Overwhelmed re: choosing products

[simpsongal]

Okay, I'm ready to give up.  I read through a few chapters in "Baby Bargains" on strollers, cribs, car seats, etc. and my brain is mush.  I managed to pass the bar exam and get through law school, yet I can't seem to distill the amount of information in this book.  It's not even as simple as selecting a type of product, it's choosing your approach.  Infant car seat w/base, convertible car seat?  Or how about a travel system? (which I think has an infant car seat?)

How about a crib?  I think I want a white one, mid-range quality to last a few kids.  Do people still buy white cribs?  Because JCP has like 3, and Buy Buy Baby had 1-2 ugly ones.

What's worse, the book says it's best to wait on purchasing several items (e.g., non-infant strollers, breast pumps) until after the baby arrives, so you'll know your needs.  That's just great for those of us having showers and trying to get everything ready before baby.

I'm also vexed by the fact that everyone seems to register online but the book says to go to the store and try things out. 

vent/plea for moms in the same boat - over.

[thejackpot]

Why don't you find a few things you want to tackle and do them and go back at another sitting and do more until you finish all categories. It can certainly be overwhelming. As for the crib, just get a style that you like....envision how you want the room to look and go with that. Travel systems are often bulkier than other stroller options but they are convenient. (I would go into a store and push a few strollers and try to close them too)
ALso if you have a friend who has a little one have them help you through the registering process.

[winemaker06]

Sorry I'm not actual help, but I'm right there with you!
First thing I learned was, don't just sit down and read that book. I'm an avid reader, and it goes against everything I want to do but, I think it's much better as a reference.
So I started obsessing over one thing at a time. Right now my 'thing' is cribs, so I only read that section. And I'll research the crap out of them until I make up my mind, then move on.

I want a white crib! All of our bedroom furniture is white. I just think it looks clean, or something. I haven't completely decided if I want a white crib if we have a boy.. (I'm only 10 weeks). But I don't think you're completely alone there.
Unfortunately my options are constricted by a super-tiny nursery, so a white IKEA crib with a small footprint is probably my best option. So boring.

But try to avoid overload and focus on one thing at a time!

[Deleted]

There should be a sticky here or on MMM with what people like, buy, and register for so we can use it for reference or just copy it. I am also totally overwhelmed with the gadgets and things and I haven't even started looking.

[Velar Fricative]

I'm a research librarian so I dug pretty deep into researching baby gear, especially for our tiny nursery and apartment. I would dwell all day, and then the next day I would step back and that would help give me a clearer picture on what to pick. You'll drive yourself nuts if you spend all day, every day doing intense research. Ultimately, you'll just know what the right decision is. And for many of my decisions I thought, "Why the hell did I even bother spending time on this???"

I will say though, the Baby Bargains book did help me immensely because it would outline the best choices for particular lifestyles. I am an apartment-dweller in a walk-up apartment complex in a large city, and they would point out best options for people like me. So that really helped.

[natablue]

I'm overwhelmed to, particularly on strollers. I've been reading tons of reviews, but as far as trying them out, I only have a Toys R Us and a Target near me, and the Target strollers are bolted to the shelf. How am I supposed to pick one if I can't play around with it?

I haven't been to TRU yet to see if you're able to demo them yet.

Any of you have the Graco Fast Action Fold Jogger Click Connect?

[Jalapeñomel]

I hated registering, and I hate looking at all the products. Too overwhelming.


As for the stroller we went for a lightweight one, because we are up one flight of stairs, plus the subway.

[2curlydogs]

I've seen several lovely rooms using a white crib. Get which one you like. I know the Graco Lauren (which we got for B) comes in White.

I'm very much a touch-see-feel person, so we went to BRU and harassed sales associates for a couple hours when we registered.  They were actually very very helpful.  The advice I liked the most was "Start with the big stuff at the back of the store and work your way forward.  If you start with the accessories/bottles/etc. - which are all up front - you'll quickly become overwhelmed".

As for stroller - we got the Graco Metrolite. I know people on TB sneer at travel systems and strollers that cost under $300, but it's served us very well in the last 2+ years.  The best thing is it weighs under what most airlines now require for gate checks, so we can still have a decent-ish sized stroller vs. an umbrella stroller when we travel.  We do also have a hand-me-down jogging stroller that we use for "off-road".  But I've found the metrolite to be very easy to push/steer.  FOR US - the make or break was an adjustable handle that didn't make either of us bend over to use. We're tall and this one had a handle that adjusted high enough that even my 6'5" husband can use it comfortably (most strollers are designed for people about 5'5").

[AlpineSlide]

We're going with a white crib. It's a Davinci Jenny Lind. I think its classic!

I'm totally overwhelmed about car seats and strollers. Like I want to bury my head in the sand and ignore all the choices.

[2curlydogs]

Oh. And I had the same debate on infant vs. convertible. We ended up going with Infant and, honestly, I'd strongly recommend that route. When they're that little and fall asleep in the car, it's so nice to be able to just pick up the whole damn seat and plonk that in their crib vs. trying to get them out of the seat without waking them. :S

[Deleted]

It doesn't actually matter that much.

