Baby Preparations eeeek!

[misskatamari]

I'm currently 24 weeks and realising that I must actually start planning for baby things at some point pretty soon.

Luckily we have decided on the pram we want (baby jogger city select, with a maxi cosi car seat), but so far that is about the only thing we have decided upon.

I've also got a steriliser and bottles for letting DH do feeds a bit further down the line (super amazon bargain).

So my question basically is - what other things do I need and what would people recommend?

So far these are things I am thinking:

Moses basket - rocking or non-rocking stand? Is a cheapy okay? I just can't face shelling out loads for something that lasts a few months if we're lucky.

Cot/cotbed? is a cotbed a better option? Also, do i want one that you can take the side down on so you can have it next to your bed? Or should I hire the NCT bednest as our bedroom is small but i'm hoping to breast feed so would be good to be able to easily grab baby.

Baby monitors - not got a single clue about these!

Nappies - hoping to go resuable. Again, need to research as no idea! Any recommendations?

Sling - I'm thinking of maybe waiting until baby is born so I can try some out and see what she likes, but any recommendations much appreciated.

Then of course there are the clothes type things. I've got some bits and bobs and not planning on buying too much at the start as don't know how big baby will be etc.

Is there anything else big that's glaringly obvious but I have overlooked? I don't want to buy loads of stuff that we don't need but want to make sure we have the essentials. I'm gonna do some research online, but find peoples experiences and recommendations can often be the most useful so any advice much appreciated!

Thanks!

Close carrier and cot bed adapted to side car bed. Nothing special just normal one works.

Just quickly, thenappylady.com is highly recommended for advice on reusables, and you probably won't be far enough away from your baby for months and months to need a monitor.

I agree about a sling - wait until at least maternity leave or baby's arrival and go to your local sling library.

Newborn Essentials
Good luck

with regards to a Moses basket I would say that a cheapy would be fine. We bought ours at an NCT sale for a tenner then bought a new mattress. I was really glad I hadn't spent loads on it when DS refused to be put in it!!

Thanks ladies! I've been having a read of thenappylady so useful! Good idea about the NCT sale too Noodie - we have one coming up so will keep aneye out there for bargains. Olivia - thanks for the link!

Cool, thank you. Yeah I am all for second hand. I was worried I'd turn into a baby obsessed madwoman before I got pregnant but it appears I am instead something of a cheapskate bargain hunter! Sling library is an awesome idea - I will definitely have a go before committing to one!

I second sling library (I run one, so might be slightly biased!) - you can go along before baby comes too if you'd like, to get an idea of what's out there and how to use it. Some also do 3 month hires so you're all set for once baby arrives.

More and more towns also have nappy libraries - worth a google?

Good luck - you can spend stupid amounts on things that literally last a few months - second hand and not going mad are def the way to go!

Ps - I had the Moses basket downstairs rather than as a bed so to speak. Was lovely to have them snuggled up in the evenings next to you while you watch telly.

Argghhh I wrote a long, long list and then it lost it!

Ok so I've bought a whole bunch of stuff...here goes.

Pram, car seat and isofix - silver cross website. Great bargains and easy to use, they deliver pretty much the next say.

Rachel cotbed from johnlewis. Is bought an organic mattress from abaca organics. Bedding is from pottery barn kids as DH is American.

Changing table - mamas and papas - friend gave it to me and it was nearly brand new as she had two.

Moses baskets - I have two, one for down stairs and one for our room. I have both a rocking and non rocking stand.

Baby swing - suitable from birth - Beary smiles baby swing

Activity mat - suitable from birth - john lewis

Bath bath and toiletries, grooming kit, Sophie the giraffe etc

Sling - baby bjorn active

Monitor - BT baby monitor pacifier - it has a light show which I'm excited about....

Ewan the dream sheep - OMG he's so cute.

I bought very cute storage boxes from ikea and arranged them on the changing table.

As well as the items you've already mentioned, I'd also add a swing chair and playgym/activity mat to the list. DD used hers loads from birth.

Also, plenty of sheets for the moses basket (worthwhile if you have a sickie baby and you find yourself changing them daily), and loads of muslins for the same reason.

I would also be kind to yourself and get some disposable nappies to ease yourself in for the first few weeks!

Just a quick note on reuseable nappies....do have a look on eBay for bargains. The first size nappies (which I find easier to use for the first 4 months than big popper style nappies on a newborn) are often only very lightly used or not used at all by people who bought them then opted for disposables. You can get them for a fraction of the price, so it's well worth a look.

These are the decisions that we made:

Cot/Crib - we are hiring a bednest for the first six months so that we can semi co-sleep and then we have an Ikea Gulliver cot for when baby goes into his own room.

Moses Basket - I would not have bothered with one of these however we were given a brand new one as a gift so we bought a rocking stand for it. I figure we can use it downstairs for when the baby is napping.

Reusable nappies - I got a selection including Totsbots Bamboozles for night time, Dotty Bots, Little Lambs, Mio, Totsbots easy fits. There are different brands as they were all on offer at different times and I wanted a variety. I used Cloth Nappy Info and the Nappy lady as great sources of information. In the first couple of weeks I have bought some disposables as I figure I will have enough on my mind.

Sling/Wrap - I was given a Kari me stretchy wrap and I have bought a Becco Gemini too.

Other than that we just have some bedding and bits and pieces of clothing as well as some dribble bibs. We have been given a swing which was invaluable when we had our DD and also a playmate. These are not essentials though.