4 pacifiers, 3 packs of diapers, 2 packs of wipes, a piggy bank, 6 baby bottles, a breast pump, 6 cans of powder formula, baby books, a nursing cover, and a bunch of onesies.
That’s just a fraction of the totally free baby stuff I’ve been able to score for our first son. This isn’t even counting hand-me-downs from friends and family, newborn essentials gifted from our baby registry, or other baby items that were given to us at baby showers.
If you’re an expecting mother, here are the best ways to get your hands on free baby stuff to reduce the cost of raising a baby. We’re talking everything from free baby stuff without participation required, to coupons, giveaways, and samples, and even free baby stuff by mail that will only cost you shipping and handling.
In this post, you will learn:
- Top strategies to get free baby stuff
- A breakdown of freebies by type of item
- What free baby stuff is worth your time signing up for
This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for more details.
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TAKE ACTION:
- Sign up for the Target registry and Amazon registry to get a welcome kit with free samples
- Use Ebates to save money on the things you do buy (and get a $10 welcome bonus too!)
Quick Links to Info on Page
Strategies to get free baby stuff
1. Sign up for baby registries.
I’ve had personal experience with two: Target and Amazon. It was so much fun to discover what free goodies were in our welcome kits.
Free registry bag from Target
Our welcome kit came with $50 in coupons and baby products, including:
- a pacifier
- 2 baby bottles
- 2 samples of diaper rash cream
- sample of stretch mark cream
- a pack of 2 diapers
- breast pads
- full-size package of baby wipes
- sample of sensitive laundry detergent
How to get your free baby registry stuff from Target:
1.
2.
Head to Guest Services to grab your free kit (picture ID may be required).
CAUTION:
The contents of your free registry welcome kit will vary. The list above is just an example of what I found in my registry bag.
Free baby stuff from Amazon
Unfortunately, Hawaii is ineligible for the free baby box from Amazon, so we forwarded ours to another expecting friend instead. I’m sure they appreciated the $35 worth of coupons and baby products that appeared on their doorstep.
How to get your free baby box from Amazon:
2.
Spend at least $10 on purchases from your registry.
3.
Designate mailing address for the box to be sent to.
2. Free baby box from Walmart
Although Walmart does have a baby registry that you can sign up for, there is no welcome kit of freebies. However, they do offer a subscription series of up to three boxes of baby samples that you can register for separately.
Technically, this one is not 100% free since you have to pay a small shipping and handling fee for each box. The contents of your box will be very similar to what you’d in the Target and Amazon welcome kits: product samples and coupons.
There are three different boxes to choose from:
- prenatal (6 to 1 months away from due date)
- newborn (0-11 month old infant)
- toddler (1-3 year old toddler)
WANT A FREE LIST OF BABY ESSENTIALS?
Get your checklist of:
- Baby must-have items
- Highly recommended optional products
- Quantities of each item
- Estimated budget per category
3. Register for rewards programs.
You can get baby freebies in two different ways through this method. First, many brands offer welcome gifts of free product samples and coupons for future purchases.
Second, if you buy their products and scan your receipts, you can earn points to get other products for free. We did this to get a free pack of Huggies diapers.
4. Join mailing lists or send a note.
If there is no rewards program for a particular brand that you want to use, it may be worth the effort to sign up for their mailing list to get coupons.
Some companies may offer test sample products to members of their mailing list as well.
Also, it doesn’t hurt to send a note about how much you love a company’s product; they might share the love back by sending coupons or free samples your way.
5. Get active on social media.
Many companies have social media accounts that they may use to spread the word about their products with the hashtag #freebabystuff.
Even if you just come away with coupons, hey, that’s essentially free money if you were already intending to buy the product.
6. Take advantage of promotional gift cards.
Stores (like my favorite brick and mortar for baby stuff) offer promotions where you spend $X to get $X in a store gift card. Try to buy your purchases in batches rather than one at a time, so you can qualify for these free gift card promotions.
7. Increase your savings with online cashback or rebates.
A cashback site like Ebates or rebate app like Ibotta lets you bank extra savings on things you were already going to buy anyway.
For Ebates, simply log on and choose the merchant site you will be purchasing from. This adds a tracking cookie that will remember any purchases you make at the vendor’s site and then reward you a portion of your bill in the form of cash back.
