Saturday, December 8, 2012

How much does it cost the first year to raise a baby and other questions.?

Q. I am not pregnant. This is a protect for school.

What is the annual cost the first year to raise a baby?

Second question. Im going to give you a list of newborn items. Tell me which items are TRULY NECESSARY.

Crib
diaper changing table
rocking chair
baby monitor
baby bathtub
bottles
bottle brush
bottle drying rack
baby swing
pacifiers
infant bouncer
swaddling blanket
play mat
play pen
carseat

A. Crib
Carseat
Bottles
Swaddling blanket
Play mat (can be used on floor as changing mat too)
These are the basic basic needs for me. You can get by without the others but not these.

The annual costs for a baby each year is different for every person. Some woman breast feed which is cheaper than formula. Others use cloth diapers which are cheaper than disposable etc.
I bought a pack of 15 reusable pea pod diapers for $70. These can be used from newborn right up to 3 years, so I only bought 1 pack of disposable diapers during the first year, to see what was better. Diapers are about $10 (new Zealand dollars) a pack. Babies go through about 5-10 nappies each day in the first few weeks, and then about 3-5 a day from around 4 months to a year. So do the math and it'll give you an approximate answer (get the price of diapers from your local supermarket).
If breast fed, it cost nothing. I breast fed, but I also bought a breast pump and baby bottles for $150 in case baby needed to be left with another person etc. if formula feeding, do some research online on the average formula used a month, and then times that by 12 (12 months in a year) get a price from your local supermarket.
Clothes- this depends on where you buy from etc, but I spent about $800 on all clothes up to 12 months. (including shoes, socks, togs, pyjamas etc)
I spent about $20 or so on baby shampoo, soap and powder every 6 or so weeks, so that's about $180 a year.
I bought baby towels and facecloths before my baby was born and they lasted right up until she was four. I spent $30 on 5 towels and a couple packs of facecloths.
Bibs- got given some at baby shower, but bought a few packs for $20 around about, these lasted the whole time needed.
Bassinet/Moses basket - needed for first 8 weeks, cost me $80
Crib- needed up until about 2- cost me $250
Stroller- needed up until about 3- cost me $150
Car seat- Bought a seat that was used from birth til 4 years. Cost $150
Blankets, sheets, duvets for crib- got given some at baby shower but probably costs about $100 for a couple pairs of sheets, blankets etc
Swaddling blankets- needed for first few weeks (I used them but not necessary) depending on brand etc but I got a few muslin wraps for $30.
Baby bath- optional, but I used one. $30
Medication such as baby Tylenol, gripe water, teething gel, teething powder etc about $50 all up the first year (depends)
Baby food- baby cereals, rusks, custards and other tinned foods probably about $90 a month (depends how much food baby eats. This price is based on my baby who at 7 months ate 2 tins a day, at $1.50 each) I also bought veggies and meat, and puréed these myself for baby. (this price will depend, as some babies don't start real food until a year old) my girl at 10-12 months was eating the same foods as I was.
Some people will put their children into childcare, this is another cost.
Where I live, medical attention for under 5's is free, but many people will have to pay for this as well.
Hope I haven't forgotten anything :)
Hope I helped!


Have you ever tried at home baby heart monitors?
Q. I am considering getting a baby heart monitor so that we can see if we can hear her heartbeat at home. Has anyone ever had any luck w/ the ones from target?

A. i'm not sure about the target ones but i was thinking about buying one from walmart and based on the reviews i read for it i'm unsure whether or not to go ahead and get it.
2 reviews said gave it good rating and 2 gave it bad ratings.

heres the link for the one i was looking at:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5983010

its only $20 so i guess if it doesn't work it isn't too big of a loss. plus you can always return it.

if you do decide to get one make sure you read the reviews. they're very helpful.

so i couldn't be more of a help.


What kind of baby monitor do you have?
Q. Do you like your monitor?
What special features does your monitor have that you find useful?
Are there any bad things about your monitor?
Would you recommend it to a friend?
How many stars out of 5 would you give your monitor?

I'm looking to buy a monitor and would like all the info that I can get to make an informed decision since there are so many different ones out there. Thanks.

A. I think mine is a Safety 1st one from Walmart. I received it as a gift from someone before I had my baby and shower. It's nothing special - not the cheapest basic one but not the most expensive either. It's got 2 receivers, and like someone else said it picks up the noise really well. My daughter is 3 1/2, and I still use it when she's in bed and I'm at the other end of the house still up. I have had times where it's had interference, being able to hear other people in other places, but not often enough to be annoying or to stop me from being able to use it. I love it, and would definitely recommend it, I give it a 4 out of 5.

EDIT - this is almost exactly the same one I have, except mine has the light-up nightlight base and 2 receivers. Just to give you an idea...
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2815255


Do you think corded phones are better than cordless phones?
Q. Silly question but I was just wondering what you thought. Cordless phones are annoying. They have horrible quality, receive interference from just about any other device sharing the same network. Plus they need power to operate, so they are useless in a power outage. And there also in some ways a security breach. You can easily listen into a conversation with a baby monitor. And to top it off they lack most features that corded phones offer. So what's your opinion?

A. You clearly haven't used a modern cordless phone. A good digital cordless phone is unlikely to see any interference with much of anything, the link quality is indistinguishable from wired, and no, you cannot hear the call with a baby monitor. That's not to say that those things have not historically been problems, just that they're problems largely solved in pretty much all modern gear.

One good idea is to get a cordless phone system that does not collide with a home network or your microwave. Look for a 5.8GHz digital phone or a DECT (runs around 1.9MHz), rather than a 2.4GHz phone, which uses the same ISM radio band as your microwave, 802.11 network, X-Box 360, Sony PS3, Bluetooth phone, etc.

With that all said, yeah, I have a few wired phones as well as the cordless. Of course, this may also depend on how you get your phone service... if you're using POTS (plain old telephone system) phones, a corded phone is useful in a blackout. If you're on VoIP, FiOS, DSL, or Cable, there's a strong likelihood your network gear in the house goes down anyway, so the cordless phone is unlikely to be an issue.

I'm very happy with my digital 5.8GHz phones... one wired connection for a base station that supports up to eight handsets (I have four), phone to phone intercom system built-in, great range, enough to cover my house (4200ft^2) and the immediate areas outside (if I want to go for a walk in the woods AND talk on the phone, I'll use my cell).





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Title Post: How much does it cost the first year to raise a baby and other questions.?
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