For Immediate Release

OH BABY!

RAPIDLY GROWING BABY FAIR A SIGN OF THE TIMES

Ft. Worth, TX – (May 1, 2008) – This year’s 3^rd Annual Everything Babyfest will more than give new and expectant parents across North Texas plenty of practical answers and resources,  it’s expected to reflect what U.S. demographers are calling a “baby boomlet” – the biggest birth rate seen since the end of the baby boom in 1961.*  

“In three short years we’ve outgrown our venue at the Grapevine Convention Center with the number of parents and to-be-parents as well as participating vendors,” said Kay Willis, cofounder/co-manager of Everything Babyfest.  “No doubt there is a growing and thriving desire for information and resources when it comes to preparing for the birth of a baby or settling into a fresh routine with a newborn and young child.”    

Presented by Baby Depot, this year’s Everything Babyfest is moving to a much larger location in Fort Worth at Will Rogers Memorial Center where more than one hundred specialty vendors and sponsors will come together to create a memorable and educational experience for expectant mothers, newborns and young children. 

“It’s nearly impossible to prepare for the emotional upheaval of having a new baby and the life to come, but you can prepare yourself for the practical aspects of being a mother,” said Willis, who is also an RN/birthing educator and lactation consultant through her store-front company The Nesting Place in Grapevine.

Everything Babyfest 2008 will do just that in one stop by allowing moms and dads time to explore all the facets of having a baby, from prenatal care and breast feeding considerations to what to expect when having twins, all the way to raising young children, said Willis. 

And with the steady stream of new products to hit the market, Willis explains that this is also the time to help parents sort through the can’t live withouts, the lifesavers and the other plethora of resources available. 

There will also be medical & birthing/parenting experts on hand to answer questions, as well as photo ID/fingerprinting, fashion shows, prize giveaways, a cutest baby contest and the always fun baby derby. Everything Babyfest will cater to parents from pregnancy through the age of five.   www.Everythingbabyfest.com

DATE:            July 26 & 27, 2008

TIMES:          Saturday 10am – 6pm

                        Sunday 11am to 5pm

WHERE:        Will Rogers Memorial Center, “Round Up Inn”

                        3401 West Lancaster

                        Fort Worth, TX 76107

TICKETS:      Admission $7 (12 & over)

*An Associated Press review of birth numbers dating to 1909 found the total number of U.S. births was the highest since 1961, near the end of the baby boom. An examination of global data also shows that the United States has a higher fertility rate than every country in continental Europe, as well as Australia, Canada and Japan. Fertility levels in those countries have been lower than the U.S. rate for several years, although some are on the rise, most notably in France.

Experts believe there is a mix of reasons: a decline in contraceptive use, a drop in access to abortion, poor education and poverty.

With 4-million plus babies being born in the U.S. every year, parent entrepreneurs and companies are coming out with revolutionary solutions to fit a parent’s every need.

While the baby toy industry has suffered challenges in recent years other industries in the baby world are prospering.  The baby garment industry: $6 billion; disposable diapers, $16-plus billion; baby foods, $1.25 billion;  baby formula, $5.5 billion; baby care products $410 million

New parents are spending a remarkable estimate of $6,200 on baby-related goods and services during their baby's first 12 months.

Demographers often use the word boomlet for a small and brief baby boom.

To many economists and policy makers, the increase in births is good news. The U.S. fertility rate -- the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime -- reached 2.1. That's the "magic number" required for a population to replace itself.

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