How much did you buy pre-baby?

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

I was just wondering how many things people actually bought before the birth, particularly in regards to nappies and clothes.

Due to me having severe excema and nappy rashes when I was little (and therefore restricted in regards to types of material I could wear), I am pretty hesitant to go buying lots of clothes and nappies beforehand, in case I have to get rid of them due to baby's health. And also with size – I don't want to be spending all this money, only to find baby never fits in them, or does only for a month or so.

How much did you buy? I mentioned my confusion as to why people were buying so much before baby was born on another forum, and quickly found out my approach was in the minority!

That surprised me, as I figured most people would probably buy just the basics prior to the birth, and when baby was born go and stock up a bit more.

What did you do? I just can't afford to be buying a lot of stuff, with the risk of reactions or not being able to fit...

Sasch

 

[kayd1966]

Everybody thought I was crazy...but I just didn't see the point of cramming a bunch of stuff in the house for the kids.

I got lots of sleepers because that's all they'll wear for the first three months. I Only got a few size 3m, most were 6m & 9m. Babies grow so fast and sleepers shrink in the wash unless you get a polyester blend. People gave me little outfits that I used if they needed to be dressed up.

I also bought receiving blankets...actually I went to a discount fabric store and bought 100% cotton flannel and made my own. Some were single thickness at 24in/61cm X 24in/61cm. Others were double thickness and 1yd/metre X 1yd/metre.

I got samples of diapers because my famly has very sensitive skin too. I found that diapers didn't bother my kids but the wipes did. Oh...if you go with disposable diapers only buy 1 package of newborn size...switch them into size 1 after that pack is done. The newborn size is to expensive and there isn't that big of a difference between the two sizes. Buy unscented everything.

Get Zinc Oxide to put on his/her little bum...diaper rash is ugly at the best of times but on a little tiny baby its heartbreaking.

Lots of little soft Wash clothes and a few soft towels.

Your carseat is a must. I used a borrowed carrier (picture below) for the first three months and spent really good money on a carseat that goes from 5lbs to 100lbs. BUT check your local child restraint laws for that...everywhere is a little different. I also borrowed a stroller until I decided what I liked and wanted. By then, #2 was on the way so I bought a really good double stroller and picked up a used single one at a garage sale.

A couple of blankets so one can be in the wash while you use the other. I used double thick receiving blankets a lot of the time.

A little comb & brush (my kids had lots of hair). A nasal aspirator (best invention around picture below) and a thermometer (I used a digital one, under their arms but the ear one or pacifier ones are good too).

The list does seem long when I look at it now ...but it really isn't when you get down to it. I hope this helps.

 

[lucypevensie]

I don't recall buying anything except for the car seat. I was prepared to buy some things, but it turned out that we got an excellent stash from 2 baby showers. The only thing I stocked up on with baby #2 was disposable nursing pads. I am a human faucet in that department.

One thing I wish I had done was freeze some meals. It would have been easy to do and saved lots of stress!

 

[Leanna]

I didn't buy that much, but lots was given to me. Hmm well now that I think about it, I did buy a decent amount of things... but I wouldn't call it "tons" just the things I knew I would need right away.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

We bought very little too. We bought a crib (total waste of money as we found cosleeping much better), a carseat which is a must have cos you can't take your baby home without it, a package of diapers and a couple packages of t-shirts and onsies. We just didn't have a need for anything else or the space to store stuff. Of course we were also given a few gifts from friends and family (no baby shower).

Baby number 2 is due in September and I have 3 things I'd like to buy before baby gets here which are a new carseat as the one we have is 5 years old, a sling, and some cloth diapers.

 

[greenessa]

Sleepers.Lots of sleepers. Murphy's law states they will always dirty one more than you have. Diapers whichever you are using, have some hypo-allergenic disposables on hand for times of exhaustion. I used recieving blankets for everything, swaddling, spitup, warmth. If you are concerned about skin reactions but want to be prepared lean to the cautious side. You could just buy all cotton fabrics and hypoallergenic things to begin with.

