Exhibiting Artists

We are so excited to have been invited to profile our mei tai designs on Exhibiting Artists! The website was set up by Paul Seymour, a photographer who specialises in HDR technique – he has his work on the site too; some beautiful, colourful and dramatic landscape scenes. It is a fantastic opportunity for photographers, modellers, painters and hand-crafters to make their work available for viewing and for sale too.

Register here if you would like to show your work to the world!

You can view Marvellous Mei Tais' profile here.

Worldwide shipping is now available

We’ve had some enquiries about shipping outside of the UK and are now pleased to say that we ship worldwide.

You can find the price for shipping to your country on the Shipping Prices Table page here.

The page will hopefully be completed today once we have gathered all the relevant prices together but if you have an urgent query, please feel free to email us.

Macmillan Cancer Support fund raising and give-away

We are going to be having a give-away soon to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Follow the blog to be first to know the details.

Is one ever enough?

Is it? Is one carrier ever enough? Does it suit all your children and all your needs all of the time? I’ve had various carriers since having children; leg-danglers by Jané and Samsonite, a ring sling, a pouch sling, a Kari Me wrap and now I have two of my own hand made mei tais.

The leg-danglers pretty much broke my back! I couldn’t get on with the pouch or ring sling, far too much fiddling and positioning for me and I just couldn’t get it right. The wrap was huge and unless you are a practiced wrapper, it is not a quick solution to getting out of the house. I was given a mei tai to try and loved it. My baby fell asleep pretty much instantly and I could move around freely while at the same time knowing he was safe and sound curled against my chest.

As to whether it suited all of my children, the answer is most definitely yes. All of them have been calm and serene while in the carrier and as they got older, loved being able to see so much of the world. My 3 year old toddler finds it particularly good fun!

Does it suit my needs? It is very practical – inside and out, you can wear your baby while doing whatever you need to do, even bending over to load the washing machine was fine. And all of the time? I’m struggling to think of a time when I’ve had to take it off to do something. You can learn to breast feed while wearing them, you can wash up, push a shopping trolley or buggy... and the list goes on.

One is never enough though, for me. I make a new design and really want to have one of those too! It’s all about the asthetics for me – I love how gorgeous some of the designs are, that some are fleece lined for multi-seasonal use, that they have hoods and attachments, that there are some with appliqué and special fabric and trim detailing. I do have some sort of a sensible head though and have limited myself to two at any one time!

What do you love about your carrier?

Winner announced for the mei tai give-away

The winner has been announced for the mei tai give-away competition from Marvellous Mummies (prize donated by us!). Details can be found here.

Congratulations to the winner and we hope you enjoy your mei tai!

Competition details!

Details for the mei tai give-away have now been published on Marvellous Mummies’ blog:

Click here for competition details 

‘Follow’ for free entry! Winner will be drawn after the competition closes at 11pm Sunday 13^th February 2011. Good luck everyone!

Competition announcement via Marvellous Mummies

We have a competition coming up through the blog Birth Stories from Marvellous Mummies to win one of our hand made designer mei tais. Details will be posted shortly.

Everyone who follows their blog will be eligible to enter. Look out for competition news on Twitter and Facebook.

Designs ready for purchase in the shop

 And here are a few designs already available on the website to purchase...

‘Passionflower’ 002MT

‘Spot’ 006MT

‘Crescent’ 003MT

New designs available

As ‘tweeted’ recently, here are the new designs and action photographs. They are available to buy on the website www.marvellousmeitais.co.uk. Hope you like them! There's heaps of material here ready to be turned into one of a kind baby carriers so look out for our next new additions post!

‘Leaves’ 010MT

‘Mode’ 009MT

‘Blue Tiger’ 005MT

‘Fleur’ 007MT

‘Pretty in Pink’ 008MT

Health and carrier safety

Here is the promised health and carrier safety post!

A large proportion of people will worry about the safety of baby carriers and the health implications they may have – and rightly so. If you are new to ‘baby wearing’, it can seem a strange idea until you furnish yourself with the knowledge and facts. I will detail here, the main health benefits and safety findings – it is unbiased research and I will provide links for the various papers and reports.

