Parenting advice from Rosie Pope

Last week BronxMama photographer Fatima Schoenfelder and I sat down with Pregnant in Heel’s star Rosie Pope to talk about her latest venture-designing a limited edition line of diapers for Pampers. After oohing and awing over the adorable designs, Rosie spoke about everything from designing a nursery on a budget to the kinds of feedback she gets over her advice she gives to expecting mothers.

After the interview, read about our latest giveaway! A JUMBO Box of Size 3 Limited Edition Prints. Keep reading to find out how to enter!

BronxMama: Tell us a little bit about the adorable prints for Pampers.

Rosie: Pampers has come up with a line of pampers that reflect the latest fashions. Its a really fun way of dressing your baby up while you’re dressing yourself up, and just to go out and have fun. And I think with the recession and the weather we’ve had, its a really great way to kick off the summer. Its a really special moment when you change a diaper, so its really fun to be able to pick out the print. And, they are the same price as the regular pampers.

BronxMama: Being BronxMamas, we wanted to know if you work with or interact a lot of with moms from the Bronx?

Rosie: I get a lot of tweets from from women in the Bronx. They always ask about parenting classes.  We’ve had women from the Bronx take classes, but haven’t had any concierge clients yet. If they do sign up, our concierge service comes to them!

BronxMama: How did you start your boutique, Rosie Pope?

Rosie: I was studying at Columbia Universtiy and had just gotten married. My husband and I really wanted to have a family and start a business. I was really trying to think of a way I could combine being a mom and being a business. *Kind of like BronxMama!

BronxMama: What advice do you have for parents on a budget?

Rosie: The biggest thing is the universal equalizer. That means being prepared. It doesnt mean you need to pay for concierge services or really expensive classes, but it does mean you should take the time to learn about how to take care of your baby, and about the things that are really important-whether it be nutrition, health and safety, CPR. There are resources online, resources in the library. If you’re constantly worried with a new baby, you don’t really have as much timem to enjoy your baby, so if you just equip yourself with some knowledge, then being a parent is abetter experience. And babies dont care whether you have a silk bumper or not. That kind of stuff is really for the parents.

BronxMama: Any advice for parents on a budget who really want to still have that boutique feel in their nursery and the way they dress their baby?

Rosie: I think places like Babies R Us are great. You can buy gently used cribs as long as they are safe. You can also do stuff to the cribs to make them more personalized. You can buy decals on Amazon.com. Bassinets are also very less expensive and you can start off with one before you buy the crib. They can be beautiful, wicker or woven. You can also make a lot of things too, like mobiles and window treatments!

BronxMama: You talk on your blog about how things have changed as far as our parents and extended family  helping us raise our children. How do you think this has affected us as a whole?

Rosie: In the past it really was the family who raised the child. Now your mom might be working. We’ve had to look to people who arent necessarily your blood relatives to help raise our children. I think it can be really difficult and you have to be really careful and selective about who you chose. And I think its important you make them part of the family. If you’re going to go to a daycare center or babysitter then you should choose somewhere that feels like family. If you don’t feel that closeness to them, then you shouldn’t do it.

BronxMama: With reality TV, there is always going to be negative feedback somewhere. Parenting can be a controversial subject, and its no surprise you receive some criticism from watchers. Is there anything that stands out when it comes to negative feedback?
Rosie: When you film a reality TV show, you don’t really see the entire scene. So, it can be edited in a way where my facial expression wasn’t related to a comment. One of the times was when I was talking about a push present, where a woman was having a C-Section. There was some comment where she didn’t really deserve a push present and then the cameras cut to my face where it seemed I was  suggesting a C-Section was easy. Of course I wasn’t saying it was easy, I was just saying she wasn’t pushing, and it was a joke. But some people can take it really seriously. Laughs. Do I believe C-section is easy? Absolutely not. Do I think every lady should get a present after they have a baby? Absolutely yes.
BronxMama: How do you handle giving advice where there are more than one opinion on how something works. Lets say, a doctor’s opinion and the way our grandparents did it.

Rosie: I’m not a doctor. Im a mom and Im learning too. That’s why we have experts. We have nurses, doctors, real qualified experts teaching the class. And what I bring to the table is being a mom and knowing what other moms want to learn about. That’s important to remember because like any mom, I make mistakes too. That’s what I’m here for. To figure those mistakes out and figure out who can help us. –

To celebrate Rosie’s limited Edition Line of Pampers, ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL RECEIVE A JUMBO BOX OF DIAPERS. Sorry, we are limited to Size 3 for now, but if your child is already out of size 3, keep checking your local retailer for these awesome prints to come out late this month! TO ENTER: Leave a comment below letting us know what you think of BronxMama interviewing other NYC Mamas!