Baby on a budget

[Missus84]

I'm not sure if this is the right section, but here goes

I'm pregnant with my first baby, and am mildly concerned about finances. We're on a very limited budget and live in a tiny flat, so I don't want to buy (or acquire) anything unnecessary. I know everyone says babies don't need to cost much, but I'd like to know what they definitely do need!

So, my questions are - what really are essentials? Where can we cut corners/save money? And, where are good places to find things second hand (and what, if anything, should we definitely buy new)?

YY agree with above, loved our bouncy chair (fisher price jobby) and mobile over cot or we have winnie the pooh lullaby thingy - both great at getting babies to sleep.

I bf DS but it was hard initially - I didn't have formula on standby and might have given up if I had (finally stopped after he was 2yo!). Having said that I sent DH out one night to get some formula, just in case...

Re bottles, that's a tough one. I got bottles because I was planning to express breastmilk so DH could do some feeds, but DS decided he preferred direct from source . So we wasted a fair bit on bottles, trying different ones to see if he'd take to them . Also it is possible to cup feed babies, ie using small open cup. So there are ways around it if you are desparate.

You don't need steriliser though, see interesting thread here.

Later on when your LO starts getting about, Ikea is great for child safety bits. Gates can be got from NCT sales, if you need them.

If you are feeling very daring you could venture out to a few local mums & baby / toddler group once you are on maternity leave. I'm sure they will make you feel very welcome and you may well meet some who are clearing out old clothes / equipment.

I really regret not buying more from NCT sales before I had dc's. Now they are 3.2 and 16 months I buy most of their clothes and toys there. But I would have got some real bargains (cots, highchairs etc)if I had been organised before they arrived.

You don't need to worry about bottles / sterliser before the baby arrives. If it does go pear-shaped and you need it then shops are open all the time these days, you can get it all in supermarkets too. Don't clutter up your house unless you have to!

Actually, you don't even need a cot - I bought one when pregnant with DD and she never once slept in it. Instead, I read 'Three in a Bed' and decided to co-sleep instead, thus obviating the need for any type of sleeping equipment!

The NCT nearly new sale was amazing - I'd stock up on 3-6 month and 6-9 month stuff especially, since you often get given a lot of newborn clothing but less of the stuff that they need as they grow bigger.

In terms of breastfeeding, I wouldn't bother getting any bottles or formula beforehand. Instead, use the time that you're pregnant to get as much information as possible about breastfeeding. I went to NCT breastfeeding class, joined a breastfeeding support group when pregnant and read every (good) book on the subject that I could get my hands on - La Leche books were good, as was 'So That's What They're For!'. Thus I felt extremely confident in my choice to breastfeed and had no qualms in contradicting information that I knew to be wrong from so-called health professionals.

In terms of the pushchair, maybe wait a while and use a sling when your LO is newborn, then decide what kind of pushchair would be best for you.

If you have any worries about using your sling, check out the Bristol Slingmeet - you can go along when pregnant and find out how to use your wrap or sling etc. Gives you much more confidence when first trying to use one with your own precious DC...

Oh and remember once your DC is born: apply for Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit WITHIN 3 months of birth. I forgot to get Child Tax Credit app in and they only back-date 3 months, so we missed out on 2 months benefit, grrr .

Congratulations!

I will say a baby needs remarkably little if you do it this way!

1. Co-sleep - you don't need a moses basket or a cot for at least a year or longer depending on how long you do it for when you sleep in the same bed as your baby. The benefits are huge and you also reduce the risk of SIDS. A baby needs the closeness, warmth and stimultaion of its mother, Read the book 'Three in a bed' by Deborah Jackson. Think of the money you will save by not buying a cot or having to decorate a nursery!

1. Breastfeed - You save on formula, bottles, sterilising equipment etc and that is the very least of the advantage to breastfeeding. You don't need any bottles unless you plan on expressing but you don't need to make that decision until baby is born.

1. Sling - Buy a fabulous all rounder sling that is easy to use, lightweight and ergonomically designed that lasts from birth to the age of 4yrs such as the Ergo for around £100 new and save a few hundred quid on a pram system that can be awkward, cumbersome and costly on space and the baby isn't even in it that long anyway!

1. Baby Led Wean - You will save a fortune on a blender, jars, little spoons, bowls, pots for freezing foods etc.

1. These things are a total waste of money IMHO: Nappy bin, change mat (a towel on a sofa or rug is just as good), top and tail bowl (just use a couple of bowls from the kitchen), special baby towels (just use your own hand towels) cot bumpers (if baby sleeps in cot, what is the point when the advice is to sleep feet-to-foot?)baby bath (just use kitchen sink until baby can sit up then use the big bath).

