This Mom Spent Her Maternity Leave Traveling the World With Her Newborn

When London-based couple Karen Edwards and Shaun Bayes told their friends that they planned to travel the world with their newborn baby, Esmé​, while Edwards was on maternity leave, everyone thought they were nuts. But Edwards​, who runs a blog where she provides tips for parents traveling with babies, made it look easy. 

"The thoughts of travelling with little ones can be quite daunting for many parents," she wrote on her site. "I know I feared being the 'mum with the crying baby' on board a busy flight... By the time our little girl was four months old she had been to four countries, on a long road trip, camping, an international ferry and two long-haul flights. I am not saying it is always easy but at the end of the day it all turns out okay!​"

The couple put their belongings in storage, sold their car, and rented out their house, bringing only one suitcase between them on their 10-month-adventure. So far they've been to Ireland, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Bali. 

Edwards​'s maternity leave pay provided some income, and Bayes​ took occasional freelance work as a landscaper. Edwards​ breastfed Esmé​, who got her vaccinations before they left the U.K. 

"The overall aim is to inspire like-minded travel loving parents — your travel days do not have to be over," Karen wrote on her site.

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