Baby In The Making: Trends For 2009

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By mia bolaris-forget

Every New Year also brings new hope. And, for new moms and dads, it also brings out some new and exciting trends.

Here is some of what you can expect in 2009:

· Style and Sophistication For Baby: Instead of pastel coloured nurseries, modern moms and dads will make their baby’s room infant friendly, but will keep with their tastes and with the overall décor of the house. Nurseries promise to be more practical and easy to transition from one age or phase to the next.

· Following the lead of the “First Family”: 2009 seems to be a year of “firsts”, especially for Americans and first time moms and dads. In fact, many first time parents will be taken their ques right from the White House.

· Creative homemade cooking makes a comeback: More and more families will be eating at home, and not just frozen foods or take out. In fact, families can expect family meals, with more healthy ingredients to dominate our tables and kitchens in full force.

· Nature loving nurturers and nuturing: Instead of taking the family to an exotic theme park or exotic destination locations, more families will look right at their own backyards or local parks for vacation opportunities. National Parks with lots of natural wonders and a relatively low cost of admission are expected to peak in popularity.

· More natural nurturing: Rather than looking to pills as a cure-all for all that ails us and our kids, parents are expected to go back to basics, and look toward natural (and generally safer), remedies (such as chicken soup) for common colds and other common ailments.

· Hands on “home-schooling”: From staying home and waiting longer to send little ones in an overcrowded school environment to home-schooling older kids or a combination of home school and conventional schooling, parents will take a more active role and interest in their child’s or children’s learning experience, education, and future. Plus, it will give many parents the freedom to choose what their kids are exposed to.

· A more practical and relaxed approach to breast feeding: In the past women whose baby was not taking to breastfeeding were discouraged from being “persistent” and were instead told to opt for formula as a standard form of feeding. Today, moms can expect to be encouraged to pump and feed if that what works best for them and their babies. And, it’s a method that won’t offend anyone in public either.

· Chic Showers: Rather than making the baby shower all about the baby, today’s moms and dad’s to be can look forward to a sophisticated soiree that’s also about the two of them, and can be centered around a more mature and enjoyable theme, including some very fancy and fabulous non-alcoholic, but equally enjoyable drinks.

· Nutrition gets “reel”: Doctors and experts alike will be more encouraging to those trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding when it comes to eating fish. While mercury levels remain a “concern”, it’s also one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and varieties such as tuna and salmon should be consumed twice a week. Otherwise a supplement should be taken instead. In fact, some studies suggest that more fish intake by moms results in greater child neuro-cognitive development.

· Facebook frenzy: With less time to literally socialize in person or with family and friends who live far away, moms and dads can be expected to connect with others, get information and advice, and update them on their child or children’s progress via the Internet via venues like Facebook to be exact.

· The “classics” make a comeback: Expect to see parents giving their babies more traditional, iconic names that have history, meaning and significance.

· Frugal Fabulousness heads front and center for moms-to-be: Less is more, at least when it comes to spending (less), becomes the modern for new moms and moms to be who maintain mature, marvelous, mommy-style without breaking the bank. Most will keep in mind that they won’t be in maternity wear or post-maternity wear forever, so they’ll want to make sure they shop “old-school” style, looking for the best bargains for the burgeoning baby belly and beyond.

· It’s a jungle out there: More and more nurseries will have a “jungle theme” and elephants will play the largest part in kiddie décor.