Babywearing & public transit?? - Page 2

[Brendalee]

Thank you all so much for your insights!  I had completely forgotten that you are, in fact, supposed to take the baby out of the stroller & fold it up - because NO ONE does it here!  But it is supposed to be done!

I often see two or three mothers all trying to fit their strollers on the same bus in the morning, and it's *such* a hassle for them & frustrating to watch. But I couldn't recall if it was supposed to be safer for babe; honestly, it didn't *seem* safer to me, but sometimes laws don't always make sense. ;)

But all these comments reminded me that I'm supposed to take her out of the stroller anyway.

Yay!  Sling it is!  *grin*

Thanks again!!

[proudMoMmy2634]

Yap made a good choice. We don't have car so we always use the public transportation. Very helpful,. the only hassle is when the space is small your baby feet might be squeeze.. but other than BWing using a carrier in a travel is really easier., Thanks to my Action baby carrier.

[Jay Braun]

Wearing my daughter since birth on public transit (I don't drive either). 

She's 8 months. We take up less room, she's more observed by others than a stroller baby, lots of people talk to us on transit (this is a plus for me). I have come to pop her out of the carrier on longer rides so she can sit on my lap. Just get a good forward facing seat.

I'll take up two seats only when I have heavy groceries and a half empty bus, otherwise we are wedged in. My daughter and I like to be in a spot to observe people on the bus and traffic outside.

Hearing about having to fold up strollers before riding the bus! That would cause such an uproar in my city, especially in the cold of winter. Though my babe keeps warm off my body heat and parka covering us both.

My biased opinion is that it seems easier to wear them. Period.

[oikophile]

I started wearing my baby on the bus and subway at 3 weeks old. I do drive, but at that time I couldn't imagine driving somewhere with baby in the back seat, just the two of us. (At 4.5 months I still avoid driving solo with him!) I take public transit even when it takes longer than driving, because it's just so much more pleasant for both of us to be close to each other. Baby can look around at the other people and out the window, and when he gets tired, he can snuggle up and go to sleep with minimal fussing. I also have never had to bundle him up like i would if he were in a stroller, because he's inside my coat next to my body where it's warm.

A lactation consultant once told me that wearing your baby on public transit is actually preferable to using a stroller, from a health perspective. I forget if it's because of skin-to-skin contact or breathing the same air or whatever, but if someone else on the bus has an airborne illness, your baby will be better able to resist it if s/he is on your body. I don't have a source for that, though, and I'm not sure if it only applies if the babywearer is also the one breastfeeding.

Anyway, babywearing and public transit go hand-in-hand, IMHO.