Baby due - what to begin stock-piling

jellyhead

huggies club. cow and gate (a baby milk company) have a club, they send you a lovely cuddly cow. we lost ours last week, just minutes after it was delivered - roo took it out for a walk and dropped it without me noticing.

edited to add link for free cow http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=3855927#post3855927

sarymclary

Rather than stockpiling for baby, which is nigh on impossible before s/he arrives (wipes are used for years and years - my 4 boys all still use them and they range from 6 - 15yrs; always keep some in the car), I would suggest you stock up on the 'essentials' you take for granted now, but will probably see as luxuries when the baby has arrived and you're lacking 2 incomes. So, if you like a good moisturiser, get some in, and anything else you like to use. It came as a big shock to me with DS 1 when I realised I was always going to forego my own needs in favour of his, so the Infacare went in my trolley, but the Badedas stayed on the shelf. I ended up bathing with him in the Infacare anyway! Infact my 2 youngest still pile in the bath after me, so I use Johnson's Softwash myself, so they don't have the stronger bath cremes on their skins, which are still sensitive.
By the time DS 3 was on his way, I was stocking up the pantry cupboards with tinned foods, the freezer was brimming and we could have handled a nuclear holocaust I was so prepared, but it meant no supermarked shopping for weeks as a result. I knew from bitter experience that a newborn baby is born with a sensor that goes off everytime you enter a shop; the crying begins and doesn't stop until you're back outside again! A couple of loaves of bread and a newspaper didn't give them a chance to draw breath.
Totally agree with online shopping, especially for the bulky items like toilet rolls (nappies if you change your mind), etc. I'd definitely recommend trying to persevere with breastfeeding (please don't all shout at me those of you that tried and didn't succeed) as long as you can. It was painful to begin with because I hadn't a clue what I was doing, but after 2 weeks I was getting the hang of it (milk everywhere - across the room, the lot!), and I fed all 4 successfully. You only need take a change of babygro, some nappies and a travel packs of wipes out with you then, rather than all the paraphenalia that comes with bottle feeding. It's also much kinder to baby's tummy too. My sister's children both developed asthma and eczema (inherited on our father's side), but were bottlefed, all 4 of mine are asthma free, and my 3rd son had a faint eczema patch as a baby, which we treated with Oilatum cream, and has now disappeared. I'd like to hope that breastfeeding gave him a chance of it not developing further. My boys have been far less sickly, bounce back better from illness, and whether this is related or not, seem to be doing better academically. They've all been raised pretty much identically, and I had full-time care of my neice and nephew from babies to primary school because my sister worked, so they had the same influences early on as my sons.
:T My sincere congratulations to you and your OH, and I'm feeling oh so envious too at the thought of a gorgeous little one on the way. Loved pregnancy, the births were manageable, the early years were tiring but great, but make the most of it all because soon they become teenagers:eek:

jopsey

SOAP POWDER
don't know if it has been mentioned but I couldn't belive how something so tiny could create so much washing

Janepig

My only other top tip is for when you are giving birth - rather than shell out for "paper" disposable knickers (the feel of which I find horrible) I got a big pack of enormous black knickers from Primark or the like, reasonably cheaply, which you can always throw away anyway instead of wash. Alot more comfy than disposables I think.

Jxx

skylight

I have to echo the above comments!

Don't bother stockpiling - a few bottles will last you AGES! (As in years!)

I do recommend lots of vests and babygros - keep them all white too - this will make the washing easier. Chuck them on a hot wash with your nappies and as everything is white, nothing will run nor will you waste time sorting out wash loads!

I keep the bedding white, all prams sheets white etc...... for the same purpose! The cardigans and stuff that have to go on a delicate wash are all pink (cos all mine are girls!) so there is little sorting to be done.

And Sleep. Stuff housework, tidying etc. Sleep when baby does. Do stuff that fits in with you, not what fits in with other peoples expectations. But do get dressed everyday. An AM shower and get dressed does make you feel better. Staying in pj's all day does not help the ego!

alwaysonthego_2

I'd definitely recommend trying to persevere with breastfeeding (please don't all shout at me those of you that tried and didn't succeed) as long as you can. It was painful to begin with because I hadn't a clue what I was doing, but after 2 weeks I was getting the hang of it (milk everywhere - across the room, the lot!), and I fed all 4 successfully.

also fun to squirt it at your partner

andycarmi

Congratulations :j

Friends of mine and MIL made up boxes of essentials:T I have enough to last me 2 years:D I m glad I didn't buy too much. Also received 2 Bounty packs in hospital with mini essetials in to get you started.

It's hard not to buy things as your so excited:j just buy a coulpe of baby grows too as people but LO so many cloths.

I also like the gro-bags £10 in Asda. Don't buy this till near May as they will have summer tog ones then as they only have winter ones in now. Also dep, on how hot May is you might not need one till the end of Summer.

Good Luck.

immoral_angeluk

250 LOO ROLLS? Jesus that's a lot of toilet paper! Considering the baby won't be actually using any for a good few years!

Essentials to stock up on are nappies, wipes, formula (If you're not breastfeeding) maternity pads, nursing pads, easy to cook meals for you and your DH and 'nibbles' for the first few weeks when you're too tired to cook anything. Oh tea bags sugar and biscuits so your guests can make themselves tea when they come round to visit.

Justie

great thread thanks everyone :T

jellyhead

i don't mean to argue but i wouldn't stockpile formula, wipes or disposable nappies. they're all easily available at supermarkets and there's always something on special. i tried a few different brands of each until i found one i liked. the only thing i stockpiled was simple baby wipes when i saw them on BOGF, i got 6 packs and they were my favourite. i haven't seen them on special since then! but huggies wipes make him sore and so do johnsons so i'm glad i didn't collect too many og those. nappies come in different shapes and what suita one baby may not suit another. i also find that as my baby grows he changes and we prefer different brands for his body shape at different times. (i know you're using washables but i bought disposables for night-time use).

formula, well i tried a couple of those too. the first didn't suit then we tried another (a thick lower-lactose milk for babies with reflux). that was okay but when we went away we needed ready-made cartons for some of the time so we ended up changing brands to one who made the cartons and because he seemed fine on it (reflux was better and we had anti-lactose drops to add) we stayed on that. eventually the dietician told us we could have used LF milk to avoid the hassle of drops, so we bought that instead. so 4 changes of milk. and if you breastfeed you may not need to use any formula.


instead of maternity pads i bought always ultra, recommended to me. they were fab. being sticky, they don't work so well with paper pants but luckily i'd been advised on here to buy cheap cotton pants and throw them away