How To Have Your Baby While On A Budget

How To Have A Baby On A Budget

We cannot move at the moment without the media screaming about the global financial crisis and how hard things are for all of us. However unavoidably, a long-drawn-out news day comes along, and the media begin tallying up exactly how many hundreds of thousands of dollars it’s going to cost us to raise our children.. But how much does it actually cost to have a baby?

It’s totally up to you

Babies need only cost what you can afford to pay, or what you imagination can come up with.. If you want a new nursery in your home think about ways to lower the costs involved - beg and borrow.

As with most things in life, there is a big difference relating to wants and requirements. Babies are essentially uncomplicated creatures and require little more than love, somewhere warm to live, food, someone to change them and a lot of love - that is the simple part.

Thus if you’re planning a baby, or even a new one, and your budget could do with a little bit of help, below some guidelines that may help ease the financial pressure of a baby..

Borrow, Beg but don't steal

You may perhaps have friends that have a baby that has outgrown the cot or bassinette it has been using, make use of it for the couple months that your baby will require it. Do any of your relatives have a spare cot? Perhaps even the cot you slept in as a baby? Always check that baby equipment is secure and complies with the Australian Standards, but using second-hand items makes immense economic and environmental sense - that is it will slash your carbon imprint. Save your money for a new cot mattress, a reasonable stroller and a new baby car seat.

Purchase only what you require and no more

It can be very tempting to dream away the pregnant months thinking of things you may perhaps need then spending time at the shops purchasing lots of gorgeous things that your baby will not ever actually use. If this is your first baby, try and restrain yourself to just getting plain things like singlets and jumpsuits. You may possibly be shocked with the total of hand-outs you will get for your baby. So often babies grow too fast to be dressed in all the outfits they are given, consequently it makes sense to limit yourself and then see what you really do need to buy.

Swap parties & toy libraries

Inquire with your friends who have had babies what baby clothing, products or items they recommend and what they never used. Trade parties are a really great idea. If friends have babies that are slightly older or younger than yours, arrange to exchange clothes with each other. Go ‘shopping’ at a girlfriend’s house for your baby’s new sized wardrobe and return the favour. Swap or loan maternity clothes once you do not need them anymore. When your baby is older, keep toys clean and exciting by trading with each other once a month, or try a toy library which are increasing in recognition and are a brilliant idea.

Breastfeed

Breastfeeding is the most cost effective method to feed your baby. The health benefits are well-known, but from a financial view point, making your baby’s milk yourself is the ultimate as it’s completely free. Are you interested in learning more about breastfeeding? See more articles.

Cloth nappies wipes

Reusable nappies save money and the natural environment. Modern cloth nappies are a world away from old fashioned terry-towling squares that countless parents were subjected to when they were babies, made from renewable fabrics like bamboo. Now in hip colours and designs, they are more like disposables in fit and purpose.

Using cloth nappies and baby wipes for succeeding babies make it even cheaper. And hey, what’s one more load of washing every two or three days compared to buying a box of disposable nappies each week? But if cloth is not your thing, try using a cheaper disposable nappy in the day-time when you are changing baby regularly, and saving the more absorbent/expensive nappies for night-time use.

Cook or arrange your own baby food

It may well sound like difficult work, but it doesn’t need to be any more hassle than regular cooking. Cook up some extra vegetables with the family dinner, then puree or mash the vegetables as baby requires. Spoon them into an ice-cube tray, pop on the lid, and you have a week’s worth of baby food in your freezer!

If you have any bits and pieces left after you have served dinner for the family, spoon into a small container and freeze. Your baby can eat a range of family meals without any further exertion or cost on your behalf.

Get Dad to make some toys

Make your own toys. Little babies love to grab a red bag filled with noisy paper. Crumple up some newspaper and let them play with it. Fill a little Tupperware container with rice and tape shut to make a shaker. Fill a soft drink bottle with water and bits of coloured sponge and food colouring and watch them roll it around the floor for hours.


Make use of park - swing the days away

Go to your local park, play on the swings, dabble at the beach, read some books, have a picnic in your backyard. They are all free!

