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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

What do I need for when baby is born?

33 replies

misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 14:38

Hey everyone. I'm looking for a little help, I'm 14 weeks pregnant and a very excited for when my baby comes along. I have many friends who tell me what I need for baby. The thing is we have not got loads of money and I only want to get what we need, not all the top gadgets. We have not bought anything yet and was going to wait a few more months. So I'm wondering what do people recommend when the time comes to buying baby stuff. What worked well for everyone. I'm reading a baby book at the moment, but again I still can't decide there's so much stuff to choose from. I'm thinking what's essential, I can always buy things when baby's born EG a cot. Thanks in advance for the advice Smile

OP posts:
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ApplesandBananas21 · 22/06/2021 14:47

Muslins - a lot. I got mine from asda 6 for £3
Vests, baby grows - babies need to be changed a couple times a day due to sick, poo explosion etc.
Mittens - Asda again
Moses basket - day/night time sleeps
Cellular blankets - id say a couple incase their in the firing line of vomit
Hats - asda do nice cheap enough hats for new borns
Cardys - for when out on walks
Dummies - if your planning on using them
Baby bath and sponge
A sling

I also started buying nappies and wipes from 20 weeks in our weekly shop, I got newborn to size 4. If you have room to stock them.

Sleeplessem · 22/06/2021 14:50

So you need a car seat, some sort of pushchair, somewhere for baby to sleep (Moses basket, next to me etc), bath thermometer, in the ear thermometer (Braun is a good make), clothes for baby(obviously), blankets or sleep sacks (personally I’d go for sleep sacks), few muslin cloths, few books to read to baby (not strictly a necessity but important). Toys you can pick up on the way.

Are you planning on breastfeeding or bottle feeding? Only ask because you’ll need a few bits and bobs of formula feeding.

I think that’s all the essentials, lol at me if I’ve missed something crucial x

Sleeplessem · 22/06/2021 14:51

@ApplesandBananas21

Muslins - a lot. I got mine from asda 6 for £3 Vests, baby grows - babies need to be changed a couple times a day due to sick, poo explosion etc. Mittens - Asda again Moses basket - day/night time sleeps Cellular blankets - id say a couple incase their in the firing line of vomit Hats - asda do nice cheap enough hats for new borns Cardys - for when out on walks Dummies - if your planning on using them Baby bath and sponge A sling

I also started buying nappies and wipes from 20 weeks in our weekly shop, I got newborn to size 4. If you have room to stock them.

Think you can live without a baby bath, we just co bathed x
clareykb · 22/06/2021 14:54

Dont forget that you can get lots of baby stuff in great condition second hand.

cupoftea2021 · 22/06/2021 15:22

Congratulations
I would bulk buy nappies
6 singlets
Onesies
Nighties with a elastic bottom so easy and great when your new born seems so tiny in the first weeks
Socks
Hat or two
Bibs
Blankets & a few sheet sets
Baby bath
Soft towel
Or save vouchers/ have savings until baby arrives so you have the correct sizing in case bubs is smaller or larger.
All depending I found most second hand items more value able and best, a co sleeper,
New I brought early stages
Baby car capsule
Wool cot blanket
Nice pram, pram blanket, storm cover- added extra accessory
Newborn nappies
baby wipes
I had a few baby cleaning products I loved Mustela for its fresh smell.
Remember to have a new outfit or lounge wear for yourself.
I will add as pp the second hand clothes honestly were my favourite along with the change table, cot, loved my first years co sleeper.
A gift voucher I brought the baby gym.
A second hand cot allowed for nice bed linen etc.
Baby bag.
Sanitary products you like.

misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 15:29

@ApplesandBananas21

Muslins - a lot. I got mine from asda 6 for £3 Vests, baby grows - babies need to be changed a couple times a day due to sick, poo explosion etc. Mittens - Asda again Moses basket - day/night time sleeps Cellular blankets - id say a couple incase their in the firing line of vomit Hats - asda do nice cheap enough hats for new borns Cardys - for when out on walks Dummies - if your planning on using them Baby bath and sponge A sling

I also started buying nappies and wipes from 20 weeks in our weekly shop, I got newborn to size 4. If you have room to stock them.

Thank you this is so helpful Smile
OP posts:
misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 15:31

@Sleeplessem

So you need a car seat, some sort of pushchair, somewhere for baby to sleep (Moses basket, next to me etc), bath thermometer, in the ear thermometer (Braun is a good make), clothes for baby(obviously), blankets or sleep sacks (personally I’d go for sleep sacks), few muslin cloths, few books to read to baby (not strictly a necessity but important). Toys you can pick up on the way.

