Wearing Two Together

Posted on September 1, 2012 by PAXbaby Kristie

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.

BabyHawk Oh Snap!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by PAXbaby Kristie

BabyHawk Oh Snap Camo BabyHawk, maker of totally awesome Mei Tai baby carriers, announced the addition of a new carrier to their line, the BabyHawk Oh Snap!

I was privileged to be able to test an earlier version of the Oh Snap, a prototype from the design process. Let me first say that I love BabyHawks. I’m a Mei Tai girl, I know them in and out, I know a dozen different ways to tie them. Buckle carriers have a lot of similarities to Mei Tais, but what most don’t have is flexibility, not just the ability to adjust for different users, but real, true flexibility for different carries, different weight distribution, etc. Until now.

The Oh Snap is a Mei Tai improved. And not just any Mei Tai, the cream of the crop BabyHawk. The first thing you might notice about the Oh Snap is that it looks like a BabyHawk. The flip-up headrest is still there, the bold fabric combinations, the comfortably padded straps.

The number one complaint about Mei Tais is all that tying. With the Oh Snap it’s just buckle and go! No straps dragging, no fiddling with knots. The straps connect at the sides with a buckle, and extra webbing length means that you can easily cross the straps behind you for front wearing, or keep them buckled right in to the same side for backpack style shoulders when baby is on your back.

BabyHawk Oh Snap Chest Strap When you are doing a back carry and have the straps like a backpack, the chest strap (or sternum strap) can be used to keep the straps well-positioned on your shoulders. You will notice that the chest strap on the Oh Snap is unlike any other on the market. It is dual-adjusting, with two connectors on each shoulder strap. This gives a more customized fit. No twisting buckles, no pulling on the straps so they flip and look bunchy. The Oh Snap chest strap will move up and down on the shoulder straps and adjust so that it lays flat against you and does exactly what it should: keep the shoulder straps on your shoulders.

BabyHawk Oh Snap Back Carry A few notes about the design of the Oh Snap. The size is similar to that of a BabyHawk. Seat darts have been added for a more form-fitting result. The straps will adjust to fit anyone up to a size 22 with no additional pieces necessary. And yes, they will adjust down to fit even a size zero. There’s nothing more annoying than doing a back carry and not being able to tighten in a carrier enough to hold your baby close, and the Oh Snap has taken that into account, making it ideal for small moms who may not have had success with other structured carriers. The Oh Snap is recommended for children 6 months and up. There is no infant insert currently available (although there is one in the works!), but until then, make sure your baby is able to sit on their own and can straddle the seat of the Oh Snap before you use it. Maximum weight is 45 pounds. That’s a lot, folks!

And now I would like to share my favorite part of the Oh Snap. I need to share a little bit of personal information in order to do this. I’m a small mama. Not tiny, tiny, but small. Being small, I’m lacking in one major area, my derriere. I don’t have much of one. Not much hips, either. This makes wearing carriers with waist support belts a little difficult. Most people will wear padded waist straps down around their hips, effectively transferring much their baby’s weight off their back and to their hips. This is a lot more comfortable when baby reaches 25 plus pounds.

Not everyone has the same shape around the hips, though. And those like me, who don’t have much of anything back there to hold a waist belt in place might find that the waist belt doesn’t stay in place, instead it slips down. Others might find that it creates pressure on the sides or becomes problematic with certain clothing. Well the Oh Snap takes this into account! Instead of just having a plain waist belt, or trying to decide between curved or straight, the Oh Snap is the first ever structured carrier with a customizable waist belt!

BabyHawk Oh Snap Waist Belt With two adjustments on each side of the waist belt, the Oh Snap can be adjusted to perfectly fit hips in all shapes and sizes. The adjustments allow the top of the waist strap to be adjusted separately from the bottom of the waist belt, so you can truly get the belt to sit on your hips, therefore your baby’s weight will be on your hips. Instant comfort!

The BabyHawk Oh Snap carriers are currently available for sale at PAXbaby. Retail price is $140 and PAXbaby will has a wide selection available for instant shipping. If you don’t see exactly what you want, let us know or visit the Design Center to pre-order your ideal Oh Snap!

For a limited time we are taking Oh Snap Preorders. Fill out the form below with your choice of strap color and fabric panel and we’ll email you with full details and an estimate of when it will ship.

Custom Orders Closing 1/4/2009

Please see BabyHawk.com for strap color and fabric panel choices.
Additional Fabric Panel Options ($149 each):


Dylan	Morgan also avail. on RED	Jasper

Breastfeeding in your Beco!

Posted on August 18, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

This is one of our most popular questions about one of most popular baby carriers! How to nurse baby in your Beco! After 14 months of BFing almost daily in my Butterfly, I wrote down the steps for you! Hope these instructions help you to have a successful babywearing experience and to your Beco!

Is there a link between extended Breastfeeding & BWing?

