I've always been a planner. Especially when I'm really excited about something. I spent the first half of my pregnancy anxious and terrified I would miscarry. But around my twentieth week, I started allowing myself to start reading up on baby gear and registries. What followed was a frenzy of research into the things I would need when the baby comes. I would spend hours searching through a "Baby Bargains" book from a friend and other websites, finding ratings on gliders, pack and plays and bouncers. Some things I now look back on and laugh over how important it seemed to get the "best" of something, even as simple as a diaper bag. Here are five things I went overboard on researching:
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1. Car seats
Obviously safety was the main priority. And car seats are a big deal. But still. This was intimidating to research. Apparently different models install differently depending on the car you have. Certain ones seemed like a good option, until I would discover they wouldn't work equally in both of our cars. I had to Google, "What the hell is a LATCH system?" and once I understood, had to crawl into my backseat to see what would work. And obviously I'd want one that was easy to install and clean.
2. Strollers
I don't know why I spent so much time trying to find that one stroller. I mean, it's a stroller. It has wheels and a basket for the baby. But apparently, people have differing opinions on the type of wheel, accessories, and hoods. Once I had some narrowed down hours later, I realized that if you wanted an infant car seat to fit in there in Baby's first months, you had to get one that had an adaptor for your specific car seat. So there you go.
3. Crib mattresses
Notice I didn't say crib. No, the thing I have been frantically researching is actually the part the baby sleeps on. Coil mattress or foam? Does it matter? As I started looking at the websites of stores that carried them, I found most were a combination of the two. Discovering how important it was to have a firm mattress, made me start obsessing over other places baby would sleep and if they were up to par as well. Why do we do this to ourselves?
4. Baby carriers
One of my friends blessed me with her Tula to use when the baby comes, complete with the infant insert. So it's not like I really need to register for another carrier. Except have you seen all the different carriers out there? There are wraps that probably involve multiple YouTube sessions to learn, sling carriers, hip carriers, and combination ones that let you carry baby however you want. I've heard some moms say their babies scream in one carrier and fall asleep peacefully in another. I decided to go with one that has four different positions to carry baby in. Because, choices.
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5. Diaper bags
Ok, let me back this by saying that I am a purse girl. I love the purses. Big ones, small ones, minimalistic or lots of pockets. I love them all. So can you see my dilemma having to choose one diaper bag? One that will be attached to my hip whenever leaving the house? I'm still undecided on this one.
What type of baby gear did you research obsessively while planning your registry?
