A Pregnant Lady in Napa

Soooooo… here’s the story of a pregnant lady who went to wine country. It starts like this: lady’s friend has an event she’s throwing in Napa at a beautiful resort. Lady’s friend asks pregnant lady and other friends to go and they decide to make a girls trip out of it. The expectant mama is of course hesitant because she doesn’t want to be a buzzkill, or be super jealous of the wine drinkers surrounding her, but decides to go anyway for some R&R, beautiful views, and time with friends. She ends up being so glad she did and makes it her mission to encourage all preggos to visit the rolling hills of Northern California.

If you haven’t guessed it, that pregnant lady was me about a little over a month ago and I am here to advise you that if you have a trip to Napa planned and are pregnant, you WILL have an amazing time for multiple reasons:

• Napa is a foodie’s paradise. Dining options in the Napa area are endless, and even better, everything is fresh and the food is scrumdiddlyumptious, leaving many visitors reminiscing about the food they devoured (wine who?!). Napa is filled with many Michelin star restaurants and unique dining experiences. There’s no doubt the rest of the people you’re with will want to enjoy delicious fare along with their wine. Here are a couple of places I highly recommend:
  • Bouchon Bakery (for breakfast or lunch) – the cutest bakery with croissants that literally melt in your mouth.
  • Farmstead – a farm-to-table restaurant that is a part of Long Meadow Ranch. The restaurant serves southern-inspired food and everything we ordered was perfect. You can’t go wrong at Farmstead.
  • Bottega – an Italian restaurant with the best gnocchi I’ve ever had! They were clouds of pasta.
  • Model Bakery – perfect for breakfast. The English muffins are homemade and out of this world.
  • The Fremont Diner – a trailer park, hole-in-the-wall dining experience with some of the best southern food I’ve had. You have to get their caramel milkshake.

• There are spas galore! Wine country was one of the most relaxing places I’ve ever been. Everything is slower paced and so chill. I couldn’t get enough and will admit I definitely could have stayed forever. There are so many spas in the area and while I didn’t have time to visit the spa, I think a nice massage, mani/pedi or facial would be the perfect cherry on top to Napa’s serene environment.
• People will encourage you to drink wine (in moderation, of course).  I went to every single winery and never got a glare for being there or participating in tastings. I took tiny sips at each winery we visited and the people leading our tastings and/or tours all mentioned many pregnant women visit Napa and enjoy wine in moderation. It was nice feeling included and to be a part of the experience. We absolutely loved the wineries we visited:
  • Duckhorn Vineyards – a very relaxing and peaceful tasting outdoors.
  • Artesa Winery – gorgeous views on top of the hills of Napa.
  • Domaine Carneros – an upscale sparkling wine estate. We did the sparkling wine tour and it was incredible! They also serve really good non-alcoholic sparkling drinks. Total win!

• You won’t break the bank (as much). Plain and simple. Not consuming as much wine means lower bills for the most part. A total perk of going to Napa while pregnant.
• There are plenty of things to do and see that don’t involve alcohol. 
  • You can visit Oxbow Public Market in Downtown Napa, home to many unique and affordable vendors selling a variety of products like spices, oils, books and fresh produce. It was the cutest little place! The market is also full of some great food vendors as well.
  • Walk around Yountville – it’s such a gorgeous area with shops, restaurants and the cutest walkways and hidden corners.
  • Take a trip to San Francisco. Go check out the Golden Gate Bridge and pee your pants as you drive your rental car up and down the hills of the city (haha!). San Fran is beautiful and about an hour and half away from Napa.

If you’re pregnant and on the fence about wine country, I hope this post swayed you to go. You will have an amazing time. Napa is the perfect place to visit to relax and unwind before your baby arrives.