is taking care of a newborn really expensive?

Answer 1

For us? No!

Most of the costs people are mentioning are avoidable.

We spent maybe 250$ to start with on cloth diapers and wipes- that lasted us through six months, when we spent another 150$. 400$ has gotten us through more than a year, and we bought *nice* cloth diapers instead of cheap ones. Our water bill didn't go up appreciably, either.

Breastfeeding itself is free. I spent 15$ on pump parts (I have access to hospital-grade pumps in a nice pump room) and have probably spent 40$ on breastmilk storage bags in the year that my daughter's been alive- but only because I work. Also, we've probably spent an extra 50$/month on food (just as we did when I was pregnant) but that's also been good for *my* health (that 50$ is largely fresh fruit and veggies, plus a switch to organic milk), so it's not fair to attribute that just to the baby.

We cosleep (I like sleeping *way* too much to get up in the middle of the night when it's not necessary), so we didn't buy a crib.

We wear our baby in a sling (which was a gift, although I later made another one- *super* easy sewing project- for about 20$) so we never spent much money on a stroller. We do have a 10$ Walmart umbrella stroller, but it's only really been used for groceries thus far.

Our daughter wears hand-me-downs, but if it came to it, thrift store clothes are fine.

The carseat was a big expense (180$?) but it was paid for by my inlaws, which was nice.

And we are lower income (I'm a grad student), so my daughter is covered under medicaid, and we've never paid a dime for her medical care.

All in all, it's cost us less than a 1000$ for my baby's first year of life. I know it'll get more expensive now, but so far it's been really easy. Yay, cloth-diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing and cosleeping!

Answer 2

Well, I don't pay anything for feeding the baby because she is breastfed. I also don't buy any baby equipment because I don't think it's necessary and any equipment I have I received as a gift or bought used, for the most part. I don't pay anything for diapers because we do infant potty training and use cloth diaper back ups (left over from my first baby). Most of my clothes were gifts or were hand me downs from friends and family. I maybe spend an extra $50-100 a month on my kids that I wouldn't be spending otherwise, other than childcare expenses. This is for a 3 month old and a 2 year old. And I have lost out on money because I have taken maternity leave and have paid for daycare. But if you can work in the home or have a stay at home parent, that is not an issue.

I think it becomes more expensive once the children reach 5 or 6 years old when they are interested in doing activities such as sports, dance, and music lessons. It also gets more expensive as they grow up because things just get more expensive for teenagers, and they're more picky at that age.

But newborns are pretty cheap.

Answer 3

There are many things that a baby needs like a car seat, a bed, clothing, diapers, wipes, toys, blankets, and a lot more. Many of these things are usually given at a baby shower if you are lucky. You can keep costs down by shopping at discount or second hand stores. ( For anything except car seats, because if a car seat has been in a vehicle during an accident it should not be used again.) And there are ongoing expenses: formula unless you breastfeed, then juice and food later on, diapers and wipes, laundry, clothes get too small really fast too. There are programs out there to help you such as W.I.C. for help with food. I hope this helped you.

Answer 4

It definetely not cheap. You have to buy diapers and truthfully, contrarily to what you've heard... the cheaper ones are NOT just as good. Many of them leak or fall apart. Luvs used to be good when my older ones were little but now I don't find them that great anymore (5+ years later). Huggies and Pampers are good. Wipes can be generic, they are all pretty much the same. Clothes can be gotten second-hand as long as they are clean and not worn out. But car seats, swings, strollers, cribs... those things are expensive. There are places that donate car seats and some that will donate cribs, other furniture and strollers, too. There's health insurance, doctor visits, vaccinations and of course medicine if the baby has health issues or gets sick. Formula is very expensive, TOO expensive if you ask me. Breastfeeding can cut down on that expense, too. Unfortunately, though, there is no way to make is "inexpensive." Having a baby is very expensive. And not only that but if YOU don't pay for it, who will? If you don't buy that baby formula, it will starve. If you don't provide a place for it to live, it'll be homeless. This is a very serious responsibility. I hope you are ready for it.

