what essential baby equipment should we be buying in the sales?

[HardCheese]

Our first baby in due in mid-March, and I have this slightly panicky feeling that we should be buying some of the essentials (cot, pushchair, carseat, sling, changing surface?) in the sales, but have little or no idea what the bare essentials really are, and where we should be looking for them. (We have lots of clothes passed on from friends, but nothing else, and there isn't an NCT sale in the neighbourhood until just before my due date.)

We are in London, don't have a car, and have a very small raised ground floor flat, so a pushchair will need to be light and easily folded, and primarily suitable for getting on and off public transport, and space indoors is at a premium, so no very bulky or unecessary purchases. I would like to use a sling when the baby is small - but am baffled by the different reports on different varieties. My partner and I are also quite different builds, so do we need to buy one each?

Could anyone advise on what the basics really are, where might be a good source of information on options, and where might be good places to look during the sales? Thanks in advance - feeling completely clueness.

We are also in a small London flat with no car and have just quite literally finished unpacking our nursery order from John Lewis. We used their nursery advice service and it was great - it's a free service where you discuss your situation with one of their advisors, and they tell what you do - and more importantly don't - need. There is no hard sell, and they will be quite honest with you - we were going to buy a Moses basket, and it was the advisor who explained why it's not really necessary and will just take up space. Best of all, because you're just setting up a list, you don't have to buy anything immediately or even from them - you can go away and look for cheaper alternatives elsewhere. As your list goes up online, it's easy for friends and family to order from it as well if they want to get you something.

I don't work for John Lewis, I promise, I was very impressed with the service!

In terms of individual items, we ended up with a Bugaboo Bee pram - I hadn't wanted a Bugaboo initially, but it's the lightest on the market, folds up the smallest, and seemed to be the best one for our lifestyle. We got a Baby Bjorn sling - it's suitable for both me and DH, as it is alterable, and gives lumbar support which I will need as our baby is predicted to be on the large size (9lb+!).

The cot was the only thing we didn't get from JL - we got the Hayworth package when it was on sale at Mamas & Papas. It's a cot bed with drawers underneath and a changing tray that sits on the top, so we thought it would save space in our tiny nursery, but to be honest I'm not sure it was the best purchase for us - it's huge! Still, as it's a cot bed she will at least a few years from it.

I'm now quietly having a panic attack because it all seems very real now all baby's stuff is here, but at least we are as ready as we'll ever be for her imminent arrival!

Personally I would say that you need to think more long-term than newborn essentials, because actually at this age they need relatively little!

I have 2 DC and another on the way so would say that the following would be good to get if you can get them well discounted:

*Cot bed (cribs/cots are really small, which is great for saving space but not great when your LO gets bigger as you then find you need to buy again in a bigger size. You can lay your baby width wise for the first few months and get nice bumpers and teddies to fill the excess space whilst they are small.
*Good quality mattress (but ensure you get a breathable mattress protector!)
*Bed Linen - fitted sheets etc (they were on sale in peter jones at the weekend!)
*Buggy - the bugaboo bee gets great reviews - small, compact and can be used well into toddlerhood. Can be used from birth so perfect if they fall asleep in the park as you can them leave them in it at home well you put your feet up! I have no idea about slings as my babies are BIG and my back is bad, so not an option for me!
*Steriliser/bottles/formula if you are not bf'ing.
*Play gym - bth DC used from about 2/3 weeks - was a god send!
*Monitor
*changing table (only if like me you have a bad back - ikea do a good, cheap one)

From the supermarket, when there are sales, stock up on:
*Lansiloh cream (usually about £10, i think and can be 50% off in sainsburys)
*nappies (although don't get too many in the small sizes...mine were only in newborn 1 for a few weeks)
*cotton wool
*formula (if you are using)
*vaseline
*cheap towels (for labour)
*breast pads
*maternity pads
*Muslins (the best I have used are in Ikea - large and cheap)

I am sure others will be along with other suggestions too x

Agree with the answers above. On the sling front, try and find a local sling meet as there are so many types its a good idea to try before you buy, just don't get a bag style sling, they are dangerous and there are campaigns to get them banned. Which? was quite useful for a brief breakdown of which sling does what. I have been lucky as my sisters DS2 is def DClast so I have had most things passed on but they really don't need too much to begin with so don't stress.

