There’s lots you can do to prepare for a baby. Antenatal classes and pelvic floor exercises are always a good start, but another thing to consider is a babymoon, i.e. a short getaway to completely relax and indulge in some much needed quiet time before the imminent arrival.
A babymoon is also a great opportunity to reflect on the seismic shift that’s about to occur and to spend quality one-on-one time with your partner, friend or anyone you choose to invite to come along with you. I say that as someone who was reluctant to indulge in a babymoon. After all, shouldn’t all our savings go towards the baby? Plus, travel is such a faff at the moment, right? Oh, how wrong I was.
We decided to book a three-night stay at The Albereta Relais & Chateaux in Lombardy, Italy, not far from Milan. This meant that flights were affordable, regular, and only one and a half hours long, which was about all I could manage at the start of my third trimester. Once landed in Milan, the taxi to the hotel is a breezy 30 minutes, meaning the journey felt completely manageable and relatively short.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed into the verdant oasis (think rolling hills and vineyards as far as the eye can see) and looked up in awe at the waterfall of green ivy and jasmine that wraps the entire hotel. I immediately felt a deep sense of calm wash over me – there was no adjustment phase or wind down necessary. A scene so serene has an instant effect and I instinctively knew we had made the right decision by coming.
One aspect of the hotel I was particularly keen to explore was the famous Chenot Espace Spa, which offers state of the art wellness programmes that fuse modern medicine and diagnostics with ancient Chinese alternative practices and indulgent top-to-toe treatments. The spa itself is huge, which allows everyone their own bubble of tranquillity, and offers two pools, one indoor with every imaginable hydrojet, and one outdoor, which is set in the lush gardens and makes the most of the hotel’s natural beauty.
I immediately booked in for the Chenot Indulgence Prenatal Massage, which focuses on reducing muscular pain commonly associated with pregnancy (calf cramps and lower back tension for starters!), as well as boosting circulation and lymphatic drainage to help reduce water retention and swelling.
Needless to say, it was heavenly. My therapist was attuned to every nuance of pregnancy, including understanding where to place cushions and towels to make me comfortable and knowing exactly where to focus on. Plus, the experience was thoughtful from start to finish (fluffy towels, self heating massage beds, and mood-enhancing essential oil blends).
As well as the spa, L’Albereta’s other area of excellence is their food. There’s three on-site restaurants to choose from, which negates any need to venture elsewhere (a nice option to have when you get tired by 9pm and just want somewhere easy), including La Filiale, a low-key pizzeria set among the trees of L’Albereta’s grounds known for its Franco Pepe-style pizzas and fine wines, and Leonefelice Vista Lago, which is set in on of the most ancient rooms of the hotel and offers fine dining overlooking the nearby Lake Iseo (make the most of the view by booking in time for sunset). For those looking to venture elsewhere, Quintale is well worth trying and only a five-minute drive away (they are specialists in various cuts of meat, each of which is cooked to perfection).
But perhaps the best thing about L’Albereta is that it feels perfectly acceptable - if not advisable - to idle the days away soaking in the scenery, contemplating life, and intermittently nodding off, which in my opinion, is what a babymoon is all about.
Rooms at L'Albereta Relais & Chateaux start at €360 per night.
Save when you book through Booking.com with these Booking.com discount codes.
