As a new mother, you are not told how difficult it is going to be for the first six weeks. Everyone tells you how wonderful it will be, that you won't get much sleep in the beginning, and that it will be very difficult, but no one says to you that the first six weeks will be horrible, and then all of a sudden it will get easier.

You need items that you have never even used before, and if you know anybody who has ever raised, carried, or even seen a child before, they have an opinion for you about how you should raise yours. You read an insane amount of articles before the birth about other people's birth experiences, your own fears multiply incrementally, and you start to wonder what in the world you were thinking, wanting to have a baby.

When you start focusing on what you need for the baby, you go to a number of stores, read more articles, and test out merchandise. It's interesting that people tell you to test out merchandise before you have the baby. You don't know what it's going to be like to have a baby, you are relying on salespeople and other articles to find out what you might "need" and yet, you're testing items.

The people who help you in the stores are often individuals who have never had children, either, so that isn't especially helpful. They may carry the merchandise in these stores, but they aren't always the best price, and they aren't always the only items that are out there, just the ones that this particular well-known chain store chooses to carry.

So where else can you go?

You are always sure to find an endless amount of stores on the internet, but calling them to find out information isn't always feasible. Many of them do not have 800 numbers, or a toll-free solution to reach them.

Out of all the items you need for a baby, probably the most tested and yet most controversial item is a stroller. There are several manufacturers, every manufacturer produces at least five or so strollers, and you need to select at least one for your baby and family needs. Do you need a travel system, which holds both a car seat and a stroller, what are the weight limits, do you have more than one child who will need to sit or stand on the stroller, how long has this stroller been produced, has it been recalled, and so on.

One of the best answers is to consult a toll free directory. You can call different locations again and again, not only to ask them the questions you want to, questions that will come up after testing the strollers, and after hearing other questions pop into your head talking with other parents about their stroller, but also to compare prices.

You would be surprised to find that the stroller price itself may not vary substantially from retailer to retailer, but for the effort, and using an 800 number, you could easily save yourself a significant amount of money in shipping costs. Even your local well-known chain store charges significant costs to ship items to you, and if you compare prices, you are sure to find that the shipping costs are worked into the in-store cost.

Using an on-line retailer, even with photos, does not tell you much of the information you will find relevant for your purposes, including what do others say about this product, have there been many returns, and if so, what do they purchase instead? Make sure you get all your questions answered by the retailer you find on your 800 number directory. You can call as many times as you want, and you may also save a significant amount of money. At least enough to buy one more month's worth of diapers.