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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Essentials, or just

56 replies

shinydiscoball · 10/02/2011 19:11

Need some help preparing for our LO's arrival, I'm currently 23 weeks and want to start getting ready. Sorry in advance if this is very a bit dull Blush but I'm on a very, very tight budget as DP has lost his job so need all the advice I can get!

So I currently have: a travel system, pushchair, cotbed, travel cot and highchair (given by a friend). Please would you cast your eye over my (extensive, sorry) list and let me know what is essential and what is a bit unnecessary? I've researched some approximate prices as well, shout if if any of them could be bought cheaper!

TIA :)

Big items

Wardrobe £200

Changing unit £60-£100

Cotbed Mattress foam £40
sprung £85

Moses Basket + stand £50-£80

Medium items

Steriliser & bottles (I am planning on BF but will need to return to work quite quickly so will start expressing ASAP - looking at Tommee Tippee stuff) Around £50

Breast pump around £10-£18 in sales.

Baby bath/support £15

Monitor £40

Cot Sheets and blankets £30-£40

Sleep bags £10-15 each

Baby carrier £25-£40

Bouncer £20-£30

Smaller items - to stock up on

Nappies - but what brand is best (there's a whole new dilemma!)
Towels (hooded) Approx £10 for 3
Wipes
Bepanthen etc
Cotton wool
Lotion/bath wash/soap
Muslin squares Approx £1 each (3pk £3 etc)

Clothes (minimum)

10 stretch suits Hat + sun hat
10 vests Socks
Light cardigans Scratch mitts
Shawl or blanket

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
missp2010 · 15/02/2011 22:20

It may be worth going to a few different nct sales. I have found ones in different areas can be better for different types of things. One near me often has loads of nice toys and one in another town in the other direction has great clothes. Also charity shops in 'nicer' areas often have much better clothes and toys etc.
With my first DC I really wanted to buy everything I could possibly need, and I admit I did turn my nose up at second hand things. But now that we're on DC3 (if only I'd kept all our old stuff!) I'm really into searching for a good bargain. I'm now also very aware of how little use/wear baby things get!! They grow ridiculously fast!

MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 15/02/2011 23:05

Some don't-buy's from me:

Don't "stock up" on nappies too much, as apart from how quickly they grow out of them, you don't know which ones will fit your baby till you try them, they are all different shapes so you need to find ones that work for your baby! So don't get lots of the same brand. Same applies if you decide to try washables, unless you are getting them free/very cheap of course!

Don't buy nappy rash cream until you need it, you get tons of free samples in the Bounty packs and similar and some babies just don't have much trouble with it. I still have loads left!

Also don't buy lots of toiletries if on a budget, we never used anything except baby bath and later on, a little baby shampoo occasionally. And don't go overboard on cotton wool or you will have loads left when you finally go "sod it!" and reach for the baby wipes!

Hooded towels are sweet and handy, but they are quickly grown out of so you may prefer to get some "nice" ordinary (bigger) towels they can keep on using for longer, instead. (I was a bit sad when DS got too big for his!).

Don't buy many top sheets and cot blankets if you are thinking of using sleep bags later, as you won't need them unless baby is relatively small. On the other hand, if you are thinking of swaddling (we didn't with DS, but it was really good for DD) you will need a few big-enough sheets, or a couple of special swaddle wrap thingies.

10 changes of clothes sounds generous, especially as you WILL get some as presents (and if you have a big baby, they may barely wear Newborn size, as I found with DS..) Scratch mitts are a waste too, again you are almost sure to get some in presents (they are always included in those baby sets) but baby will prob just pull them off anyway. What you might want though is some sort of coat or light snowsuit thing (even if it will be a Summer baby).

Steriliser and bottles you will need, but I should think you can get them cheaper, or even get steriliser on Freecycle or something - a microwave one is really a very basic thing, just a container with a rack and a good lid, so no reason to spend lots. Baby carriers are also good to get secondhand or on Freegle.

Mothercare do a great bath support, a metal frame with terry cover like a hammock. Works from tiny-baby till they can sit, costs around £8 and much better than a baby bath.

You WILL need a change bag, the Boots free one is actually really handy though and loads of my friends relied on it for a long time. Later on it is nice if you can treat yourself to a fancy one though, esp once you start weaning and are carrying around more clobber, as the Boots ones are quite slim (which is an advantage at first though!).

Sainsbury's basics nappy bags are 9p a pack, or less when they have offers on, and I find them at least as good as more expensive ones and better than some!

Oh and you will prob want a baby gym thing (mat with arches & hanging toys), but if you start looking now you can prob get a good price on a nice one, or ask for it as a present.

Don't forget a decent thermometer (not crappy forehead non sticky thing) and some calpol - don't wait till you need them at 2am! Also baby nail scissors/clippers.

bananarama05 · 15/02/2011 23:40

Thank you thank you thank you.

You've all just put the random bits that have been floating round my head the last couple of weeks into a sensible order!

Am 24 weeks and need to start getting some of this sorted, will be back tomorrow at a more sensible time to have a re-read and make my own list, just marking my place for now :)

Ivegotmrbitey · 16/02/2011 10:01

This is a great thread, I am few weeks behind you but starting to think what I might need.

I am not geting a wardrobe, I think baby clothes are so small there is no point yet.

Friends with children all swear by using a changing mat on the floor, the main con with a changing unit is that you don't want to be restriced to one place to change the gazillions of nappies. So I am going to give the chaging unit a miss too.

I asked for advice about the bath support too. The general consensus was that they are not necessary unless you have a physical problem yourself that will mean you have difficulty holding the baby. I am not going to buy a baby bath either as the only person I know who uses hers has a shower and no bath in her house.

There is debate on a few threads here about whether a monitor is necessary, the argument being that most houses are not so large you won't hear your baby crying. I am planning to get one though as I am expecting a summer baby and I want to be able to make sure I can hear him or her from the garden.

With the baby toiletries I think you are only supposed to use water at first? I maight be completely wrong about that, as I said you are a few weeks ahead of me Smile. It is my plan to get hold of as many samples as possible as my nephew was allergic to the branded toiletries and got on best with the own brand things.

That's as far as I have got so far but am excited to hear about the Tesco baby event!

BornToFolk · 16/02/2011 10:09

I really liked my changing table. I'm tall and it was nice to be able to change nappies standing up! But we got the Singlar one from Ikea which was £25. When DS got too big to be changed on it, it was handy for keeping nappy buckets out of reach.

We had a bath support, which was great. It meant you have both hands free to wash the baby.

Do not buy many clothes! You will be giving loads. Get a couple of sets of cheap vests and sleepsuits in newborn and 0-3 month sizes. If you run out, 24 hour supermarkets will stock them.

Beg, steal Wink, and borrow as much as you can.

BornToFolk · 16/02/2011 10:11

Oh, sorry meant to say - it's worth getting a decent mattress if you're using a cotbed. DS is 3 and still in his cotbed (with the sides off) and probably will be for a couple of years yet. On a price per use basis, the mattress has worked out pretty cheap!

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