Highlighting a local 3D/4D Business Owner

In today's economy, relationship and experience is "key" to keeping business and bringing in new business. I have had the pleasure of utilizing the Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds in Wesley Chapel (back then it was in Lutz) during the pregnancy of my 4th child. Over time, I have continued my relationship with the owner of that location, Erica Hoskins. I actually now work for her on a part time basis scheduling pregnant mommies ultrasound appointments. What a fun job I have fallen upon!

I love to hear business owner's stories and why they do what they do. Erica actually started 4 years ago after receiving her Associate in Science and then spent another 6 month internship at the Women's Group to focus on OB/GYN. Since 2004, she has performed close to 6000 scans in the field of OB/GYN for both diagnostic and at Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds for keepsake scans.

Erica is the owner and operator of the Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds in Wesley Chapel. I asked her what a pregnant mom should ask when finding a 3D/4D ultrasound location prior to having one? Are there any regulations?

• There are no current regulations when it comes to 3D/4D ultrasound businesses. Anyone can buy a machine and open their doors to scan pregnant mommies.


• How long have you been in business?


• Do you have a redo policy? If so, what is it?


• If you find something wrong, then what?


• Why choose a ultrasound studio instead of just having it at your Dr's office?

She was great to provide a list of questions so I then asked her the same questions.

• Since there are no regulations in this industry what makes you different? Erica replied, "My customers can feel confident that my location is owned and operated by a certified sonographer. My staff is also certified and currently working in the OB/GYN market outside of my office. I also have a GE Voluson ultrasound machine. This is the Golden Standard in the 3D/4D ultrasounds."


• How long have you been in business? "Look Who's Kickin was created over 5 years ago and was the first in our area. We has since branched out to add locaions that are individually owned and operated. I have had my ultrasound studio for over 3 years."


• What is your re-do policy? "We offer free re-do's on regular price packages."


• If you find something wrong, then what? "Since we are trained sonographers, moms can feel confident in our skills. If we happen to see something out of the ordinary, we contact our on staff medical director with our findings. Our medical director then contacts the patients medical doctor."


• Why have this at an ultrasound studio instead of the OB office? "We have found that in some cases, we are less expensive than having the 4D ultrasound performed in the OB's office. We have a relaxing spa like atmosphere and are paid to spend time with the couple."
  

This is such a exciting time in a pregnant couples lives. I had Erica perform my gender at 16 weeks for my last child. I also did the deluxe package at 30 weeks. I find myself looking at his pictures and remembering how it was while he was still in my belly. I captured all those precious memories. As we all know, you can't do that moment in time over. From one mommy (in my case a mommy of 4) to another, Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds in Wesley Chapel is stop along your pregnancy that you don't want to miss!

For more information, contact them directly at 813-909-8080 or http://www.lookwhoskickin.com/.

(I have shared one of my special pictures from my 30 week scan.)

Maternity Clothes On Sale up to 70% Off

With the state of the economy and so many families having to cut corners when they can, what does a girl do that is pregnant? Reality is that you do need maternity clothes longer than just a few months. I am a mom of 4 children and with the first, I was dying to get into maternity clothes immediately. With the rest of them, I held off as much as I could. The designer maternity clothes that I purchased while pregnant with baby #3, still look BRAND NEW after baby #4. With my 1st two pregnancies, I shopped at maternity chain stores and found myself rebuying the same type of items. They didn't hold up or shrunk after a few washes.

Maternity bottoms are a necessity when pregnant. Wasting money on larger sizes of non-maternity clothes that we hope to never wear, not a great investment either. Pregnant moms would make out better in the long run with investing in maternity bottoms that they can wear from the beginning and after baby arrives. Find a cute maternity tops that you love and make you feel like the "old" you. If you accessorize, you can do a lot with a few basic maternity pieces in your wardrobe.

HSTMaternity.com has been working with pregnant mommies since 2003 and is clearing out their warehouse to make room for new styles. Take advantage of the maternity outlet pricing on designer maternity clothing and accessories. No coupon needed. Make sure to check out their clearance on maternity clothes up to 70% off.

A part time job for stay at home moms

I have the pleasure of working with a new misses swimsuit and beach cover up line that will be debuting for Cruise and Spring 2010. The designer has been in business for over 10 years now and after numerous customer request, she is expanding her line to misses swimwear.

Bella Bum will be sold in stores accross the country and also marketed in a home-party atmosphere. Stay at home moms, or moms looking to earn extra income can earn money by doing trunk shows. This is a great opportunity to start at the ground floor.

If you are interested in hearing more about starting your business and working from home, please contact sherri@nicolematernity.com for more information.

Easy Mac and Cheese by Kraft Foods~ Life Saver in a Pinch!

I was sent a sample of the Easy Mac and Cheese Dinner by Kraft Foods to try and see what I thought. I put it aside and said that I would eventually try it. With 4 kids in the house ranging from 16 months to 9 years old. We usually make 1-2 boxes of the normal size mac and cheese for one sitting.

I needed something quick and easy for the baby while at my mother in law's this weekend for a birthday party. I threw the pack into the diaper bag and went. My 1 year old did not want the food that was served but I knew that Mac and Cheese was on his approved list. I followed the directions and was a little skeptical about how it would turn out.

