Baby Budget?

Sarahsaver

no dont think so
i would cut the baby lotion too!you get samples in bounty bags etc but i dont use it because most mainstream brands contain nasty chemicals.
pleased to hear someone else likes old style prams - hate these ones which look like tripods or have the baby all covered up in sort of a cocoon!
see if u can borrow a moses basket cos my dd is nearly too big for one and she is only 6 weeeks old :eek:

Kerriebaby

awww, bless 6weeks!! bet she is cute as a button

what do you use instead of baby lotion etc?

keelykat

Olive oil is good for babys skin-the health visiter, midwives and lady at the baby group kept going on about it to me. Elliot's dry skin has now literally gone/cleared up.

Elliot's another one that's almost outgrown his moses basket-he's 8 weeks old!

keely.

robin_banks

Okay...from this thread so far...

I NEED

Reuseable Nappies - we tried them IMHO life's too short get disposable bio degradable - same price as normal nappies.
Baby Changing mat ( of sorts! ) £5
Bouncing Chair £30
Baby Lotion etc - no you don't
Towels £10

Small selection of clothes/bibs etc charity shops, freecycle- buy as neccessary.

TIP Don't over do it before the little one arrives - we were bough loads of 'newborn ' stuff a 10 1/2 pounder doesn't fit in newborn - so a load of stuff was taken straight down to the charity shop

Car seat £100

Pushchair/Pram ( is it wrong that I really like the old fashioned styles best?!) - nowt wrong in that but you wont really need one for first 3-4 months anyway - get a baby bjorn carrier instead -£40.

Cot/Moses basket £50

Mattress -not till they are out the moses basket

Bed clothes - £20

plus maybe 3-4 months worth of wages in the bank ( just in case ) -

am I missing anything.?

Yep a changing bag, keep a dozen nappies in it, plenty of wipes and clobber- £30 ish

You relly dont need to go overboard, £500 is more than adequate, I know of 3 sets of parents (1 of whom brough up 3 kids) who never even owned a pushchair. !!!.

Yuo dont half as much stuff as people think.

Watching your 18-monther laughing at his own farts - priceless !!!!!

Sarahsaver

water and cotton wool for the bum, or asda eco wipes anything which does not have parabens/petrochemichals in it
got some 'little me' organic lotion in boots clearance for £1 again no nasties but i was told breast milk clears up nappy rash. it works and it is free!
best not to use lotion unless a 'need' arises, though i think a lot of people slather it on anyway. Newborns are nice and greasy - you can gently rub the vernix they are born with into their skin, they dont need a wash straightaway.
hth;)

Kerriebaby

thank you for that RB.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but im considering a cot rather than a Moses, as the baby would outgrow a basket very quickly, but the cot can be used from birth (?)

robin_banks

Hi Kerrie,

The opinion is out on that one, my point is though that you walk into the likes of mothercare and be bamboozled into thinking you need everything in the store, you dont you really really dont. You can stage so much of what you need.

TBH - I said £500.00 and you could do it for even less. You really wont need a pushchair for months - a baby carrier is more than adequate and you've got your hands free.

We've bought next to no brand new clothes, and now we have another on the way I doubt we'll need that much.

The money you save (up to £1000) can be stuck in a trust fund for them to spend on beer when they're 18.

Kerriebaby

I had a look in the store and was shocked to say the least at the price of things and was wondering if maybe we should forget about having a family. This thread has been an eye opener, so thanks guys.

I am keen to try and work family around my biz, so I would need a sling/all terrain pushchair, £500.00 seems very reasonable

robin_banks

As I said, the cost of many of the items quoted are top price brand new (i.e. a wish list not based on need)that in all honesty you wont need. The majority of stuff buy second hand - there is no stigma.

The only stuff I suggest you buy brand new are car seats, pushchairs and cots/moses baskets - £600 the lot.

There'll always be something to put you off, but if you want to start a family well there's only 1 thing left to do.

No need to reply..............

Kerriebaby

coffee on screen moment there!