Baby baths, swings, playpens, play mats, monitors, changing tables, baby-wipe warmers, baby perfumes. Baby perfumes?

The amount of baby gear available to parents today is enough to shock your great-grandmother right out of her shoes. The number of products targeted at parents is comparable with the amount of free advice. Well, almost.

Still, the assortment of things for infants and toddlers can be mind-blowing. How do you decide what you and your baby need? "The first thing you need is a car seat," says Barbara Morgan, who has owned The Kidz Shoppe in San Jose, Calif., for more than 10 years. "If you don't have clothes, you can wrap them in towels. But you can't take them home from the hospital without a car seat."

Your philosophy and your budget are going to be the starting point for thinking about your needs. Some parents avoid anything that comes between them and their babies: playpens, cribs, swings and even strollers are eschewed so that the baby can be held as much as possible.

Other parents, however, think that gear and gadgets make baby-rearing easier. Especially if one parent is frequently home alone, it can be necessary to put the baby down in something safe and confining.

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