If you're pregnant but too posh to shop, not to worry - help is at hand from a new service that will source the best buggy for you, decorate the nursery, and even advise on sleeping routines. For £2,500, Baby Planners promises to take care of all your pre- and post-pregnancy problems.

Well, not quite all. The swollen ankles, the cracked nipples, the birth: you'll still have to take care of those, but at least you'll not waste time fretting over whether you should get the three-in-one or the three-wheeler pushchair.

Now, obviously, there are some folk whose downtime is limited, but I can't help feeling that users of this service might find they are outsourcing the best bits of pregnancy. Far from being a chore, fussing over cot blankets and mulling the relative merits of eggshell blue and sunflower surprise for the nursery walls account for some of my few joyful pregnancy memories. And judging by the number of conversations on Mumsnet about which pushchair to plump for, I am not alone. As one mother put it, a service that does all that for you is like one that offers "to go out to fantastic restaurants on your behalf".

Still, there is no doubt that parents these days are faced with a bewildering choice of "baby essentials". As one admits: "I got myself in a tizz about the arbitrary (as I understand now) numbers of bizarre items stipulated in 'layette' lists: 4 pairs of scratch mitts (why not 3?); 4 receiving shawls (to receive what? A whiskery aunt?); 8 envelope-neck bodysuits (what is wrong with the ballet wrap style?); 3 bonnets (What? Am I giving birth to a baby or an old woman?)"

But is all the paraphernalia really necessary? If I had a pound for every mother who'd lamented the purchase of a Moses basket that only saw one night of action, I would be able to afford Baby Planners next time round. Then again, I might just log on to the internet, get lots of free advice and spend the cash on a long-haul holiday. After all, pregnant ladies, you won't be doing that again for a while.

· Justine Roberts is a founder of Mumsnet (www.mumsnet.com)