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I was at Target yesterday and was sooo overwhelmed with all the baby stuff... I wanted to buy something but had no idea what to get first.
We have already been given a cot and change table. Other than that I don't know what to get...
I know it's still early for us, so when did you start to get stuff????
=D> =D> =D> =D> Now the fun begins...
I already have a cot, sheets (girl ones though) so bought some plain green & yellow ones, but as DH says the baby wont know if it was on boy or girl style sheets so that'll do (but still all up about 8 sets!)
I bought about 8 singlets all in 000, plus afew long sleeved but legless grow suits in greens, yellows & baby blue & yellow!
I have been given a high chair & pram.. I bought a stack of cloth nappuies & a blue & yello nappy stacker as the room baby is going into has soft pastel baby blue walls, but that will stay until baby get's older & chooses something else if girl...?
Um I also bought some bibs & had a heap of bunny rugs but they had these cool ones on special that were yello withy blue clouds & blue with yellow cluds so I got 1 of each, but I need to stop coz you do get ALOT of stuff from friends & family! I remember that i ended up with so so much!!!
I have bought on Special the bulk tubs of Napisan & Wipes but only when on special somewhere to prepare for once baby is born, I also have the snibs & for later when in towelling nappies I have plastic pants & snappi's!
I would wait for a bit longer (if you can) or else grab some neutral bibs & singlets!!! OOOH, it is so exciting hey!!!!
Mel, I'm hopeless when it comes to resisting baby stuff so we started getting things quite early.
Seeing as you already have the cot and change table, maybe get a chest of drawers to match. Then you'll have the basic furniture. :D
After that I made a list of everything I wanted to get and we just worked our way through as we saw things.
A pram and car seat are probably the other big/pricey items so I'd start with them and you can lay-by if you need to with plenty of time to pay them off.
I bought a great magazine called "Buying for Baby" that had pretty m uch everything you need in it, with prices and product comparisons. Very useful.
For clothes, bedding etc, we waited 'til we knew what we were having then bought the appropriate colour. We're pretty much done now, just need to get a monitor, breast pump and some bits and pieces!
HAVE FUN!!!
Mel, check out these 2 threads, they might help -
When did/will you start buying baby gear?
What do I need to get?
HAVE you been to the supermarket yet ??!!! there's a whole aisle of STUFF !
With plenty of time to go, my tip is to buy things when they're on special. I didn't buy things the first time around until I was about 15 weeks and then was freaked out by how small baby clothes were ! I also did an analysis (tooi much time on my hands!) on nappy prices, between brands and between the supermarket and those nappy outlet places. Outlets are not always cheaper.
Barb.
When I first found out I started buying one thing each time I did the grocery shopping, starting with small things like singlets and baby wash and so on, and I will soon start moving up to nappies and formula so I am well stocked. As for big stuff, now that I am a fair way along we have the pram on layby, and when that is done we will start the cot, drawers etc. I like to be organised, but I was also so afraid of buying stuff too early, you just have to find a balance you are happy with. :) Have fun!!
Ahhh - I was just wondering this question myself!!
I was having a bit of a browse through the 'Babies Galore' webiste yesterday and did a preliminary budget on essential stuff we will need - it came to just over $4,000!!!!!!! Hopefully we'll be able to cut that figure down with gifts and getting some stuff second hand, but it was pretty scary...
Beck - where did you get the magazine 'Buying for Baby'? Is it available at the normal newsagencies?
It is SO exciting though - I'm also really looking forward to getting some stuff and converting our spare room into a nursery, but it's probably quite early for me too...
Bertie
OOOPs, yeah I still have DD's car seat...
I really don't think I need much else, unless I bottle feed or express & both are likely!!!
But I can do that once home I think!
Trust me your parents, in laws & other close relatives will be as clucky & buy SO much...
My sis just droopped off the High chair & Mum & Dad bought us the Pram... We had the cot & car seat & drawers already so....
I but little socks & other stuff with groceries when I see them on Special too! But Alot of friends have just had their last babies & there has been boys & girls so I bet I get heaps of hand me downs too!
My friend gave me a pappoose type thingy last w/end as her baby is WAY too big... So when we go to bali in Nov I can carry bubby in that! Too easy!
Good stuff... I guess I will start with some grow suits (are they just jump suits???) and singlets, some socks, and that.
we are having a summer bub, so I guess I will have to have stuff without legs and sleeves etc... I will still need manchester and bunny rugs, so there is a start.
I have to be careful that I don't buy too much as my mum and MIL and BF have already started going crazy!!!
We are finding out what the baby is, so I can wait til then to get the coloured stuff!!!
Thank you... but keep the comments coming!
