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Melvin Thompson of Chelsea, Alabama, goes to collect a stroller he won in a bingo game at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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People gather for a giveaway at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Christian Montgomery, a birth doula and childbirth educator with Di Nixi Doula, talks about cloth diapers at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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At least 3,500 people attended the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019, organizers said.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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At least 3,500 people attended the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019, organizers said.
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People listen during a seminar at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Expectant mom share their due dates in the game area at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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People listen during a seminar at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Savanna Scucchi of Gardendale, Alabama, talks a selfie with her mother, Danielle Scucchi, in the baby shower idea area at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Savanna Scucchi of Gardendale, Alabama, shows her mother, Danielle Scucchi, a selfie she made of the two of them in the baby shower idea area at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Dr. Emily Craner, center, talks about the labor and delivery team at Grandview Medical Center during a seminar at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019. At left is Dr. Stevie Bennett, a new physician at Grandview.
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People listen during a medical seminar put on by Grandview Medial Center at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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This mat was on the floor at the Zumbini booth at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019. Zumbini is designed to help mothers and babies bond with movement and music.
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Bridgette Markley of Chelsea, Alabama, who is expecting a child in November, looks at baby clothes with her mother-in-law, Jan Markley, at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Jenny McCallum, at left, explains to Candace Taylor of Trussville, Alabama, how to use the baby carrier she is modeling at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Kids dance to music at the Zumbini booth at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019. Zumbini is designed to help mothers and young children bond with movement and music. Sharon Powers (sitting down) pats her hands to the beat, while Kayn Ephraim (center) and Ezra Ephraim (right) of Pleasant Grove, Alabama, dance with Arlana Huey of Piedmont, Alabama (in back in orange).
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Pam Blackwell of the Mt. Olive community looks at children's books at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Courtney Reese of Birmingham, Alabama, looks at information about a diaper bank at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019. Reese was there with her sister, who is expecting a baby.
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Melving and Tiffany Thompson of Chelsea, Alabama, won this stroller during a bingo game at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Ashley and Derrick Barber of Homewood, Alabama, look at strollers at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Kelly McLaughlin, a registered nurse and newborn care consultant, talks with new parents Minesh and Kriya Patel of Montgomery, Alabama, at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019. The Patels' baby, Shyam is 3.5 months old.
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People check out the baby shower, birthday and diaper bank areas at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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This onesie was on sale at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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Sarah Hewitt of the Ross Bridge community in Hoover, Alabama, with her 2-year-old Caroline on her back, talks with representatives for the Purohit Pediatric Clinic at the Babypalooza baby and maternity expo at the Finley Center at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019.
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.
