When did you start buying baby clothes?

[SadSisters]

I’m 15 and a half weeks pregnant. Is it too soon to be buying baby clothes etc? Should I be waiting for the 20 week anomaly scan just in case?

(I know there is no right or wrong answer to this - just interested in people’s thoughts!)

I started at 30 weeks. I've not bought much though. You get so much gifted and given that you don't want to fully kit yourself out. I just got enough to last the first couple of weeks and then I'll shop more as I need. I now keep getting friends giving me great big parcels of second hand stuff so I'm much more kitted out than planned!
You can start now if it add to your excitement though - there are no rules! xx

That’s a good point, people probably will buy / give us bits, so don’t want to go overboard!

I waited until I was about 8 months pregnant for my first. I think I didn't go smaller than first month (no newborn stuff) as it is generally unnecessary and not a big deal if clothes are a bit big.

I bought enough vests and babygrows (that's all they need) not to became a slave of the washing machine!

Most people tend to gift bigger sizes, so you just order as you go.

About 30 weeks too. You don't want too many as they grow so fast and you can order online for next day delivery. There's no need to stock up.

Opposite opinion here! I'm 15+6 today and I'd shatter buying a few bits over the last couple of days. Muslin cloths, a few bibs, bought an adorable mamas and papas outfit when I went to a real shop for the first time! I tried to wait a bit longer but it's my first and I'm just so damn excited 😂 plus I like being organised and it's good to spread the cost of bits and bobs over a few months. I'm saving the big expenses like prams etc for later down the line, mainly for space though.

Started* !!

I waited till about 28 weeks, I’m 35 now, I’ve not bought very much! Few vests and body suits, couple of sleep suits and 2 little cardigans. I’ve also had a load or stuff passed on.

I bought some newborn and some next size up, growth scans suggest a big baby so I’m not sure how much use we’ll get out of newborn now!

I bought one babygrow at about 14 weeks and then left it until after 30 weeks.

My LO was in newborn stuff for 7-8 weeks. There as she was in 4-6 month stuff for 2 weeks.

I would wait and see if you can get stuff from people before buying things.

Also shops have sales and I've found the ones at random times ideal for getting stuff a size or two up. Obviously you have to work out the season.

I would buy some. Sorry to be insensitive but if you waited for a 20 week scan and sadly things didn’t work out, you would not be comforted by having nothing belonging to your baby.

I think I bought a few bits in the aldi baby sale at around 15-16 weeks. First item of clothing was a dress from Asda that I’d seen and loved a few weeks earlier bought just after 20 week scan when we knew she was a girl

I waited u til after my 20 week scan last time and will do the same this time but o ly because we want to know the sex of the baby and buy gendered clothes. I wouldnt buy too much or go up too many sizes, I got stuff in the sale for my dd for last summer but she was in a smaller size so non of it fitted her it was all too big. So I would wait until you need it to buy

Are you going to find out sex?

Are you going to want to go down the pink / frilly route if baby is a girl? (that is of course personal choice)

If so then of course wait.

If you aren't finding out then I'd wait until after 20w scan anyway, just in case.

I bought one unisex babygrow after the 12 week scan and started slowly buying after the 20 week scan.

As others have said, you will get loads of clothes as gifts. We mainly received sizes 3-6 months and 6-9 months and no newborn or 0-3 months items so we underestimated on these sizes and had to do a quick small order when baby was born (newborn clothes lasted 2 weeks and 0-3 lasted about a month).

Thanks so much everyone, lots of helpful points!

We aren’t going to find out the sex, so will just he buying neutral things. I’m thinking I will just but the basics over the next few months to spread the cost and then we can get fancier bits if we need / want them nearer the time.

I dont really get it when people say don't buy things in case something happens something can happen at anytime during pregnancy or birth does that mean you shouldnt buy anything until they arrive ? No of course not ! Start getting stuff whenever you want and enjoy it OP your only a first time mum once !

Literally brought a pack of baby grows, pack of vest and a hat. Was too worried about buying lots incase something happened.

ArthurandJessie
obviously anything can happen, but the longer you wait, the least likely it is. Before the 20 weeks scan is VERY early, these scans are there for a reason.

You can buy or send DH to buy clothes on the day you give birth (not ideal but easily done when you buy baby clothes in any supermarket)

the travel system is more tricky - that is worth concentrating on finding the one you need, and order it some weeks in advance. My last one was on a 6 weeks delivery, which was fine, but I would have struggled finding one last minute.

@SadSisters

Thanks so much everyone, lots of helpful points!

We aren’t going to find out the sex, so will just he buying neutral things. I’m thinking I will just but the basics over the next few months to spread the cost and then we can get fancier bits if we need / want them nearer the time.

I left it till later because of being superstitious about tempting fate.

What I will say however is, having been pregnant through lockdown, it’s been a total ball ache to buy anything online in smaller sizes. Even more so if you wanted anything vaguely neutral colour wise - we’re not finding out the sex either and I hate the compulsory pink/blue thing anyway but it’s been doubly hard to find newborn/0-3 stuff in other colours. There seems to be some kind of shortage. I’ve not bought much as I said, but what I have got was pretty hard to come by. Not much in my big Sainsbury’s either, and there was nothing in the huge M&S that wasn’t either very obviously gendered or in bigger sizes.

Hopefully as things are opening up more it won’t be such an issue for you, and I’d usually always err on the side of waiting till 20 week scan, but actually if you do see any bits and bobs whilst shopping or browsing online it might be worth snapping them up whilst you can!

@JaniceWebster 15 weeks isn't very early .... especially with covid around I would be prepared it's not see easy for partners to come and go from the hopsital etc

Sorry to be a debbie downer but I had a stillborn would have made no difference had I bought stuff before or after the scan if we are lucky enough to have another I'll still get things early you cant not enjoy your life just in case

About 5 years before I got pregnant! 😁

I actually brought a few bits a few years before we had DD - we had a hard time TTC but I was still hopeful so if I saw something I really liked (dresses, knitwear) I'd buy it and put it away in a bottom drawer. Once I was pregnant I think I started buying bits from around 24 weeks. My DM on the other hand started buying immediately!

@arthurandjessie I’m so sorry for your loss and thank you for the helpful advice - I totally understand your perspective