The Tibetan Carry: Mei Tai instructions (for babies 9 months old and older)
Tie the shorter ends of the mei tai right underneath your armpits and above your chest. This needs to initially be as tight as you can manage and still breathe comfortably. Bend forward and position your baby on your back so that her legs stick out on either side of the mei tai. Holding on to her with one hand on the flat of her back, grasp the two longer top ties with your other hand. Now the key: bounce gently up and down so that the baby sinks down deep into the mei tai as you stand upright. Pull tightly on the straps! Bring them around to the front as usual in the back carry and then cross the ties again in the back, doing a lexi cross as in the picture below. Bring the ties again to the front. Now you can either just tie them across your chest, or, for more stability: bring the right tie up and behind the right strap, the left tie up and behind the left strap and then tie them in the middle.
It is also possible to simply cross the ties very high in the front as in the photo of the Tibetan mother above. Experiment around and see what works best for you and your baby. You might find that you can position the baby best by sitting on a couch or chair instead of bending over. It also helps to have a second pair of hands to help put position the baby in the beginning. Good luck and have a good time!