Posted on August 14, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

According to La Leche League, extended Breastfeeding is any baby 1 years or older who is still nursing habitually. LLLI categorizes toddlers’ reasons for breastfeeding as nutrition, comfort, security, as a way to calm down, and for reassurance. Other than nutrition, these generalizations describe the babyworn toddler to a T! And as for the extended BFing mothers, La Leche says that we use it as a way to enjoy the closeness & to offer comfort to children who are otherwise occupied with becoming a “big kid” and don’t need their mommies quite as much as before their 1st year birthday! As the mother of a 14 month old who has learned to walk, then run & dance within a week, I know that I am searching for any way to get my little guy to give me a cuddle. If that means offering milk even when it is inconvenient (at the beach when he was covered with sand!) or wearing him even when my body could use the rest, I will grab the chance and do whatever I can for a quick snuggle! And if I can combine both comforts and nurse my walking, talking toddler in my baby carrier and maybe even get him to fall asleep while I’m wearing him, hooray for me and everyone else had better tiptoe and be quiet as to not wake “the baby!” Don’t pack away your slings just because your child has started walking! Keep them accessible and handy. 1 mom I know uses her retired Maya Wrap Ring Sling as decoration in her 6 year old daughter’s room to remind both of them of the good ol’ days. If possible, don’t bring a stroller so that when your new walker’s legs get tired, you have nowhere to put them except in your carrier! And if your toddler requests to be held, rejoice and, as the women say at LLLI, “Never refuse!”

Beco Gemini Newbie Babywearing

Posted on August 1, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

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One of my favorite baby carriers is the Beco Gemini! Super soft organic twill, versatile positioning, & crossable shoulder straps make it one of my personal “go to” carriers! For parents over 5’2″ish, this Soft Structured Carrier should definitely be on your baby registry because it is an EXCELLENT newborn carrier and has the capability to carry much older babies as well! A lot of moms want to know WHY this would fulfill their babywearing needs as a buckle carrier for their infant, and here’s what I think:

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Soft twill to cradle baby comfortably

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No buckles at baby’s face level

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Foldable headrest to support wee ones’ necks

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Crossable shoulder straps for parents’ comfort

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Wide enough front panel to froggy baby’s legs

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Option to make front panel narrow for baby’s legs coming out

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Easy to breastfeed in

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I loved what Mama R. had to say about her experience while wearing her Beco Gemini with an infant, “I bought my Gemini when my son was 6 weeks old, and it’s my favorite carrier hands down. I have an Ergo but really hate it… I was even able to convince my husband to switch to the Gemini from the Baby Bjorn. It has so many fabulous holds and no pieces to lose. If I had a complaint about this carrier it would be that in the back carry, I need the head rest already hooked in if I expect that my LO will fall asleep. Everything else is easy and intuitive. I even nurse in it while out and about. The hip carry is fabulous for nursing and carrying while eating dinner at a restaurant.

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I didn’t do legs tucked in since my son is really long and he quickly showed his distaste for anything that trapped his legs. Even though the legs are out, it has a small base that supports the hips and bum properly unlike the crotch carrying Bjorn. It might look similar but it fits even tiny babies much differently in the leg out carry.”

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And a BIG thank you to Kristy and her lovely daughter, Audrey, for the adorable action pix demonstrating the Beco Gemini front carry with a 3 week old!

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PAXbaby Beco Gemini newborn infant babywearing

*happy babywearing*

Baby carriers for extreme situations

Posted on July 27, 2012 by PAXbaby Kristie

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Have you ever been in the position of having to justify to someone (say, a spouse…) why you have multiple carriers? OR, have you ever wished that you had a spare as a backup for when you get to the park with the toddler and infant and realize that your trusty Beco Butterfly is on the couch where you left it after doing laundry?

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As always, PAXbaby is here to help with our “Top 10 Reasons to Have Different Types of Carriers” list!
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10. Your toddler has decided to rate sitting in a shopping cart right up there with fingernail trims as things that aren’t going to happen NO WAY NO HOW, but you HAVE to grocery shop, and there’s no way you can manage with a small person running amok in the store! To the rescue? A small and lightweight pouch sling kept underneath the driver’s seat of the car for such an occasion–they shine in hip carries and you can keep that picky little one right at your side the whole time!

PAXbaby Sakura Bloom ring Sling PAXbaby.com

9. You’re enjoying a rare Saturday afternoon at the mall with a friend and her newborn. But the poor babe wants lots of snuggles instead of stroller time, and mom’s arms are getting tired. Rather than cutting the outing short, grab the your trusty Maya Wrap ring sling doing double duty as the toddler’s blankey in your car and show the tired new mama how to keep her baby close and happy while enjoying some hands-free time!

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8. Baby is sick. Husband is sick. You’re not feeling so hot yourself. Your poor little one has already thrown up on your trusty ring sling AND the well-loved SSC in your stash. Grab that kiddo and wrap her up in a snuggly yet supportive Gypsymama Bali Stretch wrap! Wearing a sick kiddo skin-to-skin in a carrier can actually help lower fever (your larger body will serve as a heat sink to draw her excess heat off) and relax you both.

