In today’s post we take a trip to the Philippines as our super gorgeous Babes in Arms Demonstrator Heatherbell takes a plane trip with her 21 month old daughters first overseas trip.
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There was no doubt it was going to be an interesting trip. My parents and I were going back to the Philippines but a lot had changed since our last visit. For one; I would be taking my 21 month old daughter along without the help of my husband on her first overseas trip. Secondly, my father was now an amputee confined to a wheelchair and would heavily rely on assistance throughout the journey.
I knew that my ERGObaby was the one thing that would make this juggling act possible. But I was especially grateful to try the Performance Carrier because I was flying into the tropical summer where temperatures sat at around 35 degrees and humidity around the 90% mark all day, every day. Here, the Performance Carrier was going to come into its own.
Anyone who has travelled with their ERGObaby knows how much easier negotiating an airport is by keeping your hands free to manage the paperwork and the luggage. However, in my situation, it made a much more profound difference for me. I needed both my hands free to help my Mum with either pushing Dad or the two overflowing luggage trolleys we somehow amassed as we transited through two airports. So I was especially grateful I didn’t have to add chasing a toddler to that mix. It made it much less stressful than it already was as I didn’t have to worry where on earth she was.
Arrival at the Airport
However, where the ERGObaby came into the fore was definitely with the temperature. The Brisbane summer I was leaving pales into comparison to a Philippine summer I was stepping into. So having used a Sport and Original ERGObaby back home throughout summer, I was keen to feel the difference.
Well, the difference is huge! The lightness of the fabric, especially the inside cotton panel makes a considerable difference to airflow. I’ve always said that Babywearing is a hot business, no matter what carrier your child is in. During a QLD summer, my daughter would sweat and feel hot in an ERGObaby and that is simply a side effect of having another body attached to your own! However, with the Performance I noticed a significant reduction in the temperature of her body when I took her out and there was no sweat – this alone was a huge difference as my daughter is a huge sweater.
The carrier also served as a barrier between baby and the crowds of people. It’s a busy country and I was concerned about losing her in the crowds. And my child was born a pram hater, so I couldn’t rely on strapping her into one for longer than 10 minutes. When it got too busy and crowded, I popped her onto my back. That didn’t stop people touching her so I was grateful for the fact that she was on me and I could control contact a lot better. For sleeps, we were rarely at home, so at least I could guarantee she would have her 1+ hour sleep and I wasn’t dealing with an overtired toddler!
To Market, To Market
The sunhood was a great size and really beneficial for breastfeeding discreetly. Sadly, breastfeeding isn’t common enough in the Philippines, let alone a foreign woman feeding a toddler. Constant changes of routine and no Daddy also made for a little nervous toddler, so she relied on feeding as a comfort when feeling overwhelmed. I cannot tell you how grateful I was that I could put her on the front, clip the sunhood onto the opposite snap on the shoulder strap and feed wherever and whenever. Nobody noticed. And there were no mother’s rooms as we know them here. So I couldn’t even duck into one and sit and feed if I wanted to. This was another massive lifesaver for me as I don’t know how I would’ve coped as there is no way I could’ve just popped a feeding cover over us – anyone feeding a toddler knows how impossible that is!
Structurally, it is by far the most lightweight of the carriers, especially in comparison to the classic so it can be rolled up compactly for travel. I noticed that the back of the carrier is higher that the Sport or Classic models. Using it with a toddler I found that it was more supportive as it went up higher to her shoulders than when I use the Sport with her and so I noticed she couldn’t lean back as much (which anyone knows is a lovely habit some more adventurous kids enjoy when in the back carry). I personally found the seat to be accommodating too – I have a chubby toddler and as a result, her thighs tend to overflow out of the seat but I found it to be wide enough to accommodate her comfortably at 16 kilos.
The straps are slimline in comparison to other models yet offer the same comfort level, I think because the carrier itself is so lightweight, it doesn’t add as much to the total load. They contour well to your shoulders and adjustment is easy.
Overall, the Performance delivers all the features we know and trust about the ERGObaby – comfort for both the wearer and baby and flexibility well into toddler-hood. But the added feature of being very temperature friendly will suit users living in a more tropical climate or who love to get out and explore all that nature has to offer.
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