There are times in mothering when you do things because you know they are best, but you aren’t sure how accepting your child is of it. Then, you question if without acceptance is it really good for your child. With an infant, sometimes enjoying something and tolerating it because there isn’t a much better choice, can look like the same thing. I’ve wondered often if my Ivy really likes being carried in our mei-tai carrier. We use the carrier everyday. She has only been in a stroller one time in her life. Strollers just aren’t practical off-grid.
Anytime she wants to be held and I have to do physical work, I put her in the pack. More recently, she has started back riding. It is convenient and allows her to be close to me when she wants to be. It makes shopping so much easier when she is tired or cranky. I’ve read that it is a soothing thing. But, I’ve always wondered if it was just a fact of life for her or something she truly enjoyed. It was Saturday that I got my answer.
Ivy will be celebrating her first birthday at the end of the month, and is becoming more and more able to express herself in a way that we all readily understand. It is so sweet to watch. Saturday, I got the mei-tai and started strapping it on my waist. John and I were going to check on one of the cabins down the creek to make sure it would be ready for our landlord’s upcoming visit. We were walking down as it was a sunny day and something to do. When Ivy saw me preparing the mei-tai she got excited. She clapped her hands and made joyful “uh-uh” sounds. She was leaning toward me from her daddy’s arms before I even had the first knot tied. It felt great to see a cute smile on her sick little face.
She really does like it! She not only likes it – she loves it. Ivy has had the croup the last 4 days and I know now that being worn is comfortable for her. Not just tolerated, but a nurturing thing. It feels good to do something right.
You can find mei-tai carriers at the following websites:
Baby Hawk – www.babyhawk.com
Two Hearts Carriers – www.two-hearts-carrier.com
Ebay – www.ebay.com
A Mountain Mama - East Kentucky Gal 
5 comments
Comments feed for this article
April 10, 2009 at 3:50 am
breedermama
I can’t believe she will be one so soon… (because if I believe that I’ll have to think about my own little one’s birthday in less than 2 months.) It must’ve been so gratifying to see her eager to get in the mei tai. 🙂 I love our Ellaroo.
April 10, 2009 at 5:04 am
Fun Mama - Deanna
I’ve always thought the mei-tais looked so comfortable. I have a maya wrap, but I’d still like a mei-tai. Even though my daughter is 2, it would be nice to have something more comfortable to carry her in a back carry (she’s just over 20 lbs).
April 10, 2009 at 5:22 pm
eastkentuckygal
They are great and will carry comfortably up to 35 pounds. I was still carrying Deladis at almost 3 years old and walking the Cherokee Loop all the way around when I got pregnant with Ivy. No other sling/carrier I’ve used has compared to a mei-tai in comfort and ease of use.
April 10, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Deborah
That is so good to know!! I always imagined a baby would enjoy it- who wouldn’t like to be carried around up high so that you feel weightless and can watch everything around you? i’ve been looking for a mei-tei since the first few months of pregnancy and havn’t been able to find one because at retail price they are so expensive that it scared me away- and was intimidating to try and find ONE that i like good enough to spend that kind of money on. a couple weeks ago on etsy.com i found a really sweet little cloth sling that is made with extra light cotton for the summer time, which i plan to use for nursing- especially out in public or at friend’s. i’ve gotten it out and it will cover quite a bit! i totally reccommend checking out etsy for affordable, handmade, and organic carriers!
i just looked on ebay after reading this post and found the sweetest mei tei for $20! it looks like my search is finally over! i can’t wait to use it!
April 10, 2009 at 5:26 pm
eastkentuckygal
That’s why I bought mine from Two Hearts Carriers. It was $10 cheaper than Baby Hawk and helped the woman fund an adoption she desperately wanted. She made the carrier herself to my specifications. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it, and it will outlast my need for it as well. I can and can’t wait to pass it on to the next mama and baby. Congrats on finding one for $20!