Keoni Slings |
Ring slings
This form of baby carrier is based on the way many cultures around the world traditionally carried their babies using a simple piece of cloth tied to make a shawl. In 1981, Rayner Garner came up with the concept of using two rings in place of the knot in order to make the carrier easy to adjust. Thus, the ring sling was born! The fabric is attached to the two rings at one end, then is brought around your body and threaded through one ring then the other. The weight of your baby locks the rings in place but it's also easy to loosen when you've finished carrying. This simple but innovative idea has spawned many variations over the last 30 years, which generally fall into two types:
- Open tail ring slings - the fabric that passes through the rings and hangs down is called the tail. In open tailed ring slings the fabric is left loose and flowing. The advantage of this is that it's very easy to adjust each edge (rail) of the sling to get a perfect fit. The fabric can also be used as a sun shade or to provide privacy while feeding. However, some people find they don't like a lot of fabric hanging down. Because they are so adjustable, they suit all body types and can be used for tummy to tummy, cradle, hip and back carries so are very versatile.
- Closed tail ring slings - these carriers usually have padding along the rails and the fabric that that passes through the rings (or in some cases clip) is sewn together so it's much smaller than the rest of the fabric. This makes for less fabric dangling but it also means this form of sling is harder to adjust as you can't easily adjust each rail separately. Because of this, they're really only suitable for cradle carries for newborns and then hip carries for older children.
Positioning - start with the sling threaded through the rings, making sure it's not twisted and is moving easily through the rings. Place diagonally over your body, with the shoulder bit on whichever shoulder feels most comfortable. Make sure the rings or clip are near your shoulder to start with - once you tighten they'll end up around corsage height. Make sure the fabric is spread out on your back and not twisted. Place baby in the sling. If in a tummy to tummy position, have your baby upright in the middle of your body. If in a diagonal cradle (baby's head close to the rings), your baby's head should be just resting on the outside rail and their head further away from your body than their bottom. If in a nursing cradle (head opposite to the rings) their head should again be just resting on the outside rail and their body nearly horizontal (head slightly raised). In a hip carry for older babies, they should be straddling your hip with their legs out the bottom. Adjust the rails so that your baby is high and snug, tucking fabric between you and your baby if their legs are out. For specific instructions, see the Slingbabies instructions for tummy to tummy, diagonal cradle, nursing cradle, hip carry, closed tail. The Zolowear page is also a great resource for instructions, including videos and troubleshooting.
Pros and cons - ring slings are generally easy to adjust, so are great if you're swapping between wearers of different sizes. They're very poppable, so you can take your baby in and out easily. This means they're a good option to keep in the car for shopping trips or school drop off. They're great for newborns and also great for older toddlers who want to walk places but get tired (even if they're heavy, it's a lot easier than just carrying them in arms). They fold up nice and small too to keep in your nappy bag. They also come in some beautiful fabrics, and can be a very 'dressed up' babywearing option. They're also fantastic for breastfeeding on the go as it's very easy to shift your baby to breastfeeding position then back up again. The tail can also provide privacy or sunshade if desired.
The main downside to ring slings is the fact that all your baby's weight is on one shoulder. This means that they're not the best option for extended periods of wearing. They can also be difficult to get right if you have an older baby/toddler who likes to straighten their legs.
What we have in our library -
 |
| Breeze Baby ring sling (image from www.breezebaby.com.au) |
- Breeze Baby ring sling (open tail) - this ring sling is designed to be used in the water or hot climates, as it's made from a quick drying, breathable polyester mesh fabric that won't get weighed down in the water. The fabric is slightly slippery which makes it easy to adjust through the rings but because it's so lightweight it's not the best option for extended wearing or for older children. However, it's fantastic for taking your younger baby to the pool with your older child, or for wearing your baby in the shower. One of our committee members loved using this with her baby when her baby needed frequent showers to help congestion from a cold. A much easier option than trying to hold onto a slippery baby! Thanks again to Babes in Arms for donating this sling.
 |
| Storchenwiege Anna ring sling (image from www.mynaturalbaby.co.nz) |
- Storchenwiege ring sling (open tail) - this German-made ring sling uses the same specially woven fabric used in Storchenwiege's woven wraps (including the same beautiful colourways). Storchenwieges are known for their support and strength which makes them great for older children as well as newborns. I can still wear my nearly 3 year old comfortably in this sling! This sling is also nice and wide so it's easy to get a great 'seat' for your baby in a hip carry. The weave, like in woven wraps, is designed to have diagonal stretch which moulds around your baby's back. The fabric flows well through the aluminium rings so it's really easy to adjust but stays put once you've tightened. The shoulder part is pleated and cups your shoulder nicely to spread out the weight well. The width across your back also helps with weight distribution. Included is an excellent instruction manual with illustrations of the various carrying methods, including a back carry. Thanks again to My Natural Baby for donating this sling.
