What are YOUR Price Points for Baby Items?
Check out this email I recently received from reader, Madison…
My hubby and I are currently pregnant with our first baby. I would love to hear from your readers and get their input on how to save money when it comes to everything baby. Freebies, nurseries, diapers, formula, clothes, organization, etc… Any and all information would be greatly welcomed and appreciated! Your blog is the best and I know you and your readers will give me tremendous advice!
Since all of my kiddos are out of diapers and I don’t regularly purchase baby items (except for my new niece Charlie 🙂 ), I am having a hard time coming up with good price points for the mentioned items above. So if you have a baby or toddler, please help Madison and other new mommies out by sharing your stock-up prices and any other money-saving tips/advice that you can offer a first-time mom. I would also love for you to suggest must-have baby items (i.e. for me, it was my Sling and a Bumbo Baby seat) and baby items that you may feel are totally unnecessary.
And congratulations to Madison and all the other expectant Hip2Savers! 😀
Only advice I would add to what you already have been told is to not waste much time reading pregnancy books. They mostly just scare the crap out of you with all of the things that could possibly go wrong. Instead, spend your time reading books about baby’s first year. Also, spend your time making meals you enjoy and freezing them. You will be glad you did after the baby is born!
Agreed! Also if you plan on breast feeding, read about that. It doesn’t just “happen” … As I discovered when I had my baby.
I am a first time mom, I suffered the first few days with improper latching and after that I spent $65 to a lactation consultant who came home looked my baby latching and suggested a nipple shield which costed me $8, I am saying this because if I have known about nipple shield I would have saved $65 on consultant. So, just in case if at all u suffer with nipple cracks first try to set proper latching position to your baby and even if u suffer then try nipple shield… It saved me a lot.
I second the nipple shield!! Saved my life.
My experience is that you don’t need a million things just because they are for sale in the baby department. I use cloth diapers most of the time since I stay home, and disposables at night and naptime. I live in a really rural area and only buy disposables once every 2-3 months so I can’t help much on price points there. You can get used (but clean) cloth diapers online from diaperswappers.com. It’s an online forum for moms interested in it. You won’t need formula if you breastfeed and believe me that saves a TON of money. For baby products (baby wash, food, snacks, ect.), I just find coupons when I can and STOCK UP! You can never have too much rice cereal, baby food (the jars are cheaper than the plastic tubs), soap, wipes (but I make my own for when I use the cloth diapers, it’s just easier to throw it all in the wash), and medicines. You will always find a use for lanolin too. Get the pure kind you use for breast feeding and you can use it on diaper rash. I’ve never had anything work better. When we had our daughter we were supporting our family on less than $1400 a month. We made it work. You can always buy frozen fruits and veggies and make your own baby food too instead of buying the jars. I’ve found that to be MUCH more cost effective. In terms of a nursery, you can save money there by getting a dresser, rocking chair, and whatever other furniture at a discount store or thrift store and re-painting or finishing it. I would buy the crib and mattress new though. There are so many recalls….
I also learned you don’t need the car seat/stroller combo. Get a less expensive carseat and one of the cheaper stroller frames and upgrade your stroller later as needed. The only pieces of “baby gear” we found essential were an infant tub and a bouncy seat that vibrated. I wouldn’t buy a swing until the baby is born, borrow one first to see if your child likes it. Mine didn’t.
Basically, don’t rush out buying a bunch of stuff before the baby is born. Wait to buy a ton of one brand of bottles or pacifiers. Instead get one or two of a few different kinds and see what they like. All little ones are different and will need/want different things. Stock up on diapers and wipes if you can (more of sizes 1, 2, and 3) and baby food, spoons, rice cereal, and snacks. If you are having a baby shower, ask for gift cards instead of so many gifts so you can spend the money more wisely.
