Need to start budgeting for BABY!!

[pilesoflaundry]

You can get really great deals on used swings and bouncer seats because they are often used so little either because the baby doesn't like them or they outgrow them too fast. I paid $35 for a swing a consignment shop that was brand new, you could tell it was never used! They are so expensive brand new. My kids loved the swing and bouncer so they were worth it to me to have.

I would buy a carseat brand new and probably the crib but anything else if it's clean go ahead and get it used.

Congrats!!!

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Mom of three here. My darlings range from 19 years to 7 months.

I have breastfed all of my children until they were at least 18 months old, and I would really encourage you to read "The Nursing Mother's Companion" which should be a free read from your local library. In addition, I recommend attending a couple La Leche League meetings before the baby is born. Nursing is wonderful and natural, but it is also a skill you and the baby both have to master.

With my third, the baby had been in the NICU, and given pacifiers and bottles, (against my expressed directions and without medical need) and the little one was really confused about how to nurse. I was an experienced nursing mom, but I needed help. I called my local leader who came to my house and really helped me get the baby "back on track" to a successful nursing experience.

Since I already had a relationship with the leader, it was easy to invite her to the house, but if she had been a stranger, I would have been much more reluctant.

As to baby gear, I suggest a sling, the Maya Wrap to be specific. It has been a wonderful tool from birth. It adjusts quickly to allow my hubby or older kids to carry the baby, it is wonderful for breastfeeding, and it is so much more comfortable than the Baby Bjorn type pack or "slings" sold at places like Wal-Mart or Target. The web site www.mayawrap.com has a section of outlet offerings which are less expensive.

The Maya Wrap comes with an instuctional DVD. It really helped to be able to see directions in live motion.

The wrap has a small pocket sewn into the tail and I leave a diaper and a ziplock of baggies in there. When I am jumping out to run errands or quick jaunts. I just leave the wrap on while in the car and when I pull her out of the car seat I slip her into the sling and off we go. No stroller, no diaper bag. It is so comfortable and convenient.

With my older kids, I had a crib that was expensive but "turned into a bed when they were done with it as a crib." In my opinon, it wasn't the best investment. The long side of the crib did become a headboard, but I still needed to purchase side rails which were quite expensive. The bed that resulted was a full sized bed. It was just too big for their needs. I ended up selling the crib and buying a twin.

This time around we purchased, off of Craigslist, a Graco Pack and Play with the bassinet feature and baby changing station built into the portable crib. It was wonderful. It fit next to the bed which allowed the baby to be close during those early days and frequent waking. The changing station was handy for all those changes (10-12) a day the first few weeks, and now that she is older, she sleeps in her "little crib."

Not only did this cover three real needs in one item, but when we travel we can take her actual regular bed with us...which is a lifesaver. She is familiar with her crib, and she sleeps without any fuss or muss.

When she is able to crawl out, or hits 30 pounds we will switch her to a twin sized bed. This option isn't as pretty as the traditional wooden crib, but it was much more practical from our perspective. All of the experts warn against the crib bumpers and soft fluffy comforters that are sold for the standard cribs, but a traditional crib has such hard sides, people get the bumpers to soften any little one pushing up against them.

With the Pack and Play, the sides are a taught mesh, so they aren't a bumping or a suffocation hazard. We got some lovely soft sheets and matress covers at Target.

 

[auralia]

If you end up using formula (some people just can't breast feed I never made enough milk and my daughter was early so it was very exausting for her to try to get it out and pumps didn't work, even the hospital ones). Anyway if you end up using formula get it at Sams Club, it is the same as the name brand but EASILY half the price. I got the sensitive stomach kind it was in a purple container... it saved us 1500$ in the first year alone!

 

[peyjax]

Not a ton of advice, except spend the $$ on things you will use the most. My suggestions are car seat and stroller. Buy the nice brands (Britax, Maclaren, Sunshine, etc.) on that stuff as it holds up better, at least in my experience. We went through 3 strollers before we got our maclaren. In most cities you have to buy this stuff on line which is usually the best deal anyway. The other things like swings and bouncy seats go with second hand. If need be you can go second hand on everything except the car seat. The used car seat is very dangerous and discouraged by many pros.

On a side note about diapering. We were huge huggie supreme lovers. We went through less diapers with that brand than any other. However I recently looked at cloth diapering and while I am not one of those natural attatchment type moms, I have to say WOW it has come a long way from what our moms use to use. They are pricey ($20 a diaper), but if you register for them for your shower, you would have a serious decrease in diaper expenses.

 

[Karenj2]

I couldn't find the thread again to thank you all for your advice! The Baby Bargains book sounds like a good read - something I should look at before doing any shopping...

I got a "goodie bag" from my OB that had lots of samples (formula, prenatals, etc.) and catalogs/coupons... If I choose not to use them, I plan on donating them to a local pregnancy shelter.


