A few months back, my husband and I were surprised with the new we were expecting our third baby. We currently have a five year old son and an almost two year old daughter, and recently found out baby number three was going to be a boy. With that exciting news, and the exhaustion of everyday parenting now mixed with pregnancy, we decided to take a week off to celebrate a Babymoon at Sandals Resorts.
Why Did We Choose Sandals Dunns River in Jamaica?
The decision was a mix of business and pleasure. As a Sandals Chairman's Royal Club specialist, I've been to all of the resort properties, but I hadn’t seen Sandals Dunns River since it had been reopened in May of 2023. At the time, we’d been invited down to the grand (re)opening, but I was due to give birth to our daughter less than a month later and hadn’t been cleared to travel.
After checking out Sandals St Vincent and Sandals Royal Curacao this past summer, I knew I had to see how Sandals Dunns River compared, and preferably before the new baby arrived this summer.
What About The Concern Of Zika?
I’ll be entirely honest, I wasn’t concerned in the least about Zika. I live in Florida where mosquitos camp out in my yard and eat me alive 95% of the year. I get bit far more while home than I ever do while on my trips to Sandals Resorts. I am normally a bug magnet, and never go home with mosquito bites when in the Caribbean, and I also never pack or use bug spray.
I got pregnant in 2019 while on a trip to Jamaica, and again in 2022 on a trip to Jamaica, and both times Zika didn’t concern me at all, nor did I have any issues with my pregnancies because of it. My doctor was not concerned at all this time around when I mentioned going as there are no active travel warnings for Zika in Jamaica, currently.
My advice would be to speak with your doctor, do your own research and make a decision based on what you are most comfortable with. But I will also say, Sandals does an amazing job keeping the resorts free of standing water that mosquitos would breed in and they fog or spray to keep the bugs like that away, which is likely why I never have issues on property.
What Is Traveling Like While Pregnant?
This was actually my first time traveling while pregnant. We choose to travel when I was 20 weeks along, since that was the earliest time we could get my in-laws to watch out kids and find availability at the resort.
For us, the flight to Jamaica from Orlando, Florida is a quick hour and a half. The drive to the airport from our home is about the same, and the drive to the resort from the Montego Bay airport was about the same as well. We choose to stay the night at a hotel by the airport just to get some good rest before our travel day, which proved to be futile because I couldn’t sleep very well at the airport hotel due to the beds being so firm and the pillows not giving me support (I missed my giant pregnancy pillow!).
Otherwise, the flight was good, no issues or discomfort. We did make sure to leave extra time for the airport so we weren’t rushing and to upgrade to extra legroom seats so I didn't feel too cramped in our row. We only brought carry on bags and a personal item each. We always try to pack light on our trips and my husband always helps me with the overhead bags so I knew that wouldn't be an issue.
I made sure to stay hydrated and well fed during the travel day. We also made sure to have a nice big breakfast and also made a stop at Wawa before arriving at the airport to grab sandwiches and snacks, knowing that our flight was right at lunchtime and I didn’t want to find myself hungry or feeling faint mid-flights. You can always grab some airport food and bring it on the plane, too, but if you wish to save a little money you are allowed to bring food through security, just not drinks. We did buy large water bottles in the airport after security, so I had plenty of water to drink until we got to the Sandals lounge in Montego Bay.
Aside from the usual pregnancy discomforts here and there, nothing felt any different than our normal trips. I did take it much easier - no rushing, no walking up or down stairs without holding onto my husband’s arm or a hand rail. I also made sure to walk around a lot, so I didn't have any swelling of my ankles or legs. I also skipped the fun activities like snorkeling or any tours, since those weren't recommended for pregnant women. I was also cautious of what I ate. For example, one night on the menu I looked at a dish with swordfish that looked incredible, but then I googled to be sure I could eat it and it said to stay away from it due to mercury. Boo. Better safe than sorry, though.
What to Expect on a Babymoon at Sandals Resorts
Not much will be different from your normal Sandals experience, however, there are some extra perks Sandals will offer moms-to-be as well as some tips and tricks that I used to help us enhance our stay and ensure we got the most relaxation out of our trip.
