Study Shows New Moms Spend More, Cut Back Less, and Stress Out over Spending on Baby

New York, NY, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — According to a national study released today, moms are feeling overwhelming pressure to overspend on products for their babies even as they significantly cut back in nearly every other area of their lives to cope with these challenging times.

The “Brand” New Mom study of more than 1,900 moms, conducted by Kelton Research, found that today’s new mom often makes decisions based on guilt rather than practicality, even when it is clearly proven that a high-profile brand offers no clear benefits over other far less expensive options. Over half of expectant first-time moms (58 percent) admit they are consumed by thoughts about what products they need to buy their babies every day, and nearly four in ten (37 percent) of moms express overall guilt about not being able to afford a specific baby product.

Adding to the “guilt” equation, 59 percent of moms said they are stressed about their personal financial situation or the economy, while more than half (53 percent) confess that thoughts about their baby product budgets plague them on a daily basis. Yet most don’t do as much about it as they could. In fact, three-quarters of moms surveyed have recently cut back on dining out, clothing for themselves, and entertainment. Only 13 percent have taken the same savings measures for their impending or new baby.

A major reason for this, the study finds, is the overwhelming, often confusing, and anxiety-producing array of advertising and promotional messages hitting moms from seemingly every direction, inspiring a complicated array of emotions. According to Nielsen data, more than $688 million was spent on advertising baby formula and other baby products from September 2010 to August 2011.

This study found that 85 percent of moms are far more tuned into ads related to babies or pregnancy than those with any other subject matter, and this increased attention to advertising can produce emotional stress. When it comes to this constant bombardment of baby-related advertising, a growing segment of the moms surveyed tend to feel overwhelmed (23 percent), anxious (20 percent) and confused (20 percent). As a result, more than a third (35 percent) of experienced moms admit that because of advertising they spent more than they had originally planned when their first child was a baby.

“This study sheds light on what moms are going through from both an emotional and economic standpoint,” said Sandra Gordon, national baby products expert and author ofConsumer Reports Best Baby Products, 10th edition. “Moms are so intent on absorbing as much baby-related information as possible, and making the right purchasing decisions, that it can be easy to overlook inexpensive options that are just as safe and effective for their baby.”

According to the study, more than half (52 percent) of moms are willing to buy store brand products for the household, yet just three in ten (30 percent) will buy store brand products for their babies. This is even more striking when the purchase is infant formula; less than a quarter (23 percent) is open to buying a store brand for that product category.

Baby formula is a particularly compelling touch point for maternal guilt. According to the study, almost half (43 percent) of new first-time moms feel guilty about using formula instead of breastfeeding, which may be why they’re willing to overspend on formula.

“These numbers are very consistent with what I see in my practice, and a clear indication of the challenges today’s mom faces with regard to the barrage of advertising messages she regularly sees,” said Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We know that when it comes to taking care of babies, breastfeeding is considered the gold standard. The reality, however, is that 80 percent of moms will use formula at some point, and it is not something they should feel guilty about. Also, they certainly don’t need to buy the most expensive formula just to alleviate that guilt.”

Additionally the study found that misperceptions about the benefits of the more expensive infant formulas are pervasive:

• 68 percent of moms believe a heftier price tag for formula means that it’s a better quality product.
• 49 percent of new first-time moms believe name brand formulas offer more nutritional value than their significantly less expensive store brand counterparts.

The key, Dr. Trachtenberg said, is to educate moms with the facts on formula and provide them with all of their options, rather than making a decision based on which brand is the most heavily advertised and may be the highest priced.

“According to the Infant Formula Act, all infant formulas manufactured in the United States must contain the same key nutrients and adhere to the same quality and safety guidelines. This survey found that less than a quarter of the moms were willing to buy store brand formulas, which indicates that there is a significant knowledge gap. Far too many families are spending twice as much as they need to for infant formula, just to get a brand that is advertised,” said Dr. Trachtenberg. “Just like generic prescription medications have changed the healthcare landscape by proving more expensive does not mean better, store brand formulas can play a huge role in helping parents take the best possible care of their babies, as well as their budgets.”

For additional survey findings from the “Brand” New Mom study, testimonials from moms about their perceptions on baby products, expert tips from Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg and information on store brand infant formula visit http://www.storebrandformula.com.

If you take an oral contraceptive… Read this press release, issued today!!!

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pfizer Inc. announced today that it has voluntarily recalled 14 lots of Lo/Ovral^®-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol)Tablets and 14 lots of Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic)for customers in the U.S. market. An investigation by Pfizer found that some blister packs may contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets and that the tablets may be out of sequence. The cause was identified and corrected immediately.

These products are oral contraceptives indicated for the prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use oral contraceptives as a method of contraception. These tablets were manufactured and packaged by Pfizer Inc., commercialized by Akrimax Rx Products and labeled under the Akrimax Pharmaceuticals brand. This product is distributed to warehouses, clinics and retail pharmacies nationwide.

