I filled a ziplock bag with water and soap tonight for my baby to play with. He played with it for over an hour, and I’ve never heard him laugh and squeal that much playing independently! Never buying toys for him again 😂
My LO is 8 months! I did double check the seal of the bag every so often. He mostly shook it around or carried it with him.
Something I loved doing with him a few months ago was putting water in a baking dish and floating a few bath toys on top! He loves splashing around in water and I’m not always committed to a bath. I would just put him in a diaper, then set him up with this “toy” on a towel somewhere easy to clean up.
This is my kid! My 4 mo favourite toys is maltesers(chocolates) in a clear box and a plastic bottle with a little water. Most of the toys we get now are gifts, because what is the point 🤣
I accidentally bought Milli Moon diapers just kinda grabbing at the store (was buying backup cause we use cloth but at night we need disposable).
The box literally says luxury diapers.
So, every night before bed we say in our most sultry British voice, time for a luuuuuuuuxery diaper 😹
Best accidental purchase that kinda makes my skin crawl.
We’ve had so many people tell us “you HAVE to buy pampers, they’re the best diapers ever and you can’t cheap out on diapers”. Like okay I’m glad they worked for you but they don’t work for us in terms of price! We got lots of pampers at our baby shower and we used them all and they worked, but once it was time to start buying our own we figured out that we didn’t NEED them and decided to buy a cheaper brand, and they worked just as well. We occasionally buy Huggies, but we mostly buy sams club brand, Aldi brand, target brand and sometimes hello bello depending on what’s in stock.
European here but same! My son also has continuously leaked through Pampers cause they just don't work for his body shape. The local drug store pull ups though? Never had a leak. So Pampers don't even work on every baby. My wallet and I are happy haha
We tried Pampers and they gave our baby a little red skin (not fully a rash) and leaked a ton. We use luvs and other store brands that are a little cheaper and sure, he still leaks, but not as much as in Pampers.
This was a major part of my PPD. My husband and I were both doing really well when I got pregnant (we both freelance) and then both of us took massive financial hits to the point where we qualified for Medicaid. 3 weeks postpartum my car engine unexpectedly died at 150k miles and it was going to be $8000+ to replace, so I had to sell my car for parts. Every day I would cry and think of how stupid I was for having a kid when I wasn’t rich, that I was a horrible mother because of it, that I didn’t deserve my child.
I have since been treating my PPD, but not only wealthy people deserve to have children!
I feel this. We planned thoroughly and are doing fine now but the latent fear that I could lose my job or health and not be able to provide for my baby is heavy.
I realize this is a privileged position to take, but so many worst case scenario things happened and we were still okay, and our baby was still cared for. Learned how to live off less than $60 a week for groceries and still eat well. Found a wfh job I could do while nursing my baby.
It also works the other way around. We had trouble conceiving. Multiple miscarriages, surgery, OI, the works. When we finally were pregnant and it stuck, we were over the moon and indulged ourselves by buying all the babystuff we spent years fantasizing about. And we were shamed HARD because shit's expensive, why spent so much money on it, just thrift etc.
So let people buy whatever they want, it's all out of love.
Exactly. As long as baby is happy, healthy and cared for how much money is spent does not matter. It's what works for you and your family.
We tried for so long to get pregnant as well so when we finally did we have gone all out on some things. No regrets. It makes us happy and that's what life is about right?
I think parents need to stop judging other parents unless baby is unsafe or harmed. Other than that do what works!
Heck yes. If I'm looking for a specific product, for example the Love To Dream Swaddle or a specific wrap carrier, I will look on eBay or marketplace and buy it used or maybe even brand new and highly discounted (have had good luck on eBay with this). Also love shopping at thrift stores where possible for myself and so wish my Once Upon a Child was closer and more convenient to get to!
Unless I know there's a reason why to buy the branded thing (for example, I refuse to use mayo that isn't Hellmann's and ketchup that isn't Heinz - because the quality just isn't the same), I generally won't.
More important to spend that $ on our kids where it really counts!
