How to Save Money When Having a Baby!

Over the last few years, marketing expensive 'must-have' baby products to new parents has become big business. And marketing hype would have us believe that, unless we buy our new baby the latest Bugaboo pram/pushchair, spend a fortune on a cot, invest in stairgates, cupboard safety locks, baby monitors and endless supplies of toys, clothes and other paraphenalia, our bouncing bundle of joy will be dreadfully deprived - nay neglected - and, oh, the guilt we should feel as a result of not purchasing such necessities!

Well, fear not. I am here to tell you to ignore the marketing hype, to step away from that Bugaboo, and see just how possible it is to be both stylish and economical when you have a new baby; you can still have just as much, if not more, fun by spending less. And most of the stuff just isn't necessary! Think of the old adage, "money can't buy style" and you're halfway there.

Babies don't need much, surprise, surprise. They honestly couldn't give a monkey's derriere about anything other than their most basic of needs: to be loved, to be fed, and to be kept warm and dry. So, on the subjects of love, feeding, warmth and keeping dry, please read on...

Show your baby the utmost in love through the closest of contact by wearing him/her in a sling. Babywearing is fantastic - what better way of nurturing your baby than keeping him/her close to your heart - offering not just love, but food and warmth too - marvellous! You can also just get on with whatever you have to do with little interruption from junior. Ironic really that such an ancient form of carting your baby around should only just have become relatively mainstream in the 'civilised' west. For more information on the benefits to both mother and baby of wearing your baby in a sling or carrier - and attachment parenting in general - have a look at the books listed below on Amazon.

Slings come in all styles and colours. Prices vary from as little as £15 for a basic pouch sling to as much as £90 for an Ergo carrier made from organic fabric (see photo, above right - this is the one I have and love so much!). I also have a Beco Butterfly, but my favourite for both babies and toddlers (up to four or so) is definitely the Ergo Baby Carrier; incredibly comfortable (I can easily carry a 14 month old all day long and, now 6 months pregnant with a considerable bump, can still carry his 21 month old weight on my back. Can't wait to carry number three in it with the infant insert).

A ring sling is also an ideal purchase, and extremely cost effective. Have a look at www.bigmamaslings.co.uk for a cornucopia of babywearing options.

Co-sleeping with your baby obviates the need for a cot, at least in the short-term. It can take some getting used to, not least because our culture tells us that babies sleep in cots in their own room. However, the benefits of co-sleeping are ultimately in everyone's favour and there's nothing lovelier than having that little cherub staring up at you as you open your eyes in the morning... or at 12 am, 2 am, 4 am...

If you can, do the breastfeeding thing (for six months exclusively, and thereafter, once you've introduced solids, for as long as you like!). God it's so much easier, it really is. And it's free! Formula milk is expensive in itself, then there's the cost of bottles, steriliser etc to add on, and the hassle of pre-preparing and making sure you've got everything with you when you go out (Crikey, remembering just the baby is enough when you've only got one brain cell left after pregnancy). And please do breastfeed on demand; your little poppet will love you all the more for it. If you're wearing your baby in a sling, it's just a case of discretely hoofing out your boob when your baby starts rooting around. Job done.

Wearing your baby in a sling helps keep them cosy, but obviously some clothing is necessary, particularly in dank, sodden England. I'm a big fan of retro and vintage clothes. Sometimes this goes down well with my 11 year old son, oftentimes not. My two year old (right, at 11 months) doesn't seem to care and looks darn cute in his handknitted vintage-pattern sweaters. He lives in long-sleeved white bodysuits from John Lewis at £7 for a pack of five and soft, stretchy leggings (perfect over real nappies and so much easier to jump around to his big brother's indie punk music in) from Polarn O.Pyret (funky, hardwearing and oh-so-comfortable).

Please don't get caught up in the 'too many clothes' scenario for your newborn. They won't wear a quarter of them, and half of them will be a nightmare to get on and off. Sleepsuits, vests and a cosy hat - that's the ticket. Oh, and the baby doesn't care if the hat doesn't match the sleepsuit...

