The question has come up recently whether you can cross your Beco shoulder straps.  The answer is YES, but it’s not as comfortable as wearing the straps the way they were designed.

Beco Cross Straps

To cross the straps, unthread the webbing, cross the straps into an X, and rethread the webbing through the opposite D rings.  Pop the carrier over your head and pull your arms through the arm openings, making sure that the chest strap buckles are not under the shoulder straps being pushed into your back.  The nature of the straps means that when they are crossed, the straps ride up on your neck, and also remember not to use this crossed strap technique with a back carry if you are nursing since the straps will put pressure on your milk ducts.  The hood is completely useable with the crossed straps since the snaps on the hood straps are universal for either strap.

As Beco’s biggest fans, we are always happy to see mamas out and about enjoying their Becos!  At the beach, the park, &  the mall, we love to see you in action!!!

Gabbie received her Kassie just a few days ago and is THRILLED!  She says, ” This is such a fun print, I’m loving it!”

Happy Kassie

Happy Kassie close up

And Tammy used her Morgan all weekend with much success!  “ It worked out great all weekend and Josharoni Macaroni loved it!”

Happy Morgan

Do you have a Happy Camper picture to share with our mBB readers??  Email us with your pix at pictures @ mybecobaby.com!!!

I’m working on a series of posts for the second half of May. First up, Beco Ergonomics. Watch for the next installments, including Beco Baby Carrier Economics and Beco Ecology in the next few days.

Beco ‘E’ Series - Article 1 - Baby Carrier Ergonomics

Every day I get to help parents, caregivers and sometimes grandparents, carry their babies comfortably and safely. Sprout Soup has the best baby carrier selection in our area, probably the best in our state (Ohio) and perhaps even the best in the Midwest! Sometimes I will overhear moms saying they wish they had a baby carrier when their child was younger or smaller, but what many of them don’t realize before they step into Sprout Soup is that children can be carried and worn in baby carriers for years! In fact it’s perfectly comfortable to carry your 34 pound three year old in a good carrier like the Beco. I know that firsthand! So it’s not too late to start using a carrier and give your arms a break, as long as you know a few things about baby carrier ergonomics.

First, positioning is very important, both how the baby carrier is positioned on you and where your child is positioned on your body. It’s easiest and most comfortable to carry weight on your back, and once your baby is in the 15-20 pound range you will notice a huge difference if you can shift the weight from your front to your back. The great thing about the Beco Butterfly II is that the safety seat makes back carries easy and safe. Between 4 and 5 months, which is when many babies are over 15 pounds, is the right time to try putting baby on your back in the Beco.

Whether baby is on your back or on your front, the higher they are the easier it will be to carry their weight. A baby who is riding low around your waist will pull on your shoulders and create sore muscles. Keeping your baby high and secure on your mid-section, where it is easy to kiss the top of their head, is the most comfortable. On the Beco Butterfly II, take care to adjust the front safety buckles so your baby is riding high. As your child grows you may need to let out these buckes to accomodate their height, but for the majority of wearers, keep the straps tight so you need to pull up on the top of the carrier to clip the buckle back together. This ensures that baby will be held securely against your body and not hang away from you causing strain.

The waist of the Beco Butterfly II is padded and structured to take weight to your hips. Where you position this strap and how tightly you fasten it will change the way it feels on you. If you find your back or shoulders are getting sore, you might try securing the waist belt a few inches higher or lower and see if that helps transfer the weight to your hips.

When you are walking or sitting with your baby in a carrier, whether they be on your front or on your back, keep posture in mind. If you feel you are hunching your shoulders, leaning forward or backward, or otherwise compensating for your child’s weight with your posture then something isn’t right. With many different ways to adjust your Beco Butterfly, you may find that a slight tightening or loosening of a buckle will completely change the way the carrier is on your body and you can stand straighter.

One final note on the ergonomics of baby carriers. The human body is not meant to carry weight on the shoulders near the neck, and doing so will cause sore muscles and pinched nerves. There is soft tissue at the base of your neck that extends down your shoulders. How far down your shoulders it extends varies for different people, but you should be able to feel where the soft and muscle part of your shoulder ends and the bones of your shoulder continue out to the shoulder cap. The Beco is ergonomically designed so that the straps should not sit on this part of your shoulder but rather further out on the bony part. Although since everyone’s body is different, you might find that you need to make minor adjustments to the length of the Beco should straps or the chest clip to make sure the straps stay off of this soft tissue on your shoulder.

I hope this has helped you get comfortable in your carrier!

Manisha in PA wants to make sure that her baby doesn’t need to use the infant insert:

One question, my little guy just turned 4 months but he’s a long skinny thing yet to hit 12 lbs.  I tried using the infant insert as directed on the DVD, but it looks like he doesn’t need it.  Is it okay to not use it even though he’s not 15 lbs? He has pretty good neck control.

Beco fan, Lissi from Sprout Soup, lets her know:

The infant insert is used for babies up to fifteen pounds. This doesn’t mean you have to use it if your baby is under fifteen pounds, but tall enough to sit in the main part of the Beco Butterfly. I like to make sure that the top of the carrier ends at least half-way up baby’s head. With the adjustable insert in the Butterfly II, you can lower the seat to keep the top of the carrier properly supporting your baby’s neck. But of course do not lower the infant insert beyond the marked line on the inside of your Beco! Once your baby is tall enough that more than half of his head is over the top of the carrier with the infant insert is set on the lowest position, it’s time to graduate to the larger, main section of the carrier.

Here’s a couple guidelines that will help determine if your baby is too small to sit in the main part of the Butterfly and needs to remain in the infant insert. First, your baby needs to be able to sit with one leg on each side of the body of the Butterfly. If his legs can’t straddle it, then he needs to stay in the infant insert where the seat is narrower. Second, the side openings of the carrier may be too large for your little one, make sure that where the shoulder straps come around and attach to the sides of the carrier is lower than half-way between your baby’s armpits and his thigh. Finally, make sure you can lean forward and kiss the top of your baby’s head when he’s riding in the carrier. This ensures that he is high enough and in the most comfortable position for you!