On the bum rash thing my best advice is a hairdryer and vaseline. My brother(much younger) had severe reactions along the lines that you mentioned for yourself and nothing worked till our GP suggested this. Air dry on low setting, slathe on the vaseline, and change often. Gone in 3 days.

 

[katelyn]

As far as clothes, I've never tried these but supposedly they work well to extend the amount of time you can use those onesies:

Snap n' Grow Garment Extenders

Also, sleepers without feet are nice, but can be hard to find. Natalie was a long baby and would outgrow the footed sleepers length-wise too quickly.

 

[greenessa]

I've never tried these but supposedly they work well to extend the amount of time you can use those onesies

What a great idea! my 3 month old was in 12-18 month sleepers and onesies because he was long not heavy. These would have been great.

 

[lin1235]

I'm going to try and get the big expenses (pram, car seat, cot, etc.) out of the way asap (I'm only 4 months now). I'm with Sasch on the worry about diaper sensitivity and whatnot, so I'll buy the basics and have hubby go shop for extra when it becomes necessary. Besides, I think it's silly to buy lots of stuff before the baby shower!

 

[~Nikki~]

Well, we've bought all the stuff like car seat, pushchair, cot, bath etc.

We've also bought quite a few clothes for the bub and three packs of disposable nappies.

In fact, I think we've bought pretty much *everything* we'll need, at least until we figure out what we could do with more of, and what we really didn't need at all...

 

[andiesmama]

I bought lots of disposable diapers, we of course had the carseat, crib, changing table, and misc stuff like powder, rash ointment, nail clippers, baby lotion (the lavender stuff....mmmmm....), baby soap & shampoo, a little baby tub that fit in our sink, towels...

As far as clothes, I myself bought some onesies & sleepers, but most of that stuff came from when I had my baby shower.

As far as having too many diapers on hand, I wasn't worried about it because I always knew I could give them away to friends who were pregnant...

 

[Linnis]

So far I have bought a pair of shoes(the week I found out because they were so cute) and a blanket with boy stuff on it the day I found out I was having a boy.

We got a crib from a couple who had a baby last year but ended up co-sleeping for free and we'll be buying the mattrass and carseat if we don't get them for the shower. We've been given 3 used mattrasses even after explaining we don't want one used because of the risks. So they got thrown out.

My Shower is July first so we'll see after that what's left to get.

I know the only thing for sure left to actually buy in a sling, that both DH and I can use and then the material so my Aunt can make a couple loop style slings for me. With my joint and muscle problems, keeping the weight on the bigger joints as much as possible will help..also I have this fear of loosing the feeling in my arms while holding the baby.

 

[Athene]

I think first time parents tend to over buy for their babies, it is alot of fun to go shopping for the stuff . . when I was pregnant with becky I got loads of stuff I didn't really need at that moment, like the high-chair, baby monitor, steriliser etc - and of course far too many clothes which didn't actually fit her because she was such a big baby.

There has been quite a gap between number 3 and my second, Patrick, I'd got rid of all the old baby clothes and most of the baby stuff so I've had to start again pretty much, I've been alot less spend happy with this one, I have 6 babygrows, a few vests, a coat and a hat, one pack of 36 nappies - loads of baby wipes but they were on special offer.

It is the sensible thing to buy the basics and wait to get the rest of the stuff till after baby is born and it needs them, but as I mentioned it's fun buying baby stuff and all new parents like to be well prepared.

 

[New Creation]

I only have one month to go until the baby gets here!

We have been really blessed.

A friend gave us a beautiful hand-made cradle.

My parents bought us a crib and changing table as well as a dresser.

My mother in law got us a new washer and dryer.

My pastor gave us a rocking chair and my sister gave me a bunch of used onesies.

Another friend gave me a bunch of receiving blankets.

I have bought baby shampoo, lotion, and rash cream.

We have also been stocking up on diapers, we buy one big package a week. We haven't bought any newborn size- just size ones that go from 7lb. to 14 lbs.

My shower is in 11 days and we will make a trip into the "big smoke" to get what the shower doesn't cover, such as cloth diapers and nursing bras.

