Having a baby changed Karen Edwards and Shaun Bayes's travels, but it did not end their interest in exploring. Their early journey with daughter Esmé became widely shared through Travel Mad Mum, showing a family adapting a familiar love of travel to a new companion.

The photographs in this story belong to that first chapter in the mid-2010s. Esmé was a baby then; the images are not a description of her age today.

Karen Edwards and Shaun Bayes travelling with their young daughter Esmé
Karen Edwards and Shaun Bayes travelling with their young daughter Esmé. Gallery attribution: Karen Edwards / Travel Mad Mum.

A family story, not a requirement

Edwards's Travel Mad Mum website grew from her experience of incorporating family life into travel. The original account described a long journey through parts of Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Karen and Esmé together during their family journey
Karen and Esmé together during their family journey. Gallery attribution: Karen Edwards / Travel Mad Mum.

That is one way of doing it. A first trip with a baby can also be a short stay near home, a visit to relatives or a few nights in one comfortable base. The length of the journey says little about how enjoyable it will be for the people taking it.

The useful question is not whether you can reproduce another family's itinerary. It is what would make your own day work well somewhere new.

Plan around ordinary needs

Begin with sleeping, feeding, changing and transport. Ask the accommodation about the actual sleeping arrangement and available equipment rather than relying on a general family-friendly label.

Choose a base where an ordinary errand does not require a major expedition. Nearby food shops, a manageable route outdoors and somewhere comfortable to pause can make more difference than an extra attraction.

Pack around the time between reliable opportunities to wash clothes or replenish supplies. Travelling with one bag may suit some families, but it is not a useful competition if it leaves you without what your child needs.

Get advice for your child and destination

Discuss a proposed international trip with a clinician who can consider the child's age, health, vaccinations and route. The CDC's guidance on travel with infants and children emphasises preparation tailored to the journey, including access to care and transport safety.

An account of one baby travelling well cannot establish that another baby is ready for the same destination or activity. It also cannot replace suitable child restraints, safe sleeping arrangements or attentive supervision near water.

Keep the practical advice specific and proportionate, then make room for the enjoyable parts of the day.

Share the experience and the work

If two adults travel together, talk about who handles different tasks and when each person can take a break. Sometimes one adult can enjoy a museum or activity while the other stays with the baby, then swap later.

Leave more unbooked time than you did before parenthood. A pleasant morning followed by a quiet afternoon is a complete holiday day, not a failed itinerary.

Our story of a family exploring by sidecar shows another very individual approach. Borrow the willingness to adapt, then choose your own scale. The first memory worth keeping may be as simple as breakfast together in a new place.