It is logical that your life will be completely different after having a baby. And you probably also know that your night's sleep is also reduced to a minimum. But how much does a baby cost per month? And what other costs do you have to take into account if you are pregnant with a baby? We have sorted it out for you.

How much does a baby cost per month?

According to a calculation made by Statistics Netherlands, a family spends approximately 17% of its total disposable income on the first child. Once you have more children, the costs usually become lower. With 2 children approximately 26% of the disposable income is spent, with 3 children this is 33% and with 4 children 40%. Of course, an average does not necessarily say much about the amount of your expenses for your baby. Still, it can be useful to know how much other families spend on average on their child. This way you can estimate the approximate amount you should take into account.

Did you know: A child up to the age of 12 costs around 50,000 euros?

But what costs do you have to take into account each month? We made a calculation:

• Water and energy use - Water and energy use costs an average of €32 per month.
• Childcare - If you, as a parent, use childcare, this will cost you an average of €1,500 per month.
• Clothing - On average you spend €35 ​​per month on clothes for your newborn. Did you know that the average baby wears about 5 clothing sizes in the 1st year?
• Diapers - Diapers cost approximately €24 per month. Tip: keep an eye on when the diapers you use for your little one are advertised.
• Bottle feeding - If you bottle feed your child, it costs approximately €30 per month.

All in all, you will spend approximately €270.50 per month on your baby.

Costs before the birth of your child

The costs for your child actually start from the moment you are pregnant. For example, you have additional healthcare costs. During your pregnancy, delivery and maternity period you can take the following costs into account:

• Hospital birth - If you give birth in a hospital without a medical reason, you must pay a personal contribution. This amounts to €369.40 for the year 2021.
• Pregnancy course - Becoming a mother for the first time is exciting, so you can choose to take a pregnancy course. This costs approximately €100. Please note: this is not reimbursed by all health insurers. Take a good look at this.
• Maternity clothes - If you cannot borrow clothes from friends or family, you should take into account approximately €200 worth of clothes during your pregnancy.
• Maternity package - On average, a maternity package costs between €20 and €50, depending on which package you choose. With additional insurance, a maternity package is reimbursed.
• Maternity care - The amount of the personal contribution is determined annually by the NZA (Dutch Healthcare Authority). For 2021, a statutory personal contribution of €4.60 per hour applies to maternity care at home. This amounts to approximately €225.40 for 49 hours of maternity care.
• Birth announcements - You naturally want to inform everyone as soon as your child is born. On average you will spend approximately €100 on making and sending the birth announcement.

If you add all these amounts together, you will spend approximately €1029.80 during your pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period. Tip : take a good look at your health insurance. Many costs are reimbursed by your basic insurance, but sometimes you need additional insurance.

Babywear costs

Perhaps the largest expense item is the baby's layette. Depending on your wishes and requirements, these costs can be high, approximately €1000. Fortunately, you can rent baby products from us instead of buying them. This not only saves a lot of money, but is also a nice circular alternative. You will definitely need the following products for the first year:

• Crib/co-sleeper
• Crib
• Chest of drawers
• Playpen + playpen cloth
• Baby bath
• Bouncer
• Stroller and/or baby carrier
• Newborn set
• Baby set
• High chair
• Bottles
• Bottle warmer
• Dummy
• Car seat

Why rent?

You use baby products for a relatively short time. For example, you use a co-sleeper for about 6 months, you also use a newborn set , you use a bouncer for about 8 months, and you often have to have a stroller converted to the phase your baby is in at that moment. In short, most products go straight out the door. There are also products that you are not sure whether you will use, such as a baby carrier . Some children prefer to sit in it all day and some children don't like it. Renting is therefore ideal for trying out products. Don't like it? Then you just send it back. By renting and sharing with each other, we also ensure that fewer products need to be produced. This contributes to a better future for your baby.

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