Expecting a Baby? Go on a Babymoon!

Posted on 14. Apr, 2009 by TheCuteKid Photo Contest in Baby Center, Parenting, Pregnancy

Baby bonding is important, but bonding between mommy- and daddy-to-be is becoming an equal priority. Before you book the baby belly on a trip of a lifetime, find out what this babymoon phenomenon is all about.

The Babymoon

Your destination before baby

By Michelle Bruns

First comes love, then comes marriage, but before baby comes… the babymoon? This age-old nursery rhyme has had a few revisions of late thanks to a modern phenomenon called the babymoon. Long gone are the days that couples sat around feverishly preparing and patiently awaiting the arrival of their bundle of joy. More and more couples, pregnant belly and all, are packing their bags before their little one arrives and heading off for some R&R.

Research shows that the term babymoon was first conceived in 1996 by Sheila Kitzinger, author of The Year After Childbirth. In its origin, the term referenced the time that mommy, daddy, and baby spent post-birth to bond. More recently, the term seems to have developed into a retreat that preggo couples take prior to the birth of their offspring.

Many Web sites focus solely on offering babymoon planning and resources. From day spas touting prenatal massages to resorts that offer weekend Lamaze retreats, there is a babymoon package for practically every type of couple. Paired with bottles of sparkling cider and/or delivery of any craving the mommy-to-be is experiencing, these vacation packages are focused on letting the expecting couple put their feet up, reconnect with one another, and refresh before their special delivery arrives.

If your jump onto the babymoon bandwagon involves an airline flight, there are a few things of which to take note. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that the safest time for a pregnant woman to travel is during the second trimester (18 through 24 weeks). Having the lowest risk of miscarriage or premature labor, the second trimester is also usually when expectant mothers are feeling their best.

Here are a few other tips the mother-to-be may want to consider when taking flight to their babymoon destination:

• Properly fasten the seatbelt under your belly and across the top of your thighs -this will offer you and your pea in the pod optimum safety while flying.
• Keep your blood flowing. Every 30 minutes, get up and walk around or at least stretch your legs and flex your ankles if the seatbelt sign is on.
• Drink, drink, drink (water, of course). Becoming dehydrated in the air is dangerous for you and baby-to-be.
• Seats at the bulkhead (the first row behind a divider or partition in the airplane) typically offer extra legroom. And, with no seats in front of you, it is easier to get to your seat without having to wriggle your pregnant belly between the rows. (Note that without a seat in front of you, you’ll also be without a tray.)
• Seats over the wings of the airplane offer the smoothest ride.

Even if a seven-day babymoon at a five-star tropical resort is not in the cards for you, one-day babymoons at a local destination can serve the same purpose. Reconnecting and relaxing with your partner before your baby arrives is the most important goal. Sometime during your bonding, try and schedule a good night’s sleep as one last hurrah – it’s something you may not experience for a while once your little one makes his or her entrance into the world!

Where did you and your partner babymoon?

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Tags: babymoon, child parenting, Childbirth, expecting a baby, Family Bonding, having a baby, parent advice, Parenting, parents bonding, Post-Birth Bonding, preggo mom