Love your comment but I would add. I used disposable diapers (because I work as well as being a stay at home mom) and I love the Target brand diapers. Don’t buy too many newborn, my daughter was born at 8lbs and grew out of the newborn ones in one week. Also she grew out of all the cute newborn clothes people had bought me (thank goodness I have a niece who is two weeks younger). The only things I would buy new for sure are a car seat, base, crib, and mattress. I get most of my clothes second hand but I buy onesies new, socks, Some shoes and now underwear. Also all those stuffed toys that play songs and make “womb” noises I would stay away from. We started with a dog that plays music and spent a tun of money on batteries. Instead find a good music box and or humidifier, or air purifier. (I use a humidifier in the winter and a air purifier in summer, and my child sleeps through everything in the morning). Stay away from a padded crib bumper (although they come with most sets). If you feel you need something there are breathable bumpers or I used car seat strap covers in the one corner she kept bumping her head. I recommend getting two mattress pad covers so you can wash one when dirty and use the other. Once you find a comfort item buy two more of the exact same one (for my daughter it was a blanket she loved but by the time I went to get another one the company discontinued it and I payed twice as much for three more of them only they are not the same color and now that she’s older she only wants the pink one).
Hi Kelly, I admire your suggestions and I really love the idea of stocking up the coupons but i never found coupons on baby items that are useful, can you please send me an email of coupons when ever you find one, that will really help me in adjusting my budget. My email is vjella@gmail.com
My baby is 1, (just turned one) and I am a first time mom in my 20’s with a masters in special ed… I was a mess and wished for nothing more than a healthy baby…. I did have a perfectly healthy baby, but the road was bumpy. SLEEP when the baby sleeps, “they” always tell you, but do it… Your body will thank you. A diaper genie is your absolute best friend, not a smell in the house. Don’t carry a stroller for simple trips, you and the hubby can carry the baby, we have a BOB and love it but its really a Disney stroller, we carry our 23 lb baby everywhere, didn’t even bother with a baby bjourn, that was $80 wasted. CVS wipes the sensitive kind work wonders… Tommy Tippies were our go to bottles, I did nurse too… and a BLACK diaper bag hides stains well. Hope it helps.
I love the Walgreens brand diapers and they frequently go on sale for about $5-6 per package. I have found with my little one they leak less than most diapers and are very budget friendly.
Also, I primarily breast fed my little one but when I did use formula I switched around on brands (having a couple containers open at once). I never had to stick with jus one brand which made it so I could give my little one whatever I found on sale or had coupons for. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but I found it very handy for saving money and my pediatrician had no problems with it.
I have a 5 mo girl. We just started buying our own diapers bc we received so many at the baby shower! Have a raffle for a gift of some sort for everyone that brings a pack. We stick to Pampers bc she’s sensitive….check out Amazon Mom and Subscribe and Save to wipes and diapers. I just stocked up on a ton of size 3s w that CVS deal from last week. Also, for ur diapers, use the large boxes first in case the baby is getting close to the next size. Then you can exchange the smaller bags instead of wasting half a case. I nurse and pump (I work full time) so my Medela has really become my best friend. I love it and its TOTALLY worth the money. I also love the bustier that you can buy so you can pump hands free. Things you may want but can’t see yourself buying, put on the registry. People will surprise you! Another thing I do, I shop a season (or even a year) ahead. We coupon for everythingggg. Our price point for clothes would be about $1-5 for pants or tops (and we shop at Gap Outlet, Carter’s, Osh Kosh, and Children’s Place). Price point for sets, under $10. I’m a sucker for monogram though – and my favorite (and cheapest) place for handmade/monogrammed is the Olive Tree Boutique. Loooove her stuff and it’s the cheapest I’ve found so far. Can’t think of anything else really? We are starting solids and we do fresh fruit or veg on a place mat and let her feed herself. It’s called baby led weaning. Best of luck and congrats!