Spinal stress  and Spondylolisthesis Type II/isthmic – Spondylolisthesis is a spine alignment defect resulting in great pain and sometimes a visually mis-shapen back. It is often defined as ‘the forward displacement of one vertebra over another’. This means one vertebra slides forwards (inwards) over the top of the adjoining vertebra. It can be caused by impact or weight bearing sports, continual overstretching/arching of the back and research has also suggested carrying a child by his crotch places the same stress on it’s back, therefore producing Spondylolisthesis in the infant. There are obviously specific types of carriers that place a child in this position – namely the ‘leg danglers’ where the infant’s legs are unsupported. The majority of carriers and slings hold your baby in a different way. Ring slings and pouches lie very young children back and support the whole length of their bodies. Wraps support the whole weight of the child, depending on the wrapping method used. For positions using a wrap, whereby the child is in a seated position, the material supports under the bottom and the back of the thighs which means the entire weight is distributed over a wider area, negating the possibility of spine damage. This weight distribution is also true of mei tais, which have the added benefit of supporting your child very close to your body so gravity is not pulling the baby into a position where the weight distribution shifts into the baby’s spine.

Vestibular stimulation and SIDS reduction –  Vestibular stimulation is basically stimulai used to encourage a newborn to continually breathe. These stimulai are not usually conscious acts – examples include the regular breathing a child feels when carried against it’s parent’s chest, the feel of breath from the nose or mouth of it’s parent, continual touch, motion and noise. There is widely accepted thought that vestibular stimulation can reduce the likelihood of SIDS in infants. This excellent article from Dr. William Sears, MD and his wife Dr. Martha Sears, RN explains it in depth.

The easiest way to provide this continuance breathing stimulation is by ‘baby wearing’. The child is up against your chest and can feel your breath on him; he can hear the world around him and feel your movement, even smell you.

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer as to what makes one baby succomb to SIDS rather than another but research, logical thinking, child physiology and looking at other cultures and history have hopefully provided the correct basic understanding and we can use this to safeguard our children.

Hip problems and dysplasia – Carriers such as wraps and mei tais lend themselves to ensuring the correct position for hip development in infants. This position is variously called ‘spread-squat’, ‘frog-legs’, ‘natural-sitting’, ‘squat-straddle’... the list goes on but the position stays the same; the legs should be bent up towards the tummy and out at a 45° angle. This is the natural position a baby will pull his legs to when you pick him up under the arms. The baby should be placed on you tummy inwards and his knees should still be turned out and pulled up.

The next thing to check is the curve of his back. At birth, the back is in a ‘C’ shape – this is called a Kyphotic spine – and is descriptive of shape, not a disease. Once the infant starts sitting unaided and standing, the lower back forms a Lordosis curve which turns the spine from a ‘C’ to an ‘S’ shape (looking from the right side). To enable the optimum development of the back and hips of a baby, the spine should still be in this Kyphotic shape when being carried in a sling or carrier. The child’s bottom should be lower than the knees, allowing the spine to curve easily without strain.

Wearer health – There are benefits to the wearer as well as the child including alleviating the symptoms and causes of PND (Post Natal Depression) and safe ways to carry your child for the health of the wearer’s back and joints. I will write a post on this soon!

Links:

Easy to understand explanation of Kyphotic and Lordotic spines

http://www.pediatric-orthopedics.com/Treatments/Skeletal/Spine/Kyphosis_Lordosis/kyphosis_lordosis.html

Organisation for Spondylolisthesis

http://www.spondylolisthesis.org/

Spineuniverse - causes of Spondylolisthesis

http://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/spondylolisthesis/causes-spondylolisthesis

Infant carriers and Spinal Stress, Rochelle L. Casses, DC

http://www.continuum-concept.org/reading/spinalStress.html

SIDS Reduction and Attachment Parenting, AskDrSears

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102100.asp#T131000

Vestibular Stimulation, AskDrSears

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102100.asp

The origins and meaning of 'mei tai'

So now you know what they are, how they work and all about their benefits, do you know how to pronounce their name? Ha! The spelling is ambiguous and a large majority of people are unsure so I thought I’d shed some light on the matter.

