But behind this still-emerging concept, the offering is far from consistent.

Here is what a qualified midwife wants you to know before booking your solo babymoon.

What is a prenatal retreat?

A prenatal retreat is a three-to-seven-day stay designed for pregnant women — generally from the second trimester onwards — who wish to prepare for the birth ahead in a dedicated setting, within a small group, around a structured programme combining treatments, rituals, workshops and rest.

The concept draws from yoga retreats, wellness stays and the age-old tradition of withdrawal before birth found in most non-Western cultures. Its contemporary, carefully curated — sometimes luxurious — form has developed across Europe over the past five years.

The 6 criteria for choosing the right retreat

1. The presence of a qualified midwife

For us, this is the non-negotiable criterion. A midwife is the only medical professional qualified to monitor a physiological pregnancy on a continuous basis. Her presence ensures that all treatments offered are appropriate for your stage of pregnancy, that contraindications are identified, and that in the event of a minor incident — dizziness, a contraction, a moment of faintness — the response will be immediate and professional.

2. Group size

Beyond ten participants, individual attention begins to dilute. The ideal ratio sits between six and eight women — the threshold beyond which a sharing circle becomes an audience and a treatment becomes a transaction.

3. The stage of pregnancy covered

The medically safest window for travelling during pregnancy is the second trimester, between weeks 14 and 32 of amenorrhea. Beyond this, the risk of complications increases and airlines tighten their conditions. Ensure the retreat is designed for this window and that a medical fitness certificate is required at registration.

4. The setting: private villa or hotel

A private villa guarantees complete privacy: no tourists in the corridors, no afternoon pool noise, no shared dining room with other guests. For a prenatal stay, this intimacy is not a luxury — it is a condition for the experience to truly work.

5. Full board and the quality of the chef

During pregnancy, food is an act of care. A retreat that does not offer full board prepared by a chef trained in prenatal nutrition sends you back to navigating menus — precisely what a retreat is meant to spare you from.

6. Included treatments

The essential treatments for a prenatal retreat are: a prenatal massage carried out by a trained therapist, lymphatic drainage (highly effective for the water retention common in the third trimester), gentle adapted yoga sessions, and ideally perinatal sophrology. Verify that these treatments are included in the price and not billed as extras.

Our advice

If you are weighing up several options, ask these two questions when you make an initial enquiry:

• Who will be accompanying me, and what are their qualifications?
• How many women will be in the group, exactly?

The answers to these two questions separate serious retreats from marketing products.

Soleia Retreats is Europe’s first prenatal retreat founded by a qualified midwife. The only solo babymoon guided by a certified perinatal health professional.

The prenatal retreat may be the best-kept secret in the world of maternity.
Little known, quietly exclusive, and yet profoundly transformative. Here is why it has become the ultimate pregnancy gift for women who expect the best.

Why material gifts no longer feel enough

Today’s expectant mothers — especially those navigating demanding professional environments, as so many do in Geneva, Zurich, London or Lausanne — do not need more things.

What they lack is time. Silence. Attention directed at them — not at what they produce or organise.

A WHO study has shown that chronic stress during pregnancy has measurable effects on foetal development and on postnatal mental health. And yet, the vast majority of working pregnant women allow themselves no real space to decompress before giving birth.

Giving a prenatal retreat means giving what no one else will: the absolute permission to stop.

What a luxury prenatal retreat actually includes

Unlike a standard spa break, a luxury prenatal retreat is a programme designed entirely around the specific needs of pregnancy.

At Soleia Retreats, this translates into:

• Body treatments tailored to each trimester — prenatal massage, meditation, and holistic care for body and mind
• Nutritional support through an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean cuisine, thoughtfully designed for both mother and baby
• Prenatal yoga and conscious breathwork sessions with a certified practitioner
• Gentle mental preparation for birth — without pressure, at her own pace
• A private villa with pool and views over the Mediterranean
• Personalised guidance from an expert qualified midwife throughout the entire stay

All of this on an island, off-season, far from the noise of the world — where time finally belongs to the woman carrying new life.

Who is a Soleia prenatal retreat for?

