Buy yourself, or wait for gifts?

Briggsy's girl definitely buy! I've found it to be the one of the most exciting parts of being pregnant - the shopping and preparing, choosing and making decisions! I wouldn't rely on others for things you need - imagine running around after the shower to get last minute things you still need!

My family are organising a baby shower for me quite close to my due date (36 weeks) and bubs could potentially come any time after that so I will not be relying on the shower for anything. I've made a general list and given it to my Mum (her request) just in case she gets asked what I still need (although nothing on the list is a necessity - would just be a bonus). Also I am very particular with what I want to use for bubs so I'd rather get everything myself (and it's fun!). AND my birthday is 2 weeks before the shower which makes me feel bad and a bit greedy that my friends and family might feel gifts are expected at both occasions. Already my family are asking what I want/need - I've told them not to get anything for baby and that I don't need anything, but I will most likely get gifts anyway. It actually upsets and frustrates my family & friends when I say not to get anything because they really want to! But what can you do, people love to give! I'm not doing anything for my birthday and probably won't see my friends until the shower, so hopefully they don't bring along 2 presents, then I really will feel bad! Seriously, anything I get will be a bonus but I definitely won't be waiting for gifts. In fact, I think I've gotten most things already :)

So imo...spend away!

TBH I bought everything for our kids because I had very specific ideas about what I wanted, and I didn't want to get something that did the job, but wasn't exactly right IYKWIM. I also take the same view as you - baby showers are more about getting together before bubs is born rather than yet another gift giving extravaganza. We had plenty of things given to us when the kids were born.

We were lucky in that we were financially able to buy everything we wanted. My parents bought DD#1 a musical swing thing but TBH by the time DD#2 came around we already had everything you could want for a newborn (and I didn't want to lose even more precious floorspace - the family room already looks like an overstocked Toys R Us!)

i agree with naenae, get what you want when you're working. it's so much harder to spend the money on big purchases later on when you stop working as you really notice the money gets tight then. i regretted not getting the more expensive items sooner as i ended up finishing work at 28 weeks (i worked in a baby's room at a childcare centre and looking after 10 bubs all day was exhausting).

well, i'm feeling pretty good about things today - i went back to work (didn't last all morning cos of MS, but that's beside the point!) - the girl i'm sitting beside is 12w, and has gotten rid of EVERYTHING from her other kids as this one was a big surprise. i have a box full of cot sheets SIL gave me that won't fit our cot, so i'm giving them to her. i was feeling guilty about buying a larger cot and having to buy stuff like sheets especially for it when i had stuff sitting there - but now i can pass them to someone else that will use and appreciate them so it works out great!

good on you for going bavk to work BG (have you not been bavck at all since falling pg?) and congrats on reaching 19 weeks! your ticker seems to count upwards very quickly!!!

Krystal - i've had such severe MS i haven't been to work since i was about 6 weeks - and only lasted 3 hours today it got too bad again - i was so ill my supervisor told me to go home cos i was green! thankfully my bosses are fantastic and let me go home early. today was an experiment - i think it will be a couple more weeks before we go again. DH is great and tells me to stay home, bosses are trying to find me some stuff to do at home. sooo ill! i hate it so badly - i couldn't even get home in one go - had to stop at my bro's...

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i have a box full of cot sheets SIL gave me that won't fit our cot, so i'm giving them to her. i was feeling guilty about buying a larger cot and having to buy stuff like sheets especially for it when i had stuff sitting there - but now i can pass them to someone else that will use and appreciate them so it works out great!

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Thats really nice of you BG.

Have to say the Boori cot/toddler beds are awesome thats what I brought 3rd hand when I was preggy with niki but its a pain to find sheets etc that fit. I was also given a tonne of linen from someone and like you passed it on to someone who needed it as it didn't fit the cot. Kinda makes you feel good to help someone out too :D

BG we bought all of our big ticket items, clothes, linen - all the basics ourselves. My BF organised the baby shower and when I explained to her we had most things we needed she made it a "build baby's library" shower and if anyone wanted to bring a gift it was a book with a special message inside.