Babymoon? Thoughts on traveling while pregnant

With so many babies on the horizon, I’d thought I’d revisit a topic from my first pregnancy. (A handful of you may have seen a version of this on my old site, Baby Mine.)

Being fortunate enough to take a sort of “last-hurrah” vacation as an expectant couple should be enough, right? You should already count yourself lucky (especially if somebody else is nice enough to watch your older child or children while you’re gone).

So let me preface this by saying that I realize this is not a real problem and that I fear that this will sound ridiculous. But some of you might be realizing that choosing a good destination when you’re expecting is a challenge!

And it occurred to me that I’m probably not the only one out there who has Googled “traveling while pregnant” for destination ideas to find that the only links returned are articles on getting up and walking during long plane flights. In the end, I can only offer that (1) these are some of the factors you might consider, (2) you will get to travel again once the baby arrives (and the real challenges begin), and (3) you’ll have a great time regardless. Think of it less as a last hurrah and more of a chance to celebrate what’s to come.

In our case, the first getaway during my first pregnancy was to Montreal, to celebrate an anniversary. Aron worried about the long car ride, and I feared that a romantic getaway to the “Paris of the North” (in the winter) wouldn’t be the same without foie gras; stinky, unpasteurized cheeses; dips in a steamy, hot jacuzzi; or copious glasses of wine.

Obviously, we got over it.

The next vacation we got to plan was for a February escape to warmer climes (and hopefully a sun-drenched beach). We’d taken a trip to India the previous April (with the push being that we should seize the opportunity to see a place I’d always dreamed of visiting before having a baby might keep us away for a while), and we actually considered a repeat trip while our visas were still valid. But it seemed unnecessarily risky: Aron had gotten sick briefly on our last visit, and the fear of food-borne illness–potentially devastating to a fetus–loomed large. We also thought about all of the bug repellent we had applied (instead of taking anti-malarials), and knowing that I would now neither feel comfortable using Deet nor taking anti-malarials placed the destination firmly in the no-go category. We had really hoped to go somewhere that could prove challenging with a baby or small child (as opposed to a kid-friendly, domestic spot like Florida), but found that most places that are warm in February are in the tropics and posed similar problems.

I think it was around the time that I reminded my husband that I also couldn’t scuba dive that he was ready to give up on warm weather altogether, suggesting instead that we head for snowy mountains and embrace the winter. But I quickly vetoed the thought of a non-skiing, non-hot-tubbing, non-hot-toddy drinking week in the snow. Picky, picky.

In the end, we got very lucky: my parents (probably tired of my indecision) came to the rescue with a gift of a Caribbean cruise and we had an amazing time! We also snuck off to Napa for a few days of couple-time and laughed at ourselves for booking a trip to the wine region at five months pregnant.

Since then, over two pregnancies, I’ve traveled a lot in the expectant state and my conclusion? (Hint: It’s the same with all questions of travel.) Go!

Yes, there will be heartburn. No, you can’t toss back margaritas. Yes, you will probably spend far too much time agonizing over a maternity bathing suit. But not as much time as you’ll spend agonizing over the first postpartum one.

I’d vote the best time is late in the second trimester or early in the third, when you’re unlikely to be sick, likely to look pregnant, likely able to stay up past 9pm, and unlikely to be in early labor or any sort of stressed-out nesting mode.

P.S. More encouragement: Trips we took while I was pregnant with Hudson or Skyler to Cape Cod, Calistoga, Hawaii, Grand Cayman, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.

Quick Salad Cheat

With the days longer and the evenings warmer, we’ve been more likely to find ourselves surprised by the hour and in need of a last-minute dinner plan—for ourselves and for sharing with friends.

Rotisserie chicken and salad is always my go-to, and I’ve been using the simplest cheat for a spur-of-the-moment, no-brainer (but looks like you thought about it) salad.

The trick? It’s almost too simple to warrant sharing, but it’s also sort of awesome: mix a fresh bag of greens (or a freshly washed bunch) with a pre-made deli salad. Done.

This all came about because, roughly a month ago, it came to my attention that I was completely failing at eating healthy lunches. Basically, while Hudson was off at preschool for a few hours, and Skyler was sleeping, I would choose working on the computer, checking email, running errands, combing out my bedhead… anything… over putting thought into a real lunch. Then, by 3pm, when they both were back asleep, I’d realize I was starving and would seek out ice cream. Not a good scene.

I can’t say that I’ve completely conquered my bad habits, but the most reliable fix was when I’d fill the fridge with a few boxes of pre-made salad combinations. I know, I know: it’s so easy to do yourself (and I’m going to work on that, too) but somehow a cold salad for lunch was so much more appealing when someone else made it.

This particular one is from Fresh & Easy—a new take on the neighborhood market, known best perhaps for their Ready-to-Cook line of dinners (also super convenient for busy nights); they’re great about offering lots of options for the time-starved. I learned that they have a nice range of these pre-made salads.

(Side note: Too bad there’s no room in my cart for anything with two kids these days! Is this how everyone else shops with both?)

I chose the Greek in this case. Generally, my philosophy on this is: if you’re going to be making ingredients go further, look for the salads with plenty of high-calorie add-ins (like olives, cheese, or nuts). And if it were just for my family, I might sub a bag of spinach for the bag of romaine to up the nutrition.

Then, just add olive oil, salt, and pepper, pouring the oil into the container left from whatever dressing they provided (you can be sure to get every last drop of theirs and doubling this will generally be a good serving size for dressing). You can always opt to add more of one thing, squeeze some fresh lemon or add a dash of vinegar, if you like.

This way you have a range of creative ingredients in your dinner salad, but without having had to do any chopping or planning.

Thank you to Fresh & Easy for sponsoring this post and supporting Hither & Thither!

Fresh & Easy thinks that fresh, wholesome food should be accessible and affordable to everyone. They offer a range of their own brand products and freshly prepared meals, in addition to other favorite top name brands in smarter and smaller stores. If it has the Fresh & Easy name on it, it’s guaranteed to be free from artificial colors and flavors, transfats, high-fructose corn syrup or any other hidden nasties that are out there. Find one near you.

P.S. More favorite salads: Simple summer squash, Blood Orange, and a Watermelon Salad.

The Kid Gets in the Picture

Skyler’s first photobooth.
Ace Hotel, Portland.

P.S. Ace Hotel: Palm Springs and New York