I am currently on baby #2 and about to have #3 this summer. I like the Walmart and Walgreens brand diapers. And Walmart sells a “trail pack” of diapers for around $4 so you can try them to make sure you like them. I find that they leak if my baby sleeps thru the night, more than 12 hours, but she rarely does that (at 9 months). My favorite wipes are at Aldi for .99. They are great, thick and don’t smell too strong. I would say save your money, do not buy all the gadgets. Get lots of gender neutral stuff so you can use it again. The only things I could not live without is my bassinet and bouncer seat. The bouncer is nice just to have somewhere to set baby down for a bit, plus both of my girls loved sleeping in the bouncer. The bassinet moves easily from my room to the living room, so that baby can be next to me all the time. Everything else is rarely used, including my swing and bumbo.
The amount of money you spend on your first is enormous, with your second you get smart and buy used. I wish that with my first someone had told me about buying used. Most baby resale shops have tons of 0-12 month clothing that is barely worn because they grow so fast. Also for things like swings, bouncers, bumbos, etc you can get one used for half the price. I hate to pay more than $2 for a baby outfit. Between outlet stores and resale I can easily stay under that.
As for diapers, Target was my favorite. They have amazing deals on a pretty regular basis to get diapers for under $0.15/diaper. For me 15 cents was a good start goal.
If at all possible, have someone throw you a baby shower and put down everything you want and need. Do not worry about people thinking you are greedy or worry about cost. I have been to a number of baby showers and have seen people go in together for higher ticket items. Having a lot to choose from on your registry helps others in knowing what to buy and gets you more of the items you need. Essentials I think are; car seat, stroller, diaper bag, diapers, wipes, bed and bedding, skip the bumper pads because they are considered a hazard, a couple extra long receiving blankets or swaddle sack to swaddle baby, trust me on that, burping cloths or cloth diapers for spit ups, swing, dresser, tub and gentle cleansers, bouncer, pack n play to keep baby close by and for travel, high chair or feeding chair, toys, onesies and sleepers, bottles and bottle warmer if not nursing, I do not recommend warming plastic bottles so we use glass, but the choice is yours, pacifiers, teethers and a sensitive skin laundry detergent. There are probably more things you will need, but that gives you an idea. Also let grandparents and family spend money on the baby if that is what they want to do. I for one love buying different things for my grandchildren and I do not mind spending money on cute outfits, toys and essentials. Since I coupon, I am always on the lookout for diaper and wipe deals. When I see a great sale, I stock up. Also if you are eligible for WIC, sign up for it. By some chance you do not have a baby shower and you need to purchase everything on your own, shop sales, check out consignment stores for baby items and clothing. Garage sales, resale shops and Craigslist are another option, just make sure that the items you purchase have not been recalled also make sure to clean items really well. Don’t go overboard with clothing, that is the one thing that you will not need a lot of. Diapers, wipes and formula, if you do not breast feed is what you need the most. Hospitals give you a diaper bag with samples and formula as a welcome gift. And sign up for samples and coupons with diaper companies and baby Formula companies. Some give nice coupons for freebies and money off. Hope that helps some and best wishes.
Formula: I originally planned to breastfeed but wasn’t able to do so because of supply issues. I made almost nothing, so we had to switch to formula very soon after she was born. The Up & Up brand of formula at Target was so much less expensive. We spent $20 for 40 ounces rather than the brand names that cost $32 or so for about 23 or 24 ounces. Our pediatrician actually recommended the brand to us.
Baby Food: When my daughter started eating pureed foods, I made it rather than buy the jars. It is so easy with a food processor or blender. I just pureed each food and froze it in ice cube trays. When it was fully frozen I put the cubes into freezer bags. It was easy to just take out one cube when she was small and more when her appetite grew.
Diapers: We get our diapers from Amazon through the Amazon Mom program with the subscribe and save option. With this program they are almost always cheaper than the sales. However, occasionally a store sale provides a better price so I stock up and tell Amazon to skip my next shipment. So convenient! I also belong to Amazon Prime so I get free two day shipping. I think you get a 3 month trial of Prime when you sign up for Amazon Mom.
