[Closed] Expectant parents - OMG how much do babies cost!!

Actally I'm sure I saw one of these studies that reckoned to bring up a child from birth to adulthood costs the parents in the region of £200'000.00 or some such amount. I laughed at first but on reflection....

OMITN,

We've got loads of baby boy's clothes if you want any more. Some of it's never been worn and those that have been worn have only been used a handful of times. He was born weighing 10lbs, is three months old on Saturday and already needs 6 months plus sized outfits!
They're yours if you want them, I'm near Chortlon on the Merseybank estate. email in profile.

Cheers
Iain

Thanks, all. Some great advice.

Frustratingly, those of our friends with children are too afr ahead of us to have any cast-offs left (our fault for taking so long to getting round to making one), so we're on the hunt via family.

First NCT clas next week (full day), so Mrs North and i will be able to get to know other expectant parents in the area.

We've a bugaboo pram thingy on order - but there's a practical reason for that cast outlay: Mrs North is tiny (4'10"), and so needs soemthing lightweight. It's pretty much the lightest out there.

Nursery costs look scary. But we'll address that at the time...

Good stuff. 🙂

It does seem important to bear in mind that the majority of children born in the world are raised on very little money. That doesn't mean one shouldn't spend thousands on one's own, but it does suggest it may not be necessary, and therefore is not worth fretting over if it is a strain.

Some extras wile I've spent ages typing a response:

[b]spacemonkey[/b] - congrats too. Race for the prize, eh?

[b]molgrips[/b] - no, she thinks internet forums are full of weridos. She is, as with so many things, entirely correct. 😉

[b]pieman[/b] - thanks. Don't know the gender yet, so can we hold fire. However, if we have a boy, I'll be sure to take you up on that. Am in West Dids, so just round the corner. *Think I sent you to Stu for a wheel, didn't I?*

[b]All[/b] - stop bickering about the price of things. We all have our budgets and our aspirations and an idea of where they should (but often don't) meet. I'm just passing a general comment on cost, mainly because it's all new expense. Now, play nicely. 😀

First NCT clas next week (full day),

where are you going (you are Leeds-based I recall).

Manchester.

I've taken your previous advice on the social aspect of NCT classes to heart, and have told Mrs North that we need to make sure we "join in".

Bugaboo schmugaboo, that's all I have to say.

You could get a Chariot for that price.

Bugaboo schmugaboo, that's all I have to say.

You could get a Chariot for that price.

I could buy one as well....

If you think its bad now wait until they start secondary school - school uniform (blazer / school shirts / rugby kit / trips / bus money etc) grrr grrrr and tory twonks taking money away from parents

probably need more caps for a proper rant.

Chariot are absolutely amazing. Push with one finger 🙂

Not so good for lil babies though because whilst they do have a lovely comfy hammock attachment, they can't see your face as you push.

Slings are best for little uns because they are close and cosy and secure.. much better.

I've taken your previous advice on the social aspect of NCT classes to heart, and have told Mrs North that we need to make sure we "join in".

Hope your experience is as positive as ours was.

Hope your experience is as positive as ours was

Mrs North thinks they're all going to be earth mother hippies.... (my mother was one, so I'm well prepared.)

LOL none were at ours.

Well one was leaning that way everso slightly.

Errmmm - mf - you wrote:

But some people want to be able to get the best they can afford for their new arrivals.

As someone else said, people buy expensive baby stuff for themselves, not their offspring.

More money spent = booming childrenswear/accessories industry.

We managed a straight flush of 3 boys, that kept the price down, but the noise levels up.

Bear it in mind for the future 😉

I wouldn't even think about nursery costs yet, having children does strange things to all of you - Mrs North may not even want to go back to work no matter how she feels now, which is great if you can afford it.

Slings are best for little uns because they are close and cosy and secure.. much better.

Agreed, but they do your back in! Nice to have a flat pram base option as they'll drop off nicely on days out in it, and you can have an almost normal time (usually retrieving other children from nearest river/fountain/hole).

As someone else said, people but expensive baby stuff for themselves, not their offspring.