For Ibotta, scan a receipt of a purchase to claim rebates or shop directly online to earn cash back.
Sign up for Ebates to get a $10 welcome bonus and sign up for Ibotta to claim another $10 welcome bonus.
8. Check out Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle Network.
Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are ideal for finding used items at a deep discount. Sometimes, if you’re extra lucky, you may find folks offering baby stuff for free.
Freecycle Network is specifically for those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of selling and just want the baby stuff out of their house.
CAUTION:
It can be risky to buy certain items used, such as a car seat or crib. You can’t be sure that the product didn’t suffer any prior damage or wear. Also, you might not be able to register for notice or protection if there is a safety recall. For those reasons, you may want to avoid getting those types of items secondhand.
TIP:
Save time by refining your search results to return only free item listings.
Filter with “Only Show Free Listings” on Facebook Marketplace.
Click “Free” in the “For Sale” section of Craigslist.
9. Check what your hospital will provide you.
I scheduled a tour of the hospital my son was going to be born. One of the questions I asked was what baby items would be provided at the hospital. I jotted down the list of items, then called my insurance carrier to ask for a breakdown of the cost of giving birth at the hospital to confirm if the baby stuff would be covered as part of my plan benefits.
Here are the free things I brought home from the hospital, in addition to my new bundle of joy:
- Pack of newborn diapers
- 3-pack of onesies
- A hospital hat
- Swaddle
- Samples of baby formula (since my son had trouble taking to breastfeeding)
- Baby comb
- Nasal aspirator bulb
10. Spread the word to family and friends.
Having a baby is a big deal, so I made an effort to let close friends and family know that I was expecting. My main goal was to avoid offending anyone by forgetting to personally tell them I was going to have a baby.
What I didn’t expect was so many people to offer hand-me-downs. We acquired so much clothes, shoes, book, toys, baby bouncers and baby rollers this way that we could have gotten away with not purchasing a single item from any of those categories.
11. Plan for the baby shower.
We were fortunate to have a few baby showers planned for our little one. Here are two tips to help align them better with your baby-planning efforts.
- Make sure that your baby registries are set up so people know what items you’d find helpful, rather than them having to guess.
- Work with the coordinators to have the baby shower about 6-8 weeks before the due date. That way, you can see what you’ve been gifted and still have plenty of time to shop for any remaining essentials you want to have on hand before your baby is here.
This also gives you time to get your thank you cards done pre-baby too!
12. Trade or exchange for the stuff you need.
Got stuff lying around the house or have too many of the same type of baby items that you won’t really use? Try meeting up with other expecting mothers to see if you can swap for the items you still need.
You can also return and exchange at retail stores. For the items that you don’t have a receipt for, check online to see if the store you want to go to does carry that same item. If they do, they’ll probably be willing to at least give you store credit.
Your eligibility for returning items purchased off of a baby registry is extended beyond regular store policy, and can still be done if you don’t have a receipt. Yet another perk to using baby registries.
13. Sell the items you don’t use.
If you buy your items at a discount and keep them in usable quality, you can sell them afterwards to either offset your cost, break even, or even make a profit.
True story: We bought a secondhand playard on Craigslist for $40, used it for 6-8 months, then sold it for $45.
WANT A FREE LIST OF BABY ESSENTIALS?
Get your checklist of:
- Baby must-have items
- Highly recommended optional products
- Quantities of each item
- Estimated budget per category
Free baby stuff (by category)
If you’re looking for how to get a specific type of baby product for free, this section will help you score exactly what you are looking for.
Free baby diapers
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Target | Free | Usually 1-2 diapers | Sign up for baby registry |
| Amazon | Free | Usually 1-2 diapers | Sign up for baby registry |
| Costco | Free | Usually 1-2 diapers | Free sample station, when available |
| Pampers | Rewards points | Varies | Scan purchases to earn points & redeem for rewards |
| Huggies | Rewards points | Varies | Scan purchases to earn points & redeem for rewards |
| The Honest Company | Shipping & handling fee | 5 diapers + 10 wipes | Sign up for trial (be sure to cancel if you don’t want to pay fee) |
| Hospital | Free | Usually 1 pack | Inquire with hospital |
| Diaper bank | Free, for those in need | Varies | Check with participating shelter near you |
1. Baby registry sign-up kits
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Usually a pack of 1-2 diapers
How to acquire: It’s common to find diapers as part of your registry goodie bag.