Baby Feeding - How To Get Dad Involved

New fathers, these days, are making a great deal more of an effort in getting involved as much as possible with baby feeding - this makes fathers feel like they are chipping in and allows them to bond with the new baby.

The remarkable study established that greater than 30% of new dads made some type of an effort to turn up home in time to offer their child a night-time feed on an almost daily basis.
The study also established that 30% of dads made the effort to get home from work one time a week to give the bedtime feed, while an inspiring 37% made it their daily duty by feeding their baby six or seven nights a week.

The mothers that were questioned, in the same study, more than 70% mentioned that they encouraged their partners to be alone with their new baby at some point in the day whether it was morning or night.

Here are a few ways to get Dad involved:

1. Initiate an active and vital responsibility for him by placing him in charge of sterilising baby bottles and other baby feeding accessories - this can be achieved whether you are breastfeeding or baby bottle feeding. Make sure you provide him a suitable education in bottle sterilising.

2. Allocate him a regular bottle feed so he can enjoy a quiet cuddle time with baby- if you are choosing to do a ‘dream feed’ (around 11pm) this may be most suitable. Further, you can get some much desired sleep.

3. If mum is busy feeding baby, let him give you a treat by rustling up a healthy dinner for you both to have later. He doesn't need to be a good cook, even a toasted sandwich or beans on toast tastes so much better if someone else has made it.

4. If you are the one who is feeding, give dad the job of burping baby - this job will make him feel a part of the team

5. If the day is getting closer to when you start to wan your baby, and assuming Dad is a decent cook, get him to start preparing weaning food.

Baby Safety, Nightlight Use And Myopia

Nightlights are not simply a vital baby safety product, they are in addition very handy for Mum and Dad too - especially at feeding time when you do not wish to entirely arouse your baby up, a nightlight will help out with this. Nightlights give off a slight gentle glow for your baby or child while sleeping.

Many types of nightlights are available including amusing and ornamental lights in the form of animals or humorous characters, and fully automatic nightlights that understand to turn on in the dark and off and when the sun is up.

Nightlights what's more offer parents a way of checking on your sleeping baby without turning on the room light and possibly waking their baby.

There are various potential negatives to nightlights though. A recent study by the University of Pennsylvania Medical School found that babies under the age of two years old, whose parents used nightlights, had a five-fold increase in myopia compared to other babies or toddlers who slept in a room that was dark.

In fairness to parents of young babies who use nightlights the study does not establish night time nightlights that are used during early childhood is a direct cause of myopia, parents may wish to consider the study on baby safety when deciding whether to use a nightlight or not - please remember though that this was just one study and although it did have interesting findings they were not conclusive as the sample was probably not as large as it could have been.

Baby Safety From The Harsh Sun

You must to take absolute care to safeguard your baby's skin from the sun, in particular in the middle of the day and in summer.. Sunlight is full of ultraviolet light that can set off short and long term skin damage to your baby. Not only will sunburn cause your baby enormous discomfort and pain, a lone session of serious sunburn during childhood can play a part to the growth of skin cancer in later life.

Like adults, babies with lighter skin have an even greater risk of sun skin damage if exposed to sunlight, even on a cloudy day or in the shade.

A couple of forms of sun protection are available in Australia; sun creams that care for your baby's skin when exposed to sunlight, and clothing/accessories that prevent the sunlight from touching your baby's skin at all.

Baby Sunscreens

You must look for a baby sunscreen especially designed for a baby's skin, as sunscreens used by adults can cause irritation. You should buy a baby sunscreen, offering greatest protection from UVA and UVB rays. Even if your baby is wearing sun block, it is still important to keep them in the shade where possible or use one of the additional means of additional protection given below.

Baby sunscreens typically are derived from natural ingredients or are chemical based, make sure you understand the instructions ahead of use. We would advise not using chemical based sunscreens on a baby below 12 months of age and that clothing offers the best form of protection for a baby around 12 months of age.

