As with every carrier we must discuss the issue of safety. ALWAYS check your carrier for any rips , tears , or defects before using, making sure the straps and where they connect are secure. Most mei tais (prounounced May-Ties) have an X box sewn where the straps connect to the body of the carrier if you don't see those, check for at least two rows of stitching to secure the straps to the body.
First we'll start with Mei Tais which is essentially a body of fabric with two short straps ( waist straps) and two long straps( shoulder straps) attached. These can be angled or straight, padded or unpadded. The body shapes also vary between brands and all these options are out there to find the perfect fit for you and your child. Some people love padded straps, some people love unpadded, it's all in what is the most comfortable option for you.
Above is a New Style Sachi with Padded and Angled bottom straps notice also the contoured body and added headrest.
Above is an Old Style Sachi Mei Tai with Angled Bottom Straps and Padded top straps, I find this particular mei tai to be a great shape for little babies.
Above is a DIY Ball Baby Overall Pattern Mei Tai ( pattern can be found here), straight straps on the bottom and unpadded straps on the top. I find this to be an ideal carrier for toddlers.
Above is a Silly Goose Mei Tai, this has straight bottom straps and padded top straps. This Mei tai is meant to be tied Non Apron Style because of it's adjustable bottom.
The Difference between Apron and Non Apron is quite simple with the Apron style of tying on your Mei Tai you just let the carrier hang like an apron down and tie onto your waist. Whereas the other is makking sure the back of the strap and carrier on directly on the front of you not folded over. You can view the differences in the next post on How to do a basic front carry in a Mei Tai.
The next carriers are called Podegis (Poe-deh-gees)
Traditionally, a podegi is a Korean baby carrier that consists of a wide blanket with two straight straps on either side with the weight mostly held on the torso. The modern podegi has a narrow blanket with either straight or angled straps and can be worn as a torso or a two shouldered carry. These carriers require more of a learning curve than Mei Tai, but with time they can be an even faster and more convenient way to carry your child. One reason for this I find is that you don’t have an extra set of straps to pre tie which allows you to hold a fussy baby and strap them on w/o having to set them down.
Above is my own pattern for an unpadded Podegi, The blanket( or body) of the Podegi is rounded on the bottom and the straps are angled and without any padding.
Above is another example of an Unpadded Podegi however the blanket/body of the Podegi is angled I find this style works better with older babies.
Above is a Padded Strapped Podegi which I find is the easiest to learn on for anyone new to Podegis.
You can find Video and Photo Instructions on how to use these carriers on the Alabama Slingers website and also in the upcoming posts :)
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