14 minute read
The Parenting Biz: Bringing Baby Home
How To Get Your House In Order For A New Baby
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Coming back from the hospital with a newborn means having a whole new set of responsibilities at home.
Even though newborns spend most of their time in their crib, rather than crawling around the house, they may still be exposed to many potential risks.
According to SafeHome.org’s 2022 Annual Childproofing Report, four out of 10 parents believed a child’s injury could have been avoided had they taken proper child proofing precautions in and around the home.
SafeHome.org shares the following tips on how to keep your newborn’s environment comfortable and safe from hazards . . .
Have a Safe Crib Area: Keep the area around your baby’s crib clear of heavy objects, artwork, or mobile objects that could potentially fall on your child and cause an injury.
Keep Diapers Out of Reach: If you use disposable diapers, make sure to properly cover them with your baby’s clothing. If your child can reach and pick at the diaper, they could suffocate if they tear off pieces of the plastic liner and swallow them.
Install Smoke Detectors: Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in or near your baby’s room so you can be aware of any hazards in the nursery.
Beware of Unintentional Suffocation:
While every parent wants their baby to feel warm and cozy in their sleep — large blankets, pillows and stuffed animals may present suffocation and strangulation hazards. Use smaller blankets instead or add one layer of clothing to your baby for bedtime.
You can read the report at: SafeHome.org/ family-safety/home-childproofing-report and also at the end of this story see more tips on baby proofing your home.
While all of this may seem overwhelming to new parents, we have your back!
Teresinha Medeiros, Communications Coordinator for Windsor Regional Hospital, informs Biz X that from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, the hospital assisted in the delivery of 3,463 babies.
With thousands of babies being born each year our April home theme edition is the ideal time to introduce expectant parents to local business owners who can help take care of all the must have items their newborn baby needs.
Windsor’s 2022 new year’s baby, Olivia Grace, is pictured with mom Julia Tolmie and dad Sam Poole. Olivia Grace was born at the Met campus of Windsor Regional Hospital on January 1 at 1:13 a.m. Now comes the fun part for all parents . . . bringing the baby home from the hospital to her/his new home. Photo courtesy of Teresinha Medeiros/WRH.
Outfit Your Sweet Little Lambs At Three Lambs Registry & Baby Boutique
Opened in 2015, Three Lambs Registry & Baby Boutique Inc. offers a wide selection of high-quality baby gear, including the best in nursery and décor, strollers, car seats, feeding, teething supplies, bathing products, baby clothes, toys, books, keepsakes and more!
Jeanine Jodoin, President, CEO and Owner of Three Lambs Registry & Baby Boutique Inc., has plenty of experience shopping for and using pre-natal and post-natal products for herself and her five kids.
“I know what works and what doesn’t, and which quality products stand the test of time,” Jodoin expresses. “With this knowledge I’m able to provide the ultimate baby-registry experience.”
Located at 13444 Tecumseh Road East in the St. Clair Beach Plaza (Manning Road and Tecumseh Road East), Three Lambs Registry & Baby Boutique offers a unique concierge-type registry service that helps parents, and their families, find the perfect products and brands to suit their lifestyle.
Jeanine Jodoin (left), President, CEO and Owner of Three Lambs Registry & Baby Boutique in Tecumseh shows mother-to-be Shelby Renaud the perfect nursery room furniture for when her baby boy is born in July. In the showroom photographed is a Babyletto Lolly 3-in-1 Crib, Babyletto Mini Crib, Monte Designs Grazia Glider (chair on left), Dutailier Classico Glider/ Recliner (chair on right), Lorena Canals Washable Rugs and wall décor items. Photo by Rod Denis.
Their friendly and knowledgeable staff of 12 will guide you in selecting trusted brands, while helping you discover new and innovative products.
“I am strongly committed to creating an environment where parents feel supported and empowered with tools and knowledge,” Jodoin says. “My business has succeeded and grown because I listen to customers and work to fill their needs with amazing baby products in a fabulous setting. I’m proud to say we have everything parents and their caregivers need to prepare for their new bundles of joy.”
For example, their furniture selection, for nurseries and big kids’ room needs includes: armoires, chifforobes, wardrobes, cribs, mini-cribs, bassinets, cradles, toddler beds, bunk beds and more. They also have dressers, change tables, vanities, desks, bookshelves, nightstands, gliders, recliners, rockers, and bouncer chairs.
For more information on all their products and how to create your own registry, visit: ThreeLambs.ca.
