MSE help needed for first baby

karen1907

Hi All,

I am due my first baby on 1 November 2009 (currrently 20+3) and have no idea where to start on buying all the items I need for maternity/baby. There are a number of places that have given me a list of what I need to buy but no indication to how much it will cost, where to look for it, etc.

Basically I want to try and get everything I can as cheaply as possible (like most people) but I have nothing to compare to.

Any advice such as:
- main places to compare prices?
- what is a reasonable price?
- what should I try and get second hand?
- what should I avoid getting second hand?
- do things like value baby wipes work as well as Pampers?
- what should I look for in the things I am buying e.g. can I just get the cheapest moses basket? How do I tell what's good or bad?
- I am hoping to real nappies where are the best places to get these?

One thing I have definitely got is a cot which has been passed down through my family (originally my mum's!) but I won't get it until my neice has outgrown it!!

Any help you can give would be really appreciate it as I really don't know where to start and think I need to start accumulating things gradually.

Thanks
Karen

skintchick

Hi

A few thoughts from me:

you don;t need to use baby wipes at all - get some cloth wipes and wet them, then they can be washed with your nappies and you only pay the initial outlay.

Freecycle. Ask on Freecycle for pretty much everything you need. I got an as-new changing table and some lovely babygrows and blankets.

DO NOT get a second-hand car seat. You must buy one new to be sure it will be safe.

You don;t need a Moses basket - they only last a few months so either get a pram with a detachable bit you can use as a carrycot, or just get a cot and put baby in there. Same with small cribs really as they won;t last very long.

rozeepozee

I have a two year old and saved a fortune.

I only use wipes when out. Otherwise it's a flannel - I've probably only bought about ten packs of wipes in his life and friends laugh at me as I am mortified by how many they use on their kids (especially if they've forgotten their own so are useing mine!!!!)

My biggest tip is CAR BOOT. You can get anything at them for the kids at literally a hundredth of the price in some cases (though I'd agree you don't need a moses basket, I bought mine for 50p). Go to ones in posh/affluent areas. The quality of the items tend to be better and they tend to be lightly used.

And freecycle. A love a bit of altruism.

Good luck. My little boy has never had a new item of clothing or new toy bought for him (by me, anyway) because of my car boot fetish and he loves to come along too.

skintchick

Also, remember you don;t need half the stuff you think you do.

We have mostly not been MSE with our purchases and we still have spent no more than £1300 and that is with a new Silver Cross travel system and expensive cot!

You really don;t have to spend a fortune on stuff and people will buy you gifts so don;t forget that when looking at things- you will get loads of clothes and toys.

rozeepozee

Oh and it's a bit early now but try to potty train early if you can (using real nappies will help with this, though I only did for the first 9 months). By the time you get to the "pull up" nappy stage, they can cost up to 30p a nappy :eek: By putting my son straight from nappies into undies when I started potty training and by potty training him early (at least 6 months before most of my friends) I reckon I've saved about £200 already. And it's better for the environment.

MrsTinks

check the pregnancy thread and the parents thread loads of good advice there
As mentioned - MUST buy new car seat and also any matresses for the cot (unless passed from sibling to sibling).
Everything else you could either buy second hand or ask for on freecycle. Personally I have no problems with second hand stuff but DH flipped when I suggested second hand moses basket and nursery furniture *sigh*
Personally I like moses baskets - they are so handy and as our bedroom doesn't have room for her cot bed (bigger than standard cot) then it should hopefully do her till she can go in her own room They don't need to cost a fortune either - think ours was £29 from John Lewis... Hardly budget breaking and I can probably get some/all of that back selling it on.
Don't get tempted by the baby events - most of the items can still be bought cheaper elsewhere - and personally I think the handpumps for expressing are probably a waste of money... I've had to express a fair bit and the £90 I spent on my Medela Swing pump was money well invested! Yes pricey but SO worth it if you end up expressing... However don't bother buying till you actually need one!

skintchick

rozeepozee wrote: »

Oh and it's a bit early now but try to potty train early if you can (using real nappies will help with this, though I only did for the first 9 months). By the time you get to the "pull up" nappy stage, they can cost up to 30p a nappy :eek: By putting my son straight from nappies into undies when I started potty training and by potty training him early (at least 6 months before most of my friends) I reckon I've saved about £200 already. And it's better for the environment.

Or have a look at elimination communication http://www.vcn.bc.ca/skippers/

I have more links if you want them.

I'm going to give this a go and it basically means potty training from birth. It's common in other cultures where they don't use nappies.

Would save a fortune I reckon.

OrkneyStar

karen1907 wrote: »

Hi All,

I am due my first baby on 1 November 2009 (currrently 20+3) and have no idea where to start on buying all the items I need for maternity/baby. There are a number of places that have given me a list of what I need to buy but no indication to how much it will cost, where to look for it, etc.

Basically I want to try and get everything I can as cheaply as possible (like most people) but I have nothing to compare to.

