Babymoon destinations for April moms?

emeraldisle17

We're pregnant with our first and looking into planning our first babymoon!  An April due date seems to be limiting our babymoon destinations (looking to travel in Jan/Feb while I still can!)  We want to go someplace warm which rules out Europe or northern US destinations that time of year, and the CDC says most of the tropical countries still have Zika!    We're thinking Hawaii (though I'm nervous that will get $$ fast) or Palm Beach FL.  Any other April mom's have Zika-free destination ideas??

lyse01

@knottiee8f1ac5b5bf40bb7, congrats and welcome to the board! Please consider sticking around and changing your user name (directions in the Read This First thread) so we can get to know you!

I love Europe in winter, but I get that sometimes you just want to pack less heavy outerwear or chill with fruity mocktails instead of tramping around a city. If I were you, I’d consider switching the date of your travel to open up the areas that will be warm. Also look into Morocco, which was HOT in late April/early May, and may be warm enough for your tastes in the winter. Or perhaps into any place with hot springs (although...check the safety of that during pregnancy. I think they’re cooler than a hot tub but someone in Iceland should have good data on safety). 

mermaidca

What is a baby moon for?  I've heard so much about them, just curious!  The idea of travelling while being pregnant sounds terrible to me haha.

lyse01

@mermaidca last chance before kids kill your ability to do cool things!

not that I really believe that...kids for me might move me out of hostels and force me to spend more time in parks when I tramp around euro cities. I prob need more luggage to handle baby gear. 

Honestly, I’d use it to convince DH to go on a vacation at all, if I could

harveyisaboysname

How are y’all thinking of this shit already? Damn maybe I’m really lagging. At 13 weeks I’m still struggling to schedule appointments in with my regular tasks and barely started a registry so I know what I need to buy. 

molecularmolly

My husband and I are planning a few nights in our honeymoon hotel which is a 2hr drive from here around New Year's as a babymoon. Unfortunately I have a rare dizziness disorder and can't travel further with medications that aren't baby safe, so close to home it is for us!

We did Europe last January and it was awesome. Rome had fairly decent weather (like just regular jacket most of the time), and it was great to have barely any lines. We also went to the Canary Islands which were warm enough to not wear a jacket, but not warm enough to swim (for me at least!). Though when I lived in the Canary Islands it was warm enough I swam on Christmas, so I think it varies year to year. They are a gorgeous and culturally rich part of Spain (though off of Western Sahara, so much closer to the equator; so warmer), I highly recommend going there especially Fuerteventura And Tenerife :-). I'm not positive about their Zika status but I don't think it's an issue there.

himolly88

knottiee8f1ac5b5bf40bb7 I'm also thinking about this and have been thinking about non-Zika Carribean... Bahamas or Cayman Islands. Can't find anything that's getting me excited though!

happymoni21

A full scale babymoon probably isn't in the cards for us, context being Hubs and I are in Canada and currently trying to buy a house so trying to be more fiscally responsible

I am terrified of traveling in the USA after January because what if I go into labour early and wind up with a million dollar hospital bill for a premie like this poor family. (I haven't found a travel insurance plan that will cover a infant that hasn't been born yet and my understanding is that it probably doesn't exist). 

Caribbean and South America is out because of Zika.

Europe is out because of $$$.

The rest of Canada just seems unbearably cold in January - March, except for the West Coast and cold rain doesn't really do it for me either.

So we are going to book a room in a fancy hotel in town, with a good spa and enjoy a day of pampering, followed by a nice meal.

professormama

We aren’t taking a babymoon. And we totally travel anywhere with our kid! But if I were going to take a babymoon I think I’d love to go somewhere like Morocco. Not as easy to do with kids, not a strong drinking culture, and really interesting and beautiful country. 

