32 baby products that have free or cheap alternatives
If you bought every item of baby gear aimed at new parents, you’d probably also need a bigger house. There are many things you definitely do need like Babygros and a baby hat. There are many that you definitely don’t need: like baby wipe warmers and baby cologne (yes, that’s an actual thing). But there are also many everyday baby products that have free or cheap alternatives. These might be useful if you’re on a budget, trying to live more sustainably or would rather save your pennies for the £90,000 Suommo solid gold and diamond studded dummy.
Baby changing alternatives
This baby is being changed on a mountain, which doesn’t qualify as a safe, flat surface.
1. changing table: any safe, flat surface
If you’ve got the space and the cash, a changing table can be nice to have. But as your baby gets older, you’ll probably just be changing their nappy anywhere you can pin them down. Basically, you just need any safe, flat surface to change a nappy. If you do it on the floor with a changing mat, there’s the added benefit that if they roll off, it’s a lot less far to fall. But if you have a bad back or bad knees and no tables of a suitable height, then it would be good to have some kind of changing unit. And there’s no denying that it’s good to have a place to store all the changing paraphernalia.
2. changing mat: old towel or muslin cloth
Changing mats are great as they are often wipe-clean and with padded sides to help stop your baby from rolling off. But you could also get away with using an old towel or a muslin cloth. A muslin also makes a great travel changing mat.
3. nappies: elimination communication
What? Has she gone mad? No nappies for a newborn baby? If these are your thoughts right now - fair enough. This is a controversial one. But there are some parents who forgo nappies and opt for elimination communication. This is when you learn the signs that your newborn is about to wee/poo all over the pram/sofa/lap of your brother. You then take them to a potty or toilet. It isn’t as insane as it sounds as it’s a technique still used in the developing world and was much more common before disposable nappies came along. There’s no denying you could save a lot of money doing this but possibly at the risk of losing your pram/sofa/brother.
4. baby wipes: cotton wool and water
Baby wipes are handy for quickly and easily wiping bottoms, especially when out and about. But their annoying insistence on coming out in big clumps, rather than one at a time, can make them expensive. A slightly cheaper option is using cotton wool and water. If you buy a big 500g roll, it makes things even cheaper. And you can be sure this is very gentle on a baby’s sensitive skin.
5. nappy bin: use nappy sacks and the kitchen bin
Nappy bins are divisive. Some parents swear by them, others can’t see the point. But it’s definitely not essential to have a dedicated bin for nappies. As long as you take your kitchen bin bags out more than once a week, the stench shouldn’t get too bad. Perfumed nappy sacks minimise odours to some extent. If the nappy is eye-wateringly smelly, double bag it.
6. nappy sacks: put nappies directly in an outdoor bin
You could also do without nappy sacks. This is more suited to those with an easily accessible outdoor bin, to dispose of dirty nappies straight away. Or someone with no sense of smell.
7. Nappy rash cream: nappy free time or coconut oil
Nappy-free time can be very effective at clearing up nappy rash. Although less effective at keeping your house clean. Coconut oil is also very good but sometimes not much cheaper than a big tub of Sudocrem. If you use cotton wool and water for wiping, some have suggested putting a chamomile tea bag in the water as this is naturally soothing.
8. Changing bag: any old cheap rucksack
Changing bags often have more pockets than Inspector Gadget’s trench coat. There might also be an insulated bottle holder and a travel changing mat. This can all be helpful but all you actually need is a bag to carry around the changing stuff in. So there’s no reason why you can’t use any old rucksack.
Baby bathing alternatives
Less a bath, more a shower.
9. baby bath/baby support: kitchen sink or just top and tail
You don’t necessarily need to get a fancy baby bath or bath support. Most kitchen sinks are the perfect size to bath a baby and eliminate any bending over (unless you are a giant). Just remember to take the pots and knives out first. Some babies hate any kind of bath though and there’s no reason why they have to be fully submerged. You can just top and tail them with warm water and cotton wool on a towel, muslin or changing mat.
10. bath thermometer: Test with your elbow
It feels a shame to use a bath thermometer and deny the elbow one of its few moments of glory: testing the temperature of a baby bath. The water shouldn’t feel too hot or too cold.
11. baby towel: any old towel
The main benefits of baby towels are that they are a perfect size and have a hood, which stops babies from getting too cold after a bath. But you could also wrap an ordinary towel around them and over their head. The main downside is that there won’t be any kind of fluffy animal ears on a normal towel. But if you can live without that, just remember that a baby should have their own towel that isn’t shared with others.
12. baby body wash: PLAIN WATER
Unless they’ve been rolling in a mixture of tar, manure and glitter, plain water should be fine for washing. In fact, the NHS advise that plain water is best for the first month as body washes can irritate a baby’s sensitive skin.
13. baby bath rinser: an old plastic jug
Baby bath rinsers can double up as water-pouring toys when they are older. Many also have a soft lip to make hair washing a bit easier. However, any old plastic jug will do the job. Or you can use nature’s own jug - your cupped hands.
14. baby nail scissors: nail file
To do something as intricate as cutting a newborn’s tiny nails can feel like you need a three-year training course, a fully equipped operating theatre and two assistants. It does help that baby nail scissors have rounded ends so there’s no danger of jabbing them. But parents wanting to avoid sharp objects altogether can use a nail file to gently file the nails. (You can also buy baby nail files.)
15. baby body lotion: coconut oil
A big tub of coconut oil can often work out cheaper than a fancy baby body lotion and last a lot longer. Plus it has many other uses.
