its really good to have someone with you when you are 坐月 because it will be both tiring (physically and emotionally) to take care of a baby and also yourself in the first month. maybe your mom can cook for you when you are sitting month so you don't have to worry about feeding yourself
As for breastfeeding..it will save you a lot of money (formula is expensive) but you can't always plan on being able to breastfeed. Good thing you are willing to try...i tried but my baby's tongue is too short and I didn't have any milk coming until 3 weeks later...so I ended up pumping every 2 hours to feed him.
For price breakdown....expect to spend
- $15/pack of diapers (1 or 2 packs a week at least in the first month)....I always tell people NOT to buy a box of diapers in the first month because you don't know how fast your baby will grow. Just have 2 or 3 packs of diapers ready before the baby comes and buy as you need. If you buy too many of the newborn/size 1, your baby might outgrow it before the second month!
-$30/can of formula...in the first month or so, a baby will not eat too much at each meal but will drink frequently.....so maybe 1 can will last you 2 weeks? but later on, a can will only last you 5 or 6 days...and you will have to buy 5 or 6 cans of formula a month (if fully fed on formula). Formula is expensive!!..but it also depends on what kind you get. If you get the regular, supermarket brand ones with or without Omega 3 and 6, it might only cost you $15/can. If you get the brand names (similac, nestle..etc), it will cost more.
- baby wipes...we use the Kirkland kind (at Costco) because it is the cheapest and also the best one we've tried. We tired pampers and huggies wipes before but they always left some white residue on the baby's butt. Kirkland wipes are thick and also moist and don't fall apart. i think it is about $16 for a big box (8 or 10 packs?)
As for baby accessories....I think :
crib and/or playpen
co-sleeper (if you plan to sleep with baby),
breastfeeding pillow (trust me..your hand will be tired if you keep holding baby)
sling or baby carrier
bouncer (good to keep baby safe while you can eat or do other stuff)
baby bath tub (easier on your back than to use the regular bath tub and waste less water too)
diaper genie or diaper champ
you don't really need a changing table because usually I just put a mat on top of the bed and change the baby there. or sometimes we just change the baby in the crib because it is easier than to move the baby around and as the baby gets older, a changing table becomes dangerous because the baby might roll or try to climb off the table.
Generally having a baby can be expensive...but there are many ways to safe. For example. you can always buy second hand stuff. Since a baby grows up really fast, a lot of clothes and stuff are not worth buying new. You can buy second hand clothes and pillows (you can wash the cover) and save a lot of money. If you go to Kidswap (giant garage sale for kids and baby stuff), you can usually find really good deals.).
But for carseats..you should buy brand new unless you' know the history of the used carseat and make sure it has not expired and has never been in an accident! |
發表於 2008-4-28 19:08
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