Piccola1988

I believe Bermuda is still Zika free.  I've also done Savannah, GA in February which isn't tropical but was warm enough to lay out by the hotel pool - Hilton Head is nearby and should be the same.  The Clearwater, FL area is also really nice and hasn't had an issue with Zika.  Hawaii is obviously an option, but if you're worried about spending a lot it's definitely pricey.  Also on the West Coast are the Santa Barbara or San Diego areas, which are beachy.

lyse01

@professormama I went on a tour in Morocco with a couple on a babymoon and a family with a older infant. The couple probably had fewer issues than me (my feet ended up really swollen from the flight and never had a chance to deflate) and the family was absolutely fine, though the babywearing mom got to walk alongside her camel through the dunes for a while when her child rebelled. Happy to share any info whenever you go there

@harveyisaboysname my travel would end at 22 weeks or so because of my history with preterm labor. So I don’t really have much time to plan a trip - that’s less than 7 weeks! not that we’re going anywhere because like @happymoni21 we are trying to pay down debt first.

@molecularmolly wait, you lived in the Canary Islands? How? why? The only thing I really know about Tenerife is an awful airplane accident that is a case study on runway incursions, and I would love to know more.

izzymarie80

No babymoon for us. We may just have a weekend away but that’s about all I can deal with at the moment lol

professormama

@lyse01 ahhhh I’m so jealous that you’ve been there!! We are hoping to go to Spain once number 2 is around a year old (maybe 6 months? We will see). And we’d probably try to do Morocco for a few days while we were in that region. But no way I was going to Spain while pregnant- Spain has all the cured meats and wine, and I’m not missing out on that! 

lyse01

@professormama my trip was Morocco, Gibraltar, and southern Spain, 18 days, nicknamed the Moorish invasion. Could easily have extended it to cover more, or spent the entirety in Morocco. Mediterranean Morocco (Tangier, Chefchaouan) is very different from interior Morocco (Marrakech, Fez, Ouarzazate) is very different from Atlantic Morocco (Casablanca, Rabat, Essouaria). Highly recommend a guidebook to get a sense of what’s what, list everything you want, and pare down based on time available. Or just plan a second trip. I’ve been to Spain three times, and I still need to walk the whole Camino de Santiago and check out the seafood and sailing (and independence movement) in Galicia. 

Oh also, anticipate buying all the souvenirs and needing an extra suitcase.

thatbaintforbetty

I guess technically I already had one? DH and I went away for a mini vacation weekend before last. We went to San Francisco, it’s relatively close and was fairly inexpensive. Its all we are going to get before this one gets here. And we only did it because we had it planned/booked before I found out I was pregnant. We are looking at possibly going to Santa Cruz for DDs bday in July though cause she has a serious obsession with the beach. 

catherineclaire78

@knottiee8f...I’m down on Hawaii since we flew there with our three kids last March and it poured 9 out of 10 days. So expensive and way less fun than Aruba, Curaçao, Mexico (in my opinion).  I’d go to Miami or somewhere in southern Florida or a spa in Sedona/Scottsdale AZ. 

blueberrymomma

We never did a baby moon. I’m trying to convience DH to do a short Florida trip in January. His parents and grandparents will be down in Naples/Marco Island. We will bring the kids because we always travel with them 

kosmo86

We are not into cold weather, plus I have no cold weather clothes and I want to do something before March so that limits our options. 

We are thinking about a disney cruise, Its not super cheap buts its a short drive to port and is easy to plan. We are looking to go the first week of December. Takes little planning and is great with a 2 year old. 

llamamamanyc

We were hoping to go to the Florida Keys right after Christmas while I’m still in the second trimester, but the airfare and lodging is outrageous that week. Considering a trip to Savannah in February (Presidents’ Day weekend), although a little nervous to fly anywhere as I’ll be 30 weeks by that point. I know you can often travel up until 36 weeks, but it does give me some concern. With the holidays rapidly approaching and most of our vacation days already accounted for (both of our families live out of of state, so we’ll be traveling for the holidays) it doesn’t leave us many options. There are local getaways, but was hoping for someplace warm to get a break from winter in the Northeast!

kangstadt

I'm so jealous reading about all of these awesome places!

