It dawned on me that Rambo will be on maternity leave (as we self employed there will be no maternity/paternity pay) for a while and the responsibility will be on me solely to provide for the family. I could probably write a blog post about how much this scares me, but I’ll save that for another day. Instead I’ll put my analytical hat on and try and do some financial planning.
The first task is to try and work out what the essentials for a new born are and what are those things that are either nice to haves or can wait a little time before being purchased. The second task would be to put a rough price next to each item. (For pricing options I have taken the lowest price for each item off the John Lewis website):
NEW BORN COST: £986 / $1490
Sleeping (£484 /$730)
Moses Basket: £35 – See More
Moses Basket Mattress: £10 See More
Moses Basket Sheet: £10 See More
Cot: £379 – See More
Cot Mattress: £25 – See More
Cot Sheets: £12 – See More
Swaddling Blanket: £9 – See More
Room Thermometer & Night Light: £4 – See More
Bathing & Changing (£65 / $98)
Baby Bath: £9 – See More
Bath Thermometer: £4 – See More
Baby Sponge: £1 – See More
Bath Towels: £12 – See More
Changing Mat: £5 – See More
Baby Wipes: £3 – See More
Muslin Squares: £13 – See More
Baby Grooming: £12 – See More
Pack Of Dummies: £6 – See More
Nappies: £10 – See More
Breast Feeding (£49 / $74)
Sexy Nursing Bras: £25 – See More
Breast Pads: £4.50 – See More
Nipple Cream: £10 – See More
Nipple Protectors: £9 – See More
Travel (£338 / $510)
Car Seat: £125 – See More
Pushchair: £200 – See More
Changing Bag: £13 – See More
Clothes (£50 / $75)
Body Suit: £5 – See More
Sleep Suits: £10 – See More
Snow Suit: £28 – See More
Mitts: £4 – See More
Socks: £3 – See More
What have I missed?
Choco
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The Moses basket might be a waste of time if you have a big baby. My oldest was over 4 kilograms and really long. You can buy inserts for your cot that work well.
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I found that coconut oil works better than nipple cream and is cheaper too! A breastfeeding pillow is a lifesaver too, especially until you get those muscles toned up. A regular pillow suffices if you are on a budget.
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Thanks for the advice! I like the idea of a natural oil rather than manufactured cream…
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I agree that a moses basket is not necessary. Really the baby needs a safe place to sleep, some clothes (but nor too many newborn size because they grow quite quickly), I would get a breast pump just in case you run into nursing issuesb (my first did not latch for two days after birth), and large blankets for swaddling. I use Jack Newman’s Nipple ointment (must be prescribed) as it has a lot of helpful stuff in it to sooth sore and cracked nipples.
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Thanks for the advice. The greasy pumps have been a talking point on our house as everyone has a different opinion on whether you need one straight away, but as you say we may need to have it to hand if latching on is an issue.
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