All new parents will testify that having a baby is one of the most joyful experiences in life – but caring for a fragile and dependent newborn, combined with financial worries, lack of sleep and relationship pressures, can also make it one of the most stressful.
According to a new study out today, the average first-time parent now spends £1786 on essentials for baby’s arrival, from feeding equipment, clothes and baby monitors to more expensive items such as prams, car seats and cots. For six percent of parents, money is no object as they splash the cash by spending £9,800 on decorating the nursery or thousands on freezing stem cells from their baby’s umbilical cord as health insurance in case the child becomes sick.
Of the 2,000 parents surveyed, 66% admitted to spending at least 20% more than they could afford on preparing for their baby’s arrival. The result being that 26% of parents experience financial difficulties following the birth of their child.
Of the parents surveyed, 61% admitted to feeling marked anxiety resulting from financial worries following the birth of their child. The main causes included childcare costs (68%), loss of earnings due to maternity leave (48%), financial outlay of preparing for a new baby (26%), long-standing financial problems (24%) and reduced benefits/family tax credits (22%).
Alistair Clayton a spokesperson for a new six-part series for any expectant or planning parents called, “How To…Prepare for your baby’s arrival!”, commented: “First-time parents often feel under pressure to overspend in preparation for every eventuality: outfits for every occasion, expensive nursery equipment and gadgets they’ll never use. Lack of money, in conjunction with the stresses and strains associated with caring for a new baby, makes for a toxic combination. It’s therefore hardly surprising that a quarter of parents admitted that their relationship with their partner felt strained.”
He continued: “The aim of How To…Prepare for your baby’s arrival!” is to tackle the problems that cause new and expectant parents so much stress — from how to save money to dealing with feeding problems and tackling health issues. This is a guide to help parents manoeuvre the minefield that is early-stage parenting so they can focus on what’s really important: spending quality time with their baby.”
“How To…Prepare for your baby’s arrival” airs on SKY 201 and Freesat 403 from Tuesday 7th February at 7:30pm, repeated Sundays 6.00pm.
PR: Lukats Communications
