Buying baby things?

[newmumtobe84]

Hi all

I have been given vouchers for Christmas and also agreed with DP we would buy baby things in the Jan sales...now though my mind has gone blank. Does anyone have a list of things to buy and a list of places to buy them?!?

Merry Boxing Day!

I was sent a layette list by a private company that do much the same thing.

Transport:
Pushchair & accessories
Car seat & accessories
Changing bag
Baby carrier

Nursery Furniture:
Moses basket, stand and mattress
Cot / bed and mattress
Changing unit (optional)
Wardrobe (optional)
Toy box (optional)
Nursing chair and stool (optional)
Bouncy chair

Travel:
Travel cot
Travel cot linens
Travel sterilizer

Linens:
Waterproof sheets for pram, cot, moses basket
Glove sheets for pram, cot, moses basket
Swaddling sheets
Muslins (you can never have too many of these)
Blankets (cellular and over blankets)
Maybe a baby shawl

Baby Clothing:
Bodies x 8
Babygros (scratch mitts included) x 6 ? newborn and 0-3 month sizes
Sleepgowns / nighties x 3 (easier to do nightime nappies in these)
Beanie hats x 2
Cardigans x 2
Bibs x 6
Sleeping bag x 2
Coming home outfit

Safety:
Baby monitor
Room thermometer (optional I reckon)
Baby thermometer

Nursery:
Night light
Bucket with lid (essential)
Nappy disposal system
Hair brush
Scissors
Sheepskin rug (optional)
Nappies, wipes, nappy bags, sudocrem and/or reusables starter kit
Nappy stacker (if you're using terries)
Layette basket - have changing kits downstairs and upstairs)
Laundry bag

Toys:
Car seat/bouncy chair toys
Mobile
Play mats ? Gymini Gym, Busy Bee

Bathing:
Bath or Towelling/sponge bath support
Bath Mat
Hooded towels & flannels
Digital bath thermometer (or use elbow)
Top & tail bowl
Natural sponge
Packet of cotton wool balls

Mother:
Nursing pillow & pillowcases
Nipple shields and/or shells
Nipple cream
Breast pads
J-Cloth knickers
Sanitary towels
Breast feeding nightshirts
Tens machine - hire or buy
Wedge pillow (optional)

Feeding:
Steriliser
Bottles (4 oz and 9 oz)
Bottle brush
Bottle warmer/cooler
Dummies (just in case of sleep deprivation)
Breast pump
Breast milk storage bags

Goodness that's a terribly long list, I wouldn't bother getting half of those things. (DS is nearly a year) Borrow as much as you can from other people. I think nice things to buy new are:

• sleeping bags
• bedding (2 fitted sheets, one waterproof sheet, nice mattress)
• clothes for when baby is older and will fit them for longer (6-9 months plus)

People will get you lots of things when the baby arrives and the most important thing to remember is the shops are still open after you give birth!! It depends where you have vouchers for, too?

Ah, a puritan is among us, presumably one with lots of childbearing friends and relatives eager to donate. Sadly it is not always thus.

I'm a mum of three (soon to be four) and my collection of stuff accumulated over the years actually does resemble this list, MrsJamin. I agree, it is quite a long list - arguably all you really need is a bottom drawer/clean cardboard box for the baby to sleep in, 2-3 sheets, 2-3 blankets, 12 terry nappies with pins, 3 pairs plastic pants, a bucket with lid and some Napisan, 6 vests and 6 babygros/nighties, plus a couple of hand knitted cardigans/hats/mittens/boottees and a willing pair of breasts, but this isn't 1890 or even 1930, fgs!

Borrowing depends on who nearby is having babies at the time - it was never an option for us, and isn't for many people. Plus having this stuff makes life a lot easier. It's easy to sell most of it on afterwards via Ebay.

£500 is a sensible minimum budget for baby gear, btw - obviously you can spend a lot more than that. You don't have to buy everything at once and what you need depends on your lifestyle (eg Are you going back to work? Do you travel a lot?) You can get lots off Ebay too.

No I'm not a puritan, I just think a lot of things are unnecessary and pregnant ladies are marketed to something chronic to make them think that they need all of this stuff. It's generally best to see how things go to see what you need, after you've got all of that shortened list that you've just said. I am a cheapskate, we have spent so little and I wouldn't want to see others waste their money either!

I think I got about the right amount of stuff for us.

6 newborn vests and baby gros with scratch mits
1 pramsuit
Lansinoh
reusable breast pads
changing mat
12 muslins
first size nappies
sudocrem
pram / carry cot or car seat(plus pram sheets)
moses basket or cot plus sheets
sling
cotton wool
hat
cotton blanket
flannelette sheet for wrapping
monitor
2 sleeping bags
baby bath

I think that was about it. I got us going and then we got presents and decided what else we needed.

Items i suggest to the new mums i work for :

Sleeping
Use cot from the start or travel cot with bassinet or carry cot on pram system.
Sleep bags, sheets, odd blanket.If you get fitted sheets for cot they will also be useable on travel cot and carry cot.

