When did you start buying baby things?

[Msh83]

Hi everyone, I'm 14 weeks pregnant and would love to buy a few baby bits! Half of me is saying what the hell go ahead the other half is saying hold off! When did you start buying baby stuff?

I'm 18+3 and started buying a few sleepsuits after my dating scan, couldn't resist!

I would try and wait a while, do lots of research rather than committing at this stage as you may change your mind what you want at it nears! Also you need very little at first, try and resist equipping for the first 2 years because you need to work out what works for you best.

Back when I had mine the first and only scan was at 18 weeks so the unwritten rule was to wait for that first. I did pick up second hand bargains but mostly I bought things in the last 6 weeks, and this was before internet shopping which makes it easier in late pregnancy

I got a couple of bits after the 12 week scan then have been getting things since about 21 weeks after we knew he was okay after the anomaly scan. 33 weeks now and almost there but have tried to just get the basics and allow for potential gifts/what others have said they'd like to buy for him.

If he was to arrive now we would have enough stuff to get by with so that'll do!

I'd probably wait to spend any real money until after the anomaly scan tbh. After that I'd start looking for second hand things locally, as that can take a while. If there's anything you're buying new though, you could start researching it now? Buggies need lots of research!
No harm in a couple of wee things though, like PP said; sleepsuits or muslins etc.

maybe we shouldn't have but we've bought some little outfits from asda and a blanket, and im only 11 weeks and 4 days. but I was so anxious It really helped my anxiety because I became excited about it instead. but I didnt buy those until after I'd heard the heart beat at my reassurance scan.
xxx

I’m almost 16 weeks and have bought some vests, baby grows, prep machine (on sale), cloth nappies, all only the essentials really. The main reason is to try and spread the cost out over the next 6 months rather than all at once. Soften the blow a bit

After my dating scan at 13wk, just a few items of clothing at 1st. Had loads from older children already but bought some of the things we'd got rid of when I've seen a good deal and not much left to get now at 23+2wk.

I started buying stuff after my 20 week scan

We started from 12 weeks. Early but we really wanted to budget very carefully and it’s allowed us to put a steady baby item budget to one side every month. We’ve almost got everything now at 28 weeks :)

Quite early on I started a spreadsheet of things to get and things I was getting via friends second hand and then a lot of research on what to get. Probably started really buying from 20 weeks onwards but the spreadsheet counted as prep.

I had two miscarriages, one at 10 weeks and one at 5 weeks, so I didn't buy a thing until after my 12 week scan (which was closer to 14 weeks) and even then only a few clothes. I'm now 26 weeks and still haven't bought anything major - although that's mostly because (a) the shops were closed and (b) we moved house two months ago so I've been trying to prioritise doing up and furnishing the house over baby stuff.

I would say having had miscarriages previously I was so happy I didn't have any stuff to remind me of what had happened. Ditto that I hadn't told work (I don't work in a job where I need to for health reasons) - I waited until 21 weeks to tell them this time.

I wouldn't get anything until as late as possible. I'm superstitious and wouldnt even have baby stuff in the house. We got it as late as we could, the month before my due date. All we had at home was what we needed for the hospital, the other few big things we got were at my mums until after the baby was born. Also we only got the bare minimum of what we needed as we didn't want to find out the sex until the birth. All we had before was crib and bedding, car seat, pram and clothes and essentials for hospital. Everything else (bouncy chair, playmat, swing, bath, changing mat and box, toys, clothes and so on) we got after when we knew if we were buying for a boy or a girl.
I'd never set anything up either.
Our baby was not well when he was born and was in NICU for 12 days. Walking out the hospital with an empty car seat was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Then at home going into the bedroom seeing the empty space where the crib should have been was hard enough, if everything (crib, pram, toys, changing stuff, clothes were there set up it would have been even harder.
Plus I hate nurseries anyway, they're not necessary at all imo, so no need to set anything up.

I regret not buying more, to be honest. Not so much clothes and so on (although if you see something you like, assuming you can afford it, go for it!) but my baby ended up costing me much more than I anticipated.

My original list was

Pram
Sleep suits and vests
Nappies
Two cardigans (December baby)
Snowsuit
Basket
Blanket
Rocker
Sling
Car seat
Muslins

And after I had him it was

Bouncy chair
Swing chair
Clothes as all the ones I bought didn’t fit!
Next to me crib (he hated the basket)
Playmat
Sleepyhead
Purflo when I found out the sleepyhead wasn’t tested for safe sleep!
Bibs x 1000 as I have a dribbly baby
A LOT of hats! (Bald baby and we do get through them!)
Far far more Muslims than I thought I needed
Far more cardigans and warm outfits than I thought I needed.

So I’ve spent a lot more than I thought I would

Thank you everyone for the advice.. I doubt I would buy any big stuff now.. I would definetly wait until about 30 weeks onwards unless I see something on sale. This is my 5th baby and it's a 11 year gap so I dont have anything from my previous pregnancies so I feel like I'm starting over and I cant really remeber what I did all those years ago!.. I will definetly start researching prams and cots etc

@notalwaysalondoner sorry to hear about your previous miscarriages. I suffered one myself last year at 6 weeks and I had bought a little blanket and outfit which I gave to my sister because she was pregnant at the time. So I think that's where my fear of buying stuff comes from.

@Aliceandthemarchhare your list is fab!.. I will be taking notes lol

@happymummy12345 sorry to hear about your little one being in the NICU.. I hope he is fully recovered now. I have also experienced having a baby in the NICU.. my first was born at 35 weeks and spent 3 weeks in there so I know that feeling of leaving hospital without your baby. Its just awful.

Last week at 36 weeks lmao!