Spring/summer baby - shopping list advice please

[Clarabell33]

I'm due around Easter and have already bought a few basics but wanted to find out what else we will need for a spring/summer baby, mainly in terms of what it wears/gets wrapped in/sleeps in. We're in Scotland, so I'm not anticipating too much decent weather Also don't want to go overboard, just want to be sure we have enough to get us started...

Clothing bought/acquired so far in a mix of newborn and 0-3 months sizes:
Short sleeved baby gros x 5 (no legs)
3 x sleepsuits (with legs and feet I think)
Cotton hats, socks/bootees, scratch mitts
Trousers/leggings x 2
Cardigan x 1

Non-clothing:
Lots of muslins
Blankets x 3
Towels x 2
Shawls (currently being knitted by MIL so no idea how many!)

DH thinks we are totally sorted but he hates shopping so I suspect he has an ulterior motive for being so blasé...

I've got a separate list for the toiletries etc which I think is ok, but if anyone has any suggestions re feeding equipment and nappies... what size/s of nappy do you buy in advance before you know what size the baby will be??

And if you're planning to breastfeed (and hoping to express so DH can do a few feeds), what equipment do we need? Obviously a few bottles... but what size, type of teat, do we need a steriliser, what sort, what else... what sort of breast pump or should I just try by hand...

Thank you!

You would definitelly need more than 3 sleepsuits. I would say at least 7 or so. Depends how often you will do laundry and if you have dryer.

I would get more sleepsuits - they go through those things like nobodies business. It's worth having 9-10 so that you can go at least a couple of days without needing to wash them. The same goes for the vests (the short sleeved, legless babygros). For the first few months, I pretty much dressed ds in vests and sleepsuits (end of August baby) - comfy for the baby, and easy to dress them in.

Depending on what the weather is like, you might well want a fleecy babygro as well, to put them in when you go out (not a full blown snowsuit though!).

Buy a couple of packs of newborn nappies, they will most likely fit your sprog. If your baby is teeny or ginormous, that's dh's job to go and rebuy :)

Sorry can't help on the feeding. I bf but didn't bother expressing - seemed like way more trouble than just feeding the baby, so didn't need any other equipment than boxes and boxes of breast pads. When I did need to express a small amount (I sat some exams when ds was six months) I just expressed by hand.

Thank you! I was anticipating DM and MIL (and possibly friends and extended family) buying or passing on a fair amount of baby stuff so didn't want to buy too much, but sounds like more is better!

DH reckons his mum has probably been buying stuff ever since we told her I was pregnant... So I'd been trying to stop myself from overdoing it, but back to the shops it is

I loved those huge muslins for using as a blanket/swaddle when it was too hot for an actual blanket.

Get boxes of newborn nappies but keep the receipt handy in case you need to change.

Agree to getting more plain vests/sleepsuits. People will probably give you really nice things that you might prefer to put on baby during the day.

You will end up with too much stuff - you can't anticipate what you need plus people are so generous. Dealing with the excess is a future problem though, not for worrying about now.

Hope it all goes well!

Just a couple more sleep suits and vests. First few weeks of nappies are awful and you may find you go through 3 in hosp alone. Might also want another cardi or thin jacket Incase baby is sick on it.

I think you need more than 1 cardigan, with my first daughter I dressed her in a short sleeved vest, long sleeved sleepsuit and cardigan every day for the first few weeks (she was a March baby).

Most babies will be in Newborn at first, 0-3 will probably swamp them, I had 4 newborn sleepsuits and that was enough then about 15 in 0-3 which was way too many but most of them were bought as presents, some brands of sleepsuits have built in mitts on the cuffs which are easier as the individual mitts come off all the time.

I'm due in 6 weeks with dd2 and am only buying one small pack of newborn nappies, different brands fit better on different babies and last time had stocked up on 5 or 6 different ones and found the best for her was Aldi so had to throw a lot away as they'd been opened and only had 1 or 2 taken out, it's worth tying whichever is easiest for you to buy locally first, our nearest Sainsburys for instance is 5 miles away whereas Aldi is a 5 minute walk so much easier to pop there especially if you have a caesarean and can't drive for a bit.

I can imagine it must be difficult to be prepared if people have already been buying stuff, and you're second guessing!

I would have a chat with your mil, along the exact same lines of your op, and give her the opportunity to let you know more or less what kind if things she's getting you.

I think you definitely need a couple more cardigans, and for summer babies, I really liked the nighties with elasticated bottoms for easy night time nappy changes.

Agreeing with all of the above.
We had ours a couple of months ago and I can safely say we wasted money on booties and mitts, neither stays on for long enough to justify their presence. Babygrows with fold over sleeves are worth their weight in gold.
Lots and lots of long sleeved babygrows / sleepsuits ones that open at the front .
Muslins - lots of.
Baby wipes.
Nappies.
Ours have reflux so a nose sucking device came in handy (Nose Frida).
A little thermometer for water and room (2-in-1).
Sangenic nappy bin (poops only or you'll run out of bags in about two days )
Couple of swaddles. We had a private midwife and she helped with advice on feeding etc enormously, swaddling was done for the night because it is hard for the first few weeks and swaddling helped.

Most things can be bought on line so in latter stages of your pregnancy you can surf the net to your hearts content.

I do agree with more sleepsuits - but otherwise, shops and internet shopping will still be there, even after you have your baby.

They are all different, so you never know what yours needs.
For example - I also bought a lot of muslins, but didn't use them, as DS wasn't a pukey baby. I bought several swaddling wraps, as friends were raving about them - he hated being swaddled. Got cute baby towels and couldn't figure out why he was screaming after bath - poor thing was just cold and stopped screaming when we started using normal biw towels instead. Got loads of newborn clothes - he grew out of them before he got to even wear most.
So unless you live in the middle of nowhere, with no deliveries - you'll be fine.

also, I bought a lot of stuff from ebay. you can get a massive bundle of clothes, usually including various items, for just a few pounds. As babies grow so fast, the clothes usually still look excellent. And it won't be such a waste if your baby does not get to wear them all.