Travel
Buy a car seat that fits your car from birth to 4yrs/18kgs. Baby car seats get heavy and many parents find baby is too long for parents comfort, there is a rear facing car seat that is for this age group.

Transport
Pram set up for your lifestyle. With rain cover, sun shade to UV50+ protection, snuggle bag, shopping basket.

A small bag for spare nappies, odd toy, odd growsuit, bottles. The bigger the bag the more you put in and the heavier/bulkier it is when juggling baby, unused bag and shopping.

A carrier/sling.

At Home
Value packs of vests, growsuits. socks, bibs.

Muslins, cardi, hat/mittens/bottees, swaddling wrap (a stretchy jersey blankets works) is nice as it stays wrapped.

Nappies - dispi or cloth & wraps, cotton wool or lots of cheap face cloths, bepanthan / metanium cream, storage box for bedroom and lounge.

Bath/Room thermometer, soft sponge, olive oil to help dry skin on wrists/ankles, scalp.

Nail clippers/scissors.

Feeding
Breast pads, express machine, nipple cream, nipple sheilds.
Bottles, bottle brush, steriliser (if you want or sterilising bags for microwave)
Soother/dummy.

Family towels are fine as you will often need a new towel per bath due to soiling

Toys/bouncy chairs/activity centres/swings are optional.

Looking at local papers in for sale listings for great bargains of short term usage items like bouncers etc.

A monitor depends on the size of your home/the set up.

No offense to anyone but imho you shouldn't pay any attention to those awful lists - they are just marketing spiel! This time I will not be buying anything except clothes and nappies (and maybe a changing mat) ! I already have a moses basket.

Goodness me, that list is ENORMOUS !

All you really need are something for the baby to wear, somewhere warm and comfortable for it to sleep and either a boobs of bottles.

You certainly do not need hooded towels, a nappy disposal system or a bottle warmer !

We've not even got the baby bath out this time, babys going in the kitchen sink !

You coud spend a fortune but you wont need to. Bare in mind that most babies are in their parents room for at least 6 months

Out of the things on virginboffinmum's list I would say these are what i would use. TBH I would get the bare minimum and then buy the rest once you realise you need it after the baby is with you.

Transport:
Pushchair & accessories
Car seat & accessories

Nursery Furniture:
Moses basket, stand and mattress
Cot / bed and mattress
Bouncy chair

Travel:

Linens:
fitted sheet for cot/moses basket
Muslins (you can never have too many of these)
Sleeping bag
Maybe a baby shawl

Baby Clothing:
Bodies x 8
Babygros (scratch mitts included) x 6 ? newborn and 0-3 month sizes
Beanie hats x 2
Cardigans x 2

Safety:

Nursery:
Nappies, wipes, nappy bags, sudocrem and/or reusables starter kit

Toys:
for a newborn????!

Bathing:
Bath or Towelling/sponge bath support
Bath Mat

Mother:
Nursing pillow & pillowcases (just get a v shaped pillow, much cheaper!)
Breast pads
Sanitary towels
Tens machine - hire or buy

Feeding:
just breast feed and then you don't need any of it!

^^ that's much more realistic

Yes, agree Worzel. This time we will also be using the basin, not a bath. For my first baby I spent about £180 on a M&P changing unit thing (not wood) that looked pretty but fell apart after 3 months or so.

Yes my list is enormous, so stop going on about it, you lot. It's a comprehensive summing up of the kit available without the extreme fringe end, and as I said, it depends on people's lifestyles and budgets how much they go for.

With my first 2 dds i had a list like the ones above but the more children you have the more you realise you dont need half of it!!

To be honest i think first time mums just learn as they go along and as baby grows you naturally will know what you need!

baby needs the basics

food, ideally boobs!! but if not 4-6 bottles and sterilising equipment

warmth, babygros (enough for a couple of changes a day when accidents occur),cardi,nappy mits,hat and warm blankets,sheets.

transport, car seat, sling or pram (if you get pram with carrycot you dont realy need moses basket which i dont like and only last 3 mths if your lucky!)

sleep, i use cot from start then thre is no faffing around trying to get baby to settle in new cot!

i bath baby in the big bath no fuss or plonked them in with dad for a quick wash!!

my one luxury was a baby swing it doubled as bouncy chair and feeding chair for long enough and a god send for my dd who sufferd reflux.

i had the big changing unit and it ended up storing crap! so this time i will use a folded towel just as good.

im expecting dc no 3 in april and have not got a bean yet!! my friend has a cot,swing and walker for me which i will get nearer the time!

Pg with No 2 at the moment.
Most useful thing was the plastic bath support that just sat in the normal bath. Could DEF not have done without the changing table (£60 John Lewis) as when staying somewhere else it does my back in changing DD on the floor or bed.
DEF do not need paper knickers for Mum for post bath. Horrible and why bother when you can buy about 10 pairs for a fiver in t supermarket.
The shops and internet will still be open wen the baby is born so apart from the basics I'd wait a bit to see what you need. Swapped tips with my NCT class when all the babies were born and we could see what each of us acually found useful.