For us, we probably aren't in a financially stable place right now to plan anything more than having a sitter take our DS for a weekend alone together, haha.  But that can be super special too!  Either that or we may plan a day trip hiking with DS somewhere.  

laurainoakland

We just booked a short trip to Monterey Bay in California over Thanksgiving as a baby moon! (It’s only a few hours away from us). It won’t be hot but it will likely still be nice!

I’m super excited- we booked two nights near the Wharf in Monterey at a hotel with a spa and booked massages (including a prenatal massage for me), and two nights at a really cute peaceful rustic cabin we found on Airbnb in the middle of nowhere Carmel Valley. I think it will be so nice to get away just the two of us. We decided to do it over thanksgiving since it allows us to take 5 days away without using up too much vacation time, and even though I love thanksgiving, decided that our family will have to do without us just this year. 

catherineclaire78

@laurainoakland so jealous! is it the Portola? We’ve stayed there both times I ran the Big Sur Marathon and I love it. Wherever you stay, that’s such a great destination.

sheknows6

Booked a tri-city trip in Europe the day I found out I was pregnant (booked that afternoon, turned a test that evening, go figure) and it's for the first week of March so I'll be 33.5 weeks pregnant by then.

We're still going. I'm in good shape, and I don't see any reason not to go; my OB agrees with me and sees no reason I can't fly.

So Ireland, London, and France in March- this will double as a honey/babymoon for us- we got married in August.

LifeofLauren2

@sheknows6 is this your first pregnancy? US airlines won't let you fly after 35 weeks. So...hopefully it's a short trip. Plus, you never know what will happen. I was cleared in the beginning of my last pregnancy to travel in June. I was due in late July. And then two weeks before I got put on modified bedrest and told I couldn't travel anymore. I sincerely hope you have trip insurance. You may need it.

Piccola1988

@LifeofLauren2 that's actually not true.  Many airlines have no restrictions, or at the worst they cut you off at 36 weeks or within a month of your due date.  I was told I could fly up to 36 weeks so @sheknows6, you should be fine, but just check with your airline in advance because some do require a doctor's note.  If there is a serious medical issue and you can't fly you will most likely have no issue getting a refund, at least as a credit.

sheknows6

@lifeoflauren2 yes, this is my first pregnancy, and my OB has already cleared it and even offered a letter to take with me should the airline pose any issues which won't be necessary either. My pregnancy is low risk, and I'm flying Delta which I've already checked- they do not restrict pregnant passengers. However, if I should be restricted due to bed rest or some other reason, my OB will provide a letter that will allow me to cancel my trip free of penalty, no insurance required.

I'm really not worried, I'm looking forward to my trip.

Most airlines that do have restrictions impose them at 36-38 weeks, which is almost two-four weeks after I'll be returning. I seriously doubt they'd even ask me how far along I am.

honey_suckle

@lyse01 We spent last Christmas in Teneriffe it was so great! All the lush plant life, sun and  t-shirts, flowering gardens hiking a volcano and delicious food (though I agree that it would have been a shame to miss out on the dried ham).

I think we don't get to go anywhere for babymoon. I was hoping we could do a trip to Prague over Christmas, but my midwife advised against planning trips anywhere at that point since the twins might come early or we might have to be in town for ultra sounds. Luckily though I will have my best friend visiting from Toronto in December so I get to show her Sweden for the first time and be a tourist in my home town. At least thats something fun that might be hard to do after babies come. 

molecularmolly

lyse01 said:

@molecularmolly wait, you lived in the Canary Islands? How? why? The only thing I really know about Tenerife is an awful airplane accident that is a case study on runway incursions, and I would love to know more.

Yes :-D I was a Rotary Youth Exchange student in my junior year of high school and lived in the north of Tenerife with a host family for a year. Then I went back for a quarter in college to do an anthropological study of their healthcare system.

I know all of us have very little (or unborn :-) ) kids, but keep Rotary Youth Exchange in mind as your kids get older. It is an amazing experience, and not just for rich kids, all you pay for is your plane ticket and health insurance, they provide room, board, and a modest amount of spending money. I think it was a big part of why I got a full ride scholarship for the first year of college (and I'm fluent in Spanish now, even though I was taking French in high school lol).

lilpotatomama

We live in Texas and will be taking a three day trip to Houston in January to visit our favorite museums and gorge on all the Korean food our hearts desire! Also, there’s this hot dog stand called Yoyo’s Hot Dog and it is hands down THE most incredible hot dog I’ve ever had. So our little babymoon/DH’s birthday trip completely revolves around food. 