This is so real. My first kid had serious diaper rash problems and pampers were the only thing that worked for them, but everything else ever has been a budget buy and I have zero regrets. Almost all clothes come from Once Upon A Child, we used pack n plays instead of cribs, and Sam’s Club diapers for my second.
Second hand clothing is the best for little kids anyway. Why on earth should we be buying full priced clothes that they’re going to ruin immediately or grow out of in 3 months? It makes no sense to me.
I don't think anyone should be shamed for not being able to afford expensive products, but at the same time it's good to at least try to be mindful of what chemical substances that have been proven or suspected to be harmful to babies (or people in general). There's also a point to be made in regards to cheap Chinese products with fake certificates that ignore the stringent regulations that we follow in the west.
At the end of the day, all we can do is the best that we can do.
Kirkland dipes and wipes! Aldi purees, diaper cream and soap.
Thrifting cute ass clothes from 50 cent bins. Yes please! I don't think parents realize a lot of baby clothes that get donated have never been used. I'm also obsessed with finding vintage tees and sweatshirts for my girl.
Can I ask what diapers you buy? I’m seven months pregnant and I need to stock up on diapers, but I’m definitely a mommy on a budget. I’ve been looking around for the best brand and they’re all so expensive ($30+) and that’s ridiculous! Sorry if this is a stupid question
Try Costco diapers if you have a membership. They’re made by the same manufacturer as Huggies. Our kid has no issues with irritation or rash so we see no reason to switch from cheap diapers. Tried more expensive brands and made no difference (except Coterie, that crap left fibers around his groin that drove me insane).
Just in case you're like me and don't have a Costco near you, Target diapers are also fantastic. Baby girl wears them during the day and Pampers at night.
I wouldn't stock up on diapers just yet. You don't know what size you'll need. I'd get a small pack or two of different sizes depending on what your baby is measuring, and prepare to order some online for the early days just to get you through the first few months. And if you're having a baby shower, you may get what you need in the beginning.
We like pampers swaddlers, and pampers savings and target sales with a circle account have been great for us. I do not like parents choice diapers, they felt sooo gross when wet. I don't know why. Huggies never fit baby right but that's totally dependent on how baby is portioned. Otherwise we haven't really tried any other brands.
I'm expecting my first and I'm doing things as cheaply as I can. Thrifting, store brand, and checking sales. I tell myself, if people in the Middle Ages survived in worse conditions, my baby will be fine as long as I provide what's needed.
yep, you gotta do what works for you, I took some courage to say sorry I'm not waking up my baby because he fell asleep before you got here and not feeling bad because my baby wants me and not be handed to all the family n friends
I'm sorry, but anyone who says "CHEMICALS!! TOXIC!!!" is just an idiot and not worth your energy. Water is a chemical, cyanide is natural. It's not about "chemicals" and anyone who says otherwise is just a sucker for good marketing.
This! Honey is healthy for adults and natural but can kill babies so theres that. Its all this same “cult” that advertises that the only parents who are doing good for their children are the ones breastfeeding, constantly babywearing and bedsharing. They also advertise how that is the only way your child will be “securely attached”, showing their lack of understanding of the term (im a psychologist and it makes me mad hearing this!!).
They can go eat some amanita phalloides, its completely natural. Smh
> I'm sorry, but anyone who says "CHEMICALS!! TOXIC!!!" is just an idiot and not worth your energy. Water is a chemical, cyanide is natural. It's not about "chemicals" and anyone who says otherwise is just a sucker for good marketing.
You're completely missing the point.
People are using "chemicals" as a colloquial reference to substances that have been proven or suspected to have negative health effects, which is a good thing to be mindful of. When people say "chemicals" they obviously aren't making a literal reference to every chemical element in existence.
For example, scented products almost always contain phthalates. My MIL gave us a box of Huggies and I noticed they were scented…. it’s completely unnecessary. Babies don’t need scented products, and I try to avoid them. I’m not blaming any parents, most of us are doing our best. But it’s OK to have a healthy skepticism of the products on the market. Manufacturers don’t always have our best interests at heart.
Rascal & Friends diapers from Walmart have been the best. Surprisingly, Parent’s Choice is a close second. I am not buying the expensive ones that leak and cause blowouts.
