I have loved using a meh dai for quite some time when my daughter was little. This is such a great carrier if you want the snug feeling of a woven wrap, but also want some of the structure of a buckle carrier. A meh dai can really give you something from both worlds! If you have used a stretchy wrap with your baby and are used to wrapping already, a meh dai might be the perfect progression for you.
Meh dais can be used from newborn babies until toddler. Some meh dais have adjustable back panels to be able to grow with your baby, but you can also get meh dais in different sizes to either fit a baby or a toddler. A meh dai will fit any caregiver and does not need to be adjusted between caregivers. Front and back carries are the most common type of carriers being used with a meh dai.
1. Have the right size of back panel
When using a meh dai it is important that the back panel is the right size for your baby. The seat of the back panel should support your baby from knee to knee. If the seat is too wide you can make it smaller by tying a ribbon around it (I explain in more detail here). Make sure that the back panel ends at your baby’s earlobes. It shouldn’t be much higher and especially for newborns and young babies not any lower as the back panel will provide support for your baby’s head.
2. Make the back panel shorter
Sometimes the back panel can be quite large, especially for a newborn or small baby. If this is the case, you can do the following. Place your baby in the meh dai and wrap the shoulder straps around you and baby. Now move the top of the back panel down to your baby’s earlobes and smooth the extra amount of fabric over your baby’s back down under his bottom und tuck it under. The fabric should be smooth over the back and any access fabric should be under your baby’s bottom.
3. Tighten the shoulder straps
When you are tightening the shoulder straps of your meh dai, make sure to have one hand under your baby’s bottom and lift your baby up, while you tighten one shoulder strap and then the other one. Wriggle your shoulder a little while tightening to get a good fit. If you have wide shoulder straps you might also want to tighten each strand of fabric individually.
4. Support a heavier baby
If you have an older baby or a toddler, you might find that the back panel alone might not give as much support as you would like. To support your baby’s weight better you can spread the shoulder straps wide when passing them over your baby’s bottom. This will create three layers (back panel and two shoulder straps) over your baby’s bottom and will therefore be much more supportive.
5. Support your own back
When using a front carry with a meh dai you will already cross the shoulder straps, which helps to distribute the weight of your baby. But there are two more little things you can do to help with the distribution of the weight even better. First you can spread the fabric of your shoulder straps over your shoulders (if they are wide enough) or move the fabric to the outer edge of your shoulders. And then you can spread the fabric of the shoulder straps at the middle of your back where the straps cross.
Please share…
Have you also “progressed” from a stretchy wrap to a meh dai?
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