After much research we were surprised to discover that not all baby things are made equal!
Just like Ferraris and Hermes bags, the baby world also has it's exacting standards for the uber chic.
To sum it up...all the cool Mums have these:
- Bugaboo stroller (and not just the Bugaboo Bee but the Cameleon mind you! Top of the range)
900 EUROS (SG$1890)
The Limited Edition Denim version costs even more...and of course, my friend Christy (also a first time mum) who just gave birth to her daughter 2 weeks ago, bought one.
- Baby Bjorn front pack
150 EUROS (SG$315)
- STOKKE crib (in walnut no less!)
700 EUROS (SG$1470)
Not only do these babyssentials come with astronomical price tags, (the Bugaboo costs more than a round-trip plane ticket from Singapore to Paris), but they are seemingly justified by experts. For example, the Bugaboo is supposed to have the best safety, suspension and cushioning on the market. Perfect when U need to stroll with your baby in sleet, snow or sand. Or just skim over bumpy potholed city streets, latte in hand. Well for THAT price, I'd expect it to come with dual airbags too!
BUT NONETHELESS, first time parents as we are....we want the best for our little bebe.
So just before we left for France 3 weeks ago, we trundled along to one of the hip kiddy stores in Kanyon to place our order and deposit for the Bugaboo. We checked out the display model top to toe, tried out the brakes and suspension. After all, we were about to buy the Rolls Royce of baby strollers! We chose our colours - Red and Sable. Then suddenly JF had an illumination in the store - HEY we were going to France! I get a 13% tax-free refund there. So we decided to buy it in France.
The very next day......my friend Bonnie calls to tell me she has other stuff to sell....specifically, baby stuff. (She was moving out of Istanbul and I had agreed to buy her vaccum cleaner for 80 YTL, cos Amelia Bedelia, our doofus ex-maid had broken ours...together with the fan etc.)
The short of it is...we ended up buying Bonnie's 5-year-old Bebe Confort stroller for 250 YTL. (125 EUROS) Ok, it's a well-known French brand, the stroller is well-made and in perfect conditon, it folds easily AND she threw in all the accessories, but I can't help but feel WRACKED WITH GUILT!!!!!!
AAAAAAACKS!!! Who buys 2nd-hand stuff for their FIRSTBORN?? Does this make me a bad parent?
I literally have been having bad dreams about it since then. (Just last night I dreamt I was pushing our baby around and all the other mums were laughing at me cos I was the ONLY one without a Bugaboo.
JF tried to rationalise with me and we talked it over again and again. All the money saved from NOT buying the Bugaboo would go towards other nice things for Baby or even a diving trip for us.
But to make things worse, when we were in Paris, I saw so many Bugaboos!! Plus, JF's brother also has all the cool baby stuff for Carla. A STOKKE stroller (also 900 EUROS), Baby Bjorn frontpack and a STOKKE highchair (now that she can sit up and feed herself).
So we set out to at least buy a Baby Bjorn, but after trying it out with other rival models, we ended choosing a Tomy, The Tomy frontpack was a mere 30 EUROS less than the Baby Bjorn, but JF felt the Tomy would be more comfortable for Baby.
So now we're Bugaboo and Baby Bjorn-less!
And what do I see in all the French parenting magazines?
"Les Mamans Glamour ont le Bugaboo pousette, Baby Bjorn "carrier-bebe", lit STOKKE (crib) et le biberon Dior (Dior baby bottle)"
AAAAACCCCCCCKS! I feel absolutely BAD now. Have I truly fallen into the parent trap?
When I was a baby, I think I slept in a sarong hung from the celing, rolled around in a ratty green mesh stroller but at least had Marks & Sparks undies.
So how come I feel so malu that my kid will be Bugaboo and Bjorn-less??
Well at least I'm proud to say I've bagged some fab Petit Bateau gear for Baby Chassin while we were in France. Whoever heard of a French baby without Petit Bateau togs?
