A Guide To Honeymooning With A Baby

For many couples, the prospect of honeymooning with a baby (especially long haul) is a daunting one and understandably so. There are many unknowns and “what ifs” attached but at The Wedding Edition HQ we are strong believers in pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to make special memories that will last a lifetime.

My husband and I weren’t able to go on our dream mega-moon in 2021 when we tied the knot as Covid restrictions were still in place. We then welcomed our baby boy Alfred into the world in 2022 so like many other couples, we were a family of three planning an unconventional honeymoon. We decided on a fly and flop style vacay to the Maldives and whilst we were there I was inundated with questions on how we did it with a baby. To answer, did it really feel like a honeymoon? Absolutely, we loved every moment – it’s certainly different to before with less sun lounger and book time – but we had the most incredible time. With an extra member of the team, who was parked up in his pram at romantic dinners on the beach, bobbed around in the sea with us and stole the hearts of most waiters.

We stayed at Gili Lankanfushi, Anantara Kihavah Maldives and Four Seasons Kuda Huraa. Each resort went above and beyond to ensure Alfred’s stay was as authentically luxurious as ours.

Here is my guide to honeymooning with a baby.

The flight:

Children under two travel free and sit on your knees, make sure you book a bassinet seat if flying economy or premium economy. If your baby is under 7 months they should fit comfortably in the bassinet and this also gives you a bit of extra room. Book a night flight where possible and pack your baby carrier in hand luggage so you can walk up and down to settle your little one if needed. Feed your baby during take off and when descending, this helps with the pressure in their ears. Take a snuggly blanket (or wear a big cardigan for cuddles), a few favourite toys and make sure your changing bag is easily accessible. Also pack Calpol sachets in case you need and you can pre-order nappies to Boots, and collect to save on packing space.

Feeding:

We were lucky that Alfred was mainly breastfeeding at the time of our honeymoon which takes out a lot of the faff. However, most family friendly resorts will cater for your baby’s feeding needs, if weaning it makes life so easy as the chef will be happy to blend fresh vegetables. Alfred’s favourite was sweet potato, with a little fresh coconut milk.

Baby travel essentials:

A compact travel pram is a must, we went for the Ergo Baby 360 which I’d highly recommend. Order a float for the pool, or sea, Alfred loved this and many come with a shade cover too which is great. Don’t forget swim nappies (although, Freddie did a lot of naked swimming in the sea) but good to have for pooltime. Ear defenders are a must if you’re travelling by seaplane or speedboat (which you have to do in the Maldives) or a noisy small plane. A few friends also advised taking an IPad (or you can use your phone) for children’s TV shows to keep them entertained on the flight and at times when needed. And don’t forget a clip on fan for the pram, will help them to relax whilst you’re having a sandy toed long lunch.

Sleep:

We would suggest, when on holiday, go with the flow. At the time of our trip Alfred was six months old. We have taken a relaxed, baby-led approach to sleep, with no strict routine or sleep training. He was a little jet-lagged on day one, but seemed to move over to the new timezone and adjust fairly quickly- I think the night flight massively helped with this.