Any advice such as:
- main places to compare prices?
- what is a reasonable price?
- what should I try and get second hand? baby clothes (especially small stuff), clothes, toys, maternity clothes, cot, potty, nappies (real, not disposable lol), feeding cushion, pram/buggy. Try freecycle, charity, car boots etc or NCT sales (if one in your area)
- what should I avoid getting second hand? car seat, mattress (replace the one on the cot), shoes (esp once baby is walking)
- do things like value baby wipes work as well as Pampers? Tesco own are ok, join the Boots parenting, Pampers etc clubs and they will send vouchers. Cotton wool/reusable cloth is as good at home!
- what should I look for in the things I am buying e.g. can I just get the cheapest moses basket? How do I tell what's good or bad? TBH you might not need a Moses basket as they often outgrow.
- I am hoping to real nappies where are the best places to get these? Freecycle, www.babykind.co.uk, check out if your local council does any incentives, borrow some.

One thing I have definitely got is a cot which has been passed down through my family (originally my mum's!) but I won't get it until my neice has outgrown it!!

Any help you can give would be really appreciate it as I really don't know where to start and think I need to start accumulating things gradually.

Thanks
Karen

Have added a few comments in blue . I'd say borrow as much as you can and also get second hand things.
All the best.
x

Tigsteroonie

Here's how we've managed so far :money:

Moses Basket & one stand from eBay - £20
Second stand from FreeCycle
Bouncer chair from FreeCycle
Cot & cot-top changer from eBay - £34
Two bundles of vests & sleepsuits from eBay - £13 (but trying to re-sell the pink contents)
Electric steam steriliser & bottles from charity shop - £4
Other bottles free courtesy of MSE link

I have a strong suspicion that the only new items our Bean will definitely get are the mattresses (from us) and a travel system (from my parents).

Plus one or two baby clothes items - I cannot resist now that I know to buy blue :rotfl:

Oh, and I haven't succumbed to maternity clothes yet - bought bump bands, and am still wearing my largest trousers & baggy t-shirts.

tiamai_d

Keep an eye on boots for baby items reduced to silly prices (last week I got Pooh dummies for 75p, maternity pads for 50p, breast pads for 79/89p).

Tesco is best place for plain white baby clothes, 5 pack of bibs for £1.50, vests and babygrows are same quality as mothercare but a lot cheaper, socks hats etc are all cheap and good quality (as is Asda). They don't need much else in the way of clothing for teh first few weeks, plus you will get lots of clothes as gifts!

Ebay for clothes! I'm addicted to getting 'designer' dresses for 99p! Folk pay £25 for a dress, baby grows out of it in a couple of months and then they sell it for 99p?! Madness!

Watch out for the Asda baby event, tommee tippee bottles, breast pumps etc go for £10. Tommee tippee website is where I got my electric steam steriliser for £14 with a discount code on here and the sale as it was the older style model (as if I care).

Car boots and check ebay for local bargains (car boots are better though, you can have a good play with teh stuff and it's cheaper). There is always someone silly enough to pay £500 on a pram and then sell it at a car boot for under £70!

Do get a new car seat though, this is the one thing most folk will agree on, unless it comes from close family and you KNOW it hasn't been in any accidents, but then consider the child who was in it last, how long was it used, what size was the child, if it was used full time untill they outgrew it, structurally it may not be safe anyway.

Most of the stuff on the baby lists you don't need!

Nappies, I found tesco own brand to be good in the early days (they actually do the best premature nappies in my opinion and far cheaper!).

Avoid johnsons products, over priced, over scented and usually cause irritation at some point.

Argos have bargains on cots and cot beds if you hang on till they come up. But again, car boot for a cot/cot bed and you can buy a new matress (I personally would buy a new matress, but again it's up to you).

Mothercare is expensive but you can get some good deals, plus I would rate it highly for customer service (DS1's 3 wheeler buggy/pram for example, 3 years after we bought it it needed a new inner tube, mothercare gave us a replacement wheel for free, and the rain cover was exchanded after about 2 years when it started to tear at the bottom, again free). Suprisingly mothercare is the cheapest for the concord car seat I have picked out once you take into account postage costs.

Glamazon

I have got the majority of my stuff over the last 14 weeks from car boots. Some of my buys include

Moses Basket - £4 (but would have realistically paid £15 to £20 for it)
Clothes - tons of different outfits, vests, sleepsuits in varying sizes for less than £20
Changing Unit - £10
Pushchair Mamas and Papas Aria with surefix car set base - £25
2nd car seat base - £5
Baby Bath - £2
Bouncy chair - £4

I got a baby monitor and ear/room therometer in offer in Lloyds Pharmacy

I got TT electronic steam steriliser for £12.50 and TT Breast Pump for £5 in ASDA baby event reductions.

I got this on offer for £99

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3772627/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CNursery%7C12109130/c_2/2%7Ccat_12109130%7CCots+and+other+furniture%7C12109157.htm

I am sure that you shouldn't use cots that were made before a certain time due to the materials used and gaps between the rails. Please check this out before using a cot that was your Mum's.

You can get mattresses new and cheap from eBay.

The only things you shoudl get from new are mattresses and car seat.

Each time MIL goes shopping she has been buying a pack of wipes or safety cotton buds or baby bath stuff (with good dates on!) so that when baby arrives I have a good stockpile!

I have found that by spreading the cost of buying things over the whole pregnancy I haven't noticed the money going out. I never go out to buy something but if I see something on offer that's really good and I know I'll need it I buy it. If I'm not sure, I wait.

I would ignore the checklists in magazines though - waste of money!