MommyCon Phoenix Review

I'm sorry for the delay in posting this. MommyCon Phoenix was April 14th, but with all the craziness of the Great Cloth Diaper Change right on it's heels, I didn't have a chance to get this typed up. I'm also going to apologize for the quality of pictures, and overall lack of pictures. I brought my camera to be able to really share the fun with you, but when I went to take my first picture, I realized there was no memory card! (I blame pregnant brain) So I was forced to rely on my "smart"phone which constantly aims to out"smart" me.  Here's a little taste of what you may have missed:

Feeling like the Real Housewives of Phoenix!

With the lovely Krystyna from Sweet Pea Births

Learning about different options for babywearing

All about cloth diapers!

Setting up for soothing infant massage lessons

I know the Phoenix event was labeled a "mini" and to be honest, having not been to another event, I'm not sure what defines a "mini" versus an actual event. I think there was a great variance of information provided as well as a select number of vendors to seek additional information from. As a vendor, I think it was nice to limit booths with similar products/concepts, but as an attendee, I would have liked to have seen more options. Not just from people selling/making certain products, but by other companies and agencies in the area. Especially when dealing with midwives, doctors, doulas, etc. Selecting someone like that is a very personal experience and having a chance to meet with more than one agency would have been great.

Some of the presentations I attended included babywearing, carseat safety, information regarding GMO's, birth choices and healthy pregnancy. I thought it was great having professionals in these areas providing information that I hadn't considered or heard about before. I also think it was great having a babywearing "lounge" where there was an opportunity to try on multiple carriers and learn from babywearing experts how to properly wear your baby. While the presentation on GMO's was informative, I would have liked to have seen a naturopath, herbalist, farmer, or some type of nutritionist present it.  I think there is a lot of information on that particular topic that could be given, and having a professional provide it and supplement with handouts as well as having the the opportunity to followup would have been nice.

Overall, I had a great experience. I think this is a great event if your expecting your first or your fifth child. You are never too "experienced" to learn something new. The speakers were engaging and there were TONS of amazing giveaways. Which, let's be honest, who doesn't love free stuff? :) To me, the information was tailored towards expecting and mothers of infants/toddlers. Perhaps as this event grows having workshops or information for older children (preschool, homeschooling, peaceful parenting/discipline etc) would be a great addition. Also, I left B with Polish Prince for the day, but noticed plenty of little ones roaming around. The play area was a bit small, so I think having little play areas in each of the presentation rooms would be nice so the babies could stay entertained/safe while the parents paid attention to the speaker. Oh, as I type that, these play areas could be "supervised" by local nannies or daycare providers that are open to natural parenting methods (babywearing and cloth diapering etc). Just a thought!

When it comes down to it, if I had the opportunity to go again, I definitely would. If I had the opportunity to go to a "full" event versus a "mini" I would jump. I would love to see the differences between the two. It's a great way to get exposed to what other options are out there for parents and an easy way to gather resources for current and future pregnancies.