Research conducted by the SMA Know-How Pregnancy & Baby Fair has revealed that expectant mums are spending thousands on their first child.
The survey found that the majority of parents (68%) are spending between €2000 and €5000 on their child with buggies and car seats accounting for the bulk of the budget.
Nursery equipment such as a cot, changing table and babycare products were also high on the budget list for newborns but with only a surprising 3% for baby clothes – suggesting that Irish mams may be looking at a more practical approach when it comes to motherhood.
The survey also discovered that 83% of moms are in favour of sharing maternity leave with fathers.
Despite our love for technology, only 3% announced their pregnancy to close family and friends on social media with 40% of new mums sharing their pregnancy news before the traditional 12 week mark.
Findings also found that 62% of mums chose their baby’s name from popular baby name books and websites. 28% named their baby after a family member, with 8% choosing the name of a fictional character from TV/film or a book.
72% of respondents voted Amy Huberman as their ‘Favourite Irish Mammy’ with Miriam O’Callaghan trailing in second place with 16% of votes.
The SMA Know-How Pregnancy & Baby Fair is taking place in Dublin’s RDS this weekend (April 5th and 6th) and the following weekend in Cork’s City Hall (April 12th and 13th).
