Entry by Karen S
I have been conducting paleontological field research in Madagascar for the last 10+ years. When my daughter was born in 2006, I wanted to bring her on my expeditions, and planed to carry her everywhere (something all Malagasy mothers do with their own children). My ERGObaby carrier was perhaps the most important piece of equipment I brought from home! It made the logistical challenge of airports possible (dealing with many duffel bags and field equipment as well as a child), and made the long plane flights manageable as I could breastfeed her and get her to sleep easily. I have used it on two field expeditions (when she was ~8 months and ~ 1 ½ years), and wore her everywhere in Madagascar. She loved being able to see her surroundings yet have the closeness to me.
My husband and I even used the ERGO to hike her between our two research sites (an 8 hour hike through the rainforest). Not only was she comfortable on our backs, but it kept her entertained and happy for most of the trip!
Baby wearing is an integral part of Malagasy culture, and it was very exciting for all of our local friends to see my husband and I wearing our daughter. With another addition to our family in 2008, we plan to wear both of our girls in Madagascar next summer. We wouldn’t have been able to do these research trips without our ERGO, and we will certainly never go into the field without it in the future.
