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Having a family can be an expensive time. We thought it would be good to put together lots of money saving tips, that have been shared by our lovely mums and mums to be at Mama Blossom.
Baby Clothes
- Buy second hand, Facebook marketplace, Ebay, Vinted, Nearly New Sales, Baby Markets.
- Borrow items from family and friends.
- Buy Christmas clothes in the January sales for next year.
- Ask for mixed aged clothes as gifts, relevant to the season.
- Purchase (or make from soiled/ old vests) vest extenders for baby, they can often allow you to skip a size and purchase less vests.
- Put your clothes on an extra spin after it has finished, it dries them a little more if you are struggling to get them dry on a drier in time.
- Don’t worry about getting outfits for your newborn, lots of sleep suits will be fine. And they are so much easier for all the nappy changing. You can get them second hand or from supermarkets.
Maternity Clothes
- If you plan to breastfeed, buy maternity clothes that are breastfeeding friendly.
- Buy maternity clothes as you need them, your body changes and the further into pregnancy you get, some of the earlier maternity clothes may no longer fit.
Food for Mum and Baby
- Batch cook and freeze meals before baby arrives.
- Using all old veg and such to make a soup or simple purees for baby when they start weaning in line with guidelines.
- Use a slow cooker (less electricity than an oven), cook large portions so you can freeze a few for later, easy ping meals.
- Cook in bulk in pregnancy and put some meals in the freezer, when little one arrives you will have nutritious meals (ones you can eat one handed is best) in the freezer, less waste and reduces the picking up whatever you can eat.
- Formula milk; Powdered mild is cheaper than pre made. In the UK all infant formula is bound by tight regulations, and as a result are all very similar. A supermarket own brand is likely the same as the premium ones. You can look at First Steps Nutrition Trust to compare the ingredients in different brands.
Socialising
- Take it in turns to have mummy get togethers at each others houses.
- Visit your local feeding support groups and general baby groups. They are often free and you can often get a cuppa and biscuit. Plus a warm space whilst saving on your own energy bills.
- Check out what’s on at local Sure Start centres as they often have free or subsidised activities on.
Keeping Baby Warm
- Skin to skin with baby helps keep them warm, in fact some studies have shown that it can be more effective than incubators at warming up preemies and newborns (Berhman et al, 2007, Christensson et al 1998). Random fact here, but a mother’s breasts will change temperature according to what her baby needs, and if a parent has twins, one on each breast, the will independently change temperature for baby!
- Skin to skin may be chilly for you, so wear a cardigan or dressing gown, keep your arms and back warm. You can cover yourself and baby with a blanket safely.
- At night keep them close to you and your body heat helps warm them. This can be in like a next to me or similar. Bed-sharing can also be an option, but do follow all of the Safe Sleep 7 rules, read information on this with BASIS online. Whether you plan to or not, most families DO end up sharing a sleep space so it’s worth reading up on these guidelines whether you plan to or not.
Other great Tips
- For baby showers, ask for new or handed down books instead of cards. They can still write their messages and it’s a gift to keep.
- Used paced bottle feeding and watch baby’s cues closely for signs that they are full. Monitor weight gain and nappy output for reassurance they are getting all they need.
- Cold water sterilisation is often cheaper than steam or boiling methods as is uses no electricity or gas. You can get off brand version of Milton from Boots and Home Bargains (and other places I am sure as well). Plus you don’t need an official sterilising bucket, just a standard container with a lid is fine, as long as it’s big enough.
- Bathe your baby in the kitchen sink, less water, better on your back and then no baby bath or support to purchase. If you prefer a bath you can get a bath that grows with them now. Again less water.
- Babies can use 3,000 to 3,500 nappies in the first year, so it’s well worth looking at brand pricing. Or if you choose to use cloth nappies (full or part time) you can hire kits locally (Derby has Cariad Babi) and also check with your council as the often offer money towards purchases.
- Look into baby wearing, you can pick up great slings than a pushchair and even rent them. Find groups like “can I breastfeed in it” on Facebook where mums share normal clothes that are great for breastfeeding in.
- Reusable wet wipes, higher outlay initially, but then no need to buy wipes again. You can buy different types of reusable wipes for face and bottom.
- Your body warmth keeps baby warm and it’s easier to use on public transport than a pushchair.
- When buying online, search for voucher codes or use a browser extension like Honey to find them.