Babymoon

A babymoon is a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. Babymoons usually take place at a resort that offers appropriate services like prenatal massage. The term babymoon comes from the more traditional term honeymoon, which is a vacation taken by a newlywed couple after their wedding ceremony.

History

The exact origin of the word is unknown, however in 1996 the term babymoon was used in a book "The Year After Childbirth" by childbirth educator and author Sheila Kitzinger, who claims to have coined the term.

The transition to fatherhood is easier when a man can take time off to be with his partner and baby in what I call a 'Babymoon'.cite book| last=Kitzinger | first=Sheila | title=The Year After Childbirth | publisher=Fireside | date=1996 | id=SBN 978-0684825205, p.203]

This early usage of the word babymoon indicated a vacation or even just private time at home for the parents and their newborn to enjoy their time together. However, more recently the term babymoon seems to have evolved to mean a trip "before" the birth of a child, usually in the second trimester of pregnancy, because that is the time when travel is said to be safest by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.cite web|url=http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp055.cfm|title=Travel During Pregnancy|publisher=American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists|accessdate = 2008-01-20]

In 2004 a news article in the Athens Banner-Herald mentioned:

"I have learned a brand new word — 'babymoon' ...This is just like taking a honeymoon except you’re pregnant... the purpose is to have one last 'hurrah' as a couple... before baby arrives. [cite news|title=You may be entitled to a babymoon | author=Lisa Lewis | publisher=Athens Banner-Herald(newspaper) | date=2004-12-26 | url=http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/122704/fea_20041227001.shtml]

And in 2007 a New York Times article covered the experiences of a number of couples and their luxurious excursions before the birth of new babies, confirming this new and more popular usage of the term babymoon as a vacation taken before giving birth. [cite news|title=Babymoon: Getting Away While There Are Just Two of You | author=Hilary Howard | publisher=New York Times(newspaper) | date=2007-05-13 | url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/travel/13surface.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.frommers.com/articles/2991.html Frommers:Expectant Mommies Start Packing: Time for a Babymoon]
* [http://www.Babymoonguide.com/ Babymoonguide.com]
* [http://www.babymoonfinder.com/ Babymoonfinder.com]
* [http://www.baby-moon.eu/ Baby-Moon.eu]