Procreation vacations become a success

by J.D. Griffioen (Subscribe to J.D. Griffioen's posts) Nov 9th 2006 9:24AM

Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, Places To Go, Medical Conditions

Three days on a Caribbean island, plenty of dirty talk with trained professionals, exotic food and aphrodisiac-laden drinks, a week's supply of Viagra. . .no, I'm not talking about Rush Limbaugh's last vacation. I'm talking about "procreation vacations" being offered by some resorts to encourage their guests to use their facilities for three days of near-constant, mind-blowing sex. The ladies coming back from these trips aren't puking in the morning from too many pina coladas the night before, but from the tiny human growing inside them after too many nights of wild Caribbean sex. Hotels around the world reportedly luring couples who are trying to have a baby, offering on-site sex doctors, romantic advice and exotic menus designed to encourage lots and lots of sex. These weekends were a relatively new idea a couple years ago, but the concept has caught on big time. Many obstetricians even recommend such trips to couples who might be finding it difficult to conceive. "One of the most easy, therapeutic interventions is to recommend a vacation," one doctor said. "I think the effect of stress on our physiology is truly underestimated."

At the Westin at Our Lucaya Grand Bahama Island, a three-night Procreation Vacation starts at $1,893. That includes all the "Caribbean viagra" you can drink (an age-old Caribbean fertility concoction served three times a day: sea moss, mixed with evaporated milk, sugar and spices).

If $1,893 is too rich for your blood, you can always go for a more modest package: the procreation weekend at the Five Gables Inn & Spa at Chesapeake Bay includes a two-night stay with a couple's massage, oysters and wine, as well as the incredibly classy touch of a pair of heart-print boxer shorts and a CD from love crooner Barry White for about $810 per couple. Oh yeah, like I'm going to have sex with Barry White playing in the background. Talk about creepy.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Angelica 11-09-2006 @ 12:38PM

OH G-D, what is totally creepy is that my husband and I have been to the Five Gables, it is actually in St. Micheals...not that it matters...

Ummm...luckily enough, I was already pregnant when we went. PHEW! So our trip then...had no purpose and we wasted a lot of money, I suppose.

DaniGirl 11-09-2006 @ 2:04PM

Oh fer cryin' out loud. "Many obstetricians even recommend such trips to couples who might be finding it difficult to conceive." Give me a break! As if there aren't enough well-meaning but hated friends telling the infertile to just relax already.

IMHO, and I've been there-done that, save your vacation pennies if you're having trouble conceiving. You might find your pennies better invested in infertility treatments - and I'm willing to bet they're a lot more effective in the long run.

Glenda 11-09-2006 @ 3:15PM

I was actually thinking about trying this with my husband, we have been trying unsuccessfully for three (3) years now, but after reading the comments, maybe it is a waste of money. :)

Bridget 11-09-2006 @ 3:33PM

WTF?

Like infertile couples need MORE people telling them to "relax" or "take a vacation"?

One of the first things recommended if fertilty problems are on the man's side is to reduce frequency of sex and concentrate on better timing w/r/t ovulation.

michelle 11-09-2006 @ 3:58PM

maybe there is something to it. we got pregaunt on our honeymoon with JD when we took a week long cruise. Now we are tring for number 2 and have had no luck the past 6 months (3 months we used the ovulation kits). My hubby keeps on asking me if i want to go on a cruise again since it worked the first time...

Serena 11-09-2006 @ 4:35PM

I think it's a great idea for couples thinking of having a baby to take an uber-romantic, sexy vacation at some fantastic tropical resort. I myself, um, took an anniversary cruise this summer and am now expecting my 2nd child.

HOWEVER - for resorts to esentially promise infertile couples that dishing out thousands for a pro-creation vacation will get them a baby is horribly irresponsible. If there is a medical condition preventing pregnancy, all the roses, sea moss and Barry White in the world won't get you pregnant, but these people will still end up with your money.

I can just imagine all the people coming home from these things to negative pregnancy tests. Some of them probably won't have regrets about having that extra time away with their partner to strengthen the relationship, but for others the empty promise these resorts provide could be devastating to the relationship.

I'm really glad when I was having trouble conceiving the first time that these things weren't around. I wonder how many well-meaning family members would have suggested it. Ugh.

Glenda 11-09-2006 @ 5:26PM

I want to ask all the women reading this and posting comments that have had problems getting pregnant, how long were y'all trying? And what finally worked for y'all? I'm getting a little discouraged and I'm just looking for some hope.

privy-test 11-10-2006 @ 12:10AM

Oh great. Here that infertiles? No medical science necessary, just go on vacation.