For Target’s welcome kit, create a registry account, then head to Guest Services at a physical location to grab your free kit. You may need to provide picture ID.
For Amazon’s baby box, start your registry, spend at least $10 on purchases from your registry, then designate the mailing address for the box to be sent to you.
2. Costco
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Usually a pack of 1-2 diapers
How to acquire: We went to a Costco once that was serving diapers on a sample cart. We snagged a pack for each size they had available.
3. Diapers rewards programs
Cost: Varying quantities of rewards points
Quantity: A pack of diapers
How to acquire: Sign up for rewards programs and earn points by buying brand specific products and scanning receipts or completing other designated tasks outlined in the rewards program. Earn enough points to meet the threshold to redeem for diapers or other rewards.
The two most popular diaper rewards programs to sign up for:
4. The Honest Company
Cost: Shipping and handling
Quantity: 5 diapers and 10 wipes
How to acquire: Sign up for a free trial of diapers and wipes.
CAUTION:
If you aren’t interested in continuing the subscription, remember to cancel your trial by the following month to avoid being charged a subscription fee.
5. Hospital
Cost: Check with hospital
Quantity: Various
How to acquire: Give birth to your baby at the hospital.
6. Diaper bank
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Depends on supply at participating locations
How to acquire: If you are in financial need, consider asking local church and nonprofit groups for diapers. Check out the National Diaper Bank Network website for more info.
Free baby clothes
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Friends and family | Free | Secondhand items or brand new gifts | Spread the word |
| Craigslist | Free | Varies | Check “Free” section of website |
| Facebook Marketplace | Free | Varies | Filter “Only Free Listings” on platform |
| Freecycle Network | Free | Varies | Respond to postings to coordinate pickup |
| Baby Leggings | Shipping & handling fee | 5 pairs of leggings OR bibs (can mix) | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Eskimo Kids | Shipping & handling fee | 1 thick, fuzzy hat | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Custom Snappies | Shipping & handling fee | 2 onesies | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
1. Friends and family
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: If you let it be known that you are expecting, you’re bound to have family, friends, coworkers, and friends of friends of friends pass their baby clothes on to you.
TIP:
Be sure to thank those who were generous enough to share hand-me-downs with you by getting them a coffee or doing something nice for them.
For recurring givers who have a child slightly older than you and thus gives you a steady stream of items, don’t forget to express your gratitude periodically with a small gift or favor.
2. Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace
Cost: Totally free, or huge discount
How to acquire: First, check the free section of Craigslist or filter search for only free listings on Facebook Marketplace for anyone looking to get rid of baby clothing.
If you don’t find anything there, keep an eye on listings. If you see a seller with a whole bunch of clothing they are trying to offload, see if you can negotiate a discount for buying the whole stash.
TIP:
Try the negotiation tip mentioned above on listings that have been up for a while, as those sellers are more likely to bite.
3. Freecycle Network
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: Check their website and make arrangements to claim the unwanted items.
4. CHANGREADERDISCOUNT code for free baby clothes
Cost: Shipping and Handling
How to acquire: Use the code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT at these following sites to get free baby clothes:
Baby Leggings site: all kinds of cute patterned leggings.
$50 coupon, equivalent to any combination of 5 pairs of leggings and bibs.
Eskimo Kids site: a variety of warm, fuzzy hats.
$35 coupon, equivalent to 1 thick hat.
Custom Snappies site: onesies with custom prints.
$50 coupon, equivalent to 2+ onesies.
Remember to enter code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT to get these deals, where you just pay shipping and handling.
Free baby milk samples
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Similac | Free | Samples of powdered formula, coupons | Sign up for rewards program |
| Enfamil | Free | Samples of powdered formula, coupons | Sign up for rewards program |
| Store Brand Formula | Free sweepstakes | Coupons and monthly sweepstakes | Sign up for rewards program |
| Hospital | Free | Samples of ready-made formula | Inquire with hospital |
| Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program | Free, for those in need | Vouchers or coupons to cover cost of formula | Check with local office |
1. Formula rewards programs
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: Sign up to get free samples of powdered milk throughout your baby’s first year. Generous amounts, both in canisters and single-serving packets, will be mailed to your address.
