When did you start buying baby bits?

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Hi everyone,

This is my first pregnancy and was just wondering when everyone started baby bits and where you bought from. Any advice appreciated 😊

I’ve just started buying a few little things and shopping around looking at travel systems. I’m 22 weeks.
I’m using a mixture of high street shops and independent shops on the internet.
I looked at John Lewis for travel systems and nursery stuff like thermometers and baby monitor. Boots are also good for this stuff and they are soon going to be stocking all the mothercare stuff (October according to their website)
Marks and Spencer’s are good for clothes, especially if you are after gender neutral stuff.
JoJo Mamam Bebe. for maternity clothes.

First pregnancy here too. Not going to lie 2020 has thrown me off. I'm currently 30 weeks and only have bought travel system and nursery furniture. I got the travel system at around 24 weeks and nursery furniture at 28 weeks.

I'm due to have my baby shower next weekend. So after that I'm going to see what else I need to buy then purchase.

In all honestly there is never a right moment to buy baby items. If you wanted to buy as soon as you found out that's your choice or if you'd rather wait a while again that's your choice there is no wrong or right answer for this question.

Just when you feel comfortable.

You will have so many opinions on here from everyone. Some say to wait till after all your scans, some may say after 12/20/24weeks etc...

Just whenever you want

I’m 25 weeks and have started buying little bits. It’s my second baby though so have all the big stuff already. With my first I waited until 30 weeks plus before buying travel systems etc but that might have been quite late in hindsight as the delivery for some larger items was 6-8 weeks!

I've always waited until after the 20 week scan. I'll be off to buy our first bits for this baby tomorrow afternoon all being well.

With my first I waited until after 20 weeks and I'd had the anomaly scan x

we bought a lot around 16-20 weeks since I've decided against going to the shops in person it took some time to find everything online and it gave me something to keep me busy.

Bought a couple of babygrow bundles off eBay at 16 weeks & have bought a Next to Me & Baby Bjorn bouncer second hand from FB so far at 23 weeks.

Going to look at prams in about 4 weeks.

I’ve got a list on my phone of the stuff we need & just ticking off what we can get second hand & what we need to get new.

I’m 29 weeks. I’ve been buying bits since about 16 weeks, but that was mainly due to shops opening. It’s whenever you feel ready really, I started wondering through the baby isle at Tesco and suddenly felt the urge to start buying.

Be aware, don’t leave buying the big stuff to late. I ordered my travel system at 20 weeks and the shop said the delivery wasn’t arriving until the end of October (covid has put everything back, they are now on Xmas time deliveries). My OH did some ringing around, he works all over the uk, and luckily passed somewhere that had one in stock so picked it up when I was 22 weeks.

I’ve bought from all over really:
Clothes - supermarkets, boots, mns, next (sale), Debenhams etc.
Big items - some independent shops, Smyths toy superstore, kiddies kingdom, online4 baby (the last two are on top cash back).

I’ve not gone over the top with the amount I’ve bought as I know we will get some gifts.

I’ve still got some hospital bag stuff to get, mainly for me though but I go back to work next week and I wanted to be ALMOST ready. :)

Congratulations, this will be my first baby too! I think whenever you are ready is the right time

I am only almost 14 weeks, but given I fell pregnant faster than expected we are also saving up more money for my maternity leave too, so we have started getting bits in order to spread out the cost of everything.

We have actually purchased the carseat/base and pushchair because we knew what carseat we wanted from day dot, so it was a case of finding a compatable pushchair - I was sent a link to a total bargain by my MIL so we will collect it at the weekend. I know it's early, but getting some of the big items now will help us. Then all I have are a few pairs of pyjamas from a sale, a blanket and some muslin cloths. I am just picking up bits as I see them really! Our next big purchases will be the wardrobe and cot as we have re-purposed a large chest of drawers to the room that will be the nursery already.

In terms of shops, for me I like:

The Little White Company - sale or with discounts - one of my favourite places (if you have access to blight light discount it is 25%)
Tesco F&F - great clothing and accessories plus good quality/prices
Primark - mostly for little bits and bobs
Jojo Maman Bebe - again sales or discounts but lovely things
Next - I think this is a staple place people gift from
Boots - have some good sales and good quality
John Lewis - I have seen some good prices on organic clothes
M&S - good quality and reasonable prices
Mamas & Papas - probably in the sale!

I'm 19 weeks, had the 20 week scan a few weeks ago (sonographer set my due date a week earlier than what I think it is). We went to the shops to look at prams and carseats and didn't buy one, but I did buy some cute baby clothes and DH picked out a cute toy. I've made arrangements to buy a next to me cot and cotbed via Facebook marketplace so I'm picking them up on Saturday. After that I'll buy a cot changing topper and leave it for a month or so to spread purchases out.

I'm 12 weeks and wondered whether I was being way too relaxed by not having bought anything yet. Thank you for all your comments on when to start and the shop suggestions too - I've not known where to start so I'm very grateful 😊. Best of luck to everyone and thanks again for all your suggestions

I didn’t buy anything before 12 weeks. Picked up the odd bits after then. Got pram and nursery furniture around 17 weeks, and have bought lots since 20 weeks. Now nearly 24 weeks and have most of what we need now!

After my 20 week scan with my first.

We started buying at around 22 weeks, mainly as I wanted to get the anomaly scan out of the way first but that is just personal preference. I used the time before then to do lots of research online (shops were closed due to lock down at the time) so it still felt like I was being productive. A couple of pieces of advice for you - don't leave the ordering of the big items such as prams and furniture too late. COVID seems to have delayed everything and I didn't order my pram until 28 weeks, but it had an 8 week lead time which is cutting it much finer than I would like. Second piece of advice is to consider making an Amazon baby wishlist, I did one of these and the more you spend the more discount you get, so rather than buying all the little bits and pieces gradually, I just did one big order and got 20% off everything. I found that the prices on Amazon were often cheaper than they were in many other places to begin with, so when you factor that in with the 20% discount it worked out to be a really good deal. Good Luck and have fun shopping!

Hi - currently 32 weeks, I bought my first little item of clothing at 17 weeks, just something cute I saw while in Sainsbury’s. Other than that, I waited until 24 weeks to buy anything else. The travel system got ordered at 26 weeks and the furniture about a week later. I got the car seat a about 10 days ago. Still gradually buying things like baby bath/changing mat etc I’ve liked the timescale that I have done things in. There’s no rush. I did feel I wanted to wait until after 24 weeks.
Larger items do take some time to be delivered my pram isn’t coming until next week which means that it’ll be 7 week from ordering.

I started buying bits and pieces after my 12 week scan, it made it easier to spread the cost on larger items if we did one every month etc x