Pregnancy Paparazzi:What's up with ultrasound parties?

We’ve had baby showers since before anyone can remember anything else that was done to celebrate an upcoming birth. Next, we ramped it up with Daddy Diaper parties and then it was gender reveal parties. Now the latest…? Live sonogram parties! OVERSHARE!

This has been called, “The latest rage for self-important pregnant women”. It’s no longer good enough to have cake with pink or blue filling or an ultrasound picture to show around to family and friends (if not posted to FaceBook). Now we need a live audience in the room for the actual sonogram? Do we really need to get this intimately involved with the mom-to-be’s pregnancy?

What’s next? The conception achieved reveal where friends gather for the actual pregnancy test so they can get the news the minute the strip turns blue? I completely understand the excitement that surrounds pregnancy and the ultrasound is an intimate milestone of that but why do some people seem to need others to validate their most precious moments?

This also begs another question: what if there’s a problem? This happens more than people realize and today ultrasounds are used to diagnose many disorders and malformations. What do you do/say if it becomes apparent that the fetus has not developed properly or, God forbid, there’s no heartbeat? The difficulty of getting that message would be magnified tremendously by an entire roomful of party goers.

While it’s generally contended that an ultrasound is safe for a baby, medical experts caution against having these parties. The American College of Radiology and the Food and Drug Administration discourage having ultrasounds purely for entertainment and not for medical reasons.

If you’re still not detracted from having one of these “baby bump” parties, it’ll set you back about $200-600 depending on who you get to come to your private home. That would buy an awful lot of diapers! These services are popping up all over the U.S. Many sonographers have package deals where they bring and set-up the examination table, imaging equipment and screens for viewing at the party.

Is this the time for a party atmosphere? “Need another drink?”, “Try the canapés” and “Oh, How did you like my uterus?” Is nothing private anymore? Some things should still be intimate so thanks, but no thanks, I’d rather not be invited to your sonogram!

(BTW: the sonogram pic above is Beyonce's, just shared with HBO recently. Didn't you recognize Blue Ivy?)

{If you find yourself invited to a bump party or a traditional baby shower, might I suggest a http://www.WickedCoolBaby.com gift set or garment as a gift? Our designs are funny, cool and perfect for giving something adorable to the Mom-to-be!}

Election 2012 - Wicked Cool Baby Style

Now that the election is over, we can go back to life without all the political ads. Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, the months leading up to Nov 6 are taxing on everyone (pun intended). Even though the littlest “constituents” don’t really know what’s going on and they won’t be able to vote for years, judging from their little faces, they were OVER it!


Incidentally, the practice of “baby kissing” is believed to have started back in the time of Andrew Jackson and has survived, even flourished, through elections as a time honored way to get out the vote and gain public (women’s especially) support trying to get out a positive image. Today, it’s almost a superstition although there’s no case as to whether it helps or hinders.

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis act out this humorous version of the cliché in this scene from a recent movie “The Campaign”, http://youtu.be/QKbziodzimo

As for Obama and Romney, they were both reported as being fairly ill-at-ease while holding infants and likely to hand the child back like “a grenade with the pin pulled out”.

So how about you? Does kissing babies make the candidates any more appealing or charismatic to you?

Halloween 2012 - No Tricks, only Treats!

Your kids will never know how different Halloween is for them than it was for us. Hours out by ourselves and our parents never worried. Did you take the pillowcase off your bed? Yeah, me too. Even though Halloween is different now, new traditions have started and we can still keep children safe while letting them enjoy the fun of dressing up and those wonderful treats.

Here are some tips on keeping your little ones safe:

1. Make sure costumes are the correct size, not dragging the ground. Masks should be easy to breathe in and see where they’re going. Accessories not to bulky, sharp or dangerous should the child fall. Light costumes are better and to make your child easier to see, they can carry a flashlight or wear glow sticks around their neck.

2. Keep the kids in groups and stay on the sidewalks. Always cross streets on the crosswalks and walked on blocks facing the traffic.

3. Have a plan before you leave the house and make sure you take a cell phone.

4. If your child is trick or treating accompanied by another adult, make sure they know who is in charge and are comfortable with the person. For younger children, the adult should accompany the child up to the door.

5. Teach children to stay in well lit areas, don’t take shortcuts, and only enter homes with your prior permission. Tell them never to approach a vehicle even if it looks empty and stay with the group.

6. Tell your kids if anyone tries to grab them, do everything, scream, kick and yell “This person is trying to take me!” or “This is not my Mother/Father!” to draw attention to themselves.

7. Consider attending home or organized community parties as a good alternative to trick or treating.

8. Always check your kids treats before they eat them. Throw away any candy not in its original wrapper or pieces that look like they’ve been opened or tampered with.

A little common sense goes a long way. Plan out your route and stay out of unfamiliar areas or dark alleys and parking lots. Have a fun safe Halloween!