when to buy first baby things? :D

[CrazyAlien06]

Hi , im 23+2 and was wondering when everybody started buying their baby bits and bobs in preparation for their arrival? I have been to Kiddicare and know what I would like just not sure when to buy them!
Have you been buying as you have been progressing with your pregnancies or got everything towards the end?

Thanks

Hiya, i left it quite late (para after prev mc) but that's just me.

I would say though you will probably be given loads of stuff so go easy! When i had ds all sorts of people came out of the woodwork with gifts and handme downs.

Get some nappies, about a dozen cheap baby grows and vests, they'll be out grown rather than worn out but get dirty unbelievabley quickly. Some out side clothes if necessary ie autumn/winter/spring baby. We were gifted loads of "outfits" people like shopping for them.

Car seat, buggy/sling, moses basket (or mattress if you have a second hand one. A few cellular blankets...we were given tons. Muslins are useful. Breast and maternity pads.

For owt else i would honestly say wait on an see if you need it.

Imo the biggest thing you need is info, so hang out on here, esp bf/ff and get an idea of what is normal for a newborn.

I'm holding off buying anything 'big' until 25 weeks because (I think) that's the age they would survive if they were premature. it's a bit macarbe but it's also when we might actually have the nursery a bit ready!
that said I've bought little things (like the odd baby grow) up to now because I was just too excited!

I am 24 weeks have just started buying things. I wanted to wait until after the 20 week scan so tentatively started looking around then but went out last weekend and bought a few things :)

I've already bought some stuff am 21 wks but had scan yesterday and all is good! I also had a scan at 17 wks which all good so kind of relaxed, I don't like buying things all at once in a "panic" (that's my excuse, anyway :) so am trying to buy little things here and there, I check out online sales etc

Congrats and happy shopping! It's really fun isn't it? :)

lol i'm rather prepared. I started with little things at 12 weeks and now at 25 + 4 i have all my cloth nappies and clothes. getting the pram and cot i 6 weeks too.

Im on my 3rd baby so only thing we have had to buy is a chest of drawers to keep baby's clothes in (all girls so dont have to buy ANYTHING!)

But with my first, I was about 14 weeks when we bought the pram (second hand at a very attractive price, and has lasted us through to number 3 so is one of the best investments, along side the cotbed!)

Held off ordering the cotbed until around 34 weeks as we had been given a moses basket for baby to sleep in for the first couple of months, and also my sister gave us her baby car seat - which will be using again for the third time round in September.

The most important things you need to have are a place for baby to sleep when he/she comes home from hospital, a car seat and some clothes & nappeis etc. All of this can wait till around 30 weeks, but if you want to start now, go for it! I was buying clothes from about 12 weeks!!! I wouldn't go too crazy on clothes though, if this is your first baby, everyone will want to buy him/her a little outfit.

Scratch mitts are a must though - we lost half of ours at the hospital.

Congrats & best of luck to you xx

Im 26 weeks

i had a fair bit of stuff before we had even concieved!

Have been buying bits n bibs since i knew i was pg.

Still have no cot or car seat, baby changing unit or baby chair though!!! and hardly an clothes.

Got my birth pool at 20 weeks, even though i dont actually know if i will have a home-birth. Who knows baby could be transverse or something? Or i could have a premature baby? I hope not, but i dont know.

Everything that i have so far (other than 2 small items i John Lewis sale) has been from NCT sales or the bargain charity shop at the bottom of my road, and if there is something immaculate that i want for 50p (instead of £10) or £1 instead of £20 then i cant not buy it.

Im very fussy about exactly what i want, having used all sorts nannying, and much of what i want is stupidly expensive if bought brand new, so id rather get it immaculate used by someone else and have the one i want, then compromise and buy other things, when i know there is better out there if that makes sense?

I'm 21 weeks with my 3rd, so nothing major to buy this time (although got NO clothes after giving them all away when we thought we'd stop at 2, oops!), but I have waited until after the 20wk scan to start making a list.

Am going to buy a few bits every few weeks (otherwise you bankrupt yourself if you wait til nearer delivery date & get it all at once, particularly if its first baby!)

It is worth waiting until mothercare / sainsbury / boots or similar have a baby offer on (they do every now & again) to buy cheap nappies / breast pads / maternity pads / wipes & cotton wool etc.

Re: scratch mitts - yes I agree, they are a must, but they're usually a bugger to keep on, we found newborn gap socks put on as mitts worked best (looks odd, works brilliantly!). Happy shopping!!

We ended up using socks at times too - hmm, wondering if I should bother replacing all the lost mitts, am thinking you are on to a good thing with the sock! Good move icravecheese x

yes, please do the same NatzCNL - then we wont be the only crazy weirdo parents leaving hospital with a newborn baby waving sock-clad hands!!

Failing that, gap do the very nice sleep suits with inbuilt scratch mitts...

With my first I was given moses basket and stand as my maternity leave present by work, so had that from 30 weeks (hidden in spare bedroom, stand not assembled. DH assembled the stand whilst I was in labour waiting to be far gone enough to go to hospital).

Borrowed car seat (I know this is not generally advisable but we knew it hadn't been involved in any prangs so it was fine) which DH collected from friends on way to collect me and baby from hospital.

Bought a packet of baby grows and a packet of vests about a week before due date and washed them to put in hospital bag.

Ordered pram from kiddcare website when we got home from hospital with baby. Turned up 2 days later so not an issue leaving it till then.

Am now 32 weeks and obviously we have the cot, pram, playpen etc and cloth nappies (which were bought when DS was a couple of days old) from last time. Clothes have long since been gifted on and the 2nd hand car seat has done 2 other children since then (its original owners, not mine) and been retired. So we need to buy a car seat and some clothes. I have no intention of doing either for another five or six weeks.

Another paranoid soul here. I have bought things like maternity pads and breast pads for me as I will need them regardless.

Only thing bought for 26wk bump is a set of ghost babygrows for a Hallowe'en outfit which DH persuaded me I should buy now as it wouldn't be there when I wanted it.
Although I haven't bought much I have done all my research and will have my pram and carseat delivered from online nearer the time.
I am waiting till after the birth to get a cot as I will just use the pram at first.
Thinking of adding newborn nappies to the shopping list next week.

Thanks girlies :D we won't get too much stuff as we don't live near family and most of our friends are single men lol. We ve found the Moses basket we want and am hoping an offer on reusable nappies will still be on when I decide to take the plunge and buy lol.
DH is rapidly doing the house up at the moment, bless him. So nursery won't be done for a while yet but we ll get the nursery furnitur towards the end to keep him busy :D
I have a car seat from a friend and couple of baby clothes bits so should be ok but really really want to start getting it all lol.

re scratch mitts lots of baby grows have fold over cuff things that act as scratch mitts and can't get lost.

As mentioned already, scratch mittens are a must, and there are some that are proven to actually stay on, unlike most! :)

Here's a link to a review of them: www.little-mouse.co.uk/blogs/news/scratch-mittens-that-stay-on-weve-actually-found-some-in-the-uk

I hope this helps!