6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Prepare for Your Pregnancy (checklist)

Every pregnancy is different, and that is true even in the same person. Your first pregnancy might have been plagued with morning sickness, high blood pressure and lower back pain, while in your second pregnancy you hardly felt a thing. That can make pregnancy preparation tricky — not knowing what to expect can be hard on your mood and your finances.

Many pregnant women enjoy feeling their new child growing and developing, but in those times of discomfort, it’s important to have a plan to manage physical and mental stress. Here are a few budget-friendly tips to help you with sound and solid pregnancy prep.

1. Before and after clothes

When you think about buying maternity clothes do you just cringe at the cost, knowing you’ll only have to wear this size for a short period of time? There are actually ways to cut costs when it comes to pregnancy wear. First, consider buying a belly band so you can transform the pants you currently wear into pregnancy and postpartum pants. Second, look into comfortable nursing pajamas (you can find a pair for $33.99) that you can fit into now and after the baby comes. The more cozy and flowy they are, the more comfortable you’ll be during some of those long, late night nursing marathons.

2. Amazon’s “Subscribe and Save”

You should have bought stock in antacids with the kind of heartburn you are experiencing. Now it’s 3 am and you can’t sleep and you are out of Tums. You can save time and money by subscribing to items you use a lot. Not only will these be automatically delivered to your home so you never have to experience late night heartburn unaided again, but the cost per item is often reduced when you subscribe. You can do this with other items, like foods you have been craving, shea butter to help reduce stretch marks or hemorrhoid cream for sore bottoms.

3. Putting together a nursery

Putting together a warm and comfortable nursery is important for mother and baby. Since you and your newborn will spend a lot of time there, you want it to be as nurturing as possible. And while you might be tempted to go overboard with the decor, it’s important to focus only on the basics so you can stay within budget. Also, while you might be tempted to do everything yourself, don’t tackle any projects that you feel are out of your wheelhouse. Fortunately, in Minneapolis, you can hire a handyman for an assortment of small jobs for an average of $403 per project, depending on the size of the project. And although that might sound like a lot of money, you’ll rest assured knowing that the tasks were completed by a professional.

4. Children’s consignment stores

While primarily an ideal spot to find good deals on gently used clothes, toys, furniture and bedding, you can also find steep discounts on used maternity and postpartum accessories. You can find breast pumps and parts, breastfeeding pillows and other nursing items. And the e-commerce boom has also helped increase access to quality used pre- and postpartum clothes. You can even rent high end used maternity and nursing clothes. Browse online and have them delivered right to your door.

5. Explore Coupons and Groupons

The big box retailers love a pregnant woman — families are very profitable to stores that sell food, clothing, home goods and furniture. They will be looking to entice you into the store by offering coupons and discounts on maternity and baby items. Take advantage of these discounts! And don’t just look there; websites that offers discounts, like Groupon, also often have a section with items to help you plan and prepare for a baby. And don’t forget about stores like Sam’s Club and Costco. After you pay their membership fee, you get access to bulk and wholesale items with steep discounts. In fact, consider adding a membership to one of those stores to your baby registry.

6. Facebook groups for new moms

Social media is a place where we can build community. Of course, anyone watching the news knows social media has a dark side, but there are also opportunities to find and make real connections. Look for mom groups out there in your area. There are often breastfeeding groups, buy-sale-trade groups, baby-wearing groups and other mom-themed groups in many cities. More importantly than being able to purchase used items, you are able to ask questions, get advice and provide — and receive— support.

Pregnancy is going to be a time of discovery, even for those on their second child or beyond. Give yourself space to breathe easier by setting a budget and staying within that budget. And don’t forget to lean on your community as much as you can for support.