Let’s Talk About Why I Hate Babymoons

There are certain trendy terms that make the majority of the population cringe, and I find it amazing how many of those things revolve around pregnancy, babies and motherhood. Honestly, who doesn’t feel their muscles tense up when people start using the terms “preggers” and “push present”? Well, I have one more mommy-word that I wouldn’t mind scrubbing from the American vocabulary. Can we please get rid of the word “Babymoon”?

Pre-baby vacations have been getting more and more buzz in the media. Suddenly, every time a pregnant woman boards an aircraft, it can no longer be a normal vacation. It’s now the “getaway before the all-consuming craziness that is motherhood.” Celebrities, who go on vacations all the freaking time for absolutely every reason by the way, suddenly have pictures of the babymoons splashed all over the weekly tabloids. This week’s edition is Nick and Vanessa Lachey, which might be why my eye is twitching.

As every woman whose been pregnant before can tell you, there’s so much commercialization around having a child. It’s a whole lot like having a wedding. There are pregnancy spa packages, pregnancy skin care, new baby blankets, and every conceivable car accessory for baby that you will never ever use. There are a million ways that companies try to capitalize and profit off this amazing time in a woman’s life when the credit card bill is a secondary thought. So I guess it makes sense the travel industry just had to get a piece of the action as well.

I think this whole babymoon idea suffers from a lot of the same problems as push presents and their trendy time in the spotlight. First of all, horrible name. The words “push present” lead to an involuntary muscle reaction in my eyes. I cannot help how they roll back in my head when I hear them, honestly. “Babymoon” doesn’t even make sense. A honeymoon is something you go on after your wedding. A “babymoon” happens before the little one is born.

But the other thing linking push presents and babymoons is that they are both sweet ideas, but they shouldn’t be considered mandatory for new parents. Yes, it’s nice that a partner would buy a gift for a lady who just gave birth. It’s a kind gesture to a new mom. And sure, it’s romantic to take a vacation before the baby comes, when you get to celebrate the change that’s about to happen in your life and savor the end to your alone time with your spouse.

These things are cute, but they aren’t necessary parts of bringing a baby into the world. They don’t need to be advertised as another way that new parents should spend money. They shouldn’t be expected just because a couple is pregnant. And God, can’t we call them something different?

Or even better, let’s call them nothing at all. Let’s say that some partners choose to buy presents for both baby and the new mommy. Let’s say that couples sometimes take a vacation before the baby comes as one last getaway before life gets a bit more hectic. There’s no need to develop cutesy nicknames so that we can write trend pieces about what all the rich people are doing. They’re spending money in adorable ways. But that doesn’t mean that every mother needs a push present or a babymoon to have a fulfilling and pleasant pregnancy.

(Photo: Gifts.com)