[mostly snarky]

Hi. New here. Just bought a MT and DS hates it. Tried the froggy position, b/c legs out gave him instant red marks, but he still fussed. Is this normal until they get used to it? He's five months now.

Also, can you use a wrap for 20 pounders or is this just for younger smaller babes? If you can use wraps, which do I use? And where do I start my shopping? TIA

 

[BurgundyElephant]

I face my son to the side in the mei tai. Well, I did up until the last couple of weeks when he's started getting big enough.

 

[Om Girl]

Five months is an "active" age...probably too old for "froggied" legs. Try legs out making sure the fabric is smoothed out to the knee and your straps aren't twisted when they wrap. You can try trying them around your DC back instead of legs. This helps with red marks! Good luck

 

[emcare]

I used and still use a wrap with my 14 month old. She's over 20 lbs now and I still love it. It's a moby-type wrap.

 

[samantha546]

I'm not fully in love with my MT as much as everyone else is. But I do use it around the house. I was wrap-happy for awhile but found that I just wasn't a wrap kind of girl. You can definitely find a lot of info on wraps on TBW. I've been told that for wrapping a heavier baby, you want a wrap that isn't stretchy like the Moby's. Just because it would stretch out and you would have to re-tie it. But I really enjoyed the fact that you could tibetian or rucksack tie your baby on your back and get a lot more support than just a regular mei tai. I'm still in the honeymoon stage with my Ergo..

 

[jenrose]

What kind of mei tai is it?

My favorite wrap right now is the drop dead gorgeous and reasonably priced gypsy mama bali breeze stretch... *love* mine... may actually buy another.

 

[momeeboys]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mostly snarky Hi. New here. Just bought a MT and DS hates it. Tried the froggy position, b/c legs out gave him instant red marks, but he still fussed. Is this normal until they get used to it? He's five months now. Also, can you use a wrap for 20 pounders or is this just for younger smaller babes? If you can use wraps, which do I use? And where do I start my shopping? TIA

Yeah, froggied at five months is too old, IME. I never froggied my own DS when I started wearing him at around 2.5/3 months. I am curious as to what MT you have, too.

What I do think is happening, related to the red marks, is that DS isn't seated well enough in it. You really want his butt lower than his knees, much like he'd be in a sling. To do that, once you have him situated with his legs out, grab the shoulder straps and do a few bounces. He'll sink just a little deeper into the MT.

As far as fussiness, I'm guessing he was just uncomfortable. But who knows? I'll give you the usual recommendations: just makes sure he has a clean diaper, his tummy is full and try taking a walk outside (if it isn't burning hot!).

ETA: Oh yeah, forgot about the wraps. He's certainly not too old for wraps! Not in the least--lucky you. Wraps range in price and fabric. I'd advice you to check out TBW for suggestions on where to start. There are a slew of great wraps. Jenrose mentioned the GM Bali Baby Stretch, which would work well for a 5 month old. The prints are gorgous! And I've heard it's very, very supportive. Mobys are great workhorse wraps. Mamas who have them love them. And then there are the german style wraps. Beautiful in weave, organically grown, comfort beyond measure and worth every penny.

 

[Alienmum]

I'm riding on this thread cos I have some related questions.

I currently use a cotton ring sling, but I have a dodgy back and am starting to feel DD's weight after an hour or so of walking, so I am looking for a carrier that would better distribute her weight over my torso as she gets heavier.

I am also looking to graduate to either a MT or a wrap. But one major concern is that I live near the equator where it's close to 100% humidity and 90F all year round. I only use my ring sling in air-conditioned environments cos I sweat like mad otherwise, so whatever other carrier I move onto next really shouldn't be too warm.

I would love some advice on whether a MT or wrap would be more suitable for the heat and humidity, and recommendations on any specific MT/wrap would be great too!

 

[momeeboys]

Whew! That's hot! A baby on you is going to be hot no matter what, too You'll definitely want to consider your fabric. There are MTs out there that are made of solarveil--sunprotection and open weave for coolness. Some have issues with the feel of the fabric, others do not.

You could also try a gauze wrap (like a gypsy mama) or a lightweight woven, like EllaRoo.

 

[Alienmum]

Yeah, I was thinking of a Gypsy Mama -- I love the look of the Haumea wrap! But then I also like the Ella Roo Maija....decisions decisions!

 

[LolaK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mostly snarky Also, can you use a wrap for 20 pounders or is this just for younger smaller babes? If you can use wraps, which do I use? And where do I start my shopping? TIA

You can definitely use a wrap on a 20 pound baby. I use a wrap for my daughter and she is pushing 27 pounds. In fact in the wrap I can still put her in a front carry.

Difference between wraps and mei tei is that a wrap is going to be the tiniest bit more comfy when you get the hang of tying it well. It is also more vesatile. A mei tei is going to give you more structure to work with so a little bit less of a learning curve.

I have both and use the wrap.

Also for hotter climates I would get a wrap since you can do a carry where your child only has one thin piece of material on them whereas many mei teis have multiple layers or thicker material.

 

[wenat]

You can also get solarveil mei tais -- check the TBW FSOT board. Those are pretty light for hot climates. The Octi Solarveils have a wrap-style shoulder, so are VERY comfortable.

Or I'm loving my napsack, which has a really thin body and lightweight fabric so that there's lots of air circulation. (http://napsack.laurence.com/)