What to buy?

[lpickrell]

Hi all,

What's the best list to use when buying for a first time mum? I've mainly come up with static lists from blogs and stuff ... any online tools out there?

Thanks a lot,

Lee

Six vests
Six sleepsuits
A car seat (if you have a car)
A sling and or pushchair
Some newborn nappies
Cottonwood
Somewhere for baby to sleep, like a Moses basket.
A couple of sheets
A couple of sleeping bags
A baby hoodie

Think that's everything

Just ask.on here. A lot of lists will put stuff on there you dont need (top and tail bowl.anyone?). Aby lists generated by companies such as Mothercare will pile extra stuff on as a marketing tool.

Oh and you will probably want a change mat, I had two, one for upstairs and one down. You may also want a change bag, a big handbag will do or some companies give them out. Boots baby club used to, not sure if they still do.

Essentially though its what Mortified says

If you're not planning on bf, you'll need bottles and a steriliser.

The best thing I bought (wasn't on all the online lists, just some) was a really good bf pillow (was called 'My Brest (sic) Friend' and oh praise be to the list I found online that said 'take nipple cream in your labour bag'.

Think that's where the lists start getting sujective. I bf 2 and never used a breast pillow or nipple cream. Fine if you want to get them but if finances are tight I'd get them if you need them

Search the mumsnet talk archive for previous threads on this topic, that's what I did, then I got a really wide base of suggestions which helped me make a more informed choice. Plus, I found it easier to choose where to spend (Burt Bees Baby products were recommended time and time again so I stocked up on those, but they're not that cheap) and where to save (newborn sleepsuits and vests - I bought a couple new and got a few off eBay. I also got my changing bag from eBay for £12 instead of £45 cos I knew the bag I really wanted, but didn't want to pay full price.)

It's worth noting newborn baby sizes are very confusing and odd. Tiny baby is about 7lbs. Newborn is about 8lbs. 0-1 months 9lbs. 0-3 months is about 10lbs. It varies shop to shop, but tiny baby does not mean tiny baby in most shops.

Oh; just to add, for me, the joy of pregnancy was the excitement and planning for DD - I had spreadsheets and all sorts (weirdo alert) so enjoy getting organised for your little one but remember that whatever you don't get because you don't think you'll need it, you should be able to get from a 24 hour supermarket. Lots of threads on here said a top and tail bowl was useless, but we ended up buying one within 24 hours of being out of hospital. We're still on cotton wool mainly and DD is 6 weeks old. I thought we'd use wipes from the get go so I've got a drawer full of them upstairs. Oh well, they won't go off...

I second eBay for clothes - I'm expecting my first and have just bought a bundle of 16 sleep suits in newborn up to 1 m as I don't know how big my baby will be, and this cost me £1.99 plus postage (I bought many items so was combined)

They have arrived and most are unused, but washed. I also got 10 0-3 m babygros for 2.99 from same seller, these were used but you couldn't tell. It means that I've got a good selection of different sized clothes ready to go but for hardly any cost.

I'm more for the environment factor than the money although there's never enough of that to spare!

We've also opted for terry nappies, which we bought from mother are but I just found last week they do then in larger boots stores and you get more for your money there (plus 10points per £) so a little miffed but never mind! Still looking for a good quality nappy pail.

Sorry to change subject there op.

My DH and I did a but if research online looking at different lists, then compiled a list of everything we would need for the first 3m and went on a shopping spree (ouch!)

Although we got an awful lot for our money as before going out we compared prices online and got several items from amazon saving over half on quite a few!

We are BFg if possible but still got bottles and steriliser set as I will express so DH can do night feeds too, if he wants to. Of course assuming I can BF at all (my mum didn't produce any milk at all)

Hope this helps and always happy to answer any more questions

purrpurr I love spreadsheets too! Unfortunately I had mine on comp at work which was killed while I was off last month - all gone

Oh newmum no! The horror. If that had happened to me I would have thrown the computer and/or cried all over the blasted thing. I wasn't particularly level headed during my pregnancy :D also kudos on getting all that stuff from eBay. It's a shame there isn't a way to swap things on mumsnet without having to supply personal details, because I have a whole heap of clothes my DD has already grown out of that I'd be happy to give away, but will probably end up putting on eBay. She weighed a lot more than I expected at birth and has gone on to become the longest baby there ever was, no sleepsuits on the planet are long enough for her legs so they're all in a drawer now :( made me a bit sad putting them away!

muslin squares! They are a must, can be used for so many things from bib to makeshift nappy! They make good cloths later on too. Arnica and energy tablets are good for labour bag to. Good luck!

Start to build stocks of your consumables. There's always one offer or another, nappies, wipes, bibs (zillions) muslin squares, baby bath.

Build your own stocks too, make sure your kettle is up to snuff, tea/coffee etc

Also - take advantage of all the help you can afterwards re latch technique... Midwives, lactation consultants, whatever. Having support lined up helps a lot.

