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LONDON - Never have there been so many ways for busy professionals to outsource their lives. Now, perhaps inevitably, it's the turn of their babies.
No need for expectant parents to wade through books or trudge round shops for the latest products guaranteed to turn others green with envy.
Instead, for a fee of up to £2500 ($7100), parents-to-be can sit back while every detail of the pregnancy, their child's birth and their new family's early years is organised.
"We will organise everything from sourcing the best baby carrier to creating the baby's bedroom and arranging parent confidence classes," said Keely Paice, founder of Baby Planners and the former editor of an international business magazine.
"Once baby arrives, we will hire the best maternity nurse, shortlist nannies and nurseries, advise on feeding patterns and help with establishing routine. In addition, we will be on call by phone and email 24 hours a day for one-to-one advice."
The average woman, said Paice, spends between 150 and 250 hours preparing for her first child.
"Our service might seem like another entry on a long list of unexpected expenses, but we can save time, money and hassle," said Paice, who has two young children.
"The market for baby products has never been more competitive or confusing. I've met a woman who wasted hundreds of pounds buying three pushchairs because she kept choosing inappropriate models."
The service has dozens of clients on its books, and Paice has been contacted by nine companies worldwide who want to franchise her idea.
Paice dislikes being compared to the social concierge services for adults that trade on their exclusivity by marketing themselves as akin to private members' clubs.
"Young professionals nowadays are unlikely to live near their families, so they don't have access to help and advice from relatives," she said. "Young mothers are under more pressure than ever to do the right thing for their babies, but the amount of advice, and its conflicting nature, is overwhelming."
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