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This post actually began as research into how much a baby costs for the first year of a newborn baby. However, as we quickly found out, it’s more to do with how much you spend in preparation for a newborn baby, as most baby essentials are bought before the birth. Then it’s mostly just feeding and clean-up through the first year, or clean-up alone when breastfeeding for the first six months. It therefore helps as a guide to the first-year costs of a baby, which I’ll probably come to later down the line (after the first year).
Otherwise, a quick search shows that “the average cost for a newborn’s first year in the UK typically falls between £6,000 and £12,000 (£9,000 a happy medium).” While not a terrifying amount, I never found any basis for these figures other than random mummy influencers saying so. I therefore decided to record every receipt of spending for the entire year and a half of parenthood, from pram to wet wipes for baby, from pregnancy pillow to vitamins for mummy.
Why I Am Writing This?
Before embarking on our exciting adventure in parenthood, I heard a lot of warnings about babies being expensive, and how life as we know it is over. Something we did expect to some degree but, again, I could find little legitimate basis for these claims. At the same time, we really did not want to give up our current stress-free lifestyle, as we kind of enjoy it. Hopefully, we will be able to do the same with Beansie.
An example would be a midwife jokingly comparing the purchase of a pram to buying a second-hand car. Our pram cost £247.50 new (Argos), and it triples as a stroller and a car seat. It was also the most expensive purchase through the first year, more than tripling anything else on the purchase list. So where exactly do these quadruple-digit figures come from? Something I am determined to find out.
Individual Circumstances
Of course, much of this depends on individual circumstances, where childcare often creates the biggest variance in expenditure. Something which should really be calculated separately, as this does distort the situation. So we should be looking at the cost of having a baby with childcare and without separately, and, for us, we will be very much hands-on with no need for childcare. Then there is breastfeeding…
Anyway, looking at our own circumstances, we are both self-employed with flexible work schedules. I work in travel media and more or less work off my phone. FanFan is a private caterer with flexible working hours from home. FanFan also takes maternity leave, so we’re both pretty much hands-on always. Financially, we’re not really worried, but we are also relatively frugal when it comes to spending.
We are, however, relatively new to UK prices, having only recently resettled here, and when Beansie (FanFan’s pregnancy) came along, we were travelling in Asia at the time. We considered three options at the time for following through with the birth. These included:
• Our three-bedroom family home in rural Thailand with limited travel options and remote and subpar health services.
• Our one-bedroom condo in Bangkok with no personal transport, relatively expensive healthcare, and no family support.
• A return to our three-bedroom family home in Bangor with family support and NHS healthcare.
The potential complications in self-employment, maternity leave, visas, residency, healthcare etc. made the UK the obvious choice. We just couldn’t risk staying outside the country for that long. Our return to Northern Ireland was therefore a no-brainer in the end, after FanFan plucked up the courage to hop on a long-haul flight back to Bangor.
Making Room for a Newborn
So we would be following the pregnancy and birth at our family home in Northern Ireland, which we share with my parents. A relatively comfy situation, with them in the top floors of the house while we are in the back annex of the ground floor. A comfy situation until the realisation that a baby would be joining the fray, and some reshuffling became necessary to free up space for the impending Beansie.
Unfortunately, we do not have the spare room to make into a nursery, so it’s more about making our existing space compatible. First was a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe (IKEA Pax) in the connecting hallway, which we mostly used to declutter the bedroom and give extra space for Beansie’s stuff in the bedroom (£704). It’s now filled with a lot of Harry Potter stuff.
I then looked to the attic space, which was previously used as a dumping ground for junk, with a massive metal water tank from the old heating system. As a crap DIYer, I used local labour here to dismantle/remove the water tank (£520), a plumber to reroute water pipes (£180), an electrician to rewire the electrics (£312), a joiner to fix walls and flooring (£1100), a plasterer (£450), and painting and decorating (£300), making a great space for storage as well as a potential bedroom to escape for naps.