Question - There are a lot of small, good local baby stores (like a baby furniture store, etc.) that I'm leaning towards instead of getting everything at Babies R Us - but BRU (or Target/Walmart, etc.) are easier on others if I register for items. Would it be horribly tacky to have registries at a bunch of places?

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

CONGRATS AND GOD BLESS! babies are a blessing!

i would absolutely reccomend getting a pack n play. (register for one but if you dont get it at a shower get one for yourself)! my cooper (now 15 months old) slept in the bassinet part of it until he was about 6 months old. we pushed it right up against our bed so i could reach over and touch him in the middle of the night. anyway when he was little i would roll it all over the house with me (to whichever room i was in) because im a little neurotic and crazy and NEEDED to have him close to me so i could make sure he was okay. without the pack n play i would have went crazy. now it makes a nice play pen that he gets in occasionally but we mostly use it for 1) a huge toy box 2) a "gate" blocking off the entrance to our kitchen area and 3) a place for time out when he hits our cats ANYWAY best purchase ever!

another one (again if you're neurotic and crazy like me). the ANGELCARE baby monitor. it's a monitor board that you put under the mattress and if the baby doesnt breath for 20 seconds an alarm goes off. it has a receiver that blinks everytime the baby breaths (you can set it so that it doesnt blink if tiny lights bother you) so in the middle of the night you can "see" that the baby is breathing. i think it can also be used as a regular monitor where you can hear sounds. (i've never used it this way because coop sleeps in the same room with us) BUT $99 is priceless when it comes to peace of mind and a good night's sleep!

 

[CarrieR]

I don't have kids, but have had the wonderful fortune of raising 3 families' worth from infancy to early grade school. I supply all of their equipment, etc, and believe you me I've learned how to budget on it! My biggest budget tips would be:

*Put away the $$ for major accessories, but only buy the absolute "musts" until baby is here and you know what you really need. The baby I watch now has a crib, a Bumbo (rarely used,) a bucket seat, and a doorway jumper. He's not an equipment baby, never has been, and although I own all kinds of swings/bouncers, they're still upstairs in storage. Two babies ago, I had one who was an equipment baby to no end, loved his walker/bouncer/swing. (Wanted nothing to do with the exersaucer, though.) This current one is either in arms, in a carrier, or on the floor.

*If you plan on "wearing" at all, save your money and do NOT buy a Baby Bjorn or Snuggli. There are many options out there that are similar in price -- or cheaper -- but are a ton more comfortable and will last a lot longer. Each baby I seem to "wear" a little more, and the more I do it, the easier it makes my life. I would invest in either a Maya Wrap and/or a ring sling, and now we LOVE our Baby Hawk. You can use the BH from birth, I think, but babe was 4mos before I got it, so I'm not sure. If you do it a lot, you may want to buy another carrier once baby gets older, but those 3 will get you through the beginning. Buy gently used if you can; they hold their resale fairly well but do depriciate a bit, and you can generally sell for what you bought it for, if you buy it used. As someone else said, check out thebabywearer.com for more info. (This tip and the last go hand in hand -- he's in equipment a lot less because he's on me a lot more.)

*Regarding car seats -- I'm going to go against the grain and say you don't necessarily need a Britax. Just because they're more expensive doesn't necessarily mean they're better, although for some, they are. I have a plethora of seats, and one of my favorites is the MyRide, which rearfaces longer than any Britax seat (to 40lbs,) although it won't get all kids to 40lbs due to their height. It also harnesses to 65lbs, although, again, many kids won't get there due to height, but it WILL get them past the 40lbs typical of most seats. Check out car-seat.org for recommendations... some of the "best" carseats are less expensive than you'd think, and aren't necessarily mainstream, either. (I choose to extended rearface and extended harness, so I found I had to get a little more knowledgable about car seats than just going to Wal-Mart and picking one out.) Also... go to Babies R Us and test-install some seats... not every seat works in every car!

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

I also add my CONGRATS & BEST WISHES! Enjoy that little one because they grow up far too fast.

Remember, if you're breast-feeding, YOU will need very good nutrition too so your milk will be the best it can be. You'll need extra calories so your body can do its work. Advice though--don't overdo it on green grapes or chocolate donuts. I always will wonder if that's what gave our new son a bad case of the runs. Your doctor will be able to tell you what's best to eat.

I wouldn't over-do clothes purchases either, because babies do grow so fast. My favorite baby items were onesies, nitegowns with elastic closure at the bottom & several receiving blankets. It would be sad if you got too many clothing items that either didn't fit at the proper time of year or were outgrown before being worn.