 |
| Unity ring sling (image from www.unitybabysling.co.nz) |
- Unity ring sling (closed tail) - this New Zealand-made ring sling has a closed tail but is open at the point the fabric goes through the stainless steel rings. This allows for adjustability with less fabric hanging down. The sling is designed to naturally form a pouch to help you put your baby in either a cradle, hip or back carry with ease. The rails are padded for comfort and the fabric is wide across your back to help distribute the weight. There are lots of different colourways available and the slings come with detailed instructions. Thanks again to Unity Baby Sling for donating this sling.
- Natures Sway sling (closed tail with buckle) - this New Zealand-made sling uses a buckle and safety loop instead of rings for ease of use. Natures Sway has recently updated these slings. We have an older version (featured here) and have just been given one of the new ones. Like the previous version, the new one has a line of diagonal stitching in a contrasting colour to help you achieve the correct diagonal cradle position. This is a great feature as this can be tricky to get right when you're learning. The new version has flatter wool padding on the rails for a closer fit and the same wool padding on the shoulder for comfort. The wool helps wick away moisture in hot weather too. The best new feature is a double adjustor on the back of the sling to help you adjust each rail individually (which is normally hard or impossible to do with a closed tail ring sling). And like the previous model, the new one is made from either 100% cotton canvas or an organic blend of 55% hemp/45% organic cotton. The slings come with instructions and there's also video instructions available on the website. Thanks again to Natures Sway for donating these slings.
 |
| Natures Sway sling (image from www.naturessway.co.nz) |
 |
| Peanut Shell sling in 'Whisper' (image from www.peanutshell.com) |
- Peanut Shell sling (closed tail with buckle) - this American-designed sling uses a buckle and safety strap instead of rings. Like other closed tail slings, it has padded rails. The sling forms a premade pouch which is a good size and moulds well to your baby as the fabric is made with a slight stretch. The slings come in a variety of pretty fabrics. Unlike traditional ring slings, these slings have limited adjustability. They're more like a pouch that can be resized between different wearers. Just like a pouch sling, the lower part of the sling is meant to be no lower than your hip bone, and there's a curved seam to place your baby's bottom against as well. Thanks again to Babes in Arms for donating this sling.
Other brands -
New Zealand
- Earthbaby
- Hip Mama
- Indigo Babywear
- Keoni Slings (ring slings made from woven wraps or your own fabric.)
- Oyako
International
Jan Andrea from Sleeping Baby Productions has a great tutorial on how to make your own ring sling. Make sure you only use sling rings approved for baby carrying (either aluminium or stainless steel). Rings available from www.slingrings.com and http://www.nudeyrudey.com/categories/sling-rings/black-sling-rings. They also pop up on Trademe from time to time.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
May is for mei tais
For anyone who missed Isa's great mei tai talk at the May slingmeet, here it is (thanks Isa!):
 |
| Kozy carrier |
Our road to babywearing was long and far from straight. I made a simple woven wrap when I worked as a nanny for an 11 month old, and loved it; it made life so much easier, and I was a babywearing convert. But when my little girl was born she couldn't stand the lovely Storchenwiege wrap we'd bought for her, and it took many months before I could get her into it (usually facing out, as anything else was unacceptable to her). She still didn't like it, and getting her into it was awful. Instead, we stuck to the Mountainbuggy, until she suddenly stopped sleeping in it at 8 months. Luckily, a friend lent me her Ergo, and my baby went straight to sleep! We bought the Ergo, and it made life so much easier. But I had loved wrapping, and found that so much more comfortable. By this time, it was obvious to us that our daughter hated being restrained (she always wanted to be held, but just loosely), and the wrap was too much for her. I'd joined a Swedish babywearing forum online, and found out about mei tais there, and there were mums there who made their own mei tais. I got the pattern from one of them (it is adapted from the FrankenKozy pattern), and I adapted it a bit more, as I liked the look of the BabyHawk mei tais, with panels. This way I could get a mei tai with spreadable bands, like a woven wrap. I love the mei tai, as it takes the weight much better than the Ergo, so I can wear my 3 year old without trouble. When she was younger I used to wear her for hours, for her sleep, and we went out at night (it can look really stylish with evening wear!), and I wore her sleeping at parties. It is a lot thinner (although made with double fabric, for strength), and is therefore much cooler, which we both prefer. I also like that it takes up very little space - nowadays it lives at the bottom of my bag, and it is just really practical to always have it with us when we need it.