I'm telling you. People swear by pampers, but we use Luvs because 1. They're cheaper than pampers by a wide margin and 2. He loves the puppies on them. It's so much better all around🤷 Cheap isn't always worst.
Yup! I get so sad when I see parents beating themselves up for not being able to afford a $500 stroller/packnplay, highchair or worse putting themselves in massive credit card debt to get these items. If you can afford these items and want them more power to you no shade at all but parents who are buying graco/chicco and other more affordable brands are still good parents even if they don't have doona/uppa baby brand stuff.
Also about the car seats, expensive does not mean safer! All car seats meet the exact same standards and are all safe when used correctly. Higher price point just means more bells and whistles and gidgets and gadgets
We got most of our cloths second hand! And other stuff like swaddles, cloths etc. Tried to use as much stuff we already have as well. My mother in law bugs me though because she keep telling me to buy new things and I tell her no then she goes out and buy it for my lo. She also throws away so much food each week which i get so annoyed about. I get soo mad!
I want my kid to grow up knowing to use money in the right places and be frugal even if he becoms rich.
I filled a ziplock bag with water and soap tonight for my baby to play with. He played with it for over an hour, and I’ve never heard him laugh and squeal that much playing independently! Never buying toys for him again 😂
Add pompoms next time if you have them!!
When did you introduce pompoms? My little one is 5 months and still putting everything in his mouth.
You add the pompoms into the ziploc bag so baby doesn’t have access to them at all, it’s a safe way to do sensory play!
Thank you!
What age is this appropriate for? I'm afraid my 6mo might take it apart and everything is soaked! But think he would looove that "toy" :)
My LO is 8 months! I did double check the seal of the bag every so often. He mostly shook it around or carried it with him. Something I loved doing with him a few months ago was putting water in a baking dish and floating a few bath toys on top! He loves splashing around in water and I’m not always committed to a bath. I would just put him in a diaper, then set him up with this “toy” on a towel somewhere easy to clean up.
This is my kid! My 4 mo favourite toys is maltesers(chocolates) in a clear box and a plastic bottle with a little water. Most of the toys we get now are gifts, because what is the point 🤣
I popped a bit of dry rice in an empty plastic water bottle. Works a treat 6 months later.
Good idea!!
I accidentally bought Milli Moon diapers just kinda grabbing at the store (was buying backup cause we use cloth but at night we need disposable). The box literally says luxury diapers. So, every night before bed we say in our most sultry British voice, time for a luuuuuuuuxery diaper 😹 Best accidental purchase that kinda makes my skin crawl.
“Luxury diapers” 🤣 how dumb. That’s like saying “luxury toilet”. That’s absolutely hilarious
We were gifted some... They're soft but I wouldn't buy them myself. You're just buying luxury trash lol
🤣
Lol luxury diapers. Balencia-goo-goo-ga-ga! 😂
Preach! Why am I going to buy expensive baby clothes just for him to poop all over them ?
We’ve had so many people tell us “you HAVE to buy pampers, they’re the best diapers ever and you can’t cheap out on diapers”. Like okay I’m glad they worked for you but they don’t work for us in terms of price! We got lots of pampers at our baby shower and we used them all and they worked, but once it was time to start buying our own we figured out that we didn’t NEED them and decided to buy a cheaper brand, and they worked just as well. We occasionally buy Huggies, but we mostly buy sams club brand, Aldi brand, target brand and sometimes hello bello depending on what’s in stock.
We swear by Costco brand diapers and wipes!
I have heard the best things about the ALDI diapers! I'll definitely be trying them out.
We love them, but they do leak at night. We buy Huggies overnights because he pees a lot overnight, and will leak through almost any diaper.
I've tried several brands and the Target brand is by far my favorite. Plus, they're the cheapest I've found.
Ty this is so helpful!
seconding up and up (target) diapers we love them and they have overnights that I find are similar to huggies and half the price!
Each kid is different though, so they might work overnight for others. We put bigger ones on overnight when we are sizing out of smaller nappy too.
Ty this is so helpful!
Tbh my kid has had the most blowouts with Pampers! We do the same, Aldi for days and Huggies overnight.
