The incredible world of baby products

They say that having a child is the most expensive thing you can do. It costs an estimated GBP180,000 to raise a child from birth to age 21, and my guess is that it's even more in Singapore where basic baby equipment seems to be twice the price of that in the UK. Bearing in mind this is mostly stuff which the baby grows out of quickly, I'm trying to stick to the essentials and avoid being sucked in by all the marketing hype. And thanks to the generosity of friends and family we have bagged most of the major equipment like the cot and pram (sorry, stroller - as they say in Singapore!).

I'm now down to a list of middling stuff (travel cot, baby gym/play mat) and smaller stuff like changing mats, nappies, baby gros and muslin cloths. Oh, and one minor concession to the marketing gurus - I want some of those cute hooded towels for baby bath time. The choice of products is still incredible though. Take nappies as one small example. These days you can get everything from bog standard disposable nappies to reusable ones in funky pastel shades woven from bamboo. (I swear I'm not making this up!). You can even go to www.thenappylady.co.uk and fill in a questionnaire to discover which type would best suit your lifestyle. (Anything which self-changes and then spontaneously combusts gets my vote.)

Old hat? Disposables

Bumgenius - organic cotton for your baby's derriere

Or how about a bit of bamboo?

It's a pity I couldn't find a similar service to help me decide on other equipment. I'm still weighing up the merits of different strollers. Does it really collapse at the click of a finger, or will it be like doing battle with a gigantic Meccano set at the bus stop? Is it necessary to have wheels bigger than those on a Land Rover? If I buy a Maclaren can I give Jenson Button a run for his money? Does Singapore terrain really demand a hydraulic suspension system? And am I less of a yummy mummy without cup holders and a matching sun shade? Honestly, anyone would think we were buying a car, not a simple pram!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a Micralite

Jenson was not convinced by the latest modifications from the Maclaren engineers...