Pre-baby getaways

Expectant couples across the country are enjoying a last-chance trip together before being tied down by nap times and 2 a.m. feedings.

These pre-baby vacations have been dubbed “babymoons,” likened to a second honeymoon.

“Once the baby comes, you’re too tired and not too flexible to travel,” said Melanie Heberer, a Mead resident who has taken a babymoon during each of her three pregnancies.

Some hotels and resorts have caught on to the babymoon trend, offering special packages for expectant couples.

The Rosario Resort and Spa on the San Juan Islands offers a babymoon package including lodging for two nights, a 50-minute massage for the couple, sparkling cider and homemade cookies. Other hotels offer pickle platters and ice cream sundaes to satisfy pregnancy cravings and libraries featuring birthing and parenting DVDs to prepare the expectant couple for the adventure ahead.

There is even a Web site, www.babymoons.com, devoted to helping couples plan their pre-baby getaway.

With all of the luxury offerings, babymoons can get pricey, but couples don’t have to break the budget to enjoy a babymoon.

Kayla-Sue and Nathan Acheson, a Spokane couple expecting their third child in August, are tacking their babymoon onto Nathan’s upcoming business trip to Florida. They know it will be more than a year before they have another chance to travel without children in tow.

“I nurse my babies for 18 months, so it makes it hard to get away,” Kayla-Sue Acheson said.

Marie Moran, a Spokane mom, surprised her husband, Chris, with a one-night stay at an Idaho bed and breakfast before the arrival of their second child. The ideal babymoon gives the couple a chance to spend time together and perhaps enjoy a little pampering before the focus shifts to their new arrival, Moran said.

Babymoons do not have to be a one-time experience. Some couples choose to take a babymoon before the arrival of each child, soliciting friends or family to care for their other children.

When the Morans took their one-night babymoon, her mother took care of their 4-year-old daughter.

“She finally seemed old enough that we could do that,” Moran said. “They had a blast. I could have stayed away longer and I don’t think my daughter would have cared.”

After taking babymoons with her husband before the births of her first two children, Heberer decided to put a new twist on the tradition with her third pregnancy. Her husband offered to stay home with the children so she could spend a long weekend visiting her sister in California.

“With this pregnancy, it was a chance for me to get away and relax before I have three to care for,” Heberer said.

Taking a vacation while pregnant requires some extra thought to ensure safety and comfort for both mom and the baby.

“Don’t go too early in your pregnancy,” Heberer said. “My second babymoon we went on a cruise and I still had morning sickness. I spent part of my vacation feeling green.”

Marie Moran had a similar experience vacationing while pregnant with her first child. She and her husband took a deep sea fishing trip on the Oregon Coast. The long hours in the car, cold weather and time on the sea made the trip challenging for Moran, who was four months pregnant at the time.

Kayla-Sue Acheson, who will be flying to Florida a couple of months before her due date, spoke with her midwife about traveling safely while pregnant.

“When I’m on the airplane, I’m supposed to sit on an outer seat so I can get around and walk a lot,” Acheson said.

Debi Hinkles, a registered nurse at Spokane Obstetrics and Gynecology, recommends that expectant mothers drink lots of water while traveling, since dehydration can lead to early labor. Frequent breaks to stretch the legs are also a good idea, since blood clots sometimes can form if pregnant women stay seated too long.

Pregnant women should also avoid flying or any travel at high altitudes once their pregnancy reaches the 36 week mark.

“Gravitational pull will have a tendency to take over and cause them to go into labor,” Hinkles said.

Hinkles also recommends that an expectant mom pack her medical records so that her pregnancy history is available if she requires medical attention while away.