Mirror Mirror on the Wall, what’s the best carrier of em all?
When pregnant and travelling with a toddler…
I got introduced to baby wearing when M was about 45 days old and I attended my very first babywearing meet thanks to Mumbai Sling Library. At that time, I got enamoured by the Mei Dei and immediately bought one. Since then my love (and addiction) for babywearing kept growing and I now own a Ring Sling, an Onbuhimo, a Soft Structured Carrier, a Mei Dei and I am trying to convince myself that I also need a wrap — yes, the #firstworldproblems totally applies here.
I have gone from thinking less about what clothes to pack and more about which carrier to take with me when I travel
On a regular day, I would mostly use a Ring Sling at home and an SSC if I am out and about. My husband prefers the Onbuhimo or the SSC in comparison. But, it’s different when we travel, especially so when one is pregnant. We have been for two short trips and one international holiday this year and for each one, I spent less time thinking what to pack and more time deciding which carrier to pack. We did all these trips without taking any stroller with us primarily because these days the husband does all the weight lifting and we didn’t want another bulky thing we had to lug around.
After trying many combinations of carriers, I have come to the conclusion that if you’re going to ditch the stroller then the best carrier to take with you on a holiday for you and your toddler (more so if you’re pregnant) is the Onbuhimo — a traditional Japanese style carrier that is waistless and designed to be worn high on the back.
I’ve travelled to 4 -5 different places with my infant too but it took me until this year to realise that travelling with a toddler is different! For most of our trip, M would want to be carried for about 15 minutes and then he’d want to run around — be it at the airport or in the park. Or, he’d want to be with me for some time only to change his mind and then want to go with his dad. As much as I love Mei Tei’s and am enamoured by wraps, in these situations (especially if you’re travelling alone) you need something that gets baby in and out fast!
Travelling when you’re pregnant AND with a toddler in tow, is a whole new ball game!
With only one buckle to worry about, the Onbuhimo is super quick to wear. On our recent trip to Thailand, the husband and me would take turns carrying M and could switch in a matter of seconds, even when we were on a busy road or in a mall. Because the Onbuhimo is worn just like you would a backpack, you simply need a chair (or high surface) to seat baby in while you wear the straps.
On a lot of babywearing forums there is intense discussion on which carriers allow a front facing out carry — made popular mainly by mainstream Hollywood movies. However, this kind of carry is not really comfortable for long periods (for you or the baby) and a back carry where baby can see the world from your shoulders is recommended instead. The problem however is that aside from a wrap, back carries in an SSC and Mei Tei tend to be much lower due to the waist strap/panel. This means that babies often get grumpy much sooner and then you have to keep taking them out which is not ideal when you’re up and about in a new place.
In comparision, the Onbuhimo has no waist strap. This means that baby gets to be high on your back which is not only more comfortable for you but also allows your inquisitive toddler to get an uninterrupted view of what’s going on from the safety of your back. Also, because the weight of the baby is completely on your shoulders, this is a great carrier when you’re pregnant and don’t want (or can’t take) the added pressure on your belly.
Finally, it’s all fine to pack three kinds of carriers and/or a stroller (don’t judge) with you for your trip but when you’re out exploring a city during the day you’re only going to take any one with you. In such cases, you want something that is compact and rolls up easily into your day bag — especially when you also have the added weight of diapers, toddler snacks, toys and a million other things. Like the Ring Sling, the Onbuhimo rolls up into a very tiny package and so is easy to cart around all day. Because baby wearing has spoilt me and I can’t carry my toddler in my arms beyond 5 minutes, I took my Onbuhimo with me to the beach, to the pool and even for long walks in the park.
Till date, I have tried the Soul Linen Onbuhimo and also their newly released anniversary edition in cotton, the Soul Grace Onbuhimo. They previously had a very small range of designs within this type of carrier but now have plenty of prints and materials to choose from. Soul’s linen range continues to be my preferred option for hot and muggy Mumbai but their cotton’s are great too! These kinds of carriers are also available in other Indian brands such as Kol Kol and international ones such as Lenny Lamb as well as Sakura.
Have you travelled when pregnant, with a toddler in tow? How did you cope? Do share in the comments below!
