Did you design this?
Why an adjustable feature?
How does the adjusting thing work?
Is the carrier comfortable?
Is a mei tai easy to use?
How do you pronounce mei tai?
Is this carrier safe?
Do you take custom orders?
How long should I wear my baby?
When should I wear my baby?
Will carrying my baby so much cause a delay in walking or crawling?  
Are there other benefits to babywearing? 
Can I nurse my baby in a mei tai?   
Do your carriers come in different sizes?
Is the carrier reversible?
My husband is a big guy.  Will it fit him?  
Do I need more than one carrier?
How do I wash this carrier?
What is this incredibly soft fabric?
Is minkey hot? 
Can I have a discount?
My baby gets red marks. Is that something I should worry about?
Why does it take four weeks to get my order?  
Can you do a pocket, a sleeping hood, and/or a toy loop for me?
Speaking of sewing, you make all these?  
You must be a perfectionist, right?
Does the Silly Goose Baby mei tai work for babies with special needs?
What are the measurements of the Silly Goose mei tai?

 

 

Did you design this? No and yes.  Mei tais are a traditional design from Asia.  So, no, I didn’t design the Mei Tai. But, I did design that nifty little adjustable feature that is our trademark.

Why an adjustable feature? The first carrier I loved, I mean really really loved, was a mei tai.  But at about 3 months of age, my little one started stretching out and didn’t want her legs in.  But the base of the carrier was too wide for her little legs to be out.  And my 2½ year old was hanging in the carrier because it was too narrow.  My beloved carrier was useless.   The adjustable feature of the Silly Goose Baby Mei Tai prevents all that uselessness.  You can use the one carrier for a newborn or a 2 year old. 

How does the adjusting thing work? Simple.  Open the buckle, pull the webbing, close the buckle securely.  Open the buckle, widen the base, close the buckle securely.  And each carrier comes with a full instruction booklet.

Is the carrier comfortable? Yes.  Of course it is!  I think so and so do lots of other mamas and their babies. 

Is a mei tai easy to use? Yes. It might take a couple tries to get the hang of it, but before you know it, you’ll be wondering what you did without it.

How do you pronounce mei tai? “May-Tie”

Is this carrier safe? The carrier itself is a sturdy piece of work made out of sturdy fabric that is reinforced on all the pressure points .  Each strap is held on by 5 or more lines of stitching in addition to the ones you see on the outside.   Every carrier also comes with a full instruction booklet to help you learn to use the carrier safely.  We’re happy to help you along the way.  Email us or give us a call.

Do you take custom orders?  Yes.  Contact us for the details.

How long should I wear my baby? Until one or both of you are done.  That goes for during the day or over the period of several years.  You can’t wear them too much, really, but they’ll let you know when they want out. Babies have a tendency to do that.

When should I wear my baby? You should wear your baby whenever you want to or need to.  During naps, doing housework, on walks, at the store, helping in your older child’s classroom, etc. 

Will carrying my baby so much cause a delay in walking or crawling?  My little worn-most-of-the-time baby walked at 9½  months.  Definitely no delay there.  Actually, babywearing counts as tummy time.  So instead of putting your baby on his tummy so he can get mad because his face is smashed into the floor, you can wear him around and he is building strength by adjusting to your movements while at the same time being close to the person he loves most. 

Are there other benefits to babywearing?  Countless benefits.  To name a few, babywearing also helps newborns learn the difference between day and night, helps regulate their temperature, and promotes bonding between mom and baby, and even more importantly, dad and baby.

Can I nurse my baby in a mei tai?   Yup.  It takes some practice, but it is definitely possible and worth the effort.  Loosen the straps and get your baby down to breast level.  Re-tie and nurse with your baby upright.  I wear a stretchy camisole under my shirts.  To nurse I pull my shirt up and the camisole goes down with the nursing bra.  No post-pregnant tummy showing and my regular shirt covers the food source.  And off we go.

Do your carriers come in different sizes? Yes.  Strap length can be adjusted as necessary and we do have a regular and tall size body.

Is the carrier reversible? While I didn’t design the carrier to be reversible, the buckle is very low profile and people reverse them all the time.  If she wants a pretty fabric and he needs plain, it’s a great solution.

My husband is a big guy.  Will it fit him?  Probably.  The shoulder straps are about 75” long and the waist straps are about 31” each plus the width of the body.  Do some measuring and see what you come up with.  We’re happy to help as well.

Do I need more than one carrier? Well, yes.  Of course you do.  What a silly question.  You need one for the house, one for the car, and one for the laundry. 