Clothing/Toys/Gear: We shop consignment sales in our area for clothing, toys, and gear. We have gotten great stuff for great prices. Most of it is either new or like new. When we do have to buy new I always use coupons and shop big sales. Collin has helped me save so much on these things with her posts!
Formula at Sams Club is very cheap. We get their brand and its $22 for 48oz. You can’t beat that. Luvs on Amazon Mom is very cheap too. I would invest in their Prime account.
I second the Sam’s formula! I haven’t been able to find a better price, and it mixes up as well as the name brands.
We found that Costco had the best prices for formula (I was unable to nurse) and wipes. We also had a lot of success with Target brand diapers and Luvs. We had a boy and he soaked the Huggies and Pampers brands like there was nothing there. When he got older, Diaper Doublers really helped at night.
We found the Fisher Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocking Chair to be absolutely indispensable. Our son has loved it literally since birth. It was perfect for our stuffed up baby who also had infant reflux issues since it allowed him to sleep in an inclined position. We had both the rocker and a swing and the swing was a waste in comparison: the rocker is more useful since it converts to the toddler rocker, takes up much less space, travels easily and cost significantly less.
I’d suggest getting the book set Baby 411 and Toddler 411 through Amazon. They are about kids, not pregnancy, cover a lot of info you never consider and are written in easy to understand terminology. The content is meant to inform rather than scare you, so you don’t have to call the doctor in a panic. I loved the books so much that I purchase the set often for first time moms-to-be and even now still refer back to the Toddler 411.
Jenny at Southern Savers did this VERY helpful info:
Broken down by size:
Newborn: 13¢ – 16¢
Size 1: 11¢ – 14¢
Size 2: 14¢ – 16¢
Size 3: 16¢ – 19¢
Size 4: 19¢ – 22¢
Size 5: 22¢ – 26¢
Size 6: 26¢ – 30¢
You can also see a break down on warehouse prices and also a suggestion on how many diapers and in each size you will need, At this link https://www.southernsavers.com/2012/08/stocking-up-on-diapers-how-much-to-buy-at-what-price/
Baby Trend Snap-n-Go stroller. Used for both of my babies. Was awesome. Didn’t use the wipe warmer, that was a waste of money for me. Loved having the cloth diapers that I used as a burp cloth, so thick and soft. Never used the bumboo seat but did use a walker (both of my kids walked by 10 and 11 mos. ) Loved using my pack and play. Was good for sleeping and travelling and for the kids to play in safely.
Tips from a mom of three, soon to be four….
-We’ve lived all over the country an I’ve found my price points have changed depending on where I’ve lived and what stores are available. I used to coupon shop at Walgreens and rite aid (they were the best for diapers!!) I no longer live near either to make shopping at them cost effective. Now I buy the SAMs club brand diapers at sams. They’re great. Costco’s are good too. I’ve bought the cheap $.99 cent packs of wipes from Walmart and Aldi, but prefer to buy them at SAMs. They are better, and go further. I’ve found that the price averages out.
-If you are nursing, buy decent nursing bras. You’ll be grateful you did.
– I’ve never pumped much, but for moms who work and need to pump, I’ve been told by everyone the Medela (sp?) are hands down the best to get.
– I’ve found a glider rocker to be a life saver. It may seem easier to nurse in bed, but then your kids will never leave. Make the effort to get up and nurse. It’ll also save your back. My mom has had lots of back problems and spent big bucks on chiropractors because she nursed sitting up in bed or in chairs without good back support. It’s also nice to sit and rock your baby too.
– I’ve just made my own baby food. It’s easier and ten times cheaper. I put the puréed food in ice cube trays and then pull out the food and let it thaw when it was time to use it.
– pacifiers are your best friend and worst enemy. Yes, it is worth it to use the binkie. If one brand doesn’t work, try another. But, get rid of the binkie before they are too old. I’ve found the best time to be between 12 and 18 months. I let my oldest have it till he was over two. We were always looking for the lost binkies and when I finally did get rid of it, my son looked at me like I’d just murdered his best friend.
