How will I get the things I'll need for a baby?

Bottles, bibs, and booties. Car seats, cribs, and clothes. These days it seems as if babies need a TON of things in order to live. Stop into a local baby store and you'll no doubt feel overwhelmed at your inability to provide - especially if your income is modest. Put things into context though. Fifty years ago there were no Boppies, no sleep positioners, and no bouncy seats. Believe it or not, a baby has very basic needs - food, shelter (in the form of clothes and housing), and love. (Although to avoid a big mess you will probably want to include diapers.) That being said, every mother wants the BEST for her child, and although your baby may not need a vibrating bassinet to sleep in, you still want to be able to provide one. So, let's explore some of the ways to get the things you need at low - or no - cost.

 

Your first step should be to visit a local pregnancy center. Many of these centers will be able to provide you with maternity clothes, baby clothes, baby furniture, formula, and diapers free of charge. Usually they simply ask that you take care of them and return them when you're through so that another mom can benefit from them. While you're at the pregnancy center, you can ask about the possibility of a "crib shower."  A crib shower is thrown by a local church (your pregnancy center will know which hold crib showers). The church will set up a crib and encourage its members to fill the crib to the brim with all sorts of baby items. This is all done anonymously - only the pregnancy center need know who the shower is for. After awhile the crib is delivered to you. Not all areas do this sort of thing; however, it never hurts to ask - maybe you'll give someone the idea for the first time! Many people are just looking for a way to help and will jump at the chance to give.

 

Next in line is your own baby shower. This can be a lot of fun, since you can usually register and pick out the things that you want for your baby. There is almost always someone who will throw a shower for you - a family member, friend, coworker, etc. You can register for your items or pick a theme depending on your needs - a diaper shower where everyone brings a pack of diapers, a formula shower where you get formula from everyone, or set up a box for monetary contributions to help while you are out of work. Let people know in the invitation if there is a theme that they need to prepare for. (It might b hard to think of people who will celebrate this pregnancy with you, but once the baby is coming, there will be excitement even from those who are against it now.)

 

Hand-me-downs can really be helpful, and everyone who has had a baby is usually more than ready to get rid of the clothes that are just sitting in storage - especially if they know you're in need. Here you can find clothes (both for you and baby), furniture, toys, and all sorts of things - usually for free! Make sure you ask if the clothes should be returned when you're done, and if so, mark which things came from which person on the tag.

 

Lastly, do some thrift shopping if you have some spare change. Get out and do some “garage-saling.” Check out stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army Thrift Store or any second-hand store. Babies outgrow clothes and toys so quickly that you can find some really nice, brand-name clothing items for $2.00 or less at places like these.  If you start now, $10 a month should last pretty well, since most of your bigger items can come from hand-me-downs, showers, and pregnancy centers.

 

The bottom line is that there are people who want to help, and if you're willing to allow them to, I think you'll be surprised at how much help you receive!