How to deal with the change created by the arrival of a new baby
If you have already had a child, or even if you are or have been close to a young family, you know that the arrival of a baby changes everything. Especially if it is the first child in the family. There are a number of reasons for that. The first one is that when a new baby arrives, all the family's priority change. If you liked going out, doing things together in places that are not children friendly, if you enjoyed the night life, going out to clubs or even going to the theatre or to the movies, if you enjoyed having some time on your own, well all of this will be pushed aside, because the baby is here, and requires constant attention, as well as much time and energy.
The second reason is that having a baby is expensive. Between the furniture, accessories, diapers, and baby formula on top of things, if you decide not to breastfeed your baby, the perspective of that new arrival can be downright scary for families with low income. And with the current crisis and economical difficulties in the countries that are typically considered to be rich, most people, no matter how high their income, tend to avoid unnecessary costs as much as possible.
Therefore, when you are expecting your new child, and unless you can really spend and spend and spend, you will very likely be pleased to learn that you can save money on the baby budget, in particular because many people close to you will be delighted to give you free gifts for baby. Your family, friends and colleagues will all potentially want to participate to your new family with a free baby gift, because they are interested in you, in your happiness and well being.
So don't hesitate to talk to them about your pregnancy, and to involve them in your baby's arrival. Your family members and your close friends, in particular, will probably feel like giving you a free gift for baby before or after your little one's birth. So consider organizing a party for your baby's arrival, something like a baby shower, where everyone can bring a free baby gift and celebrate the birth to come!
And to make sure you will receive things you need rather than amusing or cute but useless stuff, consider making a birth list, which you can set up in most baby-related shops or stores. That way, people will even be able to make contributions to bigger and more expensive accessories, and you will be sure to receive things you need and like.