Meet
The Author
Hi, my name is Rebecca Wolf.
Here are some excerpts from my e-book, " Thriving
Babies:
How to Use Baby Carriers
from Around the World
to
Promote the Healthy Development of Your Infant"
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Beyond
Baby Carriers
Okay, there's a lot of cool stuff out there for hip moms and dads.
Here's my list of "must-have" products.
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Asian-Style Baby
Carriers
Mei
Tai (pronounced "MAY-tie")
Components:
This carrier design originated in
China. A rectangular piece of fabric with four straps of fabric, one on
each corner. At least two layers of
fabric are used so the carrier is strong enough to support the weight
of a toddler/young child.
Use:
The
bottom straps are tied around the waist and the top straps are
wrapped around your shoulders like a backback (or criss-crossed over
the chest) when baby is worn on the back, then wrapped around baby and
tied. Baby can also be worn on the front, as seen in the picture below,
or on the hip.
photo courtesty of FreeHandBaby.com
Variations:
Mei tais are available in different fabrics
and may have shoulder and/or waist padding for the wearer's comfort.
The majority of mei tais are made by WAHMs (work at home moms), which
makes it easier to get your carrier custom-made according to size,
padding, fabric, and overall beauty (silk brocade is especially yummy).
TheBabyWearer has WAHM reviews to help you make an informed purchase.
I have seen hip carriers in department stores that are very similar to
the design of this ancient style carrier, but lack the versatility.
FreeHand Baby offers beautiful
custom handmade oriental style baby carriers including mei tai, hmong,
onbuhimo, and podegi. We also offer a baby carrier made completely from
organic cotton.
Onbuhimo
(pronounced "on-boo-HEE-mo")
Components: This
carrier design originated in Japan. It is similar to the mei tai except
the shoulder straps are threaded through large rings at the waist and
then tied together, rather than having separate waist straps.
photo courtesty of FreeHandBaby.com
Podeagi (pronounced
"poh-DAY-gee")
Components: This
design originated in Korea. It is similar to the mei tai, but the waist
straps are absent.
Use:
The long
shoulder straps are traditionally crossed under the
armpits, so the straps don't touch the shoulders at all. We Western
folk prefer to cross the shoulder straps in back and put them over our
shoulders before securely tying the straps underneath baby’s
bottom (see picture below). Baby can be worn on the front, hip or back.
Variations:
The
rectangular piece of fabric on the podeagi is much larger than the body
of the mei
tai. The traditional "wide blanket" podeagi covers the
wearer’s entire
torso like a robe, typically with a body measuring 25” long
and 60”-70” wide.
The "narrow
blanket" podeagi is more like the mei tai size at 25” long
and 18” wide
with at least a 5 yard strap on top. You
may also see it
spelled as podagi or podaegi.
Soft-Pack Style Carrier
Many of the
"soft-pack" baby carrier styles that are popular now can trace their
origins back to Asian-Style Baby Carriers (ABCs). Regardless of the
style you choose, I have found the strap padding to be the most crucial
to the wearer's comfort.
Instructions
Thriving
Babies - Section Three,
contains the complete instructions with step-by-step photos for
mastering the mei tai, onbuhimo, and podeagi. Instructions for the
technical versions of these carriers are also included.
You
can purchase Section Three at a discounted price of $9.95. This is a
great value for the parent who is only interested in Asian baby
carrier styles and their modern-day counterparts.
Please
Note: If you would like to explore the complete world of
baby carriers, I recommend the Complete
Thriving Babies Manual.
It contains Sections One, Two, and Three -- describing all styles of
baby carriers and how to successfully use each for the low
price of
$19.95. That's like getting Section Three for Free!
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Baby
Sling Secrets
