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If females know very little about how to get pregnant, why are there SO MANY teen pregnancies and unwanted babies out there???? I'd say MOST females know how to get pregnant.
Too bad it isn't that difficult. We wouldn't have such an out of control population in this world.
Yeah, yeah. Get drunk, have sex in the back of your parents car, and you'll be pregnant. Stupid fertility advice is abundant. "Just get drunk, you'll get pregnant!" "Just adopt, you'll get pregnant then!" The actual truth is chance of conception and the chances of a pregnancy being viable are not astronomical. They're not even good.
Most women know how to take/use birth control. But how many women know how to chart their basal body temperature, check cervical mucus and position, or even know what a luteal phase is? So many people - men and women - are taught that if they just have sex, it'll happen. That's not the case.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drjones96
LMAO
OK statistically this may be true. And possibly my wife and I are freaks of nature but I swear....the three times my wife and I have gotten prego it's been a one-shot deal. (ie only had sex once in between minstral cycles). And the last happened when she swapped birth control pills (so there was a risky month in between). When the second line appeared on the test we both looked at each other and said, "No f-ing way!"
So for only 15% of a chance for perfectly healthy people...that seems like such a very low figure when my experiences tell me it should be more like 15% chance you WON'T conceive.
Congratulations. You're a fertile couple. Be thankful. It took two years for us to conceive our first child, just shy of two years for us to conceive our second, and we're over a year into trying for our third. We've had 5 miscarriages for all this trying, as well. My anecdote doesn't mean that women have a harder time conceiving, and yours doesn't mean that women have it easier.
Sooo... for those of you who have already done the math, or lived it, what's a good basic number? My husband will be working, but if our income and bills are the same as they are now, his salary alone won't cut it. I know we'll need money for the house payment, food, the regular bills, etc. but how much additional expenses (approximately) per month will an infant incur? Does this make any sense?
Diapers: $20 for 80. A NB will go through that amount in about 6-7 days.
Formula: Similac is $23 a can. I nursed my children up to 8 months & started them on formula at that time. They went through 1 1/2 cans/week. Friends have said their newborns who were on formula went through at least 2 cans a week. So, rough estimate would be $50 a week.
Then add in tax, so expect to pay about $75-$80/wk for diapers & formula.
You will get a TON of coupons for formula & diapers. You will also get many free samples of formula that could last a few days.
Car Seat w/ attachment: $75. If you want a stroller, than make it about $150-$200
Crib, bassinette, toys, clothes, etc....depends on you.
FOr the basics, I'd budget $500/mn for the first few months to cover for everything.
Oh, and doctor appt copays..you need to go to the pediatrican at 2 days, 3 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 yr. Of course, this is dependant on your belief in doctors.
Yeah, yeah. Get drunk, have sex in the back of your parents car, and you'll be pregnant. Stupid fertility advice is abundant. "Just get drunk, you'll get pregnant!" "Just adopt, you'll get pregnant then!" The actual truth is chance of conception and the chances of a pregnancy being viable are not astronomical. They're not even good.
Most women know how to take/use birth control. But how many women know how to chart their basal body temperature, check cervical mucus and position, or even know what a luteal phase is? So many people - men and women - are taught that if they just have sex, it'll happen. That's not the case.
Congratulations. You're a fertile couple. Be thankful. It took two years for us to conceive our first child, just shy of two years for us to conceive our second, and we're over a year into trying for our third. We've had 5 miscarriages for all this trying, as well. My anecdote doesn't mean that women have a harder time conceiving, and yours doesn't mean that women have it easier.
Moderator cut: partial cutThe point is, even though YOU had trouble conceiving, doesn't mean most people do. Teens get pregnant all the time, without getting drunk. Look at the old catholic families that had 10 and 15 kids. People have kids all the time.
Moderator cut: partial cut
Last edited by jeannie216; 10-02-2008 at 05:41 AM..
Congratulations. You're a fertile couple. Be thankful. It took two years for us to conceive our first child, just shy of two years for us to conceive our second, and we're over a year into trying for our third. We've had 5 miscarriages for all this trying, as well. My anecdote doesn't mean that women have a harder time conceiving, and yours doesn't mean that women have it easier.
I think it depends on the person. I never had trouble getting pregnant. staying pregnant is another story. This last time I got pg the first month we tried. But i also have had 2 miscarriages in the last year. Everybody is different.
You can get a car seat that is good at Wal Mart for under $100. Extra base $30 bucks.
