There are so many new trends surrounding pregnancy, births and entering the world of motherhood. As if becoming a mother isn’t stressful enough, Pinterest-perfect gender reveal parties and expensive push presents can make keeping up with the Kardashian’s feel like a daily chore. If you are like me and don’t buy into the hoopla when your The Bump app alerts you about the newest softest onesie ever, I get it. But there is one new trend that I advise all parents to fully partake in — babymoons.
A babymoon is much like a honeymoon, except it happens before you bring home baby. It can be something as simple as a staycation at a local hotel or a weekend getaway to your favorite city. Babymoons can be for both new and veteran parents. They are whatever you and your partner want to make it, as long as you are spending time together.
For ours, we took advantage of Shawn having to work in Chicago for almost a full month. Over one of his weekend stays, I flew out to meet him. We didn’t make a schedule or list of things we wanted to do while there. We put down the cell phones and just enjoyed each other’s company.
If you are planning your own babymoon, here’s what I recommend:
- It doesn’t have to be extravagant. Rather it’s using frequent-flier miles, taking a road-trip or just renting a room for a night, the point isn’t how much it costs. It’s about getting away, stop worrying about the nursery color and enjoy the time you have together before your names change to Mom and Dad.
- Pamper yourselves. If you splurge on anything, splurge on some pampering. We did a couple’s massage and pedicures and let me tell you, IT WAS AMAZING!!! I had been wanting a prenatal massage (because oww my hips) and when Shawn said he might like a massage too, I was Googling local spas in no time! Not only were our massages something we had never done together before, but we both relaxed. And when it was all over, we felt like new people.
- Eat. No matter where you are, a staycation or a new city, enjoy one good meal together. Order all courses — appetizer, meal and dessert. Take your time. Talk. Try new foods. As your pregnancy progresses, you’ll be so full of baby that food won’t even sound good and after baby, sitting down for a hot meal will be a fantasy you can only dream of.
- Don’t make a schedule. Outside of our massages, we had no plans. We weren’t hurrying to be somewhere at a certain time or setting alarms. We did whatever we felt like doing. Take a two-hour nap in the middle of the afternoon? Go see a late night movie? Eat pancakes in bed at 10 a.m.? No agenda, no schedule, no to-do lists. Just pure bliss.
- Enjoy every second. There are not many times from my pregnancy that I go back and dream about. I can live without the heartburn, emergency room visits for kidney stones (twice) and feeling like a beached whale, but my babymoon is a trip I often revisit. It was our last trip before we became a family of three and those moments are what keep me going when I just don’t know if we can survive another teething phrase.
