As a new grandparent (for the 2nd time), I was thinking this morning about how things have changed since I raised my daughter.  When my daughter was young the new innovations available were microwave ovens and VHS players.  My grandson turned eighteen on his last birthday.  I remember watching in wonderment as he whizzed around my Window 3.2 and found his kids programs at the age of four.

Now days we can do more on our phones than was possible on the mammoth main frames I started my computer career on.  So the question is, how does this change the challenges faced by new parents?

Some things change very little, unlike a newborn’s diapers, which seem to need changing several times an hour.  Many new parents still face the same questions we did.  Is it better to breast-feed or bottle feed?  Are cloth diapers better than disposable?  What kind of food should I start my child on and when should they start solids?

Admittedly, having only raised one child, I am no expert on the subject but I will gladly share what I learned or believe to be true.

Breast or Bottle?

I am big fan of breast-feeding children for as long as possible (within reason).  I know this is a tough one as most mothers these days have to go back to work and pumping and storing breast milk it a real pain.  Yet, I think it is worth the hassle to keep the child on breast milk for at least the first 6 months.  My opinion, take or leave it.  Not only does it provide the best nutrition possible for the baby but it is also a budget bonus as breast milk does not cost you a cent!

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Cloth or Disposable?

Disposable versus cloth diapers… is this question even raised these days?  Maybe not.  I found a somewhat recent study that proposes that there is no significant difference in the environmental impact when you take into consideration the cost of laundering and water usage etc.

A new study released in England by a quasi-government environmental organization may dampen the debate even further. After a three-year, 200,000-pound (about $360,000) study, the London-based Environmental Agency concluded that disposable diapers have the same environmental impact as reusable diapers when the effect of laundering cloth diapers is taken into account.  ABC News May 2005

Other writers however point out that over a ton of soiled disposal diapers will go into the land fill over the course of one child’s life.  Cloth diapers have come a long way since my day too.   They now come in colorful designs and adjustable sizes that grow with your child.  One source (see video below) says that these grow-with diapers could bring the cost of your child’s diapers down to about $500, where as the buying different size diapers could cost over $1000.  Yet when you compare that to $3500 for the disposable kind, it is still a significant savings.

Baby Food or Not?

Another area where new parents can save money is by making their own baby food instead of buying pre-made bottled foods.  This practice has become even easier with the advent of convenient mini-blenders like the Magic Bullet.  I guess this is an area where mom and dad’s schedules have to be taken into consideration.  It is one thing to prepare fresh meals when you are at home but the jars are convenient when you have to pack the baby’s food to go to the sitter.    Then again, they also make convenient plastic storage containers that you can puree up last night’s veggies (before seasoning) to send off with baby the next day.  I haven’t shopped for baby food recently but I’m betting the cost has skyrocketed like every thing else.

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