Traveling/Flying with Baby–Baby Wearing

When going through an airport one thing that you notice is parents with young children. They are either trying to push a stroller and their luggage, or chasing after a young toddler and trying not to leave their luggage alone. This is especially the case when traveling alone with a child.

My flight to Ontario was my first time flying with Capri. I have flown all over the world so it was not a big deal for me and I knew the airports well enough. I also knew that I was taking only carry on and I was not about to try and push an umbrella stroller (the only stroller we own) through an airport while dragging my baggage.

The big question was “what carrier do I take??” I wanted one that I could feel comfortable in and not have to worry about taking a long time to get in and out of it. I knew that there was a good chance I would have to take her out of the carrier going through security (it all depends on the agent working and the airports policies). In both Moncton and Toronto I had to take her out and carry  her through the metal detector. So I knew it had to be something I could get on fast so I would not be taking a long time at the security check point.

It was also important to find a carrier that I could get on and off easily on the plane. You can wear your baby getting on the plane and off the plane and technically while the Seat Belt sign is off. But it is very cramped on an airplane and there is not a lot of room to try and get a baby on you and do a carrier up, so it had to be something easy. It had to be something that I could run in if I was late for my flight as well.

So I went with a soft structured carrier, which means I went with my Boba. I can get Capri on my back and front very fast and in tight areas. She is comfortable and I can wear her for hours in it. This came in handy after my flight landed in Toronto because my ride was stuck in traffic for an hour and half, so she chilled on my back while I played on my Ipod. the Boba is great, and I have to say it is easy to pee with her on my back while wearing it…I know this because I didn’t want to take her off again and I really had to go in the Toronto airport.

I also brought my wrap from Joyful A Baby to wear at different points on my vacation. It packs up small and even though I am still learning to use it I was able to get some use out of it while trying to get ready for my friends wedding.

Some Quick Tips

1. Find a carrier you are VERY comfortable with and in

2. Make sure you can get it on fairly fast even in a small area.

3. Don’t argue with the Airport security if they want you to remove baby for security checks, it will just make your life harder.

4. Make sure it is something you know baby is very secure in just in case you find yourself rushing to make a flight.

5. This is not the time to be trying out new carry positions, stick with something you know well. Remember you are representing the Baby Wearing community.

Did you read my post about Cloth Diapering and flying? Check it out here.

Next post in the series “General tips for flying and traveling with your baby”