How much to buy for newborn?

[Wubbawubba]

First baby due in December and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to buy. Some are saying I need a thousand babygrows/bibs/vests/muslins others are saying I barely need anything, and really I'm hesitant to buy tons of stuff just for it to not be used and take up space.

Got quite a few cute soft 0-3 outfits (gifts) that others have bought but I prefer little littles in babygrows and as it'll be winter I feel like that'll be easiest for layering up? But I'm unsure how many vests and babygrows I really need, assuming baby spends most of the time in babygrows until she's outgrown 0-3 months?

Also is there any other essentials I'm missing?
Got around 5 blankets of varying warmth, travel system, a bouncer chair thing, Moses basket and cot and sheets for both, a few cardigans, planning to breastfeed so not buying bottles/steriliser. I feel like we barely have anything but not sure if I really need anything else? Will probably get a pramsuit or two, and socks and a few hats. Going to a sling library before baby is born so will probably borrow a sling from there to try and will invest after putting into practice if we like it.

Feeling really lost as everybody else seems to have everything together.

no advice but I'm as confused as you are. I'm due in March so have a bit more time, but I'm finding it overwhelming. following for your replies

Shops will be open even after the baby is here - don't stress, just buy stuff whenever you need it.

I'd say have 12 of each - 12 vests and 12 onesies. Couple of packs of muslins from the supermarket, 2 cardigans, 2 hats and maybe a snowsuit.

That should keep you going while you find your feet remember everything is so easily available, and you'll (hopefully!) have family members falling over themselves to grab anything you might need.

12 is probably more than I had actually! But DD wasn't sickly and there was already 3 of us in the house so always washing anyway.

12 would just take the heat off

Congratulations on baby to be! Sound like you’ve made a great start. I’m on the ‘get less’ end of that spectrum and buy more as you need but here’s what I would add.
-nappies (sorry if that was too obvious for your list but thought would add anyway), plus bum bits so some cotton wool/wipes, nappy cream.

• if you’re breastfeeding maybe nearer the time a couple of nursing bras?
• do you have a bag you can use for nappies and bits when you are out and about?

Good luck!

That makes me feel better everyone, thank you!

We do have a changing bag. I'm already using maternity/nursing bras as my boobs seem to have doubled in size and they're the only ones I can get comfy in (3 pack for £20 Amazon jobby - fab!) So think I'll be ok with that for now. Already got lots of strappy vest tops and jumpers/button down cardigans etc that I think will be fine for BFing when out and about. Got loads of Bepanthem from Bounty packs 😁 and lots of cotton wool/cotton wool pads always in the house. Going to start getting a few packs of wipes/nappy bags/nappies in now as we shop. Also got a couple packs of really soft baby flannels and going to grab some toiletries as they come up in the events.

I know I'm probably stressing too much, the hospital is actually opposite a retail park and big Sainsbury's! But just want everything washed and folded and ready for baby's arrival now.

Thanks again everyone

We got lots of babygros, outfits & blankets as gifts so I think I only brought about 6 of each. Sleeping bags?

I wouldn't stock up on lots of nappies/wipes as they might not suit baby when they arrive.

Oh yes a sleeping bag too! Good shout @Bellsofstclements

Agree with not stocking up too much with wipes/nappies until you know they suit your baby.

Sleeping bags are amazing. My baby was only 5lb when she was born so we had to go and buy loads of tiny baby stuff and she's 12 weeks old and still only 9lb 7oz so she's in newborn things now. I got tons of stuff at my baby shower and people bought more gifts when she was born I couldn't believe it. Mittens are pointless I wouldn't bother with those and get Aldi nappies they are fab.
Congrats!

Less is more! I have recently learned this. Your baby will grow so so quickly you could be in the next size within weeks. I bought second hand where I could and he still barely wore any of it. I have boxes and boxes of clothes he never wore. If you do buy new, I recommend buying the next size up. Also, when it comes to playmats and toys, again, less is more at the start. You will soon learn what your baby likes and dislikes and you can then go from there. Muslins however, you can NEVER have too many. Good luck! Xx

I also wouldn't buy 12 in newborn size! Both mine were 8lbs 12 and 8lbs 14 which is not massive but they barely fitted newborn size for more than a week! So would have been a waste!

I would be maybe 5 newborn and 5 up to one month (0-3 seems big unless you have a whopper!) then when you know the weight of baby etc you can buy more in the appropriate size!

With my first I even bought some tiny baby size and the poor thing literally could not be squeezed into them!!

Similarly had friends who had 5-6 pounders and husband got sent out to buy tiny baby!

Everything's so readily available now get the essentials and wait and see! Good luck x

Remember to buy newborn sleepsuits and vests too not just 0-3.

If you are breastfeeding have you got some lansinoh cream? I found it a lifesaver.

Do you know if you are having a large baby? My DD was over 10lb and didn't go into the newborn size at all, spent two weeks in the under 1 month size and then a month in 0-3. She was in the 3-6 months by the time she was 1.5 months old. I would get everything secondhand - I went to a baby group and was given things by a mum who's DD had outgrown the clothes.

Congratulations OP! I'm having my first baby in Feb so in a similar frame of mind to you. I don't know what is best to do, obviously, but I have read those articles with 'newborn essentials' and based my plans on those. I've also bought a lot of secondhand baby gros from eBay and second hand shops! I've got one tiny baby and the rest I'm aiming for a dozen 0-3, dozen 3-6, and some 6-9. That's bodysuits as well. It's been really cheap so I don't mind if we get through them quickly and I'll send them back to charity shops when done. I've got muslins, a few blankets, second hand swaddle bag things and a couple of toys too. Oh also a couple of second hand/charity shop cardigans and snowsuits. We've ordered our pram and know what travel seat we want. I'll wait for the Xmas sales to buy more of the rest like gro egg and nursery stuff. You might score some bargains around black Friday or Xmas too!

