I'm due in a few weeks, but I'm totally unprepared

[oneofmeiscutebuttwothough]

I am 32 weeks pregnant but honestly until this point everything has carried on as normal. I'm 26 and don't feel like I'm pregnant at all.

My husband and I both got promoted literally the week before I found out I was pregnant. Work has been incredibly busy and aside from my maternity appointments I've barely had time to think about the fact I'm having a baby. I've carried on working out like normal, socialising like normal, everything has been normal.

My work have been brilliant and i have an amazing maternity package, so I rolled over a lot of holiday from last year and they let me take this year's holiday pre-baby, so I've just finished work and it's hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm having a baby in possibly five weeks or even sooner (or even later!), and we have very little. Baby has a room set aside for them but it's pretty much the storage closet for all of our things at the moment.

I've not had a chance to get to any classes or anything like that, so I feel like I'm totally unprepared. What the hell do I do now?!

😳 that's not worrying at all!!

I'll take a look at some lists and come up with ideas

So on my list so far, I have

• nursing bras
• breast pads
• nappies (how do I pick a brand?)
• wipes (again, how do I pick a brand???)
• some baby grows
• nappies for me!

Nappies - really any brand will do. Don't buy loads to start with, you can always grab more. Supermarket brands are fine. If you want eco/organic type ones they are available too.

Wipes - any brand will do too. I prefer ones with the least amount of added things, as I have sensitive skin. Turns out so did my babies, so we used Water Wipes or similar.

Some Sudacrem is worth having in stock too.

Brands- pick a popular enough brand that's in a supermarket close to home or that you can get regular deliveries from. I went for Aldi as that's where I got my food shop from. Pampers are the generic/ get everywhere brand. I think there's a brand called Kit and Kin or something that claims to be more environmentally friendly if that floats your boat.

My essentials list for baby-

somewhere for baby to sleep, both downstairs and upstairs. We went for a moses basket and a next to you crib. Sheets to fit on both, at least 2 for each. Cellular blankets, a couple for each place in the right size. I got all sheets and blankets from Asda I think. I used a baby sleeping bag, but not until a couple of weeks in, I think babies might be too small til then.

Something to cart him/ her around in. We chose a pram, needs to lay flat at first. Others go for a sling, or both. A blanket for the pram. A bag big enough to fit the million different things in.

A car seat, stage 0.

Nappies, wipes, cotton wool, sudocrem.

Bodysuits and babygrows, I would start with at least 12 of each, as they can easy go through a few a day and you don't want to be worrying about running out on day 3 and trying to wash and dry them. Socks, mittens if they're not on the sleepsuits, a hat or two, at least a couple of cardigans.

Feeding- breast feeding aside, we bought a couple of packs of tiny pre-prepared formula in a bottle to take to the hospital just in case. They're available at Asda. Brand, just pick something common- cow and gate, SMA are both found in loads of places.

I bought a perfect prep machine and bottles, but I was quite clear that even if I breast fed I would mix feed, so happy to prepare for that.

A baby bath/ seat, some towels, some kind of top to toe wash and flannel/ sponges.

Have fun! This is a lovely (but expensive!) bit.

Nappies - start with the own brand from your normal supermarket, but don't get more then a couple of packs in case they don't fit. Also buy a changing mat.

Wipes - with first we started with cotton wool & water, but it was faffy. With second I got water wipes which were and much easier. Both changed to generic supermarket ones with a few weeks.

Cloths - a few supermarket multipacks of babygrows & vests, a few cardigans & a coat.

Furniture - don't bother with the spare room yet, they'll be in with you for at least 6 months. You'll need a cot in your room, possibly moses basket for downstairs naps & some draw space for cloths (doesn't need to be baby specific).

Bedding- fitted cot/basket sheets & newborn sleeping bags. Probably some blankets aswell if they fall asleep on you and you want to cover them without waking them up.

Car seat if you drive

Pram or pushchair that's suitable from birth (lie flat until they can sit)

Sling

Nursing bras

Purple bottle of nipple cream

A new baby and a shopping spree, my two favourite things 😂.

How exciting!! Good luck OP and enjoy your time off xx

Trying to think back to what we needed on day 1 (it's only 7 months ago, seems like longer!)

• Somewhere to sleep, a cot or bedside cot or Moses basket plus sheets and a cellular blanket (waterproof mattress protector also helpful)
• A pram. You'll likely get good advice on MN if you share what would suit, ie: size of your car, will you travel a lot, do you have stairs to negotiate to get in and out of home, space to park it in the house...
• A car seat. We had the Maxi Cosi Cabriofix and no complaints.
• Something to wear. Soft sleepsuits and sleeveless vests plus a cardigan and a couple of hats since it's winter. I don't usually wash things before I wear them but I did for the baby.
• Nappies and wipes and cream. Try a few brands to begin with. We've found Pampers the best nappies for us and Boots own brand the best wipes and nappy cream. You'll find your own favourites.
• Muslin cloths. We had loads but didn't really have a sicky / drooly baby so didn't need as many as we had. Start with a pack of 3 and see how you go. Handy for wiping up whatever needs wiping up, having over your shoulder for burps etc
• I knew I wanted to breastfeed but try to express and bottle feed too so we had bottles, microwave steriliser and a pump already but you can leave that until baby is here and you know what you're going to do.
• A feeding pillow was useful and we still use it now for some naps and to support him sitting up, but could have made do with a normal pillow.
• As for cotton wool balls; I bought 2 packs on offer before he was born and have just finished the first pack now at 7 months, only used them for cleaning goopy eyes etc. Others will go through dozens of packs using them for nappy changes.
• We had a few newborn toys and a bouncy chair as presents before he arrived but they're not needed for the first few weeks.
• A baby bath & ramer sponge are useful but again not desperately needed on day 1. We had baby towels with the little corner bit for his head but really any towel will do the job.

