Now you know roughly what you need, how do you decide on what to get?

This is hard - really hard. I've found shopping for a car easier than shopping for a pram. Then there are things like breast pumps. How does one select a vacuum cleaner for their partners fun bags? How do you look out for bargains, and where are the good reviews? I've been on the hunt and have found a few places to look and have some thoughts.



There are four things I consider with any purchase I'm going to make: Safety, practicality, price and durability. Safety rates highest, then I look for bang for buck which takes into account the other three, depending on the item.

Let's talk about prams. When you haven't had to use a pram before - like we haven't - the range of prams is daunting. Luckily there are websites/publications like Choice and the blogs that have reviews, buying guides, and lots of people expressing their opinions on a particular model. The main things I've found is - how small it folds (to fit in the boot), how light it is (for the least strongest to be able to put it in the boot), how easy it is to up/collapse one handed (when you've got a baby in the other hand) and is the handle height adjustable - which is handy not just for the height difference between you and your partner, but if bubbykins is in the pram and you're sitting on the couch pushing the pram back and forth to get the to settle.

Oh yeah, not all prams are suitable from birth either. Also, you very well may need two of them, especially if you like going for long walks. It turns out that some prams are good for the shops (small, light, high maneuverability) and some are better for walking/running and outdoorsy stuff. The difference here is the wheel size. You've probably seen the prams that are pretending to be tractors with the huge wheels. The reason they're big isn't because they've been on "Pimp my ride", it's because the wheels roll better over rough terrain. The small wheels on the other hand are good in the shops, being unobtrusive and lighter.

I read an article in the local paper saying that prams are fashion accessories in some circles. I cannot see the point of spending more on a pram than I did my first car. It's nonsense! Sales, Ebay and markets are good places to pick up a bargain.

Car seats are another hard one. Especially trying to find something that is safe. Luckily I found a program that has done some testing of the safety of child restrains. It's called (unsurprisingly) the Child Restraint Evaluation Program. You can see their latest results (Feb. 2009) here.

What is less good is the testing isn't done regularly enough, which allows some companies to make claims that are unverified by independent third parties. One example is a reputable brand is advertising it's reversible car seat as the safest in Australia. Who says? Well, the manufacturer does. It doesn't exactly instill great faith, does it? Now the seat in question is very popular, and the marketing message of "safest" is happily parroted by reviewers. But just because it's said often enough, doesn't make it true.

There is also the option of capsules. Some councils and companies rent these out for a reasonable amount. They appear practical for the first few months as most capsules are two part where one bit locks into the other, so you can take baby out without disturbing them, and vice versa. Also, a friend's (hi Greg) relative works at a university crash test centre and his feedback is that capsules are by far the safest option in those first few months.

I should mention that there is a really good website I use for scouring the catalogs for specials. It's called Lasoo. I'm not sure how they do it, but Lasoo plugs a bunch of catalogs into their system as they come in, then you can search on particular items - like prams! :) You can also set alerts so when the super funky pimped out lowered pram with extractors comes on special the guys at Lasoo will send you an email to tell you about it. Magic!

Lastly, a friend (Thanks Lil!) told me about another second hand baby thingy that's not a market, more like a second hand shop that's held in a hall. So a cross between a second hand shop and a market I guess. I might go check it out this weekend. These guys are known as Kids Recycle Works. If you've checked them out before, please comment below and let us know what they're like.