Oh and definitely worth signing up for amazon prime if you haven't got it already, so if you need something when baby is here you can have it delivered next day!

The thing I was most grateful for was a big stack of cheap ikea hand towels (or flannels, whatever size you hit first!) - I used them for everything from lochia to witchhazel for swollen legs (oh, and for the baby too).

I was lucky - I had the basics, and a box of second hand stuff in various sizes, plus a summer baby, so if they grew out of something, I always had something else for the emergency, but towels. You always need towels.

You will need clothes smaller than 0-3, my 9lb 9oz long baby was too small for 0-3.

You need lanshion nipple cream. Maybe a baby bath, a second hand shnuggle would be ideal. I have one for my second baby and it’s amazing. Baby gym and they will soon need a couple of toys.

I don’t think you need much more op, though I’d recommend some large Muslim swaddles and a dim night light for feeds.

Hats, socks and pramsuit will be useful for a December baby. Sounds like you have clothes sorted. I think 6-8 vests and babygrows, plus a few cardigans are all they need for at least the first few months. We didn’t put our dd in many clothes till she was 6m+.

Have you got a pram?

Ooh I forgot about a sleeping bag. What tog should I get? Flat is generally pretty toasty so should I go low-medium and layer up if need be? Also Lansinoh! I still need to get little bits like that.

I was just going to get a pack of size 1 and size 2 nappies and a box of Mamia wipes. No biggy if wipes don't suit baby, they will get used between us and step kiddos or I'll just pass them on to friends/family with little ones.

Got quite a few second hand/hand me down bits, although can never find sleepsuits in charity shops etc and when I see bundles on sales pages they're always same price as New, so I've figured I'll just buy new white sleepsuits and vests and pass them onto friend (due 6 months after me) when baby has outgrown them so they're not wasted.

I've got a Gro Egg - Facebook bargain. Forgot to mention that. Also have a baby bath that's been handed down with support inbuilt and a play gym thing. Also lots of hooded towels although obviously we have plenty of bath towels anyway.

We've got a travel system so pram and car seat is sorted.

Does 8 newborn/up to 1mth babygrows/vests and 10 0-3 month sound OK to start?

No idea on size of baby. Not booked for any growth scans or anything, nothing has been mentioned about her being big or small. I was just going to pack hospital bag with a tiny baby, newborn and 0-3 vest/sleepsuits just in case, obviously with spares. I can always send OH to shops to buy a couple packs of tiny baby babygrows if she comes out small.

Are the swaddle suit things worth getting? The zip up ones? It's really hard to know what's good and what's gimmick!

Changing mat.
Nappy cream
Nappy bags
nail clippers

I got a second hand changing table this time around as I was expecting to have another c section and even though I didn’t it’s a god send and worth £13 I spent on it.

For sleeping bags the gro egg people have an online chart to tell you which tog depending on room temp.

As your midwife how big she thinks your baby will be. Mine told me not to buy any new born clothes.

Newborns go through 10+ nappies a day so will need more than one packet.

I would buy a few more newborn as they poo an sick in them so much at first but you can always order online next day delivery if you find you need more , I got given so many second hand small babygrows and vests an thought I had too much but as I was as ill after my birth it was such a massive help -saved on doing washing , so I would say don’t turn down seconds and just store them, I saved his new nicer stuff for when we had visitors or went out. It is true they outgrow it quick. I also had a Moses basket an stand and baby would not sleep in it so had to buy a Chico next to me in the end , I got mine second hand as baby seemed to cramped in this by four months he is very tall though. lots of Muslins too and dummy’s just incase ...I also wish I had researched more and bought the swaddle blankets as there meant to be really good

Nipple cream and a nursing pillow is a must sorry haven’t read if you’ve got them x

I have about 7 of each size in vests babygrows etc as my sister said they can go through about 7 changes a day depending how sicky and messy they are but i haven't really bothered buying anything else yet just going to buy what i need as and when they need it the only big things you need are a cot and pram they don't need playmats toys or anything straight away

half the problem is you won't be sure what size baby will be - will they be long or short, 5lb or 9lb and it all makes a difference. Suss out where the nearest baby places are to hospital an dif DH around send him to buy at some point other than having a few in hand

I really wouldn't buy more than half a doz of each as loads of people will also buy, they grow really quickly at that age too - so go 0 to 3 months and don't worry about them being a little large.

I would however get a dozen muslin cloths....

I would get a couple of little cotton hats and gloves too - babies lose heat quickly if autumn/winter babies.

A friend bought me a lovely baby wrap - like the hooded towels but with a feet pocket and then two sides that wrapped baby it was so useful in the cooler months with a small baby. It was a bit like this www.amazon.co.uk/Swaddle-Luerme-Newborn-Sleeping-Separate/dp/B0756ZDXLN/ref=pd_cp_75_3/258-4101433-2591647?psc=1&pf_rd_p=01704ebe-a86a-4b47-8c36-0f9f5bbc2882&_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_wg=CkbR5&pf_rd_r=2P7C2R0S0KZC4BVN2SY3&pd_rd_i=B0756ZDXLN&pd_rd_w=muB68&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&refRID=2P7C2R0S0KZC4BVN2SY3&pd_rd_r=7d8d0654-5d9f-43bb-99f9-0479991244ea

just didn't have legs but a pocket to pop baby in and was a lighter fleece this one looks major duty

They don't recommend wipes for brand new babies - just cotton wool and water.

Muslins. More muslins than you could ever imagine using. They are far and away the most useful thing besides clothes and nappies.

Lansinoh nipple cream.