REVIEW of EVENT: MommyCon Chicago, February 2015

MommyCon Chicago February 2015

This is an exciting event. Geared more toward the first time parent(s) with young children, this event still offers a lot for babywearers, cloth diaper junkies, breastfeeders, and parents of babies and toddlers in general.

Hubby, Baby, and I went to Chicago the day before and stayed at the Hilton attached to the convention center. The weather was treacherous. It was snowing and at some point the drive had white outs and black ice all over the roads.

My biggest concern, other than traveling and spending money, was my baby. Our darling little man was just 1 year old when we went... older than many, and younger than many of the kiddos at MommyCon! We weren't too concerned about feeding baby... between breastfeeding and babywearing, we thought that naps were going to be okay as well. Turns out, 2015's MommyCon had a nursing moms room! We got to try some of the brand new nursing pillows from Beco, as well. They had a pumping area, couches, and a quite place to nurse.

(RECOMMENDATION to MOMMYCON: Make Chicago MommyCon during a warmer month, April through October, please, where driving and travel from states away is not treacherous.)

I was able to attend the Cotton Babies VIP talk with Jennifer Labit, and the Babywearing VIP on Friday.  Jennifer Labit (pronounced Luh-BEE, NOT Labit like Rabbit...) was very motivation. We learned how and why she started the company as a broke Mom. She taught us numerous great things. The VIP package from her was very nice. The headband, in particular, meant a lot to me... every mom should be able to feel beautiful, even in sweatpants and on her worst day, even with a screaming baby... the headband. The Babywearing VIP was good. They tried to make it fun by doing a game and stuff, but I just wanted my carrier... ;-)  It was a very great deal.  (In order to get these VIP tickets ahead of time, it was a cut-throat, watch the clock, and stalk them more than you'd stalk a wrap conversion Tula... My hubby and I were both on computers and only I was able to score tickets. Be logged in ahead of time, know your paypal login, and be ready the second they tell you they will be available for purchase.)

(RECOMMENDATION to MOMMYCON: For VIP Babywearing, It would have been nice if they would have had a demo on babywearing with certified teachers-- as there were lots of first time babywearers and some pregnant moms there who could have benefited greatly from good knowledge, including the importance of an insert for the moms with newborns/soon-to-be-newborns. Some Moms also just got henna done, and then having them do the game meant that they got henna on their brand new carrier...)

We had a great, local dinner and had a wonderful evening in the hotel after the VIP events.

In the morning of MommyCon, when there is open time for shopping, DO IT. All day had non-stop, scheduled events going-- which you paid for and you don't want to miss!  Once the scheduled events start, you won't have a lot of shopping time unless you sacrifice discussions, etc.

(RECOMMENDATION to MOMMYCON: Give a little more open time for shopping!)

We started off the morning checking out everything, but still could have used more time!

We were very excited for the Cloth Diapering talk, and learned a lot. When asked about cleaning diapers, Jenn was very clear; "This is the dirtiest laundry you will ever wash; it is poop and pee. Make sure you are using good soap and make sure you are using enough of it." Following this discussion was also the secret release of a new Cotton Babies, Limited Edition diaper!

(RECOMMENDATION to MOMMYCON: When allowing Cotton Babies to release a limited edition diaper at Con, every person in attendance should be able to get one unit of the release; not 5 or 10, one per person. Standing in line for as long as we did, just to be told that you were "sold out" of Alicia, was sad to a lot of us. I am glad that you seemingly changed this, and allowed a pre-order to ticket holders, to help out those in attendance, and Cotton Babies.)

I was super excited to see the Leaky Boob discussion! Breastfeeding is super empowering and very challenging for those who are able to do it.

Nursing in Public with the Badass Breastfeeder was very good to hear about. The first time you do it you feel like everyone is staring at you. Honestly though, you have to say, 'so what', and feed your hungry baby. It gets easier each time you do it! Every time you are able to breastfeed in public, you are making it easier for every, single mother and baby that comes after you. We need to continue fighting for normalization of breastfeeding.

Car Seat Safety talk with the Baby Guy was hilarious and educational. During the shopping time in the hall, we got to talk to the Baby Guy! It was our first time getting to meet Jamie. Our son's name is James (Jamie), so it was funny! My hubby was dressed as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and was wearing our son in a back carry, in our Onya, with a Ninja Turtle shell on the back. Jamie LOVED it! He even asked me to hold his phone and take a picture of him and the hubbs and baby! That was a hoot. Hubby felt like a celebrity!  Jamie was very knowledgeable and fun to speak with. He gave us some really great advice on car seats.

Check out Hubby, Baby, and The BabyGuy NYC!  Ninja Turtle Daddy, for the win!!



The Sleep Studies were a little confusing this year. There were sign-ups required, and then almost NO ONE showed up for their scheduled time!  It was sad. The sign-up was rough, as when it was released by MommyCon, the sign-up tool was screwed up and could be edited by everyone... so some people were stealing other people's slots... Naughty mommas!!  The wonderful Rebecca Michi offered to let anyone who wanted to sit-in for the time slots, but unless you signed up, you couldn't ask questions... Then, people didn't show up anyway!  (Grrrr....)  Rebecca Michi is very smart.  One piece of advice from her that benefited me greatly was the 2-3-4 method; first nap 2 hours after waking up, then 3 hours after that for the next nap, and then bedtime only after baby has been awake for 4 hours. For more information on her sleep techniques, please check out her website!
http://rebeccamichi.com/quick-guide-michi-method/

OVERALL REVIEW: MommyCon was fun! We learned a lot. It had a huge variation in discussions available. The shopping was fun. There were lots of things to look at and do. With our one year old in tow, it was still super exciting. We met some wonderful, crunchy celebrities.  Who is it the best for: Anyone with a baby... or anyone expecting.. especially with their first baby. However, there are lots of fun things for everyone.

If you breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, are interested in carseat information, baby items, or a few of the latest and greatest baby gadgets, you will have a blast here.

ADVICE: Bring your own food and water(bottle) to Con. The small selection was pricey, as it often is at Cons. I brought a wheelie suit case/back pack to keep all of our swag and shopping purchases in! It really helped us out! We had 2 adults, a Mommy and Daddy, so we had a crossbody bag for the diaper bag, backpack, babywearing, and wheelie luggage!  It worked well!!


Thank you to the Chicago Family Doulas for this wonderful, FREE photobooth!
What a fun thing to offer, and great advertising for you!

http://mommy-con.com/mommycon-chicago-2015-schedule-is-revealed/ 


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