10 Tips for Planning a Babymoon

Although pregnancy is an amazing and joyous time in you and your partner’s lives, it can also be one of the most stressful and hectic. That’s where a babymoon comes in. A babymoon in a trip taken before the baby is born and gives you and your partner a getaway from all the baby-related business. It’s also so nice and refreshing to focus on yourselves and bond as a couple, something that often gets put on the back-burner once the baby is born. My partner and I went on a babymoon during my 8^th month of pregnancy, and it was one of our favorite trips we’ve ever taken together. Below are some of my tips and things to think about when planning your babymoon.

CHOOSING YOUR DESTINATION

Firstly think of what kind of a trip you would like to go on. Some people may like to stay closer to home like maybe a few hour drive, but I would say most people would like to venture out and go someplace they have never been to before, like a different country or state. When choosing our babymoon, my boyfriend and I chose New Orleans. We chose it for a few reasons: 1) We had never been before, 2) We’ve always wanted to go, and 3) We wanted to go someplace it would be hard to travel to once our baby girl was born. New Orleans is a 9 hour drive from where we live so we knew we wouldn’t be taking that long of a drive anytime soon after our daughter was born. And plus, New Orleans is not a very kid friendly place so we also wouldn’t be going anytime soon because it wouldn’t be very exciting for our daughter. So a babymoon just seemed like the best time to go to New Orleans while it was still just the two of us. We also were thinking of a different country for our babymoon since traveling by plane with a baby can get tricky, but considering our pregnancy was high risk from the beginning, plus travelling to a different country would be more expensive, and all the travel arrangements like vaccines, passports, visas, and all that take some time to sort out, we thought it would be best to stay within the United States. But if you would like to travel outside of your country, keep in mind that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women should avoid traveling to any destination where there has been a Zika outbreak. The Zika virus can cause severe birth defects in babies whose mothers are infected, so be sure to check that your destination is Zika-free on the CDC’s website.

TIME YOUR TRAVEL WISELY

Choose a time when it’s not so early in the pregnancy when you’re suffering from morning sickness and fatigue but not so late when you feel heavy, sluggish, and in pain. That’s why the time suggested for a babymoon is during the second trimester (weeks 14 through 27), when you’re past the sickness but not too big to get around easily. But of course you can have your babymoon in whatever stage of pregnancy you feel comfortable with. We took ours in the third trimester since that was the only time we could take off work together.

FOR FLYING: Some airlines have restrictions about flying in the third trimester. So if you’re planning on traveling by plane, check your carrier’s policy before you book your tickets. Another tip for air travel is to request an aisle seat to make those frequent bathroom trips easier.

FOR A ROAD TRIP: Choose a babymoon spot within a reasonable driving radius. What’s considered “reasonable” is different from person to person, but this probably won’t be the best time to be road tripping across the country. Make sure to also factor in time you’ll be taking for frequent bathroom stops, food breaks, and a chance to stretch your legs.

FOR A CRUISE: A cruise may seem like such a luxury, but it may not be the best time for a babymoon, especially if you suffer from morning sickness. The rocking of the boat may make you seasick and you’ll be stuck with no escape. Also a cruise in the late stages of pregnancy may not be a good option in case anything we’re to happen and you need a hospital right away (like say your baby decided to come early!). You’ll be stuck out on the sea with no help readily available.

MAKING YOUR STAY MORE COMFORTABLE

Sleeping during pregnancy can be hard enough at home in your own bed, so sleeping in someone else’s bed may be even harder. There’s no way you can know what they hotel’s beds will be like beforehand, so for extra comfort bring extra pillows and maybe your own blanket. On our babymoon, I brought my body pillow with me to sleep with. Also when making your reservations, make sure to get a king-sized bed for lots of space to toss and turn (sleep during pregnancy is hard!). Also note that the closer you are to the action, the busier the hotel and hotel’s perimeters will be. So keep in mind that if you want to get a good night’s rest, pick a hotel out just outside the happenings, but if you want to stay within the action for easier getting to and from activities, you might have to sacrifice a good night’s sleep.

SKIP THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

A medical emergency is a lot easier to deal with when there’s no language barrier. So unless you’re fluent in that countries language, be sure to book your babymoon in a country where everyone, or almost everyone, speaks English. Also, a babymoon taken at a place where you can understand the language makes for a stress-less vacation.

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

Find out what medical services are available at the nearest hospital or birthing center to your hotel. Once you’ve found a center that suits your needs, run your plans past your midwife or ob-gyn and give them the clinic’s name and office numbers (this is more so to let your OB know you’ve got everything under control, especially if they are skeptical about you traveling in the first place). Make sure to have your insurance information with you at all times.

FINANCIALLY

If you feel like you won’t have enough money to be going on a trip with all the money you’ll be shelling out for baby gear, start saving and setting money aside starting the beginning of the pregnancy to ensure you and your partner can take one in the later stages of pregnancy. If you decided you want to go on a babymoon late and money is an issue, you can even stay at your own home, but take time to pamper yourselves and do things together as a couple. Play games, watch movies, take relaxing baths, sleep in late, do whatever you usually couldn’t do otherwise. Only you know your financial situation and what you can afford so make the most of whatever decision you and your partner make.

PREPARE FOR THE WEATHER

When planning your babymoon, especially if going out of state or country, check to see what the weather will be like where you will be staying because it may be the opposite to the weather you’re having where you live. In New Orleans where we took our babymoon, it was raining the entire trip, so we had to be sure to bring warm clothes and an umbrella. If it will be sunny where you’ll be travelling, make sure to bring sunscreen, cooler clothes, and the like.

A babymoon is something I think every couple should take. Your life as you know it is soon about to change dramatically and you won’t be able to travel or do something for yourself whenever you like. Take advantage of this freedom! Once the baby arrives, he or she will become the center of attention and take up most, if not all your time, which can sometimes put a strain on couples. By taking a babymoon and investing time to be together with your partner, you’ll be entering parenthood more connected than ever. Don’t forget your camera to capture the moments!

See our babymoon in action here!