Nursery furniture - looking for some advice as a FTM!

[iloveorange]

Hello, currently 6 months pregnant with first baby and starting to seriously consider stuff for purchase. We (DH and myself) live in a flat (one floor) with two bathrooms, one large and the other is the ensuite which is the one we both use for everything. Baby will be sleeping in our room for at least first six months, but will have her own room for clothes and maybe hanging out sometimes (we'll see how that goes). Here's what we're thinking of buying, either new or second hand:

• Next to me crib (Snuzpod or Chico Next2Me) for first six months. Probably new as second hand means we have to buy new mattress and protector, so it comes to almost the same price and there's risk of item being wobbly.
• Adult-sized dresser (IKEA Malm) for all baby clothes
• IKEA cot (Gulliver) for when she's bigger
• Changing table. I know this is controversial, but I have sciatica and would rather not have to bend down very often. Changing table would also be a place to store nappies, a few clothes, etc. The idea is to have this in the big bathroom as that way we can have a waste bin there (normal bin with lid, we already have a spare one) and access to water for quick wash if needed. Thinking of buying this second hand as I'd need to buy a new changing mat anyway, so don't see the point in buying new?
• UppaBaby Cruz + Carrycot, probably our biggest expense tbh
• Baby wrap for carrying - should I get this second hand? We'll be getting a sturdier carrier for when she's bigger but the idea behind the wrap is to babywear in the home, as it looks like a lot of newborns enjoy cuddling a lot?

This is really it for now. Thinking of buying some sort of play mat thingy so that she can chill out on it and play with gym later on. If we buy SnuzPod4 we can use that as a day-time moses basket, if not we can always use the carrycot that functions as a pram.

As for clothes I've bought vests and babygrows (Newborn-3 months), a few hats, a couple of shirt+leggings outfits, all second hand, and also bought a few muslin blankets (smallish).

I'm also considering baby swaddles (the ones that come with velcro) as somehow I don't think I'll manage to swaddle with a good old muslin like the pros, and I've heard swaddling works well in getting your baby to sleep.

Is there anything I'm missing that you would think essential? Especially big purchases. I'm going to try to breastfeed so I don't want to buy anything feeding-related until I know what will work for us, but maybe I should have a bottle on hand and some formula just in case?

Would welcome any advice, I don't want to feel like an idiot 6 months down the line and regret buying X or Z. Also if there's anything that was a life-changer for you, please let me know! Definitely could use any advice :)

Thank you in advance.

We don't have a car, nor planning on getting one (we live in London). I was planning on taking a short Uber ride and hold baby in my arms/carrier? It shouldn't be a journey longer than 10 minutes as the hospital is pretty close to where we live.

Take a black cab. You don’t even need to take baby out of the pram, just push it straight in and apply the break like you would on the bus. I’ve done this twice, it’s pretty standard for London.

@LostMySocks

feels so dumb when you don't have a car (and rarely take taxis). Our families live abroad (well, technically we're the ones living abroad) so we will need a car seat when there, but we won't be able to fly with ours anyway so we'll have to buy another car seat for when we're back home.

Almost all airlines will transport a baby car seat for free even with an infant on lap ticket

This - we are flying with DD and DS in the summer (when DD will be 22 months and DS 2 months - yes we are insane) and even on Easyjet we are able to take two pieces of baby kit per infant in the hold for free. So that covers the buggy and DS's car seat, we'll be hiring a seat for DD at the other end because the one we have is so bulky it'd be a total pain to get it through the airport.

@LakeShoreD

We don't have a car, nor planning on getting one (we live in London). I was planning on taking a short Uber ride and hold baby in my arms/carrier? It shouldn't be a journey longer than 10 minutes as the hospital is pretty close to where we live.

Take a black cab. You don’t even need to take baby out of the pram, just push it straight in and apply the break like you would on the bus. I’ve done this twice, it’s pretty standard for London.

That's a great idea. I forgot black cabs were wheelchair/pram friendly.

