Travels After Baby: What to Expect

Curious after travels after baby and what to expect? Well, a lot to be honest. Travels will never the same. But you will experience the world in new and different ways, with a new set of eyes and the chance to be present and enjoy the moment with your child. Because this time is really priceless. Is travels after baby worth it? Yes definitely.

2018 was a big year for us! Kenz and I became first-time parents and we also celebrated 10 years of marriage. In 10 years, we moved to London, travelled to over 60 countries, purchased and renovated a house, lost a parent, adopted a dog, and welcomed a baby daughter. 10 years in the books! What better way to mark the occasion than the gift of travel? 

Travels After Baby: Managing Expectations

Unlike our previous trips since Lady Yeya was born, our 10th wedding anniversary trip would be our first trip as a family of three. One of the hardest things for us to forgo now as new parents is our intrepid style of travel. We didn’t want to give up travel which has been an important part of our adult life. But we also knew if we were to continue travels after baby, we would need to manage our expectation and change our travel style. And with that, also change our priorities.  Forget midnight hikes up Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain, white river rafting, scuba diving, or multi-day treks in the mountain. Rather our priority is comfort, convenience, and safety of my family, especially now with the baby.  

When planning on where to go to celebrate our big 10 with a 6 month old infant in tow, we had a few requirements for an October trip: warm weather, gorgeous beach, and luxury. This basically rules out most of Europe as the weather can be fickle. We didn’t want to go to the Canary Islands which is as far south as you can get whilst still being in the European Union. 

Looking further afield, we decided on an All-Inclusive in the Caribbean for convenience. Staying in an All-Inclusive is not our usual style, but seeing that Lady Yeya was about six months old, we wanted a stress-free and hassle-free holiday. We simply wanted to chill and relax (well as much as you with a little baby) on a beautiful beach and all the amenities at our disposal. After some thought, we decided on 10 blissful days in The Dominican Republic. 

Flight Experience

I previously shared my flying experience with a young child from 3 months to 20 months in a previous post. Lady Yeya did well on the flight thanks to frequent nursing and napping. We took a 9.5-hour direct flight on British Airways to Punta Cana, departing London Gatwick at 11:35 am. Lady Yeya flew “free” as a lap child. 

We arrived at the airport early to take advantage of the BA Lounge, enjoying a champagne brunch (it is our 10th anniversary trip after all!) and getting Lady Yeya ready for another long-haul flight. The flight worked well with Lady Yeya’s afternoon nap schedule (12:30 pm and 3:30 pm). Half of it was in her bassinet seat, and the other half was sitting on my lap whilst I was busy watching a movie. For the few hours that she was awake, we would read some baby books and she would play with her favourite Lamaze toys with all the textures, colours, and ribbons to keep her entertained. She was generally a happy and content baby, much to our relief. 

We actually got a bonus day in Punta Cana as our original return flight was cancelled and we were rescheduled to fly back to the U.K. the following day. Happy anniversary to us! 

The Majestic Mirage, Punta Cana

There are numerous resorts dotted along Playa Bavaro, just a short 30-minute drive from Punta Cana International Airport. We picked The Majestic Mirage for the all-suite set-up.  All rooms were suites are no less than 93 square metres with a separate living area and bedroom plus 1.5 bath and an outdoor jacuzzi. Having the extra space was important to us when travelling with a 6 month old so we can have a separate place to relax when Lady Yeya went for her three naps without disturbing her. I read horrible stories about how new parents would sit in the bathroom or on the balcony for hours on end whilst their young child was sleeping. This did not sound appealing to me at all.  

Initially, we were put in a room on the 3rd floor with a pool view, but requested for a ground floor room with a private plunge pool so we can relax in our Bali bed on the outdoor terrace whilst Lady Yeya was sleeping. The spacious modern room was elegantly decorated in neutral tones throughout and included a mini-bar which housekeeping replenished daily. My only feedback was the room had a slight damp smell. It is the Caribbean after all but they probably could have put more thought on cross ventilation.

The resort is huge with a massive pool running the length of the resort from the lobby to the beach. The Majestic Mirage had no less than eight restaurants on-site although only a handful of restaurants are open during the low season. We would always start with breakfast at the Marketplace, lunch at the Pavilion overlooking the beach, and dinner was on rotation between the various “themed” restaurants. Additionally, there were several cafes and a sports bar where you can pick up snacks, coffee, or an afternoon cake. Being an upmarket All-Inclusive property, top-shelf premium alcohol was widely available at the lobby bar, poolside bar, and beach bar. 

The beach was lovely with endless miles of white sand with crystal clear waters. The resort wasn’t busy at all since it was low-season, so there is no trouble finding an empty Bali bed or sun loungers at either the pool or at the beach. October was technically hurricane season but we got lucky with the weather with some small showers, but overall some glorious weather. The staff is very friendly and very responsive. Overall this resort had a relaxed and elegant atmosphere. 

