Baby Wearing on Rides

[lauris87]

Hi all. My group will be travelling with a four month old next June. I would like to give my SIL some recommendations for good baby-wearing devices so that her or any member of our group can wear the baby on rides.
Here is what I'm looking for, so any tips/advice you can give would be appreciated!

Looking for:

1. Brand/model name of a good baby-wearing device (looking for something that can easily be taken on/off)

2. Do you have any pics of you wearing babies on rides?

3. Out of all the eligible rides without height restrictions, what are the best/worst to wear babies on?

4. Are there any rides you would NOT wear a baby on again?

Thanks everybody!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Some rides they will not let you wear baby. They have to be under the lap bar. Dumbo for sure you can and I feel Ariel and Peter Pan are the same. I only ended up wearing my son on the safari because it was August and just too hot for both of us.

That said I like the Infantino Flip Advanced as baby can be worn facing in or out. Carriers are pretty personal and what fits and works for one family might not for another. I would recommend that your sister should go to a baby store that has many carriers in stock and will let you try them on and see how they work.

 

[DisneyLove2015]

I wore my DD on every ride when she was 3 months old in our Tula. Love our Tula. Should add she looks low in this pic because I loosened the waist band to be more comfortable while sitting. She slept through the whole ride

 

[DisneyLove2015]

Some rides they will not let you wear baby. They have to be under the lap bar. Dumbo for sure you can and I feel Ariel and Peter Pan are the same

You can babywear on anything that doesn't have a height restriction. At least that was my experience. Even if the ride has a lap bar, just pull it to you but not too tight. Baby can't be over the Lap bar though (which would be almost impossible in a carrier unless baby was forward facing, which isn't recommended for small babies who don't have awesome head and neck control/sitting up. Each carrier has their own recommendations for criteria )

 

[lauris87]

I wore my DD on every ride when she was 3 months old in our Tula. Love our Tula. Should add she looks low in this pic because I loosened the waist band to be more comfortable while sitting. She slept through the whole ride

View attachment 182508

Thanks for including a pic!

 

[DisneyLove2015]

Guess I could answer your questions too! Forgot to respond to those!

We didn't do too many rides as we were there to concentrate on Star Wars Weekend. We did one day MK and 3 days DHS.

3. I didn't have any stand out awesome rides for wearing... They were all about the same. Pretty easy. TSMM was one of the ones that wasn't as comfortable just because the bar in front of you would be pulled into me when I pulled on the string to play the game. It made playing a little bit more difficult. I kept one hand on DD when we moved just to keep her head from bobbling around (she was sleeping).

With a LO that little, babywearing was so easy on the rides. When we went back at 9 months, we didn't wear on rides as much because she was big enough to sit on laps and look around.

With your LO being 4 months old, she may still need an infant insert for many different types of carriers (including Ergo and Tula, which don't come with inserts. That are bought in addition to carrier). It's based on height and leg length, not weight. There are some good carriers out there that don't need an infant insert. We had a boba 4g before moving to the Tula and it had an integrated insert included. Very simple to use. I believe other carriers have similar set ups or are designed for smaller babies.

I would recommend seeing if you have a Baywearing International group in your area. She could go to a meeting and try on many different types of carriers to find one perfect for her.

 

[jenna326]

I've worn my daughter on our last two trips - the first she was nine months and last trip she was 2 years, 9 months. I used a Britax carrier the first trip and an Ergo the second. We wore her quite a bit the first trip, but just a few times the last trip (it was so handy as we were leaving the parks late and I could strap her on and keep her close to get through the crowds and she could fall asleep and stay sleeping on the bus). At nine months - I wore her for a few rides, but generally pulled her out so she could see what was going on easier or nurse during some of the shows. I did wear her for the safari which I would recommend as it can get a little bumpy in parts.

 

[linzbear]

I've used boba, ergo, and a wrap. As long as baby's on your front then you're good for rides.

There are many great carriers out there now, I would see if there's a local babywearing group, they often have meetings where you can try them out.

I would advise against standard baby bjorn style because they have no lumbar support for you, and no leg support for baby. You may want to look into mesh or breathable carriers to mitigate overheating, though I never had a problem, I'd just find a spot with AC to cool down.

 

[Dismama2boys]

I second the rec for checking with Babywearing International. Ours has a lending library, and I checked one out to use at Disney so I would have more options. I took several carriers so that I could change every day - but my babies were older and heavier when we were there. Moving the weight around even slightly each day helped.
For my first trip with a baby, I took a Moby, a Mei Tei, a Becco Butterfly (rented from BWI), and a ring sling. Each had their advantages, and I was glad to have them all. Note that I only took one each day into the park, not all four.

