My son is 4 and 4′. Our saving grace was purchasing sizes ahead. I received a gift card and bought him a jacket 2 sizes too big. He is still in the jacket.

You really just need a crib, high chair, swing, and possibly a changing table. I found a boope pillow helpful for naps.

Truly, the game is finding things on good clearance with a coupon where possible. Kids, indeed, are not as expensive.

We have always been in the lower income tax bracket due to our ability to make it on very little. I get creative with my ability to acquire itmes for my babies.

Freecylce is wonderful, first of all. If you aer not a member of your local freecycle network as a parent you should be. I have given away so many items that we have outgrown or are no longer using that I cannot imagine the trips I would need for Goodwill.

I acquired from Freecycle, two cribs, I kept the one I liked better and freecycled the first. A Tiny Love floor mat/gym, A glider rocker and ottoman, a car seat (clean, smokefree, never been in accident), a bassinet, a bouncy seat, a baby papasan, a swing, clothes, cloth diapers, daddy diaper bag, baby born carrier, etc, etc, etc.

I also had a lovely shower thrown by the ladies at my church where I recieved handmade blankets, clothes, a monitor, my bedding collection, a mommy diaper bag, bath items, disposible diapers, etc.

I will not end up keeping all of these items actually. I did return a few new items for exchanges due to preferences or sensitivites. I do like the fact that I can have so many gadgets through freecycle to try and freecycle the ones that I do not want.

As far as what I know I need- diapers: cloth preferred (I stay at home and my kids are sensitive), food source: I nurse for 1+ years, but you might bottle feed, something warm to wear in cold weather, onsies for hot. Other than that the permutations for sleeping are up to you.

We cosleep most of the time because I nurse on demand for the first six months, then why the crib, you ask? I get a crib for naps. This can be used to gently train the baby to sleep on his own and fall asleep when put to bed, by the time he/she is a year old they fall asleep quicker when laid down in their own bed. Some of my friends have placed their one year olds from their bed to an older siblings bed that has rails- this was the practice for hundreds of years in Western Europe and early America.

I also wear my babies so a swing, bouncy, or papsan is not needed. Floor mats and gyms are not needed a blanket with toys placed on it works just as well.

As far as formula goes, I don’t use it. But if I did I would sign up with every formula company mailing list on the net. You get free cans as samples through the babies first two years of life, you get over 200 dollars worth of coupons as well.

Also go to Gerger, Playtex, Beechnut, Evenflo, Graco, Babies R Us, Target, Walmart, Hienz, and any other baby product company nad get on thier mailing list as an expectant or current parent…you get great eamil deals and valuble coupons.
I am rambling..So I will stop.

I breast fed, but the formula samples still came in handy when he decided to self wean at 9 months. Even if you plan to breast feed I’d get the samples anyway – you never know what might happen and it’s better to not need them than to not have them at all.

Unfortunately my son had a sensitivity to the formula brand I had the most samples of, but I was able to trade them to other mothers for their samples of our preferred brand.

And I second Donna’s advice – take anything anyone is willing to give you. Coworkers and friends were happy to get rid of their perfectly good baby stuff and loaded us up. We received so many hand-me-downs and baby equipment I wound up returning half the stuff I got at my showers for store credit. I didn’t have to buy my son any clothes for the first 18 months.

Sort out by size and figure how many outfits per size range you really need. My first son had 28 outfits in the 6 to 9 month catagory — way too many to store, no less wear, before they would be outgrown. Consider how often you want to do laundry, how much you’ll actually leave the house (especially in the newborn and 0 to3 month timeframe), and be sure to factor in a few extras for accidents.

Of course, you’ll want to keep one from Grandma and Grandpa, one from Godparents or special friends. Just be sure to let those close to you know you really don’t want to overload on too many things early on. The baby will need clothes for years to come! Also, this may help you set the stage for limits on future gifts of toys, toys, toys. (OT — we eventually got our parents to give experience gifts like zoo memberships and gift cards to the home center so we could add on each year to our outdoor playset.)

But resist the urge to rip the tags off each gift, wash them and set them in the dresser the moment the shower is over. Instead, write your thank you notes and mention how kind it was for the giver to help welcome your new little one. Then wait. Remember that most people just want to share in the joy of your new addition.

We were able to choose a resonable number of outfits, blankets, onesies, etc. for each size range and return the rest. I kept those store credits and used them later for a second-stage car seat, disposable diapers, wipes, and a second stroller.

JMHO, Lyn
mom of three sons, 12yo and twins 8yo

The U.S. produced 4 million cribs last year and 1.8 million of them were RECALLED for safety reasons.