No don't get formula and bottles in - unless you live really far from any 24 hour stores. Having formula on standby can put you under pressure to use it, if I had had any in the house I am sure XP would have given DS a bottle one night when I was getting stressed out (I am glad he didn't) The breast and bottle feeding section on mumsnet is fantastic and really supportive (in fact might be a good idea to go and ask there now if you have any questions)

Out of interest what sling are you borrowing from your friend? I would say you can definitely get away with not having a pram for the first few months if you have a decent sling - I used to carry DS around in a sling for about 6 hour days and it was fine, really comfy. If it's a baby bjorn, tomy, mothercare sling etc though you might struggle as they are not as comfortable. I don't think it matters not having somewhere to put them down, DS was comfy to "wear" even when asleep when he was tiny and if I needed to put him down e.g. in a cafe I would just lie him on a spare chair on a blanket or on the sling and wedge him in with the changing bag. I was usually with someone anyway if I was sitting down to eat so they'd hold him while I got sorted. Once they can sit up most cafes have highchairs which you can use (or you might choose to use a buggy by then anyway)

If you don't drive you don't need a car seat but personally I would get one - either borrow/beg one off a friend with an older baby or Argos have got one for just over £20 at the moment (in the sale so be quick) and that would be perfectly adequate. It goes up to 13kg and I would use it for as long as is humanly possible (ie until the baby is too long or too heavy - my DS is nearly 15 months and is still in his baby seat as I don't drive) - it's safer for them to be rearfacing, and the next stage seats are all really bulky. You can use the baby carseat as a rocking chair in the house as well if you want to (I usually do the straps up more loosely in the house for comfort)

We have a little Tesco round the corner that's open pretty late, not 24 hours though. Can you buy bottles in smaller shops?

Not sure about the type of sling - it's not a Baby Bjorn type or one of those ones that's just a piece of fabric. If I remember correctly it's something like an Ergo? I'm definitely veering towards holding off on a pushchair til we know if we need it.

Carseat - I think we will look for a cheap one for occasional taxi use or lifts with friends/family. I've heard you have to have a carseat to leave the hospital after giving birth anyway, so maybe we don't have much choice!

I wouldn't abandon the idea of cloth nappies if you are on a budget. Even if you do them part time it will save you money. Definitely look into terry squares. They are cheaper than most cloth nappies and dry quickly. You could use muslin squares for the early days.
Ideas for nappy folds on the Nappy Lady website
Save you a fortune in the long term.

And if you are thinking of breastfeeding, I wouldn't bother getting bottles/sterilizer etc. in the early days. If it turns out that you think that might be better then the shops will always be open for you to buy those things. But if you find that you don't need them then you've saved your money.

They sell baby bottles everywhere, from the little supermarkets to the corner shops to the chemist and even our local pound shop!

They can't stop you leaving hospital with your own baby, carseat or no, but it's definitely worth having one and they might kick up a fuss if you don't have one when you leave hospital. (My aunt lives up the road from the hospital and she borrowed a beautiful old silver cross pram and walked home to cheers and coos from the neighbours! But she did have some trouble with the midwifes and had to tell them her address a few times before they were happy)

We managed to buy very little as well, mostly because my BF had kept all her stuff from when she had a baby so we were very lucky.

The only new thing we bought was the mattress for the cot, a waterproof cover and 2 fitted sheets. But you don't even need those - you can use folded sheets or cut down an old one.

We use cloth nappies - MIL very kindly made a load of them from a template another friend provided.

A washing up bowl made a very good baby bath for the first 6m, much cheaper than anything specifically "baby". I didn't use wipes, or cotton wool after the first week - just dumped baby's bum in the water in the bowl. Saves loads on disposable stuff!

I didn't buy a "baby-specific" bag - didn't need one, just used a shopper bag with 2 internal pockets that I had. No change mat; just a handtowel.

Other things I was "lucky" with - my mum had a colostomy and she had masses of dry wipes left over, which we used as nappy liners; and lots of mini-binbags which we used when out and about to put soiled nappies in.

You do need several sets of vests/babygros though - probably at least 7 as they can go through that many in a day (perhaps just my DS...) but wait to see how many you get. OR - if people ask what you need, get gift vouchers for places like Boots/supermarkets. Tesco do very cheap baby basics; and Woolworths are still available on line for Ladybird cheap stuff too.

