Join Us Saturday at Babypalooza

Come celebrate all things Baby!

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC

It's time once again to celebrate everything BABY this Saturday when the Babypalooza tour hits Huntsville. From 9:00 - 1:00 the North Hall of the VBC will be transformed into a  veritable candy store for expectant and new parents! Exhibitors will have everything from baby registry information to safety tips to adorable outfits for your little bundle of joy!

Babies R Us will be present with information on setting up your registry, door prizes, and other goodies. Aetna is sponsoring the Child Safety Area where the focus will be safe sleep, infant CPR, and other topics relevant to keeping your little angel safe. Local preschools, retailers and medical professionals will all be on hand to help make the day memorable for you.  Baby shower games throughout the day will keep it fun!

But Babypalooza isn't just about fun and games. It is also about education. Dana Stone of Rest Assured Consulting will be talking about how to help your child get a good night's sleep. Crestwood Hospital will be offering a series of classes throughout the day.

9:45 Breastfeeding
10:15 Overcoming Breastfeeding Obstacles
10:45 Crestwood Maternity Unit Tour
11:15 Q & A with OB Nursing Staff

A Nurturing Moment will also have a full schedule of classes throughout the day:

9:15 Nutrition in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding - Join Freida Houck, certified instructor with the LEAN program to learn how to feed yourself so that baby gets optimal nutrition.
10:00 Post Partum Depression - Alicia Schuster-Couch of New Leaf Counseling Services of the TN Valley will discuss maternal mental and emotional health issues and how to know if you need extra help.
10:45 Cloth Diapering - Margaret Harmon will  teach the basics of cloth diapering. This is a great introductory class for anybody thinking about trying cloth.
11:30 Your Birth Plan - Bradley Instructor Ashlea Sukhwani help you figure out what you want to include in your birth plan.
12:15 Hypnobabies - Hannah Ellis, Hypnobabies certified doula will talk to you about this fascinating approach to childbirth. 

We will also have several doulas present throughout the day so that you can actually meet them and talk about the possibility of having a doula present for your birth. Our spot is right by the nursing room, and we will have a baby scale set up so that you can actually weigh your baby before nursing and after nursing to see exactly how much milk baby is getting. I will be available to check your baby's latch and answer any breastfeeding questions you have.

Make your plans now to attend, and we'll see you Saturday!