We know you have questions. We sure did when we were new parents. Your baby needs to be held, you need to get work done, but what’s the best way to do it? We are happy to help! Your question might be one that lots of moms and dads are wondering about, so we will post some of our most common questions here.

Breastfeeding Instructions in your Beco Butterfly II

To be able to breastfeed in your Beco carrier is the ultimate goal since, especially in those first months, a smooth transition from feeding to napping to awake time is critical. If you can succeed at keeping baby content during those transitions, you are golden and your baby is happy!  Thus, the importance of an excellent baby carrier that you can nurse your baby in easily and quickly.

With the Beco Butterfly, you can choose whichever is more comfortable for you, to nurse your baby in the upper part of the Y shaped panel or push the fabric to the center to feed baby on the outside of the panel. Either way works fine, and depending on your body structure, you will know which way is more feasible for your body type. This also depends on how many babies you have nursed and how elastic your breast tissue is!

My friend Laura found it easiest to simply push the fabric to the side, lower her nursing tank on the appropriate side, and latch on her 6 month old in a very upright position.

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For a lower position, unbuckle the shoulder clip for the side you want to start on, and loosen the shoulder strap by pulling on the buckle under your arm or the buckle attached to the front panel depending on which version of Beco you have. Pull the Y up and out of the way, push the nursing tank down, and get baby’s head low enough to be able to latch on properly. Once you have latched on, with a smaller baby, you will be able to rebuckle the top buckle to hold baby’s head in place, but as your baby’s noggin grows bigger and heavier, you may find that you will need to hold baby’s head to support the weight and keep baby from pulling your breast while nursing. Once baby is finished, rebuckle the top clip and tighten the shoulder strap again by pulling down or away on the dangling strap under your arm.

Don’t worry, it’s NOT hard, but you do need to get used to it.  Keep trying, otherwise, you can take baby out of the Butterfly, leaving the Y part on your body, and simply nurse your baby in your lap like you are used to.  If really easy breastfeeding is your goal, you may want to take a look at the Beco Gemini which does not have the internal insert, making breastfeeding as easy as pie!

*happy babywearing*

Pregnant babywearing is a surreal babywearing experience!  1 baby inside, 1 baby outside, both happy, nurtured, and content!

But if you are pregnant, remember that you can continue babywearing as long as your midwife thinks you can or your body is up for carrying the extra weight! I remember attending a birthday party when I was 7 months pregnant with Baby #5. I was carrying #4 in my Riley Butterfly, ooooh, gorgeous, to keep him out of the older kids’ way. At cake time, I popped him out of the Beco and rolled it up with the stay put strap. A mom that I didn’t know dashed over to me and exclaimed “You were hiding ANOTHER one under there this whole time!?!” I think she was trying to make me feel guilty, but instead I felt proud to be a babywearing pregnant mommy!

To wear your Beco while pregnant, first check with your doctor/ midwife, & then for either back or front carries, the trick is to lower the waistband super low on your hips, putting any of the baby weight onto your hips and thighs instead of your back or belly.

*happy babywearing*

With the approach of the Beco Gemini‘s release getting closer day by day (no date announced yet, just “end of Spring”) PAXbaby is getting more & more excited!  As I’m sure you are!  I have been receiving a lot of questions about the differences between the 2 Beco baby carriers, the Gemini and the Butterfly!  As a baby carrier expert and Beco aficienado aka SuperBecoGirl, I can help you figure out which Beco will be right for you and your family’s needs!  As soon as the new Gemini is ready, PAXbaby will be shipping same day thanks to being practically next door neighbors to the Beco headquarters in Southern California, and our stock of Beco Butterflies is growing daily thanks to some special new Exclusive Editions that have just arrived!

The Butterfly weight limit is 45 pounds, but the Gemini is weight tested for up to 35 pounds.  If you are looking to carry a larger child, the Butterfly II will last you longer than the Gemini, however both carriers can be used starting with 7 pound newborns.

The Gemini has the ability for baby to be front carried facing forward and also towards you, so breastfeeding is a cinch, but if your babe wants a few minutes facing out to see the world, that is possible also.  The base of the front panel snaps back making the crotch narrow  enough to allow small babies to sit comfortably.  Neither Beco Baby Carrier nor PAXbaby recommends front facing out for extended periods of time due to baby’s overstimulation and the fact that it is more comfortable and more ergonomic to have baby’s body curving into the parent’s body instead of away in a front facing out position!

The Butterfly II has the removable infant insert and the integrated internal harness for older babies.  The infant insert is a nice option, but truly usable for a short period of time before it lifts baby up too high and needs to be removed.  The internal inserts hold baby within the carrier so one parent can easily take baby off to put on the other parent or to lay a sleeping baby down without disturbing their rest.  The Y shaped piece of fabric which is the integrated insert means that putting your baby on your back is simple and easy with a basic hip scoot or putting the Butterfly on like a back pack!  Babywearers have worn their babies for hundreds of years with out this option so with the Gemini, the babywearing parent will be required to learn to put baby on with either the Superman or Santa toss, the hip scoot, or with older children, simply having them climb onto the parent’s back.  Believe me, it IS easy once you learn, don’t be intimidated by the Gemini because of this,  but do keep it in mind!

The Butterfly II has an intense # of buckles and rings present on the carrier – 8 in fact, and while you don’t have to buckle each clip every time you put the carrier on or take it off, for the babywearing parent looking for a soft structured carrier with more simplicity, the Gemini is your style!  Safety is still top priority so the Gemini features the safety buckles first introduced on the Butterfly I, but it is less complex than the Butterfly!

