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Original poster

Buying baby stuff

30 replies

AlwaysDancing1234 · 20/02/2014 08:11

I'm 22 weeks and we made our first 'baby stuff' purchase this week. Had a tough time in early pregnancy, had twins but lost one very early and had lots of bleeds so thought we would lose this one too but she's held on and we had the 20 week scan and she's perfectly heathly thank goodness.
Finally starting to believe now that everything is ok and we will have our baby in 4 months time Smile
Anyway my question is when did you start buying baby stuff? I feel like we haven't got anything sorted at all and I'm usually very organised! With DC1 I had everything ordered or bought pretty early but this time I feel like I've done nothing!

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Lagoonablue · 20/02/2014 08:12

About a week before. Mainly because I was very nervous.

mrsmugoo · 20/02/2014 08:15

Started just after Christmas this year when I was 29/30 weeks.

Bumpiemalumpie · 20/02/2014 08:16

Oh exciting times op!

I bought a blanket after the 12 week scan, some vests at 18 weeks and then slowly everything else from 28/30 weeks. I was a bit superstitious about having the buggy and car seat in the house too early and I didn't set up the nursery until 36 weeks. However, it is an exciting time and you should just go with what you feel happy with,

My lo was born at 38.6 and I had to send DH out for nappies whilst i was in labour as I had this motion lo wouldn't arrive till we bought some!!!!!

Good luck!

Original poster
AlwaysDancing1234 · 20/02/2014 08:26

Thanks everyone Thanks
I've made a list of things we need with "essentials" at the top followed by "desirable if funds allow" then finally " in your dreams if we win the lotto" stuff at the bottom!
We already have DS who is 6 but never thought we would get a chance to have another DC so have sold/given away 99% of his old baby stuff so starting from scratch again. Can't wait to start buying stuff for DD now!

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MaMaPo · 20/02/2014 08:31

Congratulations!

I got most of my stuff after 32 weeks, but left everything really late. My husband had to go home from the hospital to put the pram together so we could bring baby home. We didn't have a cot or crib for the first 3 weeks so she slept in the moses basket attachment for the pram. (Not that she really slept, of course). Her first 3 weeks of life were spent wearing clothes about 5 weeks too big.

My message: be slightly more organised than me. :)

Lazybones80 · 20/02/2014 09:43

I'm only 25 weeks, but I'm aiming to get everything bought before 30 weeks. The thought of traipsing around babies r us at 39 weeks makes me feel tired

ipswichwitch · 20/02/2014 09:53

Firstly, sorry for the loss of one of your twins. Happened to us too, but his brother made it and is currently running about the living room like a whirling dervish!

To answer your question, for DS2 who is 9 weeks, we left everything til the last minute (superstitious after what happened). But really didn't need much anyway - I just got some vests and sleep suits, already had the Moses basket, and just went window shopping for a double buggy, picked the one we wanted then waited until he was born to buy it (bought online and it arrived within a couple of days).

Maybe if family want to buy things for the baby, show them the list and see if they'll get anything off that. Or just order stuff online after baby is born - requires minimal effort and means you can shop and eat cake at the same time! They really don't need much stuff in the early days. Most website deliver pretty quickly now.

Aaliyah1 · 20/02/2014 10:26

I'm starting now at 33 weeks Hmm I kept saying oh there's plenty of time and now I'm in a panic and can't make decisions on big purchases!
I wish I'd started earlier as I'm suffering from SPD and exhaustion and I just CBA to go shopping and walk around to look at things properly.
Still need to make space for baby at home which involves a massive clear out of my own things...again I'm so tired after normal daily activities that I keep putting this off. Really wish I'd started earlier so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed now!

MissSlackPants84 · 20/02/2014 10:35

Im 18+5 and we have been buying bits for the last 3 weeks. Every food shop I order something like breastpads, wipes, sterilising spray etc. Today I boughy my first set of baby grows Smile

KatAndKit · 20/02/2014 10:41

I started slowly from about 24 weeks last time and had it all done by 35 weeks. Started a tiny bit earlier this time but not before 20 weeks and I still aim to be all finished by 35. I like to do bits and bobseach week.

nocheeseplease · 20/02/2014 10:48

I'm only 17 weeks tomorrow but we already have the pram - we got it at 14 weeks! I saw an absolute bargain on ebay and couldn't pass it up. We bought a little blanket this week too but haven't got anything else yet. Although we already have 3 dc's we had got rid of all our baby things as we weren't planning any more so we have to start from scratch again. I'm getting quite a lot from my sister so no doubt she'll be passing them on soon as well to save her having to store them at her house.

I'll probably start buying things such as clothes and nappies every few weeks now to spread the cost until the baby is born.

mixi82 · 20/02/2014 11:13

I went a little mad buying stuff after our 12wk scan! We have pretty much everything sorted now, just need pram and bathset. I don't think there's any set time, just go for it whenever you feel ready :)

beela · 20/02/2014 11:38

Oh my.

I am 31 weeks and haven't even thought about it yet! We've got all of DS's stuff in the loft but need to get it down and washed if necessary, so it's not a traipsing-round-the-shops job thank goodness, but I still feel like it's too early...

