Why I’m Glad I Went On A Babymoon Before I Hit 20 Weeks Pregnant

To babymoon or not to babymoon – that is the question. Well, it’s one of many questions you’ll have when you become pregnant. Arguably, it’s the most fun questions to figure out! I had my babymoon before I was 20 weeks pregnant and am so glad I did.

In fact, I technically babymooned twice – one was by accident though. My husband and I had planned a trip to Cabo, Mexico before we knew we were pregnant… and I wasn’t going to cancel just because I couldn’t drink any tequila (even though I will admit, it was hard!).

Since that wasn’t our *real* babymoon (even though it definitely could have been!), we took advantage of it. We found out the gender of our baby two days before leaving, so we did a beach photoshoot for our announcement photos and for our gender reveal. It was definitely us.

So, what was our real babymoon? We wanted to go big. My husband always wanted to go to Barcelona and I always wanted to go to Morocco so we did just that – checking things off of our travel bucket list before baby arrives.

We spent one week, a couple of nights in Barcelona and then the rest of the time in the South of Spain, in Malaga. From the South of Spain we were able to take a ferry to Morocco for the day. Highly recommended!

Why Should You Consider A Babymoon Before Being 20 Weeks Pregnant?

I could go on and on about my babymoon, but I’ll refrain. Instead, I’ll focus on helping you figure out your babymoon. I did a ton of research before planning mine, especially in terms of best time to go.

I opted to go before I was 20 weeks pregnant and I’m glad I did! Why? Here are some reasons I’m glad I planned by babymoon before I was 20 weeks pregnant.

I Wasn’t As Tired

In my first trimester, I was so tired. I needed a midday nap or at least a lie down. I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open at times!

It’s a very common symptom to feel during your first trimester. Fortunately, it is one that commonly goes away in your second trimester. Thankfully, it did for me. I was able to enjoy my babymoon without needing to stop what I was doing and close my eyes for a bit.

I Had More Energy For My Babymoon Being Before 20 Weeks Pregnant

Along with being less tired, I had more energy. I probably had the most energy of my pregnancy in my second trimester, especially before 20 weeks.

There were times I didn’t even feel pregnant I felt so good! I did start to feel a decline in my energy as I got closer to my third trimester, so that’s another big reason I’m glad I went in the first half of my second trimester.

I do just want to note that whereas I was feeling more energy, I was more conscious to sit down more and rest than I would’ve if I weren’t pregnant. Very grateful Europe’s filled with so many cafes where you can sit, order a (non-alcoholic) drink, and rest for a bit. It’s still important to make sure you’re not overexerting yourself.

I Was Showing, But Not As Big

I went on my babymoon at around 17 weeks, and I had a cute baby bump. You could tell I was pregnant, but I was still fitting into a lot of looser fitting clothes. I didn’t have to buy a whole new vacation wardrobe, which I was grateful for.

I was also grateful that I was not as big by 20 weeks as I was after 20 weeks. As I progressed through my second trimester, it did slowly start getting harder to move. And this was in the sense that I was slowly down thanks to the excess weight. It also doesn’t help that I am short – only 5 feet tall! – so I definitely felt the extra weight more. By going on my babymoon before 20 weeks pregnant, I was still able to move normally, or close to normally.

I will admit though, I do love the fact that I was showing for my babymoon! Especially in Europe, people are super understanding and supportive of pregnant woman – plus, it was exciting to have people ask about the baby and acknowledge my pregnancy!

I Didn’t Have To Worry About Flying

Flying in your third trimester isn’t always advisable; sometimes airlines will ask for a doctor’s note or a written approval if you are flying in your third trimester. I didn’t have to worry about this prior to 20 weeks.

I did let my flight attendant know I was pregnant, but since I was not close to my third trimester, I didn’t have to worry about anything – at least not on the airlines I flew. Also, I am not the best flier to begin with, so flying far from my due date gave me some peace of mind, too.

I Knew What I Could And Couldn’t Eat

It’s not always easy keeping track of what you can and can’t eat while in a different country. But since I already had a whole first trimester and then some under my belt, I had a pretty good grasp of the foods and drinks that were OK to consume and the ones that weren’t.

I also was pretty used to it by this point, so it didn’t feel as much of a loss. I will admit though, going to a cooking class where they made sangria and not being able to have any of that was the hardest part!

And One Final Note…

I really became grateful that I took my babymoon prior to 20 weeks as I got 25+ weeks and started showing a lot more. I started feeling myself slow down, need to take more breaks, and start going to the restroom room. As I entered my third trimester, I couldn’t even fathom going on a babymoon – at least not one that involved walking (I can totally see a relaxation babymoon happening, though!).

Final Thoughts On A Babymoon Before Being 20 Weeks Pregnant

When it comes down to it, it’s up to you to decide when’s the first time for you to go on your babymoon. You know your body best! And, hopefully my experience will give you some helpful information to make the best decision for yourself. Happy babymooning!

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