When I was pregnant I honestly believed that I would spend at least part of my maternity leave travelling to exotic destinations. I fancied Sri Lanka, or maybe Colombia. I imagined swinging in a hammock under a palm tree, as my baby slept soundly in my arms. That fantasy now seems as hilariously naive as the birth plan that stipulated I wanted a drug-free labour.
Exotic lost its appeal almost as soon as my son, Ossian, was born: the lure of the hammock was heavily outweighed by the thought of a long-haul flight with a restless baby, the prospect of jetlag on top of sleep deprivation and the risk, however small, of picking up a tropical bug. No, post-baby, my dream trip had two very basic requirements: it had to be easy and it had to be restful.
So when, after 13 months of sleepless nights, the chance of a yoga holiday in Italy specifically designed for mums and babies came up, I jumped at it. I didn't care if it sounded "a bit NCT on tour", as one friend put it. I was sold on it the minute I read the words: "We look after your little ones while you relax," on the website. Run by London-born Italian and mother of one Rita Kobrak, from her Tuscan farmhouse, the Mum-and-Baby Experience offers yoga for grown-ups, rather than babies – another big plus for me. I tried baby yoga when Ossian was younger and was invariably left with an empty mat while he crawled around the room in search of the nearest plug socket. Here, I would be able to practise my downward dogs while Fernanda, a friend of Rita's from the village, kept Ossian entertained.
Fernanda had already been dubbed the baby whisperer by previous guests, one of whom had insisted her baby would go to no one else, and was rather surprised when she was not only perfectly happy with Fernanda but cried when she was handed back to mum. My only fear about leaving Ossian with Fernanda was that she wouldn't realise how hyper he was and he'd be up the stone steps and half way to the village before she noticed he was gone. Needless to say, he was fine. In fact, on most days she lived up to her nickname and managed to lull him to sleep – which meant – oh, luxury – a whole hour to read by the pool.
Casa Alessia is a couple of minutes' drive up a bumpy track from the sleepy village of Caprese Michelangelo, named after the sculptor and painter, who was born there in 1475. A 300-year old, thick-walled farmhouse, it was home to 12 brothers until the 1960s, who lived in the top half while the downstairs housed their livestock. Inside it is homely, dark and cool with a comfy living room on the first floor and five spacious, tiled-floor bedrooms.
But we barely spent any time in the house. Breakfast – fresh smoothies, fruit salad, homemade muesli, cake – was eaten on the terrace, while soaking up the view of Lago di Montedoglio – Italy's largest reservoir – shimmering in the valley below. In the opposite direction the purple-green hills of the Appenines formed a hazy backdrop. Lizards flitted among the old stones, birds sang and a gentle breeze ensured it never felt too hot. The only jarring element in this picture-postcard idyll was the collection of bright plastic toys in the garden, but for half of the guests, of course, these were the cherry on the cake: Ossian spent hours pottering about the garden with his mini watering can or in the Wendy house, where he could indulge his passion for slamming doors to his heart's content.
This is not a trip for hardcore yogis; the yoga is fairly basic, and the timetable is flexible. Real yogis would be up at dawn; we were perfectly happy to down a couple of strong coffees before sauntering to the pool, where we might have a 10-minute chat with yoga teacher Jessica before starting our lazy stretches under the shade of a chestnut tree.
In the afternoons, there was usually a cooking demonstration. Fernanda, the baby whisperer, showed us how to make homemade pasta, zuppa di farro (made from spelt grain, sausage meat and vegetables), and an amazing tiramisu, which tasted nothing like the sickly, stodgy versions I've had in Britain. The pièce de résistance, though, was pizza prepared by Giovanna, who used to run the pizzeria in the village, and now cooks them in a wood-fired oven in the garden.
We ventured out on just one day, to the weekly market at the medieval, walled town of Anghiari. The sight of one stall piled high with pancetta, salami, aged parmesan, cured ham and dried porcini reminded me why I had chosen the yoga and cooking break and not one of the weight-loss retreats that Rita also runs. The idea of trying to detox in a country so renowned for its food and wine seems like a bad joke, but apparently the low-calorie, caffeine- and alcohol-free weeks where you spend four hours a day exercising are much more popular. It explained why there were only two of us on the trip, while the previous week's strict regime had attracted five mums.
After stocking up at the market, we headed for lunch at Ravagni's olive mill. We took a quick peek at the mill itself, where they cold press their handpicked olives, then wandered up a dusty track to a courtyard surrounded by honey-coloured stone buildings. Here the Ravagnis served lunch: deep-fried sage leaves followed by a simple but delicious pasta with pancetta and truffle oil, washed down with organic red wine. As Ossian played in the garden someone kept topping up my wine glass. I left feeling light-headed, bottles of olive oil, truffle oil and wine from the onsite shop clinking in the bottom of the pushchair.
It was the one part of the week my partner would have enjoyed. The Mum-and-Baby Experience welcomes dads too, and Rita has hosted weeks with up to five couples and their babies. But my other half had decided it wasn't his scene – wisely, as it turns out. A day spent with mums doing yoga, talking about their children and going to bed at half past nine would not have been his idea of fun. He would have wanted to hurl himself off the nearest hilltop at the first mention of the words "birthing experience" (a topic which came up one day by the pool). As for me? It was the most relaxing week I've had since becoming a mum. By a long shot.
• The next Yoga and Cooking retreats (mum-and-baby-experience.co.uk)run from 16-21 and 23-28 September and cost £800pp for five days (£700 with shared bathroom), including all activities, meals, babysitting and pick-up from Perugia airport. A second person sharing the room pays just £300 and kids under four go free. The fitness break from 11-16 September is the same price. The house is also available to rent on a self-catering basis, from €1,800 per week (sleeps 10, holiday-villa-in-tuscany.com). Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Perugia from £36 one way, including taxes
