Where it began

The idea for Pramwalks came because I was tired. I was so tired. Not only was I physically exhausted but I was drained emotionally and spiritually too. My daughter was about 6 months old and sleeping with me. I needed to recharge. So, we went on a road trip along the Great Ocean Road. Road trip, baby, break. What was I thinking? But I desperately needed a change from the four walls of home. My daughter would only sleep in micro bursts throughout the day, unless she was in a moving vehicle.  She also loved to sleep in a moving pram, the rocking motion lulling her. I would always feel more energised after walking and able to get a healthier sleep on nights after a walk too.

One day, I went to an information centre and asked for any walks in nature that were suitable for prams. A helpful lady directed me to a nearby waterfall. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so nearby by baby standards. The ‘only a few’ kilometre distance was misleading because my calculations hadn’t allowed for how windy the roads were. I had my mind set. I was going to try and keep her awake and feed her when we got there, make her as comfortable as possible and then snuggle her into her pram cocoon. She would sleep with the bliss of a truly contented child in the soothing sounds of nature. Birdsong. Water cascading over ancient rocks. She’d feel the calm energy of her mother return and all would truly be well with the world.

Once we arrived at the carpark, it was much cooler than I’d expected but knew that once I’d snuggled her in, after a feed and a nappy change, she’d sleep like a …baby (whoever coined that phrase was cruel). We started down the track only to confronted with about, what seemed, 50 or more wet, slippery steps. The lady couldn’t have sent us to a more unsuitable walk for prams had she tried. Unfortunately, the “walk” was only a pram accessible viewing platform.

The idea for Pram Walks came as I reluctantly and begrudgingly put my baby back into the car and prayed she’d fall asleep while we travelled back to camp. I wished there was a guide that would enable me to plan walks on family holidays and days out where we could all enjoy ourselves. And I figured I wouldn’t be the only one.