Hi my name is Jasmine, and I’m a Mama of a little girl called Elfie. I am the organiser of Blaze Trails Dorset a local walking group for parents and their babies. I’am here to provide you with walking buddies, support and inspiration you need to make that step out into nature fun and totally achievable!
I’ve been walking with Blaze Trails since Elfie was 12 weeks old and it has been such a positive experience. Quite soon after Elfie was born, she struggled with silent reflux and the only way to settle/soothe her was to wear her in a baby carrier – that is where she stayed a lot of time time. The reflux struggles also meant I felt anxious to go to any baby groups as I couldn’t put her down and she cried a lot. At times it was hard to leave the house at all. I found Blaze trails online and realised it could be perfect for us, I’ve always liked to get outdoors and keep active and being a baby carrier walk, I felt confident she would enjoy it too. I wasn’t wrong – It got me out the house I’ve met great new friends, got some good exercise in and Elfie was generally pretty happy getting to stay in her favourite place. Freya who previously organised walks for the Dorset area did an incredible job and when she moved to Cornwall and took on a regional coordinator role for Blaze Trails, I felt like I wanted to give a bit back to the group and encourage other mums/care givers to get out and enjoy walking as much as I did.
Getting outside has so many physical and mental benefits for all of us and we are lucky to have such amazing natural environment on our doorstep to explore. We have some additional walk leaders joining in the Dorset area which will give us wider range of when/where you want to join.
We are always looking for organisers to join us offering more walks, if you are interested please get in touch.
Blaze Trails is a national network of walking groups founded by Katy who stared the first group in North London. There are now over 40 groups across the UK. Blaze Trails was set up to help parents meet others and get outdoors with their children. That said Blaze Trails is open to dads, carers, grandparents, not just mums.
There is the obvious benefit of helping people regain fitness post birth, as walking is an ideal activity to start this process. But for many groups we have found that the true benefit of Blaze Trails has been supporting people’s mental health. Social isolation is a big issue with parents, particularly new parents. Add in the restrictions and limitations on services over pandemic, it is no wonder we are seeing evidence emerging that cases of perinatal mental health issues are on the rise. As a Mental Health Nurse myself, I know how beneficial getting outdoors and having that supportive space to open up and connect with others can be.
There is no pressure to share and for some it is about simply allowing baby to have a good nap while they catch up with friends and have a bit of a laugh, as we all know how a good walk lulls most babies to sleep. This is why I try to offer a variety of walks each month, we have a mix of buggy friendly walks and carrier only walks. I also try to have one ambitious walk each month which may have some hills for those that like a challenge, we even have our first full day hike planned for next month where we will be walking along the coast path around Dancing Ledge.
All of my walks are free, there sometimes may be a small car parking fee if I can’t find any free parking nearby. We do often stop for snack or lunch breaks, sometimes treating ourselves after a tough hike to a nice pub lunch.
Please also remember we are all parents, grandparents or carers, so don’t worry if your baby cries. If you need to stop to feed or change a nappy, we have all been there and are always happy to have another cheeky rest.
Come and join our Blaze Trails – Dorset Parent & Baby Walking Group where you can find out about our next walk and ask any questions. You can also find Blaze Trails on Instagram.
Hopefully see you soon!
*Guest Blog written by Jasmine, Organiser of the Blaze Trails Dorset Parent & Baby Walking Group.
