What To look for in a baby carrier

[mommy2twins]

Can somebody post a pic of what the X box looks like? That would be very helpful! ..April

[milkcolors]

I'll try to post one soon, we just moved are do not have our computer hooded up yet. An x-box is basically a box with an x in it. There are also other types of reinforment stitching. Some manufacturers put them on an inner canvas layer as well. A good reason to get a Mei Tai from a reputable manufacturer.

[litlepick]

Originally Posted by mommy2twins Can somebody post a pic of what the X box looks like? That would be very helpful! ..April

http://bradley-etheridge.com/MaeMeiTai.htm
instructions on making your own MT but has good pics of X box construction

[mommy2twins]

This what the wahm mt reinforcement looks like. It's a triangle that looks like it is done between the fabrics and not on the outside like pp. Does this look safe?
Here are some more pics too,




What do you think?

[Jessica Nienhuis]

I love your carrier. What kind is it? I like how its plain coloured.

[willowblythe]

I am a soon-to-be first time mama and am interested in buying a mei tei but would love some recommendations. There seem to be many varieties...many makers. What are some good brands?

[sbbeana]

Originally Posted by mommy2twins This what the wahm mt reinforcement looks like. It's a triangle that looks like it is done between the fabrics and not on the outside like pp. Does this look safe? What do you think?

Triangles can be fine but, the one on your carrier doesn't look that good to me. It looks like thin thread to me but it's hard to tell with your picture. When I make MT's and SSC's, I ONLY use heavy duty upholstery thread. I also don't trust carriers made on standard home machines because some layers can be really thick and a regular machine can't handle sewing through all of it. When I make carriers, I always use my commercial machine. I use my regular brother machine for embroidery and embellishing things.

Here is my dream carrier SSC and it is done wonderfully with the v-style x-box. You can see she has two straight lines plus the v for reinforcement.


Here is an x-box on one of the MT's I made last year.



And for fun, here is a photo of my machine:

[Baby Jake's Mom]

Originally Posted by Meisubaby One other thing too, I noticed on one of the makers of Mei Tai's on Etsy her carriers are NOT made to keep babies legs splayed and they end up dangling like a Snugli which it appears as where she made her pattern from While her patterns ARE CUTE the carriers themselves aren't good for the hips and spines. I was actually thinking of messaging her as she may be unaware of this.

Can you give me more info on why a snugli type carrier is not the best choice? I haven't heard this before and don't want to harm my LO.

[sbbeana]

Originally Posted by Baby Jake's Mom Can you give me more info on why a snugli type carrier is not the best choice? I haven't heard this before and don't want to harm my LO.

Leg dangling carriers can cause hip dysplasia in infants.

[baturay]

For ring slings, please only get ones that are wide enough. If it's so narrow that it can't be spread out to cover from the bottom of the knees to the top of the neck of a big baby/toddler than it's too narrow. Also, check to make sure that the rings used are not craft or welded rings. These are not sturdy enough to carry a child and can be dangerous to use for this purpose. Also, if the maker does not know how to wear the carrier properly in the pictures of the slings, don't buy from her! As she most likely has no idea what she's doing and the design is probably faulty. Always check for third party reviews of the slings.

Just please be careful when purchasing slings. There are a lot of WAHMs making slings that are faulty in design and unsafe to use. Lots making great ones too, so seek those out.