With a mei tai carrier and your baby on the side

This position is suitable for babies who sit without support (from about 6 months old).

1. Tie the short straps of your mei tai on the side, around your waist. You can make a knot or a bow.

2. Hold your baby in your arms on the side, over your mei tai and on your hip.

3. Lift the body of your mei tai up over the baby’s back in such a way that it embraces it tightly and reaches at least up to below its armpits.

4. Throw one strap (the one in front of you) back over your opposite shoulder.

5. Holding your baby with one hand, grab the other strap (the one behind you) and guide it around your back and forward under your armpit.

6. Remember that the tighter you pull the straps at this stage, the more comfortable it will be for you. The tightening won’t press on the baby, only on your back, so you can pull it as much as feels good to you.

7. Continuing to hold this strap (the one that came from behind), hold your baby with that hand now, and with the other grab the other strap, which until now was hanging behind you, and pull it forward.

8. The two straps will meet on your baby’s back.

9. There, under the baby’s bottom, tie a knot or a bow.

10. You are ready for walks with the baby in your arms and your hands free!

Note: Try to always have the straps spread out on your back and in front as well as you can. You will feel more comfortable if you place the strap on the round part of your shoulder and not near your neck.

In the photo-instructions above, Rea is already 8.5 months old (in the one next to it, Vasilis is 22 months old). However, this position is not particularly comfortable for a long time with much heavier babies. Remember, after all, that one of the main advantages of the mei tai is that it distributes the weight across your two shoulders and achieves great comfort thanks to this even distribution. With this position you lose that advantage, since the support is now more on one shoulder.

If you generally like to hold your baby on the side (over your hip), then you may feel more comfortable with a ring sling or pouch in the corresponding position, especially if your sling is sewn with an open shoulder “style”, like the Asteraki slings.

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