Eco Child’s Play

You know the benefits of babywearing. You know some guidelines for babywearing. You know how to use the pouch. You know how to use the ring sling. You know how to use the wrap.

Now we’ll talk a little bit about the mei tai.

 The mei tai is most accurately pronounced “may tie,” although since the words come from a language with some phonemes that are different from English, a completely accurate pronunciation in English is unlikely. And don’t fuss at people who pronounce it “my tie,” either–you know they mean the carrier, not the cocktail.

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The mei tai is an Asian-style, or Asian-inspired carrier. Constructed from a rectangular panel of fabric with long ties at all four corners, it’s a modification of some popular and effective native Asian carriers that is made more amenable to a Western lifestyle. Traditional versions of this carrier often aren’t appropriate these days, because many traditional versions were used in cultures in which a baby’s caregiver was never alone with her baby, and thus always had someone to help her tie the baby into the carrier. We’re often alone with our babies in this culture, and thus the useful modifications.

To use a mei tai, the wearer ties the waist ties around her body, uses the rectangular panel of fabric to strap the baby to herself, and then wraps the shoulder ties over her shoulders and around her body and ties them. As with the wrap, there are various methods for wrapping the ties, and since there’s a learning curve, you’ll likely want to use the internet to look at illustrated diagrams or watch youtube demonstrations.

The typical styles of carry for the mei tai are vertical carries, with the child either on the front or the back of the wearer.

The advantages of the mei tai are that it is very trim, both to wear and to tote, and that it distributes the child’s weight over a large part of the wearer’s body, including both shoulders, and so it’s much more appropriate for carrying a larger or heavier child than some of the one-shoulder carriers.

The disadvantages include the difficulty of putting the baby into a reclining pose in the mei tai, as well as the dexterity requirement of the carrier. The shoulder ties must be wrapped and crossed on both the front and back of the wearer’s body, and must be tied into a knot, as well, and so wearers who have physical difficulty reaching behind themselves or tying knots may find the mei tai difficult to wear.

For the most comfortable positioning for both you and your child, it’s important to make sure that the mei tai is tight enough to your body. A slack tie will allow the baby to slouch and can be both uncomfortable and bad for her back.

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