Published on September 20th, 2024
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When you’re planning for a baby, there’s little mental room for much else. In fact, many expectant parents feel a sense of separateness or even conflict with a baby on the way, making it a challenge to remember who they are as a couple.
Fortunately, the babymoon vacation can be an opportunity to savor some much-needed quality time together. But what is a babymoon trip?
Whether you head abroad or hitch a ride to the next state over, a babymoon is a trip that reinforces your connection with your significant other and allows you to discover your identity as a future family unit. Babymoons give expectant parents time to decompress and have some fun before their lives begin to revolve around diaper changes, feedings, and napping schedules.
With these tips for planning and savoring your trip, you’ll get the most out of your getaway and bring home lasting memories to help you navigate this first chapter of parenthood.
The Benefits of Taking a Babymoon
As exciting as pregnancy can be, it can also be immensely overwhelming. A babymoon offers several benefits that can help take the pressure off the physical, emotional, and psychological changes you’re going through as a couple.
Reconnecting with Your Partner
If you’re pregnant with a partner, you may have already found it hard to make time for one another amid prenatal appointments, baby preparations, and your usual daily duties.
A babymoon trip gives you both time to step away from the hustle and bustle, allowing you to rekindle your bond. With quality time, you’ll have the chance to reignite feelings of romance and intimacy, reconnecting on an emotional level before your new baby arrives.
Setting Aside Stressors
Pregnancy can be as taxing mentally as it is physically. In fact, up to 12% of pregnant people are thought to have anxiety during pregnancy, with stress being strongly correlated with sub-optimal birth outcomes.
A babymoon vacation provides a much-needed break from stressors that could be weighing on both of you (and your baby). Whether you escape to a spa, a beach, or a simple day trip enjoying each other’s company, a babymoon gives you a space to unwind and recharge. You may even discover some stress-reducing activities to weave into your day-to-day routine as a new parent.
Having Time to Reflect
No matter how detailed your parenting plan may be, many people find parenting to be highly improvisational. On a babymoon, you and your partner can take time to identify your shared values as a future caregiver.
You might ask yourself questions like these to determine who you want to be as a parent:
- What, from your perspective, makes for a meaningful life as a family unit?
- What life priorities do you hope to impart to our child?
- What values do you hold close, no matter what fluctuates in your life circumstances?
Pondering your values before your due date can help you adapt, remain flexible, and feel in sync as you find your rhythm and identity as a family.
Quenching Your Sense of Adventure
Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you have to forfeit your sense of adventure! A babymoon can provide plenty of opportunities to visit new places and enjoy wonderful experiences.
Whether you’re visiting a favorite destination (this time with a babymoon package) or exploring someplace fresh, the joy of traveling without a strict (or child-centric) itinerary can be liberating. Consider dining out, sightseeing, or taking romantic evening strolls through scenic neighborhoods. Regardless of what you choose, you’ll cherish the spirit of spontaneity that can be hard to come by once your new baby arrives.
What’s the Best Time to Take a Babymoon?
As for timing your babymoon, your first and second trimesters are generally considered ideal for travel. However, each trimester has its own pros and cons:
- First trimester – Traveling in your first trimester may allow you to enjoy (with your provider’s go-ahead) some more high-intensity activities. However, many people experience unpleasant early pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness and fatigue that may hamstring you from a highly active itinerary.
- Second trimester – Trimester #2 is when most pregnant people hit their stride—you may bid morning sickness adieu and enjoy a new surge of energy! Though some activities may still be off the table with your baby bump in tow, most babymooners agree this is the ideal time for pregnant traveling.
Before you iron out the details of your trip, be sure to consult with your doctor about safety precautions—particularly if you’re at risk of pregnancy complications.
6 Tips for Planning Your Babymoon
Planning any vacation can be overwhelming, and pregnancy requires some additional consideration. To ensure safe and comfortable trips and travel, keep these babymoon-planning tips in mind.
#1 Choose Comfortable Accommodations
From dealing with midnight bathroom trips to finding the perfect position for sleep, pregnancy can make it tough to get comfortable. Yet, comfort is key when it comes to pregnant traveling.
With this in mind, it’s best to look for accommodations that offer amenities you’ll need (think: excellent AC in the summertime). Some travel agencies or websites may even offer babymoon packages with expectant parents in mind! Moreover, you’ll want to gravitate toward more central locations, rather than remote ones that can make finding nearby healthcare a challenge.