Whilst I'm no real nappy evangelist, I can honestly say that I do enjoy knowing that by using them my impact on the environment is significantly minimised. Not only that, but I'm saving myself a fortune. Admittedly some washable nappies are expensive; £14 for an 'all-in-one' when you need at least 15 of the blessed things is quite an initial outlay. Word of caution - do not buy a 'birth to potty' pack costing £250 unless you are absolutely positive it's the nappy system for you, and even then, don't, just in case.

My favourite? Disana Organic Cotton Tie Nappies from ethicalonestopshop.com (click on Nappies and Accessories) at approximately £1.60 each. Newborns don't need a booster and with 20 nappies costing around £32 plus four wraps at about £7.00 each, you've got the lot for under 60 quid until your baby needs bigger wraps a bit later on. Booster pads can be made yourself if you feel like it, or get the Disana organic cotton ones for £1.50 each. I use a combination of those and Bambino Mio pre-folds along with Motherease wraps. An easy system and all components are dry in a day.

For disposal of the smellier stuff, it is helpful if you have a showerhead over your bath within reach of your loo - showering off the offending articles down the pan is thus fairly quick and painless. Otherwise, don the rubber gloves and sluice away prior to dumping in a nappy bucket with a few drops of tea tree oil.

PRAM

Keeping your baby close to you in a sling means that there just isn't the need for a pram. So, save yourself £400 - or over £600 if you're going for that Bugaboo - spend a tiny proportion of that and have some fun with baby slings and carriers.

Oh, and if a part of you still hankers after the latest in perambulator fashion, console yourself with the fact that, without one, you'll never have to trip up over the darn thing in the hall.

COT

When I read the following excerpt from Jean Liedloff's amazing book, The Continuum Concept (Arkana), even though my second child co-slept with me until he was about 17 months old, it moved me to tears:

"She sighs and puts him gently in his cot, which is decorated with yellow ducklings and matches his whole room... Nothing has been spared in perfecting the baby's room, though she and her husband cannot yet afford all the furniture they have planned for the rest of the house. She bends to kiss the infant's silky cheek and moves towards the door as the first agonized shriek shakes his body.

... She hesitates, her heart pulled towards him, but resists and goes on her way. He has just been changed and fed. She is sure he does not really need anything, and she lets him weep until he is exhausted."

Need I say more?

BABY MONITOR

Unless you live in a very large house and envision leaving your baby a mile away up the stairs and along a never-ending corridor behind a shut door, you can do without one of these...

STAIR GATE

Apparently, we are all born with two - and only two - fears: the fear of loud noises and the fear of falling. I had more stair gates than stair-gates-R-us for my first child so he couldn't get up the stairs in order to fall down again. With my second child some nine years later, I have trusted his own innate ability to avoid falling down the stairs (it also helps if you refrain from saying 'stay away, you'll fall' - usually a self-fulfilling prophecy). To date, we are incident-free.

CUPBOARD SAFETY CATCHES

If you are lucky enough to have kitchen doors with knobs of some description and want to secure the contents from small chubby hands, thick rubber bands going from one cupboard door knob to the next work very well. Otherwise, just move hazardous chemicals and allow a little exploration.

DISPOSABLE BABY WIPES

Baby wipes are a very quick and easy way to clean up messy bottoms, faces and hands. However, they contribute to landfill and are thus unfriendly to the environment. They can also often contain chemicals such as benzalkonium chloride plus methyl and propyl paraben. Not things I really want on my baby's bum, I don't know about you.

Using washable wipes is easy and saves around £8 a month compared to buying disposable baby wipes. You can buy Washable baby wipes pack of 12 for around £10 but it's also very easy to make your own out of old towels, for example.

... AND A HOST OF OTHER THINGS

There is something in many of us which is attracted to the new. Chances are, we can do without it. Wet wipe warmer, anyone...?