Baby moon: what is it, where to go, and how to plan it

Are you planning a baby moon?

Well, first of all – Woohoo! You’re going to have a baby! Congratulations!

Second, let me help you with planning your perfect babymoon!

We took a bunch of trips all through my pregnancy with Emma, so I’ve experienced first-hand how it affects travelling while pregnant.

What is a babymoon?

Well, first of all, let’s make sure that we are thinking of the same thing when using “babymoon” (or “baby moon” for that matter – both are used, and both are correct, it seems).

A babymoon is a vacation while pregnant. Generally, it’s one last trip you enjoy before the little one comes, a little bit of a last “hurrah”.

If it’s your first baby, you might be going on a romantic trip with your partner to enjoy the time alone. If you already have a baby, it would be spending some bonding time with your kid(s) before the family dynamic changes.

Depending on when during the pregnancy your babymoon takes place, you might opt for the last adventure or a last very relaxing holiday. Both are great ideas!

When is the best time for a baby moon?

Well, pretty much when the expectant parents feel like going!

 Although usually, the advice is to go sometime during your second trimester.

That’s usually when the symptoms of the first trimester (hello morning sickness and tiredness) subside and the energy returns.

And during the third trimester, the energy usually goes away again, and travel restrictions start appearing. Plus, when you’re coming closer to your due date, it’s always a good idea to not be far away from your hospital in case the labour starts.

Can you have a spa and wellness as part of your baby moon?

I think many pregnant ladies are the types of travellers that love relaxation.

But about having a spa and wellness holiday – it really depends. And you should always ask your doctor who knows your actual medical state.

You should stay away from saunas and other heat treatments, though, as it’s unhealthy and can get dangerous for your baby when the body’s core temperature gets raised.

Some other things, such as massages, can be done with some precautions. The best is to go for a prenatal massage, as those specialists are trained for providing services to pregnant women.

Speaking of prenatal massages, they were actually incredibly pleasant when I was pregnant and saved me from having crazy migraines.

Beauty treatments such as manicures generally don’t create any problems, but it’s better to stay away from feet and hand massages which can apparently induce labour.

A babymoon travel package?

Yes, if you wish, you can buy a package from some resorts that might even include prenatal classes, massages, complete trips etc.

I personally didn’t plan anything like that because we generally tend to plan our trips ourselves. But if you like having not to worry about planning a trip, why not do something like a ready-made package?

Tips for planning a baby moon

Babymoon planning is pretty similar to normal vacation planning. There are some extra things you should be aware of, though, to make sure your trip goes without a hitch.

#1 babymoon tip – Consult your doctor before planning a trip!

Yes, even before starting the planning you should consult your doctor to ask if it’s ok that you go away. Otherwise, if you shouldn’t travel, all the planning would just be a waste of time, wouldn’t it?

Your doctor might recommend not travelling at all or travelling somewhere closer than you were planning initially.

#2 babymoon tip – plan the babymoon sometime in the second trimester

That’s generally the time when the first trimester fatigue and nausea go away, and the third trimester fatigue and nausea haven’t arrived yet. So you’ll probably be feeling gorgeous and full of energy.

Plus, in the third trimester, it’s a good idea to be close to your hospital. And, additional restrictions appear the further in the pregnancy you are.

Which brings me to…

#3 babymoon tip – check out the restrictions for flying while pregnant

Not just of the destination – although there are some countries which will not let you cross the border if you’re pregnant.

Check out what rules on flying while pregnant your airline has.

For some airlines in Europe, for example, up to the 27th week of pregnancy, you can fly without any restrictions. Make sure to take your pregnancy passport with you to have proof, though.

Then, from 28th until 36th week (or the 31st week if you’re having multiples) you need a doctor’s note (in English!) stating that you are fit to fly. Check out your airline’s Flying during pregnancy page to see if they have a form available that you’re supposed to use.

AirBaltic, for example, will not let you on board if the form is older than two weeks or if you’re beyond the specific weeks.

And no, there will not be exceptions – I’ve personally seen a pregnant lady denied boarding for the flight home because her form was outdated. It’s just too risky to allow pregnant persons on board. If your trip is longer than 2 weeks, check out a prenatal care provider at the destination who you can access.

#4 babymoon tip – make sure that the place you want to travel to is safe

This is one of the most important babymoon tips.

Check out your local Centre for disease control to see if there is any advice discouraging travel to certain destinations. Make sure to check specifically for pregnant women as well – there might be some diseases that would be more dangerous for pregnant in the area.

The Zika virus, for example, is very dangerous for both the mom and the future babies. Since there’s no vaccine or medicine for Zika, it’s better to just avoid areas where it’s present.

On the same note, see if there are any vaccinations recommended for the area you want to travel to.

