Happy Parenting: 5 Most Asked Questions from New Parents

Welcome to the parenting world! It is an exciting yet challenging journey. If you are new parent, you might always have thousands of questions to ask.

When I was pregnant with my son, I always dreamed about everything we could do together as a family, like going out for dinner, having a great time with outdoor activities, taking vacations, or going on road trips. Everything was perfect in my imagination. Reality hit me a little hard when he was born. The first week as a new mom came with pouring “how do I” questions. I started seeking help from friends, family, and the internet.

Today, my son is a toddler, and new questions keep coming every day on how to do the best things for him. It would be a great idea to share my experience and what I learned with new parents so they don’t have o panic the way we did.

If you are a new parent looking for help, here are 5 most popular questions asked.

How much does it cost to have a kid?

It’s no secret that having a child is one of the most expensive things you will ever do. But have you ever wondered how much it really costs? Let’s take a look at some of the expenses associated with raising a child.

Pregnancy and Delivery:

One of the expense parents need to consider when having a baby is pregnancy health care. In the U.S., the health care expense associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care is nearly $19,000 in average with the total out-of-pocket payments for family with insurance reach to almost $3,000 in average according to Peterson KFF Health System Tracker.

Without insurance, the total out-of-pocket cost can be breaking your bank and put you in a financial difficulty. So, if you are planning to have child, be sure to think about getting the expense cover through a policy.

An article from PolicyScout.com will help provide more information about the total cost associated with pregnancy health care, delivery, and postpartum care in your state.

Medical Care:

We all hope to have happy and healthy child. However, there are situations where medical care is unavoidable. Therefore, we need to be prepare our finance in case of an emergency. Aside from the regular wellness check-up and vaccination which could cost somewhere from $350-$1,000 depending on your insurance, it is suggested to save an extra $1,000 – $2,000 for the unexpected events.

Essential Baby Gears:

Baby gears are needed for the safety and comfy of our children, but they might not be in your favor in term of cost. Below is an idea for how much baby gears might cost:

On the go

• Infant car seat: one thing new parents absolutely need to know is that the hospital won’t let you take your baby home without an infant car seat. Therefore, be prepared. Infant car seat cost is ranging from $80 to $500. There are 2 things to keep in mind when purchasing an infant car seat: 1. you do not want to buy second hand car seat since the safety function might be outdated. If your budget doesn’t allow you to buy a new one, the expiration date and accident history need to be checked. 2. All the car seats sold in the U.S. are required to meet safety standards. Thus, you don’t need to stress about buying top of the line infant car seat.
• Car seat: as expensive as the infant car seat can cost, you don’t use it for long. Most baby outgrow their infant car seat after 9 months – 24 months depending on when your child will reach the weight and height limits. After that, you will need to transfer your child onto convertible car seats. These car seats will most likely be used until your child outgrow car seats all together. The convertible car seats cost about $150 – $450. Same suggestions as for infant car seats also need to be considered.
• Stroller: is one of the must-have items for any parents. Stroller can be purchase along with the infant car seat as a travel system which costs around $150 – $400 depending on the brand, or you can a light weight stroller for $50 – $150.

At home

• Bassinet: baby bassinet is a great way to keep your child safe and within sight while eating or doing small chores. Bassinet is portable, and it can be moved around fairly easy. The cost to get one is from $50 to $250. Keep in mind that you don’t need this item for a very long time, so it is not necessary to get top of the line product. However, it is always wise to check the safety function and spend some time reading the reviews.
• Crib: having a baby crib comes with many benefits including promoting independent sleeping or keeping your baby safe. Many cribs can be converted into toddler bed or full size bed when you child is ready to transit out of the crib. Prices for these convertible cribs are ranging from $200-$750 depending on the features.
• Baby monitor: having a baby monitor helps provide extra safety for your child. You will be able to keep an eye on your child while he/she sleeping in his/her room. There are different models of baby monitors. The basic ones come with audio-only feature which cost as low as $25 while a more advanced model can cost up to $450. Advanced baby monitors offer audio and video features which can be connected to your phone for easy access.

Diaper:

With a baby, diaper expense is unavoidable. Thus, understanding the cost will help new parents prepare their budget better. On average, parents spend about $500-$800 on diaper during their child first year. These numbers are based on the use of disposable diapers. Many parents have look into other alternative like cloth diaper or reusable diaper with disposable liners. Cloth diaper cost starts at $1.40/count and can reach to $5.00/count. A new born will need to be changed 8-12 times every day.

