Babymoon Travel

When I discovered I was pregnant, my husband and I decided to take a last pre-baby trip often called a Babymoon. Expectant parents venture into this vacation with different purposes, as well as at different points of the pregnancy itself. Personally, traveling after the first trimester was a perfect time when taking into consideration morning sickness and comfort. In fact, the American Pregnancy Association reports the optimal time to travel is during the second trimester, but are not limited to this timeframe if no complications exist.

I am not alone in wanting to escape one last time as a true “couple”. In fact, according to a May 2008 informal Babycenter.com poll, 67 percent will or did take a babymoon.

We are big cruisers, so for this babymoon adventure we selected a Celebrity Cruise as it is known for its cuisine, which was an activity I could partake in without worry, especially after not being able to eat for the first 16 weeks due to “morning” sickness. We sailed a Western itinerary and visited ports of call including Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Jamaica.

Cruising pregnant posed a few elements I had to consider. I could not spend time in the hot tub, I had to be careful of the shore excursions we participated in (i.e. no deep sea fishing or the zip line on this one), and I had to limit my time in the sun. To my surprise, these cautionary items resulted in some pleasant benefits including our lowest bar bill ever on a cruise, choosing excursions we normally would not such as Tulum (which is breathtaking in its view and fascinating in its history), participation in on-board activities out of the sun including Bingo and even some pregnancy-friendly work outs!

For us, a babymoon was just another way for us to continue our traveling lifestyle. Just too bad we could not receive cruise credit or frequent flyer miles for the little stowaway!
--Jenn Thomas