Plus, get coupons for deep discounts when you buy in-store.
The two programs we signed up for:
2. Store Brand Formula
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: This site gives you coupons for discounted baby formula and also runs a sweepstakes for free formula or other prizes.
3. Hospitals
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: Check with your local hospital.
When our son had breastfeeding issues at the hospital, we got free samples of ready-made formula to feed to our son, and got to take a few home for his first days after we checked out of the hospital.
Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) Program
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: This federal program is aimed to help low-income and nutritional-risk families. Check with your local WIC office for eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Free baby bottles
1. Baby registry sign-up kits
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Usually a pack of 1-2 bottles
How to acquire: It’s common to find baby bottles as part of your registry goodie bag.
For Target’s welcome kit, create a registry account, then head to Guest Services at a physical location to grab your free kit. You may need to provide picture ID.
For Amazon’s baby box, start your registry, spend at least $10 on purchases from your registry, then designate the mailing address for the box to be sent to you.
Free pacifier samples
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Target | Free | Usually 1-2 pacifiers | Sign up for baby registry |
| Amazon | Free | Usually 1-2 pacifiers | Sign up for baby registry |
| Custom Pacifiers | Shipping & handling fee | 2 custom pacifiers | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
1. Baby registry sign-up kits
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Usually a pack of 1-2 pacifiers
How to acquire: It’s common to find 1-2 pacifiers as part of your registry goodie bag.
For Target’s welcome kit, create a registry account, then head to Guest Services at a physical location to grab your free kit. You may need to provide picture ID.
For Amazon’s baby box, start your registry, spend at least $10 on purchases from your registry, then designate the mailing address for the box to be sent to you.
2. Custom Pacifiers
Cost: Shipping & handling fee
Quantity: 2 custom pacifiers
How to acquire: Use the code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT at the Custom Pacifiers site to get a $30 off your order.
Free baby shampoo and personal care samples
1. Baby registry sign-up kits
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Sample sizes of 1-2 personal care items
How to acquire: It’s common to find trial sizes of shampoos, detergent and other personal care samples as part of your registry goodie bag.
For Target’s welcome kit, create a registry account, then head to Guest Services at a physical location to grab your free kit. You may need to provide picture ID.
For Amazon’s baby box, start your registry, spend at least $10 on purchases from your registry, then designate the mailing address for the box to be sent to you.
Free baby or children’s books and toys
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Pampers | Rewards points | Various books or toys | Scan purchases to earn points through this rewards program |
| Huggies | Rewards points | Various books or toys | Scan purchases to earn points through this rewards program |
| Amazon Kindle | Free | Ebooks | Search for free ebooks |
| Amazon Kindle Unlimited | Free trial | Ebooks | Sign up for trial (be sure to cancel if you don’t want to pay fee) |
| Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library | Free | 1 book a month | Check if local community is participating |
| Babsy Books | Shipping & handling fee | 5 board books | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
1. Diapers rewards programs
Cost: Varying quantities of rewards points
Quantity: Varies
How to acquire: Sign up for rewards programs and earn points by buying brand specific products and scanning receipts or completing other designated tasks outlined in the rewards program. Earn enough points to meet the threshold to redeem for rewards such as books and toys.
The two most popular diaper rewards programs to sign up for:
2. Amazon Kindle ebooks
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: Varies
How to acquire: Amazon offers some free ebooks. Search the children’s section for appropriate ones and sort by price to find the ones that are completely free.
3. Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Cost: Free trial
Quantity: Unlimited for 1 month
How to acquire: If you want to try out their Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can get a free trial period. You can always cancel if you don’t think it’s worth keeping.
CAUTION:
If you aren’t interested in continuing the subscription, remember to cancel your trial by the following month to avoid being charged a subscription fee.
4. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Cost: Totally free
Quantity: 1 book a month
How to acquire: See if your community is participating in the Imagination Library by checking on their website. Register your child (up to the age of 5).
