Can you confirm my understanding of Mei Tai use?

[thesurgeonsmate]

I am still using my Moby for front carry. Loved it. DD is nearly one and although light, distances covered are getting shorter and shorter. I am a small framed mother. So I think what I want is a BabyHawk. Am I right to think - it looks cool, I tie it myself, for stowing away purposes it's essentially a few bits of fabric? And am I right to think I have to do some daring baby-acrobatics to get her onto my back? I suppose my real questiom is to do with this - will I learn to do this by myself in busy environments with no soft landing - restaurants, nursery, car parks? She is not yet mobile at all, and very biddable, so is this a good time for her to learn?

[Justalittleblackraincloud]

Have you thought about a woven wrap if you like your Moby? I went from a Moby to a woven and find them wonderfully comfortable.

Might be easier if you are particularly small, as you tie it to fit you precisely.

Mei-Tai's are a decent type of sling though, and BabyHawk are very well known. Yes, it's all fabric. One rectangular piece which is the body (goes over your DD's back), and then a long fabric strap coming off each corner. So you can wrap it all up and stick it in your bag no problem.

Back carries. It's down to practice for both of you. The more you put her up there, the more she'll get used to it and stay in one place whilst you tie the sling. She may think you're a raving loon the first few times, but putting her up on your back, playing horsey, and swinging her back down all help her get used to the idea. Do it without the sling to begin with even. Then it's just up to you to learn how to tie the carrier.

Youtube videos are great for watching how it's done. Even better if you have a Slingmeet nearby.

There are a few different ways to get her on to your back, so have a watch and see which one makes the most sense to you.

[craftynclothy]

Once dd got to about 1 I much preferred the mei tai to the wrap. I think I'd have been ok with a wrap if I'd got a shorter one for the back carry I liked best but I didn't.

There are various ways of getting them on your back with a mei tai and dh & I both liked different methods. I preferred the santa sack type method (put mei tai round baby's back with straps under their arms, then toss onto back and tie waist then sort shoulder straps) and dh preferred to tie the waist then shunt dd round his waist, then pull the straps up iyswim.

It's worth trying the different methods to see which works for you.

[thesurgeonsmate]

I just thought a woven wrap might be a step too far with the learning curve, justalittlebrc , I don't have a slingmeet nearby and I am pretty intimidated by the jargon on sights like natural mamas. If I do want to try one, do I just plump for one, or do the different versions have pros and cons?

[craftynclothy]

Different woven wraps have pros and cons. There's also different sizes so it depends what carries you want to do. A size 6 is a good general size (most sizes of people can do most carries iykwim). I found I preferred a 4 or 5 once I was doing back carries because I liked to do a ruck tied in front (RTIF).

People have their own preferences for the brand/weave/colour/thickness/fabric they prefer. Personally I think a good all rounder is the Storchenwiege Leo which are around the £50-60 mark but tend to hold their value well. A lot of people like Didymos but I found it's a case of trying the different weaves and fabrics they do and treating each one on a case by case basis iykwim. I also liked Zaras (by Ellevil) but again, some people aren't keen.

It's a shame you're not near a sling meet as they're a good way of trying out wraps to see what you like before buying.

It could be worth posting on Natural Mamas to see if there's anyone near where you live with a few wraps.

[thesurgeonsmate]

As I suspected, quite a steep learning curve. I think I'm going to get the Mei Tai on the basis that it's an easy first try, and only get involved in sizing and weaving if I don't get on with it.

[Erac]

Late to this thread, but wanted to add...

You can rent a BabyHawk Mei Tai to try before you buy: slumber-roo.co.uk/hire. I wish I had done this before I bought my second carrier as my DD hated it.

Also re: back carry. You might look at the Beco Butterfly as it has an inner piece that makes geting into the back carry easier. If you search for the carrier on YouTube, you'll fine some good videos to demonstrate this.

[thesurgeonsmate]

I bought the BabyHawk. There wasn't a great choice in the UK market, but I managed to find a beautiful red balck and cream one. Looks gorgeous, and dd seems to enjoy it. But! I expected to find her less heavy on my back, but I notice her much more - the weight on my shoulders feels a real strain. When I carry her on my front I don't really feel it at the time, I just know she's getting heavy by observing my posture and feeling later on that I've overdone it. Do I need to be working on adjusting the BabyHawk in some way? (And - practicing getting her into it is inhibited by DH's sceptical comments - this can't be right? Is this safe? You're not to do this by yourself! I missed Erac's contribution, which might have helped with this aspect...)

[Honeydragon]

I am small and prefer a high back carry on my back. It's much comfier. You tie the bottom straps above your boobs and top rucksack under legs and tied and tucked.

Plenty of vids out there

[thesurgeonsmate]

Watching some vids now, to see the high back carry in action. Will give it a shot.