Reality testing our plans to hike with a newborn baby

[realtommcleod]

Dear friends,

First, thank you for being a trove of insightful knowledge. I've enjoyed lurking and learning a lot these past days.

Second, apologies if this post does not belong in "miscellaneous topics", but I couldn't see an obvious category for it.

Okay, to the post! Me and my wife (young, healthy, spend our vacations hiking) are planning to hike the camino with our baby.

Of course, this will require extensive planning, bags of motivation, and a little bit of luck.

I'm writing to post what I have compiled so far in the way of things we need to consider in planning this trip.

If you are someone with insight on things we aren't thinking about, or should be thinking about differently, I'd be most grateful for your time. I also welcome any additional perspectives you think will be useful to us and to others!

(I should say I wouldn't extend "thinking about differently" to "don't bother doing the camino with your baby". Right now, we're trying to develop a concrete plan to take to our pediatrician, rather than abandoning the idea before we've even started.)

Thank you very much in advance for any wisdom you're able to share. The plan I'm compiling is pasted below. Cheers, and be well!

*******

Trip details:

• Pilgrims: Mom, dad, and a two-month old baby. Mom and dad are Spanish speakers.
• When: June 2025.

Staying safe:

• Discuss plans with pediatrician and adapt as advised.
• See how things are going in first two months of baby’s life before confirming.
  (i.e. if mom and/or baby aren’t in good health/fit to travel, don’t fly to Europe.)
• Do a few smaller day hikes at home during the first two months to test things out.
• Have an emergency plan, including knowledge of all clinics/hospitals on the route.
• If, at any point, the Camino is just not working out, bail and go do something else.

Routes to consider:

• Ingles: shorter, and reports from families who completed it with strollers.
• Frances: longer, and reports from families who completed it with baby carriers.

Travel to the start of the trail:

• Trains/public transport once we land in France/Spain (depending on selected route).

Carrying baby on the trail:

• Most likely a front sling with chest-to-chest connection.
• Attention paid to head, neck, hips, and legs for good posture.
• Attention paid to protection from sun, wind, and rain.
• Pay attention to mom’s chest, if/when carrying, to minimize mastitis risk.
• Draw inspiration from nomadic cultures where newborns are carried on the move 24/7.

Albergues:

• Private rooms only.
• Baby to sleep in travel crib/bassinet.
• Parents to inspect for bed bugs before making contact with beds.
  (Note: keyword search albergue reviews to see if they’ve had prior issues.)
• Consider booking everything in advance, although this does reduce flexibility.

Luggage:

• Take advantage of transfer services so we can take a larger bag to access in evenings.

Meals:

• Stock up on plenty of snacks for during the day, and feast at breakfast/dinner.
• Anticipate later dinners than usual, likely no earlier than 7PM.

Health:

• Diapers, cream, bags, and changing pad.
• Feeding sterilization supplies.
• Baby-specific meds: thermometer, saline drops, insect repellent, fever reducers.

 

[C clearly]

See how things are going in first two months of baby’s life before confirming.

I would say this is the critical unknown!

 

[SYates]

My first thought was - OMG NOOO!!! But reading through your post and your willingness to bail out if there is the slightest problem for the baby, plus that you are both Spanish speakers, I changed my mind ;-)
Knowing both Caminos well I would vote for the Ingles, and yes, with full pre-booking to keep your mind off one more thing. The Frances would be far more crowded and the Ingles is equally beautiful. Also, as it is a shorter Camino you would have more time before/after the Camino plus you can plan for shorter stages.
Would love to meet you in Santiago when you arrive here ;-)
BC SY

 

[VNwalking]

The baby will be your reality-check, not any of us. Maybe you can, maybe not -TBD.

 

[MinaKamina]

the baby hasn't even been born! and you aren't parents yet! but planning a transatlantic flight for a long walk on a different continent... WHY in the name of mud? the child will be just as happy with a daily round in the park and this will allow you to settle in your role as parents.

 

[J Willhaus]

Looks like you have a pretty good list. How many days do you want to walk? How long each day? The Camino Frances has the most infrastructure and can allow for shorter distances each day.

 

[natefaith]

Welcome to the Forum @realtommcleod ! You've thought through a lot of the details, and having private rooms and luggage transfers will make the potential journey smoother for sure.

Having had four kids, all via c-section (long story), something to think about is if the baby happens to come via c-section, it would be really good to plan for a solid 6 weeks, if not 8 weeks, for new mom to take it easy and completely heal. Doing something too intensive too soon, combined with sleep deprivation, would be hard on the body.

