Second Baby on the Cheap

Now that I am 2 weeks from having baby #2, a little girl this time, or so claim the ultrasound tech and the perinatologist, I am trying to figure out new ways to keep expenses down.

That wasn't the original plan, at least not entirely. Originally, I'd planned carefully to cover costs during my full FMLA 12 week leave, with bonuses earmarked for cute and occasionally necessary new baby & nursery items.

But at 7 months pregnant, I found out that I'm going to be laid off, effective roughly 2 weeks after she's expected. And even though the package is good and we don't need to panic about money, at least not yet, it still changes everything.

And the number one thing it changes is my willingness to spend money.

Not that you can avoid spending at all. But there are a lot of ways to economize that I feel good about at least attempting. Here are my top 3 recommendations:

1) Rummage and consignment sales
2) Nursing
3) Cloth diapering

Rummage and Consignment Sales

We are lucky enough to live in an area with a thriving multi-family consignment sale tradition. Twice per year, dozens of schools and churches around the area have large, multi-family consignment sales focused on baby and children's clothing and gear. In most cases, they have a preview sale for participants and volunteers, then a 1-2 day regular sale, and finally a half-price day.

Here are a few of my major scores: a jogging stroller for $12.50, and a Thomas the Tank Engine toddler bed with a mattress (which we cleaned and use for extra seating in the toddler's room) for $30, and a glider rocker with glider ottoman for $75. I've also gotten between half and 3/4 of my 2.5 year old's post-infancy seasonal clothing for an average of $50-60 every six months. The clothing is best for either very basic items or fancy outfits -- and weakest for things like shoes.

Because regular rummage sales/yard sales generally have fewer people involved, the selection is always going to be smaller. But if you consult Craigslist in your area, you can often find people who are advertising baby and children's clothing and gear for sale, and the prices are probably going to be good.

Consignment stores that focus on children's goods are also an option. They have more overhead than the 2 weekends per year sales, so their prices may be higher. But you can find great deals, and for popular items like baby bathtubs and Boppy pillows, you probably can't find a cheaper source.

Nursing

Ok, this one is obvious. But it actually is a little bit more complicated than it appears at first blush.

Even a stay at home mom who has no trouble nursing will have a few upfront expenses. Buy some lanolin cream (unless you have a wool allergy, in which case ask your health care provider for alternative recommendations) or ask a mom of an older baby if she has any left that she isn't using. A little bit goes a LONG way;  I have no doubt that my tube of it will still have some left after my second baby.  And I got it from a mother of two!

Even more important than the lanolin, buy yourself some of the reusable healing gel pads. Have them ready before you have the baby. Almost none of us have ever had as much physical attention paid to such a sensitive portion of our anatomies as nursing a newborn involves, and until your body gets used to it, it can hurt. They aren't cheap -- the range I've seen is $7-25 for a pair, and I think you'll need 2 pair to make it through the first few weeks. But this is money well spent, I promise.

Some moms swear by their nursing pillows and are highly -- and variably -- brand loyal. Others find that they can get plenty of comfort and support from a regular pillow or two, or don't need any. To me, nothing says "borrow or buy used" like that wide of a range of opinions.

Assuming you make it through the first month or six weeks of nursing, this is where you'll really start to see the savings.

For a stay at home Mom, if you need a pump at all, you can probably manage just fine with a manual pump and a single package of bottles. That gives you the freedom to go on a date night, an extended afternoon of errands or time with friends, or something similar. You should be able to find a high quality package with everything you need for less than $50.

Moms returning to work outside of the home will have to spend a little more money.

First, you need a quality electric breast pump.

The most popular are the Medela Pump In Style and the Ameda Purely Yours. The Medelas generally come in packages with everything you need including a carrying case of some kind, for $300-$350. Ameda offers a little more flexibility -- you can get the basic pump, everything you need to do the pumping, but no spare parts or carrying case -- for as low as $150, or with the case and extra bottles, etc like the Medelas, for $200-$250.

Updated 8/18/08 To Add: Ameda, the maker of the Purely Yours pump, has a "poor" corporate rating in the Z Report on BPA in  Children's Feeding Products. By contrast, the same report gives Medela a "Z Recs Top Pick" rating for having all bottles and pump parts BPA free. That may be a consideration of equal importance to money for some parents.

Personally, I tried nearly every dang pump on the market with my son. I would go with the less expensive option, if I were starting over. But if you get either of these as a gift or a hand-me-down, you'll probably be in just fine shape.

You'll also need containers for milk storage. Lots of companies make specialized plastic baggies for this purpose, but they aren't re-usable. So even though they aren't terribly expensive ($7-12/package of 25), they do add up. I recommend buying one container of storage bags for backup, but not making them your primary storage method.

Mother's Milkmate sells BPA-free bottles with lids instead of bottle nipples, that are specially designed for pumping, and are freezer, fridge, and dishwasher safe. They'll be more expensive upfront, but can be re-used indefinitely. ($12-15 for 6 or $20-25 for 10 plus a storage rack; I bought 1 of each of those packages and recommend 1 more package of 6.)

Compare the very top end of all of these estimates -- rounded up to $500 -- to what a year of formula costs. Consumer Reports says that formula feeding parents should plan to spend at least $1500 before baby's first birthday. And that's if your child doesn't have allergies or sensitivities that require you to buy more expensive formula. I don't know if that includes buying bottles or not.

Cloth Diapers

I know. There's an ick factor.

And you can find scientific studies that claim they are no better for the environment because of the increased water usage, maybe even worse if you use bleach. You can also find studies reaching the opposite conclusion, that cloth is more environmentally friendly. I'm not trying to make this argument based on environmentalism, though. This is the other kind of green argument.

Disposable diapers are expensive.

We go through one of those big grocery store boxes with my 2.5 year old about every 2 weeks, and each box costs between $25-30, depending on sales and coupons. Surebaby says that disposables will cost between $1,600-$2,300 from birth to potty training; Life in the Fast Lane's calculator works out to roughly $1150 in the first year.

Cloth diapers cost more up front, but can be much less expensive in the long run. BabyCheapskate and  DiaperPin.com say that you can get set up with cloth diapers for about $300. An out-of-date (2004) but interesting chart on DiaperCo.com outlines a direct comparison using Wal-Mart brand disposables.

And if you're not too squeamish, you can save even more on cloth diapers by buying those used on sites like DiaperSwappers.  Sellers generally include pictures and you can often find diapers that were only used a handful of times, but I would certainly recommend re-washing any diapers you buy used!!!

Of course if you plan to have more than one child, the savings with cloth will add up even more. And once you are done and your last child is using the bathroom like a big kid, you may even choose to recoup some of your investment through resale.

Here with baby #2, I'm feeling medium lucky. I part-time cloth diapered my son, so I don't need to invest from scratch. But we didn't start until he was older, and we used the more expensive fancy, high-tech cloth diapers. I think my upgraded stash will get us solidly through the next six months, maybe longer, and I've added about $120 to my total investment in cloth diapers.

This is an original Deep South Moms Blog post. Liza also regularly blogs at LizaWasHere.