How many wks were you when you started to buy things for the baby?

[gemstones]

Hi

Just curious really. Im nearly 24wks and although this is DC3 Im wondering if it is still too early to start buying things

When I was about 16 weeks pregnant I bought some lovely little things for a girl in a sale as I just knew it was going to be a girl and it was too good a bargain to miss.

I did dress DS in one pair of lime green shorts and think I got away with it. The rest went to the charity shop.

I can only blame pregnancy hormones.

We got pram before 12 weeks but then it was a bargain at £20

am now 27 weeks and have just about everything except cot mattress and nursery curtains

I bought the pram at 2 weeks.

2 weeks post natal, that is....

Well my sister sent me a few sleepsuits that she'd bought when i hit 12 weeks, and i got my pram when i was 18 weeks as it was too good a bargain to miss out on. I'm 25 weeks now, and went to a NCT sale at the weekend and bought nearly everything else we need for the baby.

Only things left to get are a couple of cosytoes for the parm and thats it.

I bought a moses basket, bouncy chair and changing mat at about 16 weeks for dd2 because they were half price, I did refuse to have them in the house and they stayed at my friends for quiet a while.

I did wonder if it was a bit early but after that I bought things a little bit at a time and to be honest it made it a lot more manageable especially because it meant I could keep an eye on ebay.

But if you do that keep a list of what you have or you might forget about things and end up with 100s of first size baby grows

do the research early. try out buggys etc. make a list then keep eye out on ebay, freecycle, charity shops, nct sales, sales... how early you get stuff will also depend on storage. and dont shoot yourself in the foot re gifts & hand me downs by getting everything too early. family & friends like to help so leave a few things for them to get.

DS was born by emcs at 30 wks due to very sudden and severe pre-eclampsia. At the time I hardly had anything, although a few friends had promised hand-me-downs of essentials like cot, moses basket, pram, cat seat etc. I was incredibly glad that we did not have anything in the house though, as he was in SCBU for 8 weeks and coming home each day to all the things waiting for a newborn would have broken my heart. We only brought all the big things into the house when we had a "home date" and knew we were on safer territory.

With each of my (3) pregnancies I admit to buying a sleepsuit after the 20 week scan and hiding it somewhere! All the rest of the stuff I sort out after 33 or 34 weeks and try not to get the nursery ready until pretty late on, just so as not to jinx things. That's just how I feel though and know others who have everything waiting and ready from 24 weeks and have been buying from the moment they fell pregnant!

cat seat?! car seat of course...!

If something terrible happens, is it possible to take stuff back and get refunds??

i had mc at 12 weeks with first baby i had bought lots and lots of stuff i threw it all in the bin i could have taken it back i suppose but i wasnt in that frame of mind at the time

My baby was stillborn at 24 weeks. I actually only bought him 2 grobags and a couple of other bits, but my mum had bought lots. There was no way I would have taken the stuff back - they were DS's things. I would have also found it too hard to explain why we were returning them or even to set foot inside somewhere like Mothercare for many months . I instantly knew that I would keep everything for DS's sibling anyway, and since most of it was unisex it is getting used for DC3 as well.

I might have got someone else to take back larger items like a pram or moses basket for me - I have heard from many of my friends that shops will usually take these things back.

By the way, even after my experiences with my first baby, it didn't put me off buying stuff from about 18 weeks on - I realised after spending a year after he died with a drawer full of bits that it didn't exactly make the experience any worse - so I knew that if the worst happened again a few babygros would be the least of my problems. I bought my next baby absolutely loads of stuff - probably because it helped me to believe in the pregnancy and that it was real. This time we've no money (!) but I bought a pack of sleepsuits and vests at 22 weeks, and carried on from there. It's a girl this time so lots of the clothes for DS (being all blue) weren't really suitable, so it's mostly buying a bit of girly stuff to inject a bit of girliness into the rest of the wardrobe (of unisex hand-me-downs).

About 25-28 weeks I suggest..any later and you'll be too tired, achy and need to sit and eat cake.. you don't need to buy everything at once either..just enough to get by..remember also you need to wash all the newborn gear and all those muslins! Good luck..

Just had my second baby and didnt buy much till weeks before birth. I would always advise after 20 week scan. My point is do you need to buy so much??? Cant you make a list and when you get asked near or post birth be a bith ethical, friends and relations are so generous and you'll get outfits that will not get worn you have to be a bit sensible. Also pointless buying loads of "newborn" when the MW sayes its going to be a "big-un" My sons didnt fit into newborn for very long at all.

Going shopping last minute is a delight, I dont believe that tired is a problem I had to shop 2 weeks overdue, you have to get on with it! Nothing worse than being stuck in the house.

We live in such a consumerised world, so many clothes in shops, mass produced and some pretty poor quality too. I loved my hand-me-downs that I was given weeks before. I washed and soaked what I liked and gave the rest to the charity shop. I bought some fab stuff on e-bay and bought about 3 newborn outfits just to get me through the first couple of days. Then when the friends and relations arrived I was bombared with wonderful gifts and lots of 3 months plus which is very thoughtful.

Whether we accept it or not things do go wrong even the most perfect pregnancy and the babys journey is a long one frought with danger. Even these days we forget that things dont always for to plan. We have to accept this and not keep rushing along. Take it easy and enjoy the time, shopping is there 24/7 and there is no art to spending, saving and planning for the future is an art!

