In the heart of Copenhagen, Muri and Simon, a couple in their mid-twenties, are navigating the chaotic and rewarding seas of first-time parenthood. Just three months after welcoming their daughter, Tina Maria, we sat down with the duo to get the lowdown on their latest life chapter.
We first crossed paths with Muri and Simon when Tina Maria was just a few weeks old. Their candidness, charisma and openness to share their experiences with us made them perfect participants for our launch campaign. Now, with a few more weeks of parenting under their belts, we caught up with them to see how things had gone.
Muri, a DJ and content creator, and Simon, a seasoned multi-preneur, both come from Jutland. Their love story began in the digital age—Instagram brought them together four years ago. Fast forward to today, they’re not just partners in love but also in life, navigating the highs and lows of building a family while juggling their individual careers.
In our chat, they opened up about the surreal experience of becoming parents, the challenges they’ve faced, and how they balance their bustling professional lives with the demands of a newborn. From late-night feedings to finding time for creative pursuits, Muri and Simon are leaning into what it means to be modern parents in Copenhagen - keeping their cool amidst the beautiful chaos of new parenthood.
Muri: Yeah, Simon slid into my DMs, and we started dating. I wanted to make a career as a DJ, so I moved to Copenhagen, and he followed.
Simon: I had just bought an apartment in Århus and opened a new office, and when I say just, I mean within the last couple of months—but then I met Muri, so I gave it all up and moved with her. It’s been four years now.
Q: How would you describe your experience of becoming parents?
Muri: So far, everything has been extremely positive. Sometimes, I have a hard time recognizing the hardships people talk about when they describe becoming parents. The birth went really well, she latched easily and immediately, and she sleeps at night. So, everything has been so smooth. But I feel that it’s a bit taboo to talk about how great I feel about everything because there are so many who struggle. So, I feel a bit guilty. To be mindful, I normally hold back on how easy and natural it is for us.
Simon: I agree. Among my friend group, it’s clear we’ve had an easier ride compared to the rest, so we don’t want to make anyone feel less great about their experiences. Some of my closest friends have a premature child and still don’t sleep at night or get to sleep together, and another couple went through a difficult c-section. We don’t want to take away anything from these experiences. But to be honest, it is a dream come true for us.
Muri: It can be a bit difficult to talk about how easy and nice it is. I feel a bit alone with these experiences. Especially as a young mother, when I look at Tik Tok, it’s mainly the difficult experiences that are highlighted. You’re being told it’s super tough, how much your body will change, etc.
Q: Do you think it’s taboo to talk about an easy entry into parenthood?
Simon: That’s not what concerns me. It’s more about not being insensitive towards those that are having a hard time. I know how frustrating it is when she’s having a bad day, so I can relate to not sharing all your positive stuff. Babies are different. Maybe next time, we will have a really difficult time—you don’t know.
Q: Muri, what is your relationship with your body after giving birth and breastfeeding?
Muri: Some days, I look in the mirror and get a bit overwhelmed by the fact that my body has changed so much. It was a totally different body than I had before. But I also look at it with pride. My body is feeling well, and I exercise once a week. I’ve healed well. It’s a crazy roller coaster to see my breasts swell and become huge, give milk, etc. It’s pretty fantastic what the female body is capable of.
Q: There are a lot of conversations about the modern man and masculinity. How has it been for you to become a dad?
Simon: In three words—incredible, surreal, and pure joy. It’s been different phases. At first, it was surreal. I almost forgot that we couldn’t just go out for dinner. So it has been natural but also frustrating in some periods. I leave early for work, and when I came home in the afternoon to be with her, it was as if she didn't recognize me and she cried. That was really tough. But now, we’ve found our rhythm.
Muri: She also started communicating, which has helped your bond.
Simon: True.. We had to figure out which routines worked for us, and as soon as we got there, everything was much easier.
Q: What advice would you give to new parents?
Simon: I would be supportive of the message that it doesn’t have to be so crazy tough and a huge turnaround. Just take it easy. You don’t have to be so scared. It’s really helped us to intuitively lean into it and take every new thing as it comes. Easy-going.
Muri: Yeah, it’s important not to make it into more work than you need to. Like in the middle of the night, instead of getting up to a different changing station and turning on the lights, we just change her in the bed. It’s a small thing, but it’s those little hacks that make it easy instead of a hassle.
Simon: The most surprising thing to me has been that it’s possible to get frustrated with a baby. I would never have guessed that I could get annoyed with such a tiny human. Of course that doesn't happen often, but it really took me by surprise that I could get upset with her, when she screamed for hours. I needed to talk to my friends and ask whether it was OK for me to have these emotions. They confirmed that it was a natural emotion which made me feel better about myself. And as soon as she smiles, it passes.
Q: So Simon, how was it to give your daughter the Caramma Support bottle? You looked very cute during the shoot?
Simon: It felt really natural, I didn't really think about it. I just had her close, like Muri and how I normally have her on my body.
Q: How about maternity leave—how do you feel about that?
Muri: Time flies—it’s crazy. Right in the beginning, I thought about how I would see on social media that everyone is walking around with their babies and eating ice cream, and I was not. But then I just accepted that and started finding peace in doing things our way. I like being home with her. We don’t do that much, but time flies—it’s crazy.
Q: Simon, how do you juggle being an entrepreneur and paternity leave?
Simon: I can’t really go on paternity leave, and we both feel really comfortable with this division of roles that Muri stays at home. So, in some ways, we are old school—I am working, and Muri is home. We are doing it our way. I used to work 14-16 hours; I don’t do that anymore, but I also can’t step out. We’ve found a good rhythm that works for us. I think it’s important that you figure out—free from norms—how you can juggle parenting between you. Muri is breastfeeding - so I am supporting her.
Q: Any final remarks?
Muri: Just remember to keep being a couple and tell each other that you love each other and give compliments. No matter how much you love your child, you should remember to fuel that relationship.
Words by Veronica D'Souza