Oh! The Places We Go (on public transit)!

With our babies we love to vroom,

C wears Z on her back in an SSC on the Metro

Public transit helps us zoom.


D wearing her toddler in a wrap on the Metro

M wears her little on the NY subway

We love to visit lots of places,
where we see exciting new faces.

We wear our babies on the bus,


Woman in wrap paying for the bus

Z rides on C's back in a wrap on the bus

L wears in an SSC on the bus

it gets us there with no fuss.

A wears A in a hip rebozo carry on the bus

On the platform we often wait,


S wears an SSC on the DC Metro platform

D wears her toddler in a wrap on the Metro platform

L wears her daughter waiting on the Metro platform

So we can head out on our date.


Woman wears baby on train while husband looks on

Mom and Dad both wear babies at the subway station

 

 

 We can wear our babies on the train,


Dad with baby in front carry on Metro

Mom wears baby in SSC on the Amtrak

S wears baby in front with Grovsner Square station visible through train window

R wears baby on back on Metro

M wears an SSC with her toddler on Amtrak

Baby on front of woman in SSC on Metro

Man wearing baby in a wrap on Metro

and wrap them before we board a plane.


Toddler wrapped on front on plane

Newborn in stretchy wrap on plane

We wait in ports and stations,


A buys tickets at the station

Toddler on back in wrap at airport

Toddler on front in SSC at airport

Toddler on back in mei tai with big sister at Metro station

Mom with newborn at Metro station

Dad wears baby AND kilt at the Metro platform

Mom wears toddler in wrap on front at Judiciary Square station

then we're off on our vacations.

A wears newborn under babywearing coat at station with suitcase

We carry babes on things pulled by bikes,

E wears baby with friend while riding a bike carriage (modern rickshaw)

 

We wear on trains designed for tikes.

A and A wear babies on toddler train

A wears S with big sis S on the mini train at Burke Lake Park

 

We wear our babies when they are merry,
and wear them when we ride the ferry.

G wears her toddler on front on the vaparetto (water bus) in Venice, Italy

Mom wears sleeping baby under hood on ferry in San Francisco

We wear our babies close to home,
we wear them wherever we roam.

M wears toddler on the platform for the NY subway

Babywearing at the Museum

The museum is one of those places babywearing is really ideal.  Most exhibits aren't designed to be seen from stroller height, and strollers tend to be difficult to maneuver in the crowds.  One thing to keep in mind, most art museums forbid back carries, this isn't an insult to babywearers, it is an insurance thing to make sure your little bundle doesn't bump or grab priceless art.  Front or hip carries are acceptable.

First of all, we have to get to the museum.  Babywearing is fantastic on public transportation.

Once you arrive at your destination, there is lots of fun to be had and things to explore:

Sometimes you even find yourself blending in with the display

And when it all gets to be too much, it's time for a nap before heading home

So get out there and enjoy the fun and experiences available to you and your kids at museums.  You won't regret leaving the stroller at home.

Museum Photos taken at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Virginia Children's Museum in Portsmouth, VA.

Babywearing on the Go

Like many people in the Washington, D.C. metro area, riding mass transit is a part of my life.  Babywearing makes getting around on the train a lot easier for me.

I now use a baby carrier when I commute to and from daycare on Metrorail.  Although I’d worn my daughter daily during maternity leave, I was embarrassed to use my carrier on the train when I went back to work.  However, I didn’t last two full days on the train with the snap-n-go.

I spent Monday struggling through rush hour crowds and looking for working elevators.  Tuesday morning I saw a father zip onto the escalator while wearing his baby in a soft structured carrier over his suit.  He inspired me to use the wrap I had in my bag.  Tuesday evening, I wore my daughter home on the metro and I’ve left the stroller at home since then.

There are many benefits to using a carrier on the metro.  I can get into a Metro car quickly and fit into tighter spaces.  I can also focus on other things like reading or dealing with e-mails on my Blackberry, and know that my daughter is safe and close to me.   I also get extra cuddles before daycare drop off.  After a long day of being away from one another, my daughter and I get to reconnect on the ride home.

Riding the metro daily has made my daughter very sociable.  Since she’s at an adult eye level, she makes lots of friends as she observes and “talks” to the interesting people around us.  Riding the train around the same time every day, allows us to interact with other regulars along our route.  If the commotion gets to be too much for her, she snuggles into me for a bit of peace.  When she needs to, she takes a nap.


We had a couple weeks where we rode both Metrobus and Metrorail.  I was surprised to learn that strollers are supposed to be collapsed before the parent or caregiver boards the bus.  I'm not sure how you could collapse a stroller while holding a baby in your arms.

In addition to riding the train during the week, we sometimes use it on the weekends to go into the city for events. 




One weekend, my husband and learned one thing about riding the Metro with the snap-n-go:  It comes in handy on the way back from Eastern Market when we’ve got bags of fresh produce and bottles of water to that we need to bring back home.


Posted by Cynthia

Springtime in the Nation's Capital

Suddenly last week, spring hit with a vengeance and our thoughts turn to exploring some of the great activities we can enjoy living in and around our Nation's Capital.  The first thing we realize is that the easiest way to get downtown, especially when attending popular events, is the Metro.  Babywearing is fantastic on public transportation, no trying to stuff your stroller onto an already crowded train, no losing your toddler in the mad rush for the doors, and no dealing with that terrifying feeling that your toddler is going to decide to run off the platform as the train arrives.  There are a million reasons to appreciate babywearing when using public transportation.

On to the events.  A couple events have already passed us by, the annual White House Easter Egg roll was this morning, and Angelique shows us how useful her wrap was during the chaos and fun of the roll. 

The Cherry Blossom festival is winding down, but you can probably still enjoy the blooms this week.  However, even once the blooms have fallen from the trees, the area of the monuments around the Tidal Basin is a beautiful place to visit.  The FDR Memorial, Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, WWII, and Korean War Memorials are all located in the area between the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument.  These are a nice walk and an interesting visit for newcomers and DC natives alike.  

Our area also has beautiful and varied parks to enjoy.  You can ride the carousel at Glen Echo, or the mini train at Burke Lake, enjoy the immense playground at Clemyjontri, or take an easy hike followed by a picnic at Great Falls.  Babywearing can make any family outing easier and more fun.  No need to stick to paved paths with your stroller, you can walk the "Exorcist" stairs in Georgetown as easily as you can walk the tow path.  Our area offers an outdoor experience that is perfect no matter what you are in the mood to enjoy.

And of course, there is the perfect spring destination.  Spring brings the babies to the National Zoo.  The baby animals that is.  Children love to see the baby animals, and who are we kidding, so do grownups.  You can visit the zoo and see the animals much more easily with your little one in a carrier, and it's a great workout on those hills!Hint- take the Metro to Cleveland Park instead of the Woodley Park/Zoo stop, it makes the walk from the Metro flat instead of hiking up that big hill.

So, now that we've given you a few activities to try out, we'd love to hear what YOUR favorite springtime outings are inside the Beltway.  Send your babywearing in DC pictures to BeltwayBwers@gmail.com and you might see them in an upcoming blog.