How do I wash this carrier? All our fabric is prewashed and dried, unless otherwise noted, which makes your carrier machine washable and dryable.  We recommend you use a laundry bag or tie it in a pillow case to prevent the straps from getting all twisted up.  You can dry it in the dryer all the way.  Or to keep it looking newer longer, dry it part way in the dryer and then lay it flat to dry the rest of the way.  Or just lay it out to dry all together.  If you wash it at night, you can dry it while you sleep and not be out a carrier because it’s wet.  Appliqué carriers should be washed by hand in cold water and dried flat or hung to dry.

What is this incredibly soft fabric? That is minkey.  I love it.

Is minkey hot?  Some people think it’s hot.  I don’t.  If a carrier has minkey, it doesn’t have batting, so it’s not going to have extra layers.  Here in the Pacific NW, minkey can be a year- round luxury if you don’t have little furnaces for kids.

Can I have a discount? If you are just asking because you are cheap, no.  If you are asking because you have a special circumstance, we may consider it.  We have been known to help out families who have financial situations or who have a child who has special needs.  We’d love to give everyone discounts, but we can’t do that and realistically continue to offer our great carrier at the price we do. 

My baby gets red marks. Is that something I should worry about? Red marks like the ones you have when you take off your socks are normal.  Deep purple marks are not. 

Why does it take four weeks to get my order?  Well, for several reasons.  I sew these.  I have a husband, children and a house to keep up.  I only have so many hours in the day.  Plus, there are probably a few carriers in front of yours.  I work hard to beat those four weeks and many times I do. I honestly believe the carrier is worth the wait.

Can you do a pocket, a sleeping hood, and/or a toy loop for me? Sorry.  Not right now. Maybe some day when I’ve made my million and have other people sewing for me.  But not right now.

Speaking of sewing, you make all these?  Yes I do most of the sewing on all of them.  I have some help with the straps, but I have a little bit of a control issue with how it’s put together. 

You must be a perfectionist, right? No.  But I’m flattered.  I don’t have the emotional or mental capacity to be a perfectionist.  But I do like things very nice.  And remember that these are made by a human, not a goddess.  There might be an uneven stitch here or there that adds to the character but does not subtract from the safety or functionality of the carrier.  I call it “personality” and it’s why I don’t charge an arm AND a leg for these carriers.  Just an arm.  Just kidding.

Does the Silly Goose Baby mei tai work for babies with special needs?
I can’t answer that to your specific needs.  But I do know that it has worked beautifully for babies with spina bifida, club feet, casts (including toe to hip with a bar), and muscular dystrophy.  If there is a special need, please contact us and we’ll try to answer any questions you might have.   

What are the measurements of the Silly Goose mei tai?
Straps come in a standard length of about 75” for the shoulders and 32” for the waist straps.  They can usually be lengthened or shortened upon request.  The body measures 19” from the adjusting strap to the top of the curve.  The tall body size measures 21”. 

(AKA things people never ask me that I have lots to say about.  And it’s mostly my opinion, so read at your own risk.)

I’m pregnant with my first baby.  I have no idea what to expect and I’m a little (read a lot) freaked out.  Do you have any advice?

I’m so glad you asked!!  I do have a little bit of advice.  ;)  Keep in mind that this is just what I've learned on my parenting journey. I realize that it absolutely reflects my parenting style and personality and you can take it all with a grain of salt. But it is honestly a whole lot of the things I do wish someone had taken the time to tell me when I was pregnant the first time.

Pregnancy:
-Get pictures of you pregnant. You are cute. You just don't feel cute.
-What are you having? Piglets. Puppies. Whatever.
-We left something as a surprise--gender, name, both--doesn't matter. Makes it more exciting for other people I think. And once the baby comes, it's fun to tell the anxious folks (grandparents in particular) and hear their reactions. My mom cried both times.

