Do dads/babies come?

Yes.  We are a family retreat and most parents are not ready to leave their littles for a long time after birth.  The whole family needs to come up for air and that's what our retreats are designed for.

What will I be eating?

We are NOT a bootcamp, but we are a health and fitness retreat.  Our food is carefully planned with our Resident Nutritionists to be well-balance and nutritious, as well as tasty and easy to re-create once you get home.  This does mean that you're not going to get free flowing booze and cheese as you would on a ski holiday, 

What will babies/kids be eating?

We are a homely environment, we've got kids ourselves.  We know it's annoying to cook several different meals for various family members, which is why we serve kids' versions of the grown up meals so that new tastes are introduced.  We also have specific kids meals which can be pureed if the adult menu is not appropriate that day (eg chicken and Mediterranean veg, roasted veg pasta) or Baby Tapas plates (eg hummous, cucumber, tomato, ham, cheese, pitta).  We also carry Babease pouches for weaning or day trip snacks.

What's the schedule?

Here is an example of a typical day on our Family/Postnatal retreat:

• 8-9am breakfast

• 9am-12pm or 2-5pm (approx) one-to-one childcare, once per week per family

• 9.30am mindfulness session

• 10am mums fitness class

• 11am dads fitness class

• 12.30pm lunch

• 2pm massage

• free time, reading, swimming, naptime, day trips out

• 4pm snack

• 4.30pm mum’s fitness class

• 5.30pm baby/kids tea

• 6pm baby/kids bath and bedtime

• 7.30pm drinks and dinner

• We also find time for: optional PT sessions; group chats and expert Q&A; cooking demonstrations, run club, date night (babysitting provided); and you'll also have time for days out from the retreat venue.

• The team is always around to offer a helping hand with childcare outside the designated one-to-one slots too, and we often create a quasi-playgroup sociable atmosphere in the mornings when one parent is in class.

Can babies eat with grown-ups?

Breakfast and lunch are eaten family-style in communal areas (depending on venue) and we have set times in order to minimise organisational stress and make sure you've had enough food throughout the day to give you the appropriate energy for your fitness classes.  There is some flexibility of course, to take into account baby routines etc.  For dinner, we usually anticipate children to be in bed in order for you parents to get a real break.  However if this is not in your routine, or if sleep-refusal is happening!, we can accommodate little guests at dinner time.

What's the minimum age of babies?

Usually you will have had your 6-week GP check to take part in our retreats fully (a programme of rehabilitation exercises is available before this, but not the full &Breathe experience).  We also recommend that you have seen a Women's Health Physio before attending in order to see whether there are any issues resulting from pregnancy and childbirth.  We will give all mums a one-to-one consultation and check for DRA (ab separation) as well as assessing the current state of your pelvic floor, however a WH Physio will be able to examine you internally, which can be a great help. 

The average age of babies on our retreats varies and is totally what you feel comfortable with. We welcome babies from 6 weeks up to 18 months and older toddlers and children up to around 5 years are also welcome on our Family/Postnatal retreats. For other age combinations, please see our Bespoke Retreats page.

What sort of exercise do you offer?

We place huge emphasis on rehabilitation after childbirth (in some cases years after - you can make a difference!) making sure you learn the best way to breathe, engage your core & pelvic floor and strengthen the basics so that you can return to being fitter and better than you were before baby!  If you are fully recovered post-birth, we will also give you a great workout and help you develop excellent strength and functional fitness appropriate for your body.  And don't worry, dads will also have a proper consultation to assess their level of fitness and any issues/injuries, and will work hard too.

Dads come along, but what do they get?

LOADS! Yes, our focus is on the mums (they did do the heavy lifting on pregnancy and childbirth after all), but we recognise that dads also need some self-care time.  Postnatal Depression in dads is more prevalent that you'd think, and exhaustion and lack of fitness is just as much of an issue for them.  We put in plenty of exercise (run club, PT session, dads day, the time to do your own workouts if you'd like) for dads and they also get a massage too.  The vibe is very all-inclusive and dads make great friends as the mums do.  It's also a fabulous chance to bond with their babies/kids if they've had to go back quickly to work.

Do you offer yoga?

Unfortunately not, but we do know some other yoga retreats for mums and babies (no dads) that you might enjoy.  We can also arrange additional yoga sessions for you on the retreat. Let us know if you want more info.

Do you do any retreats in the UK?

YES! We have our fabulous 2-day retreats in the UK from time to time at gorgeous 5* locations.  More info here.

Can I come as a single parent?

Fancy a break with just your second child, or rocking independent parenting? We've got you covered.  We do offer reduced rates for those coming on their own with baby.  We include extra childcare in this package so that you can take part in the fitness classes in peace.

What about gay parents or adoptive parents?

You're more than welcome on our current retreats, though the emphasis is geared towards those who've been through childbirth currently, you won't feel out of place, we promise!  We're working on the possibility of specific retreats for these types of family.