I’ve been in the baby business for a decade now, including both having babies (my oldest is ten) and running a baby gift business (I started Baby Be Hip in 2002). It wasn’t until this year, though, that I discovered a great service for expecting moms. Earlier this year I met Shannon Choe of Premier Baby Concierge through the wonderful world of Twitter. Given the overlap in our businesses and other things we seemed to share, I set out to learn more about Shannon and her service.

Shannon was an innovator in the baby concierge field. She started her business in 2007 after chatting with a neighbor about wedding planners and how there’s so much to learn, plan and do for your wedding. She remarked to her friend “It’s kind of like having kids!” and that’s when she had her “aha” moment. Everyone having a baby could benefit from that expert who could walk them through the process, helping with decisions, anticipating needs and solving problems.

Of course my natural reaction—similar to many others, I’m sure—is that this has to be considered a luxury service. Babies are expensive enough, and the economy is not exactly roaring these days; who but the richest among us could afford a baby planner? But I learned that one of the biggest benefits of a baby planner is that they can actually help people save money. Shannon steers her clients to the products and services that are best for them and helps them avoid unnecessary spending. One of the most common questions she hears is “Do I really need (fill in the blank)?” Often the answer is “No, you really don’t.”

I asked Shannon how the baby planning business has been affected by the current economic recession. She quoted April Beach, one of the founders of the International Baby Planners Association, noting that the newly formed field of baby planning “has only known recession.” Although the service is in demand today, Shannon expects the way people use baby planners to expand when the economic climate changes. She expects people to seek out baby planners for more “fun stuff” as opposed to the practical assistance for which she is typically asked these days.

Shannon offers a variety of services. Her most requested ones are Baby Registry Assistance, Nursery Prep, and Baby Nurse Placement. However she is always ready to meet specific customer requests, whatever they might be. One of her favorites was a request to accompany the family home from the hospital, riding with the new car seat she had installed and to provide some post-partum support. I asked Shannon to share some of the most surprising requests; she admits there have been some “unexpected ones”, but like any good concierge her lips are sealed.

Kirsten, a client of Shannon’s, shares “I don’t have much spare time and figured with Shannon’s expertise she could help me be more efficient to get ready for baby. We used her services to find a post-partum doula, post-shower inventory and nursery preparation. She also checked our car seat installation. She was very easy to work with, knowledgeable, and practical. The best experience was finding a doula for us. Our doula was wonderful and we had the comfort of knowing she’d been vetted by Shannon before entering our home on the same day we brought the baby home.”

Since Shannon is “in the know” on all things baby, I had to ask her what trends she’s been noticing. Lately she’s noticed that more people are NOT finding out the gender of their baby in advance. Also, many of her first-time parents—especially the older ones—are opting not to have a baby shower in the traditional sense; they are having “Welcome Baby” parties instead. Another big trend is that more and more parents are investigating the cloth diaper world (go green, baby!) and of course Shannon has all the go-to resources for that as well. If you can think of it, Shannon can help.

Shannon is a busy mom to three beautiful girls, so she has definitely “walked the walk.” She’s credentialed outside the home as well; she is an Early Childhood specialist with a background in Developmental Psychology and a teaching certification, and is a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor and Certified Child Passenger Safety Tech as well. She’s recognized in the Philadelphia area, having appeared on local television numerous times, winner of “Best of the Main Line: Best Person to Know When You’re Expecting” and having recently won “Best of Philly: Best Help for New Parents”. Her line of work requires her to keep a pulse on all things baby and kid, and I asked her to share some of her favorite websites. While she wouldn’t divulge all of her secrets, she did recommend Healthy Child (www.healthychild.org) for health tips, Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) for safety and efficacy information and KellyMom (www.kellymom.com) for breastfeeding support.

Shannon is offering all of our Baby Be Hip customers 20% off any service of your choice until December 1, 2011. If you are looking for a unique gift for a pregnant friend, think about the gift of a baby planner consultation (maybe your friend is trendier than me, but they might just say “I had no idea this service existed” and really appreciate the help). Or if you yourself are having a baby or just had one and have any questions or could use some help, Shannon can help. She really is “one to know”.

You might be asking, “But what if you’re not in the Philadelphia area?” We know Shannon’s the go-to person in Philly, but what about for all those other mothers out there that want a reputable baby planner in their city? Shannon can still help; she offers consultations via phone, email and she also travels to clients. But parents-to-be can also go to the International Baby Planners Association (IBPA) website (www.internationalbabyplanners.com) to find a baby planner in their own city. Rest assured that those that are part of the IBPA have been screened and must meet certain criteria to be eligible. Often references are your best bet—as with so many other things in life—but if you don’t have one, Shannon recommends the IBPA.

For more details about Shannon and all the services she offers, visit her website at Premier Baby Concierge.