What are the weekly basics for when my baby arrives?

[NewMummyGeorgina]

Is there certain items that i will need to stock up on? Do i need certain products weekly? New mum starting out on a budget, any advice on good quality baby care but whilst being money aware?

I would definitely buy nappies and wipes when they are on offer. I prefer huggies wipes and stock up when they are cheap. Tesco and asda nappies are just as good as huggies IMO. I wouldn't buy too many newborn nappies as you don't know how fast your baby will grow!
If you ff it's worth buying two tubs from the supermarket so you have one in reserve and don't have to spend an extra two quid on one from a local shop because you run out.

Thankyou so much, This site is so helpful!

Yes to huggies wipes and asda nappies! I think we used 8 packs of size 1 nappies (but it depends how big your baby is - DS was 8lb 11oz when born).

If you have a boots advantage card you get 10 points per pound on baby stuff so it adds up quite quickly and you can use them to buy stuff if you need. Just don't buy boots nappies for they are rubbish!

Asda do a liquid talc as well which I use on DS all the time and has been excellent for his skin.

Before DS was born I added 1 pack of babywipes / some nappy sacks etc to my shopping each week - it was only an extra £1 or so so I didn't notice it but over the course of 20 weeks I got lots of things stockpiled.

Use all the money off vouchers from the Bounty/Emmas diary. I think if I remember correctly, there is a voucher for a free pack of nappies? Get things when on offer, the chances are next time the price will have increased again. Lidl nappies have been recommended to me, and I'll be trying those once I've got through everything else.

Aldi nappies are far better than any others I have used.
I have tried Huggies, Pampers, Asda, Tesco, Nature Baby, Lidl- but the Aldi ones are by far the best, and the cheapest!
The Lidl ones used to be great but have an awful smell since the redesign of them.
I too prefer Huggies wipes to any others- the Aldi ones smell nice but aren't moist enough.
I use lavender bath stuff, so tend to stock up when it is on offer.

The only other thing I recommend you stock up on is SLEEP!

Oh and the bedtime moisturising stuff is fab for after bath, lovely soothing smell. I use tesco bedtime bath wash too. Baby shampoo is crap, I use dove 2 in 1 stuff on my kids hair.
If you can afford it or can find a cheap one, ear thermometers are great. Trying to hold a normal one under a screaming baby's arm for about a week is a nightmare. Best of luck, when are you due?

Sorry didn't read properly, how old is your little one?

Personally hate Huggies wipes, doesn't everyone else find they just rip from the packet?

Also stock up on washing liquid etc so can clean baby stuff easily

Freeze lots of food

For a small baby just nappies/ wipes/ nappy sacks and milk if ff

Vanish
Napisan
Handcream- you'll find that you are washing your hands a lot more so look after them, too!

Tesco value nappy sacks are best.. and really cheap.
Huggies wipes,
Tesco or asda nappies.
Talc, sudocrem, Kamilosan (gooey cream thing that is great for nipples, and any dry skin patches Boots do it)
=)

Laundry detergent. Not weekly but probably a bottle a month. Especially if you have a sicky baby or use washable nappies or have leaky breasts.

More snacks/ready meals for you and partner.
I use supermarket own brand wipes as half the price of brands even on offer!
And smell less chemically.

Breast pads may be a weekly expense if you bf and leak a lot, but hopefully you won't have that problem.

Babies grow through the nappy sizes v quickly and there are special offers on very regularly so don't stock up too many (2 packs of newborns should be enough unless you live in the middle of nowhere).

If you use cotton wool balls and water for nappy changes then you will need roughly 1,000 to start off with (mecomium nappies ) and then another 300 a fortnight.

You'll probably need loads of breast pads in the first few weeks and then far fewer or none at all, so again don't go mad.

One tube of Lansinohl and one of Bepanthen did me through two babies.

Biscuits and tea.

Agree about the handcream btw. I developed full blown contact dermatitis when I had two in nappies, so I had to resort to plastic disposable gloves for nappy changes in order to limit the number of hand washes per day.

Sign up for emails from sainburys. They do regular 25% off events on baby stuff. You can stock up on nappies etc. you end up paying a few pence for nappy sacks.
I am not a hippy earth mother type but I WISH I had discovered reusable wipes before DC5!
They are genius.
Thy cost about 30 quid to set up but I loved them. I am now using them for cleaning cloths because I have run out of babies :(

Each week I buy a pack of nappies a tine of milk and 2/3 packs of wipes. I dont always use them up but just add to what Ive got.

You dont need ti buy branded nappies
You should never pay more than £1 a pack for branded wipes- unbranded wipes are crap
If you plan on reading to you baby from very early on then buy kids books from charity shops. I add to dd's books every week and never pay more than 75p per book
from now til your dc arrives tub up extra portions of lasagne / chilli/ stews you cook then freeze them so you dont have to wory about cooking in the early days

Do you have a savers near you? Noticed today they've got johnsons babywipes on 6 packs for £4.99. It's a good deal!

PotteringAlong, I'm the same as you, huggies wipes and little angels nappies

I hate Huggies wipes, too. I'd go for sensitive/no alcohol/no perfume ones as some wipes smell really sickly (J&J esp). Definitely keep an eye on offers for wipes and nappies. Don't bother with nappy sacks - any old plastic bag will do and you can get loads into one and only a few in a nappysack. In fact, I've never really seen the point: small babies' poo hardly smells and nappies go straight into the bin; older babies on solids end up producing poo that you can put down the loo. I've never really understood why people just wrap up the poo for the rubbish bin.

Get one pack of washable cotton breast pads instead of boxes of paper ones.
Work out what's best for you in terms of online grocery shopping, a real godsend, I found.

A couple of really basic changing mats and some cheap hand towels. Most convenient to have a changing station in each room where you're likely yo change a lot of nappies, eg on floor in sitting room.

First week, make sure you have plenty of pain killers in, you might be a little uncomfortable after labour! Oh and plenty of the huge sanitary pads. Sorry TMI.