{2019 RECAP} Bloom :: An Event for New and Expecting Moms in Birmingham

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Special thanks to Rachel Clarke Photography and Marchele J Photo for capturing all of the beautiful photos of the evening. 

Our second annual Bloom event was a ton of fun and filled with numerous resources for parents and babies. Moms, dads, grandparents, and a few babies gathered to meet local businesses and a panel of experts at UAB Women and Infants Center on May 6. Birmingham Moms Blog was proud to link arms with City Moms Blog Network {our parent site}, as well as 60+ other Sister Sites across the nation, in bringing you this event.

A special thank you goes out to our title sponsor, UAB Women and Infants Center, and of course to the BMB Events Team — without you, our events couldn’t be a success! 

Swag

We started off the evening by greeting our guests and giving them their amazing swag bags. All guests received event admission, dinner from Chick-Fil-A 5 Points, a Q&A with a panel of experts, pampering opportunities, introductions to local vendors, and a reusable tote packed with over $60 to $100 worth of top products for mom and baby. 

Braid Bar

Next, attendees could get their hair braided by Blo Blow Dry Bar Homewood.

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

Photo Booth

Our photo booth was a huge hit for everyone to grab a prop and have a professional photo taken by Marchele J Photo.

Bloom Event
Bloom Event
Bloom Event
Bloom Event

Nursing Mothers Room

The Nursing Mothers Room was sponsored by Children’s of Alabama and was set up to give mothers a comfortable place to feed their babies or pump!

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

Table Sponsors

Several businesses lined the hallways of our event space and chatted with our attendees. Many of these businesses gave away more items and gave valuable information to new parents. These businesses included Ardent Preschool and Daycare (formerly Covenant Classical School), Blo Blow Dry Bar in Homewood, College Counts 529, KidsStreet Urgent Care, Liberty Pediatrics, Naughty but Nice Kettle Korn Co., Promised Parenting, Quest for Health Chiropractic, Rachel Clarke Photography, Ross Bridge Pediatrics, Shipt, The Crunchy Bean, Tonja B’s Sleep Consulting, UAB Women and Infants Center, and Von Maur

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

Giveaway Table

The giveaway table was overflowing with fabulous items that any new mother would love! 

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

Food and Drink

Dinner was provided by Chick-Fil-A 5 Points and drinks were provided by Real and Rosemary. The menu included Nuggets, Grilled Chicken Cool Wraps, Chilled Grilled Sub Sandwiches, Salad, Fruit, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies. There was also a water station sponsored by By Design Birth Doula Services, and a special dessert of pink macarons from Lette Macarons

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

The Speaker Panel

The speaker panel began during dinner and included four amazing women from UAB. They included:

Katie Kretzschmar, RN, IBCLC, MSN

Amy Boone, Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Fellow, Clinical Instructor in the OB-Gyn Division of Women’s Reproductive Health

Whitney Sharp, OBGYN NP

Sarah Bagwell, Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.

They answered questions about post-partum depression, nutrition myths during pregnancy, best sleeping options for a baby, breastfeeding, and many more topics. 

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

We ended the night announcing the giveaways and saying goodnight. We gave away over 35 items, including a Diamond’s Direct gift certificate worth $1000, a Freemie breast pump worth $300, and a Graco Travel System stroller, base, and car seat worth $200 from Target in Homewood.

Thanks to all of the attendees who came and to all of our sponsors! 

Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019
Bloom 2019

For all of the photos from Bloom 2019, check out the Facebook Photo Album 1 and Facebook Photo Album 2.

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Table Sponsors

VIP Swag Sponsors

Swag Sponsors

Giveaway Sponsors

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Julie S
Born at St. Vincents, Julie has lived in Birmingham nearly all her life, and she looks forward to meeting and connecting moms all over our community. Before having kids and co-founding Birmingham Mom Collective, she worked various jobs as a retail manager, merchandise manager, software support associate, and an HR recruiter. When she's not taking care of her two young children, you can find her (sometimes) working out, singing and fellowshipping at her church, playing golf (horribly), drinking sweet tea, and taking trips with her husband, Nathan. She loves all things coffee, Gilmore Girls, Disney World, Dolly Parton, and peanut m&ms!