16. cradle cap treatment: coconut oil and a soft brush
Cradle cap is the yellow scales on a baby’s scalp that are completely normal and harmless. There are special treatments to help get rid of it though. Alternatively, rub it with coconut oil and then gently brush. Make sure you use a soft bristle brush. Don’t get one of those stiff, wiry brushes and start dragging it all over their pulsating fontanelle.
Going out with your baby alternatives
You’d never get a pram up those rocks.
17. Pram: baby carrier
This is almost as controversial as elimination communication. You could get away without having a pram. If your back is up to it, you might prefer just to use a good baby carrier. Many babies enjoy being held and it will be easier to get around when going out. The downsides are that you’ve got nowhere to hang a changing bag and shopping. And as your baby gets heavier, they’ll get harder to carry. It’s also worth considering whether any older or less able relatives will ever take your baby out. There may come a stage where even just an hour’s break warrants the cost of a pram.
Baby feeding alternatives
Cabbages: the unlikely friend of a breastfeeding mum.
18. breast pump: hand expressing
If you are only expressing breastmilk occasionally and have a good milk supply, you could just hand express. This means using your hand to manually squeeze breastmilk into a sterilised container. Compared to a breast pump, it might also make you feel less like a dairy cow hooked up to a milking machine. This video is a helpful guide to hand expression.
19. nipple cream: coconut or olive oil
Breastfeeding can make nipples feel sore. There are a variety of nipple creams available to soothe them but a bit of expressed breastmilk dabbed on can work just as well. You could also try rubbing in some coconut or olive oil. For very swollen, uncomfortable breasts, some mums put chilled cabbage leaves in the bra. I’m not sure if I need to say this - but make sure the cabbage is raw.
20. Nursing nightwear and daywear: anything you can unbutton or pull down
You don’t need to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes just to feed a baby. Unless you’re that mum from 21 Kids and Counting, in which case you don’t really need any non-nursing clothes. But for the rest of us, anything that you can unbutton or pull down easily will do. If you want to be a bit more covered up, wear two vests and pull one up and one down.
21. nursing chair: anywhere comfy and supportive
There are benefits to a nursing chair, particularly if they rock or glide. But you might not want to be confined to one room when feeding. Anywhere that is comfortable and supportive is fine.
22. Nursing pillow: cushions/pillows/rolled-up towel
Breastfeeding pillows and supports are designed to make feeding more comfortable but they are by no means essential. If you want some extra support you can try strategically placed cushions, pillows or a rolled-up towel. It’s probably more important that you have a drink/your phone/book/remote control/snacks within reach.
23. breastfeeding cover: large muslin cloth
Nobody can tell you to cover up while breastfeeding. But if you want to be a bit more discreet, it’s not vital to buy a breastfeeding apron or shawl. A large muslin cloth can do the job just as well and is very breathable.
24. steriliser: boil bottles on the stove
Baby bottles should be sterilised after each use until your baby is one. If you don’t want a steriliser taking up precious kitchen worktop space, you can boil the bottles in a pan for at least 10 minutes. Make sure they are fully submerged. And that you warn anyone you live with that you’re not making a delicious baby bottle stew.
25. Electric bottle warmer: place in hot water
This is something else you don’t necessarily need on your kitchen counter. Baby bottles can be warmed by placing them in large mugs or bowls of hot water. Just make sure there is no chance of that water being spilled on the baby. Alternatively, you can run the bottle under a hot tap. To cool a bottle down - just do the same thing with cold water.
Baby clothing alternatives
The rare occurrence of a matching pair of baby socks still together.
26. baby socks: babygro
It’s unbelievable how often baby socks slip off. It’s like they’ve got butter in them. To avoid them altogether, dress your baby in Babygros, which have enclosed feet.
27. scratch mitts: babygro with scratch mitts
Scratch mitts are just as bad at disappearing. Instead, you can get Babygros that have little fold-over scratch mitts incorporated.
28. baby detergent: YOUR USUAL detergent
Unless your baby has super sensitive skin, it’s fine to use your usual detergent. According to current NHS advice, bio or non-bio is fine as studies have found that bio detergents are no more likely to irritate the skin.
29. Stain remover: sunlight
Poo stains seem to be as stubborn as red wine on a cream carpet. If it’s a sunny day though, dry the offending item outside and let god’s own bleach - sunlight - make things like new again.
Baby sleeping alternatives
His parents need to watch one more YouTube ‘how to swaddle’ video.
30. travel cot: detachable carrycot
If your pram carrycot is suitable for overnight sleeping, you can do without a travel cot for the first six months. Alternatively, just never leave your house.
31. swaddles: muslin cloth or blanket
Swaddle cloths can make swaddling a baby very easy. But you don’t need to be an origami master to replicate them with a muslin cloth or light, breathable blanket. There are plenty of videos you can watch like this one. Then after that, you can attempt the origami crane.
32. white noise toy/app: radio static
Some babies find white noise very soothing when falling asleep. There are popular toys like Ewan the Dream Sheep that mimic the noises your baby would’ve heard in the womb. (As long as the mum didn’t work in a Formula 1 cockpit up until the birth.) You can also buy apps that replicate the sound of everything from a tumble dryer to cafe chatter to a babbling brook. But if you’ve got a radio you could tune it into static. This doesn’t work with a digital radio obviously. They didn’t consider babies when updating the future of radio. For a more modern alternative, if you have Alexa or Google Home, you can set it to play white noise in a loop.
Now that you’ve saved all this money, you can finally treat yourself to that £90,000 gold and diamond dummy. I hope your baby likes it. Are there any free or cheap alternatives that you think have been missed? Let us know in the comments below.