Say Hello To . . . Rock-A-Bye Baby Boutique
After the birth of her first of two daughters, Kaitlyn Nussio, Owner of Rock-A-Bye Baby Boutique, quickly realized there weren’t
Kaitlyn Nussio, Owner of Rock-A-Bye Baby Boutique poses by a display of crib sheets, swaddle blankets, change covers and related products, from brands such as LouLou Lollipop, Mebie Baby, Lulujo, Little Unicorn, The OVer Company, and Copper Pearl. She is holding a Cuddle + Kind doll, Eloise the Elephant. For every Cuddle + Kind doll sold, 10 meals are provided through the United Nations Food Program to children in need. Photo courtesy of Sandra Brush. many options in the county for baby products.
“I opened my business in March 2019, after being off for a year on maternity leave with my first born,” Nussio says. “After having my daughter, I quickly found that there were no options, in my neck of the woods, for baby products. This gave me an idea and I quickly had a plan in place that I knew would benefit so many people in my hometown and surrounding area.”
Before opening Rock-A-Bye Baby Boutique, Nussio graduated college with a Personal Support Worker certificate (PSW) and was employed in the health care industry for several years. She then switched careers and started working in human resources, before getting pregnant and going on maternity leave.
What does she feel is her key to success?
“I have been fortunate enough to have children of my own, so I have the opportunity to use all the products I sell, first hand,” says Nussio. “This gives me the ability to give customers my personal feedback and honest opinions about all my products.”
Located at 48 Talbot Street North in Essex, Rock-A-Bye Baby Boutique offers a variety of baby goods and clothes along with strollers, car seats, nursery essentials, bathing/grooming products, feeding/teething products, diaper bags/travel products, safety gates, activity gyms and more.
“We offer a registry service that is available in-store and on our website,” explains Nussio. “This gives customers the ability to easily access registries online and be able to purchase gift items from home; also, the ability for customers to come visit the store and shop in person.”
Their registry program offers a oneon-one consultation in-store, where the registrant and staff of two meet and walk around together to create a registry that best suits the registrants’ wants and needs.
To find, create or manage a gift registry, and also see some of the products Nussio sells, go to: RockAByeBabyBoutique.ca.
Make Your Baby The Envy Of The Neighbourhood With Baby Envy Boutique
Located in Windsor at 1645 Wyandotte Street East, Baby Envy Boutique carries a plethora of baby equipment, including strollers, toys, clothing, accessories, health and wellness items, and products for first time moms.
They also carry some customized and personalized gadgets for your children that are made by local artists in the area.
“Back in 2018, I noticed there weren’t many businesses that catered to this market,” recounts Phong Nguyen, Owner of Baby Envy Boutique. “I realized that opportunity, and in July that year I opened Baby Envy Boutique.”
Before expanding into merchandise for babies and parents, Nguyen has operated Envy Boutique, a trendy women’s clothing shop, for more than 10 years.
The two businesses are accessible from one entrance and share retail space.
“People that are coming to Baby Envy Boutique should expect the same level of quality in customer service as they would get at Envy Boutique,” says Nguyen. “Our staff of four pays close attention to detail and gives customers peace of mind regarding the quality of the products they are purchasing for their little ones.”
With the pandemic hitting small businesses especially hard, those catering to parents and the baby market are lucky that one thing never changes. New babies will always be coming into the world and requiring certain necessities sold at shops like Baby Envy Boutique.
“I’m excited about the restrictions lifting and more people having baby showers, gender reveal parties and birthday parties to celebrate their newborns,” Nguyen comments. “But, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our amazing and loyal customers who kept us going during the stressful time of the pandemic; the local support is greatly appreciated and welcomed as we continue to deliver all your baby essentials.”
Call or email to start a registry, or do it yourself on: BabyEnvyBoutique.com.
Phong Nguyen, Owner of Baby Envy Boutique, snaps a quick selfie in his shop located at 1645 Wyandotte Street East in the Walkerville area.
Get Great Deals at Cradle & All Consignment And Retail
Opened in March 2018 to help families of all incomes with buying and selling children’s items, Cradle & All Consignment and Retail — 1395 Tecumseh Road East, Unit B in Windsor — sells gently-used items, such as clothing from newborn to adult, along with new-in-box, with-tag items, toys, books and plenty of handmade items from local artists.
“The business began with us participating
Tracey Garant, Owner of Cradle & All Consignment and Retail, takes some time off from running her business to spend it with her granddaughter Peyton. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Daoust.
in weekend craft shows and selling our goods, before we eventually needed our own concrete space,” Tracey Garant, Owner of Cradle & All Consignment and Retail points out. “Our goods and many other local artists’ goods, are still present in our store along with tons of children’s and adult items.”