My favorite for that age is the Moby, but it is certainly not fast to put on. I also love my Mei Tei, but you probably want a buckle carrier, which is the fastest. Or a ring sling - I love mine. I haven't used an Ergo, but people rave about it. Just please don't use a Bjorn or the like - it's terrible for their hips. Hope you have a great trip!

 

[cmarsh31]

We didn't do our first Disney trip until DD was 3, but did a TON of babywearing. Most days in the park, when the kids got tired, we ended up with DS (6 at the time) in the stroller and DD on someone's back in my Beco Butterfly. Saved us from having to lug around a double-stroller (which we didn't own) for the whole day. On shorter park days, we just skipped the stroller all together and she went on our backs as needed. At 3 she was so used to it that she could practically climb on and off by herself so it wasn't a big deal to put her down for rides and back up when we were walking.

For a 4-month old, I'd take a Moby & a SSC - Ergo/Beco/Whatever the newest one is that is beyond me now that mine are too big (although at 51lbs, I think DD might still fit the weight requirements for a few!). Personal preference, but I didn't use a sling past about 2-3 months - they got too wiggly.

 

[Hdc51]

I used an Ergo Ventus with my DS for a May trip we took. The Ergo Ventus was great for us because it has a mesh panel on the front to allow for more air flow for DS. My DS was 6 months old though, so he didn't need the infant insert which would defeat the mesh panel to keep baby cooler. I found that there was an awkward stage where DS was too big for the infant insert but too small to be in the Ergo alone, so I rolled up receiving blankets and put in the bottom of the carrier to create a small seat to boost DS up so he wasn't sitting too low.

 

[tubbity]

I'd agree trying a few carriers before she leaves.
I carried my two year old quite a bit last year, I got a carrier made for the trip.
Tried it a couple of times before we left and thought it was ok but just didn't find it as comfy as the tula I usually used. It was great on my front but not so good on my back which was annoying.
It did look great though

 

[MommyPoppins]

Hi all. My group will be travelling with a four month old next June. I would like to give my SIL some recommendations for good baby-wearing devices so that her or any member of our group can wear the baby on rides.
Here is what I'm looking for, so any tips/advice you can give would be appreciated!

Looking for:

1. Brand/model name of a good baby-wearing device (looking for something that can easily be taken on/off)

2. Do you have any pics of you wearing babies on rides?

3. Out of all the eligible rides without height restrictions, what are the best/worst to wear babies on?

4. Are there any rides you would NOT wear a baby on again?

Thanks everybody!

1. I like to switch between a Tula and ring sling. Both are easy on and off.

2.

3. Anything with a lap bar can be a little tricky. I turn slightly sideways so the bar isn't touching the baby's back.

4. No

It seems to be up to the discretion of the CM. if they will allow to to wear or make you take them out. People have reported being told to take the baby out for some rides with lap bars, but I personally haven't been stopped.

I've worn many times on the carrousel, last time I was told the baby had to be out of the carrier. I could stand next to my toddler while holding my baby, but not with him in the carrier.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We didn't do our first Disney trip until DD was 3, but did a TON of babywearing. Most days in the park, when the kids got tired, we ended up with DS (6 at the time) in the stroller and DD on someone's back in my Beco Butterfly. Saved us from having to lug around a double-stroller (which we didn't own) for the whole day. On shorter park days, we just skipped the stroller all together and she went on our backs as needed. At 3 she was so used to it that she could practically climb on and off by herself so it wasn't a big deal to put her down for rides and back up when we were walking.

For a 4-month old, I'd take a Moby & a SSC - Ergo/Beco/Whatever the newest one is that is beyond me now that mine are too big (although at 51lbs, I think DD might still fit the weight requirements for a few!). Personal preference, but I didn't use a sling past about 2-3 months - they got too wiggly.

Kind of off topic, but I just checked and the Ergo we have, for example, has a 45 lb weight limit - I can't imagine carrying a child that big! My almost 9yo would technically still fit though!

We love our Ergo (although I still prefer to just use a stroller for baby most of the time). HATE the Björn. I have a bad neck and back, and the Björn is torture for my shoulders. The Ergo focuses more of baby's weight on the carrier's hips. I agree, I hardly ever use a sling, since I don't feel they're secure enough.

