1st timer not having a clue what I need to buy!

[LG1979]

I'm 4 months now and starting to think about what things I'll need to buy for our wee bump. I've had a look at prams online but going to have a good scout round the shops in a few weeks to get a feel for what I like.

However when it comes to cots, moses baskets or cribs, I'm not sure what we should be going for? Do they sleep in moses basket when newborn and then move into the cot when a little bigger or should we be looking at just having them in the cot from birth?
Do we even need a crib??

Also for clothes, we're not finding out the sex and would like to keep anything neutral, but not sure how many of each item we'll really need to get?

Any advice would be brilliant!!

First timer too so I'm sure someone with more experience will be along shortly.
Most of my baby stuff is 2nd hand. Save money for the things you definitely want to buy new - mattress and car seat, and ongoing expenses such as nappies. Check out eBay, gumtree, freecycle and local Jack and Jill markets.
I have a Moses basket which baby will sleep in in our room. He/She will then move to a cot bed. You'll need sheets / blankets. I also have a floor bouncer seat for naps.
I have been given a mountain of 0-3 months clothes from friends/family so you might not need to buy any at all! A set of 6 vests and 6 babygros will get you started.

It really is what you want.

I used a crib upstairs and a travel cot downstairs with my first. Second I used a Moses basket as it meant I could carry basket around when needed.
Moses baskets are handy but may not last long. Mine lasted about 5 months then we moved into ds' old crib and then into a cot in dd own room.

Vests/Sleepsuits really depends on the baby/how much washing you want to do.
If baby is really sickly you may need more. I'd buy a pack of 7/8 vests and a couple of packets of Sleepsuits (usually come in packs of 3).
You may want to buy more, I had loads as I didn't want the stress about washing as well as a newborn.

I'd also recommend a bouncer chair. I loved using mine although you can do without for a few weeks.

Anything else you want to ask about?

You don't need a crib. Most babies go in a Moses basket from birth up until a max of about 6 months then transfer to a cot/cotbed. A xot is so big a a newborn, they often won't sleep well as they're used to a note confined space. You can use an insert such as a sleepyhead in a cot though.

DD - I used a moses basket in the early days and would move it from the livig room to the bedroom as needed (lived in a flat so no stairs).
DS - Crib in the bedroom and a Tiny Love Napper in the living room.

DD - into her cot after six months (was set up in her bedroom so wanted to wait til past 6m)
DS - he will be in our room for a year or two (we only have two beds) so will stick him in the cot on the next month or two (4mo) as DD will be growing out of it soon.

Clothes - stay simple. People buy you shit loads. Sleepsuits (long sleeves and legs) - go to Next and buy a pack of three in Newborn and two packs of three in Up To 1m. Same with bodysuits (short sleeves, no legs).

Clothing wise

7 sleep suits
7 bodysuits
2 hats
Scratch mitts
Few bibs
Few Muslin cloths

Will get you stsrted.

Thanks for the replies ladies. That gives me a bit of an idea anyway! Definitely think I'll buy some extra plain vests/bodysuits/sleepsuits to save worrying about washing right away.

Are there things I could be stocking up on from now on? Thinking along the lines of wipes/nappies type stuff or is it best to wait?

By all means start picking up wipes but go for a few different brands. Dont want to be spending £££s on, say, Huggies, only for the little one to have a reaction to them. Maybe each week you do your shopping pick up two or three packs and stash them away - they get used long long past the nappy phase.

Nappies Id just buy maybe three packs of newborn and a pack of size2s (they outgrow each size so fast - my 12wo is in size three already)

See if you can get sleepsuits with fold overcuffs (off the top of my head Next and Sainsbos do, Tescos dont) so you dont need scratchmits (which only fall off anyways). Socks not needed til you stop putting them in sleepsuits.

Pramsuit is worth getting (go for 0-3 as it doesnt matter if its big in the first few ereks) rather than a coat or snowsuit. A thin fleecy one is best as it can be worn in the car (unlike a coat or snowsuit).

There is a reason lots of baby stuff is white, which I didn't realise and had a load of yellow & cream sheets and things.

That reason is white things you can bleach!

If you have someone who can go to the shops for you and a Boots or similar nearby you don't need to go mad. I did a bit and lots of stuff I didn't use.

If I were doing it again I'd get:

Moses basket
Newborn nappies and baby wipes, changing mat.
1 set of newborn vests and babygros (some babies are big and so need 1-2 months straight away!)
Scratch mitts
Nice soft fleecy blanket

Then once you've got the actual baby you can see what else you want / need!

Also feeding, I bought loads of stuff that I never used.
Oh and yes you will need some kind of pushchair / travel system / pram / whatever takes your fancy. Sling even!

I got quite a lot of "boy section of the shop" stuff with DC1 even though I didnt know what I was having as it tends to be bright and patterned with stars and stripes and animals. DC1 was a girl and we were bought lots of pink and floral stuff so it was nice to be able to dilute that

I am a big proponent of not buying too much, as a posted above suggested stick to the minimum as it's really easy to get hold of other things you find you need when the baby is actually here.

