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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

First timer needs baby shopping advice!

12 replies

sambababy · 03/12/2013 15:24

Hello mummies, mums2b and dads!
I'm 17wks (whoop whoop!) and am starting to think about the things I'm going to need to buy, for the remainder of my pregnancy and for when the baby arrives.
I've heard that a pregnancy pillow is a good idea, is that the same as a v-shaped pillow, that I can use for bf too?
Then I guess I need a pram, car seat, cot, baby monitor, clothes & nappies, muslin cloths, changing mat, changing bag... The list seems endless. I have no idea how to choose a pram! And do I need a Moses basket as well as a cot?
If there is anything you bought for your pregnancy or baby that you couldn't have lived without, please tell me! I'm totally lost! Tx

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Sausagesaurus · 03/12/2013 15:28

Hi sam congratulations on your pregnancy!! Thanks

I am going to watch this thread with interest as the same questions have been going through my head!

marzipanned · 03/12/2013 16:12

There are loads of threads with good advice

e.g. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3109-buying-stuff-for-first-baby-what-do-you-really-need/AllOnOnePage

Just type 'what to buy first baby' into the search function if you want to see more.

My tip would be buy as much second hand as possible. Gumtree has become my best friend. I got the pram, bouncy chair, playmat, sling and all clothes for 0-6 months for less than £250. New could end up being closer to £1000.

hotcrossbun83 · 03/12/2013 16:12

Congrats on your pregnancy!

A few websites like mothercare and mamas and papas have shopping lists of everything you need so I would start there, compiling your own list and using your own judgement as some items they claim to be 'essential', like soft toys, clearly aren't (if you're not sure about something ask here and you'll get plenty of advice)

It's a bit anal but I would then add a budget for each item, you can research online to see how much things cost. Then you can see the total spend and adjust your item budgets until the total is affordable.

This helps because the cost of many items varies hugely, and until you know how much you're spending in total you won't know how much you can spend on the big items like pram etc. For the pram I would work out a budget then see what options you have in that price range, try them out in a store and search/ask on here for advice. It's really helpful to see them in the shop and practise taking them apart etc.

You will need something for the baby to sleep in for the first few months that fits into your room and ideally moves into the living area so they can sleep near you in the day - Moses basket is the standard choice, or you can get a crib or co-sleeper.

I'm 37+4 so can't give my own reviews yet... For pram I got the uppa baby vista which is highly recommended on here and have friends that love it. And amazon is great for all the small bits and pieces you need, it's cheap and one order on there can make the list suddenly look a lot more achievable.

Good luck

KatAndKit · 03/12/2013 16:17

Do not go mental and ignore the list in the mother are catalogue. You do not need half as much as you think.

you choose a pram by taking your lifestyle and the size of your car boot into consideration! Will you be using a lot of public transport? Will you be using the car a lot and therefore need the pram to be easy to fold? How much room do you have in the hallway? Go to somewhere like kiddicare and have a look at what is available in your price range.

sleeping - can you fit a cot in your room? If so you can manage without a Moses basket but perhaps get a cheap one anyway. Where will the baby sleep downstairs? Another option is a bedside crib until baby goes into cot in own room.

muslins. These are very cheap in supermarkets. Just buy a couple of packets in advance, you may not have a sicky baby. If you need more buy them later.

i love pregnancy pillows but get the full body length! So nice and cuddly. Not useful for bf but you might not need a bf pillow, i found them more of a hindrance.

car seats. If you pop in and out of the car a lot then one you can attach to pram is handy. Newborns shouldn't be in car seats for long periods so this is not ok for a day out in the shops but fine for popping in and out of somewhere without waking sleeping baby. Maxi cosi are compatible with many makes of pushchairs. If you will not need to take the seat out of the car that much it is more economical to get a combination birth to age 4 seat that just stays in the car.

a changing mat only costs a fiver. Get one for upstairs and one for downstairs. Supermarkets all sell them. Choice of changing bag depends on your interest in handbags and your budget. I got plain black cheapo version in Asda as my interest in fancy bags is low.

