What uniquely qualifies you to be a baby planning expert?
As a mom of three wonderful kids under the age of four, Shannan is a “frugal mom” who has spent the last four years researching and testing many of the baby gear items available on the market today and finding some of the best deals on those items.

After struggling to conceive her son, every choice Lisa made for him seemed so much more important. Lisa spent hours upon hours searching products and reviews online, reading books and testing gear in stores.  This continues as his needs change and develop.

What qualities should an ideal baby planner have?
The most important quality for a baby planner to have is to understand that every family is different.  Products that might be ideal for one family may not work for another.  An ideal baby planner needs to take the time to understand the expecting family’s lifestyle and needs.

What are your specialties as a baby planner?
We love to help families find the products that will work best for them.  Shannan is a “frugal mom” who understands that babies are expensive and will make sure that parents aren’t spending more than they have to.   Lisa believes that we can make small changes and informed choices to make our homes healthier for our kids and ourselves while reducing our impact on the environment.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

Both Lisa and Shannan have a background in accounting but their experience as moms is what has made them great resources as baby planners.  No one knows what works and what doesn’t as well as someone who has been there and done that.  Since Shannan has been either pregnant or nursing for the past 5 years, she is well versed on the latest and greatest products out there.

What is your biggest piece of advice for a new parent?

When everyone is offering up unsolicited advice, listen.  Sometimes the craziest sounding tips are the most useful.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask for and accept help.  Being a new parent is a huge adjustment and a lot of work.

Our favorite piece of advice is “Don’t be afraid to “spoil” your baby.  Enjoy every minute with them!”

What is the nicest thing a client has ever said about your business?
Heather Mankes

Expectant Mommy

I am expecting my first baby in September.  This is both exciting and a little nerve wracking at the same time.  There is so much stuff to buy, research, and learn about that I didn’t even know where to start.  Bottles to Britches have been my saving grace through my pregnancy and my planning and organizing for the soon arrival of baby Abigail.  They have given me advice and suggestions on baby products, organization, and have been available to ask pregnancy related questions, which you can only ask someone who has been there.  I would recommend Bottles to Britches to any expecting mother.  They are a wealth of knowledge and resources; and only an email or phone call away.

How do you stay current on trends in the baby and child industry?
We keep up with pregnancy and parenting publications plus many social media outlets which prove to be the most valuable sources of information.  In addition, we keep in touch with the other baby planners in our company and throughout the industry as well as manufacturers of prenatal and baby products.  We also test as many of the new products as possible and always test something before recommending it.

Of course, first-hand experience is a huge benefit, and we have a lot of it!

What uniquely qualifies you to be a baby planning expert?
I’m an experienced NYC mom of two kids (two years apart), who had zero support or guidance when I became a mother. I had no friends or family with babies nearby, so I spent my entire first pregnancy researching every aspect of new motherhood. I read and insane number of books, interviewed moms in baby mega-stores and on the street about the products they bought, and attended every class I could, to prepare me for becoming a mother. What I found was an abundance of conflicting advice and information about just about everything. As a woman who’s experienced fertility issues, difficulty with childbirth and breastfeeding, severe postpartum depression, and every aspect of the new mom lifestyle options (full-time work, part-time work, stay-at-home and work-at-home mom), I have a genuine passion for helping new moms throughout the journey to motherhood. I am also a dynamic part of a diverse community of wellness and service providers throughout NYC, and I’m good at matching clients with the right professionals and products that work with their lifestyles.

What qualities should an ideal baby planner have?
The ability to listen is key, and the number one quality a baby planner should possess. I believe that a good baby planner should listen more than they speak, and ultimately be a non-judgmental sounding board for an expectant couple. A baby planner should empower new parents with information that speaks to their values, and help them make their own decisions, to gain confidence about their intuitive parenting skills, versus being told what is “right” and “wrong”. A baby planner’s job should be to facilitate and gently guide new parents, and to help with whatever they need, whether it’s a book or product recommendation, physically showing new moms how to use a breast pump, or delivering a home-cooked meal after the baby is born.

