BABYMOON BOOM
MORE AND MORE COUPLES ARE SPLASHING OUT ON (AT LEAST) ONE BIG, NO-REGRETS HOLIDAY BEFORE BABY WIPES TAKE OVER, SAYS VIV GROSKOP ILLUSTRATION BY TIM MARRS
A friend of mine in New York, five months pregnant, is planning her babymoon at the moment: a last-minute trip to London for a long weekend. “I will spend the whole time doing things I won’t be able to do when the baby comes – going to amazing restaurants and having beauty treatments.”
Another mummy friend splashed out on the holiday of a lifetime to Barbados: “We realised it was our last chance to have a romantic holiday together, so we spent more than we had on our honeymoon.” Actually, they loved it so much, they’ve been back twice with their two children – now toddlers – but to a more affordable child-friendly resort, rather than the upscale villa they booked for their babymoon.
Increasingly, couples want to make the most of – and celebrate – what pre-natal calm there is before the storm. They know what is to come and they want to make the most of now.
Dubbed “being pampered before the Pampers”, the term was coined by American travel agents who spotted an increasing number of couples in their 30s booking wildly exotic, money-no-object holidays. They are seeking holidays of a lifetime because they realise this will probably be the last time they will ever have the same kind of disposable income. They also know it will be the last time they can get together – just the two of them – for quite some time.
Choosing the destination is tricky. Romance, adventure, or a combination of both are high on the list of priorities. Do you go for the lavish, exciting option? The full-scale, longhaul blow-out? Or go low key and stay close to home? Foolish is the pregnant woman who assumes she will have heroic energy levels past month six. It’s a good idea to assume you will be too exhausted to do anything except lie beside a pool. “I had been travelling for work to the US and the Far East up to the seventh month of my pregnancy,” says Tracy, a banker and mother of two. “So for my last holiday as a non-parent I just checked into a spa an hour’s drive from my house. It was bliss.”
If you do venture further afield, there are practicals to consider. If you’re flying, take a doctor’s note confirming the baby’s due date once you are past 20 weeks. Most airlines don’t require this letter until after 28 weeks, but it saves awkward questions (especially if you’re already on the large side). Most airlines allow you to fly up to 35 or 36 weeks, but always check. In theory it is possible to fly after this – not that many mums-to-be would want to – but it’s difficult to get insurance. Unfortunately you don’t get upgraded just because you are the size of a house.
For shorthaul weekends away, the babymoon capital of the universe has to be Stockholm. The centre is cute and compact, great when you don’t want to walk very far. You can take dreamy boat trips down the river and see healthy Swedish families cycling to their weekend huts. Restaurants are romantic and cosy (and perfect if you’ve developed a herring craving). The shopping is fantastic, with excellent mother-to-be fashion, such as the label Boob, hip clothes to wear when pregnant and when breastfeeding (it’s only stocked in expensive ‘yummy mummy’ shops in the UK).
You can’t beat Paris for romance, while for those determined to squeeze in a final long-haul flight, Thailand and Malaysia are a big draw. I know one couple who pushed the boat out and took their babymoon in the Maldives.
One thing is certain: you’ll always remember this as the perfect holiday.
In the days before anyone talked about ‘babymoons’, my husband and I rented a remote cottage in Brittany with a stream in the garden. We had no plans but to shut the world out for a week. I was only a few weeks off giving birth and could barely move. It never occurred to us we were doing anything special. But in the years since, we have looked back on it as the ultimate in luxury – our last time together.
It was boring, uneventful and extremely quiet. But it was the last time we were ever truly alone and – with parental hindsight – it was one of our best holidays ever.
REAL LIFE
“ONE OF THE BEST TRIPS WE’VE EVER TAKEN”
If I’m honest, if we’re both honest, it was equal measures of panic and exhilaration. We realised that in the very near future our lives were going to change dramatically and the wonderful and daunting news lit a fire under us. One last blast, one last trip before baby wipes and nightime feeds took over. My fiancé Tam wanted to go to New York and we decided to go with two other non-pregnant couples. One snag – it was too early for us to tell them why Tam wouldn’t be drinking. Antibiotics makes a great excuse. Having both worked for the NME we splashed out at one of the city’s most expensive rock’n’roll hotels. We saw Robert Redford there and Gwen Stefani had stayed the week before.
Despite early-evening tiredness and a little jet lag, everything had a clichéd sense of heightened enjoyment. The tourist trips through Brooklyn and Central Park, stumbling on late night gigs in Bleaker Street, a hotdog from Gray’s Papaya – they were all the more memorable for the company of friends and the adventure about to unfold for us. Our travelling days were about to change but we were both surprisingly chilled about this. For now, with the New York sunshine streaming through the brownstone streets, this was a fitting turning point. If you can get a trip in, it’ll be one of the best you’ll ever take. Piers Townley
WHAT TO WEAR
BEACH BUMPS
If you want to show your bump off a la Nicole Richie, Topshop has on-trend graphic prints and basic black separates (from £8; topshop.com), while figleaves.com stocks Anita Maternity swimwear, which offers practical bikini bottoms that roll down over or under your bump and tops with extra-light boning (£35).
For a little extra cover, a tankini is a great option. Isabella Oliver’s flattering Twist Tankinis (£70, isabellaoliver.com) are subtly shimmery for glamour-pusses everywhere, while the practical crinkle sun-dress (£95) is perfect for daytime. Visit summer specialist heidiklein.com for their own-label maternity swimwear – the ruched tankini set (£130) is adjustable to hide or expose your bump, according to how you feel. For those who like the comfort and cover-up of a one-piece, keep it simple with block colours and unfussy lines, and add interest with accessories. French mail-order company La Redoute has a great choice of bright swimsuits (www.laredoute.com).
Angie Clarke
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