I’ve spent the last year being educated by my better-half’s daughter’s pregnancy and subsequent child birth.  It was quite a project from start to finish and the costs for one child being born seem to be skyrocketing each year.  Hospital costs, pre and post natal costs, home improvement costs (nursery setup), and of course the never ending supply of baby food, clothing, and diapers.  It’s an easy matter to drop a couple of grand to outfit the child with a bassinette, crib, high chair, walker, and the unending need for more and more toys.  I haven’t tallied up a grand total because it would be  more than a little scary and really depressing.

With regular visits anticipated from the kid we were also required to double up on some the necessary equipment for our home just to make life easier on all concerned.  We now have a crib and enough toys to outfit a small orphanage at our place which I have the painful pleasure of tripping over if I’m not careful. I won’t even get into the costs for car seats which are just ridiculous.  Have you gotten my point yet?  It’s a freaking expensive proposition.

I happened upon an interesting article that might help put things into perspective.  The following list was contained in an 1857 Manual of Domestic Economy and its quite a bit different than our modern day list of required goodies for newborns.  Have a look.

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1.  A low chair, with or without rockers.

2.  A footstool.

3.  Two thick flannel aprons.

4.  One large washing basin.

5.  One soap-dish and soap (best yellow or white curd).

6.  One small enamel saucepan.

7.  One semi-porcelain pipkin (a small earthen pot) and lamp.

8.  One pap-boat (silver or crockery).

9.  One feeding-bottle, with two or three nipples.

10. One small jug.

11. One teaspoon and one desert-spoon.

12. One small pot de chamber, with two flannel covers.

The above list was intended for a baby’s first month. Semi-porcelain pipkin and lamp was  “a most useful modern invention” used to warm water and food. The pap-boat was used to “force” the baby to take disagreeables, either in the shape of food or medicine. The nipples on the feeding bottle should be India-rubber, preferred to the traditional hollowed-out cow teat or sewn-up wash-leather both of which were liable to become semi-putrid.

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Some of the terms mentioned were strange and the item names ever stranger.  It would probably take me forever to compile a current list of the items required these days for the babies first month.  It would be exhausting and just too much work to even attempt.  I have to admit it’s much better to be collateral damage from someone else’s pregnancy than having one of your own.  Thank God for menopause.