You can estimate how many cloth diapers are for your child knowing how often you are planning to do diaper laundry. When calculating the cost of using cloth diaper, be sure to factor in the laundry detergent and utility expenses.

Formula:

If you are planning to breastfeed your baby, you can skip over this part. However, if you are planning to use formula, it is necessary to take this expense into account while doing your budget planning. Formula can cost from $4,000 to $10,000 during the firs year. Costs vary based on formula brand. However, after the first year, you don’t need to account for this expense anymore since your child will start solids and switch to other types of milk.

This article provides more information on the breakdown of formula costs. It also provides a comparison between the cost of breastfeeding and formulas.

Clothing:

It is understandable that you want your child to have the best things in the world, and it is no exception when it comes to clothing. Average clothing cost is about $25-$60 each month during the first year. However, it can reach over $100 if you are not careful with your budget. It is easy to overspend when it comes to buying clothes for your child.

You can save a lot on clothing expenses by asking for hand-me-down from friends or family members. You might feel guilty making your child wear old clothes, but they don’t care! In fact, most babies will outgrow their clothes after wearing it once or twice. So, lots of hand-me-down clothes are fairly new if not brand new. Thus, it is wise to budget money for new clothes, but it is not necessary to stress over it.

Other Cost:

Besides the expenses for all the necessity mentioned above, there are other costs involved in the progress of raising your child. These costs might include development toys, books and nursery room furniture and decors. The total expense might vary from $500 to $3500 depending on your preferences.

Above are the related costs you need to consider during pregnancy and your child first year. After that, it will cost about $18,000 per year on average to raise a child according to new study reported on abc7NY.

How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?

Baby sleep schedule has a direct impact on her parents. Many parents have been facing sleep-derived related stress. So, “when does my baby sleep through the night?” has become one of the most common questions among new parents. Unfortunately, the answer to this question is far more complicated than parents would like to hear.

First, let’s discover the meaning of “sleeping through the night.” For some, it means your baby sleeps 5-6 hours at night. For others, it might mean 6-9 hours. In short, “sleeping through the night” means the number of hours your baby sleep at night that makes you feel comfortable. 

Next, let’s understand why babies are not sleeping through the night. 

1. Your baby might have developed her sleep pattern in the womb based on your activities. 
2. After birth, your baby has not yet developed the ability to distinguish day and night.
3. In the womb, your baby will get constant nutrients effortlessly through the placenta. However, after birth, baby needs to learn how to suck and swallow. It’s new, and like any other new activities, it is hard. Your baby needs time to practice and adapt. In addition, his little tummy cannot hold much food. Therefore, he might want to eat every 1 to 3 hours. 

As your baby grows, she will develop better eating and sleeping patterns. Sleep intervals will improve accordingly. Now that we understand the fundamentals behind a baby’s sleep schedule, we can look at a few tips to help your baby sleep through the night.

1. Establish a bedtime routine.
2. Help your baby learn self-soothing.
3. Create and following a feeding schedule.
4. Start weaning night feedings.
5. Be patient.

Remember that every baby is different. Your baby will develop and learn at her own pace. The key is not to compare your baby with anyone’s baby.

Should I be co-sleeping?

Another question that is often asked by new parents is whether or not they should be co-sleeping with their babies.

What is co-sleeping?

Co-sleeping is the practice of parents and children sharing the same bed while sleeping. Or, children can have their own sleeping space but still be within arm’s reach of the parents. It can happen for various reasons including comfort, convenience, or tradition.

Benefits of co-sleeping:

1. Helping the baby to sleep faster and better.
2. Reducing stress levels in new mothers.
3. Developing stronger emotional relationships between parents and their baby.

Drawbacks of co-sleeping:

1. Parents can potentially injure their babies during their sleep.
2. Babies might sleep shorter duration.
3. Babies’ sleep might be disrupted by parents’ activities.
4. It requires parents to go to bed earlier to follow their baby’s sleep schedule.
5. It might have a negative impact on parental relationship.

Safe co-sleeping practices – parents should not be co-sleeping with their babies if:

1. They are experiencing sleeping disorders.
2. They are smokers.
3. Bed space is limited.
4. They need to use loose bedding or extra blankets.