– good luck! Every kid is different. There is no one right way to raise your kid. Buy some good under eye concealer and take lots of pictures. Congratulations!!
Totsy.com is one of my favorite websites. However you must be a memeber but it’s definitely worth it. Just got an email that they have an all things baby sale going on now, up to 83% off. Congratulations on your little bundle of joy!
Feeding -If you will be breastfeeding, it will save you a lot of money. Just get a few bottles and a good but inexpensive pump (I prefer the Ameda over the Medela as it is a closed system -milk can’t go into the pump hose, so there’s less chance of bacteria getting into the milk) for when you will be away from your baby or to build up a frozen supply if you get sick or need to take medication for any reason. For formula go to the different company websites. They will send you samples of a few different formulas. Ask at your OB’s office, the hospital and pediatrician’s office. If there are any mommy information seminars offered in your area and you can, go to them, they often have giveaways, or offer coupons for baby items.
Clothing/shoes -To save money on baby clothes do not buy newborn size (unless your child is premature, they only wear this size for about a week. Once you have an idea on sizing buy clothes a season or two in advance (clothes clearanced in spring will be appropriate for fall, summer clothes that still fit can be used into fall & winter by putting a longsleeved onesie underneath them and if necessary substituting warmer pants. Only buy white socks, that way it doesn’t matter if one of a set is missing (eventually another will go missing or fall off somewhere and you’ll have a full pair again). Babies don’t need shoes until they start standing and are ready to walk, so as cute as they are, don’t buy shoes until then. Once they wear shoes they can go through them quickly, every 1-4 months on average, so only buy the shoes they need at that time (don’t buy dressy shoes if you don’t have a special occassion) -initial a pair of good old fashioned walkers (they are good for their foot development and are also good enough should they need to be more dressed up), then maybe a pair of walkers and slippers and/or shoes for the pool or beach.
Baby products -If a product such a lotion (for example Eucerin is offered in a baby version or regular, call the company’s customer service to see if there is any difference in the formulation – in this case there isn’t), for as soon a they put “baby” on the label it is usually a smaller size that they charge more for!
Car seat -Get the safest car seat you can afford, this is not the place to look to save money. If you don’t want a baby carrier that snap into a stroller and the car there are convertible car seats that can br used from birth through almost age 4-5 depending on your child’s size weight (I love Britax and have the Boulevard for my 1st child, got the b-safe infant carrier for my second and after 6 months am now getting a Boulevard).
Stroller -You can save some money here (buy one lightly used high end one off Craig’s list or through a thrift shopped. Get one that is durable, a weight you can manage, some cost a little more but are light weight and can be used from birth (the recline completely)-almost 4 years old (MacLaren) .
Toys -plastic baby toys and toy houses can br bought used. The toys go through a dishwasher cycle or two to get throughly cleaned. The toy houses can be washed with some Simply Green and a hose, or a Mr. Clean Magic eraser and some clorox cloths.
Activities -check out your local library for free or low cost programs. Look on meetup for Mom’s groups in your area.
Good luck!
Milk doesn’t go into the Medela tube either.
I didn’t get a chance to read all the comments, so these may be repeats. Our daughter just turned 3, and baby #2 in due in October, so we’re gearing up to start all over again! For diapers, I highly recommend Amazon Mom. You can save 20% when you ‘subscribe and save’ (just cancel the subscription after they come) and you get free shipping-don’t even have to leave the house! They used to send them immediately, but with my last order, I noticed it took a while before the ‘subscription’ started, so you will need to plan ahead a little. We found we liked Pampers the best, and size 1 runs about 16 cents each. I’ve found Costco wipes to be the best…even if the cost a little more. Unscented and nice and thick!