Are you planning on breastfeeding or bottle feeding? Only ask because you’ll need a few bits and bobs of formula feeding.

I think that’s all the essentials, lol at me if I’ve missed something crucial x

Thank you, so helpful.

I'm going to be trying breast feeding and see how it goes.
What would I need for this..is there a certain breast pump? My friend said nipple guards are good too.
Thank you

OP posts:
misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 15:32

@clareykb

Dont forget that you can get lots of baby stuff in great condition second hand.
Thank you
OP posts:
motogogo · 22/06/2021 15:40

Less than half the stuff baby books say you need!

You will need:
Somewhere for baby to sleep (cot)
Transportation for baby (car seat, buggy)
Bedding (sheets and blankets)
Clothes (bodysuits, sleepsuits, cardigans, coat if winter)
Cloths
Nappies

Everything else is extra, in fact even the bed is, we coslept.

For clothes I suggest a pack of 7 bodysuits and sleep suits, other outfits can wait until older. I used cloth nappies from 2 months (newborns need a smaller size). I breastfed, it's free, no equipment required but you will need a couple of nursing bras plus a packet of reusable breast pads (I just washed with the baby clothes). Babies are as expensive as you let them be - keep an eye out for Aldi baby week and asda have one too. Second hand is a good option for a buggy/push chair/ cot (buy a new mattress)

motogogo · 22/06/2021 15:41

Don't bother with a breast pump, if you need one eventually it's worth renting a decent one to see if it works for you

misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 15:47

@motogogo

Less than half the stuff baby books say you need!

You will need:
Somewhere for baby to sleep (cot)
Transportation for baby (car seat, buggy)
Bedding (sheets and blankets)
Clothes (bodysuits, sleepsuits, cardigans, coat if winter)
Cloths
Nappies

Everything else is extra, in fact even the bed is, we coslept.

For clothes I suggest a pack of 7 bodysuits and sleep suits, other outfits can wait until older. I used cloth nappies from 2 months (newborns need a smaller size). I breastfed, it's free, no equipment required but you will need a couple of nursing bras plus a packet of reusable breast pads (I just washed with the baby clothes). Babies are as expensive as you let them be - keep an eye out for Aldi baby week and asda have one too. Second hand is a good option for a buggy/push chair/ cot (buy a new mattress)

Thank you
OP posts:
cindarellasbelly · 22/06/2021 15:49

I actually wouldn't stock up on nappies - I assumed I'd use Aldi ones, good price, well reviewed, and then friends gave us a 'new baby kit' present they put together with things they found useful and included a pack of pampers. She constantly had a dreadful rash from the Aldi, I tried the pampers one day and her bum was perfect. I did this at various points as we changed sizes - tried lidl, Aldi, Tesco - but no, her princess and the pea bum demanded pampers. Also water wipes. I honestly wasted more money with 'trialing' cheaper brands and stocking up in advance on things we couldn't use.

There's a huge variety in what particular babies need/want. We had a sicky one so needed about a million muslins. I know others who didn't have one. The next-to-me cot was the best thing we spent money on, we also got a Moses basket for downstairs from an Aldi baby event and both were great. I wavered about whether we'd need both but being able to have her more portable in the Moses basket was a godsend.

Be aware that Moses baskets/next-to-mes/ carry cots all need their own sheets and you'll want multiples. we only realised this when we set up the next to me the week I was due. Also if you buy them second hand, you still need new mattresses. Hand-me-down clothes are great, you can pick up equipment like baths v cheap too.

I wouldn't worry about a pump if you're feeding at the start, I would stock up on a few things like lansinoh cream as if you're in pain/discomfort you won't want to wait till morning or run to the shop. Thermometer essential, agree braun in-ear is great and v reassuring, car seat if you have a car, changing mat rather than table IMO as you can put it on the floor and just repurpose a chest of drawers for baby's clothes. We had a skip hop portable changing mat which seemed really expensive but was really well reviewed and was a great purchase, used until we potty trained a few months ago. Meant no need for a separate changing bag: we just popped it into whatever bag we were using at the time.

SheldonandAmy · 22/06/2021 15:51

Somewhere for the baby to sleep - ideally a normal cotbed as this can be used for years.

A pram - try to get one suitable for overnight sleeping and that adapts into a pushchair.

