A mom from Derbyshire, England, has taken to TikTok to share a shocking experience that left her distraught just weeks ahead of the birth of her second baby.
In the clip, Lauren-Rose, who asked for her last name not to be published, recounted how she had excitedly pulled out her carefully stored Oyster3 travel system stroller, only to find it crawling with tiny, unidentified bugs.
"I was absolutely horrified when I saw the tiny bugs on the fabric. My instant reaction was to cry," she told Newsweek.
The 29-year-old explained that she had hoped to save money by reusing the pram and car seat she used with her first child. Initially, the stroller—a product from BabyStyle—seemed in pristine condition, but her joy quickly turned to horror when she noticed bugs infesting the fabric of both the carry cot and the car seat.
Lauren-Rose, who goes by @laurenrose.motherhood on TikTok, told Newsweek of the emotional and financial impact this has had on her: "We used this pram with our first baby, who is now 17 months old, and there is some nostalgia and sentiment around being able to re-use the same one with my second baby," she said.
The family also hadn't budgeted for a new travel system so close to her due date, which is only five weeks away.
The mom of one told Newsweek how she had stored the pram in a new-built loft for around four months, using multiple layers of protection. "The fabric being in vacuum-sealed bags and shrink-wrapped. This was then put in large bin bags and in a cardboard box," she said.
Lauren-Rose explained that she had researched solutions to exterminate the bugs, and while some online sources suggested using sprays or other treatments, she deemed those methods unsafe for a newborn.
"I've phoned several local pram services and cleaning services to get some advice and all of [them] said to me that there's no way of completely getting rid of these bugs safely and that I should remove it from my home and buy new," she added.
Since it was posted on November 2, Lauren-Rose's clip has clocked up over 150,000 views and 266 comments from other social media users.
Many commented their guesses on what they thought the bugs were. Some wrote that they looked like mold mites, but Lauren-Rose clarified that there was no mold on the system.
Others commented they might be plaster mites—tiny beetles that are common in newly built homes.
One user suggested that she should contact the manufacturer, and Lauren-Rose later told Newsweek that BabyStyle had reached out to her via TikTok to offer her a discount on a new replacement carry cot and car seat to compensate.
"While I can't afford both right now, I am going to get a new car seat as a priority for baby boy arrives with us in five short weeks," Lauren-Rose said.
Above all, the second time mom-to-be hopes her experience serves as a cautionary tale: "I just want to spread awareness to other parents to check any baby items thoroughly if they've been stored or if they are buying second hand stored items too," she said.
Newsweek has reached out to BabyStyle for comment via email.
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