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7. You load up several packages in the basket of your double stroller and take a leisurely walk to the post office. Upon arriving, you realize that your stroller DOESN’T FIT THROUGH THE DOOR. (Yes, this has ACTUALLY happened to me!) You grab your Boba out of the stroller and put your toddler on your back and have your preschooler carry one box “to help mom out,” leaving your stroller outside. Yeah, you have to worry about someone swiping it… but you can rest assured knowing that your most precious of possessions are right in there with you.

PAXbaby Boba SSC

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6. You’re busy “reasoning” with the toddler while trying to get him out of the car. Without realizing it, you close the door and the waistbelt of your trusty Babyhawk OhSnap! gets caught in the door and shatters. You email Babyhawk and they’re immediately helpful, but while you’re waiting for their excellent customer support to repair your error, what do you do for a carrier? It’s always nice to have a trusty and reasonably-priced Boba Classic in your stash for such occasions!

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5. You’re helping out on your preschooler’s class trip to the pumpkin patch. There’s no way a stroller could navigate the muddy rutted paths, so you plan on wearing your little one snuggled up close to you in your comfy warm Moby Wrap, leaving your hands free to help your older child and her classmates as they find the PERFECT pumpkins to take home with them. 20 minutes into the trip, you hear a series of familiar sounds emanating from your little one and warning bells start to go off in your head. A quick trip inside reveals the ugly truth… the diaper’s toast, the outfit is toast, and the Moby is toast too. You can clean up the initial mess… but what do to about the rest of the field trip? Happily, you dig the Freehand mei tai out from under the front seat where it’s been living, waiting for its moment in the sun, and your day–and that of your preschooler–is SAVED!

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4. You’ve decided to put together that disaster preparedness kit that you’ve been meaning to work on for several years, but you realize that now you have kids, its contents will need to be much more creative! Toss in an inexpensive but comfortable ring sling or pouch sling that can be used with various sizes of kiddos in various positions in a pinch… but it won’t hurt too much to have it languishing in a box for months on end either. If you hit the point where you don’t have any kiddos small enough to wear, keep it in there anyway–you never know what use you might find for it in an emergency!

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3. You’re at a playdate with a friend and her little ones. She mentions how heavy her six-month-old is getting to carry around in the infant car seat, but the Bjorn she got for a shower gift causes her so much back pain, and she guesses the “babywearing thing” just isn’t for her. There’s no way you can get through a day with your own infant without a carrier, but since you have extras, you lend her your FABULOUS and well-loved Beco Butterfly 2 so that she can feel comfortable AND stylish while carrying her babe around! No more back and shoulder pain for her, and she later tells you that her chiropractor thanks you as well!

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2. It’s late afternoon and your kiddo who has recently dropped his nap is having a minor meltdown that’s quickly escalating to the major stage. A nap might be called for… but then bedtime will much later than YOU want to stay up! Quiet him down by telling him that you’re going to pull out something special–the super special Superman Babyhawk! “It’s only for SPECIAL times, sweetie–do you think this is a special time and we should use it?” Pop him on your back and go for a short walk to recharge everyone’s batteries with some fresh air!

PAXbaby BabyHawk Mei Tai PAXbaby.com

1. You’re having one of THOSE days. You’ve been in the same pair of jeans for three days straight, you can’t remember the last time you got your hair cut, and the last you saw of your makeup was when the kiddo was gleefully painting with your lipstick. YOU need something fresh, something different, and something fun! Treat yourself to a custom carrier from PAXbaby’s Pimp My Carrier program so that you can find something that makes YOU smile!!

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*happy babywearing*

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Continue reading →

PAXbaby’s been BLOGGED!

Posted on July 23, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

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Holey guacamoley, PAXbaby has been blogged at one of my favorite mommy shopping blogs!!!! Look out, those give aways can get addicting, heeheeeee! Read all about Kelly’s experience with the Beco Gemini at Simple!

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THANKS, Kelly, for the shout out to PAXbaby‘s unique carrier customization program, Pimp my Carrier!

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*happy babywearing*

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Beco Baby Carrier AlisaMarie Hanks

Posted on July 16, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

AlisaMarie, you had me at “hello!” What an incredibly adorable homage to Beco Baby Carriers! You are fantastic, and I love how Levi just hung out on your back in every “scene!” My favorite part? The dish towel tucked into your waistband while you were cooking! Steve was so cute when you put the Scooters Butterfly II on him!

*happy babywearing*

FREE shipping on all orders all the time!!!

Posted on July 12, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

I just realized the other day that until you went to check out with your baby carrier clutched in your shopping cart and your feverish fingers typing away at the keyboard, you probably didn’t realize that PAXbaby ships all orders FREE! Does that include your order? Of course! As long as you are in the USA or at an APO address (we love ya, military moms!) we will ship your baby carrier to you FREE! So you get shopping, and we’ll get shipping, and we’ll all be happy as, well, happy as a babyworn baby!

More details here!

Breastfeeding in your Butterfly II

Posted on July 7, 2012 by PAXmommy Jillian

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.

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*