An adventurous mum took her 10-week-old baby on a nine month trip around the world, so that she could "experience different cultures".

Karen Edwards and her husband Shaun hatched a plan to travel during her maternity leave last year.

And the travel bug stuck, with the family inspired to travel to more than 20 different countries, from Singapore to New Zealand, in just over a year.

The 31-year-old said: “When I got pregnant we decided we are going to backpacking on my maternity leave. It is the perfect opportunity for us not to be tied to a job or a mortgage, experience different cultures. We can all be together as a family. It is all about being free.”

Little Esmé, who is now two and a half years old, has now ‘picked up’ bits of different languages, and is a pint-sized-pro when it comes to plane etiquette.

Karen, a nurse a Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital said: “Esmé sits down on the plane and she knows the drill about the seatbelts, she knows that when she sees the light goes on she can take her seatbelt off.”

The couple, from Crystal Palace, are expecting baby number two in June - a boy - and have already booked tickets to do it all over again after he is born. This time setting off from Canada in August before taking on Central and then South America.

The family started a blog, ‘Travel Mad Mum’ in February 2016 as a way of  keeping friends and family ‘up to date’ with their activities abroad and it has now blossomed into what Karen describes as a ‘second career’.

The blog has since gone viral, which has brought in revenue and sponsorship from the likes of brands, American Express, GoPro and Compare the market who wish to tap into the couple’s unique audience.

Most recently the blog won an award at the UK Blogs award under the travel category, something Karen says was a ‘shock’.

Karen said: “I didn’t think I was going to win. My biggest fear was coming back and trying to adjust to normal life, it was much more difficult. We plan our trips two or three in weeks in advance and with this baby, we are planning our destinations around vaccinations.  I will never stop travelling, I have Irish blood in me.”

Got a story? Get in touch at samantha.mordi@london.newsquest.uk