I had heard of a babymoon when I was pregnant with Palmer and thought it seemed like a silly idea; with Kedzie we just never planned one. It wasn’t until this pregnancy, with our third baby girl, that we actually took one! And to be honest, while we [I] talked about taking one this go around, we probably wouldn’t have made it happen … but then plans fell in our lap, and I’m so glad they did – hey there, Vermont!
I’ll start by saying, I was surprised to see a lot of responses to my social posts indicating some of you had never heard of a babymoon! I thought these were pretty common practice nowadays (similar to a push present). If you’re one of those who mentioned you weren’t familiar with the concept of a babymoon (and you haven’t since looked it up), a babymoon is (hopefully) a relaxing and romantic escape for you and your partner before the arrival of your baby. It provides the two of you time to connect before your regularly scheduled programming ceases.
Our babymoon was a little unconventional being that we didn’t plan it ourselves. As I mentioned, it fell into our lap; translation, Shawn won the trip through work. Given this, I wasn’t entirely sure on how much alone time we would have, but I knew there would be some.
Logistically, I didn’t think we would be able to coordinate childcare for this trip and our own babymoon, (we drive our girls to Michigan before we travel so my Mom can watch them,) and it just seemed silly to pay for a trip when we had one available to us for free. (Luckily, this trip turned out to be entirely on our own schedule – so there was plenty of time for the two of us to be social and alone!)
Now having been on a babymoon, I recommend everyone take one and here’s why:
- You need it! You may not know it yet, but I am already so grateful for the time Shawn and I had before we welcome baby number three and she hasn’t even joined our crew yet.
- Pregnancy insomnia may not allow you to actually sleep, but you still get to rest. Don’t get me wrong, I missed my kids, but it was so nice to know there would be no little ones climbing into my bed at 3:00 a.m.
- If you’re like me and already have kids, it is much easier to enjoy “romantic” time when you’re not listening to a baby monitor. (And again, not being responsible for kids means you can actually take a hot shower and take your time to get ready – four days WITHOUT dry shampoo!)
- You have the time and the mental capacity to discuss what this new baby means for your current life.
- You can babymoon anywhere! It really isn’t about where you go.
To continue on with my last point, any location can be the perfect spot for you to babymoon, and I truly believe you can have a wonderful time on any budget. Read on to see how we managed to make Vermont the perfect pre-baby escape for us.
where we stayed
Our home base for this getaway was The Equinox Resort in Manchester, Vermont. The resort itself was a balance of the historic charm you’d expect in Manchester coupled with the modern amenities we’ve all come to demand. Including a lovely spa complete with workout facilities, a beautiful golf course, quick access to hiking trails, picturesque grounds, and on-site dining options.
Outside from relaxing in front of one of the several fireplaces in the resort, we were able to enjoy the outdoor fire pit, read in the library, and enjoy local beers/mocktails in the Marsh Tavern and the Falcon Bar. (In the interest of transparency, I recommend leaving the resort for your meals, we tried a few things on-site and weren’t impressed by much outside of the fresh donuts.)
Additionally, the resort managed a variety of excursions their guests could book (at an additional cost). Given that I’m pregnant and the Range Rover experience Shawn had his eyes on wasn’t an option for us, I convinced him we should go to falconry school. No joke, guys – this was the coolest thing I’ve done in a long time!
Green Mountain Falconry School
To be honest, I don’t know why I was so intrigued by Falconry heading into the trip – I’ve never owned or even desired to own a bird; I wasn’t even familiar with the sport outside of some references to it in books I had read. And if I am going to be embarrassingly honest, I didn’t realize that falcons were not a specific bird, but rather a species of predatory birds. Lastly, let’s note I have never done any hunting in my entire life.
Through my initial look into the Green Mountain Falconry School I learned that this hunting method was believed to have originated in China around 2000 BC and was later developed into a sport that both men and women participated in. But, after attending the class I now know so much more! Our instructors were so knowledgeable and friendly. I was so intrigued by everything I learned during our visit to the school and would one hundred percent attend another course.
Meet Elsie, the resident eagle. 
Monty – one of the Harris hawks we flew. 
The birds cannot fly if they’re at risk of going too far over their desired weight. 
Monty having a little snack
Seriously – if you ever have an opportunity to go check this out, do it!
Other things to do in Manchester
- Visit the Lincoln Family Home – the Hildene
these views 
with this guy 
on these grounds 
and this house …
- Shop at their designer outlets
- Explore the Equinox Preserve
all the fall colors had us thinking about all the fall fun we could plan with our own kids upon our return 
these boots were made for hiking 
definitely a much needed break from the big city life 
this mama still has ups 
this trail was accessible right from our resort
- Go fly fishing
- Do the Range Rover Experience Drive I mentioned Shawn was hoping for (again, note this is not suitable if you’re pregnant)
- Act like Elf and add maple syrup to anything you intend to consume
Did you go on a babymoon and would you recommend it? Tell me about yours in the comments below.