We're all essentially selfish, having a baby is selfish (we want ensure our genes are passed on). So kitting a baby out in stuff that cements their/our place in society is to be expected I suppose.

Most folk don't like it when this is pointed out to them though! True altruism doesn't exist...

Baby Bjorn active sling is good for potentially sore backs - one of our most used baby purchases.

Then when they get too big - Bush Baby Pinnacle with in-built suspension 😉

Surf-Mat - Member
Errmmm - mf - you wrote:

But some people want to be able to get the best they can afford for their new arrivals.
clearly hinting that best = most expensive.

So therefore anyone with any money MUST get the most expensive kit then? Therefore proving they are well off?

That's what is implied.

Baby bjorns may be better for your back but they're bad for baby's back, google it

What about those hippy swaddle-things?

I love using our sling however my lowerback aches.

Agreed, but they do your back in!

Only bad ones. Close baby carrier = v good.
[img] [/img]

Aww 🙂 No aches on shoulder or back for me, only stopped when she weighed 23lbs cos of the sheer size and extra effort required.

Travelling system = circa £700?

Our pram = £200 bought by bro and sister.

Aren't they the same thing?

And you only need to spend as much money as you want to. But you might look silly putting your foot down with the wife and then spending £££s on bikes.

Ebay can be your friend. Its oncve you have them as well, wife off work, more dependant on parents etc etc etc etc. A ssomeone said it does seem to get cheaper for a few years but once they get to 10+ I do think the costs start to rise again.

Good luck and enjoy

:lol:Good luck with the NCT OMINT, we’ve just finished ours. Have to say we really enjoyed them. We were prepared for some proper hippy sh1t, but it wasn’t at all – but I have heard it is v dependent on the teacher. Our group were great and we all got on v well, so am looking forward to starting ML in 3 weeks (not that I’m counting 😉 ) to get together again.

Hope MrsNorth is ok? I seem to have ballooned suddenly in the last few weeks and am now proper comdedy basket ball up jumper looking, is quite entertaining

There is a real crop of STW babies due in the next couple of months isn’t there?

So therefore anyone with any money MUST get the most expensive kit then? Therefore proving they are well off?

I didn't say 'MUST' I said 'want to be able'. And I don't see any connection of any of that with 'proving they are well off'. Would a single mum on benefits stretching to £100 on a chair be doing it to prove she is well off or simply to get what she considers is the best she can get for her and the baby?

chakaping - Member
Travelling system = circa £700?
Our pram = £200 bought by bro and sister.

Aren't they the same thing?

And you only need to spend as much money as you want to. But you might look silly putting your foot down with the wife and then spending £££s on bikes.

Drawing comparisons would be like describing night as day.

mrsflash - I was talking to 3 dog walkers this week in the park who were marvelling over hora 'junior. One said 'it must be hardwork when hes awake at night'? I replied 'shattering, Im worn out all the time and its been very hard on me' ...so one says 'how often does he wake'?

Me: no idea Im a heavy sleeper (2 laughed and one looked alittle unimpressed)
😆

mrsflash - Mrs North has started ML this week (well, via three weeks of accrued holiday, so ML starts in August).

She's doing well, though getting v tired and has had the basketball look for a while now. Baby is still v active - borrowed a listening device thing the other day and we fell asleep listening to Number 3's* heartbeat ticking away.

Her mum is going to go with her to her next midwife appointment to try to get some sense out of them - like at what point we have to go to the hosp once labour starts. NHS hasn't been that great in this regard. Perhaps NCT will assist (so long as don't spend too much time chanting "om").

Yes, we seem to be among a select group of forthcoming junior STWers..!

Hope all is well with you - is Rich prepared yet for the change to lifestyle?

😀

Yes, NCT will definitely help with when to go in, also great for coping strategies for before you go in such as positions to try out etc etc. We also had a breastfeeding session, which we both found v helpful.

We had no “ommm” chanting and no panting either most disappointing 😉

I agree with MrsN’s assessment of NHS info though, it’s been useless. Midwife not interested in anything other than BP and urine tests, you’re just in and out of the appointments – we requested NHS classes and have heard zero back on them. Although we did go to a v good talk at the hosp last night about waterbirth.

