Shopping for baby things

[Chinadoll]

Hi guys,

This is my first pregnancy and we're starting to look for baby stuff. Just wondering if anyone has advice on where to get affordable and good baby things e.g. cot, pram, car seat, essentials, etc. I'm slghtly overwhelmed by all the shops and internet sites out there....and how expensive things can be. Help!!

Thank you!

Borrow as much as possible. Baby equipment is all so big and bulky most people are delighted to get rid of it and pass it on - and you can give it back and get it out of your house when you're done.

Agree with a good sling, washing up bowl did us for a baby bath (and baby feels snug in it) tho I bathed no 3 in the sink.

If its your first people will give you LOADS of clothes.

Wouldn't buy a changing table again.

Don't forget to look out for local NCT sales too.

Good luck

I'm at the same stage (hopefully you're a bit more organised than I am!) - you might find helpful advice from when I asked a similar question a little while ago here

If it's not heretical to say so here, check out your local netmums.com site - they have classifieds of people in your area offering 2nd-hand stuff for sale. Also I've been finding good 2nd-hand stuff on my local gumtree.com site. And the nappylady.co.uk is good for 2nd-hand reusable nappies/wraps etc.

Good luck!

Don't buy any baby clothes as you'll be given so many 0-3months and 3-6 month clothing as presents. If you see something really cute and you really do have to buy it get it in a size 9-12 months. If people get you things you know you'll just never use - exchange it for other more useful stuff.

Other than that, go round all the baby shops window shopping, then come home and EBAY EBAY EBAY!

i probably bought more than most people.

WIPE CLEAN changing mat
swinging crib - couldn't fit the big cot in my room
sling
baby gym/nest
pushchair with a carrycot
cot bed
baby beanbag seat
push along walker
high chair
baby cutlery that changes colour when the right temperature
doidy cup
avent magic cup/tommee tippee easiflow cup/normal sippy cup but take valve out
insect net for cot/pram
travel sleeping bags with zip off arms
swaddle blankets
lots and lots of cot sheets and blankets
cot bumper (to stop baby getting stuck between bars!!)
dreamshow thingy
cot mobile
baby monitor with camera
respisense breathing monitor (but i am over cautious cos my brother died of SADs)
plug in night light
books - to tilt the cot when baby has a cold
sleepcurve mattress
vicks vaporiser
tomy aromatherapy soother - found this great for calming ds down before bed.
prince lionheart slumber bear
top and tail bowl
nappy stacker, cot tidy helps save space in drawers and wardrobes.
fisher price cot piano and various cot toys keep
my ds amused in the morning when i want to get things done upstairs
nice toy boxes you don't mind being on show in your living room
drawer tidy for keeping little socks and hats and gloves etc in
net for washing machine for above items
car blinds if your car doesn't have them built in
UV sun shade for pushchair
pram/car seat toys
cool bag for bottles and ice packs(an ordinary one will do)
electric breast pump
v cushion
bottle brush, rack for drying bottles on, silicone orthodontic variable flow teats
tiny scratch mitts
bootees so socks don't fall off
snow suits
changing bag (and don't forget the obligatory carrier bag for all the wet bibs and clothes you will collect)
vegetable steamer (but we had one already)
ear thermometer (i have the nurofen one that plays music)
comb if your baby has masses of hair like mine (i just use an ordinary one for 15p as opposed to some stupidly priced baby one. wouldn't bother with a brush as babies hair is generally too fine)
cotton wool
bath thermometer
bar of baby soap
baby shampoo

things i didn't bother with:

any other baby toiletries other than those mentioned above
matching nursery furniture and wallpaper. just buy ordinary chest of drawers, wardrobe, bedside table etc, paint the walls in whatever colour you fancy and buy accessories to make it look nice for a baby, then change accessories as child grows up - does anyone like decorating? much easier this way!!
pram/moses basket sheets - just use normal ones
anything that is meant to stick on to a high chair
blender - do baby led weaning
sun parasol
changing table
baby bath
bath support
moses basket
cat net
electric swing
baby walker, exersaucer, door bouncer, bouncy chair
play pen
stair gates
baby toiletry box
baby scissors
dummies
buying a standard sized cot - mine wriggled so much it wasn't big enough after a few months!

just realised how long this is .... whoops!

oh i also never bothered with a bottle warmer - used the microwave and shook very well

nor a fireguard

Discover the exciting world of NCT or other nearly new sales. You can buy so many bargains there second hand and certain things are pretty much brand new because nothing gets used for that long when you have a baby.