Another good practice is to separate the baby’s sleeping space. While parents still can share the same room with their babies, allowing the baby to have their own sleeping space will help reduce SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Above are the benefits and drawbacks of co-sleeping. The decision on whether or not to co-sleep with your babies is personal. However, whichever sleep arrangements you choose, be sure to keep safety precautions in mind.

When and how should I sterilize bottles and pacifiers?

It is essential for parents to properly wash and sterilize baby bottles and pacifiers because babies’ immune systems are very immature. They are not strong enough to fight off infections. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the risk of them getting infected in the first place.

There are a few ways parents can sterilize bottles, pacifiers, and other feeding items.

Boiling Water

Sterilizing bottles and feeding items using the boiling water method is one of the simplest and cheapest way.

1. Wash all parts of the bottles, pacifiers, and other feeding items thoroughly.
2. Use a clean pot and fill it up with enough water to cover the bottles and parts completely.
3. Place all items inside the pot.
4. Make sure all items are submerged under water, and no air bubbles are trapped inside the bottles.
5. Bring the water to boil.
6. Let the bottles and all parts sterilize in the boiling water for approximately 5 minutes (or check the manufacturer’s manual).
7. Turn off the heat.
8. Remove all items using a pair of tongs.
9. Place the bottles and all parts on a clean surface covered by a clean and dry dish cloth.
10. Let all items air dry.
11. Make sure not to use a dish towel to dry the items because germs could be transferred from the towels.

Steam Sterilizer – Counter Top

Steam sterilizer is a convenient way to sterilize bottles because it is quick and effective. Some steam sterilizers are big enough to sterilize many bottles and items at the same time.

1. Wash all parts of the bottles, pacifiers, and other feeding items thoroughly.
2. Place all washed items inside the steam sterilizer.
3. Make sure to leave space between the items for the steams to circulate all surfaces.
4. Add water according to the manufacturer’s instruction.
5. Adjust the settings to your desires (duration, drying time, etc…).
6. After the cycle is completed, remove all items from the sterilizer.
7. Store clean items in a clean container or cabinet.

Steam Sterilizer – Microwave

Another convenient way to sterilize bottles and feeding items is to use microwave steam sterilizing pouches.

1. Wash all parts of the bottles, pacifiers, and other feeding items thoroughly.
2. Place all washed items inside the sterilizer pouch.
3. Make sure not to overfill the pouch.
4. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to fill water.
5. Place the pouch in the microwave.
6. Microwave for 60-90 seconds based on manufacturer’s instructions.
7. After the cycle is done, leave the pouch in the microwave for a few minutes.
8. Remove the pouch and carefully drain the water.
9. Remove all items using a pair of tongs.
10. Place the bottles and all parts on a clean surface covered by a clean and dry dish cloth.
11. Let all items air dry.
12. Make sure not to use a dish towel to dry the items because germs could be transferred from the towels.

Dishwasher

Utilizing a dishwasher to sterilize bottles and feeding items is also a great idea since you can both wash and sterilize the items in one cycle.

1. Make sure that all items are dishwasher safe before using this method.
2. Take all parts of the bottles apart.
3. Rinse all bottles and parts by holding them under running water.
4. Place all items in the dishwasher.
5. Make sure that all small parts are placed in a basket to prevent losing parts.
6. Choose dishwasher settings: using hot water and heated drying cycle. Or, choose a sanitizing cycle. These cycles are set to kill more germs.
7. After the cycle ends, remove all items from dishwashers and store them in a clean container or cabinet. Make sure your hands are clean before handling the items.

How do I know if my baby is ready for solids?

Time to start solids is another common question new parents are asking. On average, many babies are ready for solids between 4 and 6 months. However, many experts recommend to wait until around 6 months to start introducing solids.

If your baby is around six months old, the following signs might help indicating that she is ready for her first solid taste. Your baby can:

1. Sits upright.
2. Hold her head steady (have good control of her head).
3. Can swallow food instead of pushing it out of her mouth.
4. Start making chewing motions.

Closing Words

Having a baby can be very exciting yet stressful at the same time. As your child grows, there will be many more questions coming. It is very easy to fall into the comparison game. However, there are no benefits to playing this game. It will only bring you more unnecessary stress. Understanding that every baby is different is key to making your parenting journey more enjoyable.
I hope this blog helped you answer a few of your questions as new parents. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.
Happy Parenting!