Focus on comfort & water therapy as you mentally prepare for birth
Fair warning: get ready to roll your eyes at me.
I believe every pregnant woman should have TWO babymoons: one in your second trimester where you can be active and enjoy your trip to a destination of your choosing (which can even include a plane ride); and one overnight to somewhere in driving distance to where you live.
For the latter, hear me out, before your second eye roll.
The third trimester is a difficult time. I felt like a stuffed turkey and my little life pleasures were dwindling down as my due date drew near. The only things that made me happy at that point were food, massage therapy and being in water.
It took a bit of convincing on my part, but I talked my husband into a weeknight trip to Connecticut-based Mayflower Inn which was only a short car ride from New York City. I had visited the property almost 10 years earlier and had always vowed to go back. In recent years, famed hotel group Auberge took over the property and I was excited to see what the hotel was now offering now that I was in dire need of some R&R.
We only planned to be there for a night, so I knew we needed to be as strategic as possible with our activities and meals. We went up early (stopping to buy a maternity bathing suit at Target on the way since I had grown out of all the other ones I had at that point) and grabbed lunch in their cozy Tavern Room as we waited for our room.
We split two of their tastiest dishes: a gourmet cheeseburger and a fried chicken sandwich with homemade coleslaw and pickles with a side salad and fries. This meal was certainly a pregnant woman’s dream come true—- unbelievable umami that crushed those pesky pregnancy cravings.
Next, we settled into our room to change for our spa appointments. We checked into the spa and went straight to their beautiful pool with painted white walls on the inside with incredible light streaming through their full length windows peering out onto a lush landscape. I felt like a queen floating in the pool and getting my heart rate up while using water aerobics weights for good measure.
When we had dried off, we waited in one of the world’s best spa rooms I have ever been in (and I’ve been in MANY as a travel/food writer). I melted onto one of their big, white, plushy recliners facing out onto their garden and passed out within minutes before I was woken up by our massage therapists.
They escorted us into our couple’s room where I was given a prenatal massage and my husband was having a Swedish massage. The therapist who worked on me was highly skilled and in tune with what my tired, pregnant body needed. I felt great relief after the pool time and massage, a true pregnant luxury.
Prior to dinner, I soaked in a warm bath and spent some quality “me-time” in our spacious bathroom—with the heated floors no less— pampering myself, blowing my hair out and applying makeup for dinner. I wanted to feel somewhat like myself again and this beauty ritual did just the trick.
We arrived for dinner in the Mayflower’s dining room and were seated in a special table by the window. Dinner was prepared by executive chef Lacey Lou Franklin and pastry chef Jamie Caudy who masterfully created a newly-revamped culinary program.
My husband and I wanted to try everything and ordered a variety of dishes to taste including a rack of lamb, a foie gras appetizer and a pumpkin angliotti with chanterelle mushrooms and bacon.
Dessert proved to be a meal all unto itself. We split one of the pastry chef’s more unique creations — an averill farms apple complete with green apple mousse, creamy caramel custard, thyme streusel and apple sorbet.
The next morning, we ordered in a healthy breakfast in bed before working off our decadent dinner by attending a water aerobics class at the spa. It was the perfect exercise to do while pregnant. We were able to get in a full 55 minutes of low impact movement that invigorated my tired body.
We showered and changed after the spa before saying goodbye to the charming Mayflower Inn that was perfectly snow-kissed on a bright December day.
We hope to return again in the warmer months with our bundle of joy in tow, but secretly I was thankful that I was able to talk my husband into one more night, just the two of us, before becoming a family of three.
3rd Tri Babymoon Checklist:
Comfy bedroom and bathroom
Water therapy: luxurious tubs & pools
Comfort food and breakfast in bed
Massage appointments and meditation time