Garant tells Biz X her passion to the job comes from helping others, while also getting them a great deal, which is perfect for new moms and dads on a budget!
“Not only are we helping the buyers with their new (to them) finds, we are also helping the seller get rid of their items for cash or store credit,” she says. “Customers should know that we are there to help everyone! We may not have exactly what you’re looking for, but we are willing to reach out to our sellers, or even the other consignment stores to see if they have what you need.”
Cradle & All is family oriented in every sense of the word.
“I have three children and seven grandchildren,” Garant indicates. “You’ll often find my daughter and granddaughter also at the store, and sometimes even my sister and niece. My kids and grandkids have helped non-stop with keeping up with the fashions and spreading the word about the store.”
The shop’s inventory changes daily, so to see photos of what’s in stock, check: Facebook.com/cradleandallconsignment.
Warm Up To A Belamour Blanket
The Belamour Collection is a product line of high-quality, warm, comfortable baby blankets with modern and classic styles to complement any nursery theme.
“When I started my blanket business in 2010, it was more of a hobby than a business,” recalls Paula Seguin, Founder and
Paula Seguin, Founder and Designer of The Belamour Collection is pleased her customers love her luxurious blankets as they value the look, feel and comfort they bring to a child’s experience. It is also a fond memory as he/she gets older as it is a blanket they can cherish forever. Photo courtesy of Heike Delmore Photography.
Designer of The Belamour Collection and mother of three. “My intention was to find a way to not only bring comfort to my own children, but to bring comfort to other children as well.”
Seguin’s blankets quickly began to garner attention from local baby stores and other moms, which is when she decided to go into business.
“I feel very fortunate to have grown a brand that is enjoyed locally and by many babies across the world,” she states. “I have appreciated all the support I have had through the years of my small business.”
Seguin, who studied Fashion Design at the International Academy of Design, was inspired by her own mom to start a business.
“One of the things she would tell me is that my blankets should have a secret ingredient in them,” Seguin says. “When my mom passed away in 2015, I started the process to rebrand the blankets under the name Belamour –— which means ‘one who is loved.’ It was the perfect name to use to continue to be inspired by the love that goes into each blanket.”
The collection has many choices for girls, boys and neutral blankets as well, such as: English Rose, Water Colour Waves, Sweetpea, Sandy Baby, Planets & Rockets, Jungle Joy and plenty more. Gift cards are also available.
Make it a cuddle to remember for your baby! For further details, or to inquire about their custom embroidery options, refer to: TheBelamourCollection.com.
Toddlers In The Home . . . Better Safe, Than Sorry
In closing, we turn our attention to keeping your baby safe as they grow older. In the blink of an eye, your little baby boy or girl will be a toddler. And as every parent knows, toddlers have an uncanny way of getting into just about anything they see!
SafeHome’s resident parenting expert American Dadfluencer Patrick Quinn, Co-founder of Life Of Dad (LifeOfDad.com), shares with us some useful pointers for how to childproof each section of your home so your toddler can roam safely.
In the living room, keep window-blind cords either cut short or tucked away so children don’t get entangled in them. Install door stops and door holders, they work wonders to keep little fingers from being pinched. Make sure to cover unused outlets so children are not tempted to stick their tiny fingers in and get shocked.
Kitchens are a dangerous place, full of hot and sharp hazards. Make sure you lock your stove knobs because you never know when your child will get curious and decide to ignite your stove burners!
You also want to secure low drawers in your kitchen, especially if they contain dangerous items like scissors or knives. Make sure electric appliances are unplugged when they are not in use.
Bathrooms contain real drowning, slipping and poisoning hazards for toddlers. Make sure to install safety locks and latches on your toilet so your child doesn’t get into it. Place a rubber slipcover next to the bathtub to avoid your child slipping and falling when the area is wet. Ensure that the cabinet containing chemicals in the bathroom is locked.
In the dining room, make sure glass objects are stored out of reach and check if your child’s highchair features a safety strap between the legs.
Be sure to follow these tips to keep your kids safe when they start to crawl and walk around to explore their surroundings!
Welcome To The Family, Little One
Perhaps your family is growing soon by two more feet, with a new little brother or sister on the way? Without a doubt, a baby is the greatest gift that life can ever send!
So whether you need cribs, strollers, car seats, feeding equipment, clothing, bathing accessories or toys, businesses in Windsor Essex have everything you need for when your newborn arrives home.
Support local always!
