ok, i'm gonna walk you through this... it's really not hard once you practice a few times over a soft surface. i would also recommend having another adult present to help you when trying a new carry you are inexperienced with. good luck & happy babywearing!

mei tai, front carry
step 1- hold waist straps with mei tai hanging upside-down with the outer side facing your legs.

step 2- tie straps securely & comfortably around your waist, going around as many times as you want. i recommend a square knot.


step 3- pick up baby & hold tummy 2 tummy with one arm, while bringing the body of the mei tai up behind baby.
step 4- bring your holding arm outside of the mei tai & hold your baby very close to you. use your other arm to bring shoulder straps over each respective shoulder.

step 5- reach behind you with one arm, then the other (always keep one arm on your little one until the mei tai is tied) to grab the opposite shoulder strap so that they cross behind your back.


step 6- grab both straps with both hands, hop & tighten. baby should be very close to you.






step 7- now you have a choice (try them both & decide which one is best for you & baby): you can either bring each strap over baby's legs or under them to secure in front under baby's bum.
(variation: you can tie the shoulder straps in a bow behind a tiny baby's back to keep them extra-secure.)


step 8- tie in a square knot or tight bow.






mei tai, back carry
step 1- hold mei tai as before, but with body hanging behind you.
step 2- tie securely in a bow in front of you.
step 3- have another adult place the baby on your back & keep their hands on baby until you feel confident that baby will not slip out or fall off.
step 4- hold baby's legs on either side of your waist while your helper pulls the body up behind baby.
step 5- bring shoulder straps up over each respective shoulder.
step 6- there are two styles you can choose from here:

style 1: bring straps around & under you armpits, "hop & tighten" & cross behind baby in a lexi-twist. to perform the lexi-twist, simply trade the straps in each hand, then trade again, creating a twist. (see any pic of me using a back carry) bring straps under baby's legs to your front & tie at the waist.

style 2: cross straps across your chest (pictured, good for men)& tie in back, under baby's bum or around again to the front, depending on how much strap you have left.

if you chose style 1, you'll need to secure your shoulder straps, to be sure they don't slip off your shoulders. to do this, use the tibetan-style tie: untie the waist straps, thread through the shoulder straps at armpit-level, cross & thread through opposite shoulder strap, then tie in the middle. (this is my favorite tie & can also be seen in any pic of me using a back carry)