Consider picking a smaller resort
While exercise is obviously important while pregnant, it's hot in the Caribbean and larger resorts can be exhausting to navigate in the heat and sun. I've been to every single Sandals Resort property and I'm glad we picked a smaller sized resort for this special trip.
Some of the larger resorts have hills, lots of stairs, or are so large you have to walk across the whole property to get from your room to a restaurant. The smaller resorts are much easier to navigate and get around quickly.
For example, most of the restaurants, pools and the beach were visible right from our room balcony so getting around was quick and easy. Also, we had an elevator in our building. Some properties don't have elevators, so that is something to consider, too. Being on a higher floor with no elevator while carrying the extra baby weight may be difficult for some. You know your body and it's limits best, but those are things I recommend considering.
Ask for a pregnancy pillow at check-in
This was a game changer! After having a miserable nights sleep at the airport hotel I was truly worried I wouldn’t get much sleep at the resort either. But I knew from the Babymoon package that they had pregnancy pillows available on resort, so I asked our concierge about it when we arrived. I was happy to know that they provided this complimentary to all pregnant guests and they delivered it to my room right away.
The pillow was a C shaped pillow and was perfect for snuggling with at night. I slept great the whole stay (except for after I got sun poisoning - see more below).
Order "Mocktails"
Even though we can't drink liquor while pregnant, we can still indulge in delicious non-alcoholic vacation drinks. I asked for mocktails during meals and when at the swim-up bar and none of them disappointed.
My favorite? The Pink Rain which consists of pink lemonade, pineapple juice and Grenadine. I tried it both frozen and on the rocks and on the rocks was the best version for sure.
I also drank virgin Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris and at dinner each night I requested a non-alcoholic drink. The waiter always brought me something new and delicious.
Get a Mommy-2-Be Massage
This was THE most relaxing massage of my life. I’ve had massages at Beaches Negril, Sandals Royal Bahamian, Sandals Negril and several other Sandals or Beaches properties over the years, as well as at home. This was the best massage I’ve had because it truly helped all my pregnancy aches and pains.
They had a special wedge for me to lay on so I wasn’t laying directly on my belly for the first half of the massage. Then raised the bed up so I wasn’t laying flat on my back for the second half of the massage. They also took extra care around my lower back area. Baby was kicking up a storm and enjoying the massage the entire time.
The massage itself was $155, but being a past Sandals guests I got it for $50 off. It was an excellent price and I highly recommend you check your Sandals Select level perks or the promotions at the time of booking to ensure you're getting any available deals.
Use the spa even without treatment
The spa isn't just for guests who are getting treatments there. It's open to all guests. On the last day of our trip we spent hours at the pool at the spa. It was so relaxing to be able to lay there in the shaded double circle lounger, listening to the soothing spa music and the pool waterfall, and not hearing people talking, DJs playing loud music, playing pool volleyball, or any other poolside games.
There were also showers and a steam room in the locker rooms and cold and hot plunge pools which I didn't use due to the pregnancy, but my husband did and said they were incredibly refreshing. It was the perfect place to relax at the end of the day.
Look into their BabyMoon package
If you want to enhance the stay, Sandals has a special Babymoon package you can add onto your reservation for $900. The value includes a massage for mom and dad together, private candlelight dinner, special “cravings menu”, and more. We didn't personally purchase this, because we didn't want everything on the list. But for others it's a great option and worth it when you see how much it covers.
Consider a butler for the added relaxation
We stayed in a beachfront club room, the (TB) Travertine Beachfront Club Level Room w/ Balcony Tranquility Soaking Tub. This was our biggest regret. For a normal vacation, we can do without the butler service, but being as this was a trip where I was trying to take it easy, having someone to help us with meals, drinks, chairs in the shade, etc. could have made a huge difference in our overall experience.
For example, shaded lounge chairs were hard to come by because the resort was almost at 100% capacity. My skin is very sensitive to the sun while pregnant, so I needed shade. Having a butler to guarantee shaded lounge chairs would have helped me avoid the sun poisoning I got by the end of the trip.