 

[Karenj2]

*If you plan on "wearing" at all, save your money and do NOT buy a Baby Bjorn or Snuggli. There are many options out there that are similar in price -- or cheaper -- but are a ton more comfortable and will last a lot longer. Each baby I seem to "wear" a little more, and the more I do it, the easier it makes my life. I would invest in either a Maya Wrap and/or a ring sling, and now we LOVE our Baby Hawk. You can use the BH from birth, I think, but babe was 4mos before I got it, so I'm not sure. If you do it a lot, you may want to buy another carrier once baby gets older, but those 3 will get you through the beginning. Buy gently used if you can; they hold their resale fairly well but do depriciate a bit, and you can generally sell for what you bought it for, if you buy it used. As someone else said, check out thebabywearer.com for more info. (This tip and the last go hand in hand -- he's in equipment a lot less because he's on me a lot more.)

I do plan on "wearing" my baby, and like the looks of the Moby Wrap. I already knew I didn't want a "traditional" carrier - I once held my niece in the contraption for about 15 minutes and my back was KILLING me! I also liked the look of the Maya wrap, but I'm not sure if a one-shoulder carrier will help/hurt my back...

Thanks for the info!

 

[todzwife]

Congrats!

The only things baby NEEDS are:
diapers (sign up for every brand of diapers to get coupons. Buy a few packages when they are on sale AND you have a coupon.) You can also check out cloth diapers at www.abbyslane.com (you'll be surprised what they are now!)
Food-breastmilk is awesome! Good for you!
blankets
pacifiers
bottles/pump if you are breastfeeding
nursing pads
Somewhere to sleep- crib, bassinet, pack n play etc.
baby carrier- Love the moby for small babies! I recommend ring slings as well. Jan from sleepingbabyproductions.com is AMAZING to work with and her shoulder is the best I've tried. I can still wear my 27 pound 3 1/2 year old in the osnaburg sling I have.
Buckle carriers are super easy as well. I love our olivesandapplesauce.com it's VERY comfortable w/ my DD.
Check out thebabywearer.com for more info on babywearing.
www.kellymom.com for breastfeeding info and tips.

Good luck!!

 

[SaraMc]

I am loving this thread. I am due with a little girl on December 2nd! We are so excited. As I was setting up her room yesterday it struck me that I hadn't bought socks yet! Don't know why it bothered me but it really does. So my question is...what are the SMALL things you need? And how many of each? How many onsies? blankets? socks? It has been 13 years since DS and I totally forget what I had for him.

Nail clippers, both my little ones were born with their finger nails pretty much ingrown or super long. Onsies- I had about 8 or so plain ones for DD to wear under sleepers, Sleepers I have about 15 or so on running size. DS was born in the summer and didnt need to layer until he was almost wearing 6-12 month size.
Blankets for swaddling, the ones out you can buy were small, My mom bought a whole bunch of flannel when DS was coming and made me big ones. Perfect for when they are a bit bigger but still need to be swaddled. She went a bit nuts and some of them got thier first go round this time with DD. I had about 20, but probably only needed 7 or so..

 

[ilovecraigandcooper]

i actually bite my baby's fingernails. the nurse said that was the easiest way when they are newborn. it seems really strange at first and i tried it with the clippers but they're so squirmy biting was easier! haha it sounds like im a baby canibal just kidding!

 

[Karenj2]

Ok, I've got another question for y'all - I don't want to be tacky regarding registering for the baby, but there are different items I'd like to get, and they're not all at the superstores...

Would it be rude to register at places like Babies R Us and Target, but also at websites and local places (like the Moby wrap, or a local baby furniture store, etc.)? I want to make it easy for people, but I also don't want them to pay top dollar just 'cause they're going to a megastore.

(And I feel tacky even talking about wanting stuff - I didn't have this problem when we were registering for our wedding... weird.)

 

[CarrieR]

Ironically, wraps/nonmainstream carriers are a lot more traditional than those that you think of as "traditional," LOL. I'm going to PM later you about babywearing and options, so as not to steer this thread too far off track (and off the subject of this board.) I hope that's ok.

One other 'budget' tip... something you said indicated to me that the gap between your income and the costs of daycare etc may not be that large. Since you're interested in staying home, I would run the math again and make SURE the costs that you incur in working -- which you would not incur staying home -- don't influence the swinging point. Nicer clothes for work, gas in the car, convince foods/eating out at work vs cooking at home... those are all things that people sometimes overlook. I know there's articles on it somewhere. There are other ways to cut, too, like skip the major vacation the first couple of years, in exchange for getting that precious time with baby. I know that's not quite on topic, but in a way, it is. Daycare is hugely expensive (and I say that as someone who provides daycare as a living, and believe me -- if I could charge less and still make a living wage myself, I would do it in a heartbeat.)

Lastly... I never said congratulations! It took my parents eight years to have me, and I think they feel it was worth it... (Most days, at least.) Babies are pretty awesome, cool enough that I've devoted many years to caring for them...

