I successfully got John into the hip carry position in the mei tai, then vacuumed the downstairs with him to test out the functionality. The sling was perfectly comfortable enough. For the hip carry, I maintain that a ring sling like the Maya is superior because it is very fast on and off and the weight is distributed over the whole curve of the shoulder (unlike the narrow strap you can see in the photo). But it is very nice that the mei tai can function in
every basic position, seemingly quite well.
I also got John into the low back carry position. (One could cross the straps over the front of the chest too.)
Tomorrow I hope to get John into the high back carry position. What intrigues me so much about the mei tai is that position and the fact that one can wear even a newborn back there!
I also got John into the low back carry position. (One could cross the straps over the front of the chest too.)
I do understand different wraps for specific purposes... I will probably still use the moby style wrap for newborns/ nursing (I guess a ring sling would be good for that too but I don't feel they are as secure) but I love the ergo for everything else. I can still use it 9 mos preg, comfortably. I don't understand why you would need a mei tai if you already have an ergo. Seems like the ergo does it all and quicker /more comfortably.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could wear Christina more often but my back and leg hurt terribly enough with just the weight of the baby. :-(
http://weblog.xanga.com/PistachioChocolateWife/578963054/a-new-carrier.html
ReplyDeleteOK I thought of ONE reason to use the mei tai... with a new baby in a high back carry who might still be too small for the ergo...
You can use a wrap with a newborn in the high back carry too, Sarah Faith. See here: http://joyfulchaos.wordpress.com/2007/11/05/back-carry-tutorial/
ReplyDeleteThis lady is my inspiration! I love her blog.
She has other pictures on her site of her son a few days old being carried:
http://joyfulchaos.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/no-more-belly-picsnow-we-have-back-pics/
http://joyfulchaos.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/memorial-of-blessed-mother-teresa-of-calcutta/
The Kozy Carrier site (http://kozycarrier.homestead.com/) also has pictures of a newborn being worn high on the back. That's more like a mei tai, though.
I used an Ergo almost exclusively with my DS. I also have a Hotsling, but only found it comfortable for a hip carry. I'm thinking for the new baby, I'll do a Mei Tai (Kozy) for the early days. I'm not sure I love wraps and I don't think I'd feel comfortable putting a newborn on my back. I want to be able to see him all the time. Maybe if I had much older kids to help/be my eyes. Not with just a toddler, though.
That's fantastic Katherine...I'm so glad you tested out the hip carry.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to head to Goore's and/or The Lactation Station before our trip to see if they have anything similar that I can try out. We'll still have the stroller, but Emma won't want to be in it all day for 5 days. She really liked being in the Bjorn last year, and our stroller was used for the bigger kids who got tired by mid-day (we will have 8 kids with us this year!). And it would be nice to be able to carry her and have my hands free again.
On another note, I followed your lead and showed Emma the empty paper towel roll trick (never thought to have her put stuff in it...just use it as a microphone and a telescope). She kept herself occupied for about thirty minutes figuring out what was small enough or too big to pass through.
Sarah: On the Moby, I think I messed up the measuring, then cut things crooked. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how do you wear the Ergo comfortably when pregnant? I imagine that the waist strap would cut in and be uncomfortable. Do you have it low, beneath your belly?
Courtney: Thanks for the tips! I didn't realize one could use a Moby-style wrap to get a baby, even a newborn, onto the wrap! That is Very Advanced Babywearing, for sure! I'm excited about trying it.