by Wendy Bulawa

Created on: July 15, 2008   Last Updated: March 03, 2011

You're pregnant, glowing, and enjoying all the excitement that surrounds you and your partner as that bulge in your midsection expands. Amid a flurry of activity, cribs are purchased, walls painted, curtains hung and closets filled with adorable clothing big enough for only a doll to wear, while limitless toys begin to occupy every corner of your home. It is at this very moment when many expectant couples realize that within a few short months (or weeks), a little baby requiring constant care will enter their lives. Those last-minute weekend getaways to the Cape or sail up to Kennebunkport may no longer be as easy to corral. Where is a couple to turn when this unexpected panic sets in? The answer is the babymoon.'

A trend in travel that began sweeping the country last year, babymooning' has stirred interest and action from the hospitality industry thus ushering in a series of specially-designed pampering packages for expectant parents. Couples massages, 24-hour dining services, golf retreats, and romantic meals set amidst candlelight top the list.

Renie Cavallari, founder and president of revenue optimization company Aspire, understands that the hospitality industry must constantly adapt and improve to address the changing needs of visitors. "When Aspire develops strategies for a hotel, it trains the reservations department and staff to fashion uniquely-customized environments for their guests. The goal in hospitality is to create memories, while constructing appropriate environments to insure lasting memories and repeat business."

According to a survey recently released jointly by Liberty Travel and BabyCenter, 59 percent (%) of new parents have taken a babymoon and more than two million babymoons are taken by U.S.-based parents-to-be each year. The average babymoon takes place during the second trimester and lasts two- to four nights in length.

Ashley King, a 27-year old mompreneur and founder of babymoonfinder.com, said that just like all great ideas, necessity spurred her desire to dive-in and launch her babymoon-focused web site that helps locate resorts, spas and bed and breakfast destinations that cater to expectant couples. When King was researching a babymoon for herself and husband Trevor, she was surprised to learn that no Internet resource existed that compiled such valuable information. Since then, babymoonfinder.com, which has in one year received more than 500,000 hits, has assembled hundreds of babymoon packages. In fact, many inns, hotels and

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