Date Ideas for Expecting Couples, written by an Actual Pregnant Woman!

I’ve seen so many pregnancy dating articles out there suggesting I go and see a movie with my partner, when I can barely hold on 20mins for the loo and it got me thinking, “how could someone pregnant have actually written this?” So here I am, giving you my prego perspective on some realistic yet delightful date ideas for you to try out with your partner during this pretty incredible time in your lives.

As you all know, having fun little adventures has kept Ryan and I going for the past few years, but what happened when I got pregnant? Did our way of life come to a grinding halt? Hell no! There are symptoms that can make things harder, but hopefully after reading this you’ll find there are some ways around those.

I’m 33 weeks pregnant this week and we are still making a solid effort to keep our bond as strong as it’s ever been and here’s how.. some date ideas to keep any preggy couple loved-up.

 Photo by Megan Lee from Plumtree Photography

So.. I’d love to do something romantic but we’re trying to save money. What should we do?

Picnic Under the Stars date

Head out an hour or so before sunset, bring your picnic rug (or some fold out chairs; when you’re further along you may find it hard to get up!), pick up a cheese platter and some non-alcoholic wine from the local grocery store and watch the afternoon go by. We sometimes like to bring along our small webber bbq for some fireside feels.

Dee’s tip: My go-to drinks for pregnancy are kombucha, coconut water and organic herbal teas. If you have a sweet tooth, non-alcoholic sangria or sparkling apple juice is a great alternative. Who says cutting out alcohol means your drinking habits get boring? Get exotic, girl!

Photo by Megan Lee from Plumtree Photography

Ok, but I’m tired and can’t be bothered leaving the house.

Stay-in-Bed Cinema date

Braving the cold at the drive-in or racing out of the cinema for your 3rd toilet run, no fun anymore? Asking your partner what you missed every time you get back probably isn’t his/her idea of bliss either. So why not have a night in? Prep some oven-roasted nachos (or pop some corn, if that’s your thang) and watch the latest release on Netflix. Best thing? You can push the pause button for toilet runs via the kitchen and stuff your face whenever you feel the need, without missing half the movie. Winning!

Dee’s tip: Put on a timer for those nachos. If your baby brain is anything like mine, you may forget them entirely and burn the place down! (I’ve come close already, haha!)

I love dinner dates, but it’s no fun if I’m the only one not drinking.

The Brunch date is the new Dinner date

Feelin’ a little left out at the dinner table when the drinkies come out? Switch the dinner and wine for a brekkie date with Turkish baked eggs and a prana chai (well, those are my favs anyway!) and you’ve got yourself a new way to catch up with your other half that doesn’t involve #drinkenvy. Make it fun by going on a hunt for your favorite acai bowl or go cafe-hopping for the ultimate All Day Breakfast! I’ve pretty much converted all of my catch ups with friends to brunches now, too. I mean, who doesn’t love a good brunch?

Dee’s tip: Don’t know any local brekkie hotspots? Follow your city’s foodie channels on Instagram by searching popular hashtags. For example, we are Melbourne-based so we look for #melbournebreakfast #breakfastinmelbourne #bestbrunchesinmelbourne and scroll through the drool-inducing pics and their tagged locations. Once those are in your news feed, your to-eat list will grow in a matter of minutes!

I just don’t have the spare time for romance right now.

Hospital Tour date

This date is less about romance and more about preparation. Wander around, ask for a peek into the birthing rooms, have lunch in the café, try the coffee from the espresso machines (and find out how much spare change you’ll need to buy one!) and just get familiar with your surroundings. On the big day you’ll know exactly where to park, how far the maternity ward is and how to check in – and you’ll thank yourselves for doing it.

Dee’s tip: If packing your hospital bag is on your to-do list, just remember that most things required can be bought from your local supermarket. Ok, so they may not have onesies in the cutest shade of pink, but if putting together a mock bag with the bare essentials settles your nerves, then do it on your next grocery run!

Ok, I’d love to do all this but I’m just too stressed and hormonal.

The Walking date

Rising hormone levels and trying to prep for one of the biggest changes in your life can definitely bring on stress and anxiety, that’s a given. What is most important is to acknowledge this, and try to manage it, by distracting your mind and body. Get outdoors for some fresh air, soak in some vitamin d and be at one with nature. Whether you wander down to the local park for a quick walk or do an intense hike through the forest, keeping fit is good for labor and birth endurance and a great way to reconnect with your partner during this seriously exciting time. For the ladies with back issues (me included) avoid uphill trails and uneven surfaces as they’re not very pelvic girdle-friendly.

Photo by Megan Lee from Plumtree Photography

Dee’s tip: As a side note, I’ve been able to manage my preggy hormones by increasing my iron intake. There’s a reason we feel so tired and it’s because little bubba is draining all of our resources and leaving little to nothing behind for us! My obstetrician suggested I start taking a liquid iron supplement (100% natural, so perfectly healthy for preggy ladies and no constipation side affects like the tablet form ones have) and I found my fatigue levels and erratic mood swings normalized again. I’m no doctor, so I don’t know if it will work for you but hey it is completely natural and has pretty much made my whole preggy journey a breeze, so how could I not share?! 

