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 8th 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!
See our babymoon in action here!
