Wellington resident Martin Hill is launching a new baby product called the Beebo that gives busy moms and dads a hands-free way to bottle-feed their infants, allowing them to multi-task while doing an essential parental duty.
Hill conceived of the idea while giving his first child, now 6, the multiple daily feedings infants require. After having to perform repeated uncomfortable bottle-under-the-chin maneuvers because he needed to answer a phone call or pick up a dropped remote, Hill searched unsuccessfully for some product that could help and couldn’t find an existing one.
Then, after he and wife Sarah relived the same difficulties with second child, now 4, the former electrical engineer took to his garage to find a solution. Hill created a prototype by carving through foam and picking out the perfect cellphone belt-clip case to rotate as needed.
The result, after some modifications, was to create a bottle holder soft and flexible enough to fit most feeding bottles on the market. Hill is now marketing it as the Beebo.
At first, it was his way of being able to multi-task while feeding his infants. However, it has since become a way to spend quality time by reading to children while feeding them. Hill is an advocate of reading to infants. In fact, he quit his job and became “Mr. Mom” to his children while preparing to mass-market the Beebo.
Hill believes that there is nothing like his product available anywhere else, while it’s also something almost every new parent has wished for.
He has launched a web site to market his product, www.thebeebo.com, and timed its release to coincide with Read Across America Day, which is Monday, March 2. That is also the birthday of Dr. Seuss and marks the kickoff of National Reading Month.
A special introductory offer is available now on the site, giving buyers $5 off the retail price, plus free shipping.
The Beebo allows a parent to read to young children while feeding them. Studies show that reading to newborns is beneficial for several reasons, Hill said. It develops vocabulary and language and communication skills; helps babies learn the meaning of words through their own parents’ comforting voices; gets them familiar with books and accustomed to listening and focusing; and may assist them in getting higher scores in school in later years.
The Beebo is made from “baby-safe” materials and is fitted with the rotating bottle holder to allow a parent to find the ideal feeding angle and to move the bottle upright while burping or playing with the baby. It’s made for left- or right-handed users and is balanced to sit comfortably and securely on a parent’s shoulder. A ribbed underside keeps it in place and allows air circulation.
The bottle holder can be detached for easy cleaning, and the entire unit can be rolled up compactly for transport.
Potential customers or interested retailers should visit www.thebeebo.com, e-mail sales@thebeebo.com or call (561) 880-5388.
ABOVE: Wellington resident Martin Hill developed the Beebo.