Google NCT (National Childbirth Trust) and look for sales near you.

I know the temptation is to buy your baby everything shiny and new but you would be a fool not to look into second hand things, either bought or offered to you by other parents.

hmm

well I did without loads of things that people have mentioned

and without loads and loads of stuff on the mamatoto site, sorry.

you just don't need a lot in the first few days. buy it as you need it.

newborns need bugger all really. somewhere to sleep, something to catch the crap, a way to be carried and some way of getting food into them. Thats it, really.

that's true but i bought a lot second hand so when i saw a bargain i found it better to get what i knew i would definitely need and put it in the loft. with the exception of the high chair that is.

lol na

still don't think i even used most of the stuff on your list, even through 2 kids

agree nct sales good bet, best idea is to help out and nab bargains (email local branch, you don't need to be a member IIRC)

i think i just bought more stuff cos i could afford to cos i could sell most of it on for the price i paid.

out of interest what didn't you use? and are there any things on my unused list that you used. we are all different after all.

I think maybe if we'd had those things they would have got used, but they weren't there so we made do without...

If you delay buying things till you discover you really need them and can't improvise a substitute, you could save a lot of money.
I guess this is the opposite to NA's philosophy where you buy all the bargains you see on the grounds you might need them.

I suspect it evens out in the end - buying fewer things at higher prices or more stuff at secondhand / lower prices.

I think a bouncy chair is pretty essential (make sure it has washable covers). The cheapest high chair in Ikea is better than my £65 one from Mothercare. I loved the Bumbo I borrowed. I used a playpen heaps.

Wouldn't buy a changing table, but I can see how they'd be useful if I'd've had a CS.

definitely need somewhere to sit child, but i used a bean bag seat like this

ok.

just cos you asked na-I agree, we are all different!

WIPE CLEAN changing mat - yes, ikea, £3
swinging crib - couldn't fit the big cot in my room - No
sling - yes
baby gym/nest - no
pushchair with a carrycot - nope-sling
cot bed - nope-coslept
baby beanbag seat- nope
push along walker - nope
high chair- yes eventually. tchibo tripp trapp rip off
baby cutlery that changes colour when the right temperature - no-actually these are meant to be dodgy, I think
doidy cup - nope. ikea £1 jobs
avent magic cup/tommee tippee easiflow cup/normal sippy cup but take valve out nope
insect net for cot/pram - nope-na, you live in CARDIFF, don't you? you seriously needed this?
travel sleeping bags with zip off arms-no, just pyjamams
swaddle blankets-nope
lots and lots of cot sheets and blankets
cot bumper (to stop baby getting stuck between bars!!)- nope nope etc
dreamshow thingy-nope
cot mobile- nope but I made a bunch of mobiles myself
baby monitor with camera - no
respisense breathing monitor (but i am over cautious cos my brother died of SADs) -no but understand why you would
plug in night light -no
books - to tilt the cot when baby has a cold -um...
sleepcurve mattress -no
vicks vaporiser -no
tomy aromatherapy soother - found this great for calming ds down before bed -no-just regular burner!
prince lionheart slumber bear -no
top and tail bowl -no, used cups
nappy stacker, cot tidy helps save space in drawers and wardrobes. -no used cardboard boxes IIRC
fisher price cot piano and various cot toys keep
my ds amused in the morning when i want to get things done upstairs -not really but am lentilly
nice toy boxes you don't mind being on show in your living room -no, my friends are also slobby
drawer tidy for keeping little socks and hats and gloves etc in -um...well no
net for washing machine for above items - lol
car blinds if your car doesn't have them built in -no, was told they are a big hazard in event of crash
UV sun shade for pushchair -no pushchair
pram/car seat toys -no,
cool bag for bottles and ice packs(an ordinary one will do) - no but mainly cos bf
electric breast pump -no
v cushion -no
bottle brush, rack for drying bottles on, silicone orthodontic variable flow teats -no
tiny scratch mitts -no
bootees so socks don't fall off -no, then the bootees just fell off
snow suits - yes
changing bag (and don't forget the obligatory carrier bag for all the wet bibs and clothes you will collect) -bloody jesus god NO, just my normal bag with a nappy in it
vegetable steamer (but we had one already) -no
ear thermometer (i have the nurofen one that plays music) -yes and mine plays music and dear god it needs to break
comb if your baby has masses of hair like mine (i just use an ordinary one for 15p as opposed to some stupidly priced baby one. wouldn't bother with a brush as babies hair is generally too fine) - well not a special one for the baby, no
cotton wool - ditto
bath thermometer -no, elbow
bar of baby soap -no
baby shampoo -no

