Baby Blog

Like most savvy cyber first time moms I am signed up to every major online newsletter regarding babies, baby toys, baby development, baby food and all things baby. Well maybe a few extra because I write a couple of blogs about baby stuff but still, I know I’m not alone. Besides receiving information on development and the latest organic baby cereals I am inundated with recall information.

Toy recalls. Crib recalls. Gear recalls. Food recalls. Clothing Recalls. Medication recalls.

Recalls. Recalls. Recalls. They never seem to stop and every one seems to add to the constantly growing pile of mommy worry. So how do you weed out what’s worth panicking over and what you can just push from your mind in order to get on with the day?

My advice is mail in your warranties.  Most of the baby gear you purchase these days comes with something to mail back to the company.  This gets you on the company’s radar and if something you have purchased gets recalled, they’ll let you know. I actually mailed in a warranty for something a few years back and received a rebate check after the product was recalled years later. Always take a few minutes to mail those cards back in.

Get to know the companies you purchase products from before and after buying and try to stick to a few companies. I try to buy all my food products from one or two companies so I can keep track of any issues that may arise. The same goes for medications, utensils, plates, high chairs, car seats and toys. The only place I make major compromises is in clothing. My penchant for the thrift store takes over here but I do check every item’s place of origin and the quality of seams, buttons, zippers and accessories.

So what about those e-mail alerts in your inbox telling you to read the latest recall report with its hundreds upon hundreds of new product warnings? Read it once on the consumer safety website and then sign up for updates only. That way you only have to read new information and not try to skim through old information while you try to get the day started and the baby dressed.

So what am I saying? You can’t avoid recall information but you can narrow down the amount you let into your life. The fewer companies you use, the less you have to worry. If you haven’t given birth yet and need something to do? Get your company research out of the way now and save yourself a lot of hassle in the future. No matter what, the market is always buyer beware. Just don’t let yourself become ensnared in the post consumer world of recalls. They don’t all pertain to you.

Just breathe.