Travels After Baby: Travel Tips with a 6 month old

Since I was exclusively nursing and Lady Yeya was just starting on some basic solids such as baby porridge and simple fruit and vegetables, feeding was easy. I pre-ordered and picked up some Ella’s Kitchen pouches at Boots after clearing security.  To be honest, I wasn’t militant about giving her solids at every meal whilst on holiday. It was just enough so she had some variety in her diet. As they say, “food before one is for fun,” plus I didn’t want to risk getting an upset stomach with her. As with other trips, we try to keep to her normal sleeping, eating, and bedtime routine as we do at home. I’d say don’t be afraid to travel because of the need to keep to a routine. Whilst routine is important, infants are surprisingly adaptable!

Research and Choose Wisely: 

• Resort Location: After a long-haul flight with a young child, the last thing you’d want is a long transfer time to your resort. If all possible, I’d recommend picking a destination and resort about less than 30-40 minutes from the airport. I remember that painful 2-hour drive to my parent’s house after a 10.5-hour flight to Oakland International Airport. It was exhausting, so we decided never again. 
• Accommodations: I highly recommend booking a suite with a separate living area, or at the very least, a room with a nice outdoor balcony. You’ll want to maximise relaxation time when your baby is down for a nap. Having extra space allows you to do so without tiptoeing around whilst the little one is sleeping. In the evenings when Lady Yeya went to bed, we would relax on the terrace which had a nice jacuzzi over a refreshing cocktail. 

Napping / Sleeping Strategy: 

• Morning Nap: Babies at six month old need three naps a day (around 9:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 3:30/4:00 pm) for a total of 2-3 hours, plus 11-12 hours at night around 6:30/7:00 pm. After breakfast, she would take her morning nap in the room whilst we had another cup of coffee. My rule of thumb is always never to wake a sleeping baby! For the rest of her afternoon naps, we were flexible about timings and decided how to go about the napping strategy after her morning nap. 
• Afternoon Naps: For her mid-day nap, we’d tried to time it so she naps in her pram whilst we had lunch alfresco in the Pavilion. Otherwise, she would either join us for the start of lunch and then one of us would stroll her around the property until she fell asleep. If she had a long morning nap, we would eat lunch together and decide where to take her mid-day nap: back in the room, poolside on the Bali bed, or on the beach on the Bali bed. The same applies for her late afternoon nap. We just went with the flow, to be honest. Lady Yeya wasn’t very mobile yet and happily sleep anywhere!
• Bedtime Routine:  This was tricky since most restaurants open around 5:30 pm for dinner and bedtime can be anywhere between 6:30 pm – 7 pm depending on the last nap. Again, we were flexible around this. There were evenings after a late afternoon nap when she would join us for the early bird special dinner at 5:30 pm, followed by her normal bath, book, and bed routine. We would enjoy the rest of the evening on the terrace. Other times, we bathed and changed Lady Yeya into her sleeper and strolled with us to dinner whilst she was sleeping. Yes, she’s a good sleeper! On those evenings, we were able to have a quick post-dinner drink at the piano bar before heading back to the room.

Other Useful Tips: 

• Pack very strategically. Unlike previous trips to California or Provence where we had a car and all the conveniences a short drive away, we were staying in an all-inclusive resort. The chances of us leaving the property were slim. Majestic Mirage did have a mini-mart for basic sundries so at a push we could pick up urgent items. I took more than enough supply of nappies, wipes, medicine, and clothes for Lady Yeya. I am glad I did because Lady Yeya got a 24 hour stomach bug upon arriving! Luckily she recovered quickly without any major issues. 
• Protect your baby’s sensitive skin against the Caribbean sun. It goes without saying bring 50+ SPF sunscreen, wide bucket hats, and lightweight breathable clothing. I bought a few long-sleeve rash guard style bathing suits for Lady Yeya. To be honest, she spent most of the time in her nappy and perfectly happy. 
• Bring an insulated water bottle to keep your water ice cold. Nothing beats chilled water in the hot weather. Seasoned all-inclusive holiday makers also bought a drink cooler and would ask the bartenders to pour their cocktails in their coolers. 

As for the local culture and history of The Dominican Republic? Well, unfortunately, we never left the resort. It was a very different style of travel for us just posting up on the beach chair or Bali bed for 10 days straight. But it was so easy and truly a stress-free holiday. I can definitely get used to staying in luxury all-inclusive in the future, especially when Lady Yeya is older to take advantage of the Kids Club. 

Travels after Baby: A Final Thought

Travel will never be the same again with kids in the mix. My biggest tip for travels after baby is to manage your expectations and prioritise your family’s comfort and safety. Some people have asked me why we bother to travel with a baby when they don’t remember it. Other parents think it is too much of a hassle to travel with a baby that it’s not even worth it. For us, travels isn’t going to stop just because we have kids. For all the discomfort of long-haul flights and packing and repacking is well worth the lifetime of memories, experience, and bonding with your child. It is truly priceless. 

So here’s travels after baby! Enjoy every moment of it.