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Blogging Baby Size Six: Tips for a great babymoon
Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, Places To Go
One year ago today, my husband and I set off on
our "babymoon" to Belize, a last quiet, romantic time together before our first baby was to be born.Today as I
1. Time it carefully. Too late in the pregnancy, and mama will have horrible heartburn, or like Beth spend her whole babymoon heading for the loo. We went at 25 weeks, and I think we hit it just right. About three weeks later, I was put on bed rest and we wouldn't have been able to go.
2. Go somewhere where there is nothing to do. Being bored is something you will likely not
experience again for a long time. If you go on a babymoon packed with activities like museums and shows, you'll miss
out on a chance for peace, quiet, and nothingness.
3. Stay in the same place the whole
time. There is something extravagantly peaceful about knowing you don't have to pack up everything and move
again every couple of days. We spent 10 days in a simple but beautiful cabana, and we only went places we could walk to
that whole time.
4. If you're a worry wart, go somewhere with fewer things to worry about. I
worry a lot, and a little peninsula in Belize posed some challenges for me that I could have done without. The closest
NICU was in Texas, and the only way to not get eaten alive by mosquitoes was a mysterious gas-producing machine called
a VAPE, which I worried about every night when we plugged it in (the alternative being hundreds of bites and the worry
of West Nile virus). All in all, worrying was a minor part of my trip. But it was there.
5. Do
things you might not make time for later. I don't necessarily mean sleeping or sex, but think of the
optional things that make life sweet. Hold hands and sit together at dusk, stargaze, read a really long book, work on a
complex needlework project or crossword puzzle, or just talk about things that don't involve poop.
6.
Try not to be too driven about power-resting. It's an amazing adventure you're getting ready for with
your first baby, and a restful trip is a great idea. I could have easily ruined mine by trying to make it too perfect,
but luckily I gave in and actually rested. I'm so glad now.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
thordora 2-10-2006 @ 7:55AM
Wow. I totally wish I had of done that. And it's ALL good advice that I also wish I had of followed at home before the first.
Relaxing is never the same is it? :)
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momma2minbgu 2-10-2006 @ 9:18AM
Huh - in my circles a "babymoon" is the time that you spend with the baby in the first few weeks after birth doing nothing but caring for yourself and your new child. It's the time that momma is pampered and cared for AFTER the birth by friends and family who deliver food or stop over to clean the house. It's the time for bonding and establishing breastfeeding.
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larissa 2-10-2006 @ 11:01AM
I guess since "babymoon" is not an established word, it means a couple different things in different places in the world. I should have noted that its meaning here where I live is the trip you take before the first baby comes.
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Cazab 2-10-2006 @ 5:09PM
I agree with your point about getting the timing right. In my experience, it is not a good idea to have a final vacation before birth when you're 39 weeks pregnant, it's the middle of the winter in Scotland, and the car that you are travelling in gets stuck in snow in the darkest depths of the Highlands. It does nothing for your blood pressure!
Where I'm from (the UK) I've only heard the term 'babymoon' to time after the birth.It's supposed to be a time when outside influences are kept to a minimum as the family gets on with the process of bonding. Some people feel particularly vehement about their need for this, which has brought them into conflict with the statutory child health services. I read about it in the magazine edited by the woman highlighted by this website a couple of days ago in connection to extended breastfeeding, so I've no idea whether it is a 'mainstream' idea or not.
http://themothermagazine.co.uk/
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norarachel 2-10-2006 @ 8:49PM
My husband and I went to Spain during my second trimester, but we didn't have a "hang out" kind of vacation. I really enjoyed walking all over, as long as each walking segment led us to some place I could eat. (walk to the Prado, snack before going in, walk around the museum, snack before leaving, walk to interesting neighborhood, stop into a cafe...) Now that my life is measured in segments between my daughter's naps, I am extra glad that I had this trip to just be out doing whatever I wanted the whole day.
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larissa 2-11-2006 @ 5:57PM
Amen norarachel. I don't mean to say that our kind of trip is the only good kind, just wanted to share my thoughts on it. A walking-heavy (no pun intended) trip would be great. And I could have used a lot better food on my trip. The food in Belize was a low point.
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