Having a baby Old Style???

seabright

Hi,
I haven't read all the posts, so hope I'm not repeating. My advice would be:

1. Join freecycle - baby, toddler & childrens stuff is bulky & people oftem just want to be shot of things quickly and easily, so lots get posted on there
2. Make sure you get all your Bounty bags and that you use the vouchers in them to get the goody bags from Lloyds chemist too
3. Join the Baby Clubs - Tesco & Boots are the best in my opinion. You get a really good changing bag free when you join the Boots one and stacks of vouchers from the Tesco one
4. Once the baby is born use the voucher in your Red Book (Child Health Record - you'll be given it after the birth) to join your child to the library and get their free book bundles
5. Never turn down anything people offer you unless you're really certain you don't need it or don't have the space to house it - you can always return it/pass it on to someone else at a later date

Baileys_Babe

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi there sarah saver and vicky,

Is it impossible to go straight to expressing then? It's a long story, but I almost definately won't be able to BF but may be able to express, I hadn't read that you need to have established your supply first. I'd be grateful for any ideas or links I could look at....

Love Weezl x

No this is what I did, until DS was nearly a year. Produced so much milk we had to get a freezer off freecycle to store the extra in.

Be warned, it is tiring, the worst of both worlds as you need to spend time pumping plus time feeding as well as sterlizing etc. I double pumped (both breast at the same time) this is suppose to increase production, I invested in an expressing bra which meant I was able to use my hands whilst expressing.

Please feel free to PM me with in queries.

Sarahsaver

my 4 mo. dd looks beautiful today in her 2nd hand clothes
local oxfam does baby clothes 20p apiece

trinity_bleu

haven't read all the posts so hope I'm not repeating, but make friends with other mummies before baby is born ... I paid for NCT antenatal classes which weren't cheap, but so worth it for the fab friends I made.

With one mummy, we both buy all clothes in my daughters size, pay 50/50 and her daughter gets them once they're too small. Her new baby brother will be getting all the non pink items. We will then resell at NCT Nearly New Sale very cheaply to free up storage space but help another mum.

NCT Nearly New Sales are wonderful - great quality, cheap prices. I got a brand new party dress for my daughter for Christmas for £1 ! Bigger equipment also available, including cots, buggies (my friend paid £35 for a lovely double), slings, bedding, toys ...

Visit friends rather than going out to coffee shops ... also much less embaressing if you've forgotten nappies, had a leakage issue, run out of food for baby.

Babysit for one another, or share a babysitter if you want to go out together.

Mellika

This thread makes me so broody
I have a box I keep in the spare room with things I've picked up here and there for when I do (baby photo frame, tigger soft toy, couple of vests) am I weird?

domesticgoddess789

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend where to buy reusable nappies from? should I buy in a birth to potty set or separately and can anyone recommend a brand?

Also, is it best to soak them in a bucket before washing? if so what brand of nappy sanitiser would you recommend? how often do you wash a load of nappies? can you put them in with other garments or is this not hygenic?

so many questions!!!

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

blueberrypie

pinkhayley789 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend where to buy reusable nappies from? should I buy in a birth to potty set or separately and can anyone recommend a brand?

Different kinds suit different people. Some people like all-in-ones, where the cover and nappy are, well, all in one LOL - they are convenient, but are also more expensive, and take longer to dry. Others like shaped nappies, others like terry squares - and it depends too on the shape of your baby. Some designs suit chubbier babies better than slim babies, and vice versa. Some don't work so well on babies who are very long, etc.

If you phone one of the companies that sells a variety, they'll be happy to chat with you about your particular needs, and make recommendations. Some do a rental pack with a variety of types in it, so that you can try them out and decide what suits you.

Also, is it best to soak them in a bucket before washing? if so what brand of nappy sanitiser would you recommend? how often do you wash a load of nappies? can you put them in with other garments or is this not hygenic?

Soaking before washing isn't necessary, and it makes it more difficult to get them into the washing-machine. Also many parents find that they notice the smell more if they soak. So I'd say no, don't pre-soak.

I wash about every nine days - but I have a large stock of nappies and a very big washing-machine. When I had a standard-sized machine and two children in cloth nappies, I found that washing a load about every fourth day was enough. Again, it depends on what suits you.

I wash nappies separately, because I don't wash much else on a hot wash - although if I have something white and stained that hasn't washed clean in an ordinary wash, I sometimes throw it in with the nappies. Do a cold pre-wash first - your machine might have a pre-wash cycle, but if not, just run a cold wash and then a hot wash. The reason for this is that hot water can set stains.

As far as hygiene is concerned, after a hot wash your nappies are sanitised, and so is anything else that has been washed with them. There's no need for a nappy sanitising liquid.

I've been using cloth nappies since my second baby, and it really is much easier than it seems at first. And I'm now using many of the same nappies for my sixth - how's that for money-saving? :-)

Sarahsaver

I would say terry nappies - i use them with nappy nippas and they are easy to use and last from birth to toddler
all these expensive 'systems' do not make them a very mse option for me.
i spent a matter of tens of pounds rather than hundreds on nappies.

craftymummy_2

Havent read all the replies, so sorry if i'm repeating this, but go carbooting! You can pick up pretty much everything you need for a baby & toddler for next to nothing. So much cheaper than NCT sales (they're good too, dont get me wrong). Or try Ebay - you can get a few bargains from there too.
Also if people are buying you pressies, ask them to get you stuff you actually need. Trust me, you wont need tons of baby picture frames, cuddly toys etc. Dont wanna sound ungrateful, but this is another great way of saving money and at least you are getting stuff you actually need. Dont bother decorating the baby's room with lots of babyish stuff, you'll be changing it in a years time anyway.
Enjoy every minute of it. They grow up way to fast!
x

honey

pinkhayley789 wrote: »

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend where to buy reusable nappies from? should I buy in a birth to potty set or separately and can anyone recommend a brand?

Also, is it best to soak them in a bucket before washing? if so what brand of nappy sanitiser would you recommend? how often do you wash a load of nappies? can you put them in with other garments or is this not hygenic?

so many questions!!!

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

I'm the same as Sarahsaver and use terry nappies with nappy nippas and I also use motherease airflow wraps. I used Twinkle On The Web to buy nippas and wraps and I bought the terrys from Boots.

I find them fantastic! I would say I wash about every 4th day and don't pre-soak. When our daughter was tiny, just being breastfed and seemed to poo every hour or so, I would sometimes rinse very dirty nappies out in a dedicated bowl before wringing them out and putting in the nappy bucket. But then she went through a lot more nappy changes when she was tiny so I would do a nappy wash more frequently.

If there is room in with the nappies I sometimes put white cottons in now too.

Personally I found all the different types of reuseables quite confusing when I was pregnant, this is our third child but only the first that we've used reuseables. I did try Bambino Mio leant to us by a friend and really didn't get on with them. I think that terrys and a good wrap work really, really well and are very inexpensive compared to most other reuseable brands. Our daughter does have a big bum in her nappy but she doesn't care and we think she looks very cute! :A

Good luck with whichever you choose and don't forget to see if your council offers you money back for trying reuseable nappies.

Honey x