March 20, 2025
Introducing the Prenatal Getaway
CANDACE
L. ROBERTSON
As far as we know, the term "babymoon" was coined by author and
childbirth educator Sheila Kitzinger to describe the crucial bonding time a family spends
together during a baby's first few days after birth. But lately the word is getting a new
twist, courtesy of the travel industry, where "babymoon" vacations beckon
expectant parents even before the bundle of joy arrives.
Owner-innkeeper Christy Collins of Beside Still Waters Farm in Willits, Calif., offers
expectant moms staying in her luxury cottages "delivery kits" filled with a
nursing gown, lip balm and other items for the big event. Collins says the $70-per-night
"Once in a Babymoon" package is simply an extension of the farm's family
friendly policy. "I don't think people realize, especially first-time parents, how
hard it is to get away [with children], and even if you can you might not want to."
The "Stress Free Parents to Be" package at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
includes photo sessions, chauffeured shopping excursions, Pilates classes and a
hotel-branded onesie for the baby. The Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa offers mom a copy of
Jenny McCarthy's humorous book, "Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and
Childbirth," and a postnatal discount on two massages booked by the child's first
birthday. At the historic Planters Inn in Charleston, S.C., the deluxe $1,399 three-night
"Baby on the Way" package is pricier than the honeymoon package, but with it
future parents can avail themselves of treats including a tour of old Charleston and a
goody basket containing a jar of pickles.
Not to mention a little calm before the storm.
"Once in a
Babymoon" package, Beside Still Waters Farm, 30901 Sherwood Road, Willits, CA, 95490;
(877) 230-2171, http://www.besidestillwatersfarm.com
.
Three-night "Stress Free Parents to Be" package, Estancia La Jolla
Hotel & Spa, 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037; (877) 437-8262, http://www.estancialajolla.com
.
"The Last Big Hurrah" package, Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa, 103
Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay, CA, 94923; (707) 875-3525 or (800) 368-2468, Ext. 5, http://www.woodsidehotels.com
.
Three-night "Baby on the Way" package, Planters Inn, 112 N. Market
St., Charleston, SC, 29401; (800) 845-7082, http://www.plantersinn.com
.
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