Registering for your baby shower can be a little overwhelming. And by “a little overwhelming,” I really mean horrifying! There are so many different types of cribs, so many different models of car seats, glass bottles, plastic bottles, plastic bibs, cloth diapers, diaper pails, diaper genies, baby gates, play yards, walkers, bouncers, jumpers and… [breathe] so much more to choose from. How is a mother-to-be expected to choose?
When I started my baby registry, my first instinct was to read product reviews on store websites. I quickly found this to be a bad idea because it seems that the majority of the time, the only reason people take the time to create an account and write a review is because they had a bad experience and wish to publicly rant. It wasn’t uncommon to find a product that had received quite a few positive ratings, but even more negative reviews. Sometimes it was clear that the reviewer was using the product incorrectly, something often referred to in the computer repair industry as “user error.”
A much better option is to talk to other moms in your group of friends, at work, or in your community. Ask them about their personal experience with different baby products. Before you register, you might ask a few moms what their favorite products are: what could they not live without? Another option is to bring a mommy friend with you while you register. As you walk through the store, she’ll be able to point out her favorites and also warn against products that are either not useful or of poor quality.
If you are limited to searching online, look for forums rather than store websites for product reviews. In a forum, people are there to discuss or help, not complain, so opinions will tend to be a little more balanced.
Good luck on your registry!