MRDCle

lilpotatomama said:

We live in Texas and will be taking a three day trip to Houston in January to visit our favorite museums and gorge on all the Korean food our hearts desire! Also, there’s this hot dog stand called Yoyo’s Hot Dog and it is hands down THE most incredible hot dog I’ve ever had. So our little babymoon/DH’s birthday trip completely revolves around food. 

I think all the best trips do. 

lilpotatomama

@MRDCle agree completely! The first thing DH and I do when planning a trip is start yelping. We like spontaneous food adventures but yelp has helped us find a lot of gems. 

thatbaintforbetty

MRDCle said:

lilpotatomama said:

We live in Texas and will be taking a three day trip to Houston in January to visit our favorite museums and gorge on all the Korean food our hearts desire! Also, there’s this hot dog stand called Yoyo’s Hot Dog and it is hands down THE most incredible hot dog I’ve ever had. So our little babymoon/DH’s birthday trip completely revolves around food. 

I think all the best trips do. 

I had several lists and an agenda for San Fran that was based on food. 

avidlyuks36

Morocco was where my husband and I were planning to go -- but I just got laid off -- so we may try to do something a bit more inexpensive. was thinking Phoenix or New Mexico resort.

laurainoakland

@catherineclaire78 Staying at Casa Munras in Monterey... pretty excited! Impressed you did Big Sur. My husband ran it in 2017- so intense!

So fun to read about all of these exotic trips! I want to go to Europe... I'm planning to take my family to Scotland (where I'm from/ grew up) next summer, including new baby! Reading about all of these trips is making me want to build in a little extra trip to somewhere sunny and warm too!

lyse01

@mamma_swede @molecularmolly

::scribble scribble:: Tenerife is now on my wanderlist.

Piccola1988

@laurainoakland I'm pretty sure I stayed at Casa Munras a while back.  We did New Years in Monterey one year when we were living in the Bay Area.  Super cute little hotel - if I remember correctly it's almost like little cottages.  At the time I laughed because everything shut down at like 9pm even though it was New Year's Eve, but I was young and childless then - now that sounds like a dream.  I remember reluctantly deciding to eat at Chart House on Cannery Row even though we tend to dislike chains, but it was really delicious, if you are looking for a place to have a nice dinner.

himolly88

Loving the Morocco and Arizona ideas!
I lead group tours.. usually focused around food and wine. I had a tour in France so was just there for two weeks... and next week I go to Italy for two weeks. I found traveling at this early stage of pregnancy to be just fine (I was worried about it) but also I've had a fairly easy pregnancy so far. No more work travel after early November, yay!

honey_suckle

@lyse01 I must warn that it's still much of a charter destination, popular with old people and families with kids. If you want a more authentic Spanish feel in teneriffe (not all inclusive) stick to the North end of the island. We had a rental car for the week and it allowed us to explore more than just the beaten track. 

saraleigh2

Re: warmer April destinations- I would suggest Southern California, Las Vegas, or Arizona. 

I am easy tho I’m happy at a nice resort with heated pool, spa services, shopping, and great restaurants. 

BarefootContessa

@himolly88 That sounds like a dream job!

We aren't baby mooning, but I am taking an extended vacation with my ILs starting 12/25 to South Africa.That is where my husband was born and nearly all of his extended family resides there. It will be a long flight with my two kids and no husband (he will join us later, as he is in a wedding.)

lyse01

@mamma_swede good tip. I am not an all-inclusive person.
@himolly88 you guys hiring? Sounds like a dream job.
@BarefootContessa one of my friends, her mom is a New Zealander and has very firm ideas that Christmas is warm, so her family travels to the beach every year (and usually goes scuba diving). Does your husband have similar ideas?