Online shopping has become our biggest convenience, but can also be our hugest headache. As of 2024, I turned 30 and a first time mom. I had a clueless husband, an estranged family, and friends I saw about once a year. In the 9 months of preparation for my, stress-inducing but heart filling beauty, I stayed home as often as I could. Prenatal depression hit me hard at around month 5, prime nursery planning time. I'll never forget how it happened. We were coming home from our most anticipated ultrasound appointment- our baby's gender reveal. I never felt so many flurries in my heart and stomach, my cheeks hurt from the smile that plastered on my face that entire morning. Though the moment we wrapped up, and were sent on our way with an envelope I've been eager to tear open. I began to bawl, and it didn't stop until month 9. During my depths of depression, I shopped online endlessly. I scoured the internet for everything I needed, day in and day out. I refused to let my avoidance of the outside world be felt by my unborn blessing. My husband was working entry level at the time, due to a career shift he made at the beginning of his 30s (we've all been there, and if you haven't buckle up!) Therefore we weren't as financially prosperous as we hoped to be welcoming our first. I often found myself gawking at the prices. After spending at least three hundred hours scrolling through various baby bundle sites; all that claim they have "your best interest at heart"...I realized most of it is a scam. Our precious gift of life bearing comes with intense emotional and mental tribulations. Ones that these companies prey on to overwhelm us with choice and increase their benefit and not our families. Childcare for them is an industry. Childcare for us is a spiritual, lifelong commitment. That begins with a screaming baby who requires an enormous amount of love, attention, and care. To reduce stress, that leads to unhappy parenting, which leads to an emotional stunned baby (what we are all trying to avoid). At The Modern Mama, we consistently scour the internet to find only the essential, most affordable, modern technology that makes the early stages of our blessing's life run smoother, and calmer. From one modern family to another, we offer only our personally tested, and sourced products. Here are the things that got my husband and I through the first two years...