Thanks so much, Jenyrosity and Chocolatebiscuitcake - that's really helpful. I'd never even heard of the John Lewis nursery service, apart from anything else, and good to be reminded about supermarket supplies too.

As you both mentioned the Bugaboo Bee favourably as something light and easily folded, and suitable for a newborn, can I ask whether that's the same buggy that had safety problems with the wheels or something originally? Presumably these have been sorted?

The baby's room is absolutely tiny, but initially, anyway, we plan to use a crib or cot in our bedroom alongside our bed to facilitate night breast feeding, so does that suggest that buying a separate changing table with storage that can actually be kept in the baby's room is a good idea, or would a cot-top changing surface make more sense?

God, I feel like such an amateur.

Cross-posted with you, indicababy - thanks for sling hints and reminder that Not Much Is Needed. Where might I find out about local sling meets - NCT website?

We haven't bothered with a changing table, on the advice of most of MN and everyone we know! We have instead bought a normal chest of drawers and stuck a changing mat on top. As far as I can work out, changing tables are a waste of money as they have such a short lifespan, while you can use a chest of drawers forever.

We don't have room for a chest of drawers or a changing table, so it made sense to get a cot with both drawers and a changing tray included.

And yes, the Bugaboo Bee did have issues with the wheels, but this has been sorted on newer models.

Hello, I'm a first-timer on a budget also due in March & live somewhere quite small and awkward (a wonky old warehouse conversion with narrow doors and lots of stairs!) I don't drive, either so I'm also looking for a lightweight easy-to-manouevre-about travel system etc. I'd be really interested to hear what you end up getting. I've been lucky in that I've been offered the loan of a crib & later a bigger cot + donated a few things.

Re: the pram/ buggy, I'm really torn- I'm too tall for a bugaboo- I tried one out & it felt like a toy pram for my height. I haven't managed to find an alternative narrow/ lightweight travel system- I went to John Lewis too & had a good look, but am quite tempted to get a secondhand small pramette & use in conjunction with a sling for the first six months, and then buy a lightweight stroller for after that.. Good luck!

How tall are you Kiki, if you don't mind saying? I'm 5'8" and DH is 5'11", and we've found the Bee perfectly ok, as the handle extends upwards.

I'm 5ft9- it wasn't so much the handle height that was the problem, more that the pram itself seemed really low down, it just didn't feel right.

Ah, fair enough!

Interesting you felt comfortable with it at 5"8 & "11. Maybe I should give it another go. I find prams the biggest headache!

this was my BEST sales buy. Bought it when dd was a few weeks old in the mamas and papas sale, she's used it almost every day from around five months until ten months. She loved bouncing up and down and swinging.

I know it takes up space , but our (small) lounge in a small two bed in London has been overtaken by toys etc a looong time ago!

Nursery furniture we got from tutti bambini, but some of the furniture (drawers and changing top) are in our room as dd's room is teeny!

We got a maclaren techno xlr because it is small and light and usable from birth - another option?

Another maclaren vote: if budget is an issue the Maclaren Techno XT is also suitable from birth and has extendable handles: I'm 5 foot 8 tall and found it was really comfy to push as did my 6 foot hubby, you can get it online for £160, and its identical to the XLR except without the footmuff and the potentia carrycot/carseat option. Compare that to the price of a Bugaboo and you can get all the rest of the baby stuff with the leftover money!

I'm so glad to see this thread, I have been thinking the exact same thing. And reading though it has been really helpful. I just bought a tommy tippee complete bottle feeding kit from amazon reduced to 65quid from 100, with sterilizer, teats ... well with HUNNERS of stuff basically :P quite chuffed with my purchase, was gonna go with AVENT but when I went to buy it today it was sold out. Also today went to TK Maxx and bought 2 grobags for 15quid each, I thought this was a MEGA bargain too :P

Anyway now I am looking online at cot bedding, I was in Mothercare and all these bed cover kits are insanely priced, 70quid, really??!! Bleugh, on amazon I saw a couple of 3 piece cot sets for about 30quid but I am a complete novice, I dont know what I need. I intent for baby to sleep in grobags so I'm asking MNers, what do I need. I like knitting can I knit blankets, is that safe for baby?! Of dear, whats a cellular blanket?! Do I need one, or loads? I take it I need fitted sheets for cot? I'm confused.

