Mothers such as Caroline Matsumoto Kauhane of Manoa, who has a 5- and a 7-year-old and is pregnant, and Cindy Okamoto of Mililani, mother of a 4-month-old, said they were eager to see a broadening in O'ahu's baby-product options.

Times, however, have changed, Okamoto said. "I see a big improvement in what's out there."

Translation: Baby retail business in Hawai'i is booming.

Baby-related stores large and small are expanding or opening, designers are setting their sights on the smaller set, and shopping centers are scrambling to add maternity, baby and toddler products to their mix.

Statistics support the trend, though not in a big way — yet. Birth rates for Hawai'i started to climb again in 2002 after a steady decline since 1990, according to the Hawai'i Health Information Corp.

Because many women are waiting longer to have babies — choosing to establish themselves in careers first — there often is more discretionary income to lavish on a little one.

"It's all about the power of the female dollar," said Barbara Pleadwell, a new mom from Palolo Valley.

The biggest addition to the baby-retail scene is USA Baby/Child Space in Waipahu Town Center, which opened last month.

The 10,000-square-foot infant and children's furniture and accessories store stocks everything except clothing, diapers and formula. It carries cribs, rockers, bassinets, dressers, car seats, strollers and changing tables, as well as developmental toys and child-proofing products.

The store is arranged in furnishing vignettes to show parents how their child's room might look.

The local franchise is owned by Valerie King, whose background is in tourism, and her husband, Chris Azevedo, who is experienced in retailing.

King decided to leave the visitor industry "because of all of its peaks and valleys. I felt I needed to do something different."

The couple studied franchise opportunities "from bakeries to pizza" before settling on babies. Their 2-year-old granddaughter was an inspiration. "I have always traveled a lot, and I found I had to shop for her on the Mainland because there was so little here," King said.

Baby Emporium, at 614 Cooke St. in Kaka'ako, also is owned by an entrepreneur but is not a franchise. Owner Tom Kim has no children, so he opened in February 2004 with little merchandise, relying on mothers to tell him what to bring in.

"It's working, because mothers are very opinionated about what they want, and I am going into this without any preconceived notions," said Kim, who previously worked in the automotive industry.

Baby Emporium occupies about 4,000 square feet, but Kim plans to double that when he adds a Kids Emporium upstairs.

He carries a range of vendors including Million Dollar Baby, Baby Bjorn, Maclaren and Peg Perego. All cribs are beechwood, imported from Italy.

On the maternity fashion front, Kahala Kids in the Kahala Mall is morphing its nursery furniture department into "Kahala Mama." Owner Gaye Kaupiko selected the Meet Me in Miami line worn by Sarah Jessica Parker during her pregnancy, as well as other brands.

Makana Mother & Baby, a maternity boutique, began with trunk shows, then rented retail space and opened on weekends only in the University of Hawai'i-Manoa area. Last week, owner Deborah Sharkey opened her first full-time store at Ward Centre near Borders.

She'll test the waters during the holiday season and, after Jan. 15, "I'll see what happens," she said.

Among the lines carried at Makana Mother & Baby are Japanese Weekend, Olian, Belly Basics and Zutano. The new store also will feature Baby K dresses and crib bedding.

The Motherhood Maternity shop in Pearlridge Uptown has expanded, and mothers report that the selection is "much hipper" than it was previously.

Old Navy added maternity to its mix last year, and a maternity section was recently spotted at Kmart.

Little People Hawaii — which carries clothing for infants through size 14, as well as toys, books and collectibles — will open Nov. 28 in Ward Warehouse. Although they've been in business for 12 years with two shops in Waikiki, this will be their first store targeting both residents and tourists.

Parents also are spending more money than ever on their infants and toddlers. Jewelry designers David Yurman and John Hardy are offering baby jewelry at Neiman Marcus.

Kiehl's, an upscale New York-based cosmetics company, also is available at Neiman Marcus. The complete line of baby products is growing as fast as an infant. Kiehl's most recent addition: Baby Lip Balm.

Big Island-based Island Herbals, a home-spun Waimea firm, also is expanding its baby offerings to lotions and salves made with all-natural ingredients, available at Cook's Discoveries in Waimea on the Big Island and at Island Treasures on O'ahu.

Emilia Cazin of Honolulu designs a line called Petite Isle, specializing in mother-daughter matching dresses. She has seen a 25 percent increase in orders during the past year and plans to add a mother-son line for the holiday season.

Petite Isle clothes, which range in size from 2 months to 12 years for kids and extra-small to large for moms, are sold at Sunshine Kids in Waikiki, all Allure shops, Kids World at Aloha Tower Marketplace, and VUE Hawaii and Kahala Kids in the Kahala Mall.

Perhaps the biggest baby boom of all is coming to Ala Moana Center. On Nov. 1, the center will open a block of children's shops on the third level. Shops include Abercrombie Kids, Animation Magic, The Children's Place and Build-A-Bear Workshop. The block also will include a family-friendly restroom.

A prominent local designer is working fast and furiously to introduce her own line of maternity wear; details to be announced.