 |
| Oyako mei tai |
In it's simplest form, a mei tai is a rectangle of woven fabric, with a waistband attached at the bottom (like an upside down apron), and with two long bands (around 2 m long) attached to the upper corners. They have been used for hundreds of years in Asia, and are sometimes called Asian baby carriers. The fabric can vary - there are mei tais made of various materials, including corduroy and canvas, but also softer cottons. They may or may not have a hood, which can be handy to support baby's head when asleep, or to shut out light. One big benefit is that your mei tai will fit mum, dad, grandma and the nanny or babysitter, without any need for adjustments. And they are very easy to learn to use.
There are two main types of mei tais, ones with spreadable shoulder bands, which you spread out over your shoulders like a wrap, and ones with padded shoulder bands, like a back pack. I really like the spreadable bands, because it gives the carrier the very best of a woven wrap, and an SSC, like an Ergo or Manduca. With no straps or buckles, a mei tai is very comfortable (some mei tais combine a buckled waist strap with the long shoulder straps. Sometimes referred to as a half buckle carrier, these can be good if you don't like having two knots to tie).
Mei tais can be used with a newborn, but also with a toddler or much older child (a friend of mine used to carry her newborn in a stretchy wrap on her front and her big 6 yo on her back to get him home from school).
You can wear the baby on your front, back or side. It is very easy to use, just tie the waistband around your waist, and move the panel to where you like it, pick up the baby, pulle the panel up, and toss the shoulderbands over each shoulder. Hold baby with one hand, and cross the bands over your front, back or side, depending on how you want to carry. Then pull the bands around the baby. If the baby is quite light still, you can tie around the baby's back (we did this until my daughter was over 18 months, but she was quite light weight. It is more supportive with a heavier child to cross the bands again over the child's bottom, and pull each band under each leg, and tie on the opposite side to the baby.
 |
| Hop-tye mei tai with spreadable bands |
If the mei tai is made out of a more light-weight material it may over time wear out, and this may happen quicker than with a harder material. As long as you check for wear and tear before using you should be fine. Ours is quite lightweight, and we've used it all the time for nearly two years, with no issues (and we've used it a lot, as I don't drive, and we haven't used a pushchair since my daughter was 8 months old).
For those of you with DIY skills, it is quite easy to make a mei tai. You need a waisband, about 1.70 m long, padded with fleece in the middle. And two shoulder bands around 2m long - if they're spreadable they need to be about 30 cm wide, but you taper them off at the ends to tie easier. The front panel, however designed, can vary in size and shape. You can make it a bit smaller to fit just a newborn really well, or quite a bit bigger to hold a toddler or preschooler really well, or something in between, to fit most (around 40 cm high, 30-40 cm wide, preferably tapered to 30 at the bottom). At the top it can be rounded, or have square ends in various ways. You can add a hood or head support. Most important is to sew on the shoulder bands and the waistband really securely (if you do a search on mei tai patterns there are loads to choose from to suit all tastes/crafting ability).
We have several mei tais available to hire from the Babywearing Wellington carrier library:
- Little Love
- Kozy carrier
- Little Tree Baby
- Little Ruby
- Oyako
Other mei tai brands available in NZ are:
And even more available from overseas vendors if you search. Some vendors may even be able to sew you a customised mei tai to your specifications.
Happy wearing!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Babywearing to the other side of the world and back
Towards the end of last year, I decided to travel to the other side of the world, solo, with my eight month old daughter. It was quite a daunting prospect, but a necessary one, seeing as she hadn’t yet met the majority of my side of the family. My husband sadly couldn’t join us as he had to work, ahem, watch the Rugby World Cup, ahem, I mean work.
As an avid babywearer, taking a carrier wasn’t the issue, but choosing which carrier(s) to take with me was a mindboggling question. My considerations before travel were:
a) it had to be super comfortable to wear over long distances while carrying luggage and pushing a trolley,
b) it had to be comfortable for me if she fell asleep in an airport/train/coach on me and I had to recline back,
c) it had to be lightweight,
d) it had to be easy to ‘disrobe’ at airport security (should that be necessary – I found out that not all security doorways require you to take off your baby, regardless of what part of the country you enter. It did appear, however, that it was only when bubs was asleep that I had to completely remove her, handy!).
