3 Reasons to Take A Babymoon
i personally don’t really need a reason to travel because it’s something i love and value anyway but why the heck not throw another reason to take a trip for a babymoon! what exactly is a “babymoon?” it’s basically your last hurrah as just the two of you before you add a tiny and demanding human to the mix.
as mentioned previously, we were planning to go to mexico for our friends’ wedding and then extend it to our babymoon but then the zika virus happened and ruined everything. in fact, we even had to turn down a speaking opportunity in puerto rico because of it <insert scowl here>.
my husband and i both love the beach because he can scuba dive and i can sit on said beach for hours and watch the waves roll in and out. however, most of the beaches around the world are becoming infested with the zika spread but not hawaii! yes, cases have been documented there and in almost every state in the USA but all from people who contracted it outside of the country.
before we launch into why to go on a babymoon, i must share some more about our own trip because it’s definitely one for the memory books. we were guests of the beautiful Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa for a portion of our babymoon and it was fantastic! it was built in 2011 and while it boasts over 350 rooms and suites, it also has 19 grand villas which can comfortably sleep up to 12 guests so bring the whole family!
it is located on the island of oahu and is right on the beach, which is always my #1 thing i look for in a hotel. why waste time getting to the beach when you can just walk from your room right there?!
the fantastic duo janelle and noriko from Disney took us on a personal tour of the resort and oh my goodness, all the fun things they shared with us were incredible! i figured i would look go with the “oh i just walked off the beach” look to meet with them (who let me be an adult?!)
one of my favorite things about this resort is that they have done a fantastic job focusing on hawaiian culture first and then Disney comes second. they worked with the local native hawaiian community to embrace different aspects of traditions, cultures and stores and then used subtle Disney things to enhance the resort. i really appreciated that. Aulani means “messenger of the chief,” which is what they strive to do here by spreading the history and culture of hawaii.
we learned that the colorful photos behind the front desk were taken by children from hawaii when asked what hawaii means to them. that gave me all fuzzies!
another thing our great tour guides shared with us was the fact that there are so many hidden mickeys throughout the hotel! of course the towel is obviously mickey but check out the bedspread! we found other mickeys tastefully done in rugs, the wallpaper, paintings, in stone and so much more!
another perk i liked about Aulani was that they had a few different 18+ pools, which i wasn’t expecting! they weren’t super far away from the kids area but it was still nice to have a quieter place to splash your spouse instead of kids splashing you.
i took advantage of the lazy river because that’s about the maximum threshold of any ‘ride’ i would ever do. it was pretty perfect.
so if you need more a reason to take a trip, here are 3 reasons to take a babymoon!
1) to spend time away from others
yes we love our families, yes we love our friends and yes we hopefully love most of our coworkers but it is so nice to get away from everyone and spend time just the two of you. adding a baby to the mix creates a ton of excitement not only for the parents-to-be but also extended family and friends, which is so great! at the same point, sometimes it can feel overwhelming to constantly be talking about the baby and the pregnancy so it’s nice to spend some time away from others during your babymoon.
we told our friends and family we weren’t answering phone calls or text. we put our autoresponders on our emails. we turned our phones on airplane mode most of the day. when was the last time you did this (probably on your love day)? it’s incredibly freeing not to constantly be checking our little pocket computers in anticipation that someone could ‘need’ us (ie. tagging us in cute animal videos).
2) to focus on each other
one of the things that made me nervous (and still does) about having a child is how much i know our relationship and marriage is going to change once this baby pops out. we are both dedicated to doing our very best to keep each other as the priority but we are also aware that this will look different, especially those first few months.
a babymoon is a great time to have conversations about these changes. i am in the midst of putting together a great list of questions we asked each other while on our babymoon to address fears, excitement, memories and dreams for the future.
Aulani has a great restaurant called “ama ama” and though it’s quite spendy, i think we were really paying for the view:
plus it was also my husband’s birthday and besides my other gift to him, everyone should have a special meal on their day of birth! he had some fancy seafood platter for dinner, followed up by this dessert platter!
this babymoon allowed us to express the full range of emotions we are feeling about this next chapter in our lives and for that i am quite grateful. too bad we can’t always just head to the beach to express such things!
