by Francis Harris

Created on: December 06, 2011   Last Updated: December 12, 2011

Caring for an infant in the first year can be expensive if parents are not careful to focus on essential elements of care that the child needs, or if they opt for extras such as buying in help, gadgets or the like. However, the basic costs to provide an excellent level of care in the first year, can actually be very low.

Depending on your lifestyle there are various costs that you will need to budget for.

1. Nappies. Nappies can be the biggest expense for parents especially when they use the disposable type that infants get through at a rapid rate and which must be changed often to ensure the child does not get rashes or experience discomfort. While disposable nappies vary greatly in cost any disposable is going to be far more expensive than a cloth nappy that is washed and re-used. Parents can buy a dozen cloth nappies, plastic pilchers pants and some pins (or plastic grips) to hold the nappies and so long as they have a place to wash and dry nappies they have covered all basic nappy costs until the child needs a slightly larger size of pilchers. Whichever way a parent goes they will need to budget for nappies.

2. Food. Mothers who breastfeed are spared the expense of buying powered formula, although at around six or eight months of age the parent will need to consider starting the child on solid food. The infant does not need large quantities and can eat "normal" adult food that the parent consumes and in fact this is advised slowly introducing the child to a healthy diet making sure to avoid some foods like eggs until they are more than 12 months. Whether a parent breastfeeds or bottle feeds they will need to consider food for the child.

3. Clothes and wraps. Infants need to be kept at a suitable temperature especially protecting them from extremes of heat or cold and parents will need to make sure that they have clothes that the child can wear. Cute designer clothes and outfits can get very expensive but an infant usually needs no more than the basics. Newborns spend a lot of time sleeping and a nice wrap - cotton in the hot weather and woolen in the cold weather - will help protect them from the elements.

4. Medical bills. Infants can sometimes have medical bills - from hospital costs when they are born, to immunizations and check-ups. What is due will depend upon local health care system. In Australia all basic costs will be covered by the public health care system although parents can opt to pay for private treatment and get private rooms in hospitals

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