Mei Tai baby sling are they any good?

[ANTagony]

That's it really. I'm bored waiting the two weeks (c-section booked for the 20th) till no.3 is due and wondered whether a sling would enable me to get on with the gardening and doing the animals better than using a pushchair/ trug (car seat).

The garden is on lots of levels accessed by steps so I don't think a pushchair will be practical plus I have the other two to keep up with.

If you have used one how easily did you find putting it on and taking it off? Did you tend to put baby into it and then keep it on for long periods or just for particular functions like shopping or going on a walk?

Mei Tai is a generic type of sling rather than a particular make. How easy they are to put on and take off depends on which one you go for and your personal preference -- personally if using a Mei Tai style with a small baby I prefer to go for the clips as they are easier to do up and tighten while supporting the baby, rather than ties which can be more fiddly, but ties reduce overall bulk and bumpiness of the carrier when it's packed away so can be easier with an older baby/toddler who isn't in the carrier so much.

If using from birth with a newborn you're likely to need to do something extra to the carrier to provide extra support (e.g. the Connecta comes with an extra strap to use for the first couple of months to bunch together the bottom of the carrier.

My personal preference tends to be to use a wrap or wrap-style sling with a newborn for the first few months, then move on to a mei tai style as they get older. But a lot about slings does come down to personal preference.

My DCs have been happy to be in the sling so long as I was out and walking, but got restless if I sat down or tried wearing it about the house. I'm not sure about gardening - could go either way (but, again, your babies may be different too).

I have a few Mei Tais of different brands. I like them best from about 4 months, but really I prefer wraps. I have generally used them for naps, fairly long periods of activity like cooking, housework etc, and for transport outdoors.

I found baby size Mei Tais lasted us until about 14-15 months and then I got a toddler Mei Tai which we used a lot until 2.5 years, now aged 4.5 years I prefer woven wraps again.

I really like it but the straps make it a bit fiddly.

Over all my slings I choose the connecta most. It is very similar to the mei tai but has clips makin it loads easier to put on and makes back carries a breeze

Oh...do you mean 'Mei Tai Baby' the brand? Or Mei Tai which is a generic asian style carrier and has a lot of brands. Because I've not specificlly tried a Mei Tai Baby, the brands I prefer for baby to toddler MTs are Kozy, FrontBackandSides, Himmel, Bamberoo, BabyHawk or ToddlerHawk.

Its the generic style that I like the look of. I had a big sling for DS1 but it didn't fit my shape well and I found that I carried him in it as I didn't feel he was secure so it was a little pointless. When he was older I brought a conventional front carrier which was okay but he'd get fed up facing me. I then went onto a frame carrier for long walks which was fantastic but not for round house/ in the garden and as he got heavier I found it easier for someone else to lift him on. With DS2 I went for a fancy lots of clips carrier that you put the harness on then put the baby into a harness and the two bits clipped together. I really didn't get on with it just to much fuss. He liked be snuggled up in lots of blankets in a pushchair.

I like the idea of something I can adjust to suit me and then get on and off relatively easily/ quickly. I see it as being from newborn to maybe 6 months as my key use.

I will look at/ google the connecta and other brands mentioned - I hadn't realised there are so many!

Many thanks for all your comments

A stretchy wrap is a good option for a small baby. You tie it around yourself, and then you can pop the baby in and out without having to undo anything.

I'm another wrap user, but slings in general are a godsend!

But you don't have the option of a back carry with a stretchy wrap which would be useful when gardening. (You can back carry with mei tais and woven wraps)

Would you back carry a newborn, though? (Genuine question; I wouldn't because I'd want to have him/her on my front at that age. Do other people tend to back carry newborns?)

No, that's true, you can't back carry with a stretchy...but for a new babywearer, trying to master back carries with a newborn might be a step too far!

For quick, easy & poppable - I'd go for a stretchy.

I personally wouldn't back carry a newborn in a MT as I'm not sure you can really get them high enough. I probably will next time round in a woven.

I have made a wrap...it's just a length of fabric.

The tieing isn't that fiddly and takes seconds now I have the hang of it. Plus I can just re tie it in different ways for different positions etc.

Ds is 11 m and I started using the wrap around 9m but I'll definatly be using it from birth next time. And it cost less than two quid. More cake pennies.

I can post links to ties if you want to do your own.

Well, millions of African women back-carry their new-borns!
Like you, Professor, not sure I would feel comfortable not being able to easily see my LO.

I'm another wrap-sling fan, although I do have the Connecta Solarweave, which is an excellent sling and ideal for back carries.

Back carries are possible in wrap slings, but you need to be pretty confident to do them, especially getting the LO on your back if you're alone...

Here is an extremely helpful selection of videos and instructions on different wrap carries.