For me, I was able to take short walks around the neighborhood 2 to 3 weeks after each baby was born (the first week or 10 days I was still resting, taking care of the incision, and being on painkillers), building up slowly to longer walks. Knowing the Camino now, I'm not sure I would have been "Camino ready" 8 weeks after any of the babies was born, but that could just be me!

The Inglés is very pretty, but also quite hilly in spots. A recovering mom might have it harder; also just something to be aware of.

Of course, you guys might not have to have a c-section at all...but these are some of my thoughts if you're asking for input .

And it's a great idea to bring your plan to the pediatrician. One suggestion also could be to let the OB/GYN know and see what he/she thinks after the baby is born, as far as how mom is healing.

 

[Tincatinker]

In the last few months before our son was born The Beloved and I agreed that he wouldn’t impact our lifestyle. We’d be back to Morocco that Autumn reasoning that the Berber had babies too and we could always hire an extra mule….

 

[David Tallan]

Dear friends,

First, thank you for being a trove of insightful knowledge. I've enjoyed lurking and learning a lot these past days.

Second, apologies if this post does not belong in "miscellaneous topics", but I couldn't see an obvious category for it.

Okay, to the post! Me and my wife (young, healthy, spend our vacations hiking) are planning to hike the camino with our baby.

Of course, this will require extensive planning, bags of motivation, and a little bit of luck.

I'm writing to post what I have compiled so far in the way of things we need to consider in planning this trip.

If you are someone with insight on things we aren't thinking about, or should be thinking about differently, I'd be most grateful for your time. I also welcome any additional perspectives you think will be useful to us and to others!

(I should say I wouldn't extend "thinking about differently" to "don't bother doing the camino with your baby". Right now, we're trying to develop a concrete plan to take to our pediatrician, rather than abandoning the idea before we've even started.)

Thank you very much in advance for any wisdom you're able to share. The plan I'm compiling is pasted below. Cheers, and be well!

*******

Trip details:

• Pilgrims: Mom, dad, and a two-month old baby. Mom and dad are Spanish speakers.
• When: June 2025.

Staying safe:

• Discuss plans with pediatrician and adapt as advised.
• See how things are going in first two months of baby’s life before confirming.
  (i.e. if mom and/or baby aren’t in good health/fit to travel, don’t fly to Europe.)
• Do a few smaller day hikes at home during the first two months to test things out.
• Have an emergency plan, including knowledge of all clinics/hospitals on the route.
• If, at any point, the Camino is just not working out, bail and go do something else.

Routes to consider:

• Ingles: shorter, and reports from families who completed it with strollers.
• Frances: longer, and reports from families who completed it with baby carriers.

Travel to the start of the trail:

• Trains/public transport once we land in France/Spain (depending on selected route).

Carrying baby on the trail:

• Most likely a front sling with chest-to-chest connection.
• Attention paid to head, neck, hips, and legs for good posture.
• Attention paid to protection from sun, wind, and rain.
• Pay attention to mom’s chest, if/when carrying, to minimize mastitis risk.
• Draw inspiration from nomadic cultures where newborns are carried on the move 24/7.

Albergues:

• Private rooms only.
• Baby to sleep in travel crib/bassinet.
• Parents to inspect for bed bugs before making contact with beds.
  (Note: keyword search albergue reviews to see if they’ve had prior issues.)
• Consider booking everything in advance, although this does reduce flexibility.

Luggage:

• Take advantage of transfer services so we can take a larger bag to access in evenings.

Meals:

• Stock up on plenty of snacks for during the day, and feast at breakfast/dinner.
• Anticipate later dinners than usual, likely no earlier than 7PM.

Health:

• Diapers, cream, bags, and changing pad.
• Feeding sterilization supplies.
• Baby-specific meds: thermometer, saline drops, insect repellent, fever reducers.

There are lots of nomadic peoples on this Earth who regularly travel with two month old babies (as I see is mentioned in one of your bullet points). Babies are not incapable of travel.

I would try and stay away from booking everything in advance. Flexibility is really your best friend. It is worth it if you occasionally find yourself in a dorm instead of a private room if it enables you to maintain that flexibility (my opinion, of course).

Think about who is going to carry what (and whom, of course) during the day even with the transfer services.

Keep careful track of where pharmacies and supermarkets are (and when they are open on the days you pass through).

If late dinners are a potential issue, consider having your main meal early to mid-afternoon (1:30-3:30) when the Spanish do, and just have something light in the evening.

In addition to the small day hikes in prep, it might make sense to look for a long weekend when you can walk two or three days in a row. There is a big difference between a day hike and consecutive days walking.