 

[GolfingMom]

Also, sleepers without feet are nice, but can be hard to find. Natalie was a long baby and would outgrow the footed sleepers length-wise too quickly.

I think you are refering to the gowns that gather past the feet? Those I used ALL THE TIME for my BOYS! They were the best at night when changing diapers in the dark. No clasps or buttons! Just pull it up, change the diaper, pull back down and you are done! I had 8 of them and I get them for anyone having babies!

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

I think you are refering to the gowns that gather past the feet? Those I used ALL THE TIME for my BOYS! They were the best at night when changing diapers in the dark. No clasps or buttons! Just pull it up, change the diaper, pull back down and you are done! I had 8 of them and I get them for anyone having babies!

I didn't like these cos they would always end up around my daughter's armpits I prefered things with snaps. Every baby is so different LOL

 

[jgonz]

I've made sure to have a dye and perfume free laundry soap for our clothing, because all of my babies have had very sensitive skin.

I refuse to buy flame-retardant Anything for the same reason. Cotton all the way. My favorite brand of clothing is Hanna Andersson http://www.hannaandersson.com/home.asp Amazingly soft clothing, that didn't bother my babies' sensitive skin. They can be pricey, but catching things on sale and not buying as much has been worth it.

My babies all stayed small for a Long time, so 0-3 mos (or in Hanna/European sizing: 50) sized stuff was a necessity. I ordered things by mail-order (pre-internet days, for my older kids) and online (for my younger kids) so I wouldn't have to go out (getting out of the house was always a major undertaking for me when each of my babies were newborns).

With my first baby, I had Nothing. I borrowed a crib and baby clothes from a friend. The car seat laws just became popular and the state I was living in made it mandatory when my first was 3 months old. So I bought a car seat at that time.

With #2, we had a little more money, so we got a few more things. Once we had my DS, we got "boy" sleepers (I prefer the snap variety too. )

I have always bought quality clothes so they can be passed down... just something else to think about if you plan on having more than 1 child.

 

[Neenie1]

Hi, I believe you can write to many nappy companies and they will send you some samples. Try Huggies, BabyLove, or Snugglers, they seem to be the big nappy companies in Aus, although personally these days most disposable nappies seem to be pretty much the same (much better than 4 years ago, when my eldest was a baby) I actually prefer Home brand nappies over any of the others I have already mentioned.

Also you can write to many of the companies for samples of nappy rash cream, try Curash, or Bepanthen, or Amolin (personally I prefer Curash or Amolin, for some reason Daniels skin responded better to Curash, whereas Emily's skin responded to Amolin better)

Also, when you have baby you will get a sample bag of goodies in the hospital, this will contain breast pads, nappy rash cream, sanitary pads etc. Also another site to go to for samples is TotalTwaddle.co.uk. I highly recommend it.

As far as what I bought for baby, well, before I had Daniel we had very little money so didn't buy a whole lot. We bought a cot second hand, a car seat (never buy these second hand unless you are absolutely 110% sure it has NEVER been in an accident), we also bought a good rocker/bouncer thing, a cute outfit in 0000, (both of my babies were in 0000 for a month or more, Emily was in them for 6 weeks)

I bought heaps of bonds suits, you can never have enough of these. Also singlets etc. I would go for 000 at first, maybe a few 0000 but don't cut the tags until you know how big baby is. A baby over 8lb isn't in the newborn size all that long.

Don't forget about op shops etc. I buy all my kids clothes from op shops. they get a brand new outfit each season, so they have something special, but that is IT. (although I must admit I have probably gone overboard in little dresses for Em)

 

[Stan53]

How much did you buy pre-baby?
Too much. Half of it never got used. And the baby clothes we got were too small. That when, as a first time parent, you realise how little you know.
We knew nothing.
Come to think of it, I am not sure much has changed!

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

I bought nothing pre-baby. We lost the first so late I was afraid too. Then the second came three months early so I really didn't have a chance to. Got a lot of second hand stuff though.

Edited to add: I really don't like huggies diapers. They aren't that great.