Oh and for going out in cold weather we have one of these now and it's so much easier than trying to wrestle a wriggly baby into a coat or snowsuit (and they can wear it in the car seat which they can't with a thick padded outfit).

amzn.eu/d/0wk816J

Hi there it's a labour ward midwife. Do you like reading? If you do I suggest you get a Positive Birth Book from Amazon. Also, a TENS machine, even if you are leaning towards epidural. They are quite handy to tidy women over until the anaesthetist arrives. Some women do wonderfully well just on TENS machines and gas&air, in my experience. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book has lots of good reviews however I haven't read it myself.

Another piece of advice from me is - go to your local parks/playground/café for a walk and ask the mums with babies about their prams. There's bound to be a local mum/parent WhatsApp group or Facebook group and people will be giving away or selling cheaply loads of the stuff you need.

Defrost the freezer if it needs it and then stock it up with food.

Somewhere for baby to sleep (moses basket will be fine to begin with)
Something to wheel it around in (pram)
Changing mat

Also - if you've been meaning to clear out anything at home do so now. Any little odd jobs get on/get your OH on that or get an odd job someone to nail it all. In my experience (I was you 1 year ago) all the little jobs that take 5 minutes when you don't have a baby take FOREVER when you are sleep-deprived and trying to keep a small person alive.

Baby gros (a lot more than you think!), vests, cardigans, pram suit, muslin clothe, hat, mittens, baby bath, Moses basket, blankets, sheets, pram (rain cover etc), car seat, rain cover for car seat if you have a travel system, bouncer, cotton wool, wipes, nappies, nappy cream, maternity pads, breast pads, changing bag, nipple cream, nursing bras, feeding pillow, changing mat.

Book a nursery place for when you go back to work. You can ring and have a look round a few to choose which one if you want.
Choose big bits of nursery stuff mamas and papas and John Lewis have big stores that you can look at things staff will show you how to fit car seats check compatibility with your car and how to collapse the pram don’t stress and upset yourself you can do this at weekends when dads home have coffee after and make it enjoyable you can order everything from home if you need to. Pace yourself and don’t overdo it then hospital bag you can order bits from Amazon or click and collect if you want nursery ready start sorting things when partner is home to help choose paint ect but basics are clothes don’t forget coat and hat for baby nappies bottle feeding equipment pram car seat bathing equipment next to me crib blankets sheets baby nail scissors and brush! Swing or chair Get one of your friends/ mum/sisters to do a baby shower for you if there willing and read some information books or online I think there’s one called baby club maybe watch a bit of one born every minute that’s informative! You have enough time to do this good luck!

Moses basket
Baby grows and vests
Pram / travel system
Nappies
Sudocream
Water wipes
A couple of muslims
A baby chair/bouncy thing
Blanket
That's it really

And you can buy stuff once the baby is born. The shops will still be there

Thanks all.

Regarding nurseries, we've discussed the possibility of me taking extended mat leave, or me going back and my husband taking a sabbatical. We have the savings and income to do this, is this stupid?

You don’t actually need to have bottles or a cot!. Swap them for nappies and some basic clothes.

Are you near a John Lewis - you could get the important things this weekend. Everything else can be ordered from Amazon.

You think there's so much to do,
There isn't, once baby is here nothing else will matter and your instinct kick in, you know way more than you realise

Saline nose spray suitable for newborns and snot sucker (!) my babies both got colds in their first week and with our first we were rather caught out in the middle of the night when she couldn’t feed properly as her nose was blocked.

I would buy (asap - just for the first few weeks)

water wipes (buy a box on amazon)
pampers newborn x 2 bags
newborn dr browns bottles (just in case)
newborn ready made sma milk - the tiny individual bottles in case you cant breastfeed
newborn dummies (just in case)
sudocream
metanium nappy cream
baby gros and a hat
baby blanket
next to me sleeper/moses basket (they can also sleep on the bassinet part of the pram)
baby monitor
pram
car seat (and make sure dh practices fitting it)
grobag for when they’re bigger

perhaps start a baby list on amazon for the bigger, not essential now items? People are always excited to get something for new mums and bubs! thing you’ll need eventually can go on there like a digital thermometer, grobags, toys, bumbo, highchair etc

follow a few newborn mums on insta (Mummys flippin house has a few videos of her and her newborn recently and she gave birth naturally - might help)

a breastfeeding cushion is handy for feeding and if you end up having a section?

loose easy access tops that are made of cotton - hospital and L & D wards are hotter than the fires of hell!

decent holdall if you havent got a changing bag for your hospital bag. Pack an extra long charger lead, slippers, comfy clothes plus a nightie and knickers that arent too precious in case they get stained but cotton, and comfy.

Metanium has been discontinued 😭😭😭 I have one precious tube left that I can't decide whether to keep or sell on Ebay and make my fortune!

Bedside cot
cot sheets and baby sleeping bag
pack of newborn sleepsuits, 1 month and maybe 0-3 month
muslins
nappies and wipes
pram
carseat

are you thinking you might breastfeed? That’s even less stuff :)

You’re kidding me!!!!!

Sadly not. It's on their insta page and there were a few threads on MN about it. They have the metanium everyday barrier cream, which used to be in a white and purple box and which is now in a yellow and purple box. But it's not the same thing as the magic yellow one. We've been using bepanthem as our every day cream instead.