By Amy Kux, Itsabelly Baby Planner, San Francisco
With a background in Finance and Accounting, I approached having my first child, Maya, with a budget in mind. Very early in the process, I found that my idea of where and how to spend was diluted with the numerous products that caught my eye. All I knew was that I wanted to provide her with the best green products. So for diapers… I really wanted cloth, or at least I thought I did. My husband, on the other hand, was not ready to undertake cloth diapering with our first child. After months of research, I found the best solution, G Diapers. They satisfied my “Green” cloth idea and his convenience of having a disposable.
At two and half months, we took Maya to Israel and the G Diapers did not fit our needs, nor did we feel could travel well; we did not have the ability to wash the inserts or covers often. Again, I went online to read through other green alternatives. We ended up buying and trying Tushies, Seventh Generation, and Nature Babycare (to name of few). Out of the diaper endeavor, we found that Nature Babycare fit our needs the best. Nature Babycare diapers are similar to G Diapers in the fact that they use wood pulp. They are biodegradable, yet disposable. We also found that they were thicker than the other brands, thus never leaked. Since our trip, we have only used Nature Babycare diapers and have great luck.
This diaper adventure led me to the fact that budgeting for a baby can have many “alternative routes” that are unforeseen and often pricey. I found the importance of talking with other mothers and reading on-line reviews. This has helped curve a lot of my spending habits. Technologies and the internet has acted as my right hand through out the process. I found alternatives to printing out pictures, talking to the “Grandparents” in Israel (using Skype) and uploading videos have reduced our cost, yet have kept the family close.
I have decided to join the Itsabelly Baby Planners team to be part of a strong team that has similar views to mine. I am excited to share knowledge of products and also to help parent navigate through the baby budgeting process. I found that it is essential to feel empowered with a new baby and to accomplish that, reducing stress is imperative. I would like to work with families to develop a clear path of what is needed, when and how affordable it all can be. I am excited to be part of this wonderful team and feel honored to add my strengths.
