Mum to be panic: 1

Today I have been mostly worrying about prams.

I've been reviewing all the baby stuff we have to buy and most of it seems fairly obvious and straight forward. Socks for example. I completely understand the purpose and use of socks and how to buy socks. Baby socks are causing me no strain whatsoever.

Prams are a different matter. WTF is going on with prams? They are the most complicated things in the baby universe. I consider myself an averagely intelligent person but each visit I make to a pram website turns me into a nervous gibbering wreck. The descriptions of them rival those of the most complicated cars. For example this one.

Contemporary elegance and true style delivers the presige collection. With close attention to detail and a wide range of textile combinations the prestige is the perfect start in a secure environment. Developed for children from birth to approx 3 years. The prestige provides the highest level of security, practicality, comfort and style. As a travel system, the prestige has a complete range of matching tailored car seats (available extra).

Erm OK.

It's not just the flowery descriptions, its the technical terminology that goes with it that leaves me in a flummoxed sweat.

The luxurious carrycot has many features such as locking rails, ventilated carrycot base and integral air vent installed in the hood for summer strolls. 

I can grasp the concept of a ventilated carrycot base but what the heck are locking rails?

What further distresses me is that prams often appear to be sold without certain things you need. Some prams for example you need to buy the rain cover separately. Now this strikes me as a bit mean on the part of the manufacturer but hey, at least I can determine what a rain cover is and whether or not I want one (living in the Sahara Desert, probably not, living in the UK, absolutely).

However some appear to be sold without parts that I don't even know if I need. For example this buggy is sold without a 'chassis' although we are reassured that we can buy one separately if needs be.

Nowhere from the website however can I determine what a 'chassis' actually is, whether or not I need one or if the whole pram will fall apart without it.

So at the moment I gear myself up mentally to look at prams, look at a few for five minutes, determine I have no idea what I am looking at and wish I was a marsupial, then retreat to bed to rest my weary nerves.

Or look at baby socks.