Summer Travel Series: Traveling Cross Country with an Infant

A lot of people think we are crazy because we travel with an infant. I think it has been something that sort of defines us. During our first cross country trip in 2010, Mila was only 5 months old when we left. In a couple of weeks, we will be heading out again with a 3 1/2 month old baby Luka. The first time around, Mila was not old enough to walk or sit in a compact, collapsible stroller, we had to find a carrier that was comfortable for both the parent and the baby as well as being extremely mobile. After looking and trying at a lot of options, we decided that the Ergobaby carrier was the best solution.

When Ava was a baby, we had some of the other carriers like the Baby Bjorn or the simple sling-style carriers. Although they worked reasonably well for the most part, it was agonizingly uncomfortable and back breaking after a long day of sightseeing. The difference is like going on a week-long backpacking trip with a duffle bag or a high-quality backpacking rucksack. Both will do the job of carrying the load but only one will allow you to enjoy the trip.

As compared to other baby carriers, the Ergobaby is designed to place the load not just on the shoulders, but mostly on the hips. It distributes the load and lets you carry the weight comfortably all day long. And that is exactly what we did.

By now, I have done that “Ergobaby Boogie” probably a million times. If you have ever carried a baby in an Ergobaby carrier, you’d probably know what I am talking about. I can see someone from a hundred yards away doing that little up and down, side to side shake and know immediately that they have a baby in the Ergobaby.

The “Ergobaby Boogie” is something that I have only seen parents’ do in the Ergobaby carrier. I think it is because that the design is also very comfortable for the child that they often fall asleep while being carried in it. In fact, towards the end of or trip in 2010, Mila got old enough to signal to us that she wanted to be in the carrier.

With the summer heat cooking the majority of the country, we’re looking forward to using our Performance carrier, a warm weather version of the same great carrier that uses mesh fabric throughout to help with air circulation.

With less than 10 days left before we disembark on another cross country trip, we will once again be bringing an infant all over the country with us. We have had a lot of obstacles to overcome to get ready for this trip but none of them have been associated with how we will carry Luka around with us thanks to the Ergobaby carrier.

So whether we are eating ice cream at Tybee Island, Georgia,

running around along the beaches of the Atlantic coast,

eating Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys,

Or exploring the inside of a Navy Submarine in Mobile, Alabama,

We know that they will be comfortable and ready to take on the road in their favorite mode of transportation.

Now if we can just figure out a better way to keep toddlers in check, we will be all set.