J.D. 11-10-2006 @ 12:33AM

for the record, the article said nothing about the vacations being for people who were infertile or really struggling to conceive. The vacations seemed to me to be more painted for those with really busy schedules who wanted to get away for a few days and have lots of sex in hopes of conceiving. That doctor quote was the only thing that could be interpreted as offensive, but I'm not sure he's talking about infertiles as much as people who just aren't having a lot of sex.

maddie 11-15-2006 @ 2:38PM

Talk about exploiting a desperate couple. Sea moss? Come on, might as well offer snake oil. Seems like calling it a "procreation vacation" is just an excuse to double the price.

CK 11-15-2006 @ 2:49PM

I believe it. My cousin tried IVF twice and the first time. she was in Paris where she always wanted to go. the second was after she had her second IVF that was not a success. She had both sons naturally, not through IVF. So, she was better off on vacation and not $20 thou on IVF.

I believe it, she was really trying for those 10 years.

Helena Kemp 11-15-2006 @ 8:25PM

I went through a relatively shourt infertility journey and was pregnant via IVF shortly before my husband and I celebrated our 1st anniversay. We knew long before we were married that we'd struggle to get pregnant and since we were in our mid-30s when we got married, we started treatment right away. After many painful and invasive testing, multiple inseminations, our prayers were answered following our first round of IVF. I'd spend that $10-15,000 again for IVF, rather than hope I'll get pregnant from a $2,000 vacation. At least I know the IVF works. And as for the notion that you sholuld "relax and it'll happen naturally", if you have physical/hormaonal/ovulatory problems which do not allow egg and sperm to meet, even a nice relaxing coma won't allow you to get pregnant!

Mike M. 11-15-2006 @ 3:10PM

Though I don't recommend it for everyone, alot of cheap booze is all you really need. Trying too hard leaves everyone uptight and anxious, especially after dropping tousands on a trip. For the record, we had 3 kids in 16 months, this included twins. Try it!

Jonny Frank 11-15-2006 @ 3:04PM

I don't get why so many people are so "desperate" to conceive. I mean, there are SO MANY babies and kids out there in need of permanent loving homes, quit being so selfish (unless your reproduction would produce genetically SUPERIOR offspring!). Stupid people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce, fuck "equality."

Jack 11-15-2006 @ 3:11PM

If you're having problems conceiving, how about letting me try? =)

JimD 11-15-2006 @ 3:21PM

Hey Jonny Frank, I agree there are a lot of children available for adoption out there but until you are in the situation yourself of not being able to conceive a child with your chosen partner then you have no right to judge anyone elses motives. We are not selfish and adoption is an alternative but that isn't easy either.Your comments are uninformed and hurtful to those of us that have been through this.

beth 11-15-2006 @ 3:22PM

Have any of you tried Acupuncture to help get pregnant? Our fertility specialist recommends it and has had great success. And it has no side effects...

thom 11-15-2006 @ 3:23PM

Procreation vacations? Give me a break! The world is already overpopulated. The last thing we need is more babies and mouths to feed! Any idiot can make a baby. What we need are PROCREATION NOT VACATIONS or perhaps even GAY VACATIONS where people have responsible loving sex but do not breed more children. Enough already! Let's take care of the mouths on earth we have yet to feed and STOP all this absurd baby talk.

Jim 11-15-2006 @ 3:35PM

Now, if a husband and wife are having fun in the bedroom at home, and the action is not producing a little boy-kid, or a girl-kid, they are nor likely to succeed just because they're in a high dollar hotel. It is probably a fact that most women who have 'accidents'do so in the back seat of a friend's car, kitchen, or in their friend's den. The only expense in most of the fore mentioned situations is the divorce, when the friend's spouse finds out.

Chris 11-21-2006 @ 5:03PM

For one the doctor's quote is paraphrased. It says conviently what the author wants it to say. Therapeutic intervention covers a giant array of things from backaches, to the dying process. The "age old concoction" is kinda humorous in that you could probably buy a case of PBR or Natty light and get the same effect for hella cheaper.I seriously think someone who owns a resort paid to have this article written. Stress can be handled in multiple ways. It may be particularly hard for a couple that experiances difficulty bearing children to adopt. Think about the whole aura that surrounds the process of bringing children into the world. On the flip side a couple should analyze their desperation. Constantly trying and failing is not healthy. It can easily lead up going on multi thousand dollar vacations as a last resort. Couples should seek out counseling but frequently question proposed therapies.

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