Protective Clothing

Wear A Hat - your baby must wear a hat that helps to stop the sunlight from reaching their neck and neck. That means a hat with a wide brim all the way round it, or a cap that offers a peak at the front to protect the face and a flap at the back to protect the neck. Take care the hat is a good, comfortable fit, or you could find your baby wanting to take it off all the time.

T-shirts - a long sleeve T-shirt will offer your baby the most practical protection from the sun, however this may not be sensible given the warmer temperatures that accompany the sun. At least a normal T-shirt is essential as the shoulders can burn very easily.

Parasols and Mesh Covers

You can give extra sun protection while your baby is in their pram by attaching a sunshade. Some manufacturers will make available a parasol designed for a certain pram. Nevertheless, parasols with a universal attachment are just as valuable and more often than not cheaper. They simply connect to part of the pram using a spring loaded clip, and the angle of the parasol can be adjusted to ensure maximum protection from the sun.

Sun protection for your baby is also available in the form of mesh covers. These material covers are placed over the buggy or pram in the same way you would use a rain cover.

Baby Safety, In Your Baby's Nursery

Baby Safety, In Your Baby's Nursery - Your baby's nursery is a room in which both mum and dad and baby will spend a huge amount of time; by partaking in intelligent safety protection measures before your baby is born, you can establish a secure environment in which your baby can play and relax all the way through their infancy.

From the outset your baby will spend a lot of time sleeping so it is critical to make certain that their sleep environment is hazard free. When selecting a cot for your baby's nursery it is always preferable to buy a new one so that you can be sure it is outfitted with the most modern safety features; however this is not always practical.

When loaning or buying a second hand cot it is vital to check that it is of a sturdy build and that hold brackets and bars are fitted steadily. You should also check the cot bars are spaced less than 45 - 64mm apart (so baby can't fit their head through) and that the cot has no corner post extensions which baby could get their clothes caught on. If your second hand cot is painted you should strip and repaint it before baby arrives (mums-to-be should avoid doing this) as the paint used to decorate many older cots contains lead which is now known to be hazardous for babies.

The cot's mattress should be firm and fit in a cozy way with less than the width of two fingers in between the inner border of the cot and the side of the mattress. There should be no holes or cutouts in the head or footboard of the cot so baby cannot get stuck and the sides of the cot should each time be locked into position when baby is inside.

Babies, specially those under 12 months, must not be placed to sleep on beanbags, pillows or adult beds and when baby is put down for a nap they should always be positioned on their backs (unless otherwise told to by your healthcare professional). In addition, duvets must not be used on babies under the age of one as they have been caught up as a potential factor in cot death. As an alternative you should use layers of fitted sheets and blankets tucked under the cots mattress so you can easily preserve your baby's temperature and stop them from overheating.

When placing a baby in their cot you should ensure that their feet are placed in close proximity to the foot of the cot with the sheet tucked under the mattress appropriately - this prevents baby from wriggling under the covers. Bumper pads can be secured around the sides of the cot to protect baby and stop them from reaching though the bars. However, these should be removed when baby begins to stand so they can't be used as a step to help baby climb out of the cot. Pillows, teething toys, soft toys, dummies and comforters should also be taken away from the cot before baby is put down to nap.

Cots or changing tables should on no account be positioned close to windows or wall mounted accessories that could be grabbed or tipped over. Additionally, you should cut any long cords used to draw curtains so that they no longer form a loop and tie them well out of baby's reach. You should also make sure that windows are always locked, that electricity outlets are fixed with socket covers and that heaters are protected by guards. At BPA Free Baby Bottles Online we advise using oil, timer, heaters.

If you have a change table in your baby's room you should make certain that changing accessories and toiletries are stored high out of babies reach (although easily accessible to an adult). Doors and drawers in which little fingers may well get stuck could also be fitted with child proof locks and bookshelves and cupboards should be attached to the wall to prevent tipping. You should also make sure that baby is no able to lock their nursery door from the inside.

By correctly making the furniture in your baby's room and by keeping in mind some vital nursery safety protection measures, you should establish a happy, hazard-free room in which your baby can safely sleep and play all day long.