Mums-to-be waste around £200 on baby buys they didn’t need

Despite tougher times, mums-to-be are not being careful with their cash, wasting an average of £200 each on items they just didn’t need.

In preparation for a baby, 86 per cent of mums started to stock up products they thought they might need.

But in hindsight, 43 per cent admitted to buying too much.

The research from Bounty found the average new mother is spending a whopping £700 on baby products.

According to their statistics, the top ten least useful baby buys were:

1. Air purifier
2. Video monitor
3. Baby DVD
4. Room humidifier
5. Designer pram / pushchair
6. Changing bin
7. Room thermometer
8. Feeding pillow
9. Sound and movement monitor
10. Baby bath stand
And the top ten were:
1. Nappies
2. Baby grows
3. Wet wipes
4. Pram or pushchair
5. Baby vest
6. Bottles
7. Cot
8. Changing mat
9. Bedding
10. Car seat
Spokesperson for Bounty.com, Sally J. Hall warns parents that they should buy products to suit their lifestyle and income, rather than following marketed ‘baby lists’.

She said: “Each child is different too – if you have a placid, calm baby that sleeps through the night you might not be as concerned about checking the temperature of the room and the air purification every five minutes.”

Bounty has used the information to launch The Bounty Baby Product Guide, which will be distributed to first time mums during their pregnancy.

Chopsy Baby Comment:

It’s worth remembering that different products will suit different lifestyles. What may suit one person may not suit another. However, as parents ourselves, we found both a video monitor and body support/feeding pillow incredibly useful. Both will last you through the toddler years for various different uses.

A body support/feeding cushion is great for pregnant mothers with SPD. It can then be used as a feeding support cushion and when your baby is learning to sit up on the floor.

A video monitor is great for keeping an eye on a baby sleeping in a different part of the house. It is also useful for keeping an eye on mischievous toddlers at play. It is great for peace of mind during travel, when children may be sleeping in a different room.