We are have to be a bit more spend savy now. None of us know what is around the corner. Yes buy the odd thing but be frugal. And please dont buy some of the complete tat you see in all the catalogues, babys need love and warmth they dont care about matching this and that. Its the parents want not the babys need!

Or you could just say 'Fuck it' and buy what you want.....

I started buying early on last time (after a mc) and put it all in the loft, then was struck down with severe SPD and was bed bound for the last few weeks so was very glad I already had everything.

This time round I'm 19 weeks and have bought a new pushchair (lovely MN seller) already. I won't need as much but will buy a few bits for the new baby, and for DD's new bedroom. I have to be organised because SPD has already struck and I face spending a lot longer in bed this time.

Life is too short for you to be superstitious. I think that if you want to buy baby things, then buy baby things. There are so many bad bits to pregnancy and birth, you should enjoy a really good bit.

Bought bits and bobs over the years as presents for friends but kept some of them because they were so cute. Also bought one item usually when pregnant and kept them despite lots and lots of mcs. Guess I was very optimistic! DD1 benefited from a suitcase full of very cute mostly unisex clothes collected over a few years... I was a bit shocked how much there was!! DD2 is on the way and is going to get plenty of hand me downs, but is going to be a winter baby (DD1 was a summer baby), so I have just bought a few warm items because I just couldn't resist. Felt slightly spooked by buying things now (left it VERY late with DD1) but I feel pretty positive... Must be those hormones but after the 20 wk scan I think it's okay to get a few things. Certainly wouldn't rush out to buy everything so early though. In fact our pram arrived about two weeks after DD1...

Im 24 weeks and i have bought small bits for my labour bag! thats it for now i have no space for any other bits and have other children that i believe i should focus on now!
will start i suppose at 28 weeks!
Good luck on whenever you start!
Hey gemstones are you due in Jan,you should joint the group for more ideas!

i was too supersticious sp? to buy anything the pram arrived on the tueday and ds was born on the saturday, was only in the house as it had to be ordered online and took 6-9 weeks or i would have left it in the shop. friend had given me her car seat, i bought the essentials at 36 weeks for hospital and other friend gave me a moses basket at 38 weeks and that was it. got everything else as gifts or as i needed it.

My first purchase was an outfit the weekend after my 20 week scan. We then went on to buy all of the others bit by bit. If you're ordering a pram from an independent shop then fib about your due date and make it a few weeks earlier. Even though we'd ordered the whole system including car seat when I was 25 weeks pregnant we only just got it in time and it was a tad stressful.

We are starting TTC in January and already have absolutely loads

-Lots and lots of clothes that were either free or from charity shop for a song (most unisex but some girly/boy stuff - will Freecycle whatever isn't needed)

-Bottle steriliser (was in a fantastic sale and we had the cash)

-Bottles and dummies (I'm very very fussy and had already picked out the brands I wanted to use and they're only available in the US, so we got them there last holiday)

-A few reusable nappies that were quite cheap as we want to give them a try

-Pack of newborn nappies so we don't forget to buy some before coming home

I'm sure we'll buy the pushchair as soon as we find out we're pg, we don't have a car so no use for a carseat, and intend to use a travel cot at the foot of our bed for 6 months so no need for a cot either. So most of our purchases are already made!

I don't get the tempting fate thing unless you've already had a miscarriage or have great reason to think you may have. Fate is fate - things happen regardless of whether or not you buy stuff, I'd much rather be prepared. Also partner really wanted to start as and when we had the spare bits of cash if you see what I mean, much less expense over time than buying it all at once.

Oh and we have 4 sleeping bags. 3 very very cheap and 1 from JoJo Maman cos we already have a theme picked

I agree about the not wanting to tempt fate- but I also bought a little sleepsuit for 'prayer purposes' when we started Ttc.

so now- just waiting for the 12 week scan. I just seem to find myself walking moonily around supermarket babysections! Just seeing whats on offer of course!

Im a bit worried about miscarrying, but i know that my mum has already started the knitting. Just praying lots that the little bean stays hanging on!

DH bought me a little blanket on our first post-test shopping trip but didn't buy anything until i think about 16 weeks. Then it was like opening the floodgates and I went into shopaholic mode ! I've bought loads of second hand stuff/sale stuff so have managed to get away with a reasonable spend (about £600 with almost everything bought now)
Im 25 weeks and only really have stuff like maternity pads and other dull stuff to buy

The nursery, on the other hand, is a completely different kettle of fish as DH is responsible for redecorating. He actually thought he might leave it until he is on paternity leave...

Almost 20 years before DD was born (when I was 37) - have had a 'bottom drawer' for ever...
It was wonderful getting the (now vintage) beatrix potter cot set out and setting it up.

Bought a pink top at 6 weeks as I just KNEW it was a girl.

Am pg with DC2 (boy, me thinks) and am terrified to get anything in case I am tempting fate

Currently 7 weeks and have bought knitting patterns and wool for Mum and MIL for when we tell them (which won't be until after the 12 week scan as DH doesn't want my mum fussing and stressing me out).

Will give in and maybe buy a few items after the 12 week scan, but planning on saving up and then going on a splurge while DH is skiing with his mates. If he comes with me, we'll end up buying all sorts of gadgets I'm sure we won't need!

But to be honest, my main concern is getting some warm winter clothes this winter as baby will be coming to festivals with us and I'm a bit worried that summer wear won't be warm enough. Will get the rest of what baby needs nearer due date / afterwards when friends and family come bearing gifts.