With a mei tai carrier and your baby facing forward

This position is suitable for babies who can comfortably support their heads (from about 3 months old).

This position, in which the baby faces outward, is quite controversial. Read this article about it. Some argue that the outward-facing position (the fact that the baby doesn’t see the mum, combined with the fact that it receives a lot of stimuli by looking outward) creates stress, especially in small babies (overstimulation). Other studies argue that this only applies to strollers and not to carriers (in which case the baby feels the mum). This is probably a matter of personal decision! In any case it is a position that is not recommended for a long time — see, after all, in this video one more reason why this position is not the best choice for your comfort (if you wear your baby facing outward, you may tire faster than in other positions).

1. Hold the mei tai in front of you by the short straps (the waist ones). If your mei tai has a “good” side, then it should now be “facing” your legs. For this position you will probably need to “shorten” the body of your mei tai, folding the straps once over the body.

2. Tie the mei tai around your waist, like an apron. You can make a knot or a bow.

3. Hold your baby in front of you so that it faces outward. (Make sure you hold it from the back of the legs, with its little back rounded and its knees high. The baby’s weight should rest with its back against your chest, not in front on your hand.)

4. Open its little legs and lift the body of your mei tai up between them. (If needed, you can lightly “gather” the body of your mei tai so it fits between the baby’s legs.)

5. Lift your mei tai in front of the baby and throw the straps back over your shoulders. The baby’s knees should be high and its back rounded, while its weight rests against your body (not in front). The baby’s legs won’t be completely open, but at about a 90-degree angle to each other.

6. Remember that you still need to support your baby at every step.

7. Holding your baby over the mei tai with one hand, reach your other hand behind your back and grab the strap hanging from your opposite shoulder. Guide it in front of you, around your waist and hold it there.

8. You will now switch hands (the one holding the strap will support your baby) and repeat the previous two steps with the other hand and the other strap.

9. The straps will be crossed on your back. Make sure they aren’t twisted at any point and that they are spread out well so you feel comfortable.

10. Bring the straps in front of your baby (between your arm and leg on each side) and pull them as much as needed so that the baby’s back rests against your chest.

11. You can tie the straps in front of the baby’s tummy…

12. … or twist them once between each other and tie them behind your back (passing them under the baby’s legs this time).

13. You are ready for walks! Most babies love this position very much because they get the chance to look at the world around them!

14. Pay attention to something very important: the baby’s legs are open at about a 90-degree angle to each other and its knees are at least at the same level as its bottom (or even higher).

15. This way your baby doesn’t “hang” forward, but “sits” nicely, resting against your chest! Its little back is in a natural position (not in hyperextension) and your baby is comfortable!

Happy walks!

Note: If your baby prefers to have its arms over the mei tai (between the straps) and not underneath, you can tie them like that, as long as you make sure the body of the mei tai covers the baby’s body at least up to its armpits.

You should also again make sure that the knees are higher than the bottom and that the baby’s weight falls with its back against your chest and that it isn’t supported with its chest against the front part of the mei tai!

In the photo-instructions above, Rea is already 8.5 months old (on the left Rea is 6 months old, on the right Iliana is 3 months old) and sits in the mei tai facing forward, with legs out. Again, her legs don’t hang down, while her weight is distributed nicely everywhere, in a position that is comfortable both for the baby and for me wearing her!

However, the center of gravity in this position shifts, as the baby is no longer “one” with your body but extends beyond it.

For this reason this position will not be comfortable for a long time with much heavier babies.

If the reason you like this position is because your baby wants to see outside, then there are much better positions to try. One idea would be the high back position. From there the baby will see, and you will feel very comfortable!

In the video below, Iliana, 5 months old, in the outward-facing position with legs out:

Important note: The above instructions apply only with an Asteraki mei tai. They are valid on condition that your mei tai is an Asteraki, so that the lower straps have the right angle and you can fit them correctly between the baby’s legs. If the lower straps are sewn completely horizontally, or at a different angle than they should be, you cannot do the outward-facing position without ending up with incorrect positioning for the spine and hips, because the body of the mei tai will “stretch”. Corresponding conditions apply to the dimensions of your mei tai — it must be as tall as needed to offer support but also allow the child to see, and as wide as needed to fit between the baby’s legs while correctly supporting its shoulders on you. Corresponding conditions apply to the angle of the upper straps. They must be as open as needed to rest correctly on your own shoulders and leave room for the baby, but also as closed as needed so the baby doesn’t lean forward.

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