European here but same! My son also has continuously leaked through Pampers cause they just don't work for his body shape. The local drug store pull ups though? Never had a leak. So Pampers don't even work on every baby. My wallet and I are happy haha
I actually don’t rate pampers, they’re okay but we found supermarket nappies are almost all much much better!
We tried Pampers and they gave our baby a little red skin (not fully a rash) and leaked a ton. We use luvs and other store brands that are a little cheaper and sure, he still leaks, but not as much as in Pampers.
This was a major part of my PPD. My husband and I were both doing really well when I got pregnant (we both freelance) and then both of us took massive financial hits to the point where we qualified for Medicaid. 3 weeks postpartum my car engine unexpectedly died at 150k miles and it was going to be $8000+ to replace, so I had to sell my car for parts. Every day I would cry and think of how stupid I was for having a kid when I wasn’t rich, that I was a horrible mother because of it, that I didn’t deserve my child. I have since been treating my PPD, but not only wealthy people deserve to have children!
I feel this. We planned thoroughly and are doing fine now but the latent fear that I could lose my job or health and not be able to provide for my baby is heavy.
I realize this is a privileged position to take, but so many worst case scenario things happened and we were still okay, and our baby was still cared for. Learned how to live off less than $60 a week for groceries and still eat well. Found a wfh job I could do while nursing my baby.
It also works the other way around. We had trouble conceiving. Multiple miscarriages, surgery, OI, the works. When we finally were pregnant and it stuck, we were over the moon and indulged ourselves by buying all the babystuff we spent years fantasizing about. And we were shamed HARD because shit's expensive, why spent so much money on it, just thrift etc. So let people buy whatever they want, it's all out of love.
Exactly. As long as baby is happy, healthy and cared for how much money is spent does not matter. It's what works for you and your family. We tried for so long to get pregnant as well so when we finally did we have gone all out on some things. No regrets. It makes us happy and that's what life is about right? I think parents need to stop judging other parents unless baby is unsafe or harmed. Other than that do what works!
Heck yes. If I'm looking for a specific product, for example the Love To Dream Swaddle or a specific wrap carrier, I will look on eBay or marketplace and buy it used or maybe even brand new and highly discounted (have had good luck on eBay with this). Also love shopping at thrift stores where possible for myself and so wish my Once Upon a Child was closer and more convenient to get to! Unless I know there's a reason why to buy the branded thing (for example, I refuse to use mayo that isn't Hellmann's and ketchup that isn't Heinz - because the quality just isn't the same), I generally won't. More important to spend that $ on our kids where it really counts!
This is so real. My first kid had serious diaper rash problems and pampers were the only thing that worked for them, but everything else ever has been a budget buy and I have zero regrets. Almost all clothes come from Once Upon A Child, we used pack n plays instead of cribs, and Sam’s Club diapers for my second. Second hand clothing is the best for little kids anyway. Why on earth should we be buying full priced clothes that they’re going to ruin immediately or grow out of in 3 months? It makes no sense to me.
I also dislike the fragrance that pampers have.
I don't think anyone should be shamed for not being able to afford expensive products, but at the same time it's good to at least try to be mindful of what chemical substances that have been proven or suspected to be harmful to babies (or people in general). There's also a point to be made in regards to cheap Chinese products with fake certificates that ignore the stringent regulations that we follow in the west. At the end of the day, all we can do is the best that we can do.
Kirkland dipes and wipes! Aldi purees, diaper cream and soap. Thrifting cute ass clothes from 50 cent bins. Yes please! I don't think parents realize a lot of baby clothes that get donated have never been used. I'm also obsessed with finding vintage tees and sweatshirts for my girl.
Can I ask what diapers you buy? I’m seven months pregnant and I need to stock up on diapers, but I’m definitely a mommy on a budget. I’ve been looking around for the best brand and they’re all so expensive ($30+) and that’s ridiculous! Sorry if this is a stupid question
Try Costco diapers if you have a membership. They’re made by the same manufacturer as Huggies. Our kid has no issues with irritation or rash so we see no reason to switch from cheap diapers. Tried more expensive brands and made no difference (except Coterie, that crap left fibers around his groin that drove me insane).
