I’d spent months imagining the moment we’d take Daisy into the mountains. Throughout pregnancy I’d pictured family hikes, cosy baby carrier cuddles and showing her the places that have always felt like home to me. By the time she was seven weeks old, I was desperate to get back outdoors.
Looking back, I probably wasn’t as ready as I thought I was. The surprising part? It wasn’t having a baby that made our first hike difficult. It was recovering from birth.
Choosing our first hike
For our first outing, we kept things deliberately simple and headed to Llyn Idwal in Eryri (Snowdonia).
I’d originally imagined we’d squeeze in a proper mountain day, but as soon as we arrived, I realised this wasn’t the time to push myself. Llyn Idwal felt like the perfect compromise. It’s beautiful, relatively gentle and, most importantly, there was no pressure to keep going if I didn’t feel up to it.
That decision ended up making all the difference.
The reality of hiking seven weeks postpartum
Once we started walking, it quickly became obvious that my body wasn’t quite where my mind was. I was carrying Daisy in the baby carrier while Phil carried most of our supplies in a backpack. We swapped occasionally for photos, but for the most part he took the heavier load, which I’m very grateful for looking back.
Even with that help, my back became painful much sooner than I expected. We’d only been walking a relatively short time before I realised this wasn’t going to be the hike I’d imagined.
Instead of pushing on, we slowed right down. We took our time, stopped whenever we wanted to and simply enjoyed being outside together. In the end, we spent around an hour and a half walking around the lake before heading back.
At the time, I remember feeling a little disappointed that we hadn’t done more. Now, I see it completely differently. That walk wasn’t about ticking off a route or reaching a summit. It was about proving to ourselves that we could still get outside as a family.
What we packed
Because it was a cool September day in North Wales, I packed for just about every weather scenario I could think of.
For Daisy
- Pre-made bottle of formula (with extra supplies left in the car)
- Foldable changing mat
- Nappies
- Wipes
- Nappy bags
- Extra fleece layer
- Wool booties
- Spare socks
- Hat
- Gloves
- Baby carrier down cover with a waterproof outer layer
For me
Alongside my usual hiking essentials, I packed:
- Waterproof shell jacket
- Lightweight down jacket
- Fleece
- Hat
- Spare socks
- Water
- Food
In hindsight, I probably overpacked slightly, but I’d much rather have carried things we didn’t need than wished we’d brought them.
What surprised me most
Before we left home, I’d spent far more time worrying about Daisy than I did about myself.
Would she cry?
Would she get cold?
Would she hate the carrier?
Would we have to turn around after ten minutes?
In reality, Daisy wasn’t the difficult part at all. She was cosy in the carrier, settled beautifully and simply came along for the adventure and actually slept for most of the walk.
It was my own recovery that caught me out. I think that’s something that’s easy to underestimate. You can feel desperate to get back to doing the things you love, but your body sometimes needs a little longer to catch up.
What I’d do differently
If I could go back, I’d put far less pressure on that first hike. I’d stop worrying about everything that could go wrong and simply enjoy the experience for what it was. I’d also remind myself that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a short, familiar route as a test run.
Not every adventure has to be ambitious. Sometimes the biggest milestone is simply getting out of the house, strapping your baby into a carrier and taking those first few steps together.
My biggest takeaway
That first hike gave me something I’d really missed after becoming a mum: a little piece of myself back.
The mountains looked exactly the same, but everything else had changed. Our pace was slower. Our backpacks were fuller. Our priorities were different. And somehow, that made the day feel even more special.
If you’re thinking about taking your baby on their first hike, I’d simply say this: don’t wait for everything to feel perfect. Start small. Choose somewhere that feels manageable. Give yourself permission to turn back if you need to.
The mountains will still be there next weekend.
Sometimes, the hardest part is taking that first step.