(sorry cant find the pound sign on this -stupid- keyboard)

Another take on changing tables: I started off using an old desk, but that killed my back. Ikea do several that covert to a normal chest if drawers that we have used in dd1s bedroom for 7 years now. They also do
A super cheap one For 24.99.

I'm also really glad you started this thread :) I'm expecting my first baby too and it's like learning a foreign language, all this stuff you have to - or don't have to, depending on who you talk to! - have. And yeah - what is a cellular blanket?

A cellular blanket is one with holes in- so there's no chance of suffocation. If you don't mind secondhand you can pick up some beautiful vintage ones for not much money, that's what I've been doing- and different weights for summer/ winter etc...

Oh right, thanks! My friend knitted me a lovely blanket as a wedding present that has holes in it (holes that are meant to be there, I mean, it's a loose knit). But it's the size of a double bed - I guess far too big, sadly.

Regarding changing tables, I used to just put ds's changing mat on our bed and change him kneeling on the floor - once they can roll over you pretty much have to change them on the floor so really seemed like a waste of time / space in our teeny flat.

Best lightweight pram I've used was baby jogger city mini, can use a carry cot on it for newborn which can double as a Moses basket if you need it to, eg staying over somewhere. It's 1 handed folding with a bit you can use to carry it around. Weighs a lot less than the bugaboo as well, it's only about 7kg.

I use a mei tai sling, it's fabulous. Dh uses it as well, just tie it to the size you need. It's suitable until ds is around 3, he's nearly 10 months and massive, and he feels so light in it!

Regarding the sales, mothercare and babies r us will both price match even if it's from somewhere online, so if you see something you like that is reduced, print the page off showing it and keep it. If its gone back up to full price by the time you want to get it, just take the print out into there with you. Oh, and sign up for all the baby clubs you can to get all the discount vouchers possible!

Hi, my baby is six months old and I too am in London in a small two bed (lower ground). I couldn't bring myself to shell out for the Bugaboo, and have found the Maclaren XT totally fine, and very good for buses and public transport as it's narrow and light. You can also get a fabric type carry cot like the Phil and Teds cocoon and use that in a Maclaren (or any other buggy) if you want your newborn to be a bit more muffled up. A good structured cosytoes would also do.

If I could do it all over again in an ideal world, I would get my hands on a little pram/pramette/lie flat thing for just the first two months or so, as I do think newborns sleep well in that kind of carrycot thing, then move on to the Maclaren.

Look at Babyjogger City Elite if you've got lots of cash to spend. That comes with a very good little carrycot then converts into a pushchair.

Oh and slings, I liked the Kari-Me, really didn't like the Mei Tai, and the Bjorn is handy and easy to use. However, I'd say at around 6 months you'll be moving on to something like an Ergo (for heavier children) so I wouldn't spend a fortune.

I'm probably going to repeat some of the advice given.

Dc2 is 8 weeks old now.

Wish I had got a bedside cot. We have a crib which is fine but bed too small to co sleep so bedside cot would have been good alternative.

We got universal for top changer from mothercare. Godsend.

Baby jogger city mini. Just get it! I have had and reviewed many buggies/prams with first child including the bugaboo bee. City mini wins hands down. I'm currently using it with carrycot when boot space permits.

If you drive - which you don't but other readers may- my car seat base has been invaluable. This is probably more noticeable when you have more than one child!

Also love the infant mirror I got from sunshine kids. Didn't have with dc1 but so useful with dc2 who screams then goes silent! Quick check at traffic lights reassures me all is well!

Muslins - John Lewis pk 6 £8.50 - marginally dearer than asda but quality is superb.

Slings- yes sling meet. Dont get a baby Bjorn type. Very bad for your back and baby's hips and spine.

Re sterilisers and bottles. If planning to breastfeed don't bother getting them. Always deals on if you need them and Milton tablets in Tupperware container works well in mean while if you express / give odd bottle.