Babymoons rising in popularity

We did a babymoon. I was 4 months pregnant and we went on a week long cruise. We didn't know it would be a babymoon when we bought the trip though!! I'm so glad we did it, we celebrated our first (and only) anniversary without kids. We had a great time. I think that if you can you should definiately try to have one last hurrah before the kids come. Because there's no way I would even think of taking a trip like that with kids!!

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Huh.
I've always heard the term "babymoon" used to describe the month after a baby's birth when the family is settling-in and enjoying a sort of seclusion.
Interesting.

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I've never heard of a babymoon to be before the birth; I've always heard it was the month after the baby (like Heather said). That's how I've always used it and I hope this 'new' way of using it doesn't take it over. I like the the idea of the babymoon the way I know it.

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I so wish we had taken a babymoon. In spite of everything you promise yourselves, it just doesn't happen after baby arrives. And I did not anticipate how long I would end up wanting to breastfeed Baby A. (It's been two years now, when I'd imagined on only nine months or a year at most.) Plus we simply haven't been willing to be too far away from Baby A. So much for that first post-baby trip together.

Some friends went to Belize when she was about seven months pregnant. They had a wonderful time. Come to think of it, they went to New York around that time, too. Very smart. To anyone considering a babymoon: Go, go, go!

- L

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My husband and I had planned a romantic babymoon about 45 minutes away from our house at a super teeny B&B... it was as far as I was allowed to go from the hospital... It was meant to be a super relaxing weekend and then when we got there, the only other couple staying was someone that I had started interviewing with for a career change when I came back from maternity leave... instead of a relaxing weekend it became a weekendlong interview... so much for relaxing!!

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We had planned a night away about a month before our little girl was to arrive. Our son was 2 at the time and it would have been only our second night away from him since he was born. Wouldn't you know it? The little girl came early - a week before our little getaway!

I'm all for planning a getaway before baby arrives - but in my case, would have been better to do it MUCH earlier in the pregnancy!

As for getaways after baby arrives - much more doable (guilt-wise, feeding-wise, etc) to think in terms of one overnight stay somewhere. We've done two since our little girl arrived 10 months ago and will do a BIG two nighter over Labor Day weekend. Don't think I can manage any longer than that though!!!

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We had 2 babymoons, sort of. Since we eloped, we didn't get a honeymoon, and we had only been married 6 weeks when we conceived our daughter, we really didn't get to have a "honeymoon phase" we were too busy with me being sick and having a difficult pregnancy. So, when I was 6 mos prego, we went to Charleston, for a long 4th of July weekend. (Am I nuts or what?) It was hot, we did nothing but walk around the city, but I was a trooper, ya know, since it was my idea and I had to goad my hubby into the idea! Good thing we did go in July, though, cause on September 1 I was put on bedrest.

When I was 4 1/2 mos prego with my son, we decided to take a vacation with our daughter, who was 20 mos old, as her one and only trip as the only child. We went to Disney World in June! Once again, walking in the heat, only this time, pushing a stroller and carrying a huge diaper bag! It was hectic, but my daughter had a blast! And I was sure glad we went when we did, because 6 weeks later, my son was taken by emergency c/s 15 weeks early. (I don't think it had anything to do with Disney, at least I hope not!)

I think babymoons are important for the parents-to-be to spend that last little bit of time alone, before their lives are so totally disrupted and turned upside down! I also think the trip with our daughter was important, because she got to spend that time being pampered and having fun that was all about her, since it never will be again!

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Ha. We took a nice long weekend in wine country (Napa) at a gorgeous B&B for our (pre-baby) babymoon. But I felt like there was so much fun stuff off-limits: hot tub, massage, mud bath, WINE, etc... we played a lot of Scrabble. :-)

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