Anyone use a freehand mei tai?...

[mumoffive]

My dd is 4 months and quite often falls asleep. I really worry about it when she falls asleep with her face into my chest and feel like im constantly adjusting her. She kind of ends up further down in the sling than when she is awake cause her head is upright and she is looking out. Am i putting her in it too low down?. Anyone elses lo do this? or im i doing something wrong?

 

[Rachel_C]

I don't have a Freehand MT, I use a Babyhawk but it's probably similar

Is it that LO's body ends up lower down when she sleeps, is it like she slumps down? If it is, I'd check that you're tying the MT tight enough. When you put LO in, do you do that weird little bouncy dance before you finally fasten it? Doing that and tying the straps tightly should stop her being able to slump further down.

 

[mumoffive]

Yes, she kind of slumps down in it. I will check that she isnt too tight thanks. I do that little bouncy dance when i put her in it lol..i watched how to tie her in it on you tube..its just really when she falls asleep that she kind of ends up slumping iykwim. It is fine when she sleeps with her head to the side but i dont like it when her head is facing me so i try to reposition her but its awkward to move her out of it so i kind of try and push her up a bit. I might try folding it at the bottom and seeing if that helps. Thats what they suggested on the mei tai you tube clip. They suggested doing this if the mei tai is a bit long.

 

[wishingonastar]

If a meitai isn't tight enough a baby will generally slip within the first 15 mins as this is the 'settling in' period

It also sounds like you're likely to be tying your LO too low as I find the same with my LO

 

[mumoffive]

well i rolled it over today and she was higher..however did the same when i went to collect my ds and then my dd and was out a while and she slipped down so much it was annoying. Maybe i didnt tie it well enough. She just seemed scrunched up ..like it had loosened a bit. The thing is, its when she falls asleep. Im so conscious of her in that position..like to make sure she is breathing ok.

 

[mumoffive]

If a meitai isn't tight enough a baby will generally slip within the first 15 mins as this is the 'settling in' period

It also sounds like you're likely to be tying your LO too low as I find the same with my LO

I think its going to be trial and error. I totally love using it and she loves it..its just a bit annoying but im sure the older she gets the better But sadly, the heavier lol!!

 

[Rachel_C]

How are you tying the knot? The knot people tend to do when tying shoes and stuff can slip a bit and loosen (where you do right over left, then right over left again). A reef knot slips less (right over left, then left over right). Also, I think it is pretty normal for a MT to slip a little after a while, as the knots get pulled tighter and cause a little slack in the ties. Can you not just tighten them again - hold the long ties, untie them, bounce up and down while pulling the straps tight until LO is in the right position and then retie with a reef knot? If you do that while she's asleep and it stays right, when she wakes up you will be able to see how tight it should be tied in the first place.

Reef knot - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_knot

The other kind (granny knot) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granny_knot

When attempting to tie a reef knot, it is easy to produce a granny knot accidentally. This is dangerous because the granny knot can slip when heavily loaded. A tightened granny knot can also jam and is often more difficult to untie than the reef knot. It is better to tie a reef knot in nearly all circumstances.

The reef knot is commonly taught as left over right, tuck under then right over left, tuck under. The granny knot is the first step repeated twice, left over right, tuck under. This is a very common mistake made by people learning to tie a reef knot.

 

[wishingonastar]

A good test to check LO is tight enough is once you're all knotted up bend over so LO is parallel to ground and LO shouldn't move away from your body - if there's give in it then tighten.

 

[wishingonastar]

https://www.togetherbe.com/productInstructionsFreeHandMeiTaiFrontCarry.aspx

 

[wishingonastar]

https://www.meitaibaby.com/staticinstructions.html

 

[wishingonastar]

https://www.bumbaumel.eu/infos/babywearing/mei-tai-infos/mei-tai-faq.html

 

[mumoffive]

Thanks so much for everyones suggestions. They are so helpful to me.
Wishingonastar those faq's were so helpful i will save into my favourites.

 

[wishingonastar]

Fab