ETA: I totally ignored your last question. If I got a shower invitiation with a 'complicated' registry, I wouldn't be offended at all. I'm trying, albeit slowly, to support more non-corporate stores myself. That said, I think you may have people who simply prefer the one-stop registry shopping, and may choose to only get what's on your list at BRU, etc. If that's okay with you, then I'd ask for what you truly want. Additionally, those who are particularly close to you (close friends and family) are probably going to be more prone to visit the local shops for things that they know are important to you... but it still allows the BRU/Target option for the casual coworkers and the like.

All right, I'm just rambling now.

 

[tinker&belle]

Okay, here are my favorite things after having two babies:

Swaddle wraps: first baby had colic really bad. It was the only thing that calmed her. Baby number two loves it as well.

Baby Bjorn: Can't use it for baby #2 (she has to be on oxygen right now) but it was great with number one.

Maya wrap sling: same deal, used with number one, was great for me to carry and she could nurse in the sling and I had my hands.

Medela pump: Pumped while working with #1 and am exclusivly pumping with #2 due to her medical issues she can't nurse. I've used the symphony (hospital rental), freestyle (hands-free) and the pump in style now so let me know if you want comparisons.

Bottles: LOVED playtex drop-ins for #1. I had a converter kit I could pump right into. Have to use the smaller bottles (we use the medela ones that came with my pump and gerber ones that work too) for #2 because they are compatible with a premie nipple that we have to use. They are okay, but for a typical baby I LOVED the drop-ins, especially when I was working.

Breast pump supplies: LOVE the medela cleaning wipes and microwave bags, make cleaning quick and easy.

Sleeping: First few months we have an Arm's Reach co-sleeper, works so great, especially if you're nursing. You can use it as a play-yard later, so it can serve two purposes.

I have a Maclaren quest I got for 109 from Albee baby. I love that stroller.


Carseats: Graco Snugride is nice, and inexpensive. We have 2 Fisherprice made by Britax which is basically a Marathon and it is fantastic. We also have a Scenera as a spare which is a great secondary seat, and has a great weight range for extended rear facing.

Albee baby is a great website in general.

Oh one more thing. At the hospital always ask for things. Extra breast pump parts, Baby shampoo, pacis, etc.

Best wishes!

 

[ah1126]

Thanks for all the info!!!

 

[debmom]

If you do end up using cloth diapers, you might want to start out with prefolds (diaper service quality ones online...not gerber ones from the store) and covers rather than fancy all in ones. Supposedly they are easier to fit on newborns than a lot of the fitted and all in ones.

One tip I haven't seen is signing up for your local freecycle. Your email may get spammed, but people are often offering up baby stuff for free. I've seen people offer partial packs of diapers, unused formula, baby clothing, glass bottles, toys, etc. Many of the same kinds of things you can find on craigslist, except people offer them for free - you just have to pick them up.

I agree!

 

[snowy76]

I didn't read through all the posts... but one thing we saved money on was not buying a high chair. Instead we bought one of those Fisher Price travel chairs that straps to a dining room chair. It was under $40, has removable trays for when the baby needs it (like a high chair) and you can just use the chair as a booster (nice to still have the seatbelt at the booster stage too).

We never missed having a high chair. Plus, whenever we went to anyone's house or on a trip, we just folded it up and took it with us. We got a ton of use out of it.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in the same mode. We want to try and get prego at the end of the year.We already have a 10 year old dd. It was hard financially because she was a surprise-lol

This time I plan on saving money in an acct. for Baby furniture , diapers, milk etc.

Toward the end of pregnancy i plan to keep an eye out for good deals on crib. We got dd a 3 in 1 (crib, toddler bed, full size bed) $400 she still has it and its saved us money because she will use it until she moves out.

We got lots of things for our dd's babyshower. What we didnt get we went shopping for. I say wait until you see what you get from your shower.

Just saved extra money aside for the baby

Do not get an all in one crib unless you are only planning on having one child. My sister has an all in one crib and planning on another child so she will either have to get another crib or a bed for her oldest.

 

[Karenj2]

Do not get an all in one crib unless you are only planning on having one child. My sister has an all in one crib and planning on another child so she will either have to get another crib or a bed for her oldest.

That's funny - we were JUST talking about this today! I still have my "This End Up" furniture (twin, dresser, chest) that I had growing up, so if we have a second, the first would move to that, and the second would get the crib/bed. I doubt we'll be able to have more than two, with the troubles we went through to have this one.

We *might* have a free crib from my SIL, but she had 3 cats while her son was a baby, and I'm highly allergic, so we'd have to get a new mattress anyway. (Plus, my nephew is now 8, so I'd have to verify that it wasn't recalled.) Is it wrong to crave new stuff for my baby???