Vancouver's Largest Baby Shower

If you live in the Vancouver area and are expecting a new addition, this is an event you should check out.

Westcoast Moms' is proud to host Vancouver's Largest Baby Shower exclusive to prenatal moms in and around Vanouver. Our shows provide the opportunity for expectant mothers and their partners to:

• engage with various health care experts
• receive information on products and services
• obtain community information
• view product displays and demonstrations
• hear guest speakers

First 100 attendees receive a diaper bag full of goodies valued at over $50.00! There will be over $500 in door prize draws and partial proceeds from this event go to help support The Pacific Post Partum Society of Vancouver.

Vancouver Largest Baby Shower
Sunday, January 27th, 2008
Heritage Hall, Main Street, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver
12:00pm-4:00pm

Telephone Registration: Please call Jenneil at 604-985-8513 or Lara at 604-908-8835

Or visit Westcoastmoms.ca to register online

Children's Jewelery as a Keepsake

If you have visited a children's boutique recently you have probably seen some beautiful children's jewelery. Most moms admire and enjoy jewelery for their tots but some of you might wonder if you should spend the money on quality jewelery for little ones. In my opinion, it is definitely worth the investment. If you take the time to select a special bracelet and your child wears it often it becomes a keepsake, something you can treasure for years and maybe even pass on to your grandchildren. My advice, buy less pieces if you have to, but invest in something that will last.

Some things to look for in quality jewelery:

Is the bracelet strung on 49-strand stainless steel wire (this is the strongest wire available)?

Is the jewellery made of non-toxic materials?
Are you getting what you pay for? e.g. are the pearls genuine? is the crystal genuine Swarovski? is the clasp sterling silver?

If you have any more jewelery questions, please contact Ami Krahn of Darling Bijou Jewelery at 604-855-2055. You can also check out Ami's children's jewelery line at www.darlingbijou.com

The Benefits of Home Birth

Home, Sweet Home

You've probably heard this message before, but it's worth repeating: Having a baby at home with a registered midwife in attendance is safe for mothers and babies. A new study reported in the British Medical Journal looked at the outcomes of over 5,000 planned home births of low-risk women in Canada and the US and compared them to outcomes for low-risk hospital births. Among the home births, less than 13 percent of the mothers and newborns required transfer to hospital. Rates of intervention were significantly lower among the planned home births than the hospital births: 9.6 percent were induced; 4.7 percent had an epidural; 2.1 percent had an episiotomy; and 3.7 percent had a cesarean. Women who had their babies at home reported a "high degree of satisfaction" with their birth experience.

For more information on home birthing contact our resident home and water birth expert Nicole Colibaba of With Child Birthing and Parenting Services.

Ignite Your Girl Power With Some Good Reads

If you are like most Moms I know (myself included), when you finally get a chance to curl up with a book you probably choose a book about parenting, discipline, or maybe even relationships? If you are a working Mom you might even be squeezing in books about business.

As we go into the new year, I am committing myself to spend some time reading stories about powerful and inspiring women. Why not join me in reading something that puts you back in touch with your own girl power?

Here are some of the books I am going to try out. If you've read something that inspired you lately, please leave us a post.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, Azar Nafisi
Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a remarkable exploration of resilience in the face of tyranny and a celebration of the liberating power of literature.
Letters to My Daughters, Mary MatalinIn Letters to My Daughters, famed political consultant and TV personality Mary Matalin shares the moral, ethical, and occasionally comic life lessons gleaned from her mother's experiences and her own.

The Hip Mama Survival Guide, Ariel Gore
A witty & wise guide for mothers who don't fit the June Cleaver stereotype. Alternative parents of all sorts will find comfort, advice, & a few chuckles from this book which covers everything from why baby clothes don't come in black to nursing after nipple piercing. Both practical & entertaining.

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her, Melanie Rehak

In Girl Sleuth, Melanie Rehak weaves a history of Nancy Drew and her creators, all of whom inspired generations of girls to be as strong-willed as they were.

Raj Thandhi, owner of Concept 9 Accessories, uses her design experience to create fashionable and trendy accessories for new moms and babies.