Sounds like you’re doing amazing IMO!
Only few things to add is don’t be too upset if baby doesn’t take to beside me cot, not a lot do at all they prefer on you, in bed or some other form as Moses basket, pods etc.
Also as I believe someone else said a portable changing mat, b&ms do them for few pounds
But sometimes especially bf it’s the easiest to change right next to you on the sofa.
But sling, oh so much the sling! A soft sturdy one, ergo baby are pricy but you’re sanity is saved.
Congratulations and hope all the best!

A car seat that’s compatible with your pram is handy if you have no car. Means if you need to take taxi or get a lift or hire car you can just use pram frame the other end so your not carrying car seat as extra.

I wouldn't buy a cot yet and just put a changing mat on the chest of drawers, you don't need a separate table

We got a chest of drawers with a changing area on the top.

We still use the chest but the top stores books rather than a changing mat.

Are you planning more than 1 child. If so, go a bit more expensive on the furniture and get a cot bed.

We got a silver cross set for DS and when DD came along it became her furniture. It's still going strong 5 years on lol.

We'll probably want to have at least one other child, but probably not in the UK, and very unlikely in our current home. Our UK stay is temporary (8 years already, but 'temporary', that's a different conversation though) so we try not to invest too much in furniture (most of our flat's furniture comes with the rent, except for a few bookcases) as we know we'll eventually have to sell it at a much lower price.

I am very seriously considering the Chicco Next2Me Forever cot though, as that's a 1 in 3 solution and she'll probably use it until we eventually leave the country. I also quite like the idea of her sleeping on the floor and having a bit more independence as opposed to using a regular cot that feels more like a cage (I know giving a toddler that level of freedom is not for everyone though). We're lucky our bedroom is large so we can comfortably fit the cot next to our bed, then eventually have it further away until she's ready to go into her own room, whenever that is.

Yes, I'm aware not all babies like a crib. I really, really don't want her to sleep in our bed as I'm scared, but I also know that's exactly what we might end up doing because... such is life. We plan on using the pram's carrycot as a day-time bassinet unless she absolutely hates it, then I might budge and get her a classic bassinet but would rather not.

Thanks for pointing out the black cab idea, that could really work! We already got our stroller + carrycot combo (UppaBaby Cruz) and decided not to get the car seat. We're going to be travelling back home when she's about 3 mo, so she'll probably still need the carrycot then; could we take the stroller, the carrycot AND a car seat with us on the plane? It sounds like a lot of objects to lug around, if I'm honest.

You can take pram and car seat on a plane, but depending on how often you go home I'd use a sling and a cheap fold down pushchair for the journey. You can get lie flat pushchairs that are suitable from birth. If you're staying with family the other end, ask them to get an all stage car seat and other bits you might need so you don't have to always take your own.

Depending on where you're from look up visa requirements for your child now. A friend of mine got a big surprise when she realised her son needed his own visa for the UK and wasn't covered by hers.

If you want to gate check the pram it needs to be collapsible as one unit. You could check it at bag drop then take baby through the airport in a sling. You can also take a car seat and check it for free if you want too. But yes it’s a lot of stuff- welcome to travelling with kids!

I do think if you live in London and family are abroad so air travel is a regular occurrence you should have really gone for the YoYo over the Cruz though…

Check with your local taxi firm sometimes they can provide one if its pre booked. Otherwise, can you borrow one from a friend who has had one recently? Or buy one and sell it?
You definitely can't take a baby in a car without one the hospitals are pretty strict with them.
Back in the day you could take baby home without one but not now.

OP, if you’re going to use the Malm drawers you can actually buy a proper changing top adaptor for them for £30ish new. Look at Amazon/Etsy or you can pick up on FB Marketplace used for £10. We’ve decided to go down this route as it uses up much less floor space & can be removed entirely when not needed.

My midwife said that the safety advice now is to graduate from changing units to changing on the floor anyway by the time that they start to roll & move around. We figured it wasn’t worth spending loads on something that would be used for 6 months only.