how much does it cost for a baby in the first year?

5 Comments on "how much does it cost for a baby in the first year?"

1. RavenSand

   says:

   February 21, 2013 at 7:23 pm

   I’ll try to break down what I know from recent experience:

   Baby furniture (including crib, changing table and bureau): $ 700 plus S/H

   Crib Mattress: $ 75

   Crib sheets: $ 10.99 per package (times 7 packages)

   Mattress pad covers with plastic/protective backing: $ 22 (times 3)

   Blankets: $ 10 to $ 25 depending on the blanket type (times 12)

   Lamp: $ 19.99

   Changing table pad: $ 35.99

   Changing table pad covers: $ 50 (for package with 2)

   Stroller: $ 220

   Infant car carrier: $ 100

   Second base for second vehicle: $ 30

   Toddler car seat: $ 119.99 (times 2 – one for each vehicle)

   Toddler car seat: $ 79.99 (on sale – for childcare provider who watches him in the afternoons)

   Playtex Bottle starter kits: $ 25 (times 2)

   Replacement nipples: $ 3-$ 4 per package of 2 (times 4 while we tried to figure out the right nipple for our son that he liked)

   Disposable bottle liners (8 oz): $ 8.99 for 2 boxes of 100 liners each; lasts about 4 weeks

   Disposable bottle liners (4 oz): $ 5.99 for one box of 50 liners; would last about 2 weeks (used for juice)

   Diapers: $ 27.99 for the large box of Huggies BIG NOTE here: initially can have about 276 diapers in the box at the “newborn” size; by size 5, you get about 85 diapers per box at the same price. Figure about a box every two weeks.

   Night time Diapers: same as above except one box every 4 weeks.

   Wipes: $ 22.99 for economy size box of wipes – fills 6 huggies wipes “tubs” lasts for about 6 weeks (1 tub o’ wipes per week)

   Diaper Genie: $ 25.99

   Diaper Genie Refills: $ 5.99 per refill OR $ 14.99 for a 3 pack; need to replace about every 2 weeks

   Diaper cream: $ 9.99 for large Desitin tub

   Formula: $ 30 per case; 6 bottles to a case; 1 case a week for the first month; went up to 2 cases per week by the time nugget was a month old

   Clothing: fortunate with hand-me-downs and consignment sales and family gifts however, at a bare minimum about $ 200 per season in the way of clothes (and that was through consignment sales and yard sales); this price goes up as the child gets bigger.

   Shoes: anywhere from $ 30 to $ 50 (depends on where you buy the shoes and what style you purchase) and little feet grow out of shoes fast (we bought new shoes about every 4 weeks from the time he started creeping at 8 months to walking at 10 months)

   Bath supplies (incl. soap, shampoo, creams, baby lotions and face cloths): $ 30-$ 50 initially then $ 7 or $ 8 for economy size Nite time bath by Johnson & Johnson (lasts about a month with baths every nite)

   Baby tub: $ 24.99 (on sale)

   Toys: $ 1,000 at least in toys – some from us, some from family and friends

   Books: $ 1,000 – again, from family and friends as well as us (sisters-in-law are teachers)

   Insurance premiums: $ 220 per month for child – another BIG note – started to pay insurance premium month before child was born (so he was covered under my insurance the minute he took his first breath)

   Actual medical bills: The minute he took his first breath, he was a separate individual with his own “insurance” which also included a $ 350 deductible (for doctor’s services), a $ 500 hospital deductible (which is separate from the doctors/physicians fees), and then a 20% co-insurance for any of the other charges. All told, I spent around $ 7,000 just to have my son (this included the pre-natal visits and his actual delivery and our stay in the hospital)

   Additional medical bills: 2 day well baby check, 2 week well baby check, 4 week well baby check, 2 month, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month and 1 year checkups – $ 20 copay for each visit plus 20% co-insurance (Immunizations are about $ 150 per shot…and most visits have at least 3 shots) This of course doesn’t include any of the visits when our son was sick with a cold/upper respiratory infection or our ER visit when he split his head open (fell when learning to walk). All told, we have paid an additional $ 2,000 in subsequent medical bills which are all part of the regular checkups during the 1st year (this cost is not including the ER visit or the doctor’s visit that was outside of the normal checkups).

   Baby Food: Initially $ 25 a week between jars of baby food, baby cereal, juice, “finger” snacks, teething cookies, etc. By the time he was 6 months, he was eating only table food and my grocery bill had gone from $ 100 a week for 2 adults to about $ 200 a week (as I buy more in the way of fresh fruits and vegetables for him and we are now on whole milk at $ 4.89 a gallon and I need at least 2 gallons a week!)

   Childcare: $ 75 per week at a private, in-home place

   So, if you add all that up you end up with almost $ 28,000 for the first year of life. Sounds pricey (and it is!!), but it is sooooo worth it. Word to the wise however; kids are expensive and they don’t come with owner’s manuals! It definitely makes you stop and think about it, no?

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2. momof3boys says:

   February 21, 2013 at 7:05 pm

   Depends on whether you breast feed, buy expensive things, or get hand me downs! I’d say 5 to 8 thous. assuming you have insurance! With your question yesterday, did you find out about your problem with positive and then neg. and the period? Just curious!

   Reply
3. mystic_eye_cda says:

   February 21, 2013 at 6:23 pm

   Diapers about $ 550
   Extra food for the breastfeeding mom and baby when he starts eating table food $ 500
   Nursing Bras $ 100
   Clothes: Free
   Nursery Furniture: Free
   Blankets etc: Free
   Toys: Free

   Carseat: $ 200 for a convertable seat. Add $ 100ish if you want a seperate infant seat though they may outgrow this at 4 months.

   Childproofing supplies: $ 200

   Everything else is optional. So say $ 2000 max

   Reply
4. naenae0011 says:

   February 21, 2013 at 5:49 pm

   Thousands!!!
   Depending on many factors….
   If you have nothing, and want brand new everything… thousands of dollars!!
   If you are willing to take hand-me-downs… thousands still. Diapers are expensive… formula is expensive…

   Reply
5. KitKat says:

   February 21, 2013 at 5:08 pm

   Starting with pre-natal care until the first birthday, it would be approx. $ 20,000 (including delivery)

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