i have a monitor with a nightlight which is helpful. We used to have a more expensive video monitor but it was a piece of crap. An audio one is perfectly adequate.

no need to stockpile nappies. Get about three packs of size one for the first week or so. Then you can try out different brands and see what fits your baby best. I think aldi are very good personally.

the best clothing for a young baby is vest plus sleepsuit plus cardigan if cold. I would get nine vests and sleepsuit in newborn size (up to 10lb, in some makes this is called up to 1m) and a dozen of each at the most in 0-3. You can get by with less. You will get bought cute but impractical outfits as gifts. You will probably succumb to buying a couple yourself, but remember it is mostly vests and sleepsuits you need. Two or three cardigans in each size is enough. A couple of little hats too for cooler weather. A winter baby will want a snowsuit.

other things i found useful were sling, bouncing chair, baby sleeping bags and a nice baby playgym. Also a baby bath support to use in the big bath.

highlandfling10 · 03/12/2013 16:21

Hi Sambababy

Congratulations!!!

I’m 15wks with number 2! Getting a wee break while my toddler has a nap Hurrah!!

Things I couldn’t live without... Baby sling, so baby was all nice and close and snug with us. So much easier than always taking the pram. We had a Baby Bjorn first time but I’m going to try a wrap around sling this time.

We got a moses basket as were limited for space in our bedroom – but my DD was out of it by 2months. Then we borrowed a crib which did her till she could sit up at 6 months when she went into her own room in a cot. If we had the room I would have used a cot from the start - I know friends have.

Loads of baby grows! They just live in them to start with, with PLENTY of changes LOL! Ditto for Muslin cloths.

Nappy bin if using disposables – Saves taking out the dozens of nappies esp at the start. We used the Tommy Tippee one and will be reusing it again!

A baby gym/seat for some hands free time for you.

Prams – good to go and try them out in the shop, take them apart & get them back together yourself – some look great but were so un-usable/heavy/fell apart! We have an Uppababy Vista which is a cracking 3 in one, we’ll just be adding a rumble seat/boogie board to it for number 2.

Ooh this is all making me very excited thinking about it all again! Smile

Hope that’s maybe of some help! Good luck with everything!

marzipanned · 03/12/2013 16:33

Sorry - just to add re pregnancy/bf pillow - you probably won't need one for another 10 weeks or so, I'd wait until you need one to buy one as you might well get away without. I personally wouldn't recommend the Dream Genii, the other ladies on my ante natal thread recommend a Theraline pillow.

BartBaby · 03/12/2013 16:34

Hi and congratulations!

Firstly a pram. Have a think about your lifestyle and what you will need. Do you have a car? Or use the bus a lot? I'm always in the car and do the school run every day so I'm looking for a travel system so I don't keep disturbing the baby just for the sake of a couple of minutes. And then a carrycot included aswell for walks out etc. if you use public transport a lightweight easily foldable would be better. Best thing is to go and have a play with a few in mothercare or mamas and papas and see what you like.

Car seat - do you want an isofix compatible one? I didn't with my son. But this time I will for my car just to make things a bit easier as I will be in and out of the car a lot. We won't be needing one for hubby's car.

Moses basket - some people don't see the need for these but it depends on your sleeping arrangements. I used mine every day for months with my son. I will be using a Moses basket for sleep downstairs and then taking it up to our room for on a night. Then we will be using a cotbed (slightly larger than a regular cot) for when they are to big for the Moses basket, then that will convert into a toddler bed. It is possible to use the carrycot off your pram for sleep downstairs in the house if you wanted. If you have a cot for them to sleep in upstairs you will need something for downstairs aswell.

Not sure about the pregnancy pillow. I'm just using a regular pillow for now. And didn't use a pillow for feeding. Maybe just a regular pillow off the sofa if needed.

I found a baby bouncer quite useful. One of the ones that plays music and vibrates. It soothed my little one for long enough to get some jobs done or have a wash!

