Babymoon at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach

I knew that the Babymoon would be good for our marriage but I didn't expect that it would show us just how ready we are for parenthood.  Along with all of those surges of love and affection that come with a little couple's getaway, I had nostalgia over the fleeting simplicity of our current life and a longing to share our vacation experience with the Little One. 

Pregnancy is an interesting ride.

DH and I decided on the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach (HRHB) for our babymoon because it was close enough to home so I could see my OB and go to my hospital of choice if something were to happen but also enclosed and resort-like enough to feel far away from home.  Having a pregnancy friendly spa and amenities didn't hurt either.

Here are some of my favorite things at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach!

Pacific Waters Spa: The Mommy To Be Massage is well worth the trip to this resort!  They're equipped to do stomach down massage and side massage using various combinations of prenatal massage pillows.  Unfortunately, since I'm having side pain and can't stay in one laying position for too long, I didn't get the best massage experience.  I did leave very relaxed and ready for a great weekend but feel like the prenatal massage is better suited for earlier in pregnancy before one is too uncomfortable.  The Pacific Waters Mommy To Be massage, however, is the best prenatal massage I've had during my whole pregnancy.

The amenities, like steam room, sauna and spa are not allowed during pregnancy but the waiting room features a relaxing environment, complimentary tea, flavored waters, baked goods, fruit, snacks and all the women's magazines a girl could want.  

Property Pools: There are multiple pools with their own "personalities" in the resort.  My favorite was the saltwater pool as it was large, easy on the skin and mainly geared towards adults.  DH loved Slyder's pool area because it had a water-slide area as well as a ribbon pool and very fast cocktail service.  Since being pregnant put the water-slide and alcohol off limits, this pool area just seemed crowded with children and people partying in cabanas to me.

Until a little toddler, accompanied by his father, looked at DH and I and joyfully jumped into the pool towards his father's arms repeatedly as if to entertain us.  He was adorable and made me look forward to a trip like this with a baby of our very own.


Huntington Beach Bridge: One of the many perks of staying at the HRHB is the private bridge from the resort to the beach that includes an amenities stand that lends towels, beach chairs, umbrellas and toys to hotel guests.  Instead of having to lug equipment from home for a comfortable beach experience, the hotel provides it all from a convenient place.

DH and I agreed it was nice to have such a carefree experience as we're sure all future beach trips will require a wagon full of baby supplies.

We'll have to wait another 18+ years, if ever, to just be able to take off for the beach with nothing but our swimsuits, towels and chairs and enjoy an order of chili cheese fries from the snack stand on the sand, without worry about a Little One.

Fire Pits and S'mores Kits: Throughout the property, there are fire pits and fire place lounges scattered for guests to have a place to hang out, chat and enjoy the renewing energy of a fire.  Is there anything better than a bonfire at the beach?

Yes, s'mores at a bonfire at the beach.

Lucky for us, easily located near the fire-pits and available through room service, s'mores kits complete with dowels to hold the marshmallows, were available for purchase!  Genius!


Tower 15 Pizzeria: The night before we left for the babymoon, I had a dream about eating pizza in bed.  This is bizarre because I don't love pizza, nor do I like to eat in bed. But I could not shake the pizza craving so for dinner the first night, DH and I split a pizza.  Tower 15 will deliver pizza to anywhere on the property, even to Slyder's Pool, and allows for splitting toppings on the pizza.  California Veggie for me, Meat Lover's for him.

For the record, we ate on the balcony, not in bed.

The Red Chair Lounge: Prior to pregnancy, I enjoyed quite a few inventive cocktails at this lounge.  Between the cigar selection, nightly live entertainment, scotch and wine options, gastropub type finger foods and the game room, Red Chair Lounge is the late night hotspot at the Resort.

DH and I ducked in after dinner for a couple of rounds of tabletop shuffleboard. He's surprisingly good, even with a few drinks in him.  

If I hadn't been so sleepy, we would have played some pool and hung out by the fire and enjoyed the view but my party energy isn't what it used to be.


The Californian Restaurant: Hands down, one of my favorite things to do while on vacation is eat.  No vacation is complete with a high end meal that leaves me with a positive food memory.  This is why it was so important for me to delay my trip until after my severe morning sickness went away!
At HRHB, there are two fine dining options: The Californian and The Patron Room.  
We opted for the Californian because I didn't think a Chef's Menu at the Patron Room would work for me while pregnant with so many food restrictions. 

