Calling experienced mums- how do you find out about offers and samples?

[MSCONFUSED]

Hello

Just wondering if anyone can give me some hints and tips on when and where is good to register for special mum to be offers and free samples? It's ridiculously early days but I want to gather as much useful information as possible together because right now I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the enormity of the whole pregnancy/ responsible for a life thing so any useful advice, hints and tips will be fab :)

I just typed "baby clubs" in to my search engine and had a look at what it brought up here is a good website bit old now so some may not work

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=463604

HTH

Join up with Boots definately - they do really good offers and you can get extra points. You could also get a free change bag. I joined Tesco as well, and Bounty I think

I've just had a free newborn bottle from the Philips Avent baby club.
Sainsbury's and Asda also have clubs with free nappies when you join. Just remember to unsubscribe from all the emails unless you like getting about 10 a day!

I'm responding to the title of this post, rather than the content: forgive me but other people might do the same.

Baby clubs make me cross. I was and remain fed up with imminent parenthood being an excuse to put my details on a-million-and-one mailing lists. Resisted Bounty pressure (did you know someone comes round the PN ward to coo at your baby with a camera a couple of hours after you give birth to take all your details in the guise of handing out child benefit forms & selling a photo? I came to my senses a few hours later and exercised my right to ask her to remove my name from their database).

I did let the places I go most know: Tesco and Boots. Other than that, I don't want to be convinced to buy loads of stuff I don't need. The Boots changing bag is pretty good and lives in the car (as we were bought another as a gift), full of spares. I assumed Tesco needed me to register to use their parent and child parking spaces but turns out this isn't true. The tiny pots of sudocrem in the Bounty packs have been handy to help me adjust to wearing sanitary towels for the first time since I was 13. And that is all.

Sorry. Not dissing free stuff, as every little helps. But I've not found it helpful, and it is optional.

Ooops: read "how do you feel about", rather than "how do you find out about". I am sorry . Just finished bf-ing and enjoying wine with dinner.

Anyway, the answer is: they will find you. Don't worry. Bounty etc, Emma's diary, contain loads of forms to send back and google is your friend.

Oooo yes - Emma's Diary do tokens that you can use to get a nappy genie half price from Argos if you want one.

Those free mags in the MW waiting area contain sign up forms for Bounty and Boots and others, and a couple vouchers for free / half price nappies, and now some cheap reusables too.

But on the whole I found it easier to avoid signing up to all the spammers as the amount of paper I got anyway was just overwhelming and I didn't want 99% of the offers (overpriced baby photos, follow-on formula, baby food, etc). Was tempted by the Boots changing bag but then found local Boots is small and expensive, and changing bags don't fit reusables anyway.

Signing up to the Sainsburys mailing list so I know when they're about to do their 1/3 off all baby stuff is useful, though.