As a result of this packaging error, the daily regimen for these oral contraceptives may be incorrect and could leave women without adequate contraception, and at risk for unintended pregnancy. These packaging defects do not pose any immediate health risks. However, consumers exposed to affected packaging should begin using a non-hormonal form of contraception immediately. Patients who have the affected product (lot numbers are provided below) should notify their physician and return the product to the pharmacy.

These products are packaged in blister packs containing 21 tablets of active ingredients and seven tablets of inert ingredients. Correct dosing of this product is important in avoiding the associated risks of an unplanned pregnancy.

Correctly Packaged LoOrval Blister Pack Image - www.pfizer.com/img/news/LoOvralCorrectPkg.jpg

Correctly Packaged Norgestrel Image - http://www.pfizer.com/img/news/NorgestrelCorrectPkg.jpg

Any adverse events that may be related to the use of these products should be reported to Akrimax Medical Information at 1-877-509-3935 (8 AM to 7 PM Mon-Fri CST) or to FDA’s Med Watch Program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

Pfizer has responded rapidly to ensure that its products continue to meet the company’s high quality standards. The safety of patients who take our medicines is our first priority.

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For Lot Numbers and more information direct from Pfizer, see their official press release.

Parent’s Choice is offering their fans a chance to win $100! They’re having another photo contest!  They want to see your child eating Parent’s Choice foods!

Here’s how you enter:

1. Like their page!
2. Share the contest on your wall
3. Email your photo along with your name to swagner@perrigo.com

Contest will end on Wednesday Feb. 1st at 5pm EST. 1 entry per fan. Winner will receive a $100 walmart.com gift card!

Good luck to all who enter!

Disclosure: Parent’s Choice is compensating me for my time and efforts on this announcement post. This contest is being hosted/sponsored by Parent’s Choice on their Facebook Page.

Walmart recently announced the launch of Get on the Shelf, the first contest of its kind from a major retailer. Anyone can enter Get on the Shelf for the chance to get their product sold on Walmart.com and even in Walmart stores. Any product in any category currently covered by Walmart is eligible ranging from housewares and electronics to toys and apparel. Mom/Dad owned Small Businesses… This means YOU!!!!

The nationwide contest is the latest announcement from @WalmartLabs and similar to the popular American Idol television show, contestants will create videos of their latest inventions and the public will vote online for the winners.

A two-round public voting process will determine the top three products to be sold on Walmart.com.* The Grand Prize winner’s product will be sold on Walmart.com and featured on the site’s home page, and also get valuable shelf space in select Walmart stores across the country.*

“Walmart has the best products at everyday low prices but we know there are some great undiscovered products that have not yet reached our shelves,” said Venky Harinarayan, senior vice president of Walmart Global e-commerce and co-head of @WalmartLabs “For a long time, the ability to get a product into a retail store was at the sole discretion of the store buyer.  Today, we are removing these barriers by giving anyone a chance to launch their product at Walmart and reach millions of shoppers nationwide.”

The contest opened with a sneak preview a few weeks ago and already has nearly 60 entries including a new hot sauce, cube game, hair accessory, iPad pillow and paw puffs for dogs from individuals across the country.

Contestants can submit an entry video at http://GetOnTheShelf.com until February 22 when the submission round ends. Videos will be screened for appropriateness before posting them to the site. The first round of voting will take place March 7th through April 4th at which point the top 10 finalists will be announced. The second round of voting will take place April 11th – April 24, at which point the top three contestants and grand prize winner will be announced.

All voting will happen at http://getontheshelf.com.   The contest is only open to participants in the United States. Walmart employees are not eligible for the contest. Products already carried by Walmart or Walmart.com are not eligible for entry.

For more information, rules and an introductory video about Get on the Shelf, visit http://getontheshelf.com.

I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart provided me with compensation for my time and efforts on this post. Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

You don’t look a year over 100!

As a Rayovac Power Blogger, I have been given some pretty cool products, and in honor of their birthday today, I wanted to mention a couple of things that my family has really liked and why.

We received the Sportsman Xtreme LED 4 Watt 3C Metal Flashlight. This flashlight is now one of our favorites. It has two modes, high and low, it runs for approximately 22 hours on high, and approximately 60 hours on low. It has an anodized aluminum body, with a rubber comfort grip handle. This flashlight is pretty light weight, even with it’s 3 C batteries installed. My girls have loved that it’s light enough for them to carry around and easy to switch on and off. They’ve been found “camping” with this flashlight, using it to see their books. My hubby and I love the brightness of the LED lights! We can see all the way to our back fence with this flashlight.. which is awesome!

The other product we received was the Platinum Rechargable 4 position AA and AAA Charger with Batteries. This came in handy… For a funny reason though. I’m not a huge video game player, but I love having fresh batteries for my game controllers. It has saved me with the girls and I playing our Wii Games. What craziness would happen if we had a controller die in the middle of a game! Hahaha.

