Expecting a baby - what NOT to buy.

cat04

Someone mentioned not buying over the head clothes, but also watch out for any sleepsuits that fasten at the back - someone bought me a sleepsuit like this for DD1. I tried to put it on her once and didn't bother again - it's hard to support a newborn's head and fasten poppers/buttons at the same time! I also struggled a bit sometimes (as she got bigger) with the sleepsuits that only unfasten to half way down their bodies etc.

Can't think of anything else in particular that we bought but didn't use, apart from first size clothes/nappies. Oh, make sure you buy a good pram that YOU are happy with/find comfortable. My ex-OH thought I'd be happy with a cheap, old model pram from ebay that I HATED because he was a tight-fisted g!t lol. Also explains why we didn't buy lots of things we later regretted!

Edit: Forgot to say congratulations!

barbiedoll

All parents love moses baskets but some babies absolutely hate them (maybe because they can't see over the sides?) and they only last for a few months before the baby has grown out of it. They take up a load of space and you'll end up giving it away just to get rid of it.

Unless you have loads of space and money, avoid changing tables. Again, they take up a lot of room and you can't use them for very long as the baby will soon be wriggling around and falling off if you aren't careful. You can change a baby on a bed, the floor, or on an ordinary table. You'll be able to do it on your lap too, when it's still tiny!

Don't spend hundreds of pounds on a pram, you'll be crying out for a small buggy as soon as the baby is older than six months. If you live in a flat, they are a pain on the stairs or in the lift and even if you live in a house, they take up all of the room in the hall.

If you do live in a flat, unless it is a huge loft-style apartment or similar, you won't really need a baby monitor. Even if you live in the shadow of Heathrow airport, you will still hear your baby crying!

Finally, if you have a girl, don't be tempted to buy a cot with all of those swathes of netting draped over it. It's a complete waste of money and if your baby is jaundiced after the birth, it will need plenty of light. Also, babies like to have a look around when they are lying in their cot, they won't see much behind a net curtain. We don't have malaria-ridden mosquitoes in Britain so there's no need for netting around the cot! :rotfl:

Good luck and happy (MSE) spending!

ps....will echo the comments about baby cream and olive oil. Cheapo olive oil from the chemist is fine, it doesn't have to be extra virgin! And don't buy baby oil, it's very drying. You won't need any toiletries for the baby for a couple of months anyway.
pps. Same for teddies/soft toys. They just gather dust!

alexlyne

I actually like our nappy bin... it has a sprung lid on it and when you empty it it stays closed. Refills aren't cheap, though I'm sure there's a way of using a standard bin liner in it. I guess it depends how far and often you have to traipse around the house with a nappy bag.

Only focus on what and what not to buy for the first couple of months of baby's life. Friends/family will be giving you gifts (if you're lucky) and from there you can work out what's needed as he/she gets bigger. I don't buy mine any toys now as he has too many and the missus buys him things from the charity shop that are 'too cheap to not buy'.

The missus (and all the other mums in out NCT group) bought Bumbos which I thought would be a complete waste of money but can be actually very useful when they're little (and can get them cheaper off fleabay).

And remember at all times, getting all pink/blue things is all well and good but if you're planning to expand the family in the future, would you still want all the pink stuff with a boy or vice-versa?

We bought 2 (cheap) travel cots, one to have at my parents house, and one to take places. We found out that most places we stayed would provide a cot, so haven't ever used the one we have (thinking holiday homes and travelodges etc).

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

I wasnt actually that keen on the bumbo - i only had mine for 3 weeks (brought second hand) before i sold it lol

I spoilt DD roten - got her one of those automatic baby swing things that had wonderful music and lights - what a waste of money though! it moved - she screamed! lol

I didnt know what i was having - so had to buy whites. Wish i'd not bothered. DD was born on a sat night. we was discharged sunday. and by Monday i hit the shops and brought pink lol

Teethers are another thing i never bothered with - my mum got a pork chop bone, ripped all the meat off it, took anything loose/sharp from it and gave it DD to chomp on (i didnt know this at the time!) but after speaking to HV she said she did it herself when her children were little but made sure she stayed in the room with them (for obvious reasons!)

Dont buy one of those temperature colour things either - whats wrong with a normal thermometer?! (AND you may get a free one - i did from a bounty pack!)

sarahjanetim

Join the free clubs you can get vouchers and free nappies https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3028528
I joined them with my email and my partners so you can get twice the freebies. If you have tesco vouchers they worth double on clothing and pampers at the moment http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/clubcard/bigexchange.asp

And check argos clearance - nursery every so often be suprised what you can get on there.

Good luck!!!

clw1

For furniture - often the sets of nursery furniture in babyshops are very overpriced and not great quality. We just got a large chest of drawers for clothes from ikea, a cot 2nd-hand from an NCT sale and a chair that we already had. It doesn't all match but it's similar colours and it looks fine to me.

We also use plastic boxes under the cot to store spare nappies, clothes that are too big etc.

toffifee

My mum seemed to think we NEEDED a separate changing table but we didn't have room. I agree that you can easily change them on the floor/bed but I really liked my over-the-cot-bed removable changig table from John Lewis - easier on the back and knees. With a standard size changing mat you have room at the side for wipes etc. and when they're tiny you can leave it on the cot all the time.

We had a fancy padded recliner/bouncy chair thing that vibrated. Both of my children hated it and preferred the cheap one with no padding, I think because it was a bit more upright and they could see more. The cheap one was good for feeding when they started on food since the cover came off for washing. (I remember sitting on the kitchen floor feeding DS on the cheap chair, surrounded by boxes on the day we moved house, while DH was in the hospital with his newly broken arm, but that's another thread!).

JBD

I changed their nappies on my knee, so didn't really need a changing mat. I did find my changing bag very useful as I went out a lot.
I used a washing up bowl for their 1st baths, then just sat them in the kitchen sink.
You also don't need a 'top and tail' bowl, just a couple of little bowls will do, or a couple of old ice cream tubs if you want to be really MSE.
I also used their 1st stage car seats as an indoor rocking chair.

NickyBat

without a doubt sterilisers.......complete waste of money, i breastfed at first and then when we went on to bottles would wash them as normal and then pour boiling water over them and store them in the fridge.
Changing tables, a waste, but one of the best things i had was a basket. My mum bought it and lined it with padding and in it i kept a few nappies, wipes bags and creams etc and i found it so handy it was fab.
Baby bath was another waste of space, i bathed mine either in the bathroom sink or in the bath with me

Loulou2010

if you're using a moses basket then a pillow case will do as a sheet. much cheaper than the bedding sets! also for the cots (we had a cotbed so bigger than your normal cot) i cut a double sheet (not fitted) in half and hemmed the edges. fitted perfectly.

i second using babygro's. ds had outfits if we were going somewhere ie out for meal etc but babygros everywhere else.

bottles if you are using them - dont bother with the small ones. go for the 9oz ones.