Is this feature meant to be safer than a carrier which holds the baby against the wearer’s body? Many people new to Babywearing, when faced with a Mei Tai or even a Sling or Pouch, worry that there is nothing really holding the baby up. Those fears are soon proven to be unfounded, as it is quite safe to use any well-made, traditionally styled baby carrier. After all, people have been using them for hundreds if not thousands of years. It just takes a little practice to get it right.
So, why is there a seat in an MBD? If it would be just as safe without it, why put in the extra step? Isn’t it redundant? Well, yes. It is redundant. That redundancy doesn’t just facilitate getting in and out of the back carry, there are many other ways that it helps to make the wearing experience easier, safer, and less stressful for both parent and child.
Let’s start with the obvious. If there were no seat in the MBD, some people would still learn to do what is known as the Santa Toss or Superman Toss to get their baby on their back. Most would probably buckle the waist belt, then squat down and get their child to climb on their back, and put up the panel and shoulder straps, or use the Hip Scoot. The seat does mean that people who are used to using another carrier’s methods have to learn a new way to put on the MBD. It may seem annoying at first to have to learn a new technique, but once you have the steps down you can see the value in the seat. It means that once the shoulder straps are on, the baby is secure. In fact, you can have one shoulder strap secured, and buckle the chest belt, and feel confident that your baby is held. Then you can take as much time as you need to buckle the second shoulder strap.
Once the carrier is on, can take your time to adjust your clothes, adjust the carrier, get everything smooth and tidy without worry. If you have to adjust your pants or top, or get something out of a hard-to-access pocket, you can undo the waist belt and chest strap without having to catch the baby. You can even walk around without the waist belt buckled, just like a backpack.
My favorite scenario is the public restroom of dubious cleanliness. You have to pee, you don’t want to put down the baby. With the MBD, you don’t have to take off the carrier. OK, most of the time you probably wouldn’t take off the carrier anyway, but when you go to pull up your pants and fix your clothes, it can get awkward. Sometimes you end up having to re-do the whole thing once you get out of the stall. The MBD seat simplifies the process.
Switching between the back carry and the front carry is easy, too. You can keep your baby in the carrier, undo the appropriate buckles, and switch. Once you’ve practiced a few times, you don’t even have to break your stride. Some babies put up with this remarkably well, nursing to sleep in the front, then switching to the back for the long haul.
What if you get tired and want your partner to carry the baby for a while? It’s easy to switch from person to person, too. Undo the waist and chest, slip out of one shoulder, and have your partner put their arm in. Then switch the other arm. Again, with finesse, baby might not even wake up.
Does the seat affect the way the carrier feels when you wear it? In a word, yes. The waist belt is lightly padded, and that padding is wider in the lumbar area. It extends up into the seat, really helping to distribute the baby’s weight and support your lower back.
So, you can see that the MBD seat is so much more than a set of training wheels for the back carry. It is a convenient feature that adds to the functionality and comfort of the carrier, as well as providing a little extra security for tricky maneuvers.