The correct spelling is ‘Mei Tai’ and there is speculation whether their origin is Mandarin, Cantonese, Chinese or another Asian region (the consensus is for Cantonese or Mandarin). Traditional mei tais have been used for centuries so it’s not surprising we’re unsure who thought of the idea first.

After researching the different pronounciations, it seems the Western way of saying it is ‘may tie’ but people of Asian origin say ‘may dye’ - I believe this to be more accurate.

‘Mei’ and ‘Tai’ both have various meanings when used alone including ‘beautiful’, ‘pouch’ and ‘carry’ – the most relevant translation when used together is ‘carry straps’ or ‘carry pouch’.

I’ve tried to find a suitable dictionary definition to link to but had no joy; not being a speaker of any of these languages or dialects, I’d love to hear from anyone who has a more accurate definition!

Benefits of 'baby wearing' for you and the infant

As per my previous post, this offering is all about the benefits of 'baby wearing', physical and emotional, for baby and wearer. There has been a great deal of study done on the benefits of baby carriers of all descriptions and their impact on the health of the babies they carry and it is only fairly recently that 'baby wearing' has gained the recognition and medical understanding it deserves. Infants have been held this way for centuries - see this post for some recent historical 'baby wearing' photographs.

I have provided some links below that are interesting and informative reading for anyone wishing to purchase a sling or carrier, people interested in the 'baby wearing' concept or for those just researching their baby carrying choices. I will post next time about carrier safety (this post will be far too long otherwise!)

There is a multitude of reasons why ‘baby wearing’ is good for all concerned...

Emotional stability: being tucked up next to you, feeling your heartbeat and hearing your breathing rhythms, may remind your baby of his time inside your womb. He would have been aware of both of these; and the same applies to the closed surroundings of a carrier, much like being held in your arms - it is similar to the confined feeling he would have had inside you. Again, your walking movements, the rise and fall of your steps, the sway of your body will all soothe and calm him – he knows you are right beside him and his confidence in you will shape him into a calm, placated child with noticeably less crying episodes and less stress for you both.

Bonding with others: a father or other care giver who does not have, or is continuing to build a natural bond with your baby, will benefit greatly from having him close at all times. The baby will get used to the touch and smell of others and will learn to trust that he will be cared for and his needs met.

Child development and learning: the capacity for learning of a child who is carried may be larger than that of a baby laid on his back at home or when out in a pram. There is a huge amount of research on the web suggesting that babies carried high up and who spend much of the day content and quiet or alternatively, interacted with, have a wider range of cognitive skills. There are too many papers to link to individually, but search for ‘optimal learning state’, ‘quiet alertness’ and ‘infant cognitive development’ and you’ll find relevant papers and information.

Crying: this research paper by Michael L. Commons, Harvard Medical School and Patrice M. Miller, Harvard Medical School and Salem State College shows a marked difference in the amount of crying exhibited by babies of American mothers and those of the Gusii of Kenya. The children of the Kenyan mothers were far less stressed and prone to crying because their needs were responded to as quickly as possible – the babies were carried or held by the mothers and were frequently touched for comfort.

Breastfeeding and pacifying: with practice, it is more than possible to breastfeed your baby in a carrier or sling and the infant can use your nipple as a comfort pacifier or dummy.

Hands-free capabilities: the other obvious benefit is the hands-free capabilities carriers afford in your day to day life. If you have an unsettled child, it can be very difficult to leave him crying to attend to things that need doing. It would be fantastic if the house cleaned itself, if food was prepared by magic and errands outside the home were carried out for you, but we all know this just won't happen! ‘Baby-wearing’ has major emotional benefits but we mustn’t forget having a baby to care for turns some things into mammoth tasks. Just having your hands free gives you much more scope for being organised!