It was very easy and tasted almost as good as the box mac and cheese I make on the stove. All I needed was a spoon to fed him. No mess to clean up or measuring spoons. I would definately recommend this to moms that are on the go.

For the Babies & Toddlers Who LOVE Puppies

I have blogged about maternity related products and was asked to give my opinion on AdoraPet Puppies video. The video details mentions for all ages. With 4 enthusiastic kids (9,7,5 and 15 months) ready to try this out with me. The music is very relaxing. It features 4 adorable puppies; hence the name AdoraPet Puppies. My older kids were waiting for something to happen as they watched the puppies play by themselves or all together. This reminds me alot of the Einstein videos. My 15 month old LOVED it! He pointed at the screen, clapped his hands together in excitement. The funniest was to watch him jump up and down in his spider man chair as he watched then jump up and dance. It was so nice to see a smile on his face as he watched.

I would recommend this for small children. My 5,7 and 9 year old lost interest after a few minutes.

If you would like your product reviewed, please contact me. I would love to put my 2 cents in.

Info about product:

AdoraPet Puppies

2009 Seal of Excellence by Creative Child Magazine

http://www.adorapet.com/

$14.99

Are you pregnant and due between February 24th to March 9, 2009?

Here is a great way to earn extra money while pregnant. I strongly recommend the Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds in Wesley Chapel Florida for their maternity spa that offers 3d/4d ultrasounds. I was contacted and they are looking for pregnant mommies due between February 24th to March 9th 2009. Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds is owned by a licensed sonographer and works with pregnant mommies both in their maternity spa and in a OB/GYN office for diagnostic testing. To contine their education with new technology and testing, they are looking for expecting moms.

Please see the posting below:

EXPECTING MOTHERS

We are looking for six (6) pregnant mothers with
DUE DATES between Feb. 24 and March 9, 2010

We will be performing a state of the art ultrasound training session for early detection of genetic abnormalities in the first trimester.

This educational training course will be at the

Look Who's Kickin Ultrasounds in Wesley Chapel
2533 Windguard Cr. #102
Wesley Chapel, Fl 33543

Monday: August 24th, 2009
10:00 am-1:00pm

If you qualify to participate, you will receive a $50 Visa gift card for your participation as well as a Special 4D Ultrasound Discount for later in your pregnancy!!

For reservations and more info:
813-909-8080

Cord Blood Banking

As an expectant parent you have so many decisions to make, products and services to research. Finding the best stroller within in your budget is a tough decision. One decision that is commonly overlooked is whether or not to bank your babies cord blood.

I do birthing classes in my town and so many parents have never heard of cord blood banking. I have 4 children. Yes i said 4! They are 9,7,5 & 13 months old. I first heard something when i was pregnant with my 3rd child and really didn't research it. With my last child, it was something that i wanted to check into. We knew that we were not having anymore children and didn't want to pass on something that could possibly benefit my entire family.

What is so special about your newborn's cord blood?

• The newborn's umblicial cord blood is a valuable source of non-controversial stem cells. Cord blood stem cells, like bone marrow stem cells, are free of political and ethical debate.



• The benefits of cord blood stem cells are clear- cord blood has already saved thousands of lives and medical researchers are now exploring potential new uses for conditions like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
  


• Currently have been successfully used in the treatment of 70 life-threatening diseases
  


• Perfect match for the baby and may also provide potential treatment for other family members as well.

(Information taken from ViaCord's website at www.Viacord.com)

What to look for in a collection and storage company.

• Financial stability of the company. In today's economy, we really need to fully research our options before making our decision



• Where the cord blood is stored? You want to make sure that it is not in an area that is succeptable to natural disasters. Such as flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.



• What is the company doing to advance what our babies cord blood can be used for?



• Price is always important but remember, the cheapest is not always the best
  
  Now that you have the questions, now what do you do? The world wide web is a vast wealth of information. You can google, "cord blood banking" and will come up with many websites including the companies that collect and store your blood for you.
  

As I mentioned, I banked my babies cord blood. I personally choose ViaCord. I had the opportunity of meeting the Account Manager for the area that I live in. She asked me if I was going to bank? I said no, and that started me thinking why am I not at least going to look into this. After researching the companies, I choose ViaCord. My husband and I had many discussions of whether to spend the money or not. He is a research chemist in a pharmaceutical company. This is what I found out about ViaCord from a regular mom's perspective.

• The company is publicly owned and is financially sound. They have been in the leader in cord blood perservation and research since 1993.



• The blood is stored outside of a major airport hub in Cinncinnati in a state of the art cryopreservation facility.



• I believe that Viacord is the only cord blood preservation companies that have a dedicated team to further research with cord blood.
  


• Pricing is competitive and in line with the CBR. What swayed my decision was the research done in house by ViaCord. That showed my family that they were dedicated to expanding the technology of cord blood. If you are in the medical profession or active military, there may be additional savings.



• They offer a baby registery. You can have family and friends donate towards the cost of your banking.



• My OB was very educated on ViaCord and recommended that I check into it before my delivery date.

Whether you are expecting your first child and on your 4th life myself, this is a very important decision. For more information or to view a short presentation of cord blood banking, you can visit www.brainshark.com/viacord/Sherri_Spaw.

I currently have $400 OFF Coupons that expire mid June. If your are interested, please email me at slspaw@verizon.net for more information.