So we forked out around £4,000 just to create space for Beansie. Obviously, a unique scenario for us, so we have not factored this into direct costs of having a baby. But it is a good example of potential issues in preparation and just making things easier for the year ahead. With the attic renovated, it also gave an escape for either me or FanFan while the other parent stayed in the downstairs annex with Beansie (so far not used).
How Much It Costs Preparing for a New Baby?
Spending kind of comes in three stages for us. First, it’s the “Oh, this is cute”, “she might need this” stage — the impulse buys. Then it’s “Okay, we really need to get this” — more or less completing the parenthood tick list. Before the last-minute “sh*t, I didn’t think we’d need this”.
Again, as above, we record every receipt of spending for all these through the entire year or so of parenthood, from pram to wet wipes for baby, from pregnancy pillow to vitamins for mummy.
Earlier Impulse Buys (Advance Purchases)
Our first purchase came around five months before birth with a pregnancy support and feeding pillow. Otherwise, it didn’t really start properly until around the twenty-second week when we found out the gender. Then the mummy instincts kick in. Baby clothes in the Sainsbury’s reduced price rack.
“Look, three bibs for £4. They’re so cute.”
Then things kind of spiralled and in the following week or so she had a wardrobe of outfits for 0–3 months, 3–6 months, and for later travel to Thailand. Anyway, I have recorded the early spending below.
- Amazon: Pregnancy Support and Feeding Pillow: Total £47.99
- Tesco: Sleepbag (£10.00), Cotton Jumper (£5.00), Collar Dress (£6.00), Baby Socks x 3 (£3.00), Ankle Socks x 5 (£4.00). Total: £28.00
- TK Maxx (Clothes): Romper Set (£7.99), All In One (£6.99), 2 × Farm Set (£5.99), Bunny Knitted Toy (£8.00). Total £36.95
- TK Maxx (Clothes): Nursery/Kids Home (£7.99), Newborn 0–12 Months (£12.99), Newborn 0–12 Months (£9.99), Newborn 0–12 Months (£19.99), Newborn 0–12 Months (£7.99), Girlswear (£14.99), Newborn 0–12 Months (£7.99), Girlswear (£14.99). Total: £96.92
- Mamas and Papas (Toys): Playmat Bundle (£49.00), Spiral Activity Toy (£10.00), Activity Cube Toy (£17.60). Total £76.60
- Next (Clothes): Set 4 Piece (£4.00), Rompers 3 Pack (£10.00), Multi Dress (£8.00), Multi Dress (£8.50), Dungarees (£8.00), Cardigan (£15.00), Dress (£14.00). Total £67.50
- Tesco (Clothes): Romper and Hat Set (£12.50), 2-Pack Rompers (£12.50), 2-Pack Rompers (£10.00), Bodysuit and Dungaree Set (£14.00), 3-Piece Romper, Hat and Bootie Set (£16.00), Bibs x 5 (£6.00), Sleep Bag (£14.00). Total £61.00
- Tesco: Pampers Nappy Pants ×36 (£4.50), Nappies Pampers Premium Protection ×44 (£4.50). Total: £9.00
- H&M (Clothes): Knitted Beanie (£6.80), Mama Tights (£12.75), Changing Bag (£25.50), Storage Basket (£9.99), Hooded Bath Towel (£12.75), Hooded Bath Towel (£12.75). Total £80.54
- Boots: Sudocrem (£8.00), Pampers Baby Wipes x 4 (£4.25), Pampers Harmonie New Baby Wipes x3 (£3.75), Tommee Tippee 2x Soothers with Steriliser Pod (£4.99), Pampers Wet Wipes x 4 Packs (£3.50), Mothercare 3 Position Carrier (£14). Total: £38.49
- Primark (Clothes): Muslin Square (£3.00), 3PC Stripe Set (£9.00), 3PK Hanging Suit (£4.00), Cable Set (£4.00), Toddler Towel (£7.00), 3PK Mittens: Pink (£1.80). Total: £28.80
- Sainsbury’s: Muslin Squares 5 Pack (£6.40), Collar Sleepsuit (£16.80), Harry Potter Sleepsuit (£7.20), Knitted Blanket (£10.40), Changing Mat (£6.40), Dress & Tights Set (£12.80), Fleece Booties (£4.80). Total: £64.80
- Argos: Red Kite Push Me Stroller (£247.50), VTech Baby Monitor (£35), Ingenuity Cosy Spot Swing (£82.50), Opti Gym Ball (£12), Yoga Mat (£10). Total: £387.00
- Note, the Red Kite Push Me Stroller covers pram, stroller & car seat and is good for long-haul travel.