I have never seen a stroller for $1000. HOW could it be worth it? Is it something you use to run with or do you tow it behind your bicycle?? I don't get it. Same for a $200 swing. $250 for a stroller for someone else to use apparently. Ummm no. If I am paying $1000 a month for daycare (which I was probably close to at the time) I will not be providing their equipment. Sorry. Yes it might be up to $500 for formula, diapers and other stuff. We were so poor at that time we got WIC in Oklahoma. Me and hubby both had full-time jobs too. But again that was 15 years ago, things have changed.
If your living the HIGH life these are nice items.
I have found that less is more. You dont need to buy the best and most expensive things. I get just as much use and joy out of the things that I found at second hand stores, and off of ebay as I do saving and buying them. Actually I think I enjoy the bargin better than the best and latest that is out there. With the extra $$ that I saved we do something fun with it.
I never paod more than $700 for daycare.
My carseat and stroller combined cost less that $300. I do recomend just getting a nicer umbrella stroller that reclines. When they get older that is all you will want anyway, snd they take up less space.
I know that I am 36. I still want to have a 3rd child. Once I do everything and anything that I want to with my new house (new flooring, pay off furniture loan, pay off credit card, new fence, new sod, paint...), go to Philadelphia one more time....then I will start saving for my child. Before I even get pregnant I want to have six months of paychecks in my regular savings account....just for me to fall back on in the event of an emergency, and then I want six months of savings in the "baby" account. Until then, no baby. So I will be over 40 having my third!
There are many posts about the cost of daycare. HMMMM. The OP was asking about the three months OFF FROM WORK, which would not include daycare, since she'll be home with the new baby.
Even so, we can't predict how much she's going to save or lose during THAT time...since it depends so much on her $/hour.
But unless she's planning on staying home after that 3 months, it doesn't hurt to give the heads up.
My daughter just turned 6 months old. Here are a few expenses that you should prepare for:
$1,000 - per month infant care for when you return to work
$400 - for Peg Perego car seat (and extra base for your husbands car)
$1,000 - for Bugaboo stroller (believe me, its worth it)
$200 - infant swing
$300 - crib
$250 - for extra reclining stroller for baby to use at infant care
$500 - $700 monthly baby expenses (formula, diapers, food, onesies, etc.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaBeez
Here is the 2008 Bugaboo Cameleon which is what we have. Sure its hot trend in strollers, but this thing is light, rides like a Mercedes, comes in many different colors and fabrics, and you can push it with basically only one finger.
2008 Bugaboo® Cameleon Stroller Complete with Dark Brown Base Pink Canvas Top - single strollers - The Right Start - Babies to Kids (http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product.aspx?item=8593&mr:trackingCode=194EDFA9-7E8E-DD11-B8BB-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA - broken link)
Sorry, the stroller is a no-go. Give me a break. And I wouldn't buy a $250 stroller for day care either. Is this usual that daycare requires a stroller? IMO, they need to provide that themselves or carry my kid around.......
The OP asked how much money she should have for the things she needed, not the things people who have unlimited funds or imaginations might buy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taboo2
We spent $40,000 in savings the first year of my kids life.
HOW? I don't think that is typical.
So, you need a car seat, stroller, swing or some other contraption to put the baby down in, a pack n play helps if you will be out and about a lot, I wish I had one of those slings (not back pack baby carrier, a sling) but never had one for either of my kids, bottles if your bottle feeding, pump if your breast feeding, etc... much of which you can get at a shower. (at my cousins baby shower, they had a special raffle for ppl who brought a pack of diapers--most brought a case---and the gift was $75 worth of grocery and gas gift certs, she got a lot of diapers)
If you have a washing machine, the need for clothes is greatly reduced compared to ppl doing laundry at a laundromat.
If you are going to breastfeed that will save you money, otherwise factor in the formula.
One thing that I can say saved me lots of money was making my own baby food. Yeah, you think it is a lot of work, but really it isn't. For example, if you cook a batch of sweet potato, a couple lbs maybe, then puree them, all you have to do is freeze them in ice cube trays, pop them out afterward, and store them in a zip loc bag. start off with one cube and as baby grows, use more. You can make baby food a few times a week and in a couple of weeks have a good selection to choose from. All you need is a food processor or blender (food processor is better) you can do meat and chicken this way too, just simmer till done, puree w/stock, and then serve it up with another cube of veggies. This also gives you control of the texture. (baby food was wierd, 1 and 2 seemed to be purees, then BAM, stage 3 had cubes of food in it that my son refused to eat)
Anyway this is a huge money saver. And yes, I am a SAHM, so I've had the time to do it, but when I got my cousin (who works) doing it, she was easily able to make her child's baby food at the same time she was cooking her dinner.
I agree with the ppl who have said that kids cost you as much as you let them. It can get out of hand when in reality their needs are really very simple. They don't really need the $7 rattle, we just think it looks flashier. They will probably be just as satisfied with your tupperware lid.
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