What do you buy for a new baby?

[livingzuid]

Hello everyone,

I'm coming up to 20 weeks and allowing myself to get a bit excited as we will find out the sex of our baby on Friday. We saw it swimming away Friday last week when I saw my consultant and now my HG has settled down DH and I want to make a list of things we need so we can start purchasing bits to spread out the cost.

It is all quite overwhelming particularly when I start to Google stuff and it just gives you info overload! Is there perhaps a book or some good articles? I have followed some threads on here with interest that have been helpful.

We don't have much money and a tiny flat/car so want to keep things purchased to a minimum. I also have to bottle feed which is a shame as I wanted to not have to faff with formula and bottles! There are so many brands and different things available I just wanted to get a steer on a basic list.

Thanks very much :)

Do you have friends/family who will pass things on to you?

We didn't really buy anything for our baby but we were very lucky as we had our DS much much later than most of our friends (we were both in our 40s) and we were inundated with second hand stuff - three pushchairs .

Babies don't need new stuff. You can also pick up loads of things from charity shops/NCT sales etc.

Congratulations and you have my sympathies with the HG I suffered in my last pregnancy and its awful!

Don't be scared by all the lists you find online, most of the stuff is pointleas or can be bought afterwards rather than having all pre prepared. With my first I went all out and bight everythng I was told I'd need but with my second I learnt my lesson :o

A good start method is:
Somewhere to sleep - moses basket/crib/cot or cotbed, 2-3 sheets, matress, 2 cellular blankets.

Something to eat - 6 bottles, steriliser and a tub of formula

Someway to travel - group 0 car seat, pushchair/pram which lays flat, pram raincover and cosytose, slings can also be useful.

Something to wear - 6-8 babygro's, 6-8 vests, 2 cardigans, pramsuit, hat and 2-3 pairs scratchmitts.

Anything else is optional to start with. You'll feet loads of gifts (normally clothing) so wait and see what you need afterwards.

I added a baby swing at around 4 weeks and a play gym around 3 months.

A baby bath is useful but not essential, personally I like the bath sports which sorry if hold the baby for you as its less strain.

0-6 weeks

Thank you squtter that's a great list and reassuring. Funny you should mention the baby bath - we have a little bath tub but DH is insistent we will need a baby bath surely that's one more thing filling up space?

ragwort I live in the Netherlands and no one around although DH has said his best friend who has a 2 year old is going to give us some old baby clothes which will be great. Friends back home have been fab but not quite the same as being there with you.

I am also trying to rein in MIL a bit who is over enthusiastic about buying a ton of stuff. Which is lovely for her to do but something DH and I want to do as part of the fun of having a new baby - she also tends to buy stuff we don't want or need! He's handling that but having a list to show her will help :)

and yes the HG was soul destroying so I sympathise :( the thread on here is wonderful and was a lifesaver. Thank goodness I don't have to work right now because that was making it even worse.

Just thought on the baby bath perhaps it is good for when they are really tiny. Our sinks aren't big enough to put them in there (recall my young cousins getting bathed in the kitchen sink!).

Baby baths do take up a lot of unnecessary space, if you're not keen you can just as easily just jump in the bath with baby (newborn bath snuggles are lovely :)) or you can get something like http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Fabric-Bath-Support/792863,default,pd.html this

Oh my friend used one if those flexible toy tubs as a bath and now used it as a toybox so longer lasting :o

That fabric support is fab - I am sending the link to DH now! Our bath tub is really quite small so although I could squeeze in DH wouldn't be able to (6ft 3 typical tall Dutch person). Enterprising of your friend with the toy tub!

iv got this little frame thing for the bath, called a bath support, its covered in towelling which you take off and wash. one of the few "gadgets" i found useful.

dont bother with things like expensive in ear thermometer (or room one either) we have always managed just fine with a normal one despite being told how vital it was. you wont need a monitor in a small flat. id also say hang fire on buying a tonne of blankets we barely used the cellular ones and had a couple of cheap fleecies and a swaddle one which he preferred.

if you will be walking around with pram a lot buggy buddy things are good for stashing your keys, coffee etc.

in general you need far less than you think you will. you can get stuff from ebay etc but to be honest, unless you are REALLY hard up its nice to kit your baby out. m and s basic baby stuff is well priced and very soft and im sure they deliver abroad.

happy shopping!

iv got this little frame thing for the bath, called a bath support, its covered in towelling which you take off and wash. one of the few "gadgets" i found useful.

dont bother with things like expensive in ear thermometer (or room one either) we have always managed just fine with a normal one despite being told how vital it was. you wont need a monitor in a small flat. id also say hang fire on buying a tonne of blankets we barely used the cellular ones and had a couple of cheap fleecies and a swaddle one which he preferred.

if you will be walking around with pram a lot buggy buddy things are good for stashing your keys, coffee etc.

in general you need far less than you think you will. you can get stuff from ebay etc but to be honest, unless you are REALLY hard up its nice to kit your baby out. m and s basic baby stuff is well priced and very soft and im sure they deliver abroad.

happy shopping!

