Pregnant moms, expectant dads, new parents gather for 2019 Babypalooza
Pregnant moms, expectant dads and new parents were aplenty Saturday at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex for the 2019 Birmingham-area Babypalooza.
At least 3,500 people showed up for the baby and maternity expo, said Cecilia Pearson, the founder and CEO of Babypalooza. This is the 14th year for the Birmingham-Hoover area event but its first year to be at the Finley Center.
The expo in recent years has been at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, but with the rebuilding of Interstate 59/20 through downtown Birmingham, organizers this year chose to bring it back to Hoover.
Pearson said she also has lived in Hoover since before people knew where Hoover was and she just wanted to bring it back to her hometown.
The decision turned out well, she said, because the crowd seemed very pleased with the venue.
“It’s awesome,” Pearson said. Attendees loved the free parking, reasonable food prices and ample space to move around, she said.
The expo took up only half of the 83,000-square-foot exhibition area, which Pearson said leaves plenty of room to grow in the future. “If Hoover will have us, we will be back,” she said. “Every single vendor and sponsor wanted it back at the Finley Center.”
The event, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., was primarily geared for first-time pregnant moms and first-time dads, but it is designed to help anyone who is having a baby, taking care of a baby or celebrating the arrival of a baby, Pearson said.
There were 59 vendors taking up booth spaces, most of whom specialized in maternity and baby products or services, including strollers and baby carriers, cribs, baby clothes, nursing products, medical services and mom support groups.
There also were prenatal and postnatal medical seminars put on by Grandview Medical Center, information about setting up a baby registry, a baby shower idea area, an ultrasound tent, an app-based scavenger hunt, online bingo, games and prizes.
Sarah Hewitt, a mother of a 2-year-old and six-month-old from the Ross Bridge community, said she came to the event to see some of the new baby things available.
Danielle Scucchi, a mom from Gardendale who has another child due in 10 days, said she was hoping to get some free products.
Nadia Jones, an expectant mom from Birmingham said one of the most interesting things to her was discovering baby chiropractic services. “I’ve never heard of it,” she said. “I did not know they could get adjustments when they first come out.”
Jacobie Phair, the expectant father who accompanied her, laughed when asked why he came. “I was forced to,” he said.
Minesh and Kriya Patel, a couple from Montgomery who just had their first baby about three months ago, said they drove to Hoover Friday night and stayed in a hotel before coming to the expo.
They wanted to come to get tips about caring for a baby and were especially interested in learning about infant CPR, Minesh Patel said. They also hoped to pick up some freebies, and he thought it was a good idea to get his wife away from home for a little bit.