Answer 5

Yes, but mainly because there will be loss of income for the person taking care of the baby. Little babies actually need very little *stuff.* Here are some ways to save money:

-Breastfeed! Fulltime, all the time. Visit a La Leche League meeting before you deliver to get off to a good start.
-Practice elimination communication (aka infant potty training) and use cloth diapers. Fuzzi Bunz are GREAT diapers and are much, much cheaper than disposables over the long run. You can also cut up flannel blankets for wipes (water is all that's needed to clean a baby's bum most of the time) and wash those along with the diapers
-Learn how to wear the baby in a sling instead of using a stroller.
-Co-sleep instead of buying a crib
-Wear the baby around the house (in your sling or wrap!) instead of leaving him or her in expensive swings and bouncy seats.
-Skip expensive baby shampoos, etc. All you need is a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Baby soap (very concentrated) and some coconut oil for after bath. I only use soap every once in awhile as it tends to dry out the skin.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

YUP. Very. I'm not a mother, but can't you do the math yourself? Diapers, formula, medical expenses, furniture, car-seats, strollers, lost wages due to maternal leave, clothes ( the baby will only fit in a certain size for a couple of months)... not to mention daycare/ babysitter expenses. Why do you think so many mothers apply for government assistance when they have a child? Better to be financially stable by the time you bring a baby into your life.

Answer 7

yes. you will do laundry more than when they are older and will double what you do in laundry before they are born. Formula is expensive if you don't breastfeed. Doctors visits are costy, you are constantly purchasing clothes from somewhere as they out grow the clothes before they wear them out. sometimes they don't wear an outfit more than once and they don't fit in it. babysitters are costly and you need to shop around for someone that can do cpr etcc or is certified and you are comfortable leaving the baby with. With that said you should be putting away for the post high school education for them. Very expensive...Been there , but would not change a thing. Children are a blessing.

Answer 8

not if you nurse, formula is pricey. have a baby shower and you should get a good start on supplies. hand-me-downs are always good too and buy used, kids grow so fast things like clothes and baby swings can be bought much cheaper. be careful with cribs though, old ones are not up to todays safety standards, check with the academy of pediatrics for the check list on that.
i buy: diapers (pampers) about 3x a month at $17.00 a bag (45-50 count)
wipes 1x a month at $9.00 a carton (a carton is about 6-8 refills)
i nurse so i don't buy formula, my son eats food now (he is 6 months old) so i spend maybe $20.00 a month on baby food, juice, teething cookies, baby wash, etc.
so for basics he costs us $100 a month including laundry washing.
also my son has a bassinet and crib, he hasn't slept in either of them he sleeps with me. we got a lot of use from the bouncy chair which was only $30 new. a swing and stroller are nice to have, you need a car seat
doctor bills are another story, i hope you have insurance

Answer 9

depends on which country you are in! Some ways to save is go all out for breastmilk (its the best baby nutrition, its free and if you feed properly it will be plenty), use washable nappies and keep diapers for the night or to go out, newborns dont dirty their clothes like older babies so you dont need a lot of clothes. Anyway, plan things out coz time flies and once they are 8 months + they need a lot more things and stuff.

Answer 10

It can actually come up to quite alot, depending on what u want for yr child. The initial part can be rather texing, the list goes like:
Daily necessities;
Milk Formula (Breast feeding will save you loads!)
Diapers
Baby wipes
Baby shampoo / bath
Nappy rash cream
Essentials;
Cot
Baby carrier
Car seat
pram
clothing
nursing bottles
steriliser
pacifier
bath tub
Visits to the Ped / routine checkups
Monthly vaccination
Just naming a few. Some parents go for enrichment materials like flash cards / books for infants as early as 1month.
Nevertheless, it's all worth it!