- Wowcher: Nursing Pillow (£19.99), Soothing Baby Sleep Pillow (£29.99). Total: £49.98
- Home Bargains (Clothes): Hooded Baby Towel (£4.99), Hedwig Slippers 5–9 (£4.00), Harry Potter Hedwig PJs (£8.00). Total: £16.99
- Tesco (Clothes): Hat and Mittens Set (£8.00), Sleepsuit, Gilet and Hat Set (£8.00), Sleepsuits x 3 (£6.00), Cardigan, Bodysuit and Legging Set (£8.00), Sleepsuit 3-pack (£4.00). Total: £34.00
- Next (Clothes): Red Set (£12.00), Blue Bodysuits 3 PK (£14.00), Red Fairisle Dress (£8.50), Navy Jumper (£10.00). Total: £44.50
- Boots: Pregnacare Plus 56 Tablets (£6.92), Pampers Baby 68 Nappies (£11.00), Pampers Baby-Dry x 76 (£11.00), and Pregnacare Breast Feeding x 3 months (£32.00). Total: £60.92
- Tesco: Joie Grey Flannel Roomie Bedside Crib (£50) (Clubcard Reduced To Clear). Total: £50
Combined Total: £1,279.98
The Newborn Tick-list (Essential Purchases)
The final requisites — the stuff required for taking care of a newborn baby. These were all bought at various times as we kept a look out for random offers, and while we hadn’t intended to make any second-hand purchases, random baby stuff started to pop up on socials like Facebook — and do we really need a brand new baby bath…
- Facebook Marketplace: Cleaning Table Baby Bath £30 (our only second-hand purchase). Total: £30
- Boots: Shampoo for Newborns 150ml (£8.50), Bebe Body Lotion 300ml (£8.50), Elephant Rattle (£2.72), Anti-Bacterial Surface Wipes x30 (£2.46), Gentle Cleansing Gel 200ml (£6.80), Baby Bottle Cleaner (£3.20), Anti Bacterial Hand Gel 500ml (£5.49), Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly 100ml (£2.12). Total: £39.79
- Amazon: Angelcare XL Nappy Bin (£14.99), TT Microwave Steam Steriliser (£18.99), Baby Bath Support (£20.40), Bottle Brush Kit (£15.99), Spiral Pram Toys (£19.36), Ear Thermometer (£39.99), Philips Avent Baby Bottle x 4 (£38.29), Mobile Holder (£24.99), Next-to-Me Crib Sheets (£22.78), Baby Tongue Cleaner (£17.29), Baby Electric Nail File (£14.99), Lil-Lets Baby Care (£6.10), Handmade Hat (£4.29), Baby Bottle Drying Rack (£9.95), Isofix Car Seat Base (£75). Total: £343.40
Combined Total: £413.19
The First Month After (Spending After the Birth)
So this is the last-minute purchase stage — the “sh*t, I didn’t think we’d need this” phase. Stuff that you don’t have time to shop around for or wait for the seasonal sales. A lot of this will also be circumstantial. Every parent will be different, so what may be necessary for some babies may not be for others. However, most will revolve around feeding.
