We’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes on what to expect when you’re expecting: a lot of questions and a lot of answers. You’ll have all the questions and all the answers will come from family, friends, strangers and your incredibly confusing pal, the Internet who has millions of results for every “what do I need…” and “best baby [fill-in-the-blank]s” you Google. One woman set out to help new moms battle info fatigue and figure out what to buy when they’re expecting in one website: Cricket’s Circle.
“Cricket” is the friend with the answers, and not in the annoying know-it-all way like some of your other friends. But in the *nods head knowingly* “Girl, I’ve been there” sage advice, no pressure kinda way. The inspiration for the site came from founder and CEO Rachel Blumenthal’s own first pregnancy experience and her quest for the “I’m Having a Baby, What Do I Need?!” master list.
You tailor your master list using Cricket’s picks for you with the option to browse other favorites and pull in Facebook friends if you need a second opinion. Cricket has already done the work of whittling down the billions of baby and new mom products into their top three picks in every imaginable category. Still a lot, but you are bringing a new life into this world after all. The site is organized into an encyclopedia for the expectant that not only lists what to buy (sunscreen) but why (babies’ sensitive skin, aw) like in the screenshot below.
Organize your list based on what you want to buy, borrow or register for, then come back after your bundle of joy has been born to rate and dish on how everything worked for you.
Like a social network for moms-to-be and a Yelp specifically to yay or nay pregnancy and baby goodies, Cricket connects you with your Facebook friends while encouraging its own community to share advice, support and shop. There’s even a cute blog that posts helpful lifehacks, interviews with famous moms and cute “timesucks” to click through — like these feet selfies we cooed over. By the sounds of it, you might just need to invite Cricket to your next brunch.
Would you try Cricket? What was the best “what to buy” advice you received while pregnant?