Looking for some help from babywearing mamas! I'm interested in the Mei Tai type carriers because they seem to be able to be used with newborns and with toddlers and don't look quite as difficult. Not really sure on where to start looking for them! Not looking to spend a fortune since it'll be my first babywearing item and I don't want to sink a bunch of money into something I'm not sure will work out. Any recommendations on Mei Tai's or a beginner carrier that will work for a newborn? Looking into wraps also, but I'd like to stick with something a little easier for my first.
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I have an Infantino Mei Tai and also a moby wrap (and also a ring sling). I was legit intimidated by the moby at first. The first time we pulled it out my husband were watching youtube videos with a crying baby trying to figure out how to put the damn thing on and I couldn't get it right. But after maybe 4-5 tries I figured out how to make it work with my body (hint: they always tell you to put it too low into videos. Or my belly button is lower than most. But regardless putting it at your belly button doesn't work for me/my baby) and I grew to love it. As did LO. The mei tai is still much harder for me to get on. I either need someone else's help, or I need to be standing in front of my bed to do it because you have to put the baby in THEN tie it (rather than moby which you tie first then slip baby into. So I don't find it as useful. Also I keep trying it with LO and she just doesn't like it. She's never made it more than 5 min without crying whereas she digs the moby. The only big plus of the mai over the moby, IMO, is it is a lot cooler to wear. Me and baby get a little warm in the moby and I can't wear her outside right now bc it is too hot.
ETA: baby wearing rocks. I'm always surprised how many looks/questions I get when I bw in public. But today I wore LO in my moby to go grocery shopping and she just hung out happy as a clam while I shopped and smiled at strangers. So much easier than having to put her carrier in the cart which takes up the WHOLE cart at TJs.
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We had an ergo for my daughter. This time I wanted something that could maybe be used a bit better from newborn stage. I was able to get a used Moby and the infantino Mei Tai. Not sure yet how it will work out!
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I LOVE my mei tai. I think a good starter is an Infantino or Babyhawk. They're super easy to find on the Babywearing Swap or Babywearing on a Budget FB groups.
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I have a Kozy mei tai that I bought through a babywearing meetup second hand and have no complaints. I go through phases with my carriers so haven't used it much lately, but for a while it was my first pick, definitely recommend it, especially if you are new, but don't want to go the SSC route.
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I really love my mei tais. I have a regular one, and a wrap conversion one. Word of advice, if your LO is like mine and does not like having their legs froggied under them when they're really little, use a hair tie or a piece of string to cinch the bottom.
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I used a Baby K'tan with #1 and I loved it but she hated it.
My cousin in law lent me her Moby for this second one. And I'm buying a used Beco Gemini from a HB'er. Hoping #2 likes babywearing!
There's a Mei Tai on NBD! @Littlebit:
http://www.nobetterdeal.com/shop/en/nbd/infantino-sash-mei-tai-carrier-black-gray -
@T.H.O.U.: @Mae: @Weagle: @locavore_mama: the Infantino is the one I was thinking of getting to start off - it has good reviews on amazon!
I was thinking of getting a Boba/Moby/K'Tan also but since those are stretchy I heard they're only good for when baby is really little? But I guess I could always try reselling if it didn't work. They also look really intimidating...but practice makes perfect, I guess!
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@Littlebit: Stretchy wraps like that will only be good until LO is 15 lbs or so. They get to be too uncomfortable for the wearer and not supportive - even though the product states a higher weight limit. There are a number of cheaper woven wraps that would be good for NB+ and a novice wrapper that you could try. If you resold the stretchy wrap, you wouldn't get close to what you spent because they're pretty much a dime a dozen.
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@Weagle: Can you point me in the direction of the decently priced woven wraps that would work for a NB+? I've looked at Etsy but some of them are so expensive and I really can't tell what a 'good' non-expensive brand to get is.
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@Littlebit: I got the K'tan Breeze and it's not stretchy. I bought it on NBD for cheap and resold it on here for virtually the same price because I barely used it.
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@locavore_mama: I've never heard of the Breeze version. I'll look into it - that might be a good option!
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@Littlebit: it's mesh. LO1 runs HOT and I had her at end of April.
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Writing to remind myself to come back and write more when I get back to my desk
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Ok, mei tais. A great starter mei tai is the Infantino or the Babyhawk. There are also a number of woven wrap companies who do their own mei tais in-house - Girasol makes a mei tai called a Mysol, and Didymos makes the Didytai mei tai. They have great resale values! I teach mei tai carries with a Babyhawk and a Mysol.
As far as woven wraps go, I like to point people towards striped ones so that you can learn strand by strand tightening easily. Easycare, Girasol, and Didymos all have striped woven wraps. If stripes don't strike your fancy, you can just pick something that you love. I added a temporary teaching rail to my first woven wrap so that I could learn. The Babywearing Swap on Facebook has tooooooons of options!
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I have the FreeHand Mei Tai and am planning on selling it. It's a great carrier and easy to use but wasn't for DS
PM me if you're interested. I was planning on selling it for a pretty low price, so if you want to try it out without spending lots of money, it might be good for you. Either way, good luck! Babywearing is wonderful but can be intimidating.ETA: Woops, forgot to add the link to show you which one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/FreeHand-Mei-Baby-Carrier-Theresa/dp/B007EPPEIM -
I have infantino mei tai and boba. I've only used each a handful of times so far so take this with grain of salt, but F seems much more comfortable in boba and falls asleep. mei tai he stays fussy in.
also I was intimidated by the boba at first, but it's much more comfortable to wear and much easier to put on after 3 or 4 times!
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@Littlebit: @grizz: 's suggestion of a striped wrap is great! I think just finding a wrap you like the look of, in your price range is better than getting a specific brand. That way you'll be more inclined to want to use it
Lots of wraps are good for NBs, but I would say that you could get a nice, basic Girasol for a good price. They're all over the Swaps. Based on my experience with various blends, I'm inclined to say that a cotton wrap would be better than a blend, as it's easier to break in and care for/is more likely to be soft already. Others may have a different opinion.
PM me if you're interested. I was planning on selling it for a pretty low price, so if you want to try it out without spending lots of money, it might be good for you. Either way, good luck! Babywearing is wonderful but can be intimidating.Reply
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