Should you buy baby stuff before being pregnant?

[Sophia73]

I wouldn't recommend buying stuff. Remember you do get given a lot of things and it's worth waiting to see what you really need to buy - there is a lot of wastage when it comes to baby things that you never really use. I would also be aware of what others here have said re: painfulness of looking at a lot of baby gear if you are having trouble conceiving or (as in my case) have miscarriages or a stillborn.

That said we had a pair of bootees given to us which were sort of like our "good luck charm" through our early pregnancy. I had them on my bedside table throughout the pregnancy. I also bought one little suit when I was in early pregnancy as a kind of affirmation that this little one would be with us soon.

[BekZ]

Before we conceived DD1 I actually bought a cot and change table from my friend who was going overseas to live. I felt really silly buying baby stuff but I knew that we were going to ttc in the following months and my friend needed to get rid of her baby stuff. Thankfully we conceived DD1 very easily and I had a perfect pregnancy. I then suffered 2 miscarriages when ttc DD2.

Now personally after going through 2 m/c's I would not buy anything!!! I guess I just could not stand having baby stuff around and no baby to put in it.

[~Raven~]

If you se something you really really like then I can't see any thing wrong with buying it. I got a couple of little gender neutral suits an bunny rugs cos I was feeling particularly clucky one day. We didn't buy anything major till I was about 16 weeks PG though.
As some of the others have said if you have a loss it will upset you greatly to have it all sitting there.

Also another thing to consider is that trends change and new things come out all the time and you may regret that you didn't wait. There will also be another bargain around the corner too if that is a motivation. Baby shops are incredibly competitive and will match prices.

You could always make a special savings account and put a little bit away each week so the cash is there waiting for when the time comes.

[sassy123]

i did. it took us 9month to conceive. by the time i got preg i nearly had all the litle things. i didnt buy any big things like cot or anything. I was gettin big bulk lots of baby clothes off ebay when i found them really cheap which worked out well but the only thing about that was, that i had the biggest feeling i would have a boy first and got alot of boy clothes and this little bubble is a girl.

[fionas]

I think nine months is PLENTY of time to buy stuff so I wouldn't buy anything beforehand.

Infact, I didn't buy anything until about Week 32 and then only clothes and a cradle.

I waited until after she was born to buy a pram and she was 6 months old before I bought a cot.

You can always do your research now and make a list of the things you want - that way you're not doing nothing and you can budget ahead. If you want to feel more prepared then live on one wage and put everything else into your savings to mimic what you'll be doing when baby comes along.

[Indadhanu]

We started our TTC journey (fertility investigations) in March last year, got pregnant in November... we were so scared of buying anything just in case. It was stressful going through the investigations not knowing if our dreams would be shattered before they even began, and then once we started TTC, each month we didn't conceive was so disappointing, I can't imagine how much MORE painful it would have been being surrounded by baby things.

I still struggle with buying things, thinking about possible disappointment. I know it sounds pessimistic, but you just can't help it sometimes!

If I do want to be organised, maybe it would be smarter to put things into a savings account. I think thats a better idea, as if you buy something like pram/car seat and it takes a while to get pregnant, you could run out of warrenty on the item (dunno if thats a huge issue but that was one of my excuses for not buying anything), or decide you want the next model etc. At least with a savings account you're getting interest lol.

If you want to buy some special things, like a bunny rug or a cute outfit or a little teddy, that keeps your spirits up then thats a great idea. I had a baby names book which I'd read and imagine our little bub.

[nic]

We had friends who years ago started buying stuff, everthing from clothes to cot and bassinette before they even thought of TTC. She had most of what she wanted when they eventually got pregnant.
Me, I'd be more inclined to wait. You may buy stuff now like a cot or change table, and put it together when bub is on the way, only to find something wrong with it or something that you're not happy with and then not being able to exchange or get a refund if too much time has passed. Suppose it all depends on when you are buying and TTC. :0

Nic

[Bloom]

Maybe it's just me, being mercenary, but you may be better off putting the money into a high interest account rather than having it sitting in furniture and equipment that you can't utilize yet... Just a thought. Every cent makes a difference!