24-hours of no one demanding anything from me – I’m sure every mother can appreciate how blissful that was! I would not trade my life for anyone’s but especially recently it has felt that my every waking hour is spent responding to other people’s needs. Being pregnant of course means that even when I’m not doing anything, my body is still taking what it needs to grow our baby boy in my belly. So when my husband booked us a night away at a countryside spa hotel and arranged for his mum to come and stay with our little girl, I was beyond excited!!
In all honesty, I didn’t need to be taken to a beautiful mansion house to be pampered, just a long nap and some peace and quiet would have helped. But of course being treated like a queen was divine and I felt like a new woman coming home last Sunday! But going away wasn’t just about me, we needed some time alone as a couple. Our relationship and marriage are of course the foundation of our family but having a toddler and another baby on the way has left very little time for us two to be anything more than parents and teammates (which is a lot already and it’s great, but before babies, we were also two people in love…). I do feel like having a baby together made us closer than ever and it’s the most intimate thing a couple can share, but the life of a young family can also put a real strain on a relationship! Sometimes the best thing you can do for your kids is to make sure mummy and daddy are happy together!
Since she was born almost two years ago, we have left Maia overnight only once before – we went to our friend’s wedding in May. Of course it was very hard to leave her but we knew she’d be happy with her grandma. We spent Saturday morning with Maia and I think she sensed something was up and was clinging on to me more than usual. Or perhaps I was just imagining it – mum guilt and all! We left just before lunchtime and started our short drive north. Luton Hoo is just outside of London in Bedfordshire and so it took us only about an hour and half to get there (it takes almost an hour to get out of central London by car).
We would have access to the spa from noon so our plan was to go drive there for lunch, enjoy the afternoon in the spa and relax in our room before dinner at 7pm. On Sunday morning we planned to take it slow (although we knew we wouldn’t be able to sleep past 8am), to enjoy the hotel breakfast and go for a walk around the grounds before our treatments, pregnancy massage for me, and another trip to the spa before driving back home in time for Maia waking up from her afternoon nap.
Spoiler alert- it was all simply perfect! 😍
Lots of pictures in this blog post because I was just blown away by the beauty of the place!
First of all, it felt so good to leave the city behind. I’m not a country girl but I also didn’t grow up in a massive metropolis like London and I miss fresh air, nature and simply the feeling of space! Luton Hoo is surrounded by the estate’s beautiful grounds and gardens but also a golf course so space and greenery was plentiful. We were lucky with the weather too – it was miserably grey and rainy at home but somehow here, a stone’s throw away, sun was shining.
I love our home but sometimes it’s also good to go away to be able to completely relax – it’s impossible to ignore the gazillion chores around the house! Pregnancy has taught me to respect my limits but my husband simply cannot stop and relax and not to be so (damn) efficient and productive all the time. I loved having his undivided attention for once!
We had lunch at the Adam’s Brasserie overlooking the courtyard of the old stables which had been converted into a spa, a gym, a bar and a golf club. Our dinner reservation was made for the main house, in Wernher Restaurant, and I expected fine dining but I had not expected the level of culinary delight we had already at lunch time! Honestly, such delicious food and for a price point unheard of in London. A very good start to our trip!
We happened to overhear that both restaurants were fully booked for the evening and that they would offer food also in the tearoom to accommodate those who couldn’t get a table. Based on that I’d advice visitors to make a dinner reservation in advance.
After lunch we headed to the spa which had a pool and a jacuzzi with glass walls to two directions bringing the nature indoors. There were also two saunas and a steam room. I’m Finnish and practically born in a sauna, so going to one while pregnant is perfectly natural to me. Different countries have different recommendations and I acknowledge the risk of the baby overheating, and so I’d never sit in a sauna for long. But I don’t skip it completely when I get the rare chance of using one! (But you make your own call about it xx.)
We were lucky to have plenty of time in the spa before it got busier towards the end of the afternoon. I’d soaked myself into a raisin and feeling utterly zen and a bit tired from my swim (got some cardio in!) we walked back to the main house to get our room key. Our room was superbly spacious – ever since moving to London I’ve started regarding space as a luxury! Even the bathroom complete with a double sink was the size of our sitting room at home! And the view over the garden from our windows was possibly the best in the hotel. We had a cup of peppermint tea and spend some time just chilling in the room – and to check-in with grandma at home. Maia had been outside twice, had had a big lunch and a long nap and was enjoying play dough – I had nothing to worry about!
We had not been informed of the formal dress code of the Wernher Restaurant but luckily my womanly instincts had not failed me and I had brought a dress. And since I was wearing something nice and the place was so beautiful, I asked my husband to take a few pictures of me in the garden. We also took a selfie of us together to remember the weekend by!
Dinner was romantic and the dining room was like from a fairytale. We were tempted to try the tasting menu but the reality is that at seven months pregnant, even three courses would be a struggle for me! I tried to take a few photos but the candle light was not enough for them to turn out well, so you’ll just have to take my word for how magical the setting was. Below a few pictures from the same room at breakfast!
We were tired (we had woken up at 6am as usual) but we did enjoy the food and conversation and the beautiful venue and great service. It’s nice to know that given the opportunity to be alone together, we still enjoy each other’s company and that the romance and the spark are still there! ❤️
The next morning I tried to have a lie in, but my husband woke up at 6am out of habit and eventually (by 8am) I gave up and got up as well. I admit pigging out at breakfast indulging in eggs Benedict and enjoying the buffet. Yummy!
After breakfast we went out for a walk exploring the surroundings for an hour and to enjoy the fresh countryside air. If I had to find something to be critical of, I’d mention the close proximity to the Luton airport which naturally meant air traffic. But considering we spent limited time outdoors, it didn’t bother me one bit! Didn’t seem to bother the golfers either…
At 11am we went back to the spa where we had massages booked. At that point I was so relaxed already I wouldn’t have needed a massage as well but of course it was lovely. They offer pregnancy massage, which I had asked my husband to check and book in advance to avoid disappointment. After our massages we went back into the pool area to swim some lengths and have some final relaxation time before heading home. That day we had the spa nearly to ourselves which was great! I was quite pleased with how much swimming I did. I used to swim regularly when I was pregnant with Maia but now I don’t have the time… I don’t love swimming normally, but especially in the third trimester of pregnancy it’s a great way to move the body!
We drove back early afternoon and were at home by 3pm. It’s funny how we’d been away for just one night and not even far, but it felt like a real trip away.
I would highly recommend going away on a babymoon with your partner if you can! Last time we had two weeks in the Greek islands which was absolute heaven, but now that we have a little one already (and I wouldn’t want to leave her for long), this kind of mini getaway totally did the trick!
xoxoxo,
Sini
P.S. To keep it real, I want to share that even though Maia was happy with her grandma and everything went well last weekend, leaving her for those 24-hours lead to separation anxiety that’s lasted for a week now. It hasn’t been too bad, but it does break my heart a bit to see her get stressed when I go away, worrying whether I’ll leave her again. But regardless, I’m happy we did it. This way Maia will also learn that mummy and daddy will always come back.