Below you can read the review from each finalist and view their photographs and/or video clips. It certainly looks like each Mayday winner put their ERGObaby through a workout with great results.
It is now over to the Babes in Arms team who will now decide which review we like the best. The winner will receive a bundle of ERGObaby accessories to match their new carrier. Oh no, we better stock up on a few packs of Tim Tams to get us through the decision making! We will announce the winners on Monday, September 5, 2011. In the meantime, show your support for our finalists by “liking” their post.
Brett and Tracey have received their carrier, but due to the upcoming birth of their new baby and family illness will be submitting their images and complete review at a later day. Look out for this in the future
It has been one week since I arrived back from Mexico and although we all continue to suffer from some JETLAG due to the time differences we are loving our new ERGObaby.
With my back problems and flying alone with the baby, I can now say that it is the MUST-HAVE item to have for every mum when travelling. I don’t need to wait for any of the hostesses to get a pram for me or anything!
I don’t have any pain and the ERGObaby makes me have a nice posture for my back problem so I really love it! No more heavy pram for me!
NO PAIN IN MY BACK, NO PAIN IN THE SHOULDERS, EASY ATTACH, NOT HEAVY, DOESN’T HURTS
It is an easy way to travel and go around with the baby!
Like our previous entrants, Laura was very keen to try out an ERGObaby with her daughter. Over the first few weeks she updated us on our Facebook page before providing us with the following text and video reviews.
First of all why did I send the mayday? I am a first time mum and was finding that my little Lilli liked to be carried absolutely ALL of the time. This is great if you have a wonderful carrier, however I did not so my back, shoulders and everything else started to hurt. What did not help the situation was a lovely dose of post natal depression that increasingly cocooned the two of us in our home. So I sent out a mayday call to the Babes in Arms team and my call was answered in the way of an ERGObaby to review.
The day the package arrived I leapt out of bed with excitement, even if it was only 8am. Lilli and I perused the delivery, ripped it open and tried it out straight away in our pyjamas. It was not long before we were walking around the house with the dog following behind.
Our first outing came in the form of my weekly mothers group. I could not wait to show off our lovely new carrier and really test it out. Because I found the front carry very easy to master, I was quite happy to do this in public after only a few hour or so. The trip went off without a hitch and allowed me to take shortcuts that would be hard with my pram.
Then there was the week of torrential rain where I felt that the house may be washed away and venturing outside was at your own risk. So I decided it was about time to tackle all the household cleaning. I cleaned high and low and even attempted the back carry, with help from my bed for the dismount. My mood was lifting with the sense of freedom the ERGObaby allowed, even if it was to scrub the toilet. I know that may not seem like an enjoyable activity, but when you find it hard to just get out of bed, doing something that you could never seem to muster the energy for was great. The house looked wonderful but I was beginning to get stir crazy, so when the rain finally eased on the fifth day I thought I would risk it.
Out we ventured with big umbrella in hand, baby on front and large jacket on back. We only made it halfway around the block before the rains came back, and boy did they let us know it. Luckily for Lilli she was snug as a bug in the ERGObaby, under the umbrella and wrapped in my jacket. By the time we got home I was drenched from the hip down but Lilli was fast asleep and none the wiser.
The rain finally cleared by the start of the second week, so I thought I might venture a little further afield. Thus came the day for traipsing through the forest and exploring the waterfalls that were flowing well from all the rain. After only a week I was confident enough to try the back carry in the WILD, so off we went. We travelled down many stairs past the different levels of falls, most of which you could walk up to and touch. It was not long before Lilli was asleep on my back and I was climbing over rocks with water flowing below. Then came the ascent, it was much harder than the descent, but by the time we made it to the top the only things that hurt were my legs. To my amazement my back and shoulders did not hurt one bit, and Lilli just felt like she was a light backpack. Getting Lilli off my back only required a little help from the backseat of my car and we were on our way home.
The rest of the week went off without a hitch and included me going for many walks with the dog, soothing a teething baby, as well as mowing the lawn which I have not done personally for years. Now we just need to get some accessories for the Ergobaby so that my husband who is 6’4” and wide around the waist can give it a go. All that is needed is an extension for the waist as the straps are long enough to fit his height.
My overall score for the Ergobaby is 5 out of 5 for its design, adaptability, ease of use, comfort for baby and wearer, and the freedom that it allows.
Thankyou Babes in Arms for answering my call and we cannot wait to send you more pictures of our future adventures with the item we never leave home without.
Belinda set up the Tasmanian Babywearers Group on Facebook a little while back and entered our Mayday competition with the idea of adding the ERGObaby carrier to a collection that could be utilised by the group if she won. We were excited to send her one of our carriers and even more excited to read her review of the carrier.
As I took the ERGObaby out of the box I was both excited and scared. So many people had told me a carrier would hurt my back as my ‘baby’ is 18 months old. Surely it would be back breaking to carry him for long periods of time.
