For first-time parents, taking care of a newborn baby can be an overwhelming experience.

But two Cherokee County women have created services to help ease the transition into parenting.

Registered pediatric nurse Jennifer Walker of Woodstock, with Laura Hunter of Kennesaw, has created Moms on Call.

Moms on Call is a consultation company for parents that offers easy-to-read infant and toddler care books on everything from clipping nails to how to swaddle safely and correctly.

They also provide in-home or phone consultations and help parents come up with a personalized plan to care for their children.

"We teach the things the hospitals don't teach you when they send the babies home," Mrs. Walker said.

Desiree Miller of Towne Lake, with Natalie Norman of Atlanta, has taken a page from the wedding planning business and created Bottles To Britches.

The company steps in for expecting parents and helps them plan for the birth of their children.

While working as a TV news producer, Mrs. Miller heard about the National Baby Planners Association and "thought it was a great idea."

"This is something that was so needed," she added.

Bottles To Britches, which launched in September, provides services such as registry assistance, nursery design, pregnancy and family photography, birth announcements, back-to-work plans and childproofing.

They also incorporate expecting fathers and grandparents into the planning process.

Since starting their businesses, both Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Walker have remained busy.

Mrs. Miller, the mother of four children, currently has two clients in Cherokee County, but is preparing to expand her company into Texas and Italy.

The company recently was named one of the most innovative and savviest in social media in StartUpNation's 2009 contest.

As a winner, Mrs. Miller will be traveling to Greece and Britain to promote her company.

The company also offers giveaways on its Web site at www.bottlestobritches.com.

Mrs. Miller said the company every other day on the site profiles an innovative product they receive from manufacturers.

Parents who comment on the site have a chance to win one of the products in a random drawing.

Over the past five years, Mrs. Walker, mother to three children, has aided more than 1,000 clients. She said she helps between 10 and 15 families in Cherokee every six months, the time span for the services.

Both women said they believe their companies offer something traditional parenting classes do not offer.

Mrs. Miller said preparing to bring a child into the world can be so overwhelming that parents sometimes can't enjoy being pregnant.

"We can simplify the process," she said. "You can hire good help, so you can relax and have an easy, stress-free pregnancy."

With Moms on Call, Mrs. Walker said she often helps families set up a regular daily schedule. The majority of her clients complain their babies aren't sleeping through the night.

One extreme case is a client who had a 5-year-old who never gained a proper sleep pattern and slept no longer than four hours a night.

"It can take two weeks to establish good sleeping habits," she added.

She also helps establish proper discipline habits for parents of toddlers.

Mrs. Walker said she corrects various household factors that can contribute to disciplinary or sleeping problems, such as a child's environment, an inconsistent schedule and parents sending inconsistent messages when it comes to discipline.

The bottom line with Moms on Call, Mrs. Walker said, is to help parents "feel confident and feel they are not alone."

"I want to empower parents to make good decisions for their children," she said.

Moms on Call has helped Coty Melvin of Towne Lake feel confident in raising her two children.

Mrs. Melvin and her husband, Jeffrey, attend BridgePointe Church with Mrs. Walker and heard about her company through friends at church.

"My husband called her and said 'My wife is in desperate need' of help,'" Mrs. Melvin recalled.

Mrs. Melvin has two children, a 2-year-old daughter named Riley and an 11-month-old daughter, Rowen.

Mrs. Melvin said Riley had discipline problems that made going to the grocery store "an absolute nightmare."

Riley was defiant, wasn't taking naps during the day and any form of discipline Mrs. Melvin tried on her own wasn't working, she said.

Mrs. Walker "came to the rescue" and helped the Melvins change how they interacted with their children in public.

After taking advice from Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Melvin said she saw an immediate change in her daughter's behavior.

Their trip to the grocery store after the first session "was enjoyable," she said.

Now, she said, she's less stressed out and is more relaxed about parenting. She's also realized that every parent struggles with something, and it's OK to ask for help.

"I feel like a new mom," she said. "I enjoy parenting much more now."