 

[patdoc98]

In November 2014, the CM would not let my wife wear our 8-month old son in the Ergo on Toy Story Midway Mania. He was asleep and we had to wake him up right before getting on the ride, so he screamed the whole time. His older brother was with me and we had fun, but I could hear my wife dealing with the screaming baby right behind us..... We waited about 25 minutes with FP, so my wife was not happy when we got off the ride..... I wore him in the Ergo on Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo, and it was no problem. My wife wore him on Triceratop Spin, Peter Pan, and Haunted Mansion, and Seas with Nemo. Maybe a few others, but those are the rides I remember. We only wore him when he was sleeping.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Here's what I've seen:
1. We once saw someone take a NASTY fall while baby wearing.
2. In summer, I wouldn't want the combined body heat. In winter, we've seen babies on backs with bear feet sticking out. If you are going in winter, and using a carrier where the baby's feet stick out, please keep the PM temp drop in mind!
3. Endurance.
4. Swapping. Swapping the baby when you have a stroller is just easier. Otherwise one parent tends to do more carrying.

 

[jormom1030]

I wore my 2 year old in a Babyhawk Mei Tai on TSMM because she was sleeping. It was hard to shoot the targets though.

 

[cmarsh31]

Kind of off topic, but I just checked and the Ergo we have, for example, has a 45 lb weight limit - I can't imagine carrying a child that big! My almost 9yo would technically still fit though!

We love our Ergo (although I still prefer to just use a stroller for baby most of the time). HATE the Björn. I have a bad neck and back, and the Björn is torture for my shoulders. The Ergo focuses more of baby's weight on the carrier's hips. I agree, I hardly ever use a sling, since I don't feel they're secure enough.

At 8, my daughter is all arms and legs - she'd totally just hang out so it wouldn't be bad at all!

As for someone doing the majority of the babywearing, falling, or being hot...if it's something that you do every day, it just is what you do (not the falling part - the only time I ever fell carrying one of my kids, he was in my arms, not being worn). Even at age 4, my daughter preferred being on our backs for a trip to Washington DC over a stroller and it was way easier to stuff a Beco in our regular backpack than deal with a stroller when she was walking etc. I even wore her (she was probably 35lbs) all the way up the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial! If it's not something you're used to, I'm sure it's a pain but I had a kid strapped to me for about 6 years straight.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

Here's what I've seen:
1. We once saw someone take a NASTY fall while baby wearing.
2. In summer, I wouldn't want the combined body heat. In winter, we've seen babies on backs with bear feet sticking out. If you are going in winter, and using a carrier where the baby's feet stick out, please keep the PM temp drop in mind!
3. Endurance.
4. Swapping. Swapping the baby when you have a stroller is just easier. Otherwise one parent tends to do more carrying.

Number 1 is a risk of having a baby in your arms or a carrier anywhere. If you fall, you fall with the baby. I'm sure you're not advising to never pick up a baby. It could also happen to all the annoying dads who put their kids up on their shoulders.

Number 4 is somewhat of a concern, but when we took my daughter at 7 months, I did all the carrying when she wasn't in her stroller. It didn't bother me. She and I were both used to her being attached to me all the time.

As far as carriers, a lot is going to depend on when you go. We tend to go during cooler times and have never had an issue with our Ergo. I don't think you should buy a carrier just for Disney. You should just use what you like at home and let that be that. If you aren't used to baby wearing at home then I wouldn't recommend it at all.

We took our daughter on a lot of rides in a carrier, but she was a really good sitter at 7 months. That's actually our main rule of thumb for when we are planning to take our next baby who's due in November. We want to make sure the baby will be big enough to sit independently.

ETA: A point about taking turns carrying. It's VERY important that the carrier FITS the one doing the carrying as well as the baby. We don't switch carrying duties b/c it takes too long to switch the carrier back and forth between him being able to wear it and me being able to. Each trip we chose ahead of time who would do the carrying and fit the Ergo to that person. OR you could bring two different carriers/ one for mom and one for dad. I personally wouldn't trust my parents or in-laws to use a baby carrier b/c even though it's simple, it takes some instruction and they wouldn't want to learn at Disneyworld.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

I personally love soft structured carriers like Ergo, Becco, Tula. They have the waist belt which helps take a lot of the weight off your shoulders. They also support the child's legs properly so the child is more comfortable all day. I'd recommend wearing them at home before hand to get used to it, Muscle wise as well as quicker/easier.
We used an Ergo when we took our son at 4 months old. We did not ride Toy story so can't speak for that but we wore him for basically every ride that didn't have height restrictions. Some rides if he was alert and wide awake we would take him out shortly before loading so he could see better to experience the ride better, like Little mermaid. Facing me he couldn't see much so I took him out. Other rides I wanted him to stay in as he could still see plenty looking sideways and I wanted him secure in the carrier. Some long rides like small world I'd load with him in the carrier then unhook the neck and let him half out for the ride then buckle it back at the end. I think it's easier to load/unload with both hands free and squirmy baby secured.
It does get hot wearing baby all day so make sure to cool off often and keep baby's fluids up. I remember often thinking baby's diaper leaked but nope it was just he and I sweating like mad.