Budgetting for Baby

[SunnyRain]

I'm feeling the tightening of the budget as I sit down to calculate how much I have to save up to buy baby stuff and I have a few questions:

1. Can anyone recommend a good stroller that can be used from newborn age on up through the years?
- Smaller and lighter that that folds up nice and small in the boot.
- Narrow wheel base, so 4 wheels is probably best.
- With a bit of a basket underneath for carrying nappy bags etc.
- Not expensive (please tell me how much I should expect to pay)

2. Where do you buy a smallish nappy change pad? I haven't seen any. How much do they cost?

3. How many milk bottles / teats should I buy ready for a newborn baby (even though I am planning on breast feeding)?

Does anyone have any advice for things they had to suddenly buy that they hadn't thought of?

Thanks for your help

[~kellie~]

Hi kuraiza
1. sorry, cant really help with this one
2. I just bought a fold up change mat that you can take with you when you go out on ebay, for a bargain price of $1.50. Its quite good cause it has pockets in it to put nappies, wipes etc in... so check out ebay!
3. If you are planning on breast feeding I probably wouldnt buy any just yet... I too planned on breast feeding my DD but still went out and bought a steriliser, bottles, teats etc, and I have barely used them. If you do want to buy some bottles, I have had the most success with the Pidgeon brand as they are very close to the nipple

HTH!

[Visitor7]

1. Before buying my Phil & Teds, I had 2 Steelcraft prams, which I found to be fantastic. One was a pram, the other a stroller. Both were compact and lighweight. They were $110 & $70.

2. Some nappy bags have change mats in them which are handy. They're usually around $30-$50

3. If you're planning on b/f, I wouldn't buy any bottles just yet. See how you go with b/f first.

[SunnyRain]

1. Before buying my Phil & Teds, I had 2 Steelcraft prams, which I found to be fantastic. One was a pram, the other a stroller. Both were compact and lighweight. They were $110 & $70.

The steelcraft strollers look alright, but I've seen them a bit more expensive than that. Probably inflation, but where did you buy yours?


I was thinking about one of those change pads that are abut 10-15cm thick with raised sides. Just a plastic-covered one is fine, but I can't find them. I used to work in childcare and we used them, just sat them on top of a bench to change the babies. I thought they'd be easier to find.

[JordieC]

IT's hard to know isn't it? You could spend thousands of dollars if you bought EVERYTHING you wanted! My suggestion would be to go to the baby shops and get some advice - see what you like and how much it costs. Then go on Ebay or Internet and see what bargains you can find. Or if you buy a few things from the one place they may give you a discount.

I thought our pram was quite a bargain - it's a Beema Q (3 wheeler) and it was a bit under $400. There are cheaper oones though but I'm not sure of the standards. Good luck!

[Jas]

Hi,

As far as buying prams etc I would recommend having a good look around knowing what you want and wait for a sale. Often places like Big W, Kmart and Target have baby things a lot cheaper then baby shops. Also if you have a Toys r us near you I would really recommend checking them out - they have some amazing sales on baby products cots etc which some people don't realise they sell. You can see their actalogue on line but when things so on sale be quick because they sell out fast!!

Also maybe consider things you can wait to buy until you get the baby bonus if money is going to be a stress. For example where is your baby going to sleep initially? Noah slept in his pram (it had a basinette kind of thing) in our room for about 6weeks before going in his cot. Some people use actual basinettes for months before they put their babies in cots. So maybe you could look at buy a cot and change table after you bub is born.

My mum just bought a cot and change table off ebay for about $250 and they are absolutely beautiful wood with some great details on them, so you could look at that as well as local papers for 2nd hand items

As far as bottles go I agreee hold off on those too. If you plan on expressing for partner etc to help feed this isn't really good to do until breastfeeding is well established and by then you'll have your baby bonus to help out with that.

[Pandora]

Everyone else's advice pretty much covers what I was going to say.

You can get fold up change mats at department stores, and sometimes even well stocked supermarkets.

Are you wanting it to have compartments to keep wipes, nappies etc or just to lay bub on? If you just want something to lie him/her on a flannel or terry wrap or nappy will work just as well.

Things I suddenly had to buy but hadnt thought of:

for me, not bub - extra maternity pads. lots and lots.

For bub:

a hammock. We bought one but some places and some hospitals hire them. I had a really unsettled bub who liked to be held or rocked constantly. the hospital had him in a hammock from birth which really helped as he screamed constantly if in the plastic cot thingy. So we went and bought one which we used for 5 months. It was much cheaper than our cot too.

extra singlets. we went through sooo many singlets it wasnt funny.

[~Kim~]

I have one of those change mats you're after. I got mine from babies galore as it had to be ordered to specifically fit my change table.
The stock ones were about $60, but I'm pretty sure I've seen them at big W for much less.

[yummymummy]

For the question... Does anyone have any advice for things they had to suddenly buy that they hadn't thought of?

I would suggest to think of your car. I've got just under 9 weeks to go and we've just realised that our hatchback isn't going to be very practical for getting a newborn in and out of the car!! Now we're madly searching around for a new car!!

And with the comment about stocking up on baby products, yes I can see that would mean less expense later but maybe buy Woolworths gift vouchers or something instead because up until recently I was working in child care and IMO, I wouldn't suggest buying in bulk baby bath/lotion type products including wipes until you know how sensitive your child's skin is going to be.

[BeautifulMadness]

Stroller....no idea, i have a pram($300) and stroller($50) soo lol

do u want the change mat or the actually nappy bag? u could always us a lil backpack and get a change mat sperately.

As for bottles make up 6 bottles and leave them in the fridge....its much better.

[sweetpea678]

Hi,

In answer to your questions.

1. I would look at a stroller that can go form newbourn up rather than a bulky pram. I had a pram for dd1 and when she was 12 months brought a stroller. And when had dd2 used stroller more than pram. With my last on the way I wore my old stroller out so have brought the stellcraft profile, $170 have not used it yet but is a great stroller similar to what i had before but has a front bumper, cover and pocket on the back so a bit posher.

2. Nappy change pad, i actualy brought a second hand fold up change table from the salvos for like $15.....my sisters just put a few folded towels ontop of the chest of draws she had for her bub and used that. My mum then sewed a few towels togther to make the change pad.

3. I would only by some cheap ones if at all untill you have had bub as I was given some when people came to see me and I only used them as I expressed milk as I went back to studying when dd1 was 6 weeks old. but dd2 never had a bottle.

Hope this helps. Only thing I had to run out and buy was a breast pump as I had so much milk I was expressing milk when dd1 was 6 days old and storing in freezer. Other than that there was nothing I desperatly needed.

As someone else said buy a few things here and there before bub comes like nappies, baby wipes, what you want to wash bub in etc.

Cheers

[LucaJack'sMum]

I got a great change pad for travel/shopping from BigW, it was about $6 and folds up compactly and holds a nappy and small pkt of wipes... will look up the brand for you and get back later...

As a general rule I lived on ebay and bought nearly all our baby stuff for DS#1 online... MUCH MUCH CHEAPER