However, with that said, as a first-time American mommy living in the Netherlands, trying to navigate the baby world can seem a bit daunting.  What better way to discover available baby-centric products in the Netherlands than attending the Negenmaandenbeurs, an annual baby exposition?

I learned about the Negenmaandenbeurs through a giveaway from Amsterdam Mamas, a Facebook group consisting of nearly 1000 mamas and papas forming a supportive community and platform for all things parent, baby and expat related. The two ticket giveaway  (valued at €18 each) was sponsored by Zoli Baby, this year’s Netherlands Baby Innovation Awards Care Category winner for their ingenious baby nail trimmer Buzz B. All I had to was simply mention which product of Zoli Baby I found the most useful or a product that I would like to be developed and reply on the Facebook post. Names were then randomly chosen and I was the one of two lucky winners.

After the initial excitement died down a bit, I became a bit hesitant in attending due to being 29 weeks pregnant and not feeling completely at my very best. My incredible supportive husband encouraged me to go and booked Saturday as our “date day” to the Negenmaandenbeurs. He also insisted on buying first class round-trip train tickets, with a 40% discount of course, so we can both be a bit more comfortable traveling to and from the baby convention. For anyone who’s lived here in The Netherlands, Saturday is notorious for being the busiest day of the week. Tie that into The Netherlands being one of the most densely populated countries in the world and you’re looking at being surrounded by a ton of people and in very uncomfortable situations.  Ideally, we would have chosen to go on a weekday, but due to my husband’s hectic work schedule and impending major deadlines, Saturday was the only feasible option.  I’m just grateful that he even found the time!

We had planned on arriving at the Negenmaandenbeurs in Amsterdam at 11:00 am, right at opening time in anticipation of avoiding the large massive crowd. Being known for our propensity for being fashionably late, we caught the train from Utrecht at 11:28am and arrived at the Amsterdam RAI approximately 20 minutes later. The walk to the Amsterdam RAI from the train station was only about 10 minutes long. It would have been a much more pleasurable experience as it was a sunny Spring like day except for the fact that we had smoke constantly blown into our faces by other people also walking to the baby expo. No matter how many times I witnessed it, I could never get over the sight of pregnant women and parents with children blowing smoke as if they were chimney pipes. It always astounds me  with how little regard they have for their own health, their unborn baby’s health, their children’s health, let alone other people’s health. Unfortunately, I think this behavior isn’t just isolated in the Netherlands but a common occurrence all throughout Europe. Naturally I was a bit irritated at being bombarded with tons of inconsiderate and selfish people, but I “walked it off” and covered my nose and mouth with my jacket sleeve. I refused to succumb to being a passive second-hand smoker and letting such a horrible, but somewhat normal experience living in the Netherlands, ruin my date day with my husband.

They often say that pregnancy and parenthood opens you to an entire new world of experiences and emotions.  Part of this journey involves being introduced to products that you thought you never needed or even existed but end up realizing that it’s an absolute essential and you can’t live without.  Then again, sometimes one, especially a first-time parent, can easily get lost on what is a necessity,  a luxury or simply a complete waste of money. With that said, we were intent on trying to stay focused and only consider products that were actually useful and not to be seduced by all the seemingly irresistible cute, but useless things.

The Negenmaandenbeurs was basically a huge convention hall with tons of advertisers and vendors. The big players represented were Kruidvat,  Babypark, Babydump, Prenatal, Fisherprice, Medela, and Philips. For a slight second I almost fell for buying a Kruidvat goodybag filled with various samples of babyfood and lotions. As much as I adored the cute bags, I was also intent on not purchasing something that I would not use.

The middle part of the convention was primarily dominated by various stroller companies vying for the attention of would-be parents and naturally hoping to lure them into a lucrative purchase. One of the idiosyncrasies of Dutch culture is that despite the prevalence of thriftiness,  luxury strollers abound.  Everywhere you look, you’ll see these little Dutchies riding in style in either a Buggaboo, Stokke, Joolz, Mutsy,  Quinny or Maxi-Cosi stroller. We were also lured into buying one of these shiny baby rides, but that experience deserves a blog-post all on its own.

Lining the perimeter were smaller companies offering huge discounts. A lot the products didn’t hold too much of our interest. Suffice to say, we’re very particular parents who are meticulous about baby preparations  but who also try to abide by the philosophy of simpler living. Of course, it’s definitely a challenge not to get too wrapped up into the consumerism of it all, but we still try to keep all things in moderation.