Also, we found one spot in the shade on the beach one day and were afraid to leave it and lose it. However, it was so far at the end of the beach we didn't get the beach service from the waitstaff out there. That meant anytime we wanted drinks, or when it was time for lunch, my husband was running to the restaurants and bars to get it. I truly appreciate how he takes care of me, even when I am not pregnant. But having someone to call to bring us what we needed would have meant he could relax and enjoy things more, too.
Enjoy the in-room or balcony tranquility soaking tubs
My kids have taken over my tub at home, so all I wanted to do on this trip was relax in a warm bubble bath at night. If that sounds like you, make sure whichever room you book has a tranquility soaking tub so you can soak and relax, too. If you book a butler level room, the butler will draw a bubble bath for you so you don't have to do it yourself. They will usually decorate it with flowers and candles to make it extra romantic and relaxing for you.
Speak to the culinary concierge
If you’re traveling with dietary restrictions, pregnancy related gestational diabetes, or know there are things you love to eat that you can't eat while pregnant (like sushi for me) speak with the culinary concierge on resort. They can help you meal plan for the trip and will assist you in going over all the menus to see what you can and cannot have, as well as helping craft off-menu meals and snacks to fit your dietary needs.
Utilize the included room service
If you get pregnancy cravings later in the evening after dinner, ordering room service is another great option to avoid having to go back out. One of my pregnancy cravings is a late night sweet and salty snack. At home I generally have mixed nuts or popcorn with dark chocolate, but at the resort I wasn't sure where to find a mix of what I was looking for, and often times the craving hit while I was already comfy in bed.
Having room service as an option was perfect. French fries always seemed to hit the spot and even though it wasn't on the menu, we asked for the Sandals famous cookies and vanilla ice cream and they always brought it for us. By the way, you can find those cookies anytime of the day or night in the glass jars in the lobby and club lounges. They are either oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip and they are delicious.
Consider a private transfer upgrade
Normally the included transfer are fine for us, but we decided to upgrade to private transfers this time in case I felt any nausea while on the road or needed to use the bathroom during the long ride. A private transfer gave us the freedom to go at our own pace without inconveniencing other travelers. We had a BMW and our driver, Stephen, was very friendly and accommodating. I never felt uncomfortable or had any issues on the way there.
However, on the drive back we took the included transfer and it was pretty awful for me. First, we were the last ones on the bus, which had already picked up guests from Sandals Ochi and Sandals Royal Plantation, so I had to sit in the very last row, which normally isn't an issue but walking to the back I was bumping everyone's arms with my belly. Also, for some reason I had awful nausea on the way home. I highly recommend splurging on the private transfers both ways if pregnant, or picking a resort closer to the airport.
Note: There is an airport (OCJ) closer to Sandals Dunns River, however we were using points on our preferred airline which meant we had to fly in and out of Montego Bay (MBJ) which is an hour and a half from the resort.
Wear Plenty Of Sunscreen
I'm honestly used to being in the sun when we travel and at home here in Florida. It's rare that I burn bad. I'm used to getting red, but I never burn to the point of sun poisoning. This trip I learned the hard way that my skin is super sensitive to the sun while pregnant, so by the end of the trip my sunburn was the worst I'd ever had. It was painful to the touch, I had chills, and it was beginning to blister. I don't wish it on anyone else so pack extra sunscreen!
Get Travel Insurance
Anything can happen while traveling, even when you’re not pregnant. We never travel without insurance protection for when we are abroad. But this time it was even more important to me. The peace of mind knowing if I needed a doctor, hospital or medical evacuation I had coverage was worth every penny. My recommendation would be shop around and find the best insurance coverage, and if you book the trip knowing you are pregnant, make sure to buy the insurance the same day you book the reservation. In many cases, pregnancy can be considered a "pre-existing condition" which is only covered when you buy the insurance upfront. If you wait and add it later, it could be an issue for coverage. Make sure to check the fine print of the insurance, shop around for the best coverage, and call to speak to someone if you have specific coverage questions.
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