Bringing a new baby home involves significant costs. This is just as true for adoptive parents as for birth parents, bu there can be differences in the experience. For one thing, an adoption can give you less time to prepare than the traditional nine months. Sometimes the adoption journey is lengthy, but sometimes it can catch you unprepared. Depending on your circumstances, you may have less community support than visibly expectant parents, or you may hesitate to get very involved in preparations before the adoption is a sure thing. Sometimes it’s easier to set aside enough funds to welcome your new baby than to furnish a nursery. So what does it cost to bring baby home?
Basic expenses
Medical costs are unavoidable. Adoptive parents are usually responsible for mom’s medical costs in Arkansas, and there are medical costs for the baby as well. These can be hard to estimate, since they depend on many different factors, bu your healthcare professionals will be able to help you figure them out ahead of time.
- Prenatal care: Doctor’s visits, ultrasounds, and other prenatal tests.
- Delivery: Hospital costs, including labor and delivery, anesthesia, and possibly coverage of complications.
- Postpartum care: Doctor’s visits for both mother and baby.
Baby essentials may be different for each family, but here are some of the most common items parents like to have an hand right away. Fill an Amazon or Walmart.com shopping cart even if you don’t plan to shop there, in order to get a good estimate of the initial costs. Expect to spend several thousand dollars on initial purchases — but also see our money-saving tips below.
- Furniture: Crib, changing table, dresser, and rocking chair. You might be able to skip the changing table, but it is handy. remember that are sleep guidelines for babies rule out blankets, bumpers, and pillows, so you won’t need them.
- Gear: Stroller, car seat, carrier, baby monitor. Our grandparents didn’t have baby monitors, but they do increase safety. Convertible car seats can serve as baby carriers, but a wearable carrier is very convenient.
- Clothing: Newborn and infant-sized clothes. Most babies outgrow the newborn size very quickly, but it’s hard to predict.
- Diapers and wipes: disposable or cloth diapers and wipes. Disposables can be a significant ongoing expense, but keeping up with laundering cloth diapers and wipes can be exhausting. Plan to have some disposables at the beginning.
- Feeding supplies: Bottles and formula.
Other costs
If both parents work, childcare costs can be substantial. Grocery costs will increase to accommodate the needs of a growing family. Ypu’ll also have well baby visits and vaccinations to keep up with. Many items, such as books, toys, a baby book, or shoes, are not essential for newborns but can add up over time.
Money-saving tips
Start with a budget. Track expenses carefully and identify areas for potential savings. Distinguish between needs and wants so you can make sure the essentials are covered before you get tempted by the fun stuff.
Many baby needs can be bought used. While there are safety considerations for car seats and cribs, babies often grow out of clothes and toys before there is any significant wear. Consider purchasing gently used items like cloth diapers, and clothing from consignment stores or online marketplaces. You may also know parents who would love to get their outgrown gear out of the house.
Register for a baby registry. Share your needs with friends and family to receive helpful gifts.
Explore community resources. Local resources like community centers, libraries, and parks offer low-cost and free amenities for children and parents. Think of your friends and neighbors as resources, too — plenty of the people you know are parents and have brought home babies successfully. They will enjoy giving you the benefit of their experience.
What does it cost to bring Baby home? The honest answer is that it can cost a lot or a little, depending on your tastes and preferences. With good planning, though, you can have your home ready for your new baby without breaking the bank, even if the timeline is shorter than you expected.