# Nursing in Mei Tai



## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Anyone have any pictures of nursing in a Mei Tai?

Any suggestions on shirt/clothing to wear to facilitate this without flashing side skin (and fat/stretch marks in my case)?

We are traveling to Disneyland next week, and I love my Mei Tai, but I would like to figure out how to nurse in it. I'm a WELL endowed woman, if that helps. My DD weighs 12 pounds.

Any tips/suggestions/pictures would be apprieciated.

TIA


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## ahisma (May 11, 2006)

I'd like to know also. I've been trying to figure this out for 5 months now. I can't manage in an Ergo either.


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## MollyandCleo (Jun 14, 2005)

With your baby in a front carry, all you have to do is untie the shoulder straps to loosen them a bit and lower the baby down to a comfortable nursing level. Then retie the straps, and away you go! After baby is done, just bring your baby back up to a comfortable wearing level and retie the straps.

You can also just lower the shoulder strap on the side you want to nurse on. This allows you to nurse the baby in a bit more of a reclined position, although you will need to provide some extra support for the baby's head with one arm when nursing this way. When baby is all done nursing, just pull the strap back onto your shoulder.

Some pics here: http://www.kozycarrier.homestead.com...tml#anchor_286


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## MollyandCleo (Jun 14, 2005)

I meant to add a tip about clothes. I like to layer a nursing tank top under a regular shirt. That way, you can pull the top shirt up to nurse, unclip the top of the tank, and the body of the tank top still provides coverage. It's really easy to nurse discretely in a mei tai, anyway, since there's so much fabric covering you.

I'm blessed in the chest area too, and I've had luck with the glamourmom nursing tanks providing decent support/coverage. The ones from Motherhood never worked for me.


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## lactivist (Jun 14, 2005)

I nursed my son constantly in the Mei Tai. I would just sort of angle him towards one side or the other and latch him on. I often would still have to support my breast (because I am huge) and would just wrap a thin blanket around my side and tuck in to cover. I like the tank idea and will have to try that next time. A men's undershirt would probably do the trick too. Sorry i don't have any pix of him nursing there. Everyone is always hesitant to actually take nursing pictures so unless I specifically ask people to take them I never get any good candid shots of me nursing.
Wendi


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## HappyGoLucky (Jan 8, 2007)

I nursed my son in a Mei Tai very comfortably and without people even knowing. People would often nod at the 'sleeping' baby with a tender look. I find a nursing shirt really helps me be discreet. Motherswear.com has a lot of different types but the ones with the "Empire Openings" are awesome because there is a full layer of material surrounding your torso and there isn't all that extra material bunched up above your breast.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!
-k


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## PGNPORTLAND (Jul 9, 2005)

I often nurse my toddler in a mei tai. like someone said above, just loosen straps and lower baby and retie straps. I also like to sort of set her off to one side or the other (to be at one or the other boob). I like to wear stretchy tank tops so I can pull my boob out over the the shirt. But I am not too modest. the top of the mei tai, however, and the baby's head covers most of my medium sized boob though.


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## Flower of Bliss (Jun 13, 2006)

I nurse in my Mei Tai all the time. My breasts are small, so I can't help you there. I wear tops that give me top access to my breasts (like the cross over style where you just pull one side under your breast). I find lifting up a shirt from the bottom, with the straps tied around my waist, really difficult and not discreet. I find nursing in the Mei Tai like nursing with DD sitting up in my lap.


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks for all the great help.

Do you think if I cut slits into regular old tanks to make my own nursing tops that would work as well as the nursing tank? I'm really hesitant to wear one as I feel I need a bra on as well if I want my gals to be anywhere near my chest. I always wear something over the top.

Gonna go check glamormom.


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## feministmom (Feb 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *intorainbowz* 
Any suggestions on shirt/clothing to wear to facilitate this without flashing side skin (and fat/stretch marks in my case)?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my belly hugger for that purpose!
http://www.thebellyhugger.com/

I never found nursing tanks to be comfortable and with the belly hugger, I can wear my fav nursing bra and still have my stretch marks covered. I'm fairly large also (dd-ddd) and found nursing in the mei tai fairly easy. I lowered dd, as pp suggested, but I still had to hold my breast.


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## feministmom (Feb 11, 2007)

Forgot to mention--the only problem was that DD fell asleep after nursing. Normally a great thing, but she had her head resting on my exposed boob. So I couldn't get the flap of my bra snapped back up or pull my shirt down!







I was at home to practice, so no harm done. But I guess had I been in public, her head was covering me, so no problem, but I was cold! Next time I'm going to try using a button-down shirt that I unbutton from the bottom. That way, if she falls asleep, my side is covered.


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

I'm off to purchase a belly hugger....
I often wear a cardigan or hoodie to cover my side.


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## blizzard77 (Jan 6, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *intorainbowz* 
I'm off to purchase a belly hugger....
I often wear a cardigan or hoodie to cover my side.

Yep, I wore nursing camis in the summer--sometimes w/ a tanktop over them. In the winter I did this. Put the carrier on over your low-neck or nursing cami or shirt, then put the cardigan or hoody over the carrier. No Show!


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blizzard77* 
Yep, I wore nursing camis in the summer--sometimes w/ a tanktop over them. In the winter I did this. Put the carrier on over your low-neck or nursing cami or shirt, then put the cardigan or hoody over the carrier. No Show!

What a great idea! Thanks!


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## lmartinx1 (Feb 4, 2007)

Just an added note to this thread.....all of my MT's have sleeping hoods on them, like my Colibri, MOM Tai and Close2me MT's. IMO, these offer great ease, comfort AND built in coverage for public nursing in a MT.







:


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## LoveMyLil'B (Dec 19, 2004)

I pop it out of the top of my tank top too. Anything to keep this belly from being exposed.


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## tanjarine (Apr 13, 2003)

Wear a tube top under your shirt


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## maxmazmom (Nov 5, 2005)

I always layer if I expect to be nursing in a carrier (or these days, I pretty much just always layer). I usually wear a shirt that I can easily lift up under a long second layer that zips or buttons in the front. If I want to look nice, I have a couple of Modbe zip up hoodies, or if I don't care that much, I wear a denim shirt over. I find that this keeps me covered.

I used to have difficulty getting into a comfortable nursing position in a MT. I can nurse very easily in a wrap, podaegi, and ring sling, but until recently, MTs gave me trouble, because I couldn't easily adjust the height. I have a new Babyhawk and I don't seem to have that problem anymore. I am not sure if that is because of the design of the Babyhawk or if it is because DD is bigger.

HTH. Have a great trip.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Well, My boobs were so big and eh...able to become long enough to just pull it up to her


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

I did it!!!

I nursed her in the mei tai! We tried it for the first time in the line for the monorail, which was reall good as she wanted to comfort nurse for a while. We nursed in the line, on the monorail, and when we were done, she was ready to be awake and not nursing. The belly band really helped.

I wanted a pic, but DH refused to take one.

Thanks for all the tips. It worked out great.


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## feministmom (Feb 11, 2007)

Yay! Congratulations!


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## captivatedlife (Aug 16, 2006)

If you're wearing a bra just pop yhe tank on top of the bra - no slits. Just make sure that it is a stretchy tank....


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