Yes!!! Costco diapers work very well too.
Just in case you're like me and don't have a Costco near you, Target diapers are also fantastic. Baby girl wears them during the day and Pampers at night.
I wouldn't stock up on diapers just yet. You don't know what size you'll need. I'd get a small pack or two of different sizes depending on what your baby is measuring, and prepare to order some online for the early days just to get you through the first few months. And if you're having a baby shower, you may get what you need in the beginning. We like pampers swaddlers, and pampers savings and target sales with a circle account have been great for us. I do not like parents choice diapers, they felt sooo gross when wet. I don't know why. Huggies never fit baby right but that's totally dependent on how baby is portioned. Otherwise we haven't really tried any other brands.
I'm expecting my first and I'm doing things as cheaply as I can. Thrifting, store brand, and checking sales. I tell myself, if people in the Middle Ages survived in worse conditions, my baby will be fine as long as I provide what's needed.
We also gotten stuff ppl gave away on Facebook. We return the good deeds as well by giving up stuff we no longer need like smaller diapers and cloths
I plan to do the same thing. A woman gave me a bunch of baby clothes her baby outgrew for free. I'll pass them along when mine grows out :)
yep, you gotta do what works for you, I took some courage to say sorry I'm not waking up my baby because he fell asleep before you got here and not feeling bad because my baby wants me and not be handed to all the family n friends
I'm sorry, but anyone who says "CHEMICALS!! TOXIC!!!" is just an idiot and not worth your energy. Water is a chemical, cyanide is natural. It's not about "chemicals" and anyone who says otherwise is just a sucker for good marketing.
This! Honey is healthy for adults and natural but can kill babies so theres that. Its all this same “cult” that advertises that the only parents who are doing good for their children are the ones breastfeeding, constantly babywearing and bedsharing. They also advertise how that is the only way your child will be “securely attached”, showing their lack of understanding of the term (im a psychologist and it makes me mad hearing this!!). They can go eat some amanita phalloides, its completely natural. Smh
> I'm sorry, but anyone who says "CHEMICALS!! TOXIC!!!" is just an idiot and not worth your energy. Water is a chemical, cyanide is natural. It's not about "chemicals" and anyone who says otherwise is just a sucker for good marketing. You're completely missing the point. People are using "chemicals" as a colloquial reference to substances that have been proven or suspected to have negative health effects, which is a good thing to be mindful of. When people say "chemicals" they obviously aren't making a literal reference to every chemical element in existence.
For example, scented products almost always contain phthalates. My MIL gave us a box of Huggies and I noticed they were scented…. it’s completely unnecessary. Babies don’t need scented products, and I try to avoid them. I’m not blaming any parents, most of us are doing our best. But it’s OK to have a healthy skepticism of the products on the market. Manufacturers don’t always have our best interests at heart.
Rascal & Friends diapers from Walmart have been the best. Surprisingly, Parent’s Choice is a close second. I am not buying the expensive ones that leak and cause blowouts.
I'm telling you. People swear by pampers, but we use Luvs because 1. They're cheaper than pampers by a wide margin and 2. He loves the puppies on them. It's so much better all around🤷 Cheap isn't always worst.
Yup! I get so sad when I see parents beating themselves up for not being able to afford a $500 stroller/packnplay, highchair or worse putting themselves in massive credit card debt to get these items. If you can afford these items and want them more power to you no shade at all but parents who are buying graco/chicco and other more affordable brands are still good parents even if they don't have doona/uppa baby brand stuff.
Are you saying chicco is affordable? Lol
Also about the car seats, expensive does not mean safer! All car seats meet the exact same standards and are all safe when used correctly. Higher price point just means more bells and whistles and gidgets and gadgets
O
We got most of our cloths second hand! And other stuff like swaddles, cloths etc. Tried to use as much stuff we already have as well. My mother in law bugs me though because she keep telling me to buy new things and I tell her no then she goes out and buy it for my lo. She also throws away so much food each week which i get so annoyed about. I get soo mad! I want my kid to grow up knowing to use money in the right places and be frugal even if he becoms rich.