Babymooning Creates a Great Opportunity

By: Tracey T. Serebin

In the last couple of years Babymooning has become a hospitality trend that has ignited special excursion packages at hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts across the country, targeting expectant parents.  Many are offering massages, welcome baskets, chocolates, and discounted items upon arrival.

In 2006 when I was four months pregnant, my husband and I went on our own Babymoon to Puerto Rico.  Looking back, I would have preferred browsing through websites specializing in Babymoon packages that catered to the desires of a pregnant mother and father-to-be. It would have enhanced our experience of escaping to a beach retreat with added amenities to celebrate the occasion.

While there are babymoon packages in all areas of the country and abroad, one example is found at the waterfront Inn at Harbor Hill Marina, located in the coastal community of Niantic, Connecticut; twenty minutes from Mystic Seaport. Upon arriving at the Inn guests are greeted by warm, inviting innkeepers, ready to cater to your needs. The Inn is surrounded by water and flowering gardens.  Bright sunlight floods into the numerous wall-to-wall windows, and the wrap around porch invites guests to pull up a comfy chair to enjoy the view.

Their Babymoon package includes two night accommodations in a water view room, a $50 dining gift certificate at a local restaurant, a “Romancing the Sax” CD, a bottle of chilled sparkling cider, a special treat of cookies, their classic breakfast buffet each morning, and complimentary refreshments.  Also thrown in are discount coupons to nearby Tanger and Clinton Premium Shopping outlets, to shop for baby clothing.

This location provides numerous outside activities to partake in at ones own pace, such as Wine Tours, walks along the one mile boardwalk, lounging by the ocean at a nearby beach, strolling through Mystic Seaport, or gambling at the two nearby casinos.  Or if this Babymoon is all about relaxing, Harbor Hill is a wonderful place to enjoy the views of the Marina while sitting on an Adirondack chair soaking up the sun.  Or a pregnant mother-to-be may be interested in lounging around in a comfy, bright and airy guest room and enjoy a leisurely nap. Whatever ones desire is, Harbor Hill Marina has it, and their Innkeepers are very knowledgeable and accommodating.

Not only is a Babymoon a wonderful retreat for any couple, before the arrival of a baby into their lives; it is also the perfect opportunity for a couple to take advantage of quality time together, to talk about the changes their life will go through once their baby arrives.  While couples prepare for the baby by getting the nursery ready and gearing up for the baby’s birth, they don’t really prepare for how this birth will affect their relationship.  This getaway provides the perfect backdrop to discuss specific questions about raising a child; such as how a couple’s relationship may be affected after the birth of their baby, the emotional concerns of a new mother, and the shared duties of the new father. 

Becoming a parent is for life, and while it is often said that life will change once a new baby arrives on the scene, what those changes really are and how they will affect a couple’s life, on a daily basis, is rarely discussed.  So take the opportunity that a Babymoon offers and talk through what those changes may entail and how you will handle them together, as new parents.

© 2008 Tracey T. Serebin

Tracey T. Serebin is a family dynamics and communication specialist.  She has a coaching practice in northern New Jersey, working with kids, parents, and families.  Tracey has published the book 101 Questions for Expectant Parents; Preserving Your Relationship Through the Transition, and she hosts a radio talk show called Family Matters on WebTalkRadio.net for expectant and new parents.  www.TraceySerebin.com