#5 Babymoon tip – walk around as often as you can

If you’re flying to your destination, consider getting an aisle seat so that you can stretch your legs from time to time. It’s recommended to walk at least every 30 minutes so that your blood keeps flowing better – avoid swollen feet!

If you’re driving to the destination, definitely plan a stop every 2 hours or so, more if it’s possible. Walk around, go to pee, just stretch your legs.

You can do some stretching exercises when sitting as well, like stretching side to side (carefully!) or flexing and pointing your feet.

That will help you both with the swelling of the legs and back pain.

#6 babymoon tip – be realistic about what you can handle

I know that when you’ve been active for a long time, suddenly losing that ability is quite hard to grasp. Before the pregnancy, I could easily quite some moderate-to-hard hikes. In the first trimester, though, I could barely walk up a hill without needing a break.

If you’re in a similar state, don’t plan a lot of adventurous activities, as you will just end up being disappointed if you aren’t able to do them.

The same, if you have pregnancy hots, don’t plan a vacation to a tropical island. I’m pretty sure being uncomfortable or not being able to leave the air-conditioned room is not what you want to do.

#7 babymoon tip – check the food out before you go

If the smell of Mexican food makes you feel nauseated, travelling to Mexico might not be the best idea.

So, make sure to check out what restaurants are available in the area you would like to go to. For this reason, a bit more touristy destinations are a better idea, as there are usually a bunch of different popular cuisines available, such as Italian, Indian, etc.

And staying in an all-inclusive is quite a great thing as well because usually there are a lot of different options available. I loved staying in our hotels in the Canaries which had all-you-can-eat buffets both for breakfast and dinner. The only sad thing was that I couldn’t have the Prosecco for breakfast, but the candy bar for dinner made up for it!

#8 babymoon tip – don’t forget a travel insurance

And make sure that it covers your pregnancy needs and prenatal care.

It’s always a good idea to have travel insurance when going somewhere, of course. You never know when something will decide to go wrong. And even if you’re in Europe and you’re covered by the EHIC, it only covers very basic care in the state hospitals. And in many cases, unfortunately, the state health care could be a lot better.

#9 babymoon tip – take a lot of pictures!

Even if you feel like you’re big and bloated, take pictures! You’ll love looking back at them.

Of course, a photo session with a professional photographer is the perfect option, but even selfies with a phone or pictures with the camera on the tripod are great to have.

We had a photo session with a photographer planned, but Emma came exactly on that day. So, having the pictures that we made ourselves is amazing.

Tips for travelling while pregnant

I covered quite a few tips for travelling pregnant in the planning a babymoon section, but here are some additional ones that would make your baby moon so much more pleasant. Or, I should say, less uncomfortable.

Get flight socks – one of the best “travelling while pregnant” tips I can give you

Flight socks are basically compression socks or stockings if you choose those. They help against your legs swelling, which makes for much nicer trips. Plus, when you’re pregnant, you have a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis, and compression socks help lower that risk.

They’re not just good for flights but for longer car rides as well.

Keep hydrated and bring snacks

Even more than normally, it’s important that you stay well hydrated while pregnant. In case of dehydration blood flow to the uterus can get reduced. So make sure to have enough water with you – take it from home if driving a car and buy it at the airport before your flight because it’s just cheaper (of course, not if drinks and snacks are included in your ticket). Some airports have drinking fountains now, so if yours does, too, bring some empty bottles.

And about snacks – we all know that pregnant women can eat for two, haha. So I always bring both sweet and sour snacks, as well as some fruit with me even if the food on-board is provided. For road trips, there are snacks galore with us. And yes, I’m using the present tense because I still continue doing it now.

Always take safe medicine with you

It’s a good idea to have some basic first aid with you always. It’s impossible to tell if there will be a pharmacy close by when you need something. And even if it’s easily accessible, who knows if there will be safe medicine for you.

So I always pack something for pain, such as paracetamol which is safe to take during pregnancy. Take something for stomach troubles as well – for relieving gas or nausea.

Take your basic pregnancy documentation

It’s a good idea to always have your pregnant passport with you even if you’re just going for a walk. If something happens, the doctors then will have all the basic information that they need.

It’s even more important when travelling. And make sure that the info there is in an international language, not just your native one.

Keep your seatbelt fastened low

Below the belly, to be exact, both in a car and in an airplane. The seatbelt should be fastened somewhere on the hipbones.

It’s so that in case of an accident the impact is not on the belly, which is very dangerous for the baby’s health.

Where did we have our (multiple) babymoons?

As I said, we went on a bunch of trips while I was pregnant. We managed both to catch some sun on the beach and some snow in the mountains.

Here are the trips we took and some other baby moon ideas.

Canary Islands – Fuerteventura. Perfect for a winter sun babymoon.

