Frugal Recommendations for New Parents - TT #12

If you are or are soon to be the parent of a new baby the amount of items promising to make you a better parent can be somewhat overwhelming. All the marketing aims to convince you that their product will make your baby calmer, happier, smarter, or safer; that you will be the best parent.

Well, you simply do not need it all. If you are trying to keep to a budget, you do not want it all. It may sound cliche, but our moms didn't have half the gadgets we now depend on for babies. Our grandmothers had even less. Buy the essentials without all the bells and whistles. Be very choosy about the nonessentials you buy.

In Shopping for Babies, I recommended that first time parents gather advice from more experienced parents before making a gift registry or buying a lot of things. Today, I will give you my list of recommendations about some different baby products.

1. Feeding - Breast is best.
It is best for baby, best for mom and best for the budget. It can take a bit to get the hang of and to get beyond self consciousness, but it really is worth it. You can do it if you are working or staying at home.

When it is time to introduce solids, baby food is as easy as pureeing some of the fruits and vegetables the rest of the family is eating, before adding spices or fats.

2. Bassinets - Not a necessity.
We used a bassinet with our youngest. We borrowed it from my brother. They are convenient those first few months when there are several night feedings. They are small and fit in the parents' bedroom better than a crib. Babies outgrow these fast. We did use a family cradle with the others some, but mostly they just went straight to the crib. Well, except the third child. He spent the first five months sleeping in his car seat. It wasn't like we wanted him to sleep there, that was just the only place he slept well. Hey, rule number one for new parents, babies don't follow the rules.

3. Cribs - Keep it Simple
A basic crib really is all you need. Cribs are not a permanent piece of furniture, so why spend a fortune on one? I am not a big fan of the convertible cribs (they convert from crib to day bed to twin bed) In theory they sound economical, but unless you are only planning to have one child I don't think they are worth the investment. You will need a crib for your second child. We have used the same basic crib for all four of our children. By the time the next baby was born, the older one could move to a toddler bed, and if there was one in the toddler bed then they moved to a twin bed.

4. Car seats - Gotta have them
Though babies do quickly outgrow the carrier infant seats, I think they are worth it. The last thing you want to do is wake the baby when they have fallen asleep in the car. With a carrier type seat you are less likely to disturb them. Look for one that works with or with out the base. It will save you a lot of hassle when you are using a different car, or baby is going with someone else.

After they outgrow the carrier, invest in a car seat the will convert from rear to forward facing and into a booster. Kids are required to be in a car or booster seat for a long time. The convertible ones will cost you more initially, but will save you from having to buy multiple seats.

5. A sling - Must have.
I'll be the first to admit I didn't use it a lot with my first child. Using a sling does take a bit of getting used to. Once you beat the learning curve though, slings are the best carriers for the money. They are also the best tool for being able to get things done with a fussy baby. That is priceless. With our second child, I found the sling a must have.

6. A bouncy seat - Must have.
All of my children liked these. They allow you to put the baby somewhere off the floor, and the baby can still watch you. The seats that vibrate were my favorites.

7. Baby tub - Skip it.
They take up a lot of space. Babies out grow them quickly. It is just as easy to wash the baby in the kitchen sink, especially if it has a sprayer, or to lay a towel down in the big bath tub.

8. Swing - Try it before you buy.
They are expensive. They take up a good deal of space. From my own experience, and those I've observed, many babies really do not like swings all that well. But if yours is one of those babies, like my oldest, that is soothed by the swing, then it is certainly worth the investment. I recommend giving a swing at a friends, a nursery or day care a test run before you invest.

9. Strollers - No easy answer here.
It doesn't sound very frugal, but I really have found it worthwhile to have a large stroller, and an umbrella stroller. There are just some places where the umbrella stroller is more convenient and vice versa. I do recommend that you look for strollers with larger sturdy wheels. It is very difficult to get smaller wheels through gravel and grass.

10. Clothing - Don't go crazy.
The most convenient infant clothing for home really is creepers or onesies. Of course you will want some super cute outfits to go out in, but really 5-10 in a size is enough. Much more than that and you are likely to have clothing that is never worn or only worn once or twice. Shoes are not necessary. Ask for clothing in different sizes when you register for your showers. If you get a lot of clothing in the same size pick your favorites to use. You can return the rest right away, or keep the tags on them to see if you need them later.

11. Diapers - Try cloth.
Using cloth is better for the environment, and better for your budget in the long run too, especially if you have multiple children. Cloth is not for everyone. I think cloth would be difficult if both parents worked. If one parents stays home though, cloth is really doable. Before buying a lot of cloth though, I recommend that you try them out first. Either borrow some diapers and wraps from a friend or buy a small set of cloth diapers first. If you like them, then you can get more.

If you use disposables, try different brands. The most expensive brands are not always the best, and different brands seem to work better on different kids. Diapers are also a great thing to ask for as a shower gift.

12. Toys - Boxes are wonderful.
No, really, they play with household items as much as they play with toys. Babies don't need many toys. If your family is anything like mine, the grandparents, aunts and uncles will provide more toys than your baby will ever need. Do provide plenty of age appropriate books though. Read to baby from the beginning.

13. Baby Monitors - Wonderful gadgets!
Though certainly not an absolute necessity, baby monitors are not that pricey, and are worthwhile. You really don't need one with all the bells in whistles. In fact, one that we received as a gift that had a lot of "extras" really made a horrible monitor. We returned it for a cheaper model. It worked wonderfully.

When you do need something I encourage you to accept hand me downs, shop at thrift or consignment stores, garage sales and classified ads. It may take a little more time to shop second hand, but you will find good quality items at a fraction of the cost.

There are products that do make being a parent of a newborn a little easier, but you don't need it all. The best thing you can do is take a deep breath, relax, lose any expectation of being the perfect parent and enjoy the ride, bumps and all.

If you are wondering that cute little baby is Nolan, our third, before he started sleeping in the car seat.