Mel
I actually went about it the other way around, I bought a cot, car seat, pram, change table/bath, and arocking chair and have just set it all up in the room, so now each week when i buy someting new, I have some where to put, and it is so much easier to know what you have. And it feels like I am building a nursery, not just collecting a pile of stuff. Also to work out what I might need I went and visited a good friend who has just had a baby, she sat down with me and went through everthing that she has and helped me put together a realistic list of everything I should need. I just cross stuff off when I buy it. I can email it to you if you like...
That is what mum suggested actually, get a few things like that so I have somewhere to put it... I guess I should do it...
I would love you to email me the list!
Tahnks
give me a few days, I'm on to it...
We started buying stuff around 20wks(was still in shock of finding out at 12wks) have no idea what i got though....One of the first things was we put the pram on lay-by, maybe a few clothes. Didn't get the cot, basinette or changetable until about 33wks.
I can't remember how long we waited before buying stuff, i think it was somewhere around the 2 month mark??
We were lucky that my parents brought the pram we wanted, my brother got us the car seat we wanted, i think our biggest outlay was our discontinued cot that we got on sale, but still cost more than I thought it would. I think my parents got us the mattress for the cot as well.
Every week when I went shopping I would buy a few items. I did tend to overdo it with the napisan though, I still had a good supply of it when DD was 12 months old!
The girls I worked with got me a huge wheel barrow of goodies when i left work, which was a HUGE lifesaver.
Maybe you could put stuff on layby and tell friends/family to put a few dollars towards your layby?
Nic
Some of the baby shops will give you freebies if you spend more than a certain amount. Its quite a competitive market, there are lots of them and only a finite number of customers so if you haggle you'll get a better deal. Also the end of the financial year is coming up and lots of shops have stock take sales then so its a good time to buy some of your big ticket items. DH and I saved about $400 by shopping during stocktake time and haggling.
I hate Babies Galore, they charge about 5%-10% more than all the other shops and when I went in pregnant (obviusly going to need alot of stuff) they were all over me but when I went in a few weeks ago to get an activity centre (already had a baby obviusly only going to buy a little bit) it was like I was invisible despite the fact that Yasin was sooking and I could have used a hand.
I used to buy a one small thing a week at the supermarket so it didn't make a dent in the budget but by the time Yasin arrived I had everything I needed. I still haven't had to buy any more lotions or babywash etc.
Don't forget yourself, you'll be needing stuff for while you're in hospital and afterwards.
Ah Ha! Thanks for the hint about Babies Galore, Dachlostar... my hairdresser told me the same thing, so I guess I will be avoiding them where possible! [-(
Are there any other good baby super stores? I'd like to be able to go somewhere to have a look at a good range (eg for prams) - some of the smaller places and department stores only have a small selection.
Another hint someone gave me the other day was to go to the bigger places, e.g. Babies Galore, to try out the different products, make a note of the ones you like, then shop around for the best deal, or see if there's a good second hand one on Ebay etc. :D
Happy shopping ladies!
Bertie
In Sydny there is babyco (they have a site with all thier addresses) which is where I ended up buying most of my stuff. They had fantastic freebie offers and a really big range.
Also Sydney's Baby Kingdom (also have a website) had a fairly large range. There is a big baby shop in Kensington but I never checked it because its on the other side of the city.
If you look up a site called bubhub they have a really big directory.
I can't wait to have another so I can go shopping again. I love baby shops even though I think that you don't need half the stuff they sell.
If you are at all concerned about budget (and if you aren't you probably should be :D ) it's worth checking out the local recycle/second-hand babygoods stores in your area. Very often you get furniture or items in there that have only been used for a few months, in perfect condition, at a third the price you would pay for them new.
They also sometimes get stock overruns direct from manufacturers, so you can get brand new clothes, etc at secondhand prices.
All the bits and pieces that a baby needs add up to quite a bit - but I would also advise that if you are planning on having a baby shower, you might get a lot of helpful little gifts. As far as clothing goes, I bought a few Bonds bodysuits, singlets and nappy covers and had some knitted woollens for over the top. Everything else I bought after I came out of the hospital.
Kerrie
I went into Target myself today and they have the most amazing nursery/baby bargains atm. They have all the big ticket items on special as well as the clothes - 20%-50% off. Great bargains.
Also, the latest Mother and Baby magazine has a Target gift voucher book which has vouchers in it that if you buy something, you'll get something with it, like buy a stroller and portacot and get a rocker. There are 16 vouchers in total. I think you have to get the magazine from a newsagents to get the voucher book.
The best bargain I think is that maternity bras are 40% off.
Thanks, Nellbe - I'm heading into Target tomorrow!
Kerrie
I am off to the newsagents at Lunch!!!
Are mother and baby mag's as expensive as bridal mags?
I'm off to Target too!
AND I'm excited cos I've reached double figures today - 10 weeks, yay!
Bertie