Rich is very excited!

We did the NHS classes too.

Four one hour sessions.

First one hour session covered what drugs we could have.

Second one hour lesson covered how useless it was that her colleague hadn't turned up for the session and they were short-staffed and she was fed up and she couldn't believe we hadn't already been told how to deal with x, y or z and that due to staff shortages they would have to cover everything else that night and cancel the final two sessions.

But in fairness they were VERY good during the delivery and the aftercare.

Would a single mum on benefits stretching to £100 on a chair be doing it to prove she is well off or simply to get what she considers is the best she can get for her and the baby?

What about someone on £100++k a year that doesn't think a £1000 travel system is sensible so gets a £100 buggy instead? Not everyone with money feels the need to advertise it via there offspring...

What about someone on £100++k a year that doesn't think a £1000 travel system is sensible so gets a £100 buggy instead? Not everyone with money feels the need to advertise it via there offspring.

Nothing wrong with buying the best. My point is that the expensive stuff is very often not the best and hence a waste of money.

[b]Surf-Mat[/b] and [b]Mastiles[/b] - no more fighting here, please.

[b]mastiles[/b] - OK. Sounds like we'll just set about finding out some other way.

[b]mrsflash[/b] - George has had just the same. Not even been weighed for ages, and couldn't have an appt this week because they'd run out of bookings *sigh* (no thought given to (likely) cancellations.

NCT sounds useful, though it's all bundled into a whole day, so will be shattering I think. Day before Hit the North, so I'll prob arrive for the race done in..!

Am getting a bit giddy with excitement, but that's because I'm a big kid.

I meant to explain the Number 3 before: not third child, just the third person in our current group of two. And three is a magic number....

MF

People want to be able to buy the best they can afford

Not in our case. I just don't feel able to justify spending money on something that carries a baby. IF there were clear safety reasons for one pushchair over another I'd buy a 10k one (for cash).

...there isn't though. Most of the travel systems are HEAVY and the USP's aren't what I'd consider to be justifying the extra costs.

Nothing wrong with buying the best. My point is that the expensive stuff is very often not the best and hence a waste of money.

Does it fold easily the best?

Does it fit in my car the best?

Is the the lightest?

*Generally* the 'best' are more expensive but I totally agree that THE most expensive is not necessarily THE best. For example, we originally wanted a Mountain Buggy as we had heard they were the best, but the double we needed was massive and stood no chance of fitting in our car. So we got an ABC Designs 'Zoom' which was more expensive but overall inferior to the Mountain Buggy - but it was 'best' for our needs.

Now we have a second-hand Nipper 360 Twin because it is now the best for our needs.

we found that babies aren't quite as expensive as we had feared..

I persuaded the other half to give up drinking and smoking and that has pretty much covered the costs..

I think not being weighed is current guidelines, I haven’t been weighed since booking in – I have a feeling they only do it if they think it’s an issue.

Another reason to go with the sling, since you can put off shelling out on a pushchair til you know how things are going and you'll have better idea of what you want.

I gave up drinking and smoking and that has pretty much covered the costs.

Word!

The lack of going-out expenses will [i]easily[/i] cover the cost of junior.

Baby Bjorn active sling is good for potentially sore backs - one of our most used baby purchases.

That's what I thought, and thats what we've got - and was the case for the first two.

I can only assume that carrying around near 10lb from day one is the cause rather than the carrier. Or maybe cumulative wear'n'tear! Or possibly you have an expanded idea of what is and isn't possible (or advisable) with the baby in the sling.. you're so worried about breaking the first you barely move, by no. 3 you're digging the garden, pulling out tree stumps, living normally really.

Uluru - I think you worry too much, ours have survived with no noticeable defects.

The lack of going-out expenses will easily cover the cost of junior.

You obviously had cheap nights out! 😆

People buy baby stuff that fits in the the rest of their possessions and their aspirations. Whether its VFM or not is hardly relevant. Does it matter? I would say not, so long as its fit for purpose.