When you had a newborn, did you spend a lot?

[Sparksi]

Just that really

We’ve had an expensive month trying to make the most of doing things before baby arrives, going out for breakfasts and dinner and such.

Baby has absolutely everything they need and I’m well stocked up for that. Hoping to breastfeed. My sister has kindly batch cooked us two weeks worth of evening meals, so no cost or effort there for a bit.

Is it expensive in the early days of having a newborn? I was hoping that we’ll save a bit of money at least until DH returns to work.

Not really, unless you are jamming posh baby classes in every day (the swimming ones seem especially extortionate!).

Definitely not bothered for doing them, at least until baby is several months old!

we didn’t go out as much so we saved in that department but I needed new clothes for my post pregnancy shape and lots of takeaways as we were too tired to cook 😂

A fair few coffees and lunches out plus the occasional take away 🫣.
A block of baby sensory classes.

Its as expensive as you make it x

I was like you that I'd stocked up on baby clothes.

In the first weeks, I didn't go anywhere. I was anaemic so I was tired and wanted to rest. The most I managed was a daily stroll with the buggy. My friends & family all worked so I wasn't doing any visiting.

Once back on my feet, it was summer and I was lonely, so I took DS and walked the Ridgeway in the sunshine to cheer myself up. I bf him sitting beside corn fields watching combine harvesters 🤗So I didn't spend much then, just some petrol. I had a great summer.

Do you already have nursing clothes, one of every size nursing bra ever invented, breast pads, and also a set or two of bottle feeding equipment/sterilisation stuff for it, ready made formula portion in a carton, several brands of powder and teats, nipple shields, a manual breast pump and an electric one? Oh, and 27 books on breastfeeding and a chilled cabbage?
(Hypothetically you should only need half of the above at maximum, but it is absolutely possible to get through the whole lot in month 1)

Yes - breastfeeding didn't work out and we spent ££££ on lactation consultants, pumps, private tongue tie op and eventually even drugs to try to help me produce more milk.

(In hindsight of course it was a total waste of money - we'd all have been happier and better off just buying formula 🤷🏼‍♀️)

I went on holiday a lot when I was on maternity leave as it seemed silly to waste time off work… that probably didn’t help me save money 😂

No, you don’t really do anything anymore 😂 so it wasn’t particularly expensive. I did do two sets of baby classes at £50 per term, but otherwise it was walks and coffees, which I sometimes took from home. Life simplifies a lot once you have a baby until you need to pay for childcare, so you don’t need to spend money really, except on nappies and formula if you use it. Though to be fair, what we saved from pre-baby trips to the pub would have more than covered a year’s worth of formula! 😂

Yes, me too…plus buying a lot of things like bottle maker / warmer / cooler, inlays for cot and crib, rock-it, colic remedies and so on.

Are you talking specifically in the first 2-4 weeks until next pay day or during Mat Leave as a lot people seem to be referring to the latter where as I read the post as the former?

It was the half aisle of Boots to sort the cold at 10 days, the snacks, clothes and creams to help me breastfeed, and the fancy swaddles and baby nest to try to scrape a little more sleep that cost.

But it wasn't that much and we saved a lot by barely going anywhere and using NCT sales where possible.

In the first weeks, no. You'll likely not go far with a newborn and if you've got all the bits baby needs, and a freezer full of food then you'll probably not spend much at all.

For the rest of your maternity leave it's as expensive as you make it - baby classes, holidays, days out, new clothes, equipment for baby etc. But the main cost is down to reduced income (and pension) and then the crippling cost of childcare if/when you return to work.

My Amazon history shows many, many 3am purchases of devices that claim to make babies sleep. None of them worked, so don’t do that.

Other than that, as PP says it’s up to you. I did sign up to some chichi baby classes, but actually preferred the 50p church playgroup.

Baby clothes were nearly all hand me downs.

Mum friend meet ups are just as possible at home as in a cafe (and probably less stressful).

But I had some amazing holidays (Boston 6 weeks post partum was doable, just!). Entirely optional, of course!

A week postpartum and we’ve bought

• nappies
• formula
• additional sleep suits because she’s smaller than many of the newborn / 0-3s we already had
• coffees out
• milestone cards
• memory book
• nipple shields
• more disposable big knickers
• a jacket (not technically baby related 😄)

I’m about to order a pump and will be spending on a lactation consultant.

I don't remember spending much money, probably a lot less than before! Family turned up the first week or two and went shopping for us and paid for it, so that was useful. Didn't do anything like classes or anything, plus it was summer so we just went outside a lot to free places. Had loads of clothes bought for us and they were too big at first and lasted for ages. The only thing I remember buying was a fan for the bedroom as it was too hot.

I didn’t spend less than usual, there were things I’d not thought of that baby needed, some things I thought I had enough of that I needed more of, I was spending a lot on coffees/snacks/lunches out but don’t regret that as getting out and doing something normal like that really broke up the day and kept me sane, if breastfeeding doesn’t work out then you could easily spend £100+ on all the bottle & formula you then need. PJ’s & clothes for postpartum as nothing fit comfortably, big knickers, pads etc.

Same as other posters, breastfeeding not working out cost money to buy bottles, formula, sterilisation equipment, rapid cool, flasks for when out and about etc.

Some unexpected costs like room thermometer, night light, buying smaller baby clothes as my baby was small on arrival and I didn’t have enough newborn sized clothes. I also had to get some sleeping bags in different togs as the overnight temps fluctuated alot and I was worried about baby overheating. Then just stuff like deciding I wanted a separate washing basket for my babies clothes, extra toys. You may also find costs for pads, undies, new bras, new clothes depending on how postpartum goes. Also buying different brands of nappies if you don’t get one with the brand you start with and extra bedding for baby if you get a lot of leaks and can’t keep up with the washing.

DD was prem and feeding and sleeping didn’t go well for us (massive understatement) so in the first few weeks I was pretty much a zombie and barely left the house. Very cheap!!

Did buy some prem baby clothes although quite a few were gifted to us.

A bit later on I did spend a fair bit of money on lactation consultant, tongue tie op, various white noise machines/sleep aids etc.

If you want to BF then having £150 or so available and the number of a good private lactation consultant is very worthwhile IMO. Hopefully you won’t need it and all will go smoothly but if you do have issues it can be a real help. Unfortunately NHS is generally no help on BF issues.

Haha the 3am purchases is too real, and Ewan the sheep did feck all!

The extras I bought were mostly TV subscriptions to get me through all the night feeds! I also ate quite a bit of cake.

We also went to cloth nappies, wipes and breast pads, so this was an extra expense but was re-used with our second child.

Yep, see also Olly the Owl and a singing cloud. I have the full set.

I agree that sometimes purchases are made in desperation (e.g. a Rockit, swaddles, white noise machine, dummies etc). We also spent a fair amount on a cranial osteopathist in the first 6 or so weeks which actually was money well spent. But overall, it wasn't hugely expensive.

We went out for coffees/lunch/drinks pretty much every day while DH was off so spending increased.
Also lots of random purchases as the days and weeks rolled on and you thought it might fix something, a million brand of dummies, a lighter swaddle for a sudden heatwave, a rockit etc

Babies aren’t expensive, not working if you only get SMP however…

no nights out if you previously liked doing that is a big saver!