A to Z Challenge: U is for Used

One thing I got caught up in when planning for W's arrival was the excitement of researching baby gear and registering for it all. I've come to realize that there are many things that we could have saved a lot of money on by going the used route. Today U is for Used.

I really enjoyed doing all of the research for our major purchases. I enjoyed reading about different swings, pack n plays, bouncers, and car seats. I loved going online to compare prices and check which stores offered which items. I had a registry at Babies 'R Us and Target. There were some duplicate items on each registry in case someone went to one store over another. Let me say in advance that we were very blessed to get most of our big items at our showers. The grandparents went in together to buy W's nursery furniture as well. We will also get additional use out of them as we plan to have another child. Still, I've learned a little something about all of these things I just thought I had to have brand new.

I'll start with our bedding. I will admit that I still adore the bedding I chose for W even though he has yet to sleep in his own room. When he does, I will be removing the bumpers from the crib but he will still have the cute sheet!

I still love this bedding and it inspired his entire nursery but did I really need an entire bedding set? Probably not. I will say that the valance is on his window, the rug is on the floor, and the comforter hangs on the chair in his room. It all looks very nice. But the issue is that my aunt picked up a number of crib sheets at garage sales for less than a dollar each and they are in fabulous shape! More than once she called me because she had found bedding sets that were clean and in wonderful shape! Could I have saved some money in this area? Definitely! These days the bumpers and accessories rarely get used anyway. With all of that said, I still love W's bedding and his nursery!

Most baby gear can be purchased used and it great shape if you shop around. Garage sales are a big thing around here, including subdivisions that hold neighborhood sales. We also have a number of consignment shops that not only offer baby clothes but all sorts of gear too. Friends and family are also great resources!

We have gotten a car seat from family and I know that many people recommend against this but we are close to them and the car seat has never been in an accident and is not very old. It all depends on the source. No, I probably wouldn't be getting a used car seat on Craigslist, thank you very much!

We also got a booster seat for at the dining room table from a friend. My aunt found W's play gym at a garage sale for a quarter. It's not as deluxe as some I've seen in the store but he loves it and it did not cost $50! The play gym was one thing I didn't register for because I could never quite commit to the fact that they ranged in price from $40 - $80! W has used it a lot though so if we hadn't found a cheap one this might have been a piece of gear worth purchasing.

Another item I did not register for because I wasn't sure how I felt about it was the Bumbo. Well, my aunt found a used BebePod in impeccable shape at a garage sale and we have actually used it some. I don't see it getting a lot of use by us because his legs are so chunky now, but it has been good for having him sit outside with us. It was definitely worth picking up at garage sale prices!

One area I wish we had gone for something used is our swing. Originally, I registered for and received the MamaRoo. It was great when W was a tiny little guy. But as he got bigger it wasn't cutting it and in desperation I ordered a swing from Amazon one day. I did get a good price for what I was looking for but if I had waited a few more days I could have gotten to the consignment shop and may have saved more money. I paid about $90 for the Fisher Price Starlight Papasan Cradle Swing including shipping. I ordered it because I though it looked liked the fabric was more blue and it plugged in. Well, it turned out to be more of a light purple but the AC adapter feature has resulted in us never needing batteries for the swing!

The swing has proven to be a good purchase for us as W still uses it now. The MamaRoo is the item that didn't work out as well for us. It's one of those things I planned for that didn't work out quite like I anticipated! Live and learn! The baby will like what the baby likes!

Clothing is definitely an area where I could save more money but I will admit that it is also one of my weaknesses! I have some favorite stores and I love going out shopping for W! I will give myself some credit because I really love shopping for bargains and I rarely buy anything full price. Still, I could probably get a lot more if I went to garage sales or the consignment shop and looked for clothes!

Diapering is an area in which I went the used direction. For my newborn stash I purchased a number of diapers gently used, including all of our KL0s and our Thirsties Duo Diaper. They worked wonderfully for us and I had no complaints. They were as wonderful as all of the diapers I purchased new.