If you have a place for baby to sleep, a car seat if you have a car, something to transport baby (sling/pushchair), nappies, cotton wool and an f-ton of little clothes, you're good to go! :-)

As to where they sleep, our DS just had a bedside co-sleeper until he was 6 months old and then transferred to a full size cot. We lived in an apartment and so really didn't need another place for him to sleep. Now we have a house so for DC2 (coming soon!) we have a moses basket for the living room and the co-sleeper for upstairs.

Good advice from others above for clothing, so I won't add to that.

Tescos do 7 packs of white vests. We bought one short sleeve pack and one long sleeve pack - though you wouldn't need the long sleeved ones for summer babies. Buy 0-3 months. It doesn't matter if they're too big, but Neborn size is only up to 7lbs, I think. Wouldn't last long!

You'll get a LOT of clothes as gifts for a first baby, so don't buy any outfits. Babies only wear sleepsuits for the first month anyway. Buy about 5/6 sleepsuits with fold-down cuffs. I love the Next ones. Lovely thick cotton. The ones with poppers down the middle are easiest to put on (some you put on like a jumper, but they're a pain).

You don't need socks but if you're going outside a hat is good as the hoods on those big puffy pramsuits always seem to hover miles above their heads!

Hi! I'm a first timer too but I'm about to pop so I can let you know what I have bought!! I may have gone a little over the top though as I'm addicted to baby clothes haha!!

• Moses basket with rocking stand for the bedroom
• Tiny love napper for the living room (A gift from MIL but really useful as will last for a good few months and work as a bouncer for when she is older!)
• Cot for the nursery for once she has grown out of Moses basket- it can be converted to a toddler bed so she will be in it until she is about 3 (I wasn't going to buy one until we needed it but it was a gift from family).
• Steriliser and bottles for if I cant BF and for once she is on formula. I also have a breast pump.
• Travel system with a car seat
• Newborn nappies and a multi pack of water wipes- I have been given a TON of newborn essentials like baby shampoo, soap, bum cream, baby oil etc I really haven't bought any of that stuff myself!
• Baby changing mat/ storage area
• Baby play mat & baby gym
• Selection of newborn toys (generally gifts from others but I have bought one of two things myself
• She is clothed up until she is about 6 months- I generally have vests, onesies, sleep suits and then a couple of outfits - I'm actually drowning in 0-3 month vests as I bought a couple of packs myself and then everyone seems to have bought us vests as well!!
• Snow suit
• Couple of hats and bibs (again mostly gifts) Lots of scratch mits.
• 5 or six cellular blankets, 2 fleecy blankets (Again gifts bar one of the fleecy blankets that we bought before anyone got us anything!)
• Baby bath, thermometer, and a baby monitor
• Selection of muslin squares

Err I think that's about it!! - (Other than a dolls house and rocking horse which she wont play with until she is much older haha)

Thanks ladies! This has been brilliant and I've got a much better idea of what we'll go for!

I wish I'd bought less for DS and more for me! I went mad with clothes and ended up "handing down" clothes that hadn't even been worn. Stuff for me would include, Lanisnoh&breast pads (if you're planning to bf), lavender oil (good for healing sore bits), a coat with a hood (you can't hold a brolly and push a buggy), a kindle, maternity pads etc. Also silly things like a touch-on lamp for night wakings and DVD box sets.
You get lots of new born clothes and toys bought as gifts, mainly because people like buying tiny baby clothes!

Yep water wipes, Napier etd you can pick up when they're on offer etc, that's what I'm doing x

Buy a cotbed rather than a cot. The cot bed you convert and take sides of once ready to make a toddler size bed so lasts newborn-5/6 years.

Take a look at the 'Phil and teds nest'. It's a travel cot/ Moses basket. It's slightly bigger than Moses basket so lasts newborn -9ish months rather than newborn -4months in Moses basket. The added benefit is it folds up for travelling so if you plan to go anywhere in the first year it's great. That can stay in living room and cotbed in bedroom. We used ours also on the beach and on grass for picnics etc

Dont take tags off clothes til you use them. I was able to swap tagged clothes for bigger sizes if they never got worn. Ok so if theyd gone down in the sale I only got the sale price but still worh it.

Im a first timertoo, and also unsure, especially with moses basket and/or a crib - do I really need both?

Nope you dont need both. Ideally baby will need somewhere to sleep in the bedroom (crib, moses basket or cot), and somewhere to sleep in the living room (crib, moses basket, carrycot of the pushchair, travel cot, on you).

Moses basket +vs - portable so can use one for livig room AND bedroom. -vs - babies can outgrow them quickly

Crib +vs - bigger than a moses basket so last longer. -vs - not portable.

i posted this a while ago and everyones suggestions were very very helpful! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/2262205-baby-preparations-help