3) to focus on the baby
i was able to explore Laniwai Spa while at Aulani and it was the epitome of relaxation. when you sign up for any type of treatment or massage here, you get to spend an hour beforehand in the hydrotherapy garden, which was incredibly relaxing. you couldn’t hear any of the kids playing and they paid such attention to detail, it was impressive.
i think one of my very favorite parts of the spa experience was that they have you close your eyes and select a stone from a gorgeous wooden bowl. on one side is the english word and other side is the hawaiian word for something positive for you to focus your energy on while in the gardens and your massage.
mine was “pono” or “balance” which is honestly one of my favorite words and something i strive for feeling daily. thanks universe!
you hold it tight while they explain the process and show you the rooms and then they have you toss it into the reflection pool. in hawaiian culture, they believe what you take from the earth should be returned. how gorgeous is that pool?!
they had multiple hot tubs and even a cold one if you need a wake me up! since i’m pregnant, i stuck my feet in for a few minutes as to not cook my baby.
one of my favorite features was the area of the different rain falls! if you were following me on snapchat while i was there you saw the one i deemed the ‘texas rainfall’ because it basically just poured on you.
i experienced my first prenatal massage and i’m leaning towards not actually registering for any baby goods and just asking people to fund my need of prenatal massages. i truly do not think i have felt that relaxed in…ever.
i was feeling a little anxiety (because you know me) about how this would exactly work since i can’t lay on my stomach and can’t be on my back very long. obviously they know what they are doing – the bed adjusted and they had a body pillow for me to snuggle with so as to not lay on my stomach.
the kind masseuse even offered me four different scents should the oil she was planning on using wasn’t satisfactory to my high-needs nose! our little one was moving all around because i so relaxed and she was definitely loving it.
another perk of Aulani is that there are other pregnant ladies or women who just gave birth so they don’t bat an eye when you strut by with a belly full of baby! i got a lot of stares on other beaches.
we are so happy we chose oahu, hawaii as our babymoon destination! yes my ankles swelled on the long travel back home but sunshine, the ocean and quality time between me and my husband was well worth it! if you are planning to travel to hawaii, they have a fantastic visitor’s bureau and resources for all of the islands (GoHawaii.com). they gave us so many ideas of fun things to see and do with the perfect balance of romance and adventure – just what we were looking for.
on our last morning there, we hiked to the top of diamond head per recommendation and it was truly spectacular!
prioritizing making a babymoon happen for us was important and we are both so glad we did it! as if you need another reason to take a vacation, just put ‘take a babymoon’ on your list and make it happen.
if you are a parent, did you take a babymoon? if you aren’t yet a parent or pregnant, is this something you plan on doing and where do you want to go?
FOLLOW UP – QUESTIONS TO ASK ON YOUR BABYMOON!
Elyse
May 11, 2016 at 8:14 am
Your babymoon looks absolutely magical! So glad you had a great time, it’s important to really focus on each other because like you said, you’ll have a tiny demanding baby to focus on instead of each other.
In one sense, I see how important they are to make sure the focus is on each other and your relationship but knowing mine and my husband’s personality we most likely won’t take one when the time comes. We aren’t huge travelers thanks to his practical brain and my anxiety-riddled brain while traveling.
Elyse recently posted…Movies I’m Looking Forward To
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 9:26 am
magical is indeed the right word, elyse! perhaps since your husband’s brain is practical and yours is anxious (i get that) you could always do a weekend getaway together by car or train! that way you don’t have to go too far but you still feel extra special at a bed and breakfast for something 🙂
chelsea recently posted…3 Reasons to Take A Babymoon
Claire
May 11, 2016 at 8:24 am
You make me want to be pregnant and go on a baby-moon haha As you say, you don’t need to have a baby as an excuse to travel…but you guys’ photos are so loving, fun, and really capture the essence of your trip.
I love how you identified three very important reasons why this baby-moon was especially wonderful for you two (and how it could be for others too). #gottalovetransitions
It’s also so great you took the time to do self-care with the pre-natal massage. I highly support your idea to have people fund more of those in the near future! 🙂
And, If I am to take a baby-moon one day…I think I would go somewhere hot that has mountains. LOL I need to look up my geography clearly!!
As always, thanks for the post!
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:28 am
haha oh the first part of your comment totally cracked me up claire 🙂 we really did have a fun time (though i will admit that traveling while NOT pregnant is much more enjoyable).
oh that prenatal massage was heaven. i just had a big, goofy grin on my face the rest of the day because i was so relaxed!
oh there are some fun places that are hot and have mountains! my favorite is ocean with mountains! thank you for your comment as always claire 🙂
Claire
May 11, 2016 at 4:07 pm
Ohh prenatal massage heaven. So lovely!!