While planning to breastfeed, it can take time to establish, and for some mothers it may never happen. So pre-purchasing expensive equipment in advance may not be advised, as it can all be bought last minute through Argos etc. Otherwise, pre-made baby formula is commonly used for top-ups for breastfeeding or for those that choose not to breastfeed. We followed the top-up option.
This meant buying formula from the local supermarkets. We started with Cow and Gate Early Infant as they were the cheapest of the bigger brands and, with strict regulations on milk formula in the UK, pretty much all are the same. However, pre-made milk formula will be relatively expensive in the long run, and the bigger the baby gets, the more food they’re going to need.
Powdered formula is otherwise more economical, but requires a bit of faffing about for each feed. To negate the faffing, we decided to buy a Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Baby Bottle Formula Maker (£110). A simple, optional device that preps milk formula at the correct temperature for baby. It’s not really essential, but money feels irrelevant at this stage — something you’ll understand in the first week or two of a newborn baby. Anything to make life easier.
Again, requirements will differ in this circumstance, so I will share the more expensive option with both breastfeeding and formula feeding combined. These calculations will be for pre-made formula bottles, which make for the easier option in the first month. Otherwise, powdered formula will be the better option going ahead.
Anyway, here I share likely the last receipt of this adventure, as every circumstance will likely vary going ahead. It is more to show the cost of what the daily upkeep of a baby may entail:
- Tesco:Cow & Gate 1 First Infant Baby Milk Formula, Ready to Feed from Birth, 6×200ml multipack ×4 @ £6.25 each (£25.00)
- Pampers New Baby Size 1 Nappies, Jumbo+ Pack (80 nappies) ×2 @ £13.00 each, “Any 2 for £20” promotion applied (−£6.00) — £20.00
- Infacol Pain Relief for Babies, 55ml ×1 — £5.40
TOTAL PAID: £50.40
I’m going to take this as the average cost going ahead although there are definitely cheaper options. So the baby feed comes at around £0.52 per 100ml (£6.25/1200ml) and the nappies come in at £0.16 per nappy (£13/80).
If using formula, babies will eat around 300 ml at the start of the month and 800 ml by the end of the first month, averaging at 550 ml per day at £0.52 per 100ml (£2.86). So that’s £85.80 for the first month using pre-made baby feed — the most expensive option.
“A newborn baby typically uses 10 to 12 diapers per day during the first month, resulting in a total of approximately 300 to 360 diapers.” So again, averaging 330 diapers at £0.16 per diaper, that’s £52.80. Again, that’s the expensive option, with Tesco Fred & Flo costing approximately £0.04–£0.05.
Electric Breast Pump: £65
Formula Prep Machine: £110
First Month Baby Formula: £85.80
First Month Nappies: £52.80
Other bits (wet wipes, colic drops): £20
Combined Total: £333.60
Total Spent Preparing for a Baby (£2,027)
Preparing for Baby: £1,683 (£1,279 + £413)
The First Month Total: £334
Combined Total Spending: £2,027
Categorised Spending for Newborn Baby
I found that there were 4 main categories of expenditure for Beansie.
- Clothing & Wearables
- Essential Equipment & One-Off Purchases
- Maternal Care & Recovery
- Nappies, Toiletries & Consumables
Of course, shopping cart purchases are often a mix of various categories, so I’ll share the purchases first (in order), then the overall expenditure afterwards.
1. Essential Equipment & One-Off Purchases (£998.62)
Big spends include the pram/stroller/car seat and bedside crib. At the same time, we bought a bunch of stuff that we didn’t really use, and some of what we bought wasn’t really essential. Everything again was bought new, either online or in-store through your usual retailers like Amazon, Argos and Tesco (bar the cleaning table).
A recurring theme, however, came from my mum, who is from an old-school way of thinking about babying: “just pop them out then deal with them” type of thing. So, to test the “essentials tick-list”, I gave my mum a copy and she ticked 53% of them. No Ear Thermometer (£39.99), Baby Tongue Cleaner (£17.29), Baby Electric Nail File (£14.99)… “Nappy bin? £14.99? What’s wrong with a bin bin?”