If you sign up to boots parenting club you can get a changing bag for free (when you buy some nappies) it's a pretty decent bag aswell.

I hope some of this helps. I'm sure there will be more people along soon with more helpful tips Smile

cathpip · 03/12/2013 16:37

My friend had a good idea when she was expecting her first. She wrote a list of what she thought she would need and took it to work and asked every mum in her dept to cross off or add to it :). I am expecting dc3 and have never had a Moses basket as I always used the carrycot attachment from the buggy. vests, baby gros, muslins, couple of cardigans, car seat, blankets and a buggy. You can get the rest at a later date!

BartBaby · 03/12/2013 16:38

It took me so long to write that, that loads of people managed to beat me to it Grin

sambababy · 03/12/2013 18:39

Wow thank you so much ladies, this is really helpful! I can't believe how many things I hadn't thought of! I will definitely need to do some shopping around or I could spend a fortune. I am ridiculously excited about buying babygros, they're just so cute!!

OP posts:
AHardDaysWrite · 03/12/2013 18:52

A sling is wonderful as newborns like to be cuddled close to you, and if they're in a sling they will sleep which means you can make a sandwich or go for a little walk. Don't buy a baby Bjorn or anything that mothercare sell - they're not ergonomic, and will be ok at first but once your baby's a bit bigger it'll kill your back. If you can, google if there's a sling meet near you and go and try a few on. Good brands to look out for are connecta, ergo, manduca and Tula. Personally I have a connecta and dd lives in it!

In the early days, especially if you're breastfeeding, you will get more sleep with a co-sleeper crib. The baby won't settle unless you're near and you'll probably master feeding lying down - which is bliss with a co-sleeper cot as you don't even get out of bed for night feeds. You can buy one, rent from the NCT or make your own very easily - we made ours with a £30 cot from ikea, cable-tied to the bed at the same height as the mattress (with the side left off obviously). There are videos on YouTube to give you ideas.

You don't need newborn toys (and will be given loads), cot bumpers, loads of toiletries. Don't bother with outfits in newborn size - all baby needs at first are vests (called bodysuits), with a sleepsuit over the top and a cardi/hat if you're going out. Once you've wrestled a newborn into a vest you will not want to attempt dungarees or a party dress! Plenty of time for all that later. Congratulations!

JanieLovesLuckySocks · 03/12/2013 19:21

congrats on your pregnancy OP! i am 10 days overdue at the minute but hopefully i'm pretty sorted! you will probably like to get some things brand new - it's fun picking them up and it's nice to know you chose them! but if you are happy to do so, one thing i would recommend is to go for second hand where possible, even if just to keep at your parents house if you plan to be there often.

from friends, and friends of friends, we have managed to get:
2 moses baskets (one for upstairs and one for downstairs - we bought new mattresses for about £15 each)
a bag full of nearly new moses basket sheets,
2 blankets,
a moby wrap sling,
a bouncy chair to keep at my mums,
a spare maxi cosi car seat,
2 play gyms,
a bumbo (seat for when they can sit upright),
a travel cot,
steriliser,
highchair
and bundles of clothes!

we have been so lucky and saved an absolute fortune thanks to the generosity of friends. as other posters have said, moses baskets might only be used for 3 months, and depending on your choice, they can start at around £60/£70 for a basic one with mattress and stand etc.

re. the pram / travelsystem / buggy / whatever they are called these days, we bought a nearly new bugaboo chameleon off friends for £200 - these cost around £800 new! they had 2 kids close together so needed a two seater buggy and they were going to put it on gumtree but offered it to us first! you can pick them up on ebay really cheaply and they seem to be made to last.

we have 2 changing mats - again one for upstairs, one for downstairs.

we haven't bought any toys or outfits for the baby, if i was a baby i'd like to be in my jimjams, especially if it's cold! everyone says we'll be inundates with outfits and toys as gifts so didn't buy any of our own (except an unbelievably cute xmas jumper in tescos! heehee)

i'll keep checking in in case i think of anything else once the baby comes along!

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