Oops wrong thread sorry!

I'd just say don't buy anything that you can't afford not to use. Lots of people will recommend baby bouncers and slings/carriers, and they can be an absolute godsend if your baby likes them - but they can also be very expensive if your baby doesn't like them. I think I just had a weird baby who preferred to be lying on the floor rather than in a bouncer or a sling! We had second-hand versions of both and I was really glad of that. So if spending £80 on a bouncer/rocker would be a real stretch for you, see if you can borrow one. Then you've got some flexibility to buy new ones or buy something else once you have an idea what your baby likes.

For the first few weeks all you really need are some clothes, nappies and muslins, and a stock of food that's easy for you to reheat and eat.

Bouncer. Bouncer bouncer bouncer. We really appreciate our bouncer.

What you will find really useful all comes down to your personal circumstances.

My advice, and generally what we did (can't believe I managed to be this restrained!): buy the bare minimum before birth. You will then find out what you really want and need after and people will usually also buy gifts (especially in terms of clothing).

The essential IMO is:

• a place for them to sleep (whether that's a cot, Moses basket, cosleep...) plus blankets or sleeping bags
• basic clothes (vests and sleepsuits are the main things)
• nappies
• and some milk (if you can and want to bf then you have the tools though I would add Lansinoh! If ff then bottles, sterilising method and formula).

Everything else will then follow suit

As an example...

• We washed DS in the sink until 4mo and since then he has used a bath seat, so we never owned a baby bath
• We have never owned a changing mat (is that weird? We change him on the bed...)
• I thoroughly dislike changing bags and tend to just put his stuff in a bag organiser (cheap, eBay) and food stuffs in a small cool bag, compact & easy
• I do own a jumperoo and DS loves it (bought at 4mo)
• no highchair, we use a Cushi Tush

you can pick slings etc up very cheap on ebay.

Forget all the lists insisting you need top & tails bowls etc. DD1 is now 5.5 , dd2 is 2 and I am STILL using the huge roll of cotton wool I brought before DD1 was born. I never used it on babies (though a friend used reams of the stuff). I used wet wipes and flannels and muslins.

I brought most things 2nd hand - moses basket, clothes, buggies, cot etc.

The baby essentially needs something to wear, nappies, somewhere to sleep, and something to eat. Everything else is not essential. Also you may well be given lots of gifts so I would wait until post birth for other stuff.

If you get Prime on Amazon, you can order any thing you need from your phone in bed & it will be with you the next day! No stress.

for night time I thoroughly recommend getting the nighties with elastic in the bottom (rather than sleepsuits) - no legs/poppers which makes a HUGE difference to the night time nappy changes etc.

Oh and definitely stock up for you:

• Plenty maternity pads, heavy duty style
• Arnica
• Witch hazel
• Cocodamol
• Tons of big knickers
• Cold compress

...at the very least

I was knocked sideways by my lack of postpartum prep

Don't plan on doing anything other than newborn snuggles for a couple of weeks if you can.

Enjoy it!

Yep just stick to basic, don't buy outfits probably be given too many as pressies anyway, just vests & babygro's. Somewhere to sleep, my moses basket was only used for 5 weeks), I would have been better to go straight for cotbed, some pram baskets can be used for overnight sleeping but need to check the specification (make sure its safe).. Nappies, something to go out & about with (car seats, sling).. Anything else you can decide after the baby arrives I would agree most things things you can get in supermarkets anyway..

I am in the minimalist camp. Comes of having ds early. When he was born we had 1 pair of scratch mitts (a present) - that was it. I went to hospital with my keys, wallet and phone.

We survived.

but I would say, nappies, vests, sleepsuits, place for baby to sleep plus bedding, way of transporting baby (pram or sling or possibly both) car seat. Maternity pads and chocolate - for you

I'm another minimalist, we've never used a pushchair, bought a cot when baby was 7 months, never had a baby bath, highchair, steriliser. But it is SO subjective, and there's nothing wrong with getting something you like just because!

I do find the best time to spend on a baby is about 8-12 months when you've known them a bit and know what you're likely to use, and they can have all the fun interactive stuff. And you'll know if they like to use a cot or if they like to use a pushchair or if they're happier with you, or if they like a structured plaything like a jumperoo/bouncer type thing or if they're happy enough crawling about and bashing pans together.

Nappies
Wipes / cotton wool I use reusable wipes similar to Cheeky Wipes.

Changing Mat
Lots of vests
Sleepsuits
Muslins - we used ours for all sorts including a sun shade / blanket when it was warm
Buggy and / or sling (not a baby bjorn one but have a look at other ones such as a close for a tiny baby)
Bedside crib / moses basket

For postpartum knickers I just bought cheap ones from Asda some of which I am still wearing 2 years later.

If you are breastfeeding

Pads
bfing bra

That's all I can think of at the moment. I use reusable nappies so if you are interested they are worth looking at. Not as hard work as you would think but that's personal choice.