Im a new mum looking for advice

[Houston19]

Hi there, I'm a new mum the baby is due in August 2019 and I am looking for help and advice as I am on a low income of where the best places are to buy products and get ready for the baby, any tips would be greatly appreciated. :-)

I got masses from EBay. Check Freecycle too. Any friends or family who might pass on some stuff no longer needed?

My daughters friend put all her baby items (pram, clothing etc) on facebook, so it might be worth looking on there.

My tip is avoid buying a travel system and cot. Many people regret their purchase of a travel system. Most people stop using the pram before the baby is six months old, in favour of a lightweight buggy, because a heavy pram is a nightmare. Just get a really light weight pram suitable from birth. Your baby will probably not sleep in a cot when they are very young. Charity shops tend to be stuffed with cheap Moses baskets. If you then find you like co sleeping, you haven't wasted your money. Consider washable nappies. It's common to find second hand ones which are hardly used. You can also save money buy using washable baby wipes. eBay is a good source of cheap second hand items. You can often resell them when you have finished with them. Your mideife/health visitor/ children's centre may know of a local scheme for passing on baby equipment for people on low incomes. Also breastfeeding and making your own weaning foods will save lots of money.

Sign up to Freecycle and make a request for specific items (if you're able to collect). I've managed to get all sorts on there.

I tend to find Ebay a bit cheaper these days compared to Facebook groups (even after paying postage) but fb is also good and has the advantage of being local.

Charity shops in more affluent areas tend to have better condition and better brand stock. I buy a lot of my dcs items from charity shops but I pop in most weeks so have the chance to find things.

You don't need every item which is considered essential. Consider your circumstances before buying items.

All major shop's baby clothes are 100% cotton. Primark and supermarkets vests/baby grows are just as good as Next/M&S etc.

Join Boots parenting club. They offer quite a few freebies (they use to offer a changing bag, bottle and breast pads) and discounts during your dcs first year.

Oh also NCT/Cheeky Monkeys/Mum2Mum nearly new sales are usually really good. Search for your local groups on fb to be notified of when they are on.

Aldi baby events. Facebook parents selling pages. Only get the necessities. I would almoat everything second hand except for mattress and car seat.

If you can, breast feeding is much cheaper than formula feeding.