Erin @ Very Erin
May 11, 2016 at 8:43 am
It looks like you guys had such an amazing time! When the time comes that Dave and I decide to have kids, I’ll definitely want to take a babymoon!
Erin @ Very Erin recently posted…How to Develop Habits for Healthy Living
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:29 am
we really did have a great time, erin! glad to hear you are on the babyboard train (or plane or bus or car) 🙂 you shall love it!
Nina @ Hugs and Lattes
May 11, 2016 at 9:33 am
Gosh I need a spa day ASAP. I loved following your adventure – so much fun and rest and relaxation is SO Needed during the busyness!!
Nina @ Hugs and Lattes recently posted…The Blogging Balance Beam
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:31 am
yes, you really do need a spa day soon nina (because really, who doesn’t!?) this was only my second ever professional massage and now i neeeeeeed more! thanks for following along on the adventure and hope you are having a great day!
Traci
May 11, 2016 at 9:41 am
You’ll be so glad you did this before the baby gets here! Life is never the same after kids! Its awesome, but just a different kind of awesome!
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:32 am
that’s what we keep hearing traci so it must hold true 🙂 thanks also for still saying it’s awesome just a different kind of awesome. a lot of the comments we get around traveling with kids are negative so thank you!
Audrey
May 11, 2016 at 10:13 am
Ahhhhhh, total perfection! Hawaii looks SO incredible! That spa sounds heavenly- actually, the whole resort does! I loooove Disney and all their magical places. What an AWESOME experience!
Audrey recently posted…The Best 2000s Movies
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:34 am
i’m telling you – you gotta go audrey! there are so many things to do and see that your days will be filled with so much or nothing at all, your choice 🙂 if you looooove disney you would totally love it at aulani! i forgot to mention but they have a few characters that make sporadic appearances and they are dressed in hawaiian shirts because ‘they are on vacation too’!
Mar
May 11, 2016 at 10:25 am
What a fantastic trip! I love Hawaii. We had our daughter 8 weeks ago and sadly, did not go on a baby moon. It’s a poor excuse, but life got too busy – work, moving, etc. It will definitely be a priority for #2, even if just a weekend away.
Mar recently posted…Morley’s New Friend
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:35 am
ahhhh congratulations mar on your sweet baby girl! i obviously have some catching up to do on your blog! glad it’s a priority for #2 when that babe comes along. what’s even better than a babymoon is probably that sweet baby in your arms!
jenniferhastonsays
May 11, 2016 at 10:51 am
Having just taken a babymoon ourselves, I couldn’t agree more with your post!! We had great times and really great conversations. One of the biggest things to come out of this trip was talking about other trips we want to take and how logistics will work when we have the little one. A vital component to any healthy relationship is making time for each other in the form of date nights, babymoons, vacations, getaways, etc. All of this costs money but can be inexpensive depending on how creative you get. Budgeting can be fun!! Your post gave me lots of ideas. I especially love the details about Ryan’s birthday! It’s so important to make a big deal about our spouses!
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:37 am
yay hoping you do a bit of a recap about your babymoon adventures jennifer! i’m curious how it all felt via car (because i had a few moments of the plane of horrid discomfort and the feeling of ‘get me outta here!’) yes we talked logistics too once the babe is out and about (and then we talked about how we can plan and plan and still it will be completely different than we think)!
i like what you said about getting creative with budgeting too – it doesn’t have to cost a ton (we used flight vouchers we got from a trip last year to make it to hawaii – score!) thanks for your thoughts as always jennifer!
Hannah Haworth @ With Love in Mind
May 11, 2016 at 11:35 am
Looks like you had an amazing time, and I would wholeheartedly agree, a babymoon is a fantastic way to reconnect with your partner and a chance to really process what’s going to happen. I’m looking forward to reading your list of questions to ask each other about fears and excitements – I’ll plan a night in especially for it!
Kinda feeling like we are going to need a second one before baby arrives – i wonder if we could possibly squeeze one in…
chelsea
May 11, 2016 at 11:38 am
ohhh i like where you are going with squeezing in a second babymoon before the baby comes – DO IT! if you can, i think it will only be great hannah! glad you’ve found that yours helped the two of you reconnect too. after i post the questions, be sure to let me know what else you and your husband added (or if you had any really great ones, i’ll add them to mine!) because it was so helpful for us!