I suppose I should get my arse into gear.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 20/02/2014 13:14

About 35 weeks but hardly bought anything. Tend to buy baby things as and when we need them. Save a fortune Smile

SomethingOnce · 20/02/2014 13:26

JJJ has the right idea. There's so much pressure to buy loads of unnecessary tat that will empty your bank account and clutter your home!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 20/02/2014 13:37

Smile at something. Did buy a pack of babygros and vests. We were bought a travel system and used the pramette as a carrycot so bought a stand for that. Bought a couple of sheets for it and a couple of blankets. A pack of nappies and that was it.

Elastigrrrl · 20/02/2014 17:24

Am so relieved to read something and Jilted's comments. I'm 25/26 weeks and starting to think about it, but really sense that buying stuff will take as much time as you give it! Therefore hope to give it limited time and keep things as basic as possible. By the grace of online shopping, is there really a need to go to shops to try anything other than pram/sling?

By the way, I thought babies slept in Moses baskets for up to three months (counting on it as we're moving abroad after two and a half); is there really a need to have a cot/crib in the early weeks?

weebairn · 20/02/2014 17:34

I think it was around 34 weeks. Like some of the others above, I only bought the stuff I needed immediately after the birth. So - some vests and baby grows and a warm coat and hat, some nappies, I borrowed a sling, a baby bath (maybe not necessary but lovely) , changing mat, car seat. I think that's everything we needed? I was given a moses basket, but we largely co-slept for the first 6 months. I bought some reusable nappies which I used between 3 and 12 months, I think.

I got lots of lovely presents when she was born. Toys and blankets and clothes and books.

I bought a sling and a pushchair a few weeks after birth when I had more of a feeling for what it was like going out with the baby. Cot at around 6 months.

I'm pregnant again and don't think I need to buy hardly anything this time! Already have all of the above! (I did everything pretty unisex) DD is 16 months and still in her first car seat, so we will need to get a new one for her in due course and baby can have the old one. Will try and get her into a bed so we can use the cot for the new baby in due course too. Can't face the thought of a double buggy so will try pushchair & sling, but DD is already a good walker and will be 2 when new baby arrives.

Congratulations OP. Buying baby stuff is so lovely. I would agree that they don't need much and don't go crazy, though!

SomethingOnce · 20/02/2014 17:40

Probably not. Newborn DD looked tiny in her enormous cotbed and she didn't use it much in the early days.

There's a whole industry dedicated to inventing and marketing pointless and expensive baby stuff - online shopping for basics only helps you avoid a lot of it. A visitor I had when DD was a month old looked shocked and asked, "But where's all your baby stuff!"

Jess03 · 20/02/2014 17:42

Congrats! We also lost a twin but the other one is 3! We started after the 20 wk scan with the pram (was a really bad buy in retrospect). For dc2 I'm planning to try and pick things up second hand because we spent 000s on things that we used for 3-4 months max, total rip off! They do grow so fast.

Original poster
AlwaysDancing1234 · 20/02/2014 17:43

Thank you so much for all of your comments, really helpful.
Lots of grandparents and family on both sides who want to buy 'the big stuff' such as crib, pram and car seat which is great. However, I have leant to not be so shy and actually tell them which one we want (within a given price range) because with DS we ended up with some random things we weren't really keen on and some that we never needed/used!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 20/02/2014 19:43

elast I think you'll be fine without a cot Smile

weebigmamma · 20/02/2014 19:56

I don't think I'll ever not be scared of everything going wrong until the baby is here and yelling :-) I am 33 weeks and I had a relative who lost a baby recently. My daughter who is 8yrs old asked me today 'what if we've bought all this stuff and then the baby dies?', so I guess it's on all of our minds at the minute :-( But the stuff has to be bought at some stage and I have been letting myself look forward to the birth more and more recently because pregnancy is so tough- we might as well enjoy what we can of it. It wouldn't make anything worse if something awful did happen. Sorry to hear of your loss and very good luck in the coming weeks. I wish you a happy and peaceful pregnancy! xxx

redcaryellowcar · 20/02/2014 20:09

i think you don't need to start too soon? ds arrived early at 36 weeks, we had a few vests and baby grows and a cot and mattress, dh went to mothercare and bought stuff like maternity pads and breast pads, then to halfords for a car seat! think if ds hadnt been late we would have bought loads more i am quite pleased we didn't get it as we just bought stuff as we needed it! only caveat is it might be worth finding out which pram/ pushchair you want and if there is a lead time on delivery,

Original poster
AlwaysDancing1234 · 21/02/2014 07:13

weebigmamma thank you for your lovely message and sorry to hear you have been having a tough time, and your family too.
I'm the same mindset as you, part of me can't wait to buy things and prepare but another part of me thinks that until I have our baby in my arms staring up at me I won't quite believe this miracle is happening.
Did some online research yesterday to look for good deals on the crib/pram/car seat we need and even if I left it to the very last minute we could buy car seat etc from the shop and get the rest delivered in about 3-5 days so I think as long as we have clothes & nappies etc for the first few days the rest can wait!

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