PLEASE, everyone – WHATEVER crib, pack-n-play, portacrib, bassinet, co-sleeper, etc. you decide to use – go to the CPSC’s website (www.cpsc.gov) and check by MANUFACTURER’s name and make sure your item has not been recalled. Doesn’t matter if it is new or used – CHECK IT BEFORE USING. It’s not just that the slats could be too far apart – many cribs have very cheap hardware used (screws that aren’t long enough to penetrate the wood and hold baby’s weight) and the mattress could collapse, trapping your baby’s head. Or, older pack-n-plays have been known to collapse, trapping the baby’s neck in the U-shape formed by the side rails. Also, there are straps hanging off the changing table attachments on pack-n-plays that have strangled babies. So, no matter what you buy, CHECK IT and make sure it’s safe! It only takes a few minutes, especially if you are getting it pre-owned.

And, please, just spend the money on a new car seat. They now expire after two years so they are only meant to be used for 1 child. Every new generation is safer than the last and you want the best for your baby, don’t you? I own a children’s consignment shop and we simply DO NOT CARRY cribs, and I believe we aren’t allowed to sell used car seats by law in my state. I tell grandparents who come in asking for them (and it’s usually grandparents who “don’t want to spend a lot because they won’t use it often” that for $40-$50 for a new one (yes, Kmart & Target have sales constantly on these and they aren’t that expensive considering it will be used for several years, that is about $2 a month for a new car seat – less than a coffee at Starbucks, folks!) that the baby’s safety is MORE IMPORTANT and they can be frugal elsewhere.

Thanks for letting me give my two cents on this!

I’m also wondering if anyone has any ideas for maternity clothes for tall women. I’m just shy of 6′ tall and have a hard time finding regular clothes, and there are even more tall options out there. I very rarely find anything used that works for me, and I’ve given up looking at thrift stores, consignment sales, etc. because I spend hours and hours and find nothing. Fortunately, my main need for maternity will come in the summer, so I don’t have to worry about long enough sleeves (God’s timing is perfect, isn’t it!?) but I’m looking at paying a lot more for jeans and pants that are long enough.

Toni at http://www.thehappyhousewife.com/cloth-vs-disposable/ just did a comparison post today. If others had my question, it’s an interesting answer to the dilemma. Hope its ok to share this info here. I was surprised to find it after the question came up when reading this post.

Jenny

Here is my post:
http://practicingthrift.blogspot.com/2009/01/preparing-for-baby-thrifty-way.html

If you are breastfeeding, and having trouble, La Leche League is a wonderful FREE resource of experienced and well trained moms who can help you get past many complications without incurring the cost of a lactation consultant. And of course, attending local LLL meetings and educating yourself before baby even arrives can help you avoid some problems altogether.

Get to know the quirks of your insurance plan – some will cover labs and even ultrasounds under the “Dr. visit” copay if they are done in a Dr.’s office, but will make you pay a percentage of the cost as an outpatient. ($15.00 vs. $300.00)

**Ways to save on STUFF**
Don’t hesitate to put stuff you think you’ll need on the baby registries. Many stores offer a percentage discount on any items on your registry that were not fulfilled before baby’s arrival.

You don’t necessarily need a “baby bucket” carseat. The basic model convertibles (like the Cosco Scenera) cost less than $50, and can hold infants as small as eight pounds. The biggest issue you have to watch for is that the shoulder straps go super low, since they have to be at or below your baby’s shoulders.

Church rummage sales practically give stuff away as they near closing (since most of them actually DO give away whatever doesn’t sell to another charity, and the more that is bought, the less work the volunteers have to do). We often get a bag full of clothes for a dollar, and our money goes to a good cause.

Co-sleeping eliminates the cost of a crib.

Elimination Communication (EC), while not for everyone, can help cut down on the cost of diapers.

Breastfeeding eliminates the cost of formula, can cut down the number of doctor visits, eliminates the need for electrolyte solutions if your child is ill, and can save you money on pads/tampons and even birth-control (YMMV) by delaying the return of your cycle.

And, of course, don’t forget: Babies grow. Fast. It’s easy to make do without, when something will only be useful for a matter of weeks, or at most, months.

We did buy a crib and a changing table because we were so excited and wanted to get the room set up!

1. Shop around. Call your local hospitals (if you have more than one) and find out what it costs to have a baby. Be sure to ask about what is included and to make sure you are comparing apples to apples (one hospital quoted a price for a 2 day stay, the other for a 1 day stay, but they didn’t tell me about the number of days until I asked.) Take into account the facilities they have available. If you have a high risk pregnancy you will definitely want a NICU.

2. Work for the hospital. Even if you and your husband aren’t nurses, don’t count yourself out. My friend’s husband worked in the billing department and got the same 70% off discount as all the hospital employees.

3. Try an at-home birth with a mid-wife. Much cheaper and more private.