A babymoon is the perfect opportunity to focus on you and your relationship before beginning the exciting but busy lifestyle of being a parent. It is a way to celebrate the new family you are about to start. It is also a way to have one last hurrah as a couple without a child.

You can schedule a babymoon getaway any time during your pregnancy if you keep a few things in mind:

During the first trimester:

• A babymoon during the first trimester is a great way to take photos somewhere fun for your pregnancy announcement. Our gardens are a stunning setting for a maternity photo shoot.
• You have a new reason to celebrate, and a vacation is a great way to revel in your exciting news.
• Morning sickness may or may not affect your ability to enjoy the getaway.

During the second trimester:

• Most women feel their best during this part of the pregnancy. Morning sickness and fatigue have typically subsided, and your growing belly should not get in the way of activities.
• By this point in the pregnancy, you have told friends and family members. Go ahead and brag about your babymoon on social media.
• Gynecologists recommend the second trimester as the safest time to travel while pregnant.

During the third trimester:

• Hopefully the nursery is ready. Without that stress you can sit back and enjoy the last few months.
• Your body is in full pregnancy mode, andeveryone is happy to pamper you.
• Long distance travel is not recommended, so choose a babymoon close to home. Lavender Inn is only 20 minutes from Ventura, 30 minutes from Santa Barbara, and a close proximity to Los Angeles and surrounding cities.

The Lavender Inn loves hosting couples for their babymoons. You will have fond memories of your babymoon every time you dress your little one in an “Ojai Baby” onesie which is included in the price of your babymoon package. Stay a Sunday through a Thursday night for your babymoon getaway to receive $10 off your room. Some local establishments offer discounts for Lavender Inn babymoon guests; check below for information on those discounts.

Babymoon Activities in Ojai

1. Go shopping for baby items! Pixie’s General Store,  just around the corner from the Lavender Inn, is a “magical mercantile” with lots of fun things to browse and buy. Pixie’s General Store offers a 10% discount for Lavender Inn babymoon guests. Pure Living Children is a woman owned and eco-friendly shop. You will find children’s clothing, maternity wear, and specialty items for your baby.  Bungalow by Fig is less than a block away and offers boutique children’s clothing and toys.  For organic baby clothes, try Terramor Organic Home.  Not to miss is Serendipity Toys, family owned since 1979, and carries high-quality toys and books that encourage imagination, starting with infants, babies, toddlers and beyond.
2. Here at Lavender Inn, you can relax, and what is more relaxing for you than a pregnancy massage. The Ojai Garden Spa offers massages that specifically cater to pregnant women with specific attention given to your stage of pregnancy.  You will spend half of the session lying on each side with lots of supportive pillows with an emphasis on your comfort. Al fresco maternity massages in the Garden Gazebo add the relaxing sounds of birds and fountains. Since the spa is on the grounds at the Lavender Inn, you can walk back to your room in your robe and take a nap.   Ask about the $10 discount for the prenatal massage for Lavender Inn Babymoon guests.  Don’t forget the father-to-be would like a rejuvenating massage as well!
3. Take baby belly photographs. Whitney Hartmann owns Pixie’s General Store and she is also a photographer who specializes in maternity, baby, children, and family portraits. She has been voted the Ojai Photographer of the Year. She loves taking photos in natural light, and the gardens of the inn are the perfect backdrop. For a fun set of photographs, take your maternity pictures during your babymoon then return a year later with your new little one for family pictures in the same gardens. The inn welcomes young children in the Provence Cottage.
4. Enjoy the healthy energy of the great outdoors. You can easily walk the Meadows or drive around the corner from Lavender Inn up to Shelf Road, a scenic, but easy hike. Ojai has a quaint village feel and is very walkable. From the inn you can walk to restaurants, bookstores, ice cream shops, and boutiques. If you like art, there are 40 pieces of public art within a five-mile radius. Eighteen of those works of art can be enjoyed by walking the Downtown Tour which takes about an hour-and-a-half to complete.
5. Sit outside in our gardens and just ‘be’; allow yourself to sit back and simply savor the moment. Reserve the Topa, Garden View, Garden, or Pink Moment guest room to have a private balcony, or the Cottage has its own private backyard.