So again, you could really cut down a bit of spending by picking and choosing what essentials are actually essential. Everything we bought was brand new, with no 2nd hand purchases, charity stores, hand-me-downs or freebies. So we’re very much on the high end of spending here. At least it could be done a lot cheaper.
2. Baby Clothing & Wearables (£561)
I’d say half the clothes we bought were either unused or worn once, and this is being generous. For a start, her Christmas outfits in case Beansie was born at Christmas (born the 2nd week in January), and she was tall for a baby, so some of her early clothes didn’t fit. The clothes purchases were spending for the entirety of the 1st year due to impulse buys from FanFan and her obsession with cute outfits.
Realistically, you really only need a bunch of vests and babygrows at the beginning, along with a handful of other baby essentials. So spending here should be much less. £100 would easily cover the initial month or so. In fact, we were probably saving money on clothing overall, as FanFan cut spending on her own clothes during pregnancy. So I was down to only twice-weekly runs to Next, New Look and M&S (pickup and returns with click and collect).
3. Maternal Care & Recovery (£199.65)
Often overlooked is the comfort, care and recovery of mummy. The things that mummy needs to make the whole amazing ordeal easier. Things like breast pumps, pregnancy and nursing pillows, formula preparation machine, ongoing pregnancy and breastfeeding supplements… rather than baby-specific use. There are of course many variables at play here (natural birth vs c-section, breastfeeding vs formula etc.). However, we did include 2 of the higher spends (formula prep machine and breast pump) in our calculations, so we are again on the higher quota.
4. Baby Nappies, Toiletries & Consumables (£269)
The ongoing consumables in the first month, although we bought a lot in advance, so maybe 2–3 months. Aside from nappies and milk formula for the first month, this covers things like skincare, bathing, hygiene and cleaning supplies. Many one-off costs. Otherwise, the basic cost of nappies and feeding in the first month was under £150 and could be a whole lot cheaper.
I honestly think you could at least halve this again, maybe even a third, when it comes to using store-brand products over name brands like Pampers etc. An example would be diapers, where Tesco Fred & Flo cost less than a third of Pampers, which we used. Again, it is nearly 1/3 for powdered formula over pre-made formula, if formula is needed at all. For feeding, we were paying near-highest prices.
Summary Spending (£2,027)
| Category | Total Spend |
|---|---|
| Essential Equipment | £998.62 |
| Baby clothes | £560.51 |
| Mummy’s stuff | £199.65 |
| Nappies & disposables | £269.00 |
| Overall total | £2,026.77 |
Babying on a Budget (£1,000 and below)
I don’t see how we could have spent more for our needs, and the only advantage we had was the time and ability to shop around for better prices. Otherwise, we had no advantage over any family with supermarkets nearby and access to online shopping. We didn’t look to buy things cheaply or look at more expensive alternatives. We were shopping with local retailers and buying trusted brands. So I’m guessing our spending is similar to most normal folk.
But preparing for a newborn baby can obviously be done a lot cheaper, as I highlighted above. Taking advantage of 2nd hand purchases, charity stores, hand-me-downs and freebies, this figure could easily be halved. Then there are the off-brand alternatives, Tesco’s Fred & Flo being a simple example, that really cut down your consumables. Then there’s the resale value of outgrown equipment, and childcare allowance going ahead, and, well, having a baby isn’t that expensive at all. At least not yet.
There will, however, be further costs in the year ahead, as babies will continually outgrow their habitats. For example, we already bought a high chair on offer in Tesco (Graco Duodiner 6-in-1 for £60) and are already looking at the next cot (although more so where to put it — we’re a bit cramped here). But I will continue to document the full cost for the year ahead, sharing our own situation along with other factors that can influence much higher spending (feeding and childcare). But I’m fairly confident we won’t be in the £6,000 – £12,000 bracket. These figures are starting to look ridiculous.