Car seat - if you drive and need one.

Feeding - If bottle feeding then bottles, formula and a steriliser. If breast feeding just some breast pads initially. After birth you'll need some nursing bra's and maybe nipple cream/shields.

Clothes - Just go for vests and baby grows. Get some in 0-1 months and some in 0-3 months, quantity depends on how often you want to wash. Hats and some cardigans.

Other things - Nappy's, wipes or cotton wool, bibs/muslins, cot sheets, a blanket.

BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 22/06/2021 15:56

I wouldn't say you actually need a lot of the stuff mentioned above.

A newborn needs:

  • milk. Free and requires no equipment if you BF. Nursing bras are helpful but not required. Bottles and formula milk if you plan to FF.
  • a clean bum. Nappies and wipes.
  • clothes. Sleepsuits and vests, something for warmth e.g. a snowsuit, pramsuit or cardigan if born in autumn/winter. Cotton hats for the early days.
  • somewhere to sleep. Mum's bed works fine if breastfeeding. It can be helpful to have something moveable, like a basket or carrycot, so there is a safe place to put baby down that you can move around the house. But a towel on the floor works perfectly fine as well.
  • something to get out and about with baby in. A sling, or buggy/pram, or carseat depending on lifestyle and preference. I used slings almost exclusively with a tiny baby, as they also help with wind, sleep, reflux, etc. And if you plan to drive to and from hospital you will need a car seat for that.

That's genuinely about it. Anything else can be bought after the birth if you find you need it. And most people get given a tonne of clothes.

Bunny2021 · 22/06/2021 16:01

I'm a FTM and so haven't used any of our stuff yet, but we have got so much (except for the car seat and new mattresses) from facebook marketplace. The pram we got would've been £300+ new but we got it for £60. People are always doing bundles of clothing etc. I would really recommend it rather than buying new - baby's will grow out of this stuff so quickly!

Sleeplessem · 22/06/2021 16:05

@misskatie90 so breastfeeding wise, technically you don’t need anything. Many many women actually don’t buy a pump and it works out fine for them. I think with pumps, some work out better for some than others. But your local children’s centre probably has a hospital grade one you could rent and see how it worked for you and go from there rather than spend. Personally I used a medela swing maxi and it worked well for me, but it is individual.
So nipple shields, I wouldn’t buy any straight away. If babe’s latch is hurting you, you need effective support in latching and positioning and baby to be check for tongue tie. Nipple shields often mask a problem. They’re absolutely not the devil they are sometimes made out to be but they can cause feeds to be longer, and lead to ineffective milk transfer not to mention they are a bit of a faff. So what id so instead is spend a little time finding out if the hospital you are booked at has an infant feeding team, if they have an IBLBC (specialist in breastfeeding) and when time comes a little closer maybe reach out to them and when you’ve had baby ask if one of them can observe a feed. I’d also look up typical breastfeeding behaviour for a baby, cluster feeding etc just so you feel prepared.

misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 16:09

@cindarellasbelly

I actually wouldn't stock up on nappies - I assumed I'd use Aldi ones, good price, well reviewed, and then friends gave us a 'new baby kit' present they put together with things they found useful and included a pack of pampers. She constantly had a dreadful rash from the Aldi, I tried the pampers one day and her bum was perfect. I did this at various points as we changed sizes - tried lidl, Aldi, Tesco - but no, her princess and the pea bum demanded pampers. Also water wipes. I honestly wasted more money with 'trialing' cheaper brands and stocking up in advance on things we couldn't use.

There's a huge variety in what particular babies need/want. We had a sicky one so needed about a million muslins. I know others who didn't have one. The next-to-me cot was the best thing we spent money on, we also got a Moses basket for downstairs from an Aldi baby event and both were great. I wavered about whether we'd need both but being able to have her more portable in the Moses basket was a godsend.

Be aware that Moses baskets/next-to-mes/ carry cots all need their own sheets and you'll want multiples. we only realised this when we set up the next to me the week I was due. Also if you buy them second hand, you still need new mattresses. Hand-me-down clothes are great, you can pick up equipment like baths v cheap too.

I wouldn't worry about a pump if you're feeding at the start, I would stock up on a few things like lansinoh cream as if you're in pain/discomfort you won't want to wait till morning or run to the shop. Thermometer essential, agree braun in-ear is great and v reassuring, car seat if you have a car, changing mat rather than table IMO as you can put it on the floor and just repurpose a chest of drawers for baby's clothes. We had a skip hop portable changing mat which seemed really expensive but was really well reviewed and was a great purchase, used until we potty trained a few months ago. Meant no need for a separate changing bag: we just popped it into whatever bag we were using at the time.