I think the thing to consider when deciding whether or not to go new or used is safety first. This is pretty obvious. After safety, I think it's important to try and thing about how long an item will get used. For example, we got an Infant to Toddler Rocker instead of a regular bouncy chair because it will last longer. W has spent a lot of time in it so it was definitely a good call. On the other hand, I am glad we did not buy a Bumbo brand new as we have gotten very little use out of it!

I'm sure it all balances out in the end but I sure do enjoy saving money when I can. Looking back over my pregnancy I can see many ways I could have saved money if I had been able to get over the excitement of the new baby!

Advice from a new mom: baby formula

One thing I'd never considered during my pregnancy was baby formula. My plans for W included exclusively breastfeeding and pumping at work. No where in my mind did I think about baby formula. A box arrived on my door step from Similac with samples and coupons and I did stash it all away in a cabinet. Although I was sure I wouldn't need it, I figured it might be good to have a little in the house just in case.

Fast forward to the end of the W's first week as he continued to lose weight and grow more and more jaundice, something had to be done. I made a visit to a local lactation consultant (which was worth every penny) and began pumping after I nursed and offering him the pumped milk in a bottle after he nursed. So began a very exhausting and emotional cycle. Not wanting to cause nipple confusion, I tried an SNS to feed him and used a syringe to feed him. In the beginning, I was determined to feed my baby on my own and while my family watched on in support, I tried to balance everything.

A few days later when the situation hadn't improved, my LC suggested that we began supplementing with some formula. Although this is what I wanted her to say as I was growing more and more concerned with his jaundice and how lethargic he was, I admit that I cried. It was the first thing that wasn't going how I planned. My labor and delivery had gone just as I planned and cloth diapering was working well even through the meconium. Breastfeeding was not and never had I considered the possibility.

We picked up some concentrated Similac liquid and added the formula supplementation to the cycle. Using the formula was not anything I took lightly, but I read some important advice on a message board that summed up the situation. I had to focus on the fact that my son needed to eat and not on my emotional need to breastfeed. This was the start of more acceptance on my part even if I felt my heart break a little with each drop of formula we gave him.

Using formula allowed me to relax a bit and let J and my mom begin to give him bottles. The breastfeeding issues had nothing to do with nipple confusion. It was a combination of W having a weak suck and low supply issues on my part. Using a bottle allowed J to get more involved which I believe was a good thing as well. I continued to try and nurse then pump while W had a bottle.

Over the weeks W's frustration at the breast grew. He was happy through the first let down but then got very upset when waiting for another let down. The entire situation was extremely stressful and led to tears from both of us. Eventually I decided that pumping and bottle feeding might be the best approach for us. As I've read many times on various message boards I frequent: happy mommy = happy baby.

I continued to suffer from a low supply no matter how many times I pumped, no matter how long I double pumped, and no matter how many power pumping sessions I attempted. I tried Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Mother's Milk Tea, More Milk Plus, eating a ton of oatmeal, and drinking enough water to float a boat. Eventually I managed to pump 12-13 ounces each day. This was providing about 40% of W's daily intake.

As he gained weight, I felt more and more relieved. At 11 weeks, he weighed in around 15.5 pounds so we have definitely conquered any weight issues. In anticipation of my return to work, I'm only pumping twice a day. I pump about 8 ounces a day which provides two 4 ounce bottles for him. I am hoping my supply will stick around so I can at least provide him with this, but if it doesn't I'm a firm believer in the fact that he has to eat and that happy mommy = happy baby = happy family.

After that long story, I'll get to my point! One piece of advice I have for all new moms is to sign up on the formula websites just in case. The coupons and checks I have received from the companies have been invaluable. After using the concentrated liquid Similac for awhile we switched to the powder sample we had. Ultimately, we switched to Good Start because they send me the most formula checks and because W seems to do well on it. I signed up for Good Start, Similac, and Enfamil. I have received checks and coupons for Good Start, samples and checks for Similac, but nothing from Enfamil so far. It takes a few weeks to begin receiving checks, so I recommend signing up early! I'm all about being prepared and this was one area where I could have done a lot more!

Good Start: Join the Gerber Generation!
Similac: StrongMoms
Enfamil: Enfamil Family Beginnings