I didn’t own a Manduca or an Ergo which would have been my first options, although I could easily have hired one from the Babywearing Wellington Library, but I wanted one of my own, so I invested in a mei tai, suitable for back, front and hip carrying.
Another question pre-travel was whether to take a breastfeeding pillow with me on the 29 hour, 2 stopover journey. Bubs was 90% breastfeeding and 10% on solids, the pillow was bulky but not heavy, and although a bassinet was booked, she tended to sleep better on me, as did I, rather than wake only when she was loud enough to do so.
Another consideration was to have a shawl or cover for helping give her some sensory deprivation while travelling through bustling, busy, brightly lit areas such as airports. This shawl also doubled as an easy to make 'pouch sling' for general carrying about on my hip.
Therefore my ‘must-haves’ to travel with were now: a comfortable light baby carrier, breastfeeding pillow and a light blanket/cover. I took one backpack and one nappy bag.
I carried the nappy bag on alternative shoulders, but it was light, as nappies do tend to be very light. It was also a great height to perch on a seat, then perch the backpack on top of, while it was still attached to me, at train station seating for example. **Warning though, don’t forget you left the nappy bag on the seat on the platform, as you can suffer a mild heart attack when you spot it from the train.
Our journey took us from Wellington to Sydney, a three hour wait for our next flight to Singapore, via Adelaide. You know, one of those handy ‘get everyone and everything they have with them off for an hour then back on again to the same seat’ stops. Singapore was a stop for a day, then it was non-stop to London. All those changes required lots of carrying baby on and off the five plane journeys, various security checks, various tube journeys, one taxi and one bus trip before ending up at my destination. My mei tai was a lifesaver. I have no idea how I wouldn’t have busted a gut carrying her through all those wait-in-line queues where you couldn’t take trolleys.
The great thing about carrying your baby and standing in a queue is that people will always talk to you and your baby. It makes a lonely journey interesting talking to people who ordinarily may not talk to you. They take an interest in your child and your child loves taking an interest in people. With carrying, they are at eye level and so don’t miss anything, and don’t get whacked by passing briefcases, unlike my shins.
When in Singapore, I had a short connection between airport and where I was staying. It is not illegal to travel with a baby unrestrained, but I fed the seatbelt around the both of us and made it clear to the driver to be slow and careful of other traffic. Ditto for the bus journey at the other end, seatbelt on at all times, although she did get confused as to why she couldn’t get out when we weren’t ‘moving’. Both of these times, the rocking of the vehicle made her fall asleep, so getting off didn’t require any transferring to a buggy, we just up and left.
On and off the tube is a doddle, full stop. Up and down stairways into tube stations is a doddle, full stop. And how gorgeous to just pop out of an apartment, into a tube station, off at a market, and wander round crowded stalls quickly and easily.
In Singapore airport, my flight was delayed 5 hours (booo!!) and she was just heading to sleep. This of course meant she would now be awake for the journey rather than sleeping through it. You go with ‘Babytime’, when they sleep, you sleep. I rocked up at a cafe, bought a milky drink, explained to the server that I had to sleep with baby, because of the sign that said ‘no sleeping here’, and set the alarm on my phone to wake me.
Train journeys are fabulous too. If anyone has queued at a station in the UK in rush hour, they will know it is not pleasant at the best of times. Wearing bubs is a lot easier than trying to negotiate the step between the platform and train with a lot of bolshy people thinking they should get in front of you first. And bubs can get out of the carrier on a train and clamber all over the seats (I wouldn’t recommend the floor though).
Short journeys at my destination which required one overnight bag were easy with a baby on the front and a backpack on the back. As baby’s weight was counter-balanced by the backpack, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable, but I would suggest a certain level of fitness for the sheer weight I was carrying - 7kg on the back, 8kg on the front.
Don’t get me wrong, the buggy had its place, and for me it was either at home and at the other end, not during transit. It was wonderful for Nana and Grandad to take their little angel for a walk to the park and to feed the ducks, and she often fell asleep and slept happily in their back gardens in the autumn sunshine.
So I’d say using a baby carrier to travel with makes the journey both much easier and much nicer. From the hands-free aspect to the random conversations with strangers prompted by wearing a cute baby, it makes things a lot smoother. Plus having baby so close during a journey surrounded by strangers gives you both a little bubble of love to shield you from the hustle and bustle of travelling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)