December 28, 2009

BPA-free bottles and pacifiers, flushable, eco-friendly diapers, drop-side crib bans, non-toxic teethers... the list of accouterments required, details to be sorted, and recalls to be heeded for one tiny newborn baby are enough to make any new parent's head spin with endless question marks -- especially if those parents are trying to juggle a career and parenting at the same time.  And of course, since necessity is the mother of invention, new businesses are breeding in this new climate: baby planners offer new parents and parents-to-be a solution to all of their confusion and a speedy delivery to peace of mind.

Brides-to-be hire wedding planners to oversee and arrange every detail of their big day, so using this logic, it makes a lot of sense to hire a baby planner to usher a new life into the world. Given the amount of conflicting information and variables parents-to-be must ingest and navigate, in a market that is saturated with way too many choices: strollers, car seats, high chairs, baby gates, breast pumps, baby monitors -- calling upon an expert to consult on life-changing decisions is vitally useful for some -- especially for busy professionals who lack the time to do their own sleuthing.

Decades ago, new moms (most of whom were not working) could rely upon their own mothers, sisters and aunts to help raise their children with the 'village' mentality. But today, families migrate away from each other, across the country, or even the globe, and often don't have the same connection when it comes to child-rearing with a knowledgeable support system in place.  Not to mention the growing movement of working mothers has sapped time away from new moms and moms-to-be.  Bleary-eyed new parents who have time to search the internet for their own answers typically 'Google' the heck out of everything, and search Amazon for rave reviews on baby gear they otherwise know nothing about -- but baby planners offer hassle-free transitions, taking the guesswork and research off a new parent's mind so they can focus on the joy and emotion of having a child.

Melissa Moog, president of the National Baby Planner Association, and founder of Itsabelly Baby Planners, was quoted in a recent article on MSNBC.com stating that the goal of baby planners is "to basically reduce the overwhelming feelings of stress and save time so you can spend quality time on what matters to you... if what's important to you is going to birthing classes instead of doing research on car seats, I can do that for you." Sweet Pea baby planners goes beyond the infant stage offering services such as finding the perfect preschool for your tot; and The Baby Planners will plan baby showers, get you certified in infant CPR, green your nursery and even find you a dog walker.

Senior editor of Parenting magazine Christina Vercelletto offers with regard to hiring a baby planner, "Especially in this economy, this is a luxury service. If this is something you feel is going to put a strain on your budget, absolutely there's no reason to feel it's a must do." Still, we think this is an idea that will only grow in appeal as more and more young parents try to balance careers and babies, and increasing numbers new families start without the support system of extended family close by.  Considering current demographic trends, this industry looks poised to grow quickly.