Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Entertainment
Sheena McStravick

Baby-friendly places in Northern Ireland are just a click away thanks to two savvy mums

It's pretty much a right of passage when you're on maternity leave to get out of the house and meet up with friends for a coffee or a walk.

But for many mums and dads, the struggle to find somewhere able to accommodate babies both safely and stress-free can be tough.

Now, thanks to two Co Antrim mums you can find a baby-friendly walk or restaurant at the click of a button.

Read more: Belfast mum's delight as breastfeeding website shortlisted for award

First-time mums Holly Hamilton, 28, and Catherine Mooney, 27, are on a mission to suss out the best walks, cafes, restaurants and activities across the country suitable for babies, and then share their insights with the rest of us.

The Newtownabbey pair have set up a dedicated Instagram account called, Exploring Babies NI where they have been documenting their recommendations for where to eat, drink, swim and more with your baby.

Speaking to Be, Holly explained it was after a bad experience around Christmas time when they were turned away from four places which serve food and alcohol because they had babies with them.

"Despite the fact it was a Tuesday afternoon and none of the places were busy, we still weren't allowed in with the babies. So after that experience, we made it our mission to research baby-friendly places."

Catherine admitted it can be hard to find places that will facilitate you bringing prams indoors.

She said: "My friend had a wee baby and he is 10 weeks younger than Rory and our friend from University was coming over for the weekend to see them. I messaged loads of places in town to say there would be two prams and they just replied 'we wouldn't be able to facilitate a pram you could leave it outside'.

"You can't really leave it outside in March. So they suggested they could put them in a high seat but I said they were still too small for those and they just said they couldn't facilitate that.

"We just thought why can we not go for lunch with a baby on a Tuesday afternoon?"

Catherine continued: "When you Google baby-friendly things to do in Belfast it comes up like the Titanic Quarter and W5 and that's not where you want to bring small babies, and everyone knows about those places as well so we wanted to find new places."

The duo who met through a mutual friend whilst pregnant now take regular trips to cafes, restaurants, and even scenic walking spots with their babies Rory, 20 weeks, and Jonah, 18 weeks.

"We've had people message us to say they've tried places we suggested and loved it which is great. We even put up one the other day about Loughshore and we made sure to include information about parking as it's easier to park across the road, so things like that you'd rather someone like us went through it all so you know if it's worth going to or not."

"We know how much of an ordeal it is getting out of the house with all the kit and the babies so you want to make sure all that effort isn't wasted.

"It means so much when staff go above and beyond and make you feel welcome so we want to shout about those places," added Holly.

The mums have also been exploring baby-friendly activities that won't break the bank.

"You don't want to have to sit in a coffee shop all the time to just get out of the house. Some of the baby classes are great but they can be expensive and if the babies sleep through them or cry the whole time you just think it's a waste of money and maternity pay is tight enough so it's nice to find things that are free, said Holly.

"The baby classes in the libraries are great and they are completely free so they're well worth signing up for.

"We tried a baby-friendly Couch to 5k which was only 50p a session, it wasn't really for us but it was great craic and we met loads of mums as well which is so important."

The pair have encouraged other parents to get in touch with new suggestions and also encouraged those who may find maternity leave a little isolating to reach out.

""We're very lucky we have each other and a few of our friends who are having babies but some people don't have anyone for support so it's a good idea for mums to suss out places you meet other mums who you can relate to," added Holly.

To see the baby-friendly places and activities as recommended by Holly and Catherine you can check out their Instagram page here.

Read more: NI woman gives birth to baby weighing less than bag of sugar

Read more: Belfast mum's brush with cancer has given her a new perspective

For the latest lifestyle content straight to your inbox, sign up to our free Be newsletter here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.