Finding free stuff for pregnant women is a blessing since enormous expenses come along with having a baby. From the big ticket items like cribs to the smaller items like baby wipes, it all adds up very quickly. When I found out I was having twins on top of having a 2 ½ year old I knew we were going to have to get creative and FAST. I discovered with a little planning and investigation, there are a surprising number of ways to get free stuff for pregnant women.
Before your baby is born, get your hands on some pregnancy magazines, many will have a free subscription to a magazine called Baby Talk. Trust me, you want to get this one for the many free baby products offers and free stuff for pregnant women. If you play your cards right, you can basically get through the first year of your baby’s life with all the freebies available through this magazine.
If you’re in the habit of dumping all your junk mail into the recycling bin before having a peek, I’d recommend you rethink that auto-dump for a while. As your due date nears, you will be receiving some valuable coupons for freebies in that mailbox. Not only will you find offers for free samples of products for your newborn, you’ll also receive some valuable nonessential, but very cool offers from portrait studios. Try to avoid procrastination here, when you get a valuable offer, stick it in your wallet straight away. It will then be in a convenient place next time you are at the store. If it’s an offer that requires some registration form, fill it out then and there. Many offers take weeks to come in the mail, so you want to allow enough time to get your free products. Furthermore, you don’t want to forget about it like I often did!
Before you go filling out every offer you get in the mail, however, please remember to read the fine print. You may have to purchase something to get something, or you may be inadvertently putting yourself on all kinds of irritating mailing lists. Read the privacy policies carefully. I’d recommend you have an alternate email address for these registrations.
Visit Websites of Baby-Friendly Sites
Free stuff for pregnant women can be hidden… Of course, just because you haven’t received a coupon or freebie offer doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent. Baby products manufacturers are in big competition, they want to reel you in with as many offers as they can. Check their sites regularly, Enfamil should be your first stop. They have a program called Enfamil Family beginnings where you receive up to $250 in free baby products. Also check out the Gerber, Huggies, Luvs, Pampers, Similac, and Carnation websites They have offers for significant money saving coupons you won’t want to miss.
For online registrations, make sure you’re actually getting an offer directly from a reputable, well known manufacturer and aren’t getting yourself involved in a third party site that will sell your personal information. Check the URL to make sure it’s legitimate, as well.
Don’t forget Walmart! Their site has new weekly samples you won’t want to miss. You’ll just need to fill out a form, answer a question or two and you’re good to go. Keep on top of it, however, as they DO run out of samples. Walmart is quite expedient in sending out their samples, too. I’ve never had to wait for months as I’ve had to for freebies from other companies.
Ask and You Shall Receive
Don’t dismiss the vast amount of free stuff available from your obstetrician. Generally, he or she will set you up with some sort of starter kit containing coupons, free formula samples, free diapers and cream and even free parenting magazine subscriptions. If you haven’t yet gotten your kit, make sure to ask him or her for one. Be honest with him or her about your financial concerns. Since we were having twins, we ended up with double with freebies from our doctor. In other words, just ask.
Hospitals also give away lots of treasures. You’ll generally get another starter kit after you’ve given birth. Again, make sure you ask. Most of these free bags contain products sponsored by major manufacturers like Similac, Enfamil and Carnation. We got a decent amount of free baby formula this way, enough to last for a while since my primary feeding method was breastfeeding. The hospital also sent us off with a surprising amount of newborn diapers, rash cream, baby wash, wipes and insulated bottle packs to keep milk cold. In fact, we got a nice portable diaper pad out of the deal.
Spread the Word!
People underestimate the amount of free baby products available from spreading the word. Let your friends know what you need, it will snowball like you wouldn’t believe. I can’t tell you how many items I got this way: a stroller, a bouncy seat, clothes, diapers, and a playpen. I’ve also been the donor to many people I’ve never met through word of mouth requests. Even if your friend doesn’t have anything, that doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t know someone just dying to get rid of the huge, barely used double stroller in the garage. I was DYING to get rid of my baby stuff after a while. So, spread the baby news!!! This is one of the most effective sources and it’s right under your nose.
