Car Seats, Cribs & Strollers, Oh My!

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I am terrible at making decisions.  I generally don't like committing to a certain item or certain choice over others, I over-analyze everything to the point of being ridiculous, I am constantly on the look-out for better deals or more advice.... you get the point.  You know how most people will tell you to follow your gut when making decisions?  Well, the thing is that most times I don't have a gut feeling!  Nada.  Niente.  Null.  This makes decision-making an especially hard activity for me.

When I think about it, it's amazing I'm married!  Not only did I choose a life-long partner {talk about commitment! ...though that was the easy part!} but I planned our entire large wedding, from start to finish, endlessly debating over every. single. detail.  Shep will tell you that he remembers the pain of that planning process well.  Though it was a LOT of work, and took a lot of time, I remember it fondly.  Seeing everything come together and seeing all of our guests enjoy themselves so fully was such a treat for me.

So why am I having such a hard time making decisions about what most people would consider simple baby-related material items?  I know I don't have to rely on one stroller until the day I die.  I know a world war won't ensue if I don't choose the exact right paint color.  These things can all, with various degrees of difficulty or cost, be changed!  These are not life or death choices.  But for some reason, although I know that in my head, it's not clicking.

Speaking of life or death choices, since I previously suffered a loss, I am especially focused on "safety" features and the like.  Yes, I absolutely want my baby to be safe and healthy!!!  What I'm having trouble deciphering in my head though is the difference between ACTUAL, meaningful safety differences versus being overly susceptible to sales pitches about such features that I'm having a hard time finding back-up evidence for online.

One example is cribs:  Greenguard vs. JPMA certification.  I understand that Greenguard tests for ~10x the harmful toxins that could potentially be emitted by paint, glue and wood than JPMA.  However, does that warrant the extremely inflated price?  I'm extremely lucky in that I can afford the higher-priced models, but that doesn't mean I want to be suckered into spending money in a way that doesn't actually benefit my baby's health.  The problem is in some cases, there's just no way to know.  The word SIDS is tossed around and suddenly my hubby and I panic and are looking to spend a whole lot of mula on a crib and a dresser.  Then do I need to worry what else I'll be putting in the room???  What's the point of Greenguard-certified crib/mattress/changing pad if I hang a picture frame in the room that has regular wood/paint.  Does that regular photo frame "contaminate" the whole room???  If so, what's the point of the Greenguard crib to begin with.  {Now you see where my mind has been heading...}  I fully realize that most of us were raised in conditions and with furniture that wouldn't even come close to passing safety standards today, but that doesn't mean I don't want to offer my baby as healthy of an environment as possible.

The bottom line is that I am driving my poor hubby CRAZY with my indecision paralysis.  And this is only the beginning!  We haven't even gotten to NAMES or child-rearing decisions that will be lifelong commitments or that will undoubtedly affect our baby's future!  Gulp...

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I blame the existence of too many choices, the use of fear by sales people for marketing purposes, and my hormones.

Decision Gods, please give me a sign!

Does anyone else struggle with making decisions as much as I do???  Please raise your hand if so and share any advice you have of how to actually go about making, and sticking with, a decision!!