Babymoon: the new honeymoon
You are pregnant, glowing and enjoying being pampered. The bulge is getting bigger as you eagerly await D-day. Presenting a few good reasons to dodge the routine and take off on a babymoon before the sleepless nights set in
An increasing number of couples are taking off on what's been affectionately called a babymoon, just before the baby arrives. It's a honeymoon, but different. You could even consider it your second honeymoon.Celebrating threesomesEarlier this year, print and online news channels in India and abroad were chock-a-block with news of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who were celebrating the impending arrival of their first child with a babymoon to the island of Mustique.The good news is that you don’t need to have the bank balance of the rich and famous to enjoy a babymoon. US-based Indian couple, Shubhi Anand and Amit Sharma babymooned in their second trimester (July 2012). Since Shubhi was not comfortable boarding a plane, they chose to go on a week-long trip along the East Coast. “It was great to get away from the routine and soak in the joy of being pregnant. We had been waiting for this ‘good news’ for a very long time and a babymoon was the perfect way to celebrate the expected addition to our family,” says Shubhi.While the concept of a babymoon has been in vogue in the West for a while now, it is only recently that India has caught on to this trend. As expected, the hospitality and leisure industry is cashing in. ESPA Spa, The Leela Palace Udaipur offers pre- and post-natal treatment—a nurturing body treatment carefully designed to relax the body and tone the skin of pregnant and nursing mothers, during this special time. Avani Patel and Manjari Varma, founders of Broken Compass, which specializes in tailor-made travel packages have a few words of advice. They tell us that minimum road travel, leisure days, a thoughtfully chosen property, a doctor on call (if possible), destinations that are not secluded yet not overly touristy, moderate sightseeing and low-intensity activities are the usual requirements of expectant couples. “Beach destinations are a big hit because, usually, they don't involve much activity. Nature lovers like the hills, as well; as long as the property is good and not secluded,” they add. One last fling
(Pic 2: Sachin and Megha Shah)