Photo by Megan Lee from Plumtree Photography

I would go out, but my back is sore. It just makes it worse.

Couple’s Massage date

Speaking of aches and pains.. who says they must be endured, ladies? Your body is working full-time to create life; it needs a bit of time out! Ask your local massage place if they offer pregnancy massage. Chances are, they will. It’s pretty much a softer version of a full body massage where the preggy lady lies on her side (with a choice to alternate sides midway through) and has the time of her life. I’m serious, I go at least once a week now – my body deserves it! And why not let your partner get pampered too and make a date of it?

Dee’s tip: Speak to your doctor about your back issues and they may suggest you see a Physio to manage the pain leading up to labor and birth. I went to one and was diagnosed with pelvic girdle pain, which I learned 1 in 5 women suffer from. So, I got my lower back taped up and trained myself to change the way I sit, stand, get in and out of cars, get in and out of bed, reduced driving my manual car and pretty much any activities that put pressure on my pelvic region – and after 3 sessions with the Physio, the pain had dissipated. And I’m talking the kind of pain that used to get so bad I couldn’t walk! So if it feels like it’s getting that bad – manage it. In my experience, I’ve found there is usually a reason for every preggy symptom and a natural way of relieving it. Do right by your body and go get it sorted.

But, can’t we just do this stuff later?

The Full Weekender date

Yeah, you can do this stuff later. Just like we plan to, as well. We know we will continue to travel and get out and about with our little one, there is no doubt. But there is also something kinda special about the fact that we won’t be alone like this again. Or at least it won’t be the same. I’ve been told by so many new parents that they regretted not really making use of “couple time” while they could have, just to appreciate the time and transition. It’s all about practicing mindfulness and appreciating these special moments you have together and a whole weekend away gives you enough time to unwind from the week gone by and ease into that comfy, mushy, couple-ly bliss land.

Ryan and I have used every long weekend during my pregnancy so far to take little road trips out-of-town (with a million toilet stops along the way) just to spend some uninterrupted time together. So I can tell you first hand that even though I may not have loved holding on for the next toilet stop in traffic or the occasional nausea on winding roads, it was exactly what we both needed and I don’t regret any of it.

I can now look back at our pregnancy journey and smile, knowing that we’ve relished every minute.

I hope this article gives you some ideas on how to experience that same bliss too 🙂

How has your preggy journey been so far? Do you have some date ideas you’d like to share? Please comment below and we can all help each other on this weird and wonderful journey into parenthood!

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Danielle Steller | DanielleSteller.com

Singer & Writer at Danielle Steller
Danielle Steller is a Singer/Songwriter and Ukuleleist inspired by Summer vibes, acoustic tunes and travelling the world
Danielle Steller | DanielleSteller.com
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  5 comments for “Date Ideas for Expecting Couples, written by an Actual Pregnant Woman!

  1. Amy Lewis
    June 23, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    The brunch instead of dinner has happened for us too! Brunch is more ‘doable’ because seriously by 5pm I’m ready for bed these days! There is this greater appreciation for quiet together time leading up to little ones arrival – a simple walk, picnic outing even meal together will not be as simple in the near future. We are organising a weekend away to relax together before they become a little more complex 😆 Great article D xx

    • June 24, 2017 at 1:02 am

      Aww thanks and I feel ya, girl! Tiredness has definitely set in, plus breakfast has always been my fav meal so it’s a win/win for me 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying the journey too, get in as many weekends as you can! So exciting that we’re experiencing this at the same time!!

  2. August 11, 2017 at 3:20 am

    OMG the liquid iron supplement was a life saver for me. I knew I was getting way too worked up over small stuff, but I just thought that was natural so I went with it. I had a Dr tell me the exact same thing as yours, and while it didn’t eliminate my mood swings completely, it helped immensely! I recommend that ANY moody pregnant woman talk to their OB/GYN about it.

    Also, massage dates are a brilliant idea. As is making hubby the official foot masseuse on a nightly basis!

    • September 3, 2017 at 11:18 am

      Amazing to hear, thanks for sharing!! If it worked well for you during pregnancy, I’d suggest continuing taking the supplements for the emotional roller coaster that is the ‘newborn phase’ aka sleep deprivation bootcamp lol. I’m 3 weeks in and it has allowed me to pretty much breakeven emotionally. Ryan says there is research suggesting a link between postpartum depression and low iron levels and i’m not surprised at all with those findings. Hope that helps xox

      • September 3, 2017 at 11:39 am

        Oh and yessss love the massage dates! We had my mama look after our newborn the other day while we had a quick 30min couples massage and it was bliss having that time to ourselves again, might have to make a date ideas blog for new parents and add it to that too!! haha xox

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