One feature of the Gemini that I am really looking forward to is the crossing of the shoulder straps!  Each shoulder strap can be unbuckled and rebuckled across your back, and this X position of the straps is delightfully comfortable especially with a heavier baby!  The Butterfly straps can be unthreaded and rethreaded in the same position but because the Butterfly carrier wasn’t designed with that in mind, it is not particularly comfortable and not recommended by this Beco mama!

Ideal for shade or napping, the Beco Butterfly hood attaches to the body of the carrier with snaps and can be completely removed when not in use, folded, and stored in the pouch at the front of the waistband. The Gemini features a headrest which can be folded down for when baby is front facing out, or for better viewing purposes for baby, but it does not come with a hood.



In a nutshell:

Butterfly II

• removable infant insert
• integrated insert
• possible to pass baby in carrier to other parent
• breastfeeding is possible
• sun shade/ napping hood
• chest strap for backpack style wearing
• easy back carrying
• carries children up to 45 pounds

Beco Gemini

• no removable infant or integrated insert
• breastfeeding is easy
• possible to cross shoulder straps
• chest strap for backpack style wearing
• foldable headrest
• front panel folds in and secures with snaps for front facing out position
• relatively easy back carrying
• carries children up to 35 pounds

Both the Gemini and the Butterfly II are beautiful, organic,  versatile, comfortable baby carriers.  The Beco Butterfly provides all the bells and whistles for all babies up to 45 pounds.  The Gemini is a tribute to an old favorite Beco style, the 4th Generation, and is equally comfortable but more basic.  You and your baby will be happy in either Beco style, but if you still need help deciding, why not think about renting both the Gemini and the Butterfly to see which you personally prefer!  Please let me know if you have any more questions; you know I am happy to help!

*happy babywearing*

Beco fans, are you excited as I am to find this action shot with the new Beco Gemini?  Here is the PAXbaby mama + 10 month old #5 + the Beco Gemini.  In the background you can see the back of another Gemini baby carrier on a mannequin modeling the cross straps that are one of the Gemini’s new features!

Waiting for more information for the Gemini, babywearing mamas?  Here’s another sneak peak!

30 pound baby and a cruise to catch?  No problem, just strap on your Beco Gemini, and get going!

These are action shots of the new Beco Gemini!  Can’t wait for these to release for sale!!!

Melissa wants to know when the Beco Gemini is coming, and Laura wants to know how it’s different from the Beco Butterfly II, so here a few answers!

Since PAXbaby tried on the Gemini in September, there have been changes made to the carrier especially pertaining to safety.  We can tell you the differences between the Gemini and the Butterfly, but please keep in mind that things may have been updated and will be different on the final version.

While the Beco Butterfly straps are threaded through buckles under the arms, the Gemini has buckles that easily unclip and re-fasten across the back in an X pattern giving more options for front carries and better support for mama’s back.  The body of the Gemini is more narrow than the Butterfly and has a contoured thick headrest similar to the popular Bjorn.  The new carrier is geared more towards accommodating smaller babies and may not feature an internal harness or seat like the Butterfly I  and II have.

For die-hard Beco fans like myself, the wait is hard, but I know that when the Gemini is finally released, it will be a superb carrier with that special Beco flair that we all love and adore!  Let’s all wait as patiently as we can so that Beco can concentrate on perfecting the Gemini for us.  As soon as we know anything new, we will be sure to let you know!

These pictures were taken at Vegas in September with my 10 month old!

I’m sure that you have more than once been stumped by a new baby carrier and needed help, and now, PAXbaby can help! Whether you want to master a new wrap or need help getting baby on your back in an SSC, we will be able to show you! A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth even more!
Thank you to Alyssa in Chicago for her incredible videos! Her knowledge is amazing, and her technique is perfect! Running a babywearing group for Chicago area moms, being a  doula, studying to become a midwife, mommying 3 sweet kids, & making babywearing videos,  Alyssa is a busy mama!

If you have any questions for us, contact us, and if you have any carries that you need help with, let us know so we can get a video for you!
Watch, learn, and spread the babywearing love

Q: Chris from Columbus, Ohio asks…

I’m due with my fourth child in January. What two carriers will work together the best so I can carry my toddler and the new baby?

A: Congratulations! When you add a new baby to the family it can be a challenging time for everyone. Having the ability to carry your children and keep your hands free will be vital!

The best way to wear two children at once is to have one on front and one on the back. Your toddler will go on your back, and your newborn in front. We’ll start with the newborn.

You will need something that is easy to ‘pop’ your newborn into for a front carry. Our favorite is the Moby Wrap. This carrier can be wrapped on yourself first using easy-to-follow instructions and once it’s in place you can work on getting the toddler on your back. Another option for the newborn would be a Ring Sling or Pouch.

To get your toddler on your back a Mei Tai or soft structured carrier would be the easiest. Go ahead and get the toddler on first, securing the waist strap of the carrier under the Moby Wrap, and the shoulder straps over the Moby. Then you can pop your newborn in the Moby and spread out all the layers of fabric. With a carrier like the Beco Butterfly or Ergo, you probably will not be able to fasten the chest clip in front of you. If this doesn’t work well for your body shape, then choose the Mei Tai, which usually hugs closer to your body and fits better backpack style.