Rachel @ Countdowns and Cupcakes
May 11, 2016 at 12:27 pm
I would totally take a babymoon! But like you said, really any excuse for a weekend or two as a getaway! Plus, it looks like you guys had the perfect setup!
Rachel @ Countdowns and Cupcakes recently posted…Stitch Fix Recap #19
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:31 am
glad you’re on board for a babymoon too rachel – it was so special and fun especialy hawaii!
Amberly
May 11, 2016 at 2:28 pm
I’m so glad you guys had fun! We’d planned on having a babymoon and then it slowly turned into a “stay at home and do house projects like responsible adults” week instead… But we make time away together to relax a priority often!
Amberly recently posted…Wives to Watch in Every Stage of Life – Amberly of A Prioritized Marriage
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:32 am
you do do a great job of taking time away to relax together amberly (via blogging friendship i can see this). so glad you do that i bet it’s even more important once the baby is here!
Paula Howley
May 11, 2016 at 10:24 pm
Hawaii is one place on my to do list. That resort looked amazing!
We took a brief babymoon to a place called Keats Island. It was actually a couples’ retreat so there were actually some ‘exercises’ for us to do and it was one of the few times we’ve done any such thing together. I really liked it and appreciated being away with Lloyd before the baby. Funny, we’re finally going on a trip together in a couple of weeks- first one that doesn’t involve going to see family since Meg was 2 years old! (Bringing the kid of course)
Paula Howley recently posted…Synthesizing an Unmistakable Voice
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:35 am
oh you will love it in hawaii, paula! it scream paradise from the moment you get off the plane and walk through the portions of the open aired airport! i love that you did a couples’ retreat – that is really great! we are looking to do something like that but struggling to find one that isn’t religiously centered (guess i should just create my own) 😉 i hope you have a great time on your upcoming trip!
Courtney {alkeks abroad}
May 12, 2016 at 1:27 am
How cute are you in your bikini? I kind of love being pregnant in a bikini because you can just let it all hang out and not worry about how you look. I love the babymoon idea, I want one every weekend for the next 13
(!!!!) until the baby gets here.
Courtney {alkeks abroad} recently posted…Granite Belt Getaway
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:36 am
it’s so strange to be pregnant in a bikini because i noticed just how much i’ve trained myself to ‘suck it in’ while wearing one. you’re right though courtney – we can let it all hang out (literally) 🙂 i want one every weekend too and ahhhhh 13 weeks away!!!!!
Vivien
May 12, 2016 at 1:09 pm
The pictures and the places look amazing! Glad to hear/see you got to go way and just enjoy some time together, just the three of you (hehe).
I like the idea of a babymoon, but when you ask me where, my mind draws a blank.
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:37 am
you have some time to decide where you might want a babymoon, vivien 🙂 and as experienced – those plans may very well change! speaking of which, i hope you are enjoying mexico!!!
chelsea recently posted…Married Life Chats Volume XII
Elizabeth
May 12, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Ah I’m so glad you guys had fun on your babymoon!! Aulani
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:38 am
we sure did elizabeth- thank you!!
chelsea recently posted…Married Life Chats Volume XII
Deborah Durkis
May 12, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Chelsea,
You and Ryan are smart putting your relationship as number one. My husband and I just celebrated 26 years on 5-5 and our ‘babies’ are 24 and 23 respectively. As we have grown together in our marriage the one constant I have observed amongst divorced, divorcing and happily married couples is communication. When my marriage was rocky I noticed my husband and I were not making time for ourselves and talking of our future. Once we made date night a must, our love grew and we did not grow apart. My divorced friends and family seem to lack that communication and effort and let life overtake their relationships. P.S. date night does not have to mean dining out, getting babysitters… It could be just doing the errand running you can’t do with children in tow. It could mean getting baby down and enjoying a movie or sunset or a quiet dinner for two. It could mean a picnic with baby in tow but taking a nap.
chelsea
May 17, 2016 at 9:39 am
congratulations on 26 years, deborah!!! that is fantastic! i agree that communication plays such an incredibly vital role in the health of a marriage. it’s hard because we aren’t often taught how to communicate or have poor examples so it takes time to learn how.
you are right about date nights having to mean going out – i like your examples! thanks so much for your comment!
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