The Mei Tai sling is an Asian inspired baby carrier that has been around for hundreds of years, with roots that start in Asia when woman used simple clothes to tie their babies to their bodies while they went about their day. This Asian inspired sling didn’t make its way to the United States until 2003 when people began to realize that its simplicity, and durability were worth checking into.
The Mei Tai sling may look like nothing more than a fancy piece of cloth, but don’t be fooled! This versatile sling can be used for front, or back carrying and can adjust to fit a smaller infant, or a curious toddler who wants to view the world from your back. Since becoming popular in the US the Mei Tai sling has some added features like longer straps, and extra support to appeal to new parents. This sling has made it’s place in history helping woman carry their children for hundreds upon hundreds of years, and that alone should tell you this is an excellent product to purchase. There are also hundreds of versions of the Mei Thai, but almost all of them feature the updated “western” features we have mentioned, and the differences are in the style, and material used.
The Mei Tai carrier will appeal to thrift parent who believe in baby wearing, but don’t want to have to purchase carrier after carrier as their child grows. They come in a variety of beautiful fabrics, and colors, are durable but at the same time simple to use. You won’t need to watch an instructional video to figure the Mei Thai sling out-they are parent friendly [especially for the sleep deprived new moms and dads that won’t want to deal with harnesses and straps galore!] The Mei Tai baby sling also adjusts to fit any size so moms, dads, grandparents…anyone can have a turn carrying baby around!
With any sling, the Mei Thai carrier will require some practice before you can feel one hundred percent comfortable with it. Many carriers do have written directions and the Mei Thai is no exception, but this style of sling tends to be easier to master than others.
Many of these slings have three or four positions you can hold your child in. For the younger child a forward facing position is required since you’ll want to keep your little baby as close as possible. Once you feel comfortable enough, your baby can sit in his Mei Thai carrier on your back, looking at the world while you have more freedom in the front to go about your day.
Many carriers don’t offer the hip position, so check out other baby slings if you’re looking for something that has that feature! The Mei Thai will run you between sixty, to eighty dollars which is bit more pricey than others, but the upside is that these will last well into toddler years, so it’s money well spent! Check out reviews on websites to see if this is the infant carrier for you.
Art Gib writes for many baby publications including HugaMonkey. Asian baby carriers are a special interest and Art is a great new family’s resource. Visit http://www.hugamonkey.com/mei-tai-asian-baby-carrier for $25 baby carriers similar to Mei Tai baby carriers.