Child birth:
-Don't listen to horror stories. The people who share them are all dumb and you are going to be a champ.
-You get to decide what they do to you, not them. If you don't want poked, don't let them poke you. If they look at you like you are crazy, give them the "I'm the pregnant one here. It is all about me right now" look. Kick them if you have to. Well, maybe not kick them, but that can be worked into the look. And see if you can get your OB/MW to write it in your chart.
-Your husband will never know what it's like to be pregnant or in labor. That's okay. He's a good guy and I'm sure he'll be great in the delivery room.
-A good doula is a great investment. Another person. Another advocate. And she is there the whole time to reassure you that everthing is normal, rub your back, get the nurse, get ice, get a hot pack, help you in and out of the tub, help your husband help you, etc. Nurses are not there the whole time and their job is to poke you.
-Your body knows what it is doing. If you hit a wall, give it 10 minutes and maybe have them get you some juice or pop. A little sugar goes a long way.
-If you don't want to have drugs, make up your mind and they are not an option. Tell everyone involved that they are not an option. If you think you might want them, that's okay and you'll probably end up getting them. Personally, I broke my toe while pregnant with number 2 and found that to be much more painful than labor. I took drugs for my toe but didn't with my labors.
-birthplan.com A great site for thinking through what you want and don't want.

Babies:
-They are beautiful. They are fragile. But they are tough little things. After all, they were just squeezed down a small tube into a cold, bright world.
-You get to decide how much they poke your baby, too. And asking them to wait until you decide is fine.
-Wear your baby! It's the best thing about babies. Whether it's a wrap, pouch, ring sling or mei tai, it's one of the greatest joys of being a parent. (And I might have a lead on some great mei tais--oh wait, I make them! Hahaha!) Seriously, wear your baby. And get your husband to do it, too.
-You can't really spoil a baby by holding him/her too much. Some babies like to be held, some have a limit. If you want to hold your baby all the time, you should. And you should do it guilt free. If your baby wants to be held all the time, you should get a few good carriers and hold that baby as much as that baby wants to be held.
-Breastfeeding is great. You will never look at your boobs the same again. Your boobs will never look the same again. Your boobs will not be yours again for a while. You will also realize that you've never SEEN your boobs that many times in a 4 hour period. EVER. And how did that boob get bigger than the baby's head??
-Learn to nurse in bed--everyone sleeps better that way. We put our kids to bed in their beds and they wake up in ours. Weird how that happens. Drunk people, obese people, and drunk obese people shouldn't sleep with their children. And sleeping on the couch with a baby isn't a good idea.
-Nurse at home like you want to in public. Strechy camisoles are great under regular shirts. Shirt goes up, Cami goes down with the nursing bra. No big HEY LOOK AT ME I'M NURSING! blanket. And you don't chain yourself to the public bathroom. I always just found a quiet corner with a chair. There are lots of those around. And if you get really good at it, only other mamas who nurse in public and their husbands will know what you are doing. And they'll smile at you in a way that says, YOU GO GIRL!!! And nursing in a carrier is a fabulous thing to learn as well.
-Babies don't need to take up as much space as Walmart thinks they do. You don't need the high chair, the bouncer, the swing, the jumper, the playmat, the other jumper, that giant stroller, the little stroller, the playpen, AND the 101 other giant plastic gadgets they make you feel like you can't live without. One or two of them is good. A high chair is good when they start sitting up. You get to decide.
-Don't read parenting magazines. They only freak you out and are out to make money off of you by making you paranoid. Wanna know how to install a carseat and put your kid in it properly? Go down to the fire station and ask. If they can't tell you, they know where you can find out. Want to know about child proofing your house? Have a friend with small children over and the kids will show you what you need to do in less than 10 minutes.
-Give cloth diapers a chance.

(If you have a friend that you think needs to read some of this, feel free to use it.  Just don’t pretend you wrote it, and don’t use it against me, please!)

I don’t get that whole good/well usage thing. Can you help me with that?

Yes I can.  I’m glad you asked.  In a nutshell, ‘good’ is an adjective and ‘well’ is an adverb.  Adjectives describe nouns and adverbs describe verbs (among other things if you want to get really technical).  So, for example, “Silly Goose Baby makes a good carrier.”  In that sentence ‘good’ describes ‘carrier’ which is a noun.  “Those Silly Goose Baby mei tais are made well.”  Here ‘well’ describes how the carrier is made, ‘made’ being a verb.  Basically, “Good carriers are made well,” is a great sentence to help you remember the difference.  (There’s obviously more, but that will get you started.)

How come nobody ever taught me that?

You were never taught that because in the 1960s it was decided among the higher-ups of education that students’ creativity should not be limited by rules. So schools pretty much stopped teaching grammar.  The result was the last two generations of teachers who were never given the opportunity to REALLY learn grammar.  How can you teach something if you don’t know it yourself?  Heck, I have an English degree and had to REALLY work hard to get anyone who knew anything about grammar to teach me the stuff.  I finally just taught myself.  Sad really.  It’s fascinating stuff and is really a higher level thinking/problem-solving skill, much like math only more ‘artsy.’