Bargain Baby Preparation

Having a baby can be a very expensive business, but it doesn't have to be. With a little ingenuity and effort, bringing a baby home doesn't have to break the bank. We've been preparing for our summer addition by purchasing furniture second-hand, by stocking up on cloth and clearance disposable diapers, and by accepting gently used items from generous friends whose littlest girls are their last.

When I consider what we already have for this baby, I believe we have enough for a healthy head start. Sure, I need a few more cloth diaper covers and some odds and ends here and there, but I think we could realistically bring a baby home without James having to make a midnight run to Wal-Mart.

Though I have everything I need, there are a few more things I want, and since I'm not generally the person who spends loads of money on things just because I want them, I've been browsing the internet looking for resources to help me acquire those wants using things I already have or can get my hands on for very little cost. I'm sharing some of these links with you here. If you have some favorite frugal baby sites, please return the favor by linking them to me in the comments section below.


Nursing Implements

Free Nursing Cover Pattern :: Bliss Tree

Homemade Nursing Pads :: Passionate Homemaking

Contoured Nursing Pad Pattern :: Pampered Cheeks


Baby Leg Warmers

How to Sew Baby Legwarmers :: eHow.com

How to Make Legwarmers Out of a Sweater :: eHow.com

How to Make Leggings for a Baby :: eHow.com

How to Knit Super-Easy Baby Legwarmers :: eHow.com

Harper (Baby) Leg Warmers :: The Funky Hooker


Baby Slings

Baby Sling Resource Page (Many Free Links):: Mamma'a Milk

Free Mei Tai Sling Instructions :: Jan Andrea

More Mei Tai Instructions :: Walter + Veronica

Free and Simple Baby Sling Pattern :: Karma Baby


Cloth Diapering

Recycled Diaper Sewing :: Fern and Fairie

Sewing Your Own Cloth Diapers (Pattern Links) :: The Diaper Jungle

Free Diaper Patterns :: Cloth Diaper Sewing

More Free Diaper Patterns :: Zany Zebra Designs

How to Make a Cloth Diaper Soaker :: eHow.com

How to Make Wool Diaper Covers :: eHow.com

Free Soaker Pattern :: Katrina's Sew Quick

Free Tiny Birds Soaker Pattern :: Tiny Birds Organic Baby

Make Your Own Wool Soakers :: borntolove.com


Other Stuff

Free Grocery Cart Cover Pattern :: Jan Andrea

Miscellaneous Baby Savings Ideas :: Frugal Baby Tips on Blogger

More Miscellaneous Baby Savings Ideas :: The Frugal Baby



Cross Posted on Mandigirl Muses
Photo Credit: halloweencostumes.com

The NapStrap

Something that will definitely not make the registry cut: The NapStrap.
Seriously, how did we even survive the 1970's?

photo credit: Abraisme

Twenty-Six / Ninety-Seven

First of all, let me reiterate how I detest posting profile pictures of myself. Were it not for my need to please my far-away friends and family, you'd just have to imagine what my changing body looks like.

I reached a couple of personal pregnancy milestones this week: I reached twenty-six weeks of pregnancy (my personal magic number), and I moved on to a double-digit pregnancy countdown. I have only ninety-seven days to go if I'm allowed to be pregnant all the way to my due date, which is actually quite improbable. (I probably only have 75-85 days left.)

I saw my MFM for my regular monthly check-up today. At the appointment, he confirmed that my cervix is still stable and that there was no evidence of an internal bleed. With that good news, he removed the precautionary restrictions imposed by the on-call OB at my little hospital visit on Sunday. Regarding my cervix, the doctor said since I've not had any adverse symptoms throughout the entire pregnancy, and since I'm now at 26 weeks, my overall cervical length is now less of a concern. He said with this transabdominal cerclage, once we successfully pass 24 weeks without any cervical issues, we're really in the clear -- if there were going to be a change, it would have happened by 24 weeks. The primary focus now is keeping preterm labor at bay, and so far, the once-weekly progesterone injections are doing the trick.

The baby weighed in at 2 pounds 10 ounces, and based primarily on femur length, is the same size as a baby at 28 weeks gestation (two weeks ahead of where I am in this pregnancy). I've been telling James she feels so much bigger, like a big lump in my stomach, and when she kicks now, you can see strong movement from the outside. He was skeptical since her weight was around 1 pound 5 ounces only one month ago, but to our great surprise, she's doubled in size. She's positioned head down and curled up in a ball.

As for her rapid growth, we're not extraordinarily concerned. James and I are both very tall people who come from very tall families, so this baby's long femur length is probably related to our genetic makeup. (Even Gracie was the size of a full-term baby when she was born four weeks prematurely, and now at six-years-old wears clothes cut for a tall ten-year-old.) Still, the doctor wants to see me again in three weeks to monitor and remeasure the baby, and wants me to begin watching my sugar/carbohydrate intake to help slow things down growth-wise. I'm scheduled to take the test for gestational diabetes in two weeks, but regardless of the outcome, I'm still supposed to watch my sugars and carbs (which is why I suddenly feel the need to engorge myself on watermelon, Junior Mints, and Cuppa Soup).

Baby Face

Tummy on left, Face Forward on right, Hand up top by face

Cross Posted on Mandigirl Muses