The Bump, Baby & Beyond Expo was bigger than ever this year!

 

The Bump, Baby & Beyond Expo was held at the Whitecourt Community Centre on October 14 and, after a strong first year in 2016, organizers were looking to continue the momentum for its second year. With more exhibitors filling the space and tons more attendees, the committee certainly delivered.

“This year has been outstanding. We had 40 vendors which is more than double last year, and last year we had a total of 200 people come by whereas this year we had 200 people through the doors by lunchtime,” said Brigette Moore, Chair of the Expo Organizing Committee.

“Most of our vendors are local meaning Whitecourt, Fox Creek, Edson, Barrhead, Mayerthorpe, and Blue Ridge areas. Anyone who is taking part that isn’t local is here because our area didn’t offer the services or products they had. We are also market-specific with our vendors. This was for pregnant woman to parents with children aged 0 to 5, so if their product or service didn’t fit that, then we didn’t allow them here.”

Throughout the day there were several different presentations including baby wearing, proper use of car seats, face painting, RCMP family safety, furry friends to hug, and baby massages. With lunch also available, the expo was a one-stop shop for parents and their children.

“I love this event because if you are new to Whitecourt or are a first-time parent, and even if you’ve lived in Whitecourt your whole life, when you become a parent your world entirely changes and the services and products you need are different, and you might not know where they are. This event brings everyone together so that people can just come here and be stress-free, enjoy lunch, and learn all sorts of new things,” explained Brigette.

Rebecca Bulmer-Schamehorn is a registered technician with the Child Passenger Safety Association of Canada and spent her time at the expo showing parents how to properly use car seats. She said parents usually feel their seats are installed correctly. “Three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly so we see a lot of misuse. Most people who have come by have learned something new or have taken something away from this.” Anyone interested in having their seats checked can call 780-268-8167.

The McLeod River Primary Care Network also had a booth set up with two of its LPN obstetrics nurses on hand to answer any questions. Leeann Larsen and Holly Payne were also introducing the Baby Box program which is a safe sleep space for babies up to six months of age or until they can roll over independently or pull themselves to sitting.

“It includes a mattress with a breathable mattress cover and some diapers and coupons. The main point of the program is to get women to do the educational portion online then when they complete that portion they get a certificate of completion which they then take to the PCN office where they will get their box free of charge,” said Leeann.

If you would like more information on the vendors and exhibitors that were at the 2017 Bump, Baby & Beyond Expo visit its Facebook page.