Instructions
Stay aware while babywearing. It is absolutely your responsibility to keep your baby safe. Any mei tai is only as strong as the knots you tie. Check your knots often, and check to be sure that your baby is seated correctly in the carrier while you wear him. Mei tai carriers are very secure, but babies can and do wiggle, kick, and squirm -- always be ready to secure your child with your arms if necessary. Give your Napsack a thorough inspection of all seams before putting your baby into it, and DO NOT USE if there is any question about the safety or stability of the carrier.
With the Napsack in particular, because of its hourglass shape, you will need to pay attention and ensure that your baby is seated in the center of the carrier body , especially if you are tying the straps underneath your baby's legs rather than across the middle of the carrier. Make absolutely sure that your child is not sitting lopsided and cannot start slipping out the side of the carrier. For safety, I recommend that you always tie the straps across the sides of the carrier with smaller and more wiggly babies. You can see where I like to position my knot in this photo.
The first several times you wear your baby, you will want to have a spotter and practice over a soft surface, kneeling low to the ground. This is especially important with back carries. I recommend waiting until your baby has a fair amount of head control before moving on to back carries, usually around 3-4 months.
Tips
Straps creeping up your shoulders in a back carry? Try the neck flip -- fold down the top of the strap to make a bit more room.
For newborns and small infants, rolling the bottom of the carrier to shorten it before tying the waist straps helps create a shorter carrier body. The hourglass shape of the Napsack will form a narrower base so that tiny legs don't need to spread so wide. Make sure to tie the straps higher, behind a newborn's back , both to close up the sides of the carrier and to provide some support to a younger baby's spine.
Babies who like to face outward may also benefit from folding the bottom of the carrier before tying the waist straps. Try to avoid the "crotch slung" position, with baby's knees lower than hips, as this puts suboptimal pressure on the spine. Take baby's knees and gently pull them upward to correct the hip angle so that baby is fully sitting in the carrier, knees above hips.
Small babies, whether facing in or out, sometimes enjoy sitting in the carrier with one leg tucked in and one leg out of the carrier body. This can bridge the phase between a newborn's fetal position inside the carrier and an older baby whose legs are able to hug your waist comfortably. Again, always tie the straps in the higher position when using this option.
If your baby falls asleep in the carrier while sitting up with arms out, often you can untie the shoulder straps, tug the top of the carrier and give a gentle bounce to slide the baby deeper into the body, and then retie with the head support curve in place.
Always use caution and common sense when wearing your baby. We assume no responsibility for injury or misuse.
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