Links:

Kangaroo Mother Care, NHS, UK 'Compared with conventional care, KMC was found to reduce severe illness, infection, breastfeeding problems, and maternal dissatisfaction with method of care and improve some outcomes of mother-baby bonding.'

http://www.library.nhs.uk/childhealth/viewresource.aspx?resid=237339

'Babywearing' article in Birth and Beyond, Birthresourcecentre

http://www.birthresourcecentre.org.uk/pdf/birthandbeyond27.pdf

Emotional Learning in Infants: A Cross-Cultural Examination, Michael L. Commons, Harvard Medical School & Patrice M. Miller, Harvard Medical School and Salem State College
http://www.dareassociation.org/Papers/AAAS%20Interviews.pdf

Historical baby wearing in pictures

It is a fact that babies have been 'worn' or carried using cloth and sewn material articles since far before our time, being skin close or 'attached' to their parents all day - a practice that is the norm in a variety of cultures and countries. It is only fairly recently that 'baby wearing' has gained the recognition and medical understanding it deserves.

I will post shortly about the emotional and physical benefits of 'baby wearing' with links and extracts from medical papers, personal experiences and associated findings but I wanted to first share with you these wonderful images that illustrate perfectly, how acceptable and universal this method of caring for your baby has been and will continue to be. 

Benin - Mother carrying a sleeping child washing pots in a river - notice this carrier is held simply around her bust, no straps or ties and baby looks completely peaceful. Recent image.

© Sergio Pessolano

Japan - a mother carrying both her children on her back at once using a cloth carrier.

National Geographic Magazine, Volume 31 (1917), page 553

Mexico - Mother carrying her toddler using a sling similar to the pouch.

National Geographic Magazine, Volume 31 (1917), page 559

Origin unconfirmed - Pre 1920s basket carrier used on the back. It is decorated with beads and crocodile teeth for protection of the child with magical powers. The rattling of the decorations was also supposed to ward off any predators.

Tropenmuseum of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

New Zealand - Maori woman with her baby carried on her back. Photo dates from 1860-1879.

Photothèque du Musée de l'Homme via French National Library

Eskimo family with the child being carried on the mother's back in a fur lined carrier. Dated 1917.

National Geographic Magazine, Volume 31 (1917), page 564

Louisiana, USA - Painting by Alfred Boisseau dated 1847. See the second woman with an infant on her back again.

Source: www.ancestry.com

First discount offer for new 'Likers'

For our first ever discount offer, everyone who 'likes' our Facebook page here, will automatically receive a 5% discount on everything they purchase through our Facebook shop.

Discounts, sales and special offers will be blogged so do follow us to keep posted.

We're online!

After many hours building www.marvellousmeitais.co.uk, we are finally online! We are a (very) small business producing handmade mei tais (Asian style baby carriers) and this blog will be used to keep you up to date with new research, design ideas and opinion requests and of course, discounts and special offers.

We were inspired to create this website for mums, dads and care givers through personal experiences and observations...

'Baby wearing' provides such a wealth of emotional comfort and physical stimulation for babies, not to mention the enjoyment and emotional aspect for the wearer. Being able to offer your baby the stability he needs in the first months of his life by having him close to you, can be a determining factor in the nature of your baby and therefore the ease with which you journey through parenthood. You will quite possibly find people around you have an opinion on your 'wearing' of your baby, whether it be for a short time or for the majority of the day - classic examples include 'making a rod for your own back' or 'losing your independence'. It has been proved time and again through the experiences of carrier using parents and care givers that it is, in fact, quite the opposite - your baby gains confidence that you will always be there for him, leading to a calm, independent yet affectionate child.

The other obvious benefit is the hands-free capabilities carriers afford in your day to day life. If you have an unsettled child, it can be very difficult to leave him crying to attend to things that need doing. It would be fantastic if the house cleaned itself, if food was prepared by magic and errands outside the home were carried out for you, but we all know this just won't happen!

We hope you enjoy keeping in touch with this blog and browsing our website.