Photo Credit : @imanblogs
Iman, based in London, is a mum of 3 under 5, the youngest of which is just a couple of weeks old. She works from home and her children are homeschooled, making a baby carrier useful for both those lifestyles!
Iman has practiced babywearing with the Ergobaby Original for years and will use the same carrier for her new baby, as well as the aura baby wrap for the first weeks.
Where and when did you first get your Ergo?
I got my first Ergo as a gift from my older sister who had a baby 3 months after I did, in 2013. At that point, my son was 6 months old and I found it so very useful!
How long did you end up using it?
I ended up using it until 2017 - so for 4 years straight - as my son was 18 months old when my daughter was born and I used it interchangeably between them. My children have always been lower in weight so I've never found it difficult to carry them and I lived in a flat on the second floor that involved opening several security doors to get to. The Ergo was absolutely invaluable getting to and from the car with shopping bags!
Where did you and your family go in your Ergo?
The picture above was taken at the beach in Dubai, and we've been camping in Oxfordshire with the Ergo, toured Brussels in it, and have even explored Istanbul with it!
What’s a favourite Ergo memory?
On our way back to the UK from Dubai, I wanted to make sure we got off the plane quickly to avoid being stuck at the end of a long immigration queue. So as soon as we landed and the seatbelt signs were turned off, I jumped up, grabbed my backpack, popped my 23 month old into my Ergo and held my 3 year olds hand, waiting to disembark. As we walked off the plane into the terminal, I looked down at my hand on my left and saw my 3 year old and then looked at my right hand and saw nothing.
I looked around quickly to see where my daughter was and couldn't see her at all. I thought she might have run ahead with others so I ran a few steps forward to check but didn't see her. In a panic, I described what she was wearing and asked people if they had seen her. No one had. Two mums who I had spoken to on the flight and who had seen her were telling me that she couldn't have gone far and I even had a member of cabin crew check the flight to see if she had run into first class. If you have a rambunctious child, you know how stressful they are!
There was something on my chin and whilst I rushed about trying to find her, I hastily brushed it off and realised it was hair. Hair? I looked down, and there she was. In the Ergo, looking about quietly, where I had put her. I went to find the cabin crew member who was still looking and told him "I'm so sorry, I must be really tired, here she is!" - pointing to my carrier. He just laughed! It's testament to how comfortable it is though if I didn't even realise she was on me! 🤣 😴
If your Ergo carrier could say something to you, what would it say?
I'm looking forward to being really helpful again with baby number 3!
What superpower does putting on your Ergo give you?
The ability to use two hands at all times and flexibility! So much flexibility.
What’s one piece of advice you have for a new mum?
Having a baby changes you in more ways than one - you will evolve as a mother over the years and there will be so many decisions to make, pieces of advice to consider, and things you'll spend a lot of time worrying about. Give yourself time to grow slowly and be kind to yourself when you make mistakes - you're doing the best you can.
Tell us about the joys and jobs of parenting.
Parenting is incredibly joyful and rewarding but also exhausting and utterly nerve wracking. You can start the day on a high and end it on the lowest of lows and vice versa. No two days are ever the same and you learn so much about yourself and your children as you navigate parenting. When they are younger, it's more about physical exhaustion with sleep deprivation and constant carrying and feeding and nappy changing, etc, and as they grow older, there's more mental and emotional exhaustion as you think about education, instilling good values, meeting their emotional needs, giving them quality time and everything else that we have to consider as parents. I wish I had slowed down and enjoyed the first few years with both my children, but I'm making a conscious effort to do that now and I intend to completely slow things down and really try to savour every minute with my third when he/ she arrives.
Describe your Ergo life in three words.
Comfortable. Convenient. Essential.
Through the years, families have chosen Ergobaby for carrying their little ones safely, comfortably, and happily through life’s adventures. Every Ergobaby carrier now comes with the ErgoPromise 10-Year Guarantee. As your baby - and family - grows, Ergobaby’s quality carriers will be there every step of the way.