I did make a lot of baby food, but when I did buy it (for traveling, out of season foods and mixed foods), I would watch for BRU to have a sale on earth’s best. Usually 50 cents a jar or less was a good sale.
As for clothes, we had a ton of gifts (we didn’t know what we were having, so after she was born the presents rolled in and were mostly clothes-people can’t resist!) but I’ve noticed that I can sometimes buy end of season clothes (once you kinda get an idea of how you’re baby is growing) for the next year cheaper than from the consignment stores. We have a Carter’s and Oshkosh outlet close, so I watch their sales and clearance racks.
Loved my Moby wrap, bouncer and swing. There was a period of time she wanted to be held all the time, so the Moby saved my arms! The glider was great too (found a used one on Craigs List). We used it until she was 2 and moved into a bed. After I quit nursing (at 1) we still used it for reading stories before bed. We bought a mid-priced car seat, and then just a frame stroller. We had several people tell us their all-in-ones were heavy and they didn’t use them much. We also had a lightweight stroller that fully reclined for when she did get a little older. For nicer jogging type stroller, watch craigs list. We found a City-mini that was hardly used because they needed a sit and stand after baby #2. I love that stroller!
Just tips in general:
Remember that all car seats go thru the same safety test so a Graco is just as safe as a Britax. I skip the infant seat and just go with a carseat that is convertible and maintains rearfacing until 60ish lbs (I’m big into extended rear facing, even with our kids who are HUGE!). We baby wear so there isn’t any reason for us to haul that dang infant seat around in the crook of our arm, plus my kids are such chunks they barely last 8 months in the dang things! Make sure your baby mattress is water proof or you have a cover for it. Have extra sheets! We don’t use a “crib” per say, we have a cosleeping crib which is basically a crib minus one side that shoves against your bed. Love it, especially since I breastfeed. If you have to formula feed, don’t sweat it, babies do fine on it and you aren’t harming them like the crazy people say. Don’t put a bumper pad on your crib. The only thing that you need in your crib is a fitted sheet and the baby, nothing else! And always on the back to sleep! 🙂
Madison. women have been having babies since the beginning of time and this is one issue that I’ve heard endless almost-make-ya-insane advice. I’ve been raising children for almost 30 years now and very proud to say I did it very affordably by purchasing only what’s most important. The baby needs a car seat, something to eat, have a place to sleep, something to wear, and 2-3 years worth of the best cheapest diapers you can get. I’ve sent 4 to college and none ever needed therapy because they never had a crib or a giraffe painted room. The best $25 I ever spent in my life was for a wind up swing that lasted for all my children. Hug em, kiss em, snuggle them closely. One day they might just not let ya do that anymore. Right now just rest and practice saying “No”.
I have a 5 week old and I was very minimal on “stuff.” I registered for everything under the sun, just because I thought if people want to buy it for me fine, but if not, I probably won’t need it. We really did only get the essentials. As far as a carseat, make sure you go to a store and pick them all up and check the weight and imagine a 10-15 lb baby in it. A lot of them are very heavy. We went with the Safety 1st Aero lite travel system. The stroller would close with 1 hand. We didn’t get another stroller. Didn’t see the need for it. I registered for a swing, but did not get it. I would suggest waiting until after the baby is born and seeing if it something your baby would use. You can always buy one second hand at a garage sale, craigslist or consigmnent sale.
The “must have items” for us are:
breast pump (as I was returning to work)
pack n’ play (for travel, if you get one get the bassinet feature)
Rock N’ Sleeper (our baby sleeps in this some nights and during the day, she loves it. https://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-snugamonkey-deluxe-newborn-rock-n-play-sleeper/-/A-14069814#prodSlot=medium_1_5)
Ergo baby carrier (or some sort of carrier, I hated the moby wrap. We got one and I would take it back if I could. I don’t feel like it’s stable and its a pain to tie. The Ergo baby carrier is much more stable and has a newborn insert that is great.