By 2:00pm, we already had our fill of baby stuff. It was also getting unbearably crowded with tons of other people all squished in like ants. Before leaving, we just had to stop by the Zoli B table and personally thank Linda for the tickets. Even though she was incredibly busy, she managed to take a picture with me and demonstrate how the Buzz B worked.  I did have some regrets not picking up the Buzz B, but at that crucial moment of decision making, I was starting to feel completely exhausted…and hungry. Furthermore, I was still sticking to the philosophy of trying to minimize the amount of baby products we have. We had gotten the Safety 1st Gentle Vibes Nail File, a very similar product, as a baby shower gift while we were in San Francisco. At least I can always order one at the last minute if I have a change of heart. I also really appreciate the positive, motherly vibe that Linda had and am all for supporting a company that fosters that type of enthusiasm and genuine camaraderie among mothers and mothers-to-be.

While we may not have really stumbled upon any baby items that we weren’t aware of before, we didn’t leave empty handed. In fact, we left with a bunch of stuff that were awesome deals! Below lists all the things we managed to score great deals on.

1. Redcastle Babynomade Fleur de Coton Naturel BIO 0-4 months
Suggested Retail Price: €55
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €35
Savings: €20

2.Cloud B Sleep Sheep
Suggested Retail Price: €29
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €10
Savings: €20

3.(left to right)
Tommee Tippee Triple-pack Hygiene Cassettes
Suggested Retail Price: €26
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €20
Savings: €6

Complimentary freebies:
Tommee Tippee Wrap and Go Refills Nappy Dispenser
Suggested Retail Price: €6

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle 150 mL
Suggested Retail Price: €7

4. (left to right)
Tommee Tippee Weaning Spoons Blue
Suggested Retail Price: €4
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €5 for 2 items

Tommee Tippee Explora Closer to Nature Weaning Bottle 6M+
Suggested Retail Price: €7
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €5 for 2 items

Tommee Tippee 2 Compartment Container
Suggested Retail Price: €7
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €5 for 2 items
Savings:

Tommee Tippee Tableware Baby Food Pots 200 ml
Suggested Retail Price: €5
Negenmaandenbeurs Price: €5 for 2 items

Our total expenditure for all these products was approximately €75 with savings of €70. Not bad considering that we also had a nice date savoring the fleeting pre-baby phase of our marriage. Considering savings like these, the tickets to the Negenmaandenbeurs can also be considered as an opportunity to take advantage of all the dramatically reduced prices that these various companies offer. I can’t wait to review all these products!

I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

On my most recent ob/gyn appointment, I kindly asked my doctor if it was protocol in the Netherlands for pregnant women around 24 weeks to take a Glucose Tolerance Test. She initially responded with a no, but then paused and took a more evaluative look at me. A light-bulb sprung up. She realized that due to my ethnicity (Filipino), I could be possibly
at risk for gestational diabetes.

She ordered the Glucose Tolerance Test right away.  I basically had the weekend
to prepare for what I believed to be a 12 hour fast. Keep in mind that even before I was pregnant, food played a major role in my life. While I tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle thanks to my very health conscious husband,  I was enjoying being able to submit to
certain food indulgences during my pregnancy.  I savored every minute of not having
to care too much about my waisteline and partake in yummy sweet treats.

A day after my test,  we received a phone-call that would alter the remaining 100 days
of my pregnancy (and realistically, the rest of my life with respect to potential future
health implications).

In trying to console me, my darling husband emphasized that the ob/gyn nurse said
that I had only slightly elevated blood glucose levels and as a precaution wanted me
to meet with a diabetic nurse and a dietician.  I’ve been in this country long enough
to know that unless absolutely medically necessary,  the most common response would
be the cost-effective and conservative “wait-and-see” approach. The fact that the nurse
had tried to reach  5 consecutive times via my cell-phone, left a discerning voice-mail
and then called my husband lead me to believe that this was indeed serious.

From my understanding,  either you have gestational diabetes or you don’t.

Upon hearing the news, I was initially absolutely devastated.  I had a sneaking suspicion
that not everything was okay, but in trying to be more optimistic, I simply brushed my concerns aside and conveniently blamed my neurosis. Furthermore, the last thing I
wanted was any more potential pregnancy problems. I already have epilepsy and thus
won a coveted position of being directly monitored by an ob/gyn.  Now I have gestational diabetes to contend with.

Thus begins my 100 day blogging journey about my impending motherhood in a foreign country, and as I, to the best of my ability, have a successful pregnancy and a healthy
baby boy in light of less than ideal health circumstances.