I had used a front only carrier 5 years ago for my older son but by the time he hit 6 kgs (and he was born at 4 kg) it was so uncomfortable I couldn’t keep using it. But the ERGObaby looks so different. For starters, it can be used front or back or even on the hip. It has a wide base keeping bub in the more ergonomic seated position, (better for their hips and spine), and it has a waist belt to distribute the weight onto my hips rather then straining my shoulders.
These days I preach the benefits of babywearing to all via Tasmanian babywearers so I have to practice what I preach. I have used a hug-a-bub when bub was smaller but found at his size I now need a more structured carrier. The ERGObaby looks to be the perfect fit
As I dutifully unpacked the box and read over the info, it seemed really easy to use so I tried it on, learning quickly where the buckles were and how everything adjusts. Then it was time to add the toddler to the mix.
I chose a time he was happy and awake so I wouldn’t end up with him being cranky and flinging himself around. I tried a front carry first and had a play with the adjustments. It was so easy to adjust. Like adjusting straps on a school backpack really. I adjusted the chest strap so it sat was as extended as possible before hand to make it easy to do up behind me. So comfy.
Next up I tried the back carry. I started in front of a mirror with hubby near by. It was easier then I thought. I hip scooter bub around and leaned forward while I pulled the carrier over him.
The next test for us was shopping. We went to a local department store looking for a bed. I started with bub on my back. An hour later and I hardly noticed he was there at all! When he became hungry, I put him in the front carry position, loosened the straps and breast fed him hands free walking around the store!
The fabric was easy to keep clean too which was a bonus. I wore it out as much as I could and the longest I wore it at one time was 3 hours. Bub was asleep in it with the hood pulled up and I didn’t feel the slightest twinge of pain! I loved the back carry position as it left me to do the dishes and vacuum without the bulk of a baby on my front.
I would certainly recommend the ERGObaby to all mums and dads. (I did get hubby to try it and he agrees that it is very dad friendly!)
To celebrate the launch of the ERGObaby in Toys ‘r’ Us and Babies ‘r’ Us stores nationwide, we are looking for ERGObaby Experts in Far North Qld to visit stores and train staff in CAIRNS, MACKAY and TOWNSVILLE.
Interested in applying and being paid for demonstrating a product you love? Please send the following details to: anita@babesinarms.com.au ASAP for consideration:
- Contact details: phone, email, skype and address
- Brief summary of your ERGObaby Carrier and general babywearing experience
- Brief summary of your professional experience
- Availability
- A fairly recent photo of yourself (either full length or bust height)
- Contact details for 2 references (ideally one personal, one professional)
Anita had quite the adventure today…..read what happened below
“Nothing like an impromptu moment in the limelight with the film crew for Sunrise! I was enjoying a beautiful sunny morning at a seaside park with the kids on my day off when I received a call from Channel 7 wanting to swing by our office in just over an hour to film some footage of me as a national finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards! I promptly whisked the kids off slides and swings with icecream-compensation bribes and zoomed back, calling the staff along the way (at red traffic lights ) to ask them to ‘clear the decks’ of all the undulating paperwork!! Thank God for Vegemite toast lunch and spare-of-the-moment Nonnas who can wrangle kids at the last minute…all was cool, calm and collected as the door bell rang and followed by lights, camera, action ERGObaby!”
It’s been a cold, wet winter in Perth, which is great after years of drought but not fun being stuck indoors! When we get sunny days we head straight to the park. There is a great little spot about 15 minutes from us along the river where you can take your dogs. Our dog loves to get out and explore the area and the kids love to scoot along the path, spot ducks and throw pebbles into the water. It usually ends up being musical ERGObaby as Miki will go through a stage where she has to be carried, then she wants to walk and I carry Charlize, then back to Mikis turn again!
Our ERGObaby has also been for a trip down to the South-West of WA where we stayed at Nyamup, completing trips out to Manjimup, Pemberton, Bunbury and everywhere in between. Most of it was off the paved tracks so was much easier to put Charlize in the ERGObaby than deal with a pram through bush and mud. My husband even climbed the Gloucester Tree! (72m high Karri tree). We are very lucky to have such a gorgeous area so close to Perth and we think it may have to become an annual trip as the girls enjoyed it so much.
We are now on the final countdown until Charlize’s first birthday! This last year has flown by and she is now a crawling and talking little girl. She never stops talking. Her vocabulary now includes: “dog”, “dad”, “bub”, “bye”, “nan” and more but she has only said “Mum” once! This doesn’t upset me at all as I know very soon it will be the word she says the most if she’s anything like her sisters.