As far as newborn diapers and clothes, alot of people say to not buy any or many. Our little girl was 6 lbs at term and she is still in newborn diapers and was in newborn clothes until 4 weeks. 0-3 month clothes are pretty big. I only had 1 package of newborn diapers and hardly any newborn clothes. I was sending my husband out to buy stuff. I would buy just 1 small package of newborn diapers and you can always return and exchange them just don’t open them.
I had thought the same thing about the newborn diapers with my daughter, but her tush was so tiny that she would blow out of the size ones until she was 11 weeks old. She also wore newborn clothes until she was 11 weeks or so. They got too short before she could ever fill them out. I think that the sizing issue has a lot to do with the parents. Both my husband and I were small babies and our daughter is in the 18th percentile or so.
Hi!
I love Huggies. My perfect prices is .18 cents by diaper. For my son I just have one packed new born, one packed size 1 and then 1-2 from Pampers. I have seen the Pamper branch are bigger than Huggies. I can use Pamper during the day both not for Nap or at night aren’t that absorbent. For my daughter I bought the whole set for her crib and all the decoration for her room. Lost money! So for my son I decide not to do the same so we bought the crib fitter from the set that we like, was boats and monkeys. And then by the “pampera” from something similar. I paint nicely his room and put a boat border. With the border I use it also for the lamp. Look beautiful!
If breast feeding get the Medela pump (best ever), if formula feeding go the every website (Similac, Enfamil, Gerber, so-on) and sign up b/c they send amazing $10, $5, $3, coupons monthly, also they send samples. Walgreens register always prints coupons for formula and diapers, just got a register coupon for $8.00 off Enfamil, and 2 $2.50 off Huggies. I get them a lot when I buy cows milk or any baby item. Target also has great deals on diapers when you stack their coupons and manufactures coupons and they are always giving $5.00 GC when you but 2 bags-even sweeter!
Must haves- Moby (craigs list) I got 2 for 30.00 and 1 was never opened. Glider rocker. Bumbo. Vibrating/bouncy seat. Good monitor. Good nursing bras/sleep bras (must).
Advise – Do what works for you. Don’t compare yourself or let others compare you. Buy the cheapest bottles/pacies first (I bought the expensive ones and she hated them, after 4 brands I tried the .98 Wal-Mart brand and she loved them. Take a million pics and savor every moment – you will miss this time so much. Trust your mothers instinct!
My baby just turned 3 months. When I found out I was pregnant, I started to buy diapers at CVS, Target, and Meijer when they would go on sale for $5 or less per jumbo pack. This isn’t often, but if you have 8 months or so to purchase 4 packs of diapers at a steep discount every 1.5 months, you start to build a collection. Focus on the smaller sizes first, but don’t buy too many newborn. Amazon sells the Pampers newborn in a case of 12 packs of 20 diapers for about $42 shipped. It isn’t the best price possible, but it is a great price for not having to hunt down that many packs at a discount. I figured that my daughter would never use all of those diapers and we could save the extra packs for the next child–instead, she stayed in newborn size for 11 weeks and I had to order another case. Now we definitely have diapers for the next child. If you don’t mind storing them, diapers are a great stock-up item. You can always use them for your next child, and if you are not having more kids they make great presents at baby showers!
So far at 3 months, my daughter hates pacifiers and is determined to figure out how to suck her thumb (which she has not mastered). I have packs of unopened pacifiers and I am glad that I did not buy more.
My most essential baby items are the swing (see if you can buy one at a mom to mom sale), my breast pump and white noise of any kind. The swing proved to be essential once my baby was about 6-7 weeks. Before that, she hated it. My husband converted our swing so that we can either plug it into the wall OR use the batteries. This was a huge money saver!!! You can find instructions on how to do this online.
The breast pump was very important when I got home from the hospital and my milk came in. It took my daughter 4 weeks before she was 100% latched, which meant that I had to use the pump to bottle feed her in the beginning. I also used a nipple shield and that was super effective in getting her to latch (get a proper fit or it will not work right).
