Actually they’re right that the clothing and diapers aren’t that expensive. I saw my costs increase by about $100 per month when I added a new child to the family. Diapers are like $20ish bucks a month, and baby clothes outlast their wearers so you can find them for less than a dollar per garment at garage sales and thrift stores, often still with the tags on them. Or free if you have friends/family with slightly older kids who can pass you what they’ve outgrown. When my kids were babies the biggest expense was formula, but that was because my wife couldn’t produce milk and they both were very sensitive and needed specific formula that didn’t upset their stomachs (I also happened to have both kids right when formula shortages were beginning which was extra fun)

The real expenses are childcare and healthcare of course. Both children cost the entire out of pocket maximum from our insurance (5 and 8 thousand dollars specifically) and we haven’t even tried looking at childcare costs and have my wife out of work instead