Good luck - I expect I've doubled up on what everyone else has said - the main thing is to take whatever is offered to you and what you can't use yourself, ebay or freecycle.

Cloth nappies can be used for covering your shoulders while burping the baby, covering the bed under baby while sleeping there with you (saves your sheets from spit-up and poo), and for any other surface you lay your DC down on. Years later, I still use those of mine that survived as mopping towels in the kitchen -- I got nice birdseye ones and they're very absorbent. I had access to a tumble dryer though.

And actually, you might end up co-sleeping, so reading up about it (you and DH) in advance wouldn't hurt. Ended up doing this with all of mine just to get some sleep.

OP, I have a spare moses basket you can have if you like - I was given two and only need one! It's yours for free, but you will need a new mattress.

NCT sales are a good place to pick up bargains. Also Friday Ad and charity shops.

I didn't find Ebay that good tbh, by the time you've paid p&p a lot of things are nearing their new price

You can look for 'collection only' items in your area, though, which is really handy.

MamaLazarou that is a good suggestion.

This website does it for you as i never understand the text I have to put in the search engine.

[http://www.localbargainfinder.co.uk/]

whoops i meant...

www.localbargainfinder.co.uk/

I got a free stair gate, reins and other safety equipment from the childrens centre, following a talk on safety from the fire service. You won't need this stuff for a newborn, but worth finding out if they have a similar scheme in your area.

Also the bounty bags they give you throughout pregnancy and after the birth are full of freebies and vouchers. I got a free nappy bin from argos, worth £25, an asda voucher to spend on baby clothes, loads of washing powder and toiletries etc.

And most of the supermarkets, and Boots, have parent and baby clubs and send you discount vouchers from time to time. The sainsburys one is quite new and I think they give you a load of goodies when you join.

Thanks MamaLazarou thats really kind of you! Are you local to me?

onadietcokebreak - what a useful site, I could never work out how to find collection items near me

me neither.....found that site courtesy of Moneysavingexpert site!

There was a lovely wooden playpen that went for 99p recently.....I know a friend who paid £80 for same one new!

Look on the Gumtree. There's usually tons of good stuff given away for free or very cheap.
Other than that, I think there's not much to add to the things listed by previous posters.
Ours is also a baby-on-a-shoe-string but not for that he's wanting anything. You will find that people are very generous to new parents. Hopefully you'll get lots of stuff given for free
I wouldn't bother about toys at least for the first three months. They may look pretty around the cot but at that stage they're mere decoration and baby won't even notice them. Just make yourself available with hugs kisses and silly faces. That's all they need at the beginning.
We got DS dressed almost completely in hand-me-downs -including lots of babygros and vests. The good thing about baby clothes is that they don't get worn for very long, so second, and third hand things are usually in good condition.
On that note, someone's up

Thanks for all the tips MNers - keep them coming! I'm sure I'm not the only broke mum-to-be who's watching this thread carefully.

I know quite a few people say you only need one pack of vests and one pack of babygros but my LO could get through up to 5 vests & babygros a day in the early days due to a combo poo, pee & my ineptitude at nappy changing so I'd suggest a few more as otherwise you have to be really organised about washing & drying them and you'll have other things to worry about.
Whilst not vital, a bouncy chair and a playmat do give you somewhere to put the baby where it will keep itself entertained at least for a few minutes. In the first weeks when they can only focus on contrast, I just scribbled some shapes in black pen on wwhite paper and DD was quite happy looking at those.
Also, when people ask what you want have no qualms about being really specific. If you're not sure of their budget, off a range of suggestions which cost different amounts and ask them to let you know what they're getting so someone else can get you the rest.
Good luck!

I haven't read the thread, sorry if this has already been said 40 times, but in my experience....

useful items

cot
car seat (one that can fit onto buggy)
baby carrier (I used this all the time)
changing mat
nappies
cotton wool balls
cheap nappy bags to put offensive used nappies in (approx 40p for large pack)
top and tail bowl
short sleeved vests (cheap)
babygros (cheap ones) maybe 7 of each
2 cot sheets
cellular blanket
something for baby to be warm in when leaving hospital, eg, blanket, hat, coat

completely unnecessary things

changing bag (had 2 never used them, just used normal bag)
bath (sink!)
changing table (any surface)
pretty outfits (people give you these)
steriliser (breastfeed instead)
bottles (breastfeed instead)
breastpump (had 3 of them and only used it after DD was about 5 months old, tmi but you can hand-express if required in the early days)

And as people will have said you can get many things v cheap second hand and use websites such as this one gumtree and freecycle. People tend to give you things like toys, clothes etc.