Well, another great part of being a Rayovac Power Blogger is that I get some pretty cool deals to pass on to my readers!

To celebrate their birthday, Rayovac has provided us Power Bloggers with a special offer on their products for our communities. You can get 20% off their entire site through the end of the week! (1/17-1/22)  Use promo code: PowerBlogger20 and you will also receive free shipping on orders over $25!

This is a great time to stock up on supplies for the rest of winter!

I am a Rayovac Power Blogger. I have been compensated for my time and efforts on this post. Participation in this program is voluntary, and as always, opinions are 100% my own.

I saw on the news tonight that there are now concerns about pesticides in our orange juice!

According to the Food and Drug Administration, a U.S. juice producer had detected low levels of carbendazim in orange juice concentrate imported from Brazil, the top grower accounting for more than 10 percent of the U.S. supply.The pesticide is banned in U.S. citrus but it is used on orange trees in Brazil to fight mold. The FDA said low levels of carbendazim were not dangerous and the agency had no plans for a recall, but it would stop any shipments of orange juice at the border that tested positive for the fungicide.

The FDA continues to test samples.

Check your Orange Juice Labels! They will tell you where your favorite brand gets their oranges. Many brands use oranges from several places, including Brazil, Mexico and the USA.

I will definitely update when more information is available!

More information can be found in this Reuters article.

If you take Excedrin, Bufferin, NoDoz, or Gas-X  you need to read this!

Novartis Consumer Health (NCH) is voluntarily recalling all lots of select bottle sizes of Excedrin® and NoDoz® products with expiry dates of December 20, 2014 or earlier as well as Bufferin® and Gas-X® Prevention® products with expiry dates of December 20, 2013 or earlier, in the United States.

NCH is taking this action as a precautionary measure, because the products may contain stray tablets, capsules, or caplets from other Novartis products, or contain broken or chipped tablets.

As this is a voluntary recall at the consumer level, Novartis Consumer Health advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use and return them to Novartis Consumer Health for a full refund.

Consumers that have the product(s) being recalled should contact the Novartis Consumer Relationship Center at 1-888-477-2403 (available Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) for information on how to return the affected products and receive reimbursement.

More information:

http://www.novartis-otc.com/otc/index.html
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm286240.htm 

I don’t know where 2011 went! It seems like it just flew past me! It’s been a year of fun, friendships,  learning, work (for which I am very grateful) and so much more. I can not wait to see what the new year will bring! I hope to be able to (re)connect with all of my friends across the globe… I love how blogging can bring people together no matter where we are!

I just wanted to wish all of my readers a very Happy, and Magical New Year!

If you’ve purchased the Colorful Hearts Teddy Bear from Build A Bear, listen up!

The Build-A-Bear Workshop company is recalling nearly 300,000 Colorful Hearts Teddy Bears sold in the United States and Canada due to risks of choking, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced.

Build A Bear states that while no injuries have been reported, the “teddy bear’s eyes could loosen and fall out, posing a choking hazard to children,” according to a statement. “Consumers should immediately take the recalled teddy bear from children and return it to any Build-A-Bear store to receive a coupon for any available stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear,” the statement said, advising buyers to contact the firm at 866-236-5683 with additional questions.

The Colorful Hearts Teddy Bear is a stuffed animal, roughly 16 inches tall with black plastic eyes, that is sold in the United States for $18. The bears were sold at Build-A-Bear Workshops and through their website from April through December.

I’ve been given the opportunity, once again, to check out the great prices at Walmart … This time for Christmas Dinner! I was challenged to get an entire Christmas Dinner for $40 or less.

Challenge Accepted!

Here’s a list of what I was able to get:

- Ham $1.98/lb – Approx 8lbs = $15.99

- Great Value Green Beans – 1lb- 98¢

- Great Value Chicken Broth – 77¢ ea x2= $1.54

- Betty Crocker Homestyle Stuffing – 78¢ ea x 2= $1.56

- Large bag of Russet Potatoes – $3.88

- The Bakery Split Top Potato Rolls – $2.98

- Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice – $2.97 ea x2 = $5.94

Total: $32.87 + tax

And this was all without any coupons!

I did awesome! With my findings, I was able to get enough food to feed at least 6 people and all for around $40! For those of you out there that do use coupons, you can easily get a full Christmas Dinner for $40 or less!

All photos are below so you can see what I got and take the challenge yourself!!!

Thanks to this challenge, I was able to donate all of this meal to Operation Christmas Cheer, a division of the Onslow Community Outreach.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

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I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart provided me with compensation for my time and efforts on this post. All items purchased for this post were donated so that a family in need could have a Christmas Dinner. Thank you Walmart for helping me to give back to my community! Participation in this program is voluntary. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.