About breastfeeding:
- You're not saving
just the cost of formula; you're also saving the cost of bottles, which, depending upon the type you're using, can be substantial. And you're saving the work of buying formula, mixing formula, transporting formula, and washing bottles. In contrast, breastmilk is always ready and always the right temperature. It's not just a money-saving thing; it's a work-saving thing.
- Breastfeeding isn't an all-or-nothing proposition. After the first few weeks -- especially if you're going back to work -- it's easy to maintain breastfeeding in the evenings /morning, but use formula during the day. Your body will adjust to the amount your baby needs and when you feed the baby; it takes 4-5 days to "drop" a feeding, but once established, it's easy to breastfeed on a part-time basis.
- It is absolutely imperative that you drink plenty of good liquids while breastfeeding. You can't make milk if your body isn't well-hydrated. This is absolutely key to success in breastfeeding.
- One small detail that new moms often don't know: Breastmilk and powdered formula don't stain baby clothes, whereas concentrate and ready-to-feed formula do.
- Check with your insurance to see if they'll pay for any breastfeeding support: Many insurance plans will pay for a lactation consultant's help (they were WONDERFUL in helping me learn to breastfeed in the hospital -- though it's easy once you and the baby have learned, those initial feeding sessions may not be so instinctive as you might expect, and a little help can be the difference between success and failure). My insurance bought me a hospital-grade breast pump.
- Regardless of how you're going to feed the baby, invest in a breastfeeding pillow. It'll support the baby at just the right height, and it'll save your back. I used a regular bed pillow with my first child, and I was amazed at just how much better the specialized pillow was. Much of the stuff at Babies R Us is just plain junk, but the breastfeeding pillows are worth their weight in gold. Do not neglect to pack it in your hospital bag.
About diapers:
- I bought second-quality diapers by the case. A local mom had a source for these slightly-defective diapers (i.e., the Muppet babies' picture was printed off-center, and a few were missing their tapes) straight to our house.
- If you're comparing disposables vs. cloth diapers, do the math yourself. The cloth diaper enthusiasts use some of that fuzzy math. I have teens now, so it's been years, but I remember figuring out that spending what they claim disposables cost would mean using something like 25 diapers per day -- even newborns don't need changes that often.
- Newborn diapers are outrageously expensive and are made only by the most expensive brands. Get out of those sizes as soon as possible.
- A friend of mine who still has little ones in diapers has auto-delivery from
Amazon.com; she loves having them delivered straight to her door, and she gets some kind of discount because she's a regular customer. I don't know how that stacks up to searching out sales and coupons.
- I never cared which brand of diapers I used; they all fit just fine, and they were thrown away in rather short order.
- No matter what kind of diaper you choose, you'll learn to wait 5-10 minutes or so before you change the child's diaper. Often they're "not quite done yet", and waiting a few minutes will save you a second immediate change.
babies are such an awesome blessing 
