Pregnancy Wellness

Babymoon Tour Guide

planning-babymoon

You’re on the edge of meeting your baby and want to get off to a great start! Planning your babymoon with awareness from our experienced ‘travel guides’ (aka postpartum experts, moms, doulas) can help you have a joyful beginning and fewer difficulties.

“Plan for some jetlag”

The postpartum time is at least leg 3 of the triathlon we call parenthood. If you’ve dealt with pregnancy loss or infertility, we know you got an early start with facing uncertainty, exhaustion, overwhelm and often being physically and emotionally challenged. We sometimes forget that the birth isn’t the end of this race, but just the beginning.

If you know you are going to be a little depleted, paying attention to eating nourishing foods, drinking fluids, sleeping when you can sleep, and clearing expectations can help you rebound during the postpartum period.

Acceptance also goes a long way….

In case of emergency, administer oxygen to yourself first…

Eventually we all come to realize that in order to be the parents we want to be, we have to shore ourselves up with self-care, with support, with relief. Some days it may just take a hot shower and a nourishing meal. At times we may have to come up gasping to realize that this reality is irrefutable.

If at all possible, put plans in place for support before the baby comes. We suggest a postpartum plan by 27 weeks of pregnancy.

There are friendly locals who can show you around

We all will likely need some reassurance from parents who have gone before us and maybe some of guidance. It’s important to know you’re not alone when you’re facing the sleepless nights and the fussy hours.

And…it’s also important to show some caution in terms of taking on all the advice that comes your way.

There are times when you might need to find your way on instincts alone. AND, someone else’s idea of a great time (or the right way to parent) might not be yours.

The best reassurance is the presence of someone who is there to tell you you’re doing a fabulous job and you’re not as lost as you might think. And if they do give some direction, that they actually have credibility and know the roads they are pointing you towards.

Do not Disturb signs are a good thing

Order room service, plan for housekeeping and lock the door. This is your chance to cuddle up and keep the rest of the world away while you just get to know one another. This new love of your life will want nothing more than to be in your arms. Soon enough they will be ready to shove off and will insist on exploring, but for now it’s all snuggling all the time.

Turn off your phones, tell work and potential visitors that you are off the grid and keep concierge lines open to get anything you might need. A doula and a chosen team of supporters can bring food, run errands, and be there to serve as the local experts mentioned above, while knowing how to tiptoe quietly around to keep the bubble of new parenthood intact.

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When you work with Birthways, you benefit from partnering with nationally recognized experts and the most experienced doula service provider in the Chicago area.