If you’re looking for winter babymoon ideas in Europe, I can definitely recommend Fuerteventura. Of course, if you want sun, not snow, haha!

We went on a short trip to Fuerteventura in December 2018, and it was a very calm and relaxing trip. At that time, I was just 10-ish weeks pregnant, so hello, first trimester morning sickness and exhaustion! That meant that we needed a relaxing trip, not one with lots of walking or adventures.

Fuerteventura provided, so to say. We enjoyed some beaches, which were not too hot and not too cold in December and managed to enjoy some road tripping as well. But nothing too strenuous, as I wasn’t up for it.

Since the Canaries are quite catered for tourists, even food wasn’t a problem. And the people were nice enough to cater to the whims of a pregnant lady who had lots of aversions at the time.

Vienna in Austria – an easy city babymoon with lots of great things to see

We went to Vienna around the New Year’s of 2018-2019 just for a day trip. Since it was a day trip with very few daylight hours, we wanted to just check out some of the main sights in the centre and some of the Christmas markets.

There was a lot of walking included. Since I was in the first trimester of the pregnancy, I was getting tired more quickly than before, but it was still possible to go where we wanted to go without any major delays as the streets are all nice and even.

The weather was, honestly, quite nasty during the day that we visited, but otherwise, it was a good day trip to have. And I believe it would be even better as a multi-day trip.

We did our Vienna trip by train from Bratislava, and there were not any problems with getting a seat for me (even more, all of us five people had seats together). Honestly, I really recommend Vienna as a babymoon destination if you’d like to be in a city.

Dolomites and Lago d’Iseo – snowy winter baby moon in Italy.

Our favourite destination in Italy. Yes, surprising, they are not beach destinations!

The Dolomites is great for a snowy babymoon because you don’t actually have to hike to see some incredible views! You can pretty much drive everywhere. And one of the most iconic views – the Tre Cime de Lavaredo – is quite an easy walk away.

In winter, there’s snow everywhere which makes the views increeeedible. But beware that the roads might take some time to be cleared, so the car needs to be in great condition. Especially the tyres.

As for lago d’Iseo – we went to Sarnico specifically, as that’s where we lived while based in Italy. It’s just a little paradise in-between lakes Garda and Como. We love the place and go there quite often. Michal went on some of his favourite hikes, and I studied, as I was still doing my bachelor’s at the time. Honestly, it was a very relaxing and lovely holiday.

If you like mountain views, I believe that this is a great baby moon to go on.

Canary Islands – Gran Canaria with a day in Madrid both ways. Another great place for a sunny babymoon.

We took this trip in April 2018, which means that I was already seven months pregnant. At this time your airline might already request a permission form from your doctor that states your due date and that you are not at a risk of complications related to the pregnancy. Basically, it’s a form that allows you to fly.

There was no direct flight available from either Bratislava or Vienna to Gran Canaria, we decided to fly through Madrid. Since we’d never been to Madrid before, we decided to spend a night there so that we could enjoy the city. For the flight back, though, we flew in the morning to Madrid, had lunch in the city, and then flew to Bratislava in the evening.

As for the destinations themselves, both Madrid and Gran Canaria are pregnant-friendly destinations.

In Madrid, people were letting me sit down in the full metro and making sure I was comfortable. The city itself had maybe a couple of hills, but otherwise, it could be walked without any problems. Although, of course, we had just a bit more than a day there altogether.

As for Gran Canaria, it had a bit more hills and dunes, so keep that in mind if you get tired easily. We went on a couple of incredible road trips to see some interesting places, such as Tejeda, Guayadeque, and Aguimes. In some of those, I was too tired to walk around, as they were hilly. But, on the other hand, I could walk on the dunes of Maspalomas. It really depends on how much you can handle.

Plus, at the beginning of April, it was nice and warm in Gran Canaria and not too crowded yet. A win-win!

I really liked digging a hole in the sand or setting towels around my baby bump so I could just soak in some sun. Canarias are definitely a good destination for a babymoon!

Hallstatt in Austria – a relaxing babymoon with some gorgeous views.

One of the last trips that we did while I was pregnant was a weekend road trip to Hallstatt in Austria. The drive took a bit more than 4 hours – and it was while I was 8 months pregnant!

We visited the town of Hallstatt itself, which is a bit hilly, but still is walkable (or, I guess, waddle-able, haha).

As part of the trip, we walked around Gosausee as well. That was a bit trickier, as an avalanche had covered part of the trail. But otherwise, it’s a level trail with nice views.

On the same trip, we drove to Česky Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Again, there are some hills to be walked there and you might have to endure stairs, but otherwise, it’s doable.

We went to one of the three salt mines in Hallstatt that have tours. It wasn’t the main one, but they are all interesting. There’s a miner’s slide there which everyone took but I was recommended not to take it, as it might be risky.

