12 Cities, 6 Countries, A Travel Photographer in Monaco + 5 Tips on How to "Babymoon!"

Let me preface with, I kind of hate the word "babymoon." Doesn't it sound like you're putting on airs? Anyways, let's just call this a we haven't vacationed in awhile bucket list trip. We adventured through 6 countries by plane, train, and boat, laughed at silly things and travel delays (because what else can you do?), ate all of the pasta and gelato and lobster, cried (hormones!), sunned, danced, took precious time for just us and did a lot of being grateful for all the good times, the memories made and the memories to come! I hope you enjoy our pics and a few tips if you must "babymoon." :) And Alan Dale, I love you more than ever!

xoxo,
Roxy 1. Don’t let the word “babymoon” define your trip. A babymoon can also be a bucket list trip, too. We planned ours based on places we’ve always wanted to visit, or go back to, and knew would be harder to get to after becoming a family of 4. You too, Oscar! After all was said and done we did 12 cities and 6 countries in 10 days in this order!

Athens

A day cruising the Mediterranean (which was so nice because we were jet lagged!)

Capri which was canceled due to weather and turned into Naples (not my fave, friends!)

Civitavecchia

Rome

Livorno

Florence

Monte Carlo

Cannes

Marseilles

Aix-en-Provence

Barcelona

Amsterdam

Note: Our trip was extremely active, but of course plan your destination(s) based on your pregnancy comfort zone!

2. Hire a photographer to capture the memories! Love a selfie, but this was such a special time for us (not to mention pregnancy is insane, fascinating and beautiful!) that we wanted some official pics to look back on. We worked with a local photographer who knew the area. Not only was he able to specify a shoot route but he also acted as a tour guide of sorts as he was able to share local tidbits and tips about the area! He added to our travel experience and now we also have gorgeous images that we can one day share with baby! Thank you, Gaetan! p.s. If you would like to learn more about how I went about hiring and booking a travel photographer, email me!
3. Babymoons can sound frivolous, after all travel should not be taken for granted, but think of it as time to celebrate your partnership and to cherish the togetherness with your spouse before becoming a new family. So go on fancy dates, write each other love notes, kiss in public, and make all of the heart eyes! Some of my favorite memories from the trip are giving up to bath robes in Barcelona (11th city) on a Friday night and skipping a reserved fancy dinner to eat ice cream in our room while playing Alan's Spotify country station for baby who I hadn't felt kick in awhile. For the record, baby likes sugar and Thomas Rhett! 
4. Timing is so important! Most women, myself included, will experience new pregnancy symptoms like overwhelming fatigue and nausea in the first trimester, a surge of energy in the 2^nd and then discomfort in the 3^rd. Go for the 2^nd! It honestly felt great to be so active while seeing and doing new things with Alan. I just had to make sure to front load or back load water since bathrooms can pose a problem when running around new cities!
5. If you can’t drink your calories, why not eat them! Food taste extra delicious when you’re pregnant (hopefully you’re not experiencing morning sickness!) so instead of feeling left out at cocktail hour plan some of your trip around delectable cuisine. We intentionally chose a cruise known for its fancy smancy restaurants and equally fancy buffets so while everyone was having a big glass of red or a stiff martini (yum and yummmm), I enjoyed dishes I certainly couldn’t make at home myself and all the sugar a pregnant girl could wish for!
For the BTS pics, which I love just as much, check out our hashtag, #SocietySocialonHoliday, and as always, thank you for reading!