u/Ok-Coconut2000

Hi all! My husband and I are expecting our first baby in August. We do fairly well with our budget and do have a good nest egg as well as annual vacation fund. But, with a new member of the family, we are wondering if there are any tried and true ways to help save money with a newborn? Or hidden expenses you don't think about until it happens?

Any kind of tips/advice welcome- from restaurants that do family deals, to getting grocery bills down, to which companies/products are the best for quality and price, to free family activities with kids, to financial investments for our kids. We just want to make the wisest choices possible.

We are already planning on:

Breastfeeding instead of formula (if my body allows/keeps up)

Cloth diapers most of the time

I am going to be a SAHM for the day but will keep teaching my piano students a few evenings per week to add some additional income/give me a chance to still teach and feel fulfilled with that.

TIA!

Hi all! I am having my first baby in August and am so excited. We have bought a bassinet that we will keep in our room, near our bed, for nighttime sleeping during the first year.

We also have a brand new mattress for the crib in the nursery and a Moses basket that we will use for naps. Figured we would do naps in the Moses basket most of the time in the living room (where we will do most of baby care for first few months) and maybe one or two naps a day in the nursery to get the baby used to being in there.

I know about the guidelines (sleep on back, no blankets/toys/objects, firm surface, etc.). But what about monitoring the baby for naps? From what I've read, I've gleaned that when the baby is sleeping, you are supposed to be in the room with them to make sure they are okay and breathing. Is that true? If so, what month is it safe to leave the room or is that for the whole first year?

What do you do if you put the baby to bed earlier in the evening (7pm or so)? Are you confined to the bedroom for the rest of the evening with them and their early bedtime? Or can we leave the room to do things like dishes, or read or watch a tv show until our normal bedtime (9 or 10)?

Same question for naps: stay in the room/near them or can you leave them to sleep for a bit while you try to get stuff done (I know this doesn't always work as planned haha).

Or what if I need/want to get up a little earlier than they would wake so I can get a cup of coffee in or do yoga or shower? Are you basically confined to the room they are in while sleeping to make sure they are still breathing?

And what about contact naps? I've heard those are important for development, but the baby wouldn't be on its back and lying on you? Doesn't that go against safe sleep guidelines?

Thanks in advance for answers/advice! Please be kind if I am coming across as naive and overthinking this. I'm just so nervous/anxious about SIDS and worried I'm going to do something wrong.

Hi all! I am having my first baby in August and am so excited. We have bought a bassinet that we will keep in our room, near our bed, for nighttime sleeping during the first year.

We also have a brand new mattress for the crib in the nursery and a Moses basket that we will use for naps. Figured we would do naps in the Moses basket most of the time in the living room (where we will do most of baby care for first few months) and maybe one or two naps a day in the nursery to get the baby used to being in there.

I know about the guidelines (sleep on back, no blankets/toys/objects, firm surface, etc.). But what about monitoring the baby for naps? From what I've read, I've gleaned that when the baby is sleeping, you are supposed to be in the room with them to make sure they are okay and breathing. Is that true? If so, what month is it safe to leave the room or is that for the whole first year?

What do you do if you put the baby to bed earlier in the evening (7pm or so)? Are you confined to the bedroom for the rest of the evening with them and their early bedtime? Or can we leave the room to do things like dishes, or read or watch a tv show until our normal bedtime (9 or 10)?

Same question for naps: stay in the room/near them or can you leave them to sleep for a bit while you try to get stuff done (I know this doesn't always work as planned haha).

Or what if I need/want to get up a little earlier than they would wake so I can get a cup of coffee in or do yoga? Are you basically confined to the room they are in while sleeping to make sure they are still breathing?

And what about contact naps? I've heard those are important for development, but the baby wouldn't be on its back and lying on you? Doesn't that go against safe sleep guidelines?

Thanks in advance for answers/advice! Please be kind if I am coming across as naive and overthinking this. I'm just so nervous/anxious about SIDS and worried I'm going to do something wrong.