What are your specialties as a baby planner?
I love to research, and my specialty is taking the information I learn from an initial consultation, and transferring it into an actionable monthly plan, including a short list of recommended books, childbirth education and fitness classes that are convenient for my clients, and matching them with the right wellness and service providers. I also love researching products and shopping for the best prices. I’m a big fan of online shopping and free shipping (crucial for New Yorkers!), and I love saving my clients valuable time and money by recommending the top 1-3 products for them (including where to purchase), to allow them to choose from a short rather than long, overwhelming list of products available.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

After five years of traveling abroad and a short career in documentary TV and film journalism, I worked as a travel consultant for a luxury tour operator in NYC. For 13 years, I planned once-in-a-lifetime, privately-guided tours to exotic locales in Asia, Africa, the South Pacific and South America. It was oddly very similar to baby planning in that I traveled frequently to keep up with luxury travel trends, listened carefully to clients requests, and then advised them (based on their interests and my first-hand knowledge of the destinations and hotels), what I recommended for them, as well as orchestrated the details so all they had to do was show up at the airport with their passports!

What is your biggest piece of advice for a new parent?

The two most important pieces of advice I can offer new parents are to ACCEPT help from friends, family and professionals, in every way possible before, during and after their babies arrive, and to make it clear to all the helpers that the new mom needs caring for first and foremost. Many well-meaning friends and family will offer to “help with the baby,” but many of them forget that the new mom needs caring for more than the baby. A new mom needs someone to put food under her face and do laundry more than she needs someone to hold her baby!

What is the nicest thing a client has ever said about your business?
“I don’t know what we would have done without you.” This is the reason I do what I do.

How do you stay current on trends in the baby and child industry?
I subscribe to every baby and parenting publication (online and print), and I consistently meet with other service providers in the industry, to keep my fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in NYC. Social media is another way I keep abreast of what’s going on with products, services and trends in the baby and child industry. I’m an active member of several expectant and new mom groups (both nationally and locally), so I am in daily contact with what other new moms are experiencing, what products they love, hate, etc. In addition to reading an insane amount of product user reviews online, I frequent smaller maternity, baby and nursing boutiques in NYC, to source unique products beyond the Skip Hop, Baby Bjorn and other mainstream products.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Blackwell Photography

This month’s IBPA Featured Baby Planner is Amanda Ogle of Cherished Expectations.

What uniquely qualifies you to be a baby planning expert?
As a mother of two, I have personally experienced the joys of my first pregnancy, the heartbreak of miscarriage, and the joys and stress of a “high risk” second pregnancy.  Each have taught me about life, love, and the ups and downs that go into pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. With experience as “The Corporate Mom” as well as the “Work at Home Mom”, I understand the unique challenges and opportunities that both roles offer a family.

What qualities should an ideal baby planner have?
It’s important to have the ability to truly listen and absorb what your client is saying or asking for.  For many people the birth of a child is as exciting and eventful as planning a wedding. Another vital quality is being intuitive of each client’s family dynamic.
Understanding the roles that each family member plays, can make or break a baby planner.  Stepping on a spouse / Partner / Grandmother’s toes can bring things to a halt quickly.  It is easy to offer opinion and advice, the secret is to tailor it to custom-fit your audience.

What are your specialties as a baby planner?
My specialty is finding the highest quality, top rated products and services at the best price possible.  I love searching for the best deals without compromising on quality or safety.  It’s what I do for my family, and I wouldn’t offer anything less for my clients.

What is the nicest thing a client has ever said about your business?
Las Vegas is one of those ever growing cities.  Most of the time I hear clients say that they have no family or close friends here, and it’s nice to have someone they can call.  I’ve been in their shoes, and  I know exactly how it feels to be pregnant in a new city…away from the comfort of family and friends.  Being trusted by them is the greatest compliment.

How do you stay current on trends in the baby and child industry?
Being a member of the International Baby Planner Association is a great way to stay on top of new issues and new trends in the industry. We have a diverse membership, and each person brings wonderful perspective and insight to the table.

I do tons and tons of research online, from recalls to new products on the horizon.  When something hits the store shelves, I get my hands on it to see what it’s all about.

Every parenting magazine that exists lands in my mailbox, and is scoured with a fine-tooth comb so that I can get a pulse check on trends.  I receive information on boutique items and specialty products regularly as they come out and have tested some prototypes before they have hit the retail market. I also stay current with the American Academy of Pediatrics, keeping my eyes and ears open for any new topics that can benefit my clients today and in the future.

