can you do a front carry w/baby facing out with a mei tai?

[chicagojo]

Well, after some very helpful input from some nice folks here, I have just about settled on a mei tai and will most likely get a BabyHawk since I like all the different fabric options they offer and the price is right.

I have just one question remaining: can you do a front carry with baby facing out (away from you) in a mei tai? Right now DS mostly likes to face toward me, but occasionally he likes to face outward and see the world and I wonder if this might be increasingly his preference as he grows older. Also, since he is bottle-fed, it is very easy to feed him that way while he is strapped on. On the BabyHawk site, all the photos they show of front carry (or back carry for that matter) show the baby facing toward the parent's body, and I am just wondering if the reverse is an option.

TIA...

[lenad]

It isn't clear whether a front-facing-out carry is problematic for the baby, but to be on the safe side everyone recommends against it. However, there is a time when babies love it, so moms do do it, and you can certainly do it in an MT. I had my dd when she was 3mo old in a Kozy facing out. There is a Mei Tai (I forget the name, but someone will know) where you can actually push the material on the bottom in, so that there is less of it and the baby can be more comfortable facing out. It was designed specifically for this carry in mind.

[cdlamis]

I have read that it is possible but not always recommended because having the baby face out does not allow him/her to hide or retract from any uncomfortable surrounding activity. Having the baby face in gives them more security.

With that being said, I agree with the PP that some babies love facing out. If you limit the time facing out and are aware of your baby's feelings (as I am sure you would be anyway), then it will be fine.

I could personally never find a comfortable way to carry facing out. It caused my baby to lean too far forward and place strain on my back. So I just recently bought a hip MT carrier from hipdaddy.net so that I could carry her on my hip. I just got it today (!) and hope to try it out soon.

HTH~

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6/02
and Bella 12/04

[nfowife]

The ones with the adjustable bottom (to make it less wide, more comfy for out-facing) is the mei tai baby MT. I have one, haven't tried it in an out-facing carry, but it is possible with that one.

[cdlamis]

Margaret (or anyone else)-

Way OT but I have been wanting to know- where do you get the nursing picture that you have in your signature? I have seen it on yours and other signatures here but can't find it on Lilypie, etc.

Thanks!
Daniella
Mom to Julia 6/02
and Bella 12/04

[lenad]

I did it w/ my 3mo old in a Kozy. I think this is possible in most MTs if they are soft enough (so you can scrunch the bottom a bit to make it smaller), but is probably easiest/most comfy for the baby with a mei tai baby MT.

[nfowife]

Hi Daniella,
Here is the link with the nursing achievement ribbons to put in your signature:
http://gynosaur.com/bf_ribbons.php

HTH!

[cdlamis]

Thanks!!!
OP- sorry for hijacking your thread....

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6/02
and Bella 12/04

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif

[jhrabosk]

FWIW, what I've read is that it's not recommended to face them out both for the social reasons that the pp mentioned as well as for the reason that it's not great for hip/pelvic development. The position you get facing out is like in a Baby Bjorn where all the weight is resting on the pelvis instead of on the rear end.

My DD loves it when I carry her around the house facing out and I was very worried that she wouldn't like facing inward in the carrier. We've been using either a MT or an Ergo for over 2 months now and she's always happy as a clam facing inward.

As far as feeding a bottle, I've given DD a bottle in the Ergo facing inward with no problem.

When you start wearing him on your back, if you can get him high up enough, he'll be able to see over your shoulder.

HTH!

[Canna]

I just want to agree that I think the main reason people think "facing out" is important, and reason people think babies will want to face out more as they get older, is simply that Snuglis and Bjorns have made us think this way. Since the vast majority of baby carriers that we see are Snuglis and Bjorns, and both view outward facing as an "advancement", we expect that our babies may need or want to face out. I know after wearing DD in Mei Tais and wraps (and never a Snugli) and after seeing lots of pictures of babies in Mei Tais on thebabywearer.com - babies dangling in Bjorns actually look ODD! It's kind of a funny concept to strap babies on to their bodies that way - in a way that you wouldn't naturally carry your baby for any length of time.

I can tell you that I went through a brief phase of wearing my DD facing outward in a kangaroo carry in my pouches and ring slings. She did seem to enjoy it. However, I don't think she seemed to enjoy it any more than she enjoys being worn facing inward. I have worn her once facing out in a mei tai. I did this by folding her legs up into a sitting cross-legged position just like you would in a sling or pouch. Not by dangling her legs like in a Snugli/Bjorn. I just didn't find it very comfortable, though, so we never tried it again.

DD is an active and alert 16 month-old now, but she still enjoys being worn facing in. Of course she is able to look around at the world even though she isn't facing out. It's basically the same as it would be if I were just carrying her in my arms. I perfer to wear her on my front when we are going to a museum or zoo because it is easy to have a conversation that way (facing each other). I agree with the PP that you can also put the baby high on your back if you want him/her to see over your shoulder. DD seems to have no problems with being worn lower on the back as well, though, and I find it more comfortable for long walks because more of the weight is on my waist and hips.

[lenad]

I also find babies in Baby Bjorn type carriers look funny. They "dangle." LOL

When I was reading posts on thebabywearer.com, many moms said their babies outgrew wanting to face out. Well, mine did too. She seemed she wanted nothing else when she was 2-4 months old, then she was fine facing me. I agree with the pp that this may have to do with their ability to look around for themselves, so facing out isn't as important.

And I should add I never found front-facing-out really comfortable for me. High on the back (so they can look out) is definitely more comfy.

[bethwl]

I totally agree with the pp who said that Bjorns/Snuglis, have just conditioned us to assume this is necessary. That said, I adjusted the mei tais I make myself to offer this because so many people ask for it, but I still try to suggest that if you don't offer it as an option to your baby, they likely won't miss it. I don't think it is nearly as comfortable for as long for either the baby or you. But if for a forward-facing carry, I would probably prefer a pouch or ring sling with a kangaroo carry.