Ten things you should buy for your baby (and ten that are a waste of cash)

BRINGING up baby certainly isn’t cheap, but new parents can save a small fortune by avoiding products they won’t actually use, researchers claim.

In fact, a typical family could find themselves more than £400 better off by choosing baby equipment more selectively.

Research by the consumer group Which? suggests steering clear of ten ‘don’t buys’ will free up cash for more important items.

The list includes bouncers designed to dangle a baby in a door-

‘There’s too much pressure to buy’

way – making it virtually impossible to get in and out.

Baby washing bowls, cot mobiles, baby reins and fabric slings or carriers used to snuggle an infant to its parent’s chest may be desirable, but they are certainly not necessary.

Also surplus to requirements are Bumbo seats, which gently restrain babies as they sit on the floor, swaddling blankets and manual breast pumps.

The ‘ don’t buys’ were suggested by more than 2,000 parents, who were asked for the benefit of their experience.

Richard Headland, editor of Which? magazine, said: ‘When you are expecting, deciding which products to buy is one of many big and costly decisions you need to make.

‘Our advice is to choose carefully as there are products that will make life with a newborn that much easier, and those you can probably do without and save money.’

To help new parents choose wisely, Which? has compiled a list of ten items it says parents really do need to make life easier – and, more importantly, safer for their child.

The most important is a stair gate to prevent falls, followed by an audio baby monitor and steam steriliser kits for bottles.

The list also includes a digital ear thermometer to check for a fever, a baby bouncer for the floor and a changing unit to take the pain out of putting on a nappy.

Parents spend around £1,370 for each new baby – or more than £425million a year in Britain, according to a study by the insurer Aviva.

It also revealed that six in ten new parents bought items that were hardly or never used.

A spokesman said: ‘Having a baby is a hugely exciting time, so it’s understandable that people want to splash out and make everything perfect for their new arrival. However, the majority of people admit to spending money on items they could have done without.’

Siobhan Freegard, founder of the NetMums website, said: ‘Babies have been raised safely for thousands of years without an array of expensive gadgets, and while some basics are a good buy, like a simple baby monitor, others are unneces- sary. At a time when seven in ten families are struggling to make ends meet, it’s worrying to see the average first-time mum paying out between £1,000 and £2,000.

‘Almost three quarters of parents feel there is too much pressure on parents-to-be to buy, with a third of parents going over their budgets.’