Fair offers A to Z of baby supplies

Korean weddings can be expensive and elaborate affairs, and many large-scale wedding fairs take place throughout the year to help couples plan one of the biggest days of their lives.
Before long, however, the wedding pictures or videos are packed away and babies become the soul-consuming focus of young couples’ lives. From prenatal care to actual child rearing, Korean mothers are as dedicated as they come.
Korea’s largest baby goods show of the year, the Seoul International Fair for Mothers and Babies, opens tomorrow to help expectant and nursing mothers learn about the hundreds of products and services for themselves and their precious offspring. Just about everything related to pregnancy, childbirth and childcare can be found here.
Are you concerned about the possibility that your newborn is breathing polluted air? Check out the new air purifiers made specifically for babies. If you’re an expectant mother, do you want to be eating the most nutritional foods for the development of your baby’s brain and body? Then shop at a virtual supermarket of “maternity foods.”
Live Latin music will be performed to entertain pregnant mothers and their not-yet-born offspring. Music is said to calm babies in the womb ― as well as moms ― and even instill in the children a passion for the arts!
A number of area gyms also will be on hand promoting their offerings to expectant mothers who are eager to stay in shape as they gain weight to support their little one.
“In the past, prenatal care was a sitting down thing, where pregnant women listened to music or just took a rest. But now, prenatal care is becoming more of a moving thing,” says Yang Seung-cheol, manager of Eplus, the organizer of the event. “Expectant mothers are now looking for an active way to care for their unborn child by participating in dances and so forth. This year’s event will, of course, include such programs.”
Exhibitors will also display a wide variety of services, ranging from methods of breast-feeding to baby massage. Dads aren’t left out of the action, either: yoga for couples will be demonstrated as well.
In all, 420 booths will be arranged at the COEX exhibition center in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, for the show, which continues through Tuesday.
Sponsored by domestic and foreign baby products companies, the fair will be divided into prenatal, childbirth and baby-related services. Baby-sitters, and information about baby insurance will be provided by organizers as well.
The show is open daily from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. For more information, call (02) 556-2236 or go to www.babyfair.org.

by Choi Jie-ho