MommyCon, you guys. I went to MommyCon. And it ruled.
If you’re not familiar, MommyCon is an amazing natural parenting convention. From the website:
MommyCon is a nationwide convention series dedicated to creating and nurturing a community of parents and parents-to-be in celebration of natural parenting. MommyCon takes a gentle and positive approach to educating parents about the emotional and physical benefits of natural birthing, breastfeeding and babywearing. We advocate values of holistic health, eco-friendly diapering, child safety standards and procedures, and female self-care and wellness. Our mission is to create a community of support, acceptance and non-judgement for women journeying through parenthood.
Because the closest event to us was in Chicago, I definitely did not plan on going (at least not this year), but I had mentioned it to Ben last fall, and lo and behold, he bought me a three-day pass for Christmas! He’s a winner, that guy. He ended up working in a business trip to Chicago earlier that week, so we all road tripped out on Wednesday and stayed through Sunday. We got quite a bit accomplished (his work trip, seeing my old friends and coworkers, getting our Global Entry interviews completed, and spending a very few minutes with Luca on the freezing beach by our old apartment) on Wednesday and Thursday, and then I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday MommyConning it up!
Friday was a short day of talks and then the Sip and Shop event, which is exactly what it sounds like: wine and shopping! There were around 50 (maybe more?) vendor booths with amazing natural, sustainable products for babies and mamas (and daddies actually, too!). Every cloth diaper brand and style you could possibly think of, all the big names in baby wearing (and a bunch of small names, too), tons of books and toys and baby clothes and accessories and adult apparel and just so many things to drool over. I was alone, so I skipped the wine and was financially responsible. If I had had a friend there with me and/or a wine glass in my hand, I absolutely would have made many more purchases!
Books for Ben:
And me:
This is Luca’s favorite lovey, Mister Bunny. I was tempted to buy a few of these to keep on hand for emergencies!
I felt like I was taking tons of pictures while I was there, but I suspect I just put them on Instagram Stories and then they disappeared. Rest assured, there was tons of amazing shopping. I also got an awesome swag bag with my three-day pass. That baby outfit is size 6mo, so I guess we have to have another one. 😉 (This is a joke I make to Ben a lot. Isn’t it FUNNY?? Hahah. Ha.)
Ben took Luca to LEGOLand on Friday so I could check out MommyCon on my own, and I was excited for the alone time, but I ended up super missing my kiddo. A bunch of people were there alone, but most had their babies with them. (Also? BABY FEVER! Not that that has ever gone away for me — I’m dying for us to be ready to try for another kiddo — but omg. Seeing so many tiny babies there was simultaneously the best and worst!)
So on Saturday, I told Ben I wanted to bring Luca with me. I was glad to have him there, but in hindsight I would have done the inverse: I would have brought the tot on Friday to the short day of talks and shopping, and then gone alone on Saturday, which was a longer day of talks. Because he’s a big toddler now who has loud opinions and needs entertaining, we sat in the back during the Saturday sessions so he could play in the toddler play area. It was so awesome that they had these in every room, but it made it tough to pay attention to the talks. AND we ended up totally missing the session on potty training due to an ill-timed nap — Luca’s, not mine (hello again, Rest and Relaxation room!).
Even with the kiddo though, I did get to hear some incredible talks. It was truly so fulfilling to be surrounded by like-minded mamas and to feel like we were all in this together. Gentle parenting isn’t for everyone (contrary to the name, it’s HARRRD), and a lot of my “normal” friends often look at me like I have two heads. So it was amazing to be just part of the group and hear from the Gentle Parents Who’ve Gone Before who had great wisdom and insights to share. I may have publicly wept a time or two….but if you’re going to start crying in a group of people, MommyCon is probably the best place to do it, surrounded by other mamas who GET IT.
The most powerful session I went to was “Beyond the Mom: Pursuing Your Dreams After Baby”:
Becoming a parent is is the most amazing experience, both fulfilling and exhausting, who could ask for more? But….what if you *do* want to ask for more? Come join us to discuss how to keep developing your passions and even turn them into a career WITH your little one. We will discuss the three hurdles that rear their ugly faces at every turn: Guilt, Self Doubt and Lack of Support, and ways to combat them and form a support system with your loved ones.
It was so great to hear from other moms who’ve pursued something in addition to parenthood and learn from their experiences. Lots of really practical tips and encouragement! The thing that stuck with me the most was when the speaker discussed the pressure of getting back to “normal.” After we have our babies, we’re expected to get our bodies “back,” get “back into the swing of things,” and let everything return to how it was before, just with the addition of another person. But, as she said, “There’s no going back because you’ll never again be who you were before you had your baby. And that’s a good thing. You have a whole new set of skills and strengths and values, and your capacity to love has expanded a millionfold. You are BETTER now than you were before.” Cue the waterworks from me!
I also loved the session I attended on toddlers and picky eating. Of course, MY toddler would never be a picky eater (hahahahaha)….but I learned some good tips for other people’s children. 😉 I also got coerced into buying the ezpz Happy Mat that I thought I would never buy. But so far, it’s a hit, so it was worth it.
Sadly, I was really disappointed in the session I was most excited for: “Crouching Mamas, Hidden Cameras,” which was supposed to be expert advice on taking print-worthy photos of your kids. I am no great shakes at photography, and *I* could have taught this class. It was soo frustratingly basic, like, “Get down on the ground and make a funny face to make your kid smile.” Oh. Really? ::eye roll::
Luckily most of the sessions were either good or GREAT. I came away with tons of knowledge and many tools and suggestions to try in the near future.
And then I shopped some more.
If I had been pregnant or otherwise in the market for adorable tiny baby things, I easily could have spent a thousand dollars. Instead, I kept it to the essentials.
Tee shirts and mugs. #essentials
I went back on Sunday morning for a couple more talks, and then we loaded up the car and headed back to KC. Overall, MommyCon was a great experience, and I’m really grateful I had the opportunity to go. It was such a lovely celebration of women and babies and motherhood and natural parenting. I highly recommend attending if you’re in a position to go! And while it was fun to go to the Chicago event, I’m very much hoping it comes to Kansas City in the future. I would absolutely make it a yearly tradition. (HINT HINT, MommyCon.) 😉
xo!
Playful Rooted 
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