Pregnant pause
KATE LALLY CHILLS OUT ONE LAST TIME ON A SPECIAL SPA BREAK FOR PARENTS-TOBE BEFORE BABY ARRIVES
PREPARING for the arrival of a new baby can be a hectic experience. So a babymoon is the ideal antidote to all the nerves, stress and exhaustion. Unlike a honeymoon, these romantic little interludes are taken before the happy event. That’s right – there are no babies on a babymoon. It’s just you, the bump and the beau enjoying a last hurrah as a twosome before life changes forever.
To guarantee a peaceful hotel experience (no running down the corridors, tantrums in the dining room...), we booked into The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village.
It’s an award-winning, adultsonly abode set in 100 acres of Lancashire countryside, between Preston and Blackpool.
The Village itself has a whole range of accommodation – luxury cottages, pine lodges with hot tubs, spacious holiday homes for up to 14 people, along with sports, activities and on-site entertainment in the evenings – but all that could wait until our little bundle arrived.
We were heading for the hotel’s luxurious Penthouse Suite, complete with king-sized, fourposter bed, interactive TV in the bathroom and pillow menu to ensure the perfect night’s sleep.
After unpacking, we donned our robes and slippers and headed for the spa.
The hotel’s Bumps a Daisy Package for expectant mums is 90 minutes of tailor-made treatments including a pre-natal massage, lower leg and foot ritual, facial cleanse, scalp massage and a file and polish to the toes, designed to leave mums-to-be feeling radiant all over.
At a time when it’s easy to feel like your body is no longer your own, it’s lovely to give yourself some time and space – and let someone else take charge of the pampering. Meanwhile, dad-to-be enjoyed a deep hot stone massage.
Swimming is one of those things I really enjoy but rarely do, so a few leisurely lengths in a beautifully warm and clean, child-free pool before dinner was nothing short of bliss.
Overnight spa break packages are available, which include dinner, breakfast and an Aqua Thermal Journey through the aroma room, saunarium, Balinese salt inhalation room, herbal sauna, outdoor rustic sauna and hydrotherapy pool. You can also book in for the day.
After a drink in the bar (a mocktail for me, of course), it was time to indulge in some high-end nourishment.
With plenty to choose from in light and airy Orangery restaurant, and no hint of a rush, we spent a gentle hour-and-a-half savouring our selections of wonderfully adult dishes, many made with local Lancashire ingredients. Starters of seasonal spiced pork cheek, celeriac remoulade, pickled pear, sticky hazelnuts or Parmesan churro, Roscoff onion mousse, Jerusalem artichoke and preserved seasonal truffle are wise choices before you find yourself in the post-birth bland world of familyfriendly dining.
My main was succulent chicken breast poached in garlic butter, with a buttermilk fried thigh and bacon.
On the waiting staff’s recommendation we also ordered a side of Hong Kong broccoli, and it was like no broccoli I have ever tasted before.
We were told it has won awards, and we weren’t surprised. Fried in batter, it was light, flavoursome, with an explosion of spices.
Bellies full (mine even fuller) we retired to our room to spend the night in our plush surroundings.
A big, comfortable bed is essential when you’re growing a tiny human. I had a wonderful night’s sleep and woke feeling rested and relaxed.
Continuing the luxury, we began the day with breakfast brought to our room. Similarly to the previous night’s meal, the only challenge was deciding what to opt for.
There were plentiful offerings of cereal, pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit, cold meats, cheese as well as cooked options.
We then rounded off our stay with a leisurely walk around the spacious grounds.
This babymoon break proved to be a priceless opportunity to kick back as a couple in luxury surroundings.
And with baby Billy now in tow... those cottages and character shows at Ribby Hall Village are looking very tempting!