You’ve heard of a honeymoon. Well, now, make room for the “babymoon.” It’s a new trend, common among first-time-parents-to-be, who see it as one of the last vacations they’ll take before “baby makes three.”
The term “babymoon,” was coined by British author and childbirth educator Sheila Kitzinger, who defines it as the important time a family spends together alone during a baby’s first few days of life. However, the travel industry has it’s own take on the “babymoon.” They see it as a way to appeal to a specialized market. A huge market, in fact, considering approximately 6 million pregnancies occur every year throughout the United States, according to the American Pregnancy Association, a national health organization promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness. Capitalizing on the trend, a growing number of hotels and resorts have begun offering packages for moms- and dads-to-be. Here are a few to consider.
Still Waters Farm luxury cottages in Willits, Calif., offers new moms “Delivery Kits” filled with a nursing gown, lip balm and other items for the big event.
The Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa in La Jolla, Calif., offers couples sessions with a photographer, chauffeured shopping excursions, Pilates classes and a hotel-logo onesie for the baby.
The Fleurs-De-Lys Mansion, a St. Louis B&B, offers couples a personalized “Chef of Your Own Dining Experience,” while the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa in Bodega Bay, Calif., gives mom a copy of actress Jenny McCarthy’s humorous book, “Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth.”
Pregnancy massages and spa treatments are available at resorts including the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park; the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne near Miami; the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California; and the Nob Hill Spa in San Francisco, among a host of others.
The Five Gables Inn and Spa in St. Michaels, MD, has the “Bundle of Joy” package, which runs from $510 to $975. It includes a two-night stay, a photo album, a “foot and hand relief” treatment, and a coffee mug full of coffee beans. Movies like “She’s Having a Baby,” “Bundle of Joy,” “9 Months” and “Look Who’s Talking” are available for watching in the rooms.
Planters Inn in Charleston, S.C., began offering a package called “Baby’s on the Way” for $1,399, which includes a three-night stay, breakfast, his-and-her massages, a jar of pickles, a cigar, turndown service with chocolate truffles and cognac for the dads, local tours, a teddy bear and a gift basket.
Many couples take a “babymoon” during the second trimester (when the risk of miscarriage is lower). And travel experts say, Florida and the Caribbean are their destinations of choice. Time on the beach, at a nice resort, being pampered before your belly and family expand… it sounds wonderful. Makes me wish I had taken a “babymoon” when I was pregnant with my daughter. However, if you don’t have the money to take advantage of the “babymoon” packages offered by resorts and spas, but you still want “special time” with your spouse, consider a weekend trip close to home. After all, often it’s not where you are, but whom you are with, that makes for a memorable trip.