Join IBPA for our first official “Twitter Tea Party” May 18th from 7-8PM PST

(and no we’re not referring to that political “Tea Party”- it’s all about safety & babies)

Grab your cup of tea or favorite beverage and log into IBPA’s first Safety Soiree ~ where we’ll discuss
“Car Seat Safety and How to Choose One” with special guests and industry experts JPMA and Britax.
One lucky tweeting participant will win a Britax Advocate Car Seat valued at $369.99.

See below for more details on how to register for the event along with a quick Twitter party overview.

IBPA “Twitter Tea Party” Highlights:

Host:  International Baby Planner Association
Date:  Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Time:  7-8 PM PST
Location: TweetGrid.com hashtag, #IBPABabyPlanner
Topic:  “Car Seat Safety and How to Choose One”
Prize:  Britax Advocate CS Car Seat
RSVP: Please RSVP by May 16th to Melissa@InternationalBabyPlanners.com with email and Twitter ID to attend and be eligible for the prize.

Special Guest Industry Experts:

Britax has been a leader in mobile safety for more than 70 years, with a legacy of leadership in developing innovations that enhance the safety of child car seats and improve their ease of installation and use.

JPMA is a national trade organization representing 95% of the prenatal to preschool industry. JPMA represents 250 companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico who manufacture, import and/or distribute infant products such as cribs, car seats, strollers, bedding, and a wide range of accessories and decorative items.

Twitter Party Information:

What is a Twitter Party?
A Twitter party is an online discussion that focuses on a few related topics.   It is simple and fun to join in the conversation by posting comments or asking questions via Twitter.

How Do I Participate?

You must register by emailing Melissa@InternationalBabyPlanners.com by May 16th with your Twitter ID.  If you do not have a Twitter account you can easily create one in advance by visiting www.Twitter.com.

How Do I Join In and Keep up with the Conversation?
Join the party by using TweetGrid.com and enter the hashtag  #IBPABabyPlanner to join the event.  A hashtag is simply the sign “#” with a name attached to it. Tweet Grid will automatically include the hashtag on your tweets after you have entered the party.  You will be able to follow the tweeting discussions in real-time.

When is the IBPA “Twitter Tea Party?”
The IBPA Twitter Tea Party will be held on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 from 7-8PM PST.

Why Should I Join in on the Fun?
The IBPA Twitter Tea Party will give you the opportunity to network with other parents, expecting couples and industry experts on child car seat safety. It will be a great chance to ask all of the questions you have about car seats and how to choose one.   One lucky participant will also win a Britax Car Seat!!!!!!

IBPA “Twitter Tea Party” Rules and Regulations:
1. Be nice to other tweeters in the party! We all have opinions so let’s respect our differences and share advice.
2. This a stress free environment to tweet about important issues – relax and have fun!
3. This Twitter party giveaway is for United States and Canadian residents only.
4. You must register by May 16, 2010 via email to Melissa@Internationalbabyplanners.com with your Twitter ID and actually attend the party to be eligible to win.
5. You must be 18 years or older to participate.
6. There will be one winner randomly drawn after the party is over from the list of registered participants.
7. Winner will be notified via email via the registered email address by May 21, 2010 by a member of the International Baby Planner Association.

What is your biggest piece of advice for a new parent?

My biggest piece of advice for new parents is, they need a lot of rest and breaks. Having a new bundle of joy is so exciting but sometimes new parents new to get away for short breaks and time out to get refreshed. So where there is child minder help and family members to help with childcare they need to jump at the offer. Apart from this the next advice is having a baby is so expensive and every saved penny counts, so new parents need to cut down on unnecessary spending and save the pennies for rainy day. Going to a parenting group has a good effect on new  parents, so if there are any parenting groups I advise them to join.

What qualities should an ideal baby planner have?

What qualifies an ideal baby planner is having good communication skills, being a good listener, attentive to details, equipping ones self with all latest baby and mothers news and not the least loving what you do as a baby planner.

What are your specialties as a baby planner?

My specialty as a baby planner is designing the baby rooms; apart from this I love being a personal shopper for my clients.

What is the nicest thing a client has ever said about you/your services/your business?

The nicest thing a client has said about me is am very caring and have a lot of passion in what I do. Clients have said my services are second to none and we go the extra mile for our clients.