Plus, what's a Chef's Menu without being able to drink the wine pairing?  Nothing but sadness I say. 

The Californian is open all day and has a seasonal menu.  We had both dinner and Sunday Brunch and both were phenomenal.  I feel the need to emphasis how good their burrata and heirloom tomato caprese salad was despite DH's insistence that it was far too small for a salad. 

We found that on Sunday morning, the best value at the resort was the Sunday Brunch.  Even without the mimosas and Bloody Mary bar, the selection of made to order omelets, waffle bar and other breakfast goodies was quite impressive.  As it should be since Huntington Beach is home to many a popular Sunday Brunch at Spark, Duke's and the Hilton.


We had a relaxing little getaway to remember our pre-baby life and geared up to prepare for post-baby adventures!

Planning a Babymoon

The moment I heard about Babymoons, I knew DH and I would be going on one.  First, because we like to travel but also because unless we book a weekend away, our weekends are quickly booked up with social obligations, work, housework and hobbies with very little time for each other.

I figured the Babymoon would be the last time we would take a trip together where we didn't have a Little One on our mind demanding our attention.  It would be the last low maintenance vacation for at least 2 decades.  And our last chance to reconnect before the flurry of baby preparing activities got underway. 

But when and where?  Well, it turned out that our weekends were booked well into the end of my second trimester beginning of my third. Not at all ideal. It would have to be in June at the latest and close enough so that I wouldn't have to hop on a plane in my third trimester.  I also wanted to be close enough to my OB so if something came up, I would be in reasonable driving distance.

Aside from that, I told DH all I cared about was being able to hang out in a pool, preferably one with a lazy river.  The rest was up to him.

But for those of you booking your own babymoons, here are a few tips:

1. Pick somewhere with a lot of the activities you like to do sober. The Babymoon is likely one of the few times that alcohol isn't part of the vacation festivities.  For some, a trip to Napa might be their favorite getaway but not for someone whose pregnant and can't do any wine tasting.

Likewise, don't pick a place that is known for raucous drinking as the main attraction since there's nothing more annoying than drunk people when you can't have any of that delicious margarita. 

Personally, I like shopping, hanging out on the beach, going to the Spa, swimming and eating good food.

2. Pick somewhere with activities that you're actually allowed to do.  For instance, some people really enjoy snowboarding or surfing.  These activities are generally not accepted for pregnancy because of the potential for injury.

Focus on going somewhere full of pregnancy friendly options.  Full Service Resorts are nice, especially if there are excursions or lots of entertainment available. Camping by a lake or river where you can swim, boat or fish is also a great option.

3. Book for when you're still in the perfect window of time for the activity.  The first trimester is hard to vacation during because of nausea, morning sickness and food aversions.  By your second trimester, you'll need to be able to get up out of your seat (whether it is a car, plane or train) every 1-2 hours making long distance car travel inconvenient.  Cruises won't take pregnant women past 24 weeks.  By the third trimester, any highly active excursions, like hiking or swimming might be difficult given smaller lung capacity. And though you probably aren't thinking about it, you shouldn't get on a plane after 36 weeks anyway. 

We did end up going at the beginning of my third trimester to a resort less than an hour away from home where the main attractions were hanging out by the beach, pool and spa. 

4. Avoid places with questionable food cleanliness standards.  I know a few couples who went on exotic vacations during their second trimester. They all got sick. Normally, eating is a major way to experience a culture.  Step away from the resort buffet and head out to where the locals dine I say!  Do not do this while pregnant. Not only is being sick while pregnant already miserable, the dehydration caused by food poisoning can cause prenatal problems further complicated by the fact that you might be in a location with sub-par medical care. 

5. Go somewhere you have access to 24 hour food and drinks. I love cruising because there's basically food and drinks available all the time.  Many resorts are this way also.  If you're staying somewhere things shut down early (read: sleepy little B&B towns), make sure you pack your own drinks and snacks and have access to refrigeration.   (I have been to hotels that don't have mini-fridges.  That is really inconvenient.)

We packed an entire overnight bag full of drinks (water and low sugar juices), fruit (fresh and dried), snacks (cheese, crackers, etc.) to fill our mini-fridge so I wouldn't have to constantly call Room Service, hit the convenience store or vending machine. This was great for lazy mornings when DH wanted to sleep in and I woke up early ravenously hungry.

And have a good time!