When did you start buying things for your baby?

[Ickli]

I'm interested to hear when people started buying things (equipment, clothes etc) for their baby. Did you wait till you reached a certain number of weeks?

I've been trying to wait till after my 20w scan, but I'm a planner/advance prep person so I'm tempted to start. I'm also hoping to get lots second hand so it's hard not to go for bargains. I'm currently 16w and had to have a scan earlier this week after midwife couldn't find the heartbeat - all was ok with baby so I'm cautiously optimistic about good news at 20w.

So yes, were you restrained/last minute or an early horder?

We bought the pram when I was about 16 weeks ish as it was the one i really wanted had the full travel system was on offer so got a big discount. We ordered her furniture at about 14 weeks but that didn't get delivered until I was around 34ish weeks. Clothes etc, we bought a few neutral stuff, vests, white babygrows etc before we found out what we was having and then after just bought the odd thing if we spotted stuff we liked but most of the stuff (nappies etc) closer to the time

I'm 17 weeks today and have ordered our nursery furniture this week but only because Mamas and Papas have a fantastic black friday deal on. We also ordered our travel system 2 weeks ago, it seems early but due to coronavirus and lockdowns etc the pushchair store said they may not get them in stock until at least March so its better to be safe than sorry although if you're buying second hand you won't have that issue. With clothes I've bought a few neutral things over the weeks since I found out I was pregnant but will start getting more after my gender scan next week :) x

I started after 20 weeks but mostly only clothes. Then by 24 I started looking into prams etc.

Might be worth you keeping an eye out for Black Friday sales and stuff later this month to save money where you can!

I bought my pram at 13 weeks. Just seen it and knew I wanted it and the shop was doing a great deal.

After our 20 week scan in the summer. We were worried about potential lockdowns and supply of stock so ordered all the big things (pram/car seat/snuzpod etc) just so we had them ready. We then gradually built up everything else and we're pretty much done now (36 wks tmrw)
We have been careful not to over buy clothes etc as we have no idea how big the baby will be so I followed the NHS guidelines on this. Our local supermarkets have baby clothes so not worried if we need to go and get more after the birth, even if we are in lockdown!
I did read stories of no nappies or formula available during the first lockdown so I added some weekly to our shop for a few weeks to ensure we had a supply in but there doesnt seem to be a problem this time.

@firsttimemomtobex March until park stock??! Now I'm panicking. I'm 16+5 and DH refusing to do any pram or furniture shopping until we can go and see in person which with lockdowns is a really fun game.

Pram** autocorrect fail sorry

I started around 24 weeks - for me that felt like a mental milestone as after this point hospitals will intervene to try and save the babies if I went into early labour (having twins)

I ordered the pram as there was a discount and it said 5 weeks delivery so thought great won't be here until 30 weeks but it arrived in less than a week 🤣

I've also bought the cots and brought things we had when we had DD down from the loft to have a good sort through and thorough clean

I know I'm having a boy and a girl so couldn't resist some of the cute clothes I've seen but can't buy too much as we don't know how premature they'll be so will wait until 30 weeks or so to bulk buy sleep suits/Vests etc

I've started to get hospital bag ready as was told twins could come any time from 26 weeks (which is tomorrow!)

Errr, I think about 30 weeks?! Despite being 32 and the baby being planned it was a bit of an abstract concept . I was also very anxious and stressed that by buying anything I'd be jinxing myself...

28 weeks every time.

We waited til 20 weeks to start buying anything, and got the pram at about 24 weeks. We bought a second hand one though, so got it straight away, the shop said that to order a new one we'd be lucky to get it before February (when baby's due).

About 30 weeks.

I'm 15 weeks now and we aren't going to start buying anything untill 20 weeks scan. I don't want to tempt fate. I have seen the Mamas and Papas black Friday discounts but as tempting as it it, we are waiting.

Thanks everyone, seems there's huge variation! I think I might keep my eyes open for bargains but try not to get too carried away.

Bought some bits from 12 weeks, but not much. Got my pram at 16 weeks because I’d heard Covid was causing delays. Ramped up the buying from 20 weeks and now totally done at 36 weeks.

About 26 weeks once I had a bump. Crib, furniture etc.

30 weeks we shipped the the stroller/car seat (live overseas and there wasn't a lot of stock here 9 years ago!), 32 weeks for clothes.

Thankfully minimal clothes needed as we live in tropical climate so he was in onesies for a long while!

I started buying clothes at 18 weeks. Only got 2 orders in so far.
We are waiting for 20w scan on tuesday to get the pram and travel system.
But we went to several shops to choose it already.
The rest will buy later as we go... ideally i want to have everything by 34 weeks.

My parents bought the cots (DT’s) and in law the travel system when I was six months. Didn’t bother with nursery furniture (we already had wardrobes/chests), bought some babygros as I went along. DH ordered the rest when I was in hospital having them.

Babies need very little.

I’m very optimistic normally but I waited till 24 weeks (the viable week) as I had known someone have a miscarriage/ stillborn quite late around 20-24 weeks and I didn’t want to jinx it

@OneStepOneStumble yes but it depends which pushchair you want as to how long they're taking I think and where you're having it from. I went to look at an independent pushchair store in my area as they have a wide range to decide from and we went with the Oyster 3 as it seems fantastic and won travel system of the year last year! The store are allowed to stay open during this lockdown but are also doing online video appointments to show you everything so it's worth looking into independent shops by you! :)

After 12 weeks I’ll start picking up bits and pieces with the weekly shop just to lighten the load but we don’t plan on buying the expensive stuff until around 24 weeks.

We started at 24 weeks, and have steadily been buying things to spread the cost.

But with only two paydays until then baby arrives we're pretty much done bar a few things that we're waiting on Black Friday for. Already got the travel system in an early BF sale.

The plan is now to save every single penny!

I think we started at 18-19 weeks. I was going to wait till 20 weeks scan, but in the end decided to pre-order furniture earlier, because it said 8 weeks delivery (and it was 8 weeks delivery!).

I started to buy at 20 weeks. I had hoped for some hand me downs but no one offered. Now I'm 38 weeks, the offers of hand me downs are coming in hand over fist but as I like to be prepared and I'm a planner, I've pretty much got everything!

32 weeks & I've bought 2 baby grows! 🙈😂 still doesn't seem real!