Buying stuff and decorating.

[BobbinsBoo1]

Just wondering when everyone started or will start buying baby things and decorating the nursery?
Did you wait until quite late on in the pregnancy or start early?

We didn't buy anything until after the 20 week scan, and didn't start decorating the baby's room till I was 36 weeks or so. Realistically you don't need to decorate a nursery, we did, but I knew I'd be sleeping in there for the first few weeks as Dh works long shifts and we didn't want to disturb each other.

(It is lovely to be able to go and sit in there though, with all the little bits and put baby's stuff away.)

I waited a long time and did very little. Other friends and relatives had recently had babies and I realised that, as they were, we too might be given things so I deliberately did not rush out and buy much. As we gradually told people, many generously offered us all manner of useful things: a cot, a baby bath, clothes, toys which they were eager for someone else to put to use and enjoy. So many of these essentials you will only use for a few years. We did buy a car seat + pushchair a few weeks before the birth and after dd was born a bouncy chair. One of the rooms in our house was already decorated for children with a countryside frieze and Pooh decals, so I left that. Dd 9 still sleeps there.

We did most of our shopping at around 22 weeks (as it was when the sales were on). I may well have done it sooner if the sales had fallen that way.

We aren't decorating, our spare room is nicely decorated in yellow and blue already and to me that is unisex. I will swap the single bed for a cot at some point, but we don't have one yet and as we are planning on having baby in with us for a while first (and a cot won't fit) I was holding out a bit longer.

Just finished decorating and had carpet done in the room that will be nursery. BUT it was going to be done regardless. 20+1
Single bed going back in as it'll be used eventually and nowhere else for it to go! Starting to think about the major purchases if people aren't trying to give us their old cots etc anyway!

We didn't set up the 'nursery' until DS was six months old and ready to go in it. It still isn't decorated and he's 19 months old! It's a new build though so just white.

Dc#2 is due in 7 weeks and we won't be doing anything about their room before the birth either. Haven't bought anything for this baby either!

I realise I might be the exception, but you don't actually need a nursery for ages as the baby will be in with you anyway. I know some people like to get everything set up, but I am cautious in pregnancy and don't like to get carried away.

We decorated the nursery after the 20 week scan and we knew the gender. We had dd in with us for first 7 months but still used the nursery regularly as all of her clothes were in the wardrobes and had a feeding chair in there.

I also hoped that as she was in there regularly with us she would be used to the nursery and wouldn't have a problem when it came time to sleep in there. We didn't have any problems but that could be a coincidence

No decorating as it doesn't need it, and live abroad so no cast offs/hand me downs. Bought a cosleeping cot yesterday on a local selling site and will wait until the summer sales to buy clothes. I'm 17 weeks and I was happy to start buying now.

We found out the sex at 16 week and decorated the room at 20weeks.
As for buying, I'm ashamed to admit that i actually bought my pram at 4.5weeks! (I know! What was i thinking) i was just so excited. Then we gradually bought everything else. We was also bought a few bits by family towards the end.
dd is now 1 and shes still in with us in a travel cot with a normal mattress. She does play with her toys in her room alot though, where she has all the furniture and cot waiting to be used.
When was pregnant i would find myself pointlessly wondering in just to imagine my baby sleeping in there and i used to love putting away all the baby bits into their new homes.

I bought my baby's first outfit on the same day as the 12 week scan as a little treat to celebrate. I would hope this is also the first outfit baby wears after birth if sizing fits and don't see anything even cuter!

Everything else I will probably wait until 20 weeks or more because I want to take my time and enjoy browsing and purchasing. I could easily rush out and buy everything now and spoil the experience. I will decorate nursery before baby is born but main reason for that is I'm on my own and would rather have it all ready so don't need to worry about it at 6 months when I'm also planning on going back to work. Plus I think it's really nice and an exciting thing to enjoy in preparation.
I know some people are cautious about doing things before baby is here but I want to enjoy pregnancy now the big risk is over, and allow myself to be excited.

20wks here and we started after the 12wk scan. We saw a good deal on a co-sleeper on ebay and we got it. I has the 12wk scan a week before Christmas and I will confess that the sales were tempting. I only ended up buying a couple of rainbow bodysuits for £2 in the boots sale. We went straight to the big shops immediately after the 20wk scan to check out the prams and car seats. We have decided on which one to get so just biding our time to see if it gets cheaper elsewhere. As for the nursery, I think dh will start working on it in the next couple of weeks. Baby will bunk with us the first few weeks but all her stuff will already be in her room. I don't fancy having to strip wallpaper/paint and flat pack furniture with a baby. Get it done sooner before I'm huge and less mobile.

I waited till they were 3 months. I was mega superstitious and we don't have a spare room so I had visitors expected once twins came. When I fell out with mil I got rid of spare room andnursery was painted 😀