Buying a stroller for a baby is no longer child's play. In fact, it is more like the serious adult business of purchasing a car.
That is because with many brands, functions and designs, parents are spoilt for choice these days.
And just like buying a car, daddy tends to go for the latest technology, while mummy wants one that makes a fashion statement.
Baby's fancy wheels range from strollers that fold at the press of a button to those that can double as a baby's high chair at restaurants to the most advanced model in town, a Taga bicycle-cum-stroller from the Netherlands - mum cycles behind the attached stroller.
The three basic types of baby conveyance - besides your arms - are the oldfashioned pram, where babe lies down; a lightweight stroller for older babies who can sit up; and sturdy three-wheelers for the yummy-mummy brigade to push while jogging.
While a stroller is nothing as expensive as a car, and you can buy pushchairs for under $100, high-end ones can go for up to $3,000. No kidding.
Retailers say that high prices do not put parents off. Many of them own more than one stroller to suit their lifestyle needs.
Self-professed 'stroller addict', assistant director Loo Pei Fen, 27, spent about $2,000 buying four strollers for her child, 20-month-old Kristy, who can now walk and refuses to sit in any of them.
For its lightweight properties, she first bought a Combi stroller for $420. Soon, it proved to be a bane as she wanted one that was 'more sturdy and substantial' - a Peg Perego stroller from Italy fitted the bill at $580.
Her best buy was the 'Maserati' of strollers, her Stokke Xplory from Norway, which she bought second-hand from an online forum for $800.
The popular model, which was used in Sex And The City - The Movie, allows Kristy to be raised to eye level instead of lying down and 'keeps her away from car exhaust fumes'. Well, if the girl would sit in it, that is.
For travel, Ms Loo has a $120 Maclaren stroller from Britain because it is light and easy to carry around.
Whether you are a mum who needs different strollers for different needs, a dad who takes pride in putting his bundle of joy in high-tech wheels or a pushy parent who wants only the best for his precious tyke, stroller sales are on a roll.
Baby's Hyperstore in Kaki Bukit sells at least six strollers a day, for example.
Its sales manager Ain Thani, 28, says: 'For strollers that have replaceable parts, customers are willing to invest at a high price in something that can be used for the long haul.'
At baby boutique Spring Maternity & Baby in VivoCity, stroller sales account for at least 50 per cent of its profits, with the rest from other baby-related products such as attachable rider boards, storage baskets and upholstery.
For Dr Cindy Leong, 29, a general practitioner and a mother, the plus point about her Combi stroller is the removable and washable cushions. She also points out that it is important for baby's neck to be supported, and, if you have a car, that the stroller has a car seat for an easy swap-over.
Some parents are also opting for strollers where their children can face them. There has been some controversy recently about the more usual ones where the child faces forward.
According to a New York Times article last year, using the latter could result in a decline in the linguistic abilities of children, with a study showing there was more interaction between mother and child in strollers where baby faces mummy.
Madam Pang Shu Ming, 30, an executive director at baby product retailer Mothercare, advises customers to do a 'stroller consultation' before buying a fancy pushchair.
She says this is common practice at its flagship outlet in HarbourFront Centre. 'Buying a stroller can become a matter of prestige. They shouldn't get carried away with only what's fashionable.'
Church worker Trisha Khoo, 30, jokes: 'Once you become a mother, you don't look at handsome guys, but the strollers they are pushing instead.'
This article was first published in The Sunday Times.
