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Baby on the way...what are the essential buys?

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  • Amanda65
    Amanda65 Posts: 2,076 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Muslins ! My essential for all 3. They were used as mopper uppers, bibs (when they were a bit older), burping cloths for my shoulder and as a comfort blanket, on the basis that I could take a grubby one away and wash it and replace with another (unlike some friends whose children had THE most disgusting pieces of rag that they took to bed and refused to have washed :eek::eek::eek:).

    Mine slept with their 'mussies' for a very long time. In fact DS (aged nearly 15) still has one in his draw that he very occasionally looks at quite longingly :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
  • JodyBPM
    JodyBPM Posts: 1,404 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    My best buy was washable nappies! Think I spent a couple of hundred all in, and they lasted through two children!

    Car seat is essential obviously as is a buggy. Some clothing, but not too much as you will get given loads. Sleeping bags were great for us, rather than sheets and blankets.

    I also used the sink rather than the baby bath, and don't be fooled into buying huge amounts of baby powder, baby oil, baby lotion etc before baby is born, I bought loads and hardly used any of it. To this day, I'm still not really sure what baby oil is for (in relation to babies anyhow ;) )
  • shirlgirl2004
    shirlgirl2004 Posts: 2,983 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    You don't need a pushchair/pram for a baby or toddler. A good quality sling can be cheaper and last until the child is 4. I'd recommend a Mei Tai if you want a birth to 4 years old model.

    There are lots of parents that choose to co-sleep too which if you read properly into the medical advice it is safe as long as you don't smoke,drink or take drugs which might make you sleep more heavily.

    You can also choose to use Elimination Communication and wouldn't therefore need many/any nappies but again it isn't for everyone. These are parenting choices though so obviously you need to be happy with those. .

    Asking people what you need is essentially asking what parenting choices you should make and only you (and your partner) should make those decisions.

    I guess most people would agree some clothing is pretty essential in this country though although for a summer baby maybe not. You don't want the health visitor thinking you're totally nuts by wrapping the baby in a large mens t-shirt rather than buying blankets. ;)
  • Hiya i had my baby 14 wks ago, thought id make a list of things i bought and never used:

    Changing mat - just change him on my knee or a towel on the floor

    Moses basket - he refused to sleep in it only slept in the car seat for the first month, slept in the moses basket for about a week then was too big so now have him in a travel cot. If you do get a moses basket i wouldnt bother buying the proper moses basket sheets which can be expensive, a pillowcase fits it fine!!

    Baby bath - when filled with water its too heavy for me to lift so just wash him in the big bath

    Top and tail bowl - neverr bothered with it

    Johnston products - far too perfumed for his skin and developed severe dryness. have to just use emolium(sp?) and E45

    biggest mistake i made was my pram :( i bought one which you can either attatch a carrycot or the car seat to. i have used the carrycot attatchment ONCE!! the car seat on top of the pram is so much easier for me getting around the shops etc.

    newborn clothes he didt wear much as others say i just kept him in a sleepsuit unless heading out to see people to show him off lol.

    HTH
  • Nicki
    Nicki Posts: 8,166 Forumite

    Moses basket - he refused to sleep in it only slept in the car seat for the first month, slept in the moses basket for about a week then was too big so now have him in a travel cot. If you do get a moses basket i wouldnt bother buying the proper moses basket sheets which can be expensive, a pillowcase fits it fine!!

    .....

    biggest mistake i made was my pram :( i bought one which you can either attatch a carrycot or the car seat to. i have used the carrycot attatchment ONCE!! the car seat on top of the pram is so much easier for me getting around the

    HTH

    Your carseat advice is against current health guidelines for newborns! Young babies shouldn't be in a carseat for more than a couple of hours at a time, and definitely not put to sleep in them for long periods, but should lie flat. This is in part due to the need to support their spine but mainly because the upright position of the carseat causes their blood oxygen levels to fall, leading to an increased risk of SIDS. Personally I hate to see young babies being wheeled around shopping centrex in the car seat part of their travel systems as it so bad for them and the extra effort required to move them from their carseat to the pushchair proper is minimal.
  • yes its against guidelines - im not disputing that, although for the first 8 weeks he fed every 3 hrs and never slept longer than 2 hrs in a row anyway even during the night.

    it was only after i got advice on here i learnt how to get him to sleep in the moses basket(but putting rolled up blankets along the sides of him) but by that time he was getting too big for it anyway.

    my story about the carseat was never meant as advice just pointing out that i would never buy a moses basket again. i would just use the travel cot from newborn :)
  • M_A_R_I_E
    M_A_R_I_E Posts: 250 Forumite
    edited 8 January 2011 at 7:58PM
    If you join the Boots parenting club they send you some vouchers - one of them is a voucher to get a free change bag when you buy a pack of nappies.

    The change bag is great - we used it for both of ours. Good size and with a travel change mat inside too.

    Dreambirdy - you may find that you need a changemat as the baby gets more mobile. Nothing worse than poo on the carpet from a wriggling baby/toddler! lol! ;)
  • rachbc
    rachbc Posts: 4,461 Forumite
    edited 8 January 2011 at 8:05PM
    something for it to poo in - cloth or disposibles - cloth i cheaper in the long run but a bigger layout up front
    something to move it about safely - car seat if you have one!
    somewhere for it to sleep - in your bed is cheapest!
    something for it to wear - a few basic sleepsuits as you may well get gifted lots

    IN terms of money saving a really good sling is the best - saves buying a pram as well as all those contraptions for leaving babies in whilst you get in with things as you can get on with things with your baby on board!
    People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • salski
    salski Posts: 292 Forumite
    Im due in 5 weeks and pretty much have everything I think and have been told I need. I have bought it all and I mean ALL 2nd hand apart from mattress for cot ;)
    Loan finished Sep 2010 - HSBC CC - WAS £750 now £0! Natwest CC - WAS £1600 now £100 - Overdraughts to be worked on! WILL be debt free by mid 2011!!!
    £2000 Saved so far for maternity leave - Our baby girl arrived valentines day! Elsie Ann - WELCOME :heart:
    Sealed pot challenge number 4 - number 1167 - Last day smoking: 8/1/2011
  • i have the boots changing bag marie its fab!! so i have the wee travel changing mat for out and about etc best bargain ever!!
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