Mei Tai Asian Baby Carrier

I’ll be honest. Most of these babywearing contraptions on the market today freak me out. They seem too complicated, and I have no idea how to use the rings and straps and tails and harnesses and folds and…well, you get the idea. But today I stumbled across the MangoBaby website, specializing in mei tai carriers. While the site was pretty wordy, and the diagram of the carrier looked a wee bit complex for my baby-challenged brain, I found myself really enjoying it all. It seems simple enough to use, with two shoulder straps and two lower straps. They’ve got optional strap extensions, and have tried to preserve the integrity of the asian carrier tradition. They’ve even got pockets for your keys and cute embroidery and detail. I particularly enjoyed the “instructions” page, with its accompanying disclaimer and precautions. Most of what they say is common sense, ie: do not exercise while wearing your baby. (That’s a lovely visual.) One of their “tips for success” is to “practice with a doll or pillow until you are comfortable with each step.” It’s nice to know I’m not the only idiot out there who can’t figure out how to carry a baby on the first try. Most of the fabric patterns are darling, reminiscent of both Chinese and Japanese designs. I was totally digging this site, and on a fair way to purchasing one of their products, until I clicked the dreaded “add to cart” button. $89! Wow! If you’ve got the cash, go ahead and shell it out for the cute prints and snug design. Us poor folk will have to keep shopping, or end up making our own the way so many of these baby carrier companies started out in the first place.