Knowing when new moms shop for key items can help marketers time their promotions appropriately. The expectant mom's third trimester is crunch time for acquiring essential items for the new baby — especially cribs, car seats, strollers and bouncers.

• Almost all moms who purchased cribs did so while pregnant, typically in their second or third trimester.
• Most new moms who purchased car seats also typically made their purchase in their third trimester. Younger moms (those under 30) are more likely to purchase their car seat in the second trimester (22% compared with 14% of older moms).
• More than 80% of moms who purchased a stroller made their purchase while pregnant, typically in their third trimester. Again, younger moms are more likely to have purchased their stroller in their second trimester (23% compared with 15% of those 30 years of age and older.)
• The third trimester was the key buying period for seven in 10 moms buying a bouncer seat.
• Almost eight in 10 moms buying carriers bought it while pregnant, usually in the third trimester. Less affluent moms, (those with household incomes under $75,000) though, were more likely to buy their carrier in the first trimester.
• High chairs are the one major item that more than one-half of moms wait to purchase until after the baby is born.

The Internet has become a time-saver for many new and expectant moms. The 87% of new and expectant mothers having Internet access seemingly take full advantage of the opportunity to research and review pregnancy and/or baby-related information online. Significantly, moms with Internet access are online more than once a day and half are purchasing items online. According to the American Baby survey, close to four out of 10 Internet purchases were baby/infant items.

Online moms are lucrative consumers, too. Older moms (age 30 and over) and more affluent moms (household income of $75,000 or more) typically go online more often than their younger (less than 30) and less affluent (household income under $75,000) counterparts. Older and more affluent moms are more likely to make online purchases and generally spend more than younger, less affluent moms. And, while parenthood Web sites top the lists for the affluent, moms, both new and expectant, are more likely to make baby/infant item purchases direct from retail Web sites.

Quality, safety ratings and brand name/reputation top the charts when it comes to purchasing car seats and strollers for babies. As one might expect, quality and brand name/reputation are most important among new moms. Nearly nine out of 10 new moms say quality is the most important factor when purchasing car seats and just over eight out of 10 new moms say quality is the top characteristic they look for when purchasing a stroller. Expectant moms view quality as a key element also.

For expectant moms, safety ratings rank particularly high. Almost nine out of 10 expectant moms say safety is the most important factor when purchasing a car seat and nearly four-fifths say safety is given high regard when purchasing a stroller. Eighty-one percent of new moms view safety as a key element in their decision to purchase a car seat and 65% say safety is important when purchasing a stroller.

The most current information regarding buying trends for babies among new/expectant moms is based on a survey conducted by Zeldis Research Associates for the American Baby Group, publishers of American Baby magazine. The survey data was assembled from September 2005 to November 2005 with 990 responses from a nationally representative sample of new and expectant mothers. Sixty-five percent of the responses came from new mothers and 35% of the responses represented expectant mothers. Of the new mothers who responded to the survey, 30% have a 0- to 3-month-old baby, 35% have a 4- to 6-month-old baby, and 34% have a baby who is 7 months or older. Of the expectant mom respondents, 40% were in the 1- to 6-month stage of pregnancy and 54% were in their last trimester of pregnancy.

63% of new and expectant mom respondents are under age 30; nearly seven out of 10 of those having their first baby are under age 30.

79% are non-Hispanic White.

72% have at least some college education and 43% graduated college.

72% have been married for an average of four years.

53% own their home.

Nearly nine out of 10 have Internet access; seven out of 10 have Internet access from home.

The median household income is $46,730, but survey respondents are representative of all income levels.

44% of new moms are currently employed. Of new moms who are not currently working or are on maternity leave, nearly one-half plan to return to work and 62% plan to be working by baby's first birthday.

For nearly three-fifths of the respondents, this is their first baby.