5. Babsy Books
Cost: Shipping and Handling
Quantity: 5 board books
How to acquire: Use the code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT at the Babsy Books site to get a $40 coupon, equivalent to 5 board books.
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Udder Covers | Shipping & handling fee | 1 nursing cover | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Nursing Pillow | Shipping & handling fee | 1 nursing pillow | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Breast Pads | Shipping & handling fee | 10 pairs of nursing pads | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
CHANGREADERDISCOUNT code for free nursing supplies
Cost: Shipping and Handling
How to acquire: Use the code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT at these following sites to get free nursing supplies:
Udder Covers site: a variety of cute patterned nursing covers.
$35 coupon, equivalent to 1 nursing cover.
Nursing Pillow site: all kinds of patterned nursing pillows.
$40 coupon, equivalent to 1 nursing pillow.
Breast Pads site: a variety of breast pads.
$35 coupon, equivalent to 10 pairs.
Remember to enter code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT to get these deals, where you just pay shipping and handling.
Other free baby stuff
| Who is Offering | Cost | What You Get | How to Acquire Freebie |
| Belly Button Band | Shipping & handling fee | 1 full body OR 2 belly only maternity bands | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Pullingcurls | Free | Prenatal class and/or parenting tips | Sign up for access |
| Seven Baby | Shipping & handling fee | 1 baby sling | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Carseat Canopy | Shipping & handling fee | 1 carseat cover | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Hooded Towels | Shipping & handling fee | 1 hooded towel | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Little Wanderers | Shipping & handling fee | 2 pairs footwear | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Little Fans | Shipping & handling fee | Baby products with favorite sports team logo | Use code at checkout: CHANGREADERDISCOUNT |
| Gymboree | Shipping & handling fee | 1 activity or music class | Find Gymboree location near you |
| Amazon Family | Free with Prime | 1-month subscription to exclusive discounts on baby products | Sign up for free trial of Prime (be sure to cancel if you don’t want to pay fee) |
1. CHANGREADERDISCOUNT code for free baby supplies
Cost: Shipping and Handling
How to acquire: Use the code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT at these following sites to get free baby supplies:
Belly Button Band site: a variety of maternity bands.
$40 coupon, equivalent to 1 full body or 2 belly maternity bands.
Seven Baby site: all kinds of cutely patterned slings.
$40 coupon, equivalent to 1 sling.
Carseat Canopy site: a variety of patterned carseat covers.
$50 coupon, equivalent to 1 cover.
Hooded Towels site: a variety of baby towels.
$35 coupon, equivalent to 1 hooded towel.
Little Wanderers site: variety baby and young children’s footwear.
$60 coupon, equivalent to 2 pairs of baby shoes.
Little Fans site: variety of sports attire and accessories with NFL, MLB, NCAA team logos for babies.
$35 coupon for various sports apparel/accessories.
Remember to enter code CHANGREADERDISCOUNT to get these deals, where you just pay shipping and handling.
2. Pullingcurls Prenatal Class or Parenting Tips
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: Sign up for free access to a prenatal class or parenting tips, given by a registered labor and delivery nurse and mom of 3.
3. Gymboree class
Cost: Totally free
How to acquire: Gymboree offers different play and music classes for a fee, but you can try out your first class for free.
4. Amazon Family (for Prime members)
Cost: Free with Prime, or free Prime trial
How to acquire: Sign up for Amazon Family, which includes 20% discounts on baby essentials like diapers and baby food. If you do not have Prime, then you can sign up for a free trial of Prime to get access to Amazon Family.
Conclusion
Babies bring on a lot of joy, laughter…and new expenses too. Snagging free baby stuff is one way to keep your baby bill in check. From diapers to baby classes and everything in between, learn all the different ways to score totally free baby stuff by mail or in store for expecting mothers to save money.
TAKE ACTION:
- Sign up for the Target registry and Amazon registry to get a welcome bag of free samples
- Use Ebates to save money on the things you do buy (and get a $10 welcome bonus too!)
SPREAD THE WEALTH! SHARE THIS POST!
KEEP LEARNING & EARNING:
Baby Necessities to Keep You Under Budget
Cloth vs Disposable Diapers (+ the REAL Way to Save Money on Diapers)
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