As regarding the business in a whole some clients who have used us say they would definitely recommend us to expectant parents who have busy lifestyles.

How do you stay current on trends in the baby and child industry?

I stay current in the baby and child industry by going to all baby shows all over the world. I have been to baby shows in Germany, Spain, Turkey, Las Vegas, and China. Apart from this I read a lot of baby magazines, baby websites and join a lot of U.K baby associations which share a lot of updates on legislations and laws in the baby and child industry.

Twinkle, twinkle in your eyes.  Are you an angel in disguise?  –anonymous

Finnbar Samuel Boyd is a little angel. Literally.  He’s my nephew who died of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, at just two months and two days of age.  His twin sister turned three last November and we often wonder how much Finn would be like her today.  When he passed away, we had so many questions about what happened, how, and why.  SIDS is a baffling disease, the number one killer of infants from one month to one year of age.  It’s a heartbreaker, to say the least.  Researchers are working on finding the cause and have made great strides in unveiling risk factors.  The American SIDS Institute points out many of those factors can be controlled.  They suggest all children be put to sleep on their back, that babies not share beds with adults, that the crib offers a firm mattress with no extra bedding or toys. They also suggest no smoking around babies.  Meantime, they continue research to help with the things a parent can’t control—the biological causes of SIDS.  And that’s where you can help.  The American SIDS Institute is currently holding its annual fundraiser, Spring for SIDS, asking those who care to put a spring in their step and sunshine in their heart.  They ask that you donate what you can, with proceeds going to help pay for research of SIDS and promotion to build awareness.  Since the American SIDS Institute was founded in 1983 the annual number of deaths has decreased over half.  However, there are still about 2300 babies who die of SIDS each year in the US.  Having lost a sweet, innocent nephew to SIDS, I ask that you give what you can so we can eliminate SIDS completely, and make sure another family doesn’t have to endure the same heartache.

You can make a donation here (http://springforsids.org/make_a_donation.php).  We’d be honored if you wanted to post it in Finn’s name.

If you live in NYC or likely in the tri-state area, you know all about Big City Moms.  For those outside this area, an introduction:  Big City Moms is the destination for moms, moms to be and families and the premiere social event group in NYC.  Big City Moms was founded by sisters Risa Goldberg and Leslie Venokur six years ago.

Big City Moms and the Bump Founders

Now with over 30,000 members, an online community and events like seminars, family fun days, mommy and me classes, expectant events held every day, BCM is the place to be all over the city.  Their “flagship” event is the twice- annual Biggest Baby Shower where moms-to-be can meet and greet roughly one hundred national vendors and local service providers in a couple of hours and which boasts of new mommy seminars and most talked about, highly coveted gift bags.  It’s become so popular that it outgrew its original location at the American Girl Place and this was the first time it was held at the Park East Ballroom.

The event draws lots of moms, press and, this year, baby planners!  Several International Baby Planner Association members were there:   Premier Baby Concierge, Sweet Pea Baby Planners, Jamie the Baby Guy, and Bottles to Britches.   While we speak often on conference calls and via emails, it was great to meet face-to-face, an opportunity that is usually reserved for IBPA’s annual meeting at the ABC Kids Show in Vegas!

The seminars were well-attended, the food was great, the gift bags were bursting!  All in all, Big City Moms “delivered!”   It was a pleasure for me to sit in on the “New York City Mom Survival Guide” seminar by the Knot and the Bump founder, Carley Roney, and to meet her afterwards.   There was an excitement in the air; and it was a success for both moms and vendors.  I would definitely suggest this event to all moms-to-be, as well as baby planners and vendors, who are in NYC or can make the trip.

Want to see more? Click here to check out the Big City Moms Biggest Baby Shower April 2010 Video!

Ah, the gift bags!

Sweet Pea NYC and Premier Baby Concierge at BCM

Bump Founder Carely Roney and Shannon Choe (PBC)

Desiree Miller of Bottles to Britches.

Tell us about your most interesting baby planning job.

I helped a grandmother plan a baby shower and it was very eye-opening including these women in their 70’s in the games we play these days.

What qualities should an ideal baby planner have?