This is the ideal gift for someone you know — perhaps:

• Your partner or wife, who is balancing her career and her pregnancy without ever truly catching her breath
• Your closest friend, living through her first pregnancy while navigating intense anxiety and exhaustion
• Your daughter or daughter-in-law, whom you wish to offer a meaningful journey into motherhood
• A colleague or business partner, for a collective surprise organised by the whole team

It is also the perfect baby shower gift when several loved ones wish to come together and offer something truly memorable — rather than a pile of well-meaning but forgettable presents.

Get in touch at contact@soleia-retreats.com and we will send your gift voucher within 24 hours of your request.

And yet.

Those who truly know Ibiza — the Ibiza of April, May, September, October — know there is another island. A white, silent island bathed in golden Mediterranean light unlike anywhere else on earth. An island where time slows down, where turquoise waters are discovered from hidden coves, where you dine on a sun-drenched terrace in perfect quiet. This version of Ibiza may just be one of the most beautiful destinations in the world for a pregnant woman seeking genuine restoration.

The Ibiza nobody talks about

Most people have no idea that Ibiza transforms completely between October and May.
The clubs close, the flights empty out, and the island returns to its deeper soul — sleepy fincas nestled among pine forests, artisan markets, whitewashed villages where cats doze on sun-warmed cobblestones.

This is the version of the island that Soleia Retreats chose as the setting for its first edition in October 2026.

Away from the summer frenzy, the Balearic landscape reveals its full generosity: almond trees in bloom from January, fields of wild rosemary and lavender, and sunsets from the cliffs of Sant Josep that have inspired generations of painters. A sensory richness that nourishes the body and mind of expectant mothers in a way few other destinations can.

A climate made for pregnancy

Thermal comfort is one of the first concerns for a pregnant woman when travelling.
The intense heat of a Mediterranean summer — often unbearable above 35°C — is a natural contraindication for third-trimester travel. Water retention increases, fatigue sets in, the body craves coolness.

Off-season, Ibiza offers near-ideal conditions:

• September–October: 24 to 27°C, sea still warm at 24°C, exceptional golden light
• April–May: 20 to 23°C, lush vegetation after winter rains, the scent of orange blossom in the air
• November–March: mild temperatures (14–18°C), perfect for gentle walks along the shore

These seasonal windows align precisely with the optimal travel periods during pregnancy — typically between weeks 20 and 32, as recommended by most perinatal health professionals.

An island that takes care of you

What makes Ibiza truly special, beyond its beauty, is a philosophy of life that resonates deeply with the needs of a conscious pregnancy.

The island has long attracted an international community drawn to wellness, gentle spirituality, whole foods and holistic bodywork. This culture has given rise to an exceptional ecosystem: tables that cook with vegetables from the garden, practitioners specialised in prenatal massage, yoga studios with sea views.

For an expectant mother wishing to align body and mind during her pregnancy, off-season Ibiza offers a rare invitation to live at the pace of what truly matters.

From Geneva, it’s easier than you think

One of the most common concerns I hear from expectant mothers based in Switzerland is logistics. “Ibiza feels far. Is it complicated? Is it even sensible?”

The answer is yes — and it’s actually reassuring. Geneva is one of Europe’s best-connected cities to Ibiza, with direct flights from Geneva-Cointrin airport, including via easyJet, in just 1h30. Shorter than many drives to the Alps.

Once on the island, everything is designed to minimise effort: private transfers, villa accommodation with a pool, treatments delivered on-site. You arrive with your suitcase. We take care of the rest.

What women come here to find

In conversations with expectant mothers, one word keeps coming up with striking consistency: permission.

Permission to slow down. Permission to produce nothing for a few days. Permission to step outside of ordinary life and fully inhabit a body in transformation.

Off-season Ibiza gives that permission naturally. When the world around you quietens, when the landscape invites contemplation, when your days are shaped only by meals, treatments and sunsets, something inside you settles.

That is precisely what Soleia Retreats set out to create: not simply a trip, but a gentle transition into motherhood. A place where an expectant mother arrives tired — and leaves nourished by light, care and intention.

Our advice

Book your place now for our next edition in Ibiza in October 2026!

Soleia Retreats is Europe’s first prenatal retreat founded by a qualified midwife.
The only solo babymoon guided by a certified perinatal health professional.