My original babymoon plans were set in motion before I even knew I was pregnant. For my 40th birthday in February, my dear Swiftie-sympathizing husband bought us two tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Vienna, Austria. What we didn’t know until he presented me with the tickets he “bought for a very reasonable price on the secondary market” was that I would be approximately 31 weeks pregnant by the August tour date.
At first, this unexpected babymoon—a pre-baby vacation that serves as a last hurrah for a couple—seemed like a great idea. Maybe we could fulfill my Italian babymoon fantasy and tack on Taylor at the end! Alas, we were not only stupidly optimistic but also unknowingly about to be blindsided by a series of unfortunate events culminating in the cancellation of the Vienna shows. But by the time news broke of the mercifully thwarted terrorist attack that upended the plans of 200,000 attendees, we had long since abandoned our overseas plans.
The unexpected chaos that comes with a babymoon
First, there was the subchorionic hematoma I experienced in my eighth week of pregnancy that turned out to be a “common” occurrence for many expectant mothers, but I became wary of plans that included travel days that were more than 10 hours. After researching flights from Italy to Austria, we ditched the Eras plan and rerouted to the Mexican Riviera. That’s when I landed in the hospital after suffering from excruciatingly painful pregnancy issues.
The delay on the Cancun trip gave us time to visit my Canadian in-laws. It was within the cozy walls of said in-laws’ Ontario home where I tested positive for COVID. To add to the chaos, there was a hurricane headed straight for the Yucatán Peninsula.
It would have made sense at that point to call it quits. Still, I was determined to make this damn babymoon happen. After a long stretch of Canadian quarantining and a flurry of emails with our Mexico hotel, we had weathered both the figurative storm of my sickness and the literal storm that had passed through Cancun and boarded our plane to paradise. And honestly? It was all so worth it.
From the second we touched down in Cancun, the stress and anxiety that had been plaguing me during the majority of the past six months started to fade. And after a full week of soaking up sun, swimming in the impossibly warm Caribbean, and downing endless frozen virgin margaritas, I felt calmer and more connected to my pregnancy than before. Without the stress of work deadlines and doctor appointments dictating my daily schedule, I was able to actually appreciate the miraculous event taking place in my body and connect with my husband in a way that didn’t involve nightly TV binges (although those are meaningful to us, too).
What to keep in mind when considering a babymoon
1. Be realistic.
My fantasies of a romantic Italian getaway followed by an epic three-and-a-half-hour live show (standing room only!) were crushed when I realized my body wouldn’t be up for the challenge that late in pregnancy. Getting away is great, but a “getaway” could mean renting a room at the closest five-star hotel or pitching a tent at the local campgrounds. You don’t need to rack up airline miles to have a great babymoon.
2. Ironically, “adults-only” is your best bet.
Yes, you’re about to welcome a little one into your life, but that doesn’t mean you have to practice parenthood by hanging around the pool with other people’s kids. We stayed at Hotel Mousai Cancun, a quiet, sophisticated, adults-only property that connects to the family-friendly Hotel Garza, meaning we could coo over cute babies and enjoy lively energy before escaping to the serenity of our grown-up resort.
3. Don’t be shy.
I’m not exactly modest about letting people know I’m celebrating a milestone. And while my shameless openness can often mortify my husband, it has also scored us some sweet perks. Don’t be afraid to mention to your hotel concierge and other staff that you’re celebrating your babymoon. Many employees were thrilled to know we chose their property to commemorate our pre-baby festivities, and they didn’t hesitate to include special small touches throughout our stay. Whether it was a special dessert or a gracious late checkout, the thoughtful extras made all the difference.
4. Truly unplug and unwind.
As a self-employed freelancer, I’m often chained to my laptop, even on vacation. My husband and I agreed that after the mayhem we’d endured prior to our trip, we deserved a complete and total break from the real world. While it may not always be possible or realistic to completely unplug from your responsibilities, doing what you can to minimize outside distractions will allow you to soak in the experience and make memories you can tell your baby about one day.