Anyways, all in all, Hallstatt and the places around it, as well as Česky Krumlov are pregnancy-friendly places to visit. There are a lot of restaurants and cafes available with all kinds of food, so it’s not a problem as well.

What are some other great babymoon ideas?

There are loads of places all over the world that are great baby moon destinations, and some places that might not be too good to go to. And of course, right now you should really think twice about visiting places – and read if the destination you’re considering even allows visitors.

Anyways, here are some interesting places that I might consider for a babymoon if we ever go again.

Kauai babymoon in Hawaii – sun, relax and a bit of adventure

We went to Kauai long before we even started thinking of having a baby, but it seems to me like quite a perfect place to go for a baby moon. There’s the sun, there’s the sea, and there are actually interesting activities that are safe for pregnant women. And, obviously, the postcard views on every corner. Kauai is the island where Jurassic Park and many other movies were filmed!

Since I’ve personally been to Kauai and the island is relatively small, I can give actual examples of things to do there!

A cruise on the Na Pali coast is a must. But beware if you suffer from motion sickness – the ride can get quite bumpy. And keep in mind that the companies might not be too happy to accommodate women in the 2nd trimester, so do your research before booking.

There are loads of places you can just drive your car to, such as the Waimea Canyon or the Spouting horn near Poipu beach.

If you wish to do something more active, there are some nice and easy hikes, such as the Kalalau trail on the North Coast. Na Pali trek might be too strenuous, though, so if you’d like to try that, make sure you’re in good enough shape.

Or maybe snorkelling is more your thing? Many of the beaches, for example, Ke’e at the start of the Na Pali trail, are great for snorkelling. Or SUPing. Or just relaxing in the sun or in the shadow.

Japan – an incredible cultural experience in Asia

Yes, we’ve been to Japan already, but I’d be happy to go there again and again.

There are just so many things to do! Enjoy the many temples of Kyoto and the modern skyscrapers of Tokyo. Get pampered in a ryokan and experience the solemnity of Hiroshima.

Plus, the food! The food is incredible.

Japan is amazing from all sides, so to say.

I’d say that the itinerary that we’ve created and did is actually pretty babymoon friendly, so go check it out if you’d like to go to Japan!

Maldives – a babymoon in a tropical paradise

For the ultimate relaxation, a baby moon in the Maldives would definitely be on the top of my bucket list.

I believe that when you think of Maldives, you think of white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, sun, and relaxation. Obviously, if you have a baby moon in the Maldives, you should soak in the sun by just relaxing on a beach (make sure to not overheat, though!).

But! There are a bunch of active activities that you can do as well. You can go paddle boarding or snorkelling, kayaking, and even feeding sharks. Just see what you’re comfortable doing and what’s safe to do.

Make sure to research your resort before booking it, though. Check that they have transfer boats that are big enough so that they’re not bumpy, as it might not be too safe for pregnant people. And from researching right now I can see that many of the resorts actually offer babymoon packages. Awesome!

Lake Tahoe in California, USA – babymoon in the nature

If you want to spend some time feeling closer to nature, Lake Tahoe seems like it might be just what you’re looking for. There’s clear blue water and fresh mountain air – perfect for some mental relaxation.

Situated in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the lake offers some incredible views and lots of possible activities that are appropriate for pregnant ladies.

There are a lot of hiking trails available, for example, Cascade falls or Eagle Falls trails that are quite easy (and go to some beautiful waterfalls, as you can probably tell from the name). You can easily find some more challenging ones as well – as I said, Lake Tahoe offers a lot of hiking options.

If you’d like to spend the day on the water, it’s possible as well! You can rent a speedboat or go kayaking, do stand-up paddleboarding or go on a boat tour. Enjoying the incredible views from the water seems like an amazing idea.

And it can even be done as part of a road trip from LA to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway with stops at places such as Santa Barbara, Elephant Seal Vista point and Bixby Creek bridge on the Big Sur.

London, UK – another idea for a city-break babymoon

I love London. I can’t even explain why, to be honest, but I’ve been there three times, I think, and I can’t wait to go again.

Walk around the town just enjoying the architecture, both the in the modern district and by the Westminster. Go to museums or on a tour of the Tower of London if that’s your thing. Make sure to check out the Queen’s walk, and take the iconic pictures with the Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. Have a bird’s eye view of the city from the London Eye. Check out the many castles and relax in some of the parks. Shop on the Oxford Street. And on, and on, and on.

There are quite a lot of things to do, and you can do it in a relaxed way.

Can’t wait to go to London again!

Last thoughts about babymoons

Once again, congratulations on the new baby!

A baby moon is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate both the baby and spend some quality time with your partner.

I hope these babymoon tips help you plan that perfect last hoorah!

Where do you plan to go? Let me know in the comments!

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