Thank you
OP posts:
Peegreenlie12 · 22/06/2021 16:09

This is my list:

Changing mat asda
Wipes asda
Nappies asda
Bottles
Way of sterilizing bottles -Amazon
Muslin squares ebay
Blankets
Bibs,Baby clothes asda
Bouncer x
High chair ikea
Moses basket x
Cot bed eBay
Cot bed sheets ebay
Baby carrier x
push chair x
Pram/car seat x

misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 16:11

@SheldonandAmy

Somewhere for the baby to sleep - ideally a normal cotbed as this can be used for years.

A pram - try to get one suitable for overnight sleeping and that adapts into a pushchair.

Car seat - if you drive and need one.

Feeding - If bottle feeding then bottles, formula and a steriliser. If breast feeding just some breast pads initially. After birth you'll need some nursing bra's and maybe nipple cream/shields.

Clothes - Just go for vests and baby grows. Get some in 0-1 months and some in 0-3 months, quantity depends on how often you want to wash. Hats and some cardigans.

Other things - Nappy's, wipes or cotton wool, bibs/muslins, cot sheets, a blanket.

Thank you
OP posts:
misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 16:11

@BuffySummersReportingforSanity

I wouldn't say you actually need a lot of the stuff mentioned above.

A newborn needs:

  • milk. Free and requires no equipment if you BF. Nursing bras are helpful but not required. Bottles and formula milk if you plan to FF.
  • a clean bum. Nappies and wipes.
  • clothes. Sleepsuits and vests, something for warmth e.g. a snowsuit, pramsuit or cardigan if born in autumn/winter. Cotton hats for the early days.
  • somewhere to sleep. Mum's bed works fine if breastfeeding. It can be helpful to have something moveable, like a basket or carrycot, so there is a safe place to put baby down that you can move around the house. But a towel on the floor works perfectly fine as well.
  • something to get out and about with baby in. A sling, or buggy/pram, or carseat depending on lifestyle and preference. I used slings almost exclusively with a tiny baby, as they also help with wind, sleep, reflux, etc. And if you plan to drive to and from hospital you will need a car seat for that.

That's genuinely about it. Anything else can be bought after the birth if you find you need it. And most people get given a tonne of clothes.

Thank you
OP posts:
sociallydistained · 22/06/2021 16:19

Remember you’ll get lots of gifts too so don’t go mad on baby grows and clothes as bet you’ll get lots as gifts.
I would be prioritising the car seat(s) and buggy at first.

tubbycustardtummyache · 22/06/2021 16:26

I didn’t use a sling, Moses basket or breast pump. I borrowed a baby bath for the few weeks we used it. There’s often a lot of that kind of stuff on marketplace for not very much or even free.
Aldi’s range of baby bathing products is fine and a lot cheaper than Johnson’s etc.
I don’t think you need mittens or bootees either. Socks work well for both!
You definitely need a car seat or travel system of some kind. You can pick up a fleecy baby blanket for not very much in b&m

Charleymouse · 22/06/2021 16:33

Bosoms
Nappies
Cotton wool
Vests and babygros
Car seat - If travelling home from hospital
Moses basket or crib
Sling

Pads large and lots with comfy pants
Paracetamol for your after pains
Non spill cup for your drinks

Camera

That's what I think you NEED.
Loads of other stuff you might want though. Lots if it not necessary.

misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 16:36

@Charleymouse

Bosoms Nappies Cotton wool Vests and babygros Car seat - If travelling home from hospital Moses basket or crib Sling

Pads large and lots with comfy pants
Paracetamol for your after pains
Non spill cup for your drinks

Camera

That's what I think you NEED.
Loads of other stuff you might want though. Lots if it not necessary.

Thanks very much Smile
OP posts:
misskatie90 · 22/06/2021 16:36

@tubbycustardtummyache

I didn’t use a sling, Moses basket or breast pump. I borrowed a baby bath for the few weeks we used it. There’s often a lot of that kind of stuff on marketplace for not very much or even free. Aldi’s range of baby bathing products is fine and a lot cheaper than Johnson’s etc. I don’t think you need mittens or bootees either. Socks work well for both! You definitely need a car seat or travel system of some kind. You can pick up a fleecy baby blanket for not very much in b&m
Thank you
OP posts: