Pregnancy should be a time to focus on your body, your health, and getting ready for the new life you’re bringing into the world.  There’s a lot to prepare for, and it isn’t always easy with the physical challenges a pregnancy can bring.

 

Then there’s the one thing you need to prepare for that isn’t much fun at all: the financials.

 

Babies are not cheap! It would be amazing if everyone woman got paid maternity leave so they could focus on their health and the health of their new baby, but this isn’t always the case.

 

I found myself looking at an unpaid maternity leave when I was pregnant with my twins.  That was almost as scary as the idea of having to pop out two kids at once. How in the world were we going to pay for two new babies?

 

We found a way though, and you can too. Here’s what we did to make unpaid maternity leave work:

 

Make Extra Income Before Baby Arrives

This can seem like a huge task. The first step is to sit down and brainstorm the ways you can bring in extra income.

 

My husband is a teacher, and I’m a former chemist, so during my pregnancy, we were both able to find work at a local tutoring center as tutors. It wasn’t a ton of money, but it certainly helped.

 

What skills do you have? Can you try for some freelance gigs? Be an online tutor? Make something to sell on Etsy? Drive for Uber? There are so many little ways you can make some extra cash before the delivery day comes.

 

I’m not going to lie, this time in our lives wasn’t easy. I was working full-time, pregnant with twins, AND working a side hustle. Oh, and taking care of my toddler.  But it was only for a short time, and it was so worth it. I don’t know anyone who regrets taking the time to make extra money before their baby was born.

 

Start Saving ASAP

Ideally, you should begin saving BEFORE you tried to get pregnant, but life doesn’t always work out as you plan. We had been saving, but when we discovered we were having twins, we doubled down on it.

 

What can you cut back on? (There has to be something!) Can you shop for more sales or use more coupons? Can you hold off on any big purchases for a bit?

 

I know sacrifices like these can be hard, but there’s usually something you can stop buying for at least a few months. We started shopping at a cheaper grocery store and started only doing free activities as a family. Little changes, but they helped.

 

Buy Used

 

Baby gear is expensive, and yet most of it is only used for a short period of time. Don’t be afraid to buy gently used items or ask for hand me down.

 

There are a ton of Facebook groups just for buying and selling baby gear. Check those out along with garage sales. We got a double stroller FOR FREE from a local twin group. Cribs, bouncers, swings, playmats, toys — they can all be found used.  

 

Avoid Going Overboard on Clothing

 

Don’t get sucked into the trap of buying too many baby clothes. (I know, it’s SO HARD to avoid all those adorable tiny clothes. Especially with twins — matching cuteness!) But all that clothing can really add up, so take it easy when purchasing your little addition’s wardrobe.

 

Remember, babies grow fast, so you can get by with fewer outfits than you might think. Second of all, people love to give baby clothes as gifts. Seriously, we got so many cute outfits for our twins. I barely bought anything.

 

Stick to the basics like onesies and sleepers. Shop sales and check your area for resales. Don’t be afraid to ask friends for hand-me-downs. I know I’m now super excited to pass favorite outfits on to friends. It feels good knowing you are helping someone out, so accept those gifts with open arms!

 

Consider Breastfeeding

The breast vs bottle debate can be touchy, but if you’re looking at unpaid maternity leave, I would at least consider breastfeeding (yup, even breastfeeding twins!)

 

Why? It’s simply a lot cheaper than buying formula. If you’re looking at feeding your baby from a purely financial perspective, breastfeeding is the way to go.

 

Read up on breastfeeding, talk to other moms who’ve done it successfully, and talk to lactation consultants for tips to make breastfeeding work. I know it doesn’t work for every mom, and not every mom has the desire to nurse, but it’s worth considering for the money saved alone.

 

Study Up On Your Insurance/Find Alternative Payment Methods

The best time to figure out what your insurance covers in terms of pregnancy is before you decide to get pregnant. There are supplemental insurance options out there that can help with costs, but pretty much all of them need to be purchased before the pregnancy.

 

Once you are pregnant, make sure you keep communication open with your insurance and doctor’s billing offices. One, it will help you catch mistakes faster. We had to remind our insurance several times that having twins meant TWO babies were born, we were not double-billing them for one baby.

 

Most hospitals will lower costs for a cash payment and offer payment plans. We got away with paying less than half on some bills because we paid them off in cash. A payment plan can help you budget better as well.

 

You Can Make It Work

Unpaid maternity leave stinks financially, but you can get through it without going broke. It helped me to look at it as a positive challenge. How much money could I save? Sure, it was tough sometimes, but it actually set us on the path of positive financial decisions. It can be for you too.

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What did you do to get more time despite the lack of maternity leave pay? We’d love to hear your stories!