Ilovekittyelise thank you. How did I not know that M&S had a baby range? They are opening stores up again here and I'm hoping to squeeze in a visit home again at least once before the birth so may pop in for a look My mum is also coming for a visit and will be around for the birth so may get her to be my pack mule. Netherlands v expensive to buy things and crap choice. Miss home :(

H&M baby stuff is excellent too and I think they have a Dutch site but I could be wrong :)

Dont get a baby bath - get a little towelling ramp.

Pram/buggy with a carrycot which can be used for sleeping so you then dont need moses basket etc.

Chest of drawers (dont bother with baby wardrobe etc) and a change mat on top

Sorry I'm bounding in again but have you looked into prams yet if you're planning on using one?

I wad just going to say its so easy to see the big fancy/expensive ones and fall in live with them but with a small flat/car it wouldn't he much good to store, sorry if that sounds a bit obvious but I know loads of people who buy prams that are almost as big as their car and then realise they are tripping over it all the time at home.

There are lots of nice fairly compact ones out there :)

Hahaha we looked at prams, DH got confused over 'travel system' and we walked out the shop after 3 minutes feeling like it was all a bit too much!

I actually would prefer a sling or backpack type thing (have of course predictably fallen in love with the most expensive BjornBaby one and fear DH will veto it) as we live on the 3rd floor with no lift and don´t want to lug a pram around. We want to move before the baby is born to a bigger house but it is all a bit up in the air dependent on DH job. So I have to plan to be where we are for now. We have a Polo which already has to have a dog crate in the back sometimes so you are right about the pram needing to fit squtter

MyNameIsKenAdams that is a very good point about the carrycot. We could just use that day and night I guess?

H and M do have cute stuff, I have lots of my maternity clothes from them. A lifesaver in a country where C and A is a fashion hot spot

I thought C&A went years ago!!

Have you looked into sling libraries in your area?

Generally found in Facebooj, I only say because BabyBjorn type slings are really uncomfortable after a few hours because of the way the baby is held (dangling by the crotch) so it may be with checking out other types that would perhaps be comfier for you.
I have a Connecta which I love andso simple to Pitt on

stupid phone keeps jumping making me press publish

Anyway as I was saying we have a Connecta which holds baby in a seated position (supports knee to knee) which is better for their hips and even the weight distribution making it much more comfortable in your back and shoulders
My DP lives chucking DD on his back

Just been cooing over the M and S stuff it´s lovely.

Not sure we have sling libraries here but there is another lovely pg mumsnetter who is in NL so I must ask her. Care etc is brilliant here but all advice and support classes are in Dutch and DH never translates properly . C and A is a Dutch company, one of the richest families here apparently. Really no loss that they left the UK the clothes still looks the same as it did in the early 90s.

Interesting point on the BjornBaby, there is so much to all of this to learn, sigh. Don´t want to cut off the poor baby´s blood supply to its legs. Will look at the Connecta. On things like car seats, prams we don´t mind spending for something decent (particularly a safe car seat) and I could perhaps direct MIL that way!

Ooh yes MIL would probably appreciate buying a car seat :o

We have the Maxi Cosi Cabriofix which gets great safety ratings and seems quite spacious, my 10 month old still has loads of room.

My mum just asked why I didn´t put the baby in a drawer or a box to sleep I know times are tough for many, us included, but has the world not moved on a bit since her day?

I liked Maxi Cosi thanks! I will have a look at that. This is fun, online window shopping all day so far.

I was in mothercare on Saturday. The woman in front of me in the queue had a tommee tippee I think, starter kit. Steriliser, bottle warmer, breast pump, bottles, the whole shebang, reduced from 140 to 60. Worth a look!

Look at a Moby stretchy wrap - I covet one of these for my next dc.

If you have no lift and three flights of stairs just look for a pram that will fit in your boot and leave it there. Then just carry baby in the carseat, arms or carrycot up the stairs.

Hi living! Congrats

I noticed you mentioned about being happy to spend out a bit more on a car seat. BeSafe is a Scandinavian company, and we've bought the izi go car seat as 1. It's compatible with our pushchair & 2. The Scandinavian tests are to a higher standard (not that the other company's aren't testing enough!!!) but because of te icy conditions there, they are a lot more in depth and have a good track record. They've been going for quite a while, but not in shops for long. I'm sure you'll be able to get their stuff in NL

Saggy, I was looking at that on Amazon last night! very tempted but then I was reading lots about not needing to have a stereliser and using a dishwasher so going to check what the advice is here from the hospital on bottle feeding, probably the same as in the UK I guess. I want an excuse to get a dishwasher but not prepared to take any risks either with what is our miracle baby. Not a fan of wrapping kids in cotton wool etc but equally am a bit risk adverse when they are so small.

Good idea on keeping the pram in the boot. Didn´t think of that. We do lots of long walks on beach etc so think we will splurge on a sling thing and a pram.

Thanks K8eee my best friend is in Sweden and about to have her second there so I wonder if she is using their products. Will ask!

this is fun a whole new world of shopping. DH will be in mock despair

I'd not worry too much about getting all the formula feeding (ff) kit unless you are hell bent on big breast feeding (bf). £160 is a lot to spend on gear you might not use. Steriliser quite handy but not essential if you bf. as for pump i found a hand one helpful for gentle expressing off of milk when engorged but got given a medela swing when ds bit older& it was the only way to go for speedy expressing.

If you plan to bf then I wouldn't bother with bottles at first or having formula in.