I remember feeling halfway sad as I got closer and closer to my due date with my first baby. Of course, I was so excited to meet my daughter. I was thrilled to become a mom, finally, and I was anxious to start our new life after baby arrives.
However, I was, in a way, conflicted over the fact that it was no longer just my husband and me. It had always been us two, doing our own thing, being our silly selves, responsible only for ourselves and each other and nothing else. It’s all we knew – and the fear of our relationship changing was probably the source of my internal conflict.
Maybe I’m the only mom who ever felt that way with their first baby, but perhaps I’m not. But in any case, making the most of your time with your man, while it’s still only you two, is fun to think about!
Here are some ideas of what to do as a couple before baby arrives.
Babymoon
Plan a trip! My husband and I went to Hawaii when I was almost seven months pregnant with my first baby, and it was by far one of the most memorable trips of our lives. “Babymoons” have become increasingly popular with couples today as a “last hoorah” before the baby arrives. Go somewhere cool, or go somewhere an hour away. Either way, go! Taking a vacation together as a couple is fun and brings the greatest memories.
Netflix binge
My husband and I probably watched more Netflix shows when I was pregnant than most people watch in a lifetime – and we LOVED it. We’d stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching shows like Dexter, Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders, or House of Cards. Pick a category of a show you both agree on and let your minds get lost in the storylines! It’s also fun to discuss over ice cream the next day.
Take naps. Lots and lots of naps.
I was always so tired when I was pregnant. But my favorite naps were the ones I’d take with my husband. Snuggling, feeling the baby move together, and staying in bed for hours on a lazy Saturday was just the best. Nights get longer, and naps become more scarce after baby is born, so enjoy some day-sleeping with your boo as much as possible.
Sign up for a birthing class.
Bradley Method, Lamaze, HypnoBabies, whatever it may be – do some pre-baby preparation by taking childbirth classes and learning how to handle birth together! Sometimes, our partner feels a little left out or helpless regarding pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Including them in learning about what is going on in your body, how a partner can help during labor and birth, and what will happen will empower them and give them (and you) excitement about how you both can do this “baby thing” together!
Work out together
Exercising during pregnancy is encouraged, so why not do it together?! Join a gym and take turns lifting weights together. Or, go to a themed-out class like Zumba, spin, pilates, or prenatal yoga. This gives you guys another activity to do together, just the two of you, before the baby arrives. On top of that, you’ll both feel good and look good doing it!
Plan a fun meal of eating “baby” food together.
I recently saw this idea and found it absolutely hilarious and quite fun! Pick a night where you’ll eat a bunch of “baby” foods together. No, I don’t mean jars of pureed squash, but things like baby back ribs, baby carrots, tiny peas, and mini rolls. While at it, top off a banana split for dessert with some Cheerios or something! Make it funny; make it light-hearted. This is sure to be a date-night-in to remember!
Take turns singing or reading to your baby belly.
Nothing was more attractive to me than watching my husband talk to my growing belly. And researchers encourage parents to sing and read to their baby while pregnant frequently.1 So, why not make a thing out of it? Read some of your newly-growing library of children’s books, or sing a song together that baby will recognize once they are born. What a special memory to have together and a cool thing to share with your kid one day!
Have a spa day.
I’ll take a spa day any day. However, making a day out of it with your man would be fun! Get a couple’s massage, a mani-pedi, or a facial in a Zen spa resort or popular local spa. Being pregnant and frazzled over the preparation of having a baby is already reason enough for some pampering, but to do it together is even better.
Each write a letter to baby.
So many emotions surround having a baby – the unknown, the excitement, the anticipation, the unexplained love. It would be a special thing to document all those feelings on pen and paper! Take a night for both of you to write a letter to your unborn baby, sharing what’s on your heart and mind at the moment. It would be such a gift for your child to look back on those words and realize how much you both loved them before they were ever born.
Do something fancy before baby arrives.
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t feel my “fanciest” in my last month of pregnancy. You’re swollen, you’re tired, you’re ready to pop. But why not break the mold a bit and glam it up during a time when you feel less than glamorous?! Go on a fancy date to a 5-star restaurant, see a show or theater performance, or attend a formal wedding or dinner party. Find an excuse to get all dressed up and experience a beautiful night together as a couple.
Be spontaneously sexy
Before baby arrives, have the time of your life in the bedroom! Use the countdown of weeks as a fun motivator to enjoy each other between the sheets, on the kitchen counter, in the laundry room, and/or in the shower. Either way, be spontaneous and sexy. It will bring you closer than you can ever imagine.
Dream about the future.
Talking about the baby and your lives as a family is always so special. Discussing what baby might look like, talking about what your picture-perfect home could be, planning out your life in the years to come as your baby grows older, and as you have more children – you’ll learn so much about each other and your dreams for your life down the road. Never, ever stop dreaming. And when you do it together and see those dreams come true, it makes it all worthwhile.
Fast forward to the end of my own story. My husband and I now have two beautiful children – a daughter and a son. Even though I had those fears I mentioned before our daughter was born, they all disappeared when we laid eyes on her. Because of our enormous love for her, it didn’t take away our love for each other – instead, it magnified it. The time we spent alone before she was born and the moments we spend now as a family are beyond cherished.