An ideal baby planner should be able to listen to the parents needs and make suggestions to help them fill those needs, along with building confidence in their abilities to parent, even if that means reaching out to other professionals in order to do that.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I’m a veteran journalist, specializing in the consumer and medical fields, and write for several publications and web sites, reaching out to my contacts in the industry, ranging from the AAP to ACOG.  It’s this access to the experts that I feel makes me different than other baby planners and more able to get to the heart of what’s happening with parents these days.  I also have four children and know what it’s like to feel like the worst mom on earth and the best mom, too.  Knowing you help is out there is very comforting and something I hope to offer other parents as a baby planner.

What are your specialties as a baby planner?

I have built a network of baby planners around the globe, from my headquarters in Atlanta to a certified fitness instructor in Italy to a shower party specialist in Tennessee.  Each planner brings something special to the profession and we network with each other to help all of our clients.

What is the nicest thing a client has ever said about you/your services/your business?

I had a client say they really appreciated my guidance in a particular product they bought because without my help they would have wasted money on the wrong thing (this was a particular car seat that they could use much longer because of varying weight limits).

How do you stay current on trends in the baby and child industry?

As a journalist, I deal each day with investigating the latest products and trends and it folds over into my role as a baby planner, reviewing products and getting to the bottom of the trends, then sharing them with my clients and readers who follow our newsletters and blogs.

See which industry experts we’ve partnered with: Our Board Members

We are very excited to announce that IBPA has joined forces with some of the best known experts and professionals in the country. Our prominent Trusted Advisory board members are nationally known for their industry knowledge. All have been chosen specifically because of the passion, credibility, background and years of experience they bring to their field. Together, IBPA and our Trusted Advisory Board strive to bring awareness to the baby planning industry and strengthen the credibility of our profession. Our experts also help IBPA to keep up with the latest research as related to their category which in turn always connects us to the best and most current information possible. In turn, having direct access to our expert panel helps our baby planners provide high quality service and up-to-date industry knowledge to help new families globally in areas such as but not limited to maternity, pregnancy, non-toxic baby products, pediatrics, business and marketing.

We are extremely proud of our experts and their partnership with IBPA allowing us to bring you top of the line industry knowledge as baby planning professionals!

A million baby slings made by Infantino are being recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  This follows a warning last week about other slings and positioning for your child.  I’m sharing the entire release sent to us by the CPSC below so please share with parents you know and check your slings now for safety!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC), in cooperation with Infantino LLC, of San Diego, Calif. are announcing a free replacement program for the Infantino “SlingRider” and “Wendy Bellissimo” infant slings. One million of these infant slings are being recalled in the United States and 15,000 are being recalled in Canada. CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using these slings for infants younger than four months of age due to a risk of suffocation and contact Infantino for a free replacement product.

CPSC is aware of three reports of deaths that occurred in these slings in 2009; a 7-week-old infant in Philadelphia, Pa.; a 6-day-old infant in Salem, Ore.; and a 3-month-old infant in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Infantino “SlingRider,” is a soft fabric baby carrier with a padded shoulder strap that is worn by parents and caregivers to carry an infant weighing up to 20 lbs. “Infantino” is printed on the plastic slider located on the strap. “Infantino,” “SlingRider” and the item number are printed on the instruction/warning label inside the baby sling carrier. “Wendy Bellissimo” branded sling carriers were sold exclusively at Babies “R” Us and have a sewn-in label on the inside of the sling strap that says in part “Wendy Bellissimo Media, Inc.” and lists Item numbers 3937500H7 and 3937501H7.

Infantino LLC sold the slings in the United States and Canada from January 2003 through March 2010 at Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies “R” Us, BJ’s Wholesale, various baby and children’s stores and other retailers nationwide, and on the Web at Amazon.com, for between $25 and $30.

The product was manufactured in China and Thailand.

Consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement product, with a choice of a Wrap & Tie infant carrier, or a 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover, or a 3 in 1 Grow & Play Activity Gym. A Jittery Pals Rattle will also be provided. Contact Infantino toll-free at (866) 860-1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.infantino.com

Do not attempt to fix these carriers.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

Note: Health Canada’s press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1001

Follow up:
This announcement follows the March 12, 2010, CPSC warning about sling carriers for babies. Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

CPSC has determined that a mandatory standard is needed for infant sling carriers. While a mandatory standard is being developed, CPSC staff is working with ASTM International and concerned companies such as Infantino to quickly develop an effective voluntary standard for slings. There currently are no safety standards for infant sling carriers.