Some of the best options for a perfect babymoon include:
- A beach resort
- A lakeside cabin
- A spa hotel
- A cozy (yet budget-friendly) Airbnb
#2 Map Local Medical Facilities
Before you travel, take some time to map out local healthcare facilities at your babymoon destination. You’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing you have a place to go in the event of a medical emergency.
Additionally, it’s important to check with your insurance provider to understand your out-of-state coverage while traveling. If you’re flying overseas, it’s a good idea to look into travel insurance for pregnant travelers.
#3 Bring Your Prenatal Care Routine with You
You might be on vacation, but your prenatal self-care routine never sleeps!
The following prenatal packing list includes all the essentials (as well as some nice-to-have’s):
- Prenatal vitamins and supplements
- Prescription medications
- Electrolyte packets
- Comfortable shoes
- Stretch mark cream
- Relaxing essential oils
- Prenatal medical records and phone numbers
- Portable fan
- Snacks galore!
#4 Plan Partnering Activities
As mentioned, a babymoon getaway can be a wonderful time to reconnect with your partner and discuss your hopes for your new family. To that end, the following activities may help excite and inspire you:
- Create a first-year bucket list – List 5 to 10 “baby milestones” (taking photos of them in a tiny Halloween costume? Check!) you want to clear in that precious first year.
- Write a letter to your baby – You can read them to one another, or save your letters for when your baby officially arrives.
- Ideate future family traditions – Whether it’s apple picking in the fall or serving breakfast in bed on a birthday, discussing the shared rituals you want to have can help you build bonds as a family unit.
- Share memories of your childhoods – Recalling your own early memories can help you pinpoint what you want to pass on to your child. It can also help you both understand your influences growing up, clarifying your values as you become parents yourselves.
During your babymoon trip, it can be important to remember who you are as a couple and as individuals. Consider sharing your personal goals and aspirations—apart from who you’ll be as parents! Don’t be surprised if you return home feeling even closer than you were when you left.
#5 Talk to Your Doctor Before Traveling
Before planning any excursion, it’s important to touch base with your healthcare provider to discuss any potential risks and considerations for your prenatal profile. Your doctor can help you assess whether it’s safe to fly, what precautions to take, and whether you need to tweak your itinerary based on your health.
#6 Keep a Flexible Itinerary
While it can be tempting to cram your travel schedule with memorable activities, being pregnant can be unpredictable: You may have an unexpected energy crash or need extra time to recover from a bout of morning sickness—and that’s okay!
If you and your partner can prioritize a short list of activities—and leave the rest of your agenda free to do as you please—you’ll have plenty of room to honor your body’s needs and enjoy your perfect babymoon.
SneakPeek® Asks: Babymoons—Yay or Nay?
In the end, whether or not you decide to take a babymoon is entirely up to you, Some expectant parents find there’s simply too much to take care of on the home front, while others jump at the opportunity to get off the grid and rediscover what they value most.
Babymoons aside, parenthood is a trip in its own right! And with the SneakPeek Early Gender DNA Test®, you can start the journey sooner than ever before. This at-home test lets future parents discover their baby’s sex as early as 6 weeks into their pregnancy, with over 99% clinically proven accuracy and DNA-based results.
Over 1 million parents have used SneakPeek to break the news of their little one’s sex sooner. Learn why SneakPeek is the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home early gender test by ordering your kit today.
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At SneakPeek, our commitment is to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable information to empower our readers. Our content is thoroughly researched, reviewed by medical experts, and fact-checked to ensure its credibility. We prioritize the well-being and education of our readers, and our editorial policy adheres to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in all our articles.
This post has been reviewed for accuracy by:
Priscilla Jeng is an accomplished digital marketing expert, currently leading as the Associate Director of Digital Marketing at Gateway Genomics, the parent company of SneakPeek. With over four years at Gateway Genomics, Priscilla has played a pivotal role in amplifying the company's mission to develop innovative genetic tests. Her proficiency in digital marketing and her comprehensive understanding of the genomics industry position her as a key contributor to SneakPeek's marketing endeavors.
Sources:
- National Library of Medicine. Anxiety During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Course, Predictors and Comorbidity with Postpartum Depression. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6400346/
- American Psychological Association. Anxiety during pregnancy can lead to earlier births, study finds. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2022/09/pregnancy-anxiety
- Baby Center. How to plan the best babymoon so you can relax before your baby comes. https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/relationships/babymoon_1472877
- Mayo Clinic. 2nd trimester pregnancy: What to expect. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy/art-20047732
- Healthline. What Is a Babymoon and How Do You Plan One? https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/babymoon
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