things i didn't bother with:

any other baby toiletries other than those mentioned above -no
matching nursery furniture and wallpaper. - no-coslept.
pram/moses basket sheets - just use normal ones -coslept
anything that is meant to stick on to a high chair -pmsl. like food?
blender - do baby led weaning-nice one
sun parasol -actually did buy this when ds was finally in a pushchair but it was a mistake
changing table - no, regular table just fine. or floor
baby bath - nope
bath support - nope
moses basket - yes was given one. toys look nice in it. never used
cat net -eh?
electric swing-no
baby walker, exersaucer, door bouncer, bouncy chair -no no no
play pen - yes cos my kitchen was wildly unsafe. godsend. but only cos I had to keep ds coralled in the only safe part of the kitchen
stair gates -no didn't bother.
baby toiletry box -eh? seriously? you can buy these?
baby scissors - ditto
dummies - no
buying a standard sized cot - mine wriggled so much it wasn't big enough after a few months! oh we have one of thse-grandparents wanted to buy it. still in loft, my ds went straight into a normal sized bed

phew

na, did you get all that stuff before you had your baby? Only asking because I would not have bought a push along walker and things like that in advance. Things like that were bought as Xmas/1st birthday presents by the rellies

push along walker
high chair
fisher price cot piano and various cot toys keep my ds amused in the morning when i want to get things done upstairs
pram/car seat toys

Also, stuff like feeding equipment (steamers, blenders, cutlery, sippy cups etc) were all bought as and when we needed them.

oh yes we borrowed a bumbo as i only wanted to use it when ds could basically sit up but would topple over. don't like the idea of a baby in it that can just hold their head up. doesn't seem like it would be very good to their backs, but i dunno i'm not an expert or anything.

he basically used it for 4 weeks in the stage between where he could sit up for a minute or so and when he could sit up for about 30 mins on his own.

personally don't like playpens so i wouldn't ever use one of these - hence why i didn't buy one.

well for instance saw a baby walker half price in a sale in mothercare when i was pregnant so got that, high chair given to us by my cousin so we had that in advance too. toys and things seen at car boots and charity shops so would just get them as i saw things i liked. have also got a toddler bed in the loft which we actually now need to get rid of cos we ended up getting a cot bed.

good god, you bought a baby walker when you were pregnant?!

I can barely face buying true essentials like nappies and vests - feels too much like tempting fate.
But then I am a superstitious old bag .

lol at "lentilly" fillyjonk - am so nicking that!

like MrsB's "delay until you find out you need" as well. DH's motto is "adapt, improvise and overcome" and we've been telling family the LO can sleep in a shoebox to start. I don't think we mean this, though. A drawer would be much easier...

I decided to buy as much as I could before I give birth, because I was earning a full salary (and got a decent lump sum of bank charges back too), rather than wait until after he was born when I will be on Stat Mat Pay, which is about £108 per week. That way, okay there may be some things I don't make use of, but I thought it would be better that way, then to want something after the birth and not be able to afford it.

I have been quite sensible in the main. (I did treat myself to a frilly moses basket and rocking stand though... but it was from Ebay so only about £30 all in!)

I have also been given loads of clothes and toys, both first and second hand, so haven't needed to buy anything along these lines. I imagine I'll get given more stuff like this when he is born, as he is our first.

Only thing is, most people have bought 1-3 and 3-6 month clothes, so I have gone out myself and bought a couple of newborn items, although atm he is apparently going to be "a bonny baby" according to mw so I may not need them.

We'll see... just over a week 'til EDD

I see your point, but why not just save the money while working then have it available spend it after the birth?

i bought things before the birth as well because i just had more time to do it then. obviously i still bought him toys and things after he was born, it was only if i saw a good deal i got them before. same with clothes. i've barely bought any full price clothes for him. i look on freecycle and on the for sale board on here, car boots in the paper etc. i even bought some 12-18 month clothes in the next sale when i was still pregnant. in fact i should probably start look for 18-24 month stuff as we don't have any of that.

i bought things before the birth as well because i just had more time to do it then. obviously i still bought him toys and things after he was born, it was only if i saw a good deal i got them before. same with clothes. i've barely bought any full price clothes for him. i look on freecycle and on the for sale board on here, car boots in the paper etc. i even bought some 12-18 month clothes in the next sale when i was still pregnant. in fact i should probably start look for 18-24 month stuff as we don't have any of that.

MrsBadger, you're onto me; I'm afraid I have no self control when it comes to saving!!!