Travelling to India ... Need some advice, PLEASE!!!

[annasmom]

Hi everybody! We are planning a family trip to India in early May (a very hot time of year in India), and I really need some of your expert opinions!

My dc will be 20 months and 4 months when we go. I am planning on bringing a single stroller (haven't definitely decided on which one), and hope to carry my ds in a sling/pouch. We will be doing a lot of sight seeing, but I do not know yet where we are going exactly, and whether we are going to be walking mostly, or taking buses & taxis, etc.

Right now, I have a baby bjorn and a KKAFP. I am not very good at using the KKAFP, but I just don't get to use it as much as I had envisioned. Because of the hot weather in India, I want to get a new carrier. I am hoping to get something similar to the KKAFP, but lighter weight and cooler. Slings scare me, so I would prefer a pouch. Any suggestions??? TIA!!

[nitaghei]

AACKK!! May is going to be miserably hot - there's no way around that. And babywearing is going to be NO fun - no matter how light the sling is.

I was in India in November, when DS was 22 months old. I took my cotton Hotsling and my Kozy - and that's basically what I would recommend. Try for the lightest weight, light colored Hotsling you can find.

The Kozy is great in that it's a 2 shouldered carrier, and much more comfortable that a pouch - would be better for your older child.

I am not a fan of the KKACP - it seemed really uncomfortable to me - but that's another option for a relatively cool pouch.

BTW - you may as well know now. No one uses car seats in India. Most cars don't even have seat belts in the back. Of course, maybe you already knew this! :)

Where in India are you going? My mother (in Delhi) told me last week summer's arrived - and it is already HOT!

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker(at the Rainbow Bridge)

[annasmom]

Thanks for the recommendations. My husband's family is from South India, but we aren't certain where we are going yet. I am REALLY excited about going. I am glad that you mentioned the car seat thing. I pretty much figured as much, but I am glad that I know for certain before I mentioned it to my MIL, she thinks that Americans go so overboard with child safety. Everytime she watched me fasten my dd into her infant carrier, she would hover beside me saying "do you really have to do that to her!" She thought it was some form of torture! Thanks again.

[BigA_littlea]

I have seen some wonderful reviews on the adjustable pouches from Kangaroo korner. They even have one that is a solarveil mesh that would be light weight, waterproof, for swimming or showering or getting caught in the rain, and also (big plus since I live in SC) sunprotective. Check out the website and decide...I have a friend who bought the fleece one and loved it, but didn't get much use as it was too hot for here, but really wanted to try out the cotton one! Good luck and have a great time.


www.kangarookorner.com

Alissa

[cp5]

I'm also planning a trip to India in October! A friend of mine took the Ergo and loved it so I've been looking into different slings myself! I also need it here since ds is wanting to be carried everywhere he is currently 9 months old and weights close to 22 lbs so gets difficult.

Let us know what you decided on. My ds will be 16 months old by the time we go. Also as far as car seats I was planning on taking the Cosco Tote N Go just in case I was able to use it. Its lightweight and easy to carry. I am a little stressed about the car situation.

CP

[mommyj_2]

I spent 5 weeks in China last summer with my 1 year old DS. I brought a mesh sling, a mei tai, and a Moby Wrap. DS and I were hot in all of them, but I used them every day. I'll try to list the pros and cons of each carrier for hot summer days. Oh...just thought I'd mention we spent almost all day every day outdoors.

Moby Wrap
Pros: I just tied it on in the morning and didn't have to fuss with it during the day. It was easy to get DS in and out of it. He stayed cool with the outward facing carry where his legs hung down...but I don't remember if a 4 month old can do that carry. He loved it because he could see everyone as we walked down the street, and this position let him move his arms around. I think something a carrier where their legs can hang down is really nice, because when it's hot, they don't want to be all curled up. The least skin contact you can get is best. Oh...I also like how soft the fabric is.

Cons:
DS was cooler in this, but I think I was hotter than I was in the mesh sling...I'm not sure, though. It is pretty bulky around the waist, depending on how many times you wrap it around yourself. Also, once it's on, you pretty much have to keep it on when you're out, since it's a pain to re-tie. This was both a plus and a minus IMO.

Mesh Ring Sling
Pros:
The fabric is really light weight and breathable, so I think I kept cooler in this one. It's easy to get on and off, and folded up pretty compactly in my bag, which was nice when we were running around. I used this one the most, so I'd say it was the best of the 3 options. I carried DS in the hip carry, and he felt pretty secure.

Cons:
The fabric has a lot of stretch to it, so it doesn't give you as much support as some other carriers (but it still helps a lot). I think DS was less secure in it than in the Moby.

If you get a mesh sling, make sure the rings aren't metal, since the metal gets really hot. I saw Kangaroo Korner has nylon rings on their mesh slings, which is what mine had. Mine was home-made and borrowed from a friend, though, so I can't recommend the one I used. I loved it, and was totally bummed when I returned it to my friend. I would recommend buying one and trying it out for a few days at home to see if it feels secure enough to you.

Mei Tai
Pros:
Since it doesn't have as much fabric, DS kept cooler in it. I just tied it on once/day, and it stayed on well.

Cons:
I'm not sure if it would be secure enough for a younger baby.

Hmmmm...now that I'm thinking about it, I used all 3 carriers a lot. It might be worth bringing along 2 carriers, partly because the differences in the way they distribute your baby's weight will give your body a break from one day to the next (since one might be better for your back, and the other for your arms, etc). I should mention that I wore the mei tai in the front, not in the back. It worked really well.

I probably just confused you even more. LOL