The teething pads on my ERGObaby have come in very handy as teeth number 6 and 7 have come through! Very different from Miki who didn’t get one until after she turned 1 but still soldiering on with breastfeeding through the occasionally bite! I don’t think she will be walking by her first birthday but that’s okay as she might be our last baby so I want her to stay my bubba for as long as possible (or until I convince my husband for #4)
Next month I’ll let you know how the birthday party goes, then hopefully we won’t be to busy until it’s Christmas again!
Are you in Perth this weekend? Why not head over to Claremont and visit the Pregnancy, Babies and Children’s Expo. Running from Friday, August 12 through to Sunday, 14th of August 2011, the expo is the place to source expert advice & essential early childhood parenting tips, together with the latest product innovations related to pregnancy, babies & children and bring them together under one roof…..and of course the Babes in Arms ERGObaby stand!
So drop by stand G52 and say hi to our team, test drive a new ERGObaby carrier including the original, sport and performance carriers, and of course enjoy our EXPO SPECIAL – 20% off carriers and selected carriers! Of course, with the BIA team on hand, you will learn all the insider tips and tricks to successful babywearing with an individual fitting and demo.
Here in Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, which falls on the 4th this year. At Babes in Arms we value the contributions that fathers make to the lives of our children and believe it is a day worth celebrating.
In true Babes in Arms style, we are adding a babywearing twist to the celebration and ask you to share your images (and videos) of dads using either the ERGObaby carrier, Breeze Baby Sling or Peanut Shell sling. We will use these images to create a collage for publication on our blog and social media pages. Our favourite entry will WIN a new ERGObaby Performance Carrier of your colour choice (including two new colour ways available in Australia by early Oct 2011).
How to enter:
Take an image of your babywearing daddy using either an ERGObaby Carrier, Peanut Shell Sling or Breeze Baby Sling and submit the entry via email community@babesinarms.com.au (Having trouble? Let us know and we can use our Facebook page to grab the image from you)
Comment on our blog, describing in at least 25 words what it has meant to have your partner embrace babywearing
Check out the ERGObaby Performance Range and let us know which would be your preferred colour (please note that the new ‘blue’ Performance and the new grey with black and charcoal accents is yet to be uploaded, but can be your choice)
Please leave your address and contact number (so we can forward the carrier to you if you are the winner. These details WILL NOT be published)
Ask your friends and family to ‘like’ your image to show they support daddy babywearing when they are published on our Facebook page.
Terms and Conditions
Our competitions are open only to Australian and New Zealand residents aged 18 and over.
One winner will be selected and will receive an NEW ERGObaby Peformance carrier in their chosen colour to the value of RRP $199.00
This competition is a game of skill. The winning entry will be chosen by a selection panel based on the entrant’s creativity and skill in answering the nominated question. The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered in to.
All entrants must follow the instructions provided (provide a comment describing in at least 25 words what it has meant to have your partner embrace babywearing and provide a photograph of the daddy babywearing),
Babes in Arms reserves the right to change the dates of the promotion if required. Also, if there are compelling technical or administrative reasons which we cannot control, Babes in Arms can cancel or modify the promotion. Notice of any changes to the promotion will be given at blog.babesinarms.com.au
The winner will be notified by email and their name will be published on the Babes in Arms blog within 2 weeks of selection
Babes in Arms reserves the right to select an alternate winner if BIA’s determines in its sole discretion that the winner/s do not adequately satisfy these terms and conditions.
Prizes are not transferrable and not redeemable for cash.
The prize winner is responsible for any expenses, fees and costs connected with the prizes that are not included in the prize descriptions.
Babes in Arms and their promotional partners are not responsible for any loss or damage in relation to the prize once it has been awarded.
All entries become the property of Babes in Arms. Once submitted, your entry will not be returned to you. In return for entering the competition you grant Babes in Arms a worldwide, non-exclusive, irrevocable licence in perpetuity to reproduce, publish, adapt, communicate and broadcast all or part of your entry in any media for the purposes of this competition and inclusion in Babes in Arms branded products and marketing materials.
Babes in Arms will use the personal information contained in your entry to conduct the promotion, and award the prize. If you win a prize, Babes in Arms can use your name to credit you for your entry and for marketing purposes.
The competition closes September 1, 2011 with images used to create a collage on blog and an album on FB.
As your little one grows, they will enjoy spending more and more time running around on their own two legs. As they tire they will no doubt ask “up” and want to be carried. On occasion you may have left your ERGObaby at home, so know how sore your hip can become if you need to carry them ar this point. But how do you carry your ERGObaby around so it’s available when you need it?
We asked our “likers’ on our Facebook page how they manage this small practicality. Many responded that they just wear their ERGObaby like a backpack until they need it. Others just throw it in the back seat of their car and retrieve it as needed. Others, in their bag.
Today we thought we would provide you with two options.
1. Fold it up and carry it in your baby bag or ERGObaby backpack like the image below:
or,
2. Make yourself a small storage bag like this one we found on Etsy
