Along with decorating the nursery and stocking up on diapers, taking a babymoon vacation has moved to the top of the list.
Moms and dads-to-be know that luxury vacations without sippy cups and bibs may be out of reach for a while, so they are flocking to babymoon retreats before the stork arrives.
These "last hurrah" trips for parents-to-be provide the perfect setting to relax and reconnect as a couple before entering (or re-entering) parenthood.
Babymoon vacations are one of the hottest trends in travel today.
According to a recent travel industry survey, 59% of new parents have taken a babymoon and more than two million babymoons are taken by U.
S.
parents-to-be each year.
The term "babymoon" was coined by British author and childbirth education Sheila Kitzinger.
Originally, it was defined as the period of time after a baby's birth that the family spends alone together, to facilitate bonding between parents and baby.
In recent years, the meaning of the word "babymoon" has grown to include the pre-baby jaunts taken by expecting parents.
The travel industry has jumped on the babymoon bandwagon by offering creative vacation packages with moms and dads-to-be in mind.
Many of these packages feature pregnancy and couples massages along with sweet indulgences such as gourment ice cream or cookies and milk at bedtime to satisfy those late night cravings.
Parents-to-be seeking one last romantic vacation can find babymoon packages offered everywhere from 5 star resorts, to charming bed and breakfast inns, to local hotels.
Here's a sampling of some of these romantic, pre-baby getaway packages.
- Planters Inn in Charleston, South Carolina offers the amenity-filled "Baby's on the Way" package that includes specialty spa massages for mom and dad, cigar and cognac for dad and a number of fun little extras for mom and baby.
- The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, California, pampers expecting parents with 1 hour massages, a welcome basket that includes a special gift for baby, a specialty ice cream treat, breakfast in bed and a dinner voucher for the Sea Cliffs Restaurant.
- The babymoon package at The Old Mystic Inn in Mystic, Connecticut is a culinary delight.
The package features a custom-prepared "Dinner-for-Three" prepared by Chef and Owner, Michael Cardillo, chocolate dipped strawberries or truffles, full country breakfast and a nice surprise for baby.
- At Lost Mountain Lodge in Sequim, Washington, babymooning couples enjoy two nights in a romantic fireplace suite, soothing Green Tea Mint foot soaks and tension-reducing foot massage for him and her, sparkling pear cider, romantic dinner for two and a special surprise memento.