Seriously. Your baby will survive if you don't end up with the perfectly optimized stroller solution. You can buy things after the baby arrives. Register for some stuff at a variety of price points. When in doubt, return everything with a receipt for gift cards and use those to buy as you go after the baby arrives.

Plenty of people do zero research and have babies that are fine. They might have to struggle with a buckle or work 1% harder to give a bath, but the payback in not stressing about purchases is probably worth it.

[simpsongal]

Thanks all! This is all good advice - including the advice about a sticky. I'll pick one thing at a time, use the BB book as a reference, and know that at the end of the day, the crib will function as will the other stuff regardless of brand.

I have self medicated with Elevation burger, fries, and a vanilla malt. Feeling much better!

[KKD]

Choosing baby gear IS overwhelming! It's ridiculous how much I stressed over it my first pregnancy. I made spreadsheets and everything! The stroller was a particularly difficult decision for me.

Ultimately, what I did was use the Baby Bargains recommendations to guide me when registering in-store, and then I filled in some items online. When you register online, you just have to be careful not to select too many items that are available online only, as some people (ahem, my mother) prefer shopping in-store.

For the items you specified:

1. infant car seat: I highly recommend getting one. It makes it so much easier, especially with newborns who sleep all the time, when you can take the carrier out of the car and bring it inside or transfer it to the stroller without waking the baby. If both you and your H will be driving with the baby, get a second base for his car as well. I have a Graco SnugRide.

2. convertible car seat: I received a Britax Marathon from our registry and was glad not to have to buy it myself when our first outgrew her infant seat around a year. The downside of buying or receiving it a year before you actually need it is that it's one less year you'll get out of it before it expires.

3. travel system: I avoided one of these because I heard that many parents give up on these strollers once the baby outgrows the infant seat, because they tend to be bulky (or at least they were when I was researching them six years ago) and not as practical as non-travel system strollers. Like I said, I really struggled with the stroller decision because I didn't want to end up with three or four different strollers. I ultimately decided on a BOB Revolution (with a car seat adapter) and a Maclaren Quest, and a BOB Revolution Duallie when we had our second. I love and still use all of those strollers; the BOBs are our everyday/running strollers, and the Maclaren is small and lightweight enough for me to keep in the car for quick shopping trips. I don't think there's any reason to avoid registering for or buying a non-infant stroller now; unlike car seats, they don't have expiration dates. It's true that you might not REALLY know your needs until after the baby gets here, but you may be able to guess. If you live in an apartment, you may want a lightweight stroller. If you're a runner, you may want a jogging stroller. If you plan to have a second baby soon, you may want a stroller like a phil&ted's with an option to add a double kit later.

4. crib: I don't see any reason not to buy a white crib; I probably would have opted for white or dark wood if we had bought one, but we ended up using a ::gasp:: hand-me-down crib from a relative. Have you looked at IKEA cribs? I know they have white cribs, but I don't remember if they still need smaller mattresses.

5. breast pump: You may be able to get one through your insurance, so I would look into that first. Otherwise, I think this would have been the only thing I might have considered waiting to buy until after the baby is here, as you can't be sure if breastfeeding will work out for you, but I was able to use one from a relative so I didn't need to worry about buying or registering for it. It certainly is a big expense that would be nice to receive as a gift! My sisters and I bought one for my other sister before she had her baby last year; I made sure that we would have been able to return it if it was unopened.

As for the swings and bouncers and exersaucers and high chairs out there, I think they are all similar enough that you could pick one you like and feel good about it (though I do recommend the FP cradle swing, and I'm excited to see how this baby likes the FP rock 'n play which wasn't around for my first two). Pack 'n plays do not need all those extra bells and whistles which only take up space when you actually need to pack it. Oh, and I highly recommend an Ergo carrier!

[redpenmama]

It's completely overwhelming.

We have a white crib. We used it for DD and (gasp!) we are now using white for a boy. Got it at JCP.

I agree that it's good to go look at things in store before registering, but it's probably not possible to register for everything in store because there's just so much more available online. I would look at car seats, strollers, etc. in store and fill your registry in as needed online.

[countthestars]

We have a white crib - I think it's a Graco Sarah.

Definitely get an infant seat and base. I have the Graco Snugride 35 and really like it. I have the stroller that PP posted - it's really heavy but it's nice and we like it for walks in our neighborhood. I have a Snap and Go in my car for out and about.

We tried out a lot of stuff in BRU and still returned and exchanged lots of stuff. Registering for a little at a time helped me. Also, ask for recs here and on MMM! Additionally, I found it helpful to look at other people's registries to see if there was anything I was missing.

[fortnightlily]

Ditto the Lucie's List recommendation. Sign up on the website and she'll send you a link to her registry cheat sheet. I cross-checked that against Baby Bargains and then good old Amazon reviews. The only thing we looked at in person at Buy Buy Baby is strollers, because I just couldn't fathom the difference between a $300 one and a $700 one.

