A WHAT? You heard me right: “baby moon.” A babymoon is a last hurrah trip before you welcome your little one. Corny? Absolutely. Like you needed an excuse to spend some quality time with your significant other!
When Tom and I got married two years ago, we made a promise to always keep each other as our number one priority. We discussed at length how if we always put our kids first, we were afraid that in 25 years we would be empty nesters with nothing in common. That didn’t appeal to either of us, so we discussed ways we could make sure that would never happen.
Make a list of ways to prioritize your relationship.
- Monthly dates (or more often!)
- Celebrate anniversaries in a big way
- Take annual vacations
- Continue to “date” each other
We’ve done our best to do all of these things, and we are very intentional about making time for “us”. Granted, we currently have no kids running around, so it’s much easier to do this now. Which is exactly what inspired our “babymoon” trip before we become a family of three.
We decided that Nashville would be a good place to go. Neither of us had ever been there, and it was a one-day drive. We had fun researching things to do there and hearing from friends and family what they have enjoyed. We ate a lot of good food, listened to some great live bands, went on a nice date at the Grand Ole Opry, and spent a lot of time cuddling. It was a very nice, much-needed break from a long “Nesting To-D0 List” and the constant demands of our jobs.
Going was the easy part. Discussing where to go and actually figuring out dates and time off was another story. We realized there would be a million things that will TRY to stop us from making the trip.
The voices in your own head are the biggest obstacle.
“I have enough things to do before baby comes!”
But you will after baby comes, too. You will always have a to-do list!
“I shouldn’t drop $$$ on a “vacation” right now.”
It could be MONTHS or longer before you get out of the house. Also, your getaway doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; just go somewhere. It can be a two-hour drive, a day trip to your “honey hole”, or whatever sounds fun to you.
“I already have kids. This isn’t my first pregnancy.”
You need this even more! Get a grandparent or friend to watch the kids for a weekend and take some time to connect with your spouse.
“I don’t know if my doctor would want me to.”
Run your plan by them and make sure they don’t have any concerns with you traveling. If you are worried, try to book in your 2nd trimester or early 3rd. You can also map out hospitals along your route, if you’re worried about it.
Don’t let these voices in your head stop you from going!
Tips for while you are on your trip:
- Consider how to make your journey comfortable. Pack some snacks, pillows to be comfortable, and try to stretch frequently. Get out and walk if you can!
- Don’t plan super-packed days. Keep the alarm off, enjoy “down time”, and discuss things you still need to figure out (names, godparents, budget, what you are most looking forward to, birth plan, etc.).
- CONNECT! The best homes are built on a good foundation!
- Talk to locals. Get their input on the best places to go to. Many times when you travel, you don’t truly experience the city you are visiting when you are only checking out “tourist destinations”.
With baby on the way, we know life is going to come at us fast and be VERY different. While it’s a welcome change that we are really looking forward to, it was nice to take a “pause” from every day life and focus on US.
Life is short friends, be sure to live the life you love.