Advice, Apps and Authors Aplenty at Brooklyn Baby Expo

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many pregnant women, many with the baby’s father at their side, in one place before I attended the second annual Brooklyn Baby Expo this past Sunday.

That’s a good thing for sponsor, A Child Grows in Brooklyn, which put on an excellent and useful event featuring seminars, many giveaways and lots of information for new and expecting parents.

Here’s some highlights:

• Anna Merrill, co-director of Birth Day Presence, spoke to a packed room about prenatal care. After, Merrill told me first-time dads often feel intimidated by the hospital, doctors and nurses. However, even when labor begins and the doctors take over, the dad is still the expert on mom’s non-medical needs. Dads should be confident in themselves and keep it simple. Even if all you do is hold her hand and whisper soothingly in her ear, that’s perfect.
• Jamie Grayson, known as New York City’s Baby Guy, gave couples rapid-fire advice on the best gear for children – what’s essential and what to avoid. He advised to invest in: a stroller, a car seat, a baby carrier, a breast pump, a mattress and diapers. His favorite diapers are Honest brand because they lack petro-chemicals and absorb well. If you go with cloth diapers, he suggested buying a couple of diapers every month during pregnancy to offset several hundred dollars after the baby comes.
• Software developer Jocelyn Leavitt and a panel of tech-savvy entrepreneurs discussed gadgets to make life easier for new parents. Favorites included the Smart Monitor by Withings. It takes advantage of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad’s screen resolution to present an outstanding picture of your child. It even tracks room temperature while he or she sleeps. Another popular technology discussed was UrbanSitter, an app that helps parents who need a sitter on the fly. You can book a sitter on the go, instantly call him or her at the touch of a button and even confirm credit card payments.
• Writer Drew Magary, of Deadspin/Gawker/GQ fame, signed copies of his humorous new book Someone Could Get Hurt: A Memoir of Twenty-First-Century Parenthood. He told me his friends and colleagues had been pushing him to do a parody so this was his first foray into the genre. Stay tuned for a book review of Someone Could Get Hurt: A Memoir of Twenty-First-Century Parenthood as well as a full interview with Drew Magary coming soon.