I haven't been yet, but I've also heard that the staff at Great Beginnings is super helpful in helping you navigate gear.

[VillainV]

My sister and her husband are super-neurotic about reading all the reviews and buying the "right" everything. It almost cripples them from buying ANYTHING because they're so afraid of making the wrong decision. When she was pregnant with my nephew (he's 2 now), they scoured Baby Bargains first, then went to a Buy Baby Buy in their area. The salespeople there were super-helful, and let them try a few carseats out in their car (where it became clear that a few they were thinking about just weren't going to work), try to collapse strollers one-handed and put them in the trunk, etc. Just by talking to the sales-people and trying/looking at things in person made their decisions a lot easier. If you have a big baby store in your area, it might be worth doing this -- or might even be worth a little bit of a drive one day.

[BaliHai]

Late to this, but I wanted to tritto the Lucie's List rec. Sometimes I think too much information is a bad thing, at least for me, (ie- Baby Bargains; my sister swore by it and I know it's a good book, but it gave me so much anxiety to flip through), and so we skipped that entirely and went by LL's registry cheat sheet. It was pretty straightforward and gave just a few recommendations per category, which made it easy to narrow down. Our Amazon registry is almost all LL recs, so when we do BRU this weekend it will basically just be "leftovers".

[simpsongal]

Thanks all. I've never heard of Lucie's List. I'll definitely check it out. And great recommendation about the car seat. DH drives a two door hatchback, so finding a seat that fits will be key to that purchasing decision. I think we'll go to Buy Buy Baby tomorrow to start looking in person.

[geek96]

Aug 1, 2013 19:42:19 GMT -5 redpenmama said:

It's completely overwhelming.

We have a white crib. We used it for DD and (gasp!) we are now using white for a boy. Got it at JCP.

I agree that it's good to go look at things in store before registering, but it's probably not possible to register for everything in store because there's just so much more available online. I would look at car seats, strollers, etc. in store and fill your registry in as needed online.

I chose a white crib before I found out what we were having and we are having a boy. The room is small and I wanted it to appear brighter.  I plan to use it for any future children and he can get his own big boy furniture when the time comes.

[Velar Fricative]

It never dawned on me that a white crib could be considered girly.

[jennifertx]

I went to Buy Buy Baby just to look at a few things the other day. The one near me had tons more stuff to play with than BRU, so I would definitely check them out if you have one near you. The salespeople were also very knowledgable and more than willing to take time to show me how to work some of strollers. It definitely made me feel better about my research after talking to them and physically seeing/playing with stuff.

[glauren]

Aug 1, 2013 15:45:29 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I will say though, the Baby Bargains book did help me immensely because it would outline the best choices for particular lifestyles. I am an apartment-dweller in a walk-up apartment complex in a large city, and they would point out best options for people like me. So that really helped.

I totally agree with this - we are in a small-ish 1st floor walk-up in a large city, so I found the book recommendations for small spaces/city living incredibly useful. And I totally agree with @callmefia - once you make a selection, don't look back!

We're getting a white crib for a boy (this one: www.target.com/p/babyletto-mercer-3-in-1-convertible-crib-with-toddler-rail-white/-/A-13439323#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=babyletto+mercer). We tried out strollers at BRU and decided on the Britax B Agile travel system since it was light, easy to fold, and came with the infant seat (www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12974073). As for a convertible car seat, we went with the one recommended in Baby Bargains for smaller cars (www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11468611&prodFindSrc=search).

GL with whatever you decide! 

[halfpint]

Lucie's List is the shit, combined with Baby Bargains.

I just went through the essentials on Lucie's List (stuff you actually need when baby is here) and cross-referenced with the Baby Bargains best buys. I didn't read the whole book - just skip to that section at the end of each segment that tells you good, better, best in each category. The rest is just gravy if you want to know more about a specific brand or item.

Once you have a core list, then you can add on the fun stuff - decor, toys, cutesie hooded towels, blankets, whatever. We also added on things we knew we wouldn't need for a while, like the convertible car seat and high chair, just in case someone was feeling generous (no one was, but oh well!).

[kelle017]

I love the look of white cribs, but it wouldn't have worked with the room and we were given one.

The only thing I was pretty set on was a chicco key fit seat because I'm used to them and they are easy to install.

We skipped the traditional travel system. In part because those strollers dont fit in my trunk and I have 2 nice strollers, city mini and snugli that I won and were given to me brand new. We are either going to get the car seat adaptor or a snap n go frame for the seat.

[redpenmama]

Aug 2, 2013 10:21:56 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

It never dawned on me that a white crib could be considered girly.

Me neither, but so many people on my daughter's board on The Bump acted like a boy in a white crib was against some design rule. I actually prefer white furniture in general (we have it in our bedroom as well) and just bought a white dresser for this nursery this time around. However, there's some anti-white-furniture thing out there.