My Husband and I are huge fans of travel. We believe in the art of letting your soul rest on a beach and experience new things outside of your own backyard. I always thought we would be the couple that would have no problem booking ourselves a nice babymoon to enjoy before our little one makes her grand entrance.
We try to book one trip a year to some beach or island as we are 100% landlocked and it drives me nuts. We then tend to pick one trip within the states to take as a family with Rebecca. Our last trip was in December, to the Dominican Republic, for a few days of rest and relaxation on the beach with all the rum. I remember seeing another couple walking the beach, the wife with her cute bump, clearly on their babymoon. I remember thinking, hopefully someday soon that will be us. After getting pregnant I fully changed my mind.
To start with, we are trying to be responsible adults and are tightening the reins on our budgeting for the cost of said child, hospital bills, etc. To top it off, we are finishing our entire basement. This was going to happen no matter what but the time frame to accomplish this was moved up dramatically because my OCD self cannot possibly have an unfinished project happening when I’m in labor. That means the beach I dreamt of lounging on is turning into carpet and tile over concrete floors. Not quite as glamorous.
The next thing that stops us, and this is the most important, is being outside the safety of the United States if an emergency happens. Even if we were to do something within the states, it still makes me nervous to venture too far away from my doctor. I wish I didn’t have such a paranoid mind but by this point I just don’t want to tempt fate. As much as I love those little islands, I don’t really want to see what their medical facilities are not capable of.
This next point is going to make me sound a bit selfish but sometimes, okay always, vacations are a time to be selfish. We love to do fun outings while on vacations, whether it be zip lining, white water rafting, 4 wheeling in the mountains, etc. All of those things come with a big warning label that screams, DO NOT DO THIS IF PREGNANT. Well, way to take away all the fun. My second favorite thing to do on vacation is sit on the beach and drink large amounts of rum while I read. Sure, sitting and reading is a safe thing to do while pregnant but my doctor will say no to the rum. Since my Husband does not drink alcohol and the resorts have all the alcohol for free, I feel the need to make sure we are getting our moneys worth in that department, and I drink for two. If neither of us are drinking then I’m assuming we are losing our asses which takes me back to being budget conscious.
Then there are the little things that I didn’t think about until I was fully in this position. I suddenly don’t feel so comfortable with the idea of bumpin out on a beach in my bikini. Add hours of time on an airplane, airport and extra needed use of public bathrooms, the thought suddenly doesn’t look so appealing.
Of course the main point of a babymoon is to get away, as a couple, before the baby arrives, and I think it is a great idea! I’m certainly not knocking them! Sure, I would love a vacation with my Husband right now but I could say that any day of the year and it doesn’t matter if there was a baby on the way or not. And sure, we could find a more budget friendly trip close by but that doesn’t fix the beach craving. To curb my craving for a flight away we are already planning a trip for next Spring. In the big scheme of things, it will be here before we know it. I figure by that point it can just be a post babymoon and I can still have all the rum. Till then we are making the most of our weekends together at home.
Through My Mistakes 
I went on a babymoon with my husband when I was 25 weeks and in all honesty, if you’re finding more reasons not to go than to go then save your money and stay at home. I had a lovely time while I was away, but the travel really took it’s toll on me, as did the heat. I developed a big heat rash while I was away but I was so conscious of overheating baby that I didn’t sunbathe as much as usual and covered my bump more than I probably needed to! During those 10 days was probably the most I craved alcohol too. As you say, there’s nothing like relaxing with a drink in your hand.
The one thing I would say though is that I really felt like we had valuable time together. When you’re at home you’re both working, in normal routines and generally don’t make as much time for each other as you should. If you could maybe go away for a weekend somewhere close by and slightly cut off then you will gain that valuable time just as you would if you took a big trip abroad.
Just thought I’d let you in on my thoughts as I know what a big decision it can be! Xx
Thank you so much for sharing your babymoon story. I agree with the worry over the heat and so forth. So many more things to worry about than what you normally would on a beach vacation! I do agree with you, we will find time for a bit of a weekend get away at some point to just be unplugged and together:)
What about a different sort of babymoon? not of the tropical variety? You know, visiting your friends on ‘lakation” 😉 Mostly kidding though our doors are always open!! I think if it were me, any vacation I would do would not be tropical but maybe a sighseeing thing – grand canyon, stuff like that, less of the (wanting to!) drink on the beach in a bikini! I hear you!
We have thought several times about that but there is just nothing close. Cons of living in the middle of no where. Venturing any great distance at this point freaks me out. I had a friend go visit family in Colorado and she ended up having her baby early and it stayed in NICU there for two months. My brain is on worst case scenario! So perhaps a staycation:)
We’re going to Puerto Vallarta the first week of August, right at the end of my second trimester. When we booked it, I didn’t bother to check the weather, and apparently its pretty hot and then rainy during that time? ehh… it’s only a 2 hour flight from us, we wanted to get away, it’s not an all-inclusive so we don’t feel ;like we’re losing money on the alcohol, and i plan to mostly relax, read, sunbathe, swim (in a maternity bathing suit, not a bikini), and enjoy time with my husband as just the two of us since who knows when we’ll be able to take another trip.
I hear you on the saving money thing though…with everything going on, I feel like we’re bleeding money, hope to get back on track in July.
Yay for your trip! Yes, you guys are certainly a lot closer via flight than we would be. Anywhere we go is two flights and a whole day away. Enjoy and takes lots of pictures!!!:)