White noise became a big deal when my daughter got extremely fussy with gastrointestinal issues. Sometimes the pain would pass and she would still cry and fuss because she was so worked up. Swaddling her and shushing in her ear would work, but sometimes I would get tired of “shushing” for an hour. A white noise app on my iPhone had the same effect and it was free. Now we use a white noise machine in her room and it helps her to sleep longer and through the noises of our morning routine.
So I have twin girls…yay! haha Anyway, the most important thing is diapers! If you’re going to go cloth (which, in my personal opinion is the easiest way to go), I would go with the FLIP brand. We have the organic inserts (just because they’re supposed to last longer). All of my cloth diapering mommies have tried at least three brands before going to the flip. I don’t understand why! Anyway, its so easy!
As far as cloth wipes go, I bought cheap washcloths in bulk at TJ Maxx and fill a spray bottle with just soap and water and it’s worked perfectly so far (my girls are 1).
Cloth diapering can seem daunting, but once you get in a routine, they’re wonderful. I never have to worry about running out of clean diapers bc I can just throw them in the washer!
If you’re going to buy disposable diapers, I would go with diapers.com. I think they even accept coupons? We were really interested in getting chlorine free diapers and they had the cheapest in bulk. If we need a pack of diapers for a trip on occasion, we go to Kroger. Their diapers are only $7 (don’t know how big the box is) and they are chlorine free!! They hold A LOT!!! And Kroger will sometimes give out coupons for $1.50 off diapers.
I breastfeed my twins (still) and I have friends that breastfed their triplets!! Breastfeeding is by far the easiest and cheapest way. I was fortunate enough to be in a hospital that helped a lot. I even had trouble with one of my babies latching on in the first week. But she got the hang of it and they didn’t have a bottle until they were nine months old (breast milk bottle). With breastfeeding, you don’t have any bottles to clean or warm up. It saves A TON of time. And the baby can lay next to you at night (if you’re a light sleeper) and you can sleep right through the feeding. We did it with twins (haha!). If you’re working, obviously it won’t be that easy to breastfeed.
After becoming a twin mommy, I found a lot of cool perks that come with having twins. One of those things are the sales! Get on your local twin mommy website to see when the clothing sale is. You can find gear and clothing CHEAP!!!!! The twin mommies get to go the night before, so everything might even be cheaper the next day. It’s seriously the best thing. I got gymboree and smocked clothing brands for $1 per piece. I was ecstatic!
I hope this helps! Best of luck to you!
A few awesome things for new moms:
1. If you start a babies r us registry (even online) they will give you a goody bag in your local babies r us. I got things like 2 nuk pacifiers, coupons, breast milk storage bags, ect.
2. Motherhood Maternity: I went in the store and when I did they gave me an awesome bag also with similar items.
3. Similac mom club: The amount of formula they send you for free is amazing and really comes in handy.
Anyone who knows Nuk (they are about 6 bucks a pack) that’s a huge deal! Hope this helps.
shop kid sales! i only go on the 50% off day, the final day of the sale. i hope you have one in your city/area. google “Here we Grow Again” “Just Between Friends” “Rhea Lana (sp?)” “Kids Closet Connection” i’ve been buying way ahead for my toddler when i’ve found a long sleeve shirt new with tags for $1 or whatever amazing deal.
I only use pampers – well, obviosly, I personally do not use them 😉 (tried a lot of other brands, rash-rash-rash). The best deals I found are at CVS when they have the buy $30 get $10 extra bucks. Pampers usually have $1.5-$2 per jumbo pack coupons on coupons.com, and with $10 ECB the jumbo packs work out to about $5 per pack for pampers. They have very similar deals on Huggies, and by the way. Plus, hughies coupons go up to $3 or so, so, the cheapest deal I have seen for jumbo packs was under $4 for huggies. If you shop at CVS, track those sales, they happen every few weeks.