Getting Ready for Thriller ...

It is common knowledge that the wedding industry has control of whims and wants of brides to be and their families around the world. I did not know, prior to getting pregnant, that the baby industry is in fact as intense if not worse than the wedding industry! And they have a much more serious value proposition: Buy this OR be a bad parent.

Seriously, it has taken me months of virtual nesting, shopping, reading, talking to friends, etc to even begin to get an idea of what is really needed for a newborn. Everyone has a different impression of what works best for them - and there are SO MANY OPTIONS. Every time Morgan and I came to Raleigh to look for houses or for him to work over the summer I would search for the actual store where I could find some answers! Touch, hold, examine and consider. Online shopping has its merits, but it is just not the same.

I went to Baby's R Us. That was disastrous. I was terrified and totally overwhelmed by how much plastic CRAP you "must have" for your baby. (Note all of the plastic crap can be color or patterned coordinated!) The item that struck me the most was the series of plug in or battery powered vibrating chairs or "bouncers." I was told that if you do not have a vibrating chair, your baby will never sleep. You just must have it. WHAT? I walked out of the store totally convinced that if an item was in Baby's R Us, the baby didn't really need it because it all seemed so gross. This was obviously not true, they have some great items at Baby's R Us that are essential and will benefit your child, and a good online selection - but I just can't ever have a reason to go back into that store. Or on their website. I'm afraid.

I went to several local shops in Raleigh, Huntsville and Madison, searching for some clarity on the situation and was continuously turned off by the rude staff, the prices and the stuff ... just stuff ... where is the utility? The necessity? I want Thriller to have everything he/she needs and could even want - but I needed someplace to start that made sense.

Family, friends, articles, online resources and most recently our Bradley class started to tie things together. Morgan and I decided to go with a quality over quantity approach. Research clearly indicates that having an organic sleeping environment is better for the baby, so that gave us a place to start. Similarly we know that avoiding BPA and or PVC is beneficial for the baby - so we have tried to find feeding and other options that are free of these toxins. There are a LOT of online resources that meet our criteria and I feel that we have become educated baby consumers.

There is an online store that is local to Raleigh, called growgreenbaby.com. Finding this resource was nice because it met our criteria for organics and non-toxic AND is locally based. However, I have still been searching for a local shop - a storefront - where I could talk to a person. Where just maybe I could touch something in my hands to see if it felt right - or if the color was actually what it looked like online.

And alas, yesterday I finally found my spot.

GreenPea Nursery (greenpeanursery.com)

Where have you been all my pregnancy?

I had a staff person listen to me, give me options, show me a selection, let me touch things, talk to me about my needs and how to make solutions in the most cost effective manner. I love this store! NOT ONLY does it have an awesome, educated "green" selection of baby products, tons of information about making the healthiest environment for your child, but they actually also offer SERVICE (something that we know is rare). They are online and in person and I love them.

They do not offer everything I need - and I will still rely on our online resources for a great deal - but I feel so confident in what they do have! And in their answers! It is local, tangible, real, and genuine.

Finally, someplace that makes some sense to this consumer. I guess we all have different wants needs and having so many options has totally changed our retail economy. But I was really beginning to feel like the odd mama to be out here - no place to feel good about getting ready for the baby. I just felt guilty for wanting "stuff" and like the entire industry was trying to trick me. I had no confidence in making the right decisions. But no more!