Essentials

[ab11]

Okay well we've done a list to try and buy things when we go along.....
But think going to cut back a little bit as we don't need a baby bouncer, baby bean bag and swing!!
So what would be on a Essentials list?
Pram
Nursey furniture
Moses basket etc
Brest pump
Steriliser
Baby monitor
Obviously nappies
And baby grows etc

As a first time mum I need help, amd need save pennies really xx

 

[KEW]

If you need to save pennies then ebay and gumtree should be your friends!! I don't think I have bought anything new for my little one, I just can't afford it. I would love to have a brand new nursery furniture set but instead spent just over £100 on a second had stuff off gumtree. Ebay is great for Baby clothes, I honestly don't know why people spend a fortune on new when they will be grown out of very quickly. I have never been disappointed, the stuff I have bought has always been in A1 condition.
I am a first time mum too, only 5 and a bit weeks till my due date so I will be interested to see if anybody has any other essentials to recommend as my list of purchases pretty much matches yours!! XX

 

[ab11]

Thanks chuck, were. It finding out sex of baby so at we so t be getting carried away by clothes yet theres not a huge amount of unisex out there.
Ye I love a good bargain, I'll be keeping my eyes out on gumtree, eBay etc xx

 

[Blueclass]

I'm not buying a breast pump till I know I can breast feed. I'm not bothering with moses basket as they don't last long. Iv got a next to me crib which last brlith till 6 month.
I'm a first timer too so I am trying to save money. Got my parameters in sale a mamma and papas zoom after my friends rated it. Car seat, carry cot and stroller £330 I got mine cheaper tho as I know someone plus the store was closing down. Baby grows I got 0-3 as I don't know how small she will be so if she is tiny baby il send someone to get bits. I got a tommy tippee starter kit which is currently half price in asda at £60 tesco do it for 70 original price is 120! I also got a prep machine again tommy and tippee and that's 120 down to 60 in asda. Hope this helps x

 

[andreatav]

Tbh I'm not bothering with nursery furniture. When baby goes to his room (previously a huge wardrobe for me and spare bedroom) we've already got furniture in there so I'll just get rid of some of my clothes to make room for baby. We got our pram/travel seat for £253.50 in January sale from mothercare, sterliser off gumtree but it's brand new. We also got a crib from mothercare for £40 (lots of clothes in Jan sales for about £40) just been to aldi and got quite a bit in their baby event. Travel cot from asda for £25. If you see something that you want and it seems cheaper than normal GET IT!! Weve been given some brand new baby monitors woeth £120 as a gift off my oh work colleague. And if peiple offer you stuff take it, i was a bit reserved at first as i didnt want people thinking i was been cheap but honestly donations can save you so much and everyone knows how expensive babies are.

 

[kittykitchn]

I went by this: http://www.mothercare.com/new-baby-essentials/advice-ms-preg-essentials-root,default,pg.html - and then added a few extras.

I did have list, but I've been deleting things as I've gone along. I picked up a breast pump yesterday for £2, bought 2x wooden chest of drawers for £10 and have painted them, most clothes are second hand bundles, bought a few new clothes in the sales. Moses basket, crib, pram were second hand, I bought a bundle of towels and flannels (25p each!) from Ikea, 2x boxes of nappies from Gumtree. Other than carseat, mattresses and bottles (and some clothes) everything is second hand. You can definitely be thrifty if you want/need to be!

Maternity pads, big knickers from Primark (cheaper than disposables!), breast pads, baby grooming kit, changing mat, baby bath

 

[ab11]

Wow how did yiu get a breast pump for £2?
Aww what a good idea putting a personal touch on furniture
Thanks girls, feel like it's possible now on a budget.
Mission expected lol
Xx

 

[kittykitchn]

Wow how did yiu get a breast pump for £2?
Aww what a good idea putting a personal touch on furniture
Thanks girls, feel like it's possible now on a budget.
Mission expected lol
Xx

Gumtree! Just keep an eye out (it's become an obsession whilst I'm at home lol), and Facebook selling pages are fantastic. I'd much prefer to paint my own furniture than buy new, furniture is so stupidly expensive and usually it's not sturdy at all. If I wasn't bothered about aesthetics and age ect, I imagine I could have done the majority for free xx

 

[russellmuscle]

Everyone's essential list is different.

Mine has completely diminished from first time round, because I wasted far too much money.

This time I will be buying everything new in again because I did it all for Jackson so wouldn't want to get everything 2nd hand for a second baby, although I am partial to a few bargains.

This time we are going with 3 in 1 travel system inc car seat, snuzpod, cot, STRUVA set from Ikea as my LO's will be room sharing, we have a mammas and pappas bath already from first time, bouncer, matt, changing station (which is part of furniture but I found I really missed having this first time), sterilizer, bottles, we have a feeding pillow already, clothes, bedding, and an abundance of bibs/burpees/vests because these you cannot get enough of. We have a moses aswell, but thats in the loft and I think the Snuz will do the job, but it is always an option. As for everything else like high chair etc we will buy when in because I rushed around last time for it to wait in the nursery to be used.

Girls are right, stick to gumtree and facebook pages for a bargain.

What I did last time and will do again this time is add in a pack of nappies to each weekly shop, adding double the amount when a sale is on. Same with lotions, creams etc. We didn't need to buy anything for months on end.

Also, remember and register your baby when its born at the minor ailment scheme with your pharmacy as you get free sudocrem, calpol etc needed.

As for pants etc I got all my disposables from Primark, I did not like the idea of paper pants. Only soft for this booty

Also, Id recommend however many pairs of PJ bottoms your taking to hospital, triple it! I was only in a day and went through quite a bit.

Arnica oil for after birth in your bath and TCP will get you back ship shape and shiny, fixing any cuts

xxxx

 

[andreatav]

I've also got a huge wooden box from when I was a kid (will probs be a toy box) that I'm going to paint and personalise for my little one and another box from family again for storage xx

 

[ab11]

Just seen a good offer on a spectra3 breast pump kit, anyone used this?
Reviews look good.
Are breast lumps okay to buy preloved? Xx

 

[Phoenix85]

Just seen a good offer on a spectra3 breast pump kit, anyone used this?
Reviews look good.
Are breast lumps okay to buy preloved? Xx

Most breastpumps should not be bought second hand.

If it's not a closed system milk can get into parts you can't clean and cause mould growth etc.

I've been looking at getting an Ardo Calypso breastpump so I can express & donate milk, the Ardo was recommended as a good one which is a closed system so no hygiene issues.

I'm not sure about Spectre.

 

[Phoenix85]

This is my 3rd baby so my essentials list is very small


Sling (I have lots)
Cotton wool pads and cloth wipes (for nappy changes)
Cloth nappies
Baby clothes including socks and a blanket and bibs
Car seat

Then knickers and SanPro for me, and re-usable breastpads.

I'm getting a breastpump but only so I can donate milk. I never gave my last baby a bottle, if I want later on (like 4-6 months+) they could have EBM in a doidy cup, but I don't envisage needing to do that as I don't plan to be away from them much if at all so would just feed directly.

I co sleep so not buying a cot or moses basket etc. and I don't have enough room in my house for extra furniture so have made space in my chest of drawers so they have 2 drawers for their clothes. And I'll clear a space in my triple wardrobe as well for when they're older and need stuff to be hung up.
I'm not planning on buying a steriliser as I will just sterilise the pump and milk pots etc in a large pan of boiling water.
If I think this is too much work etc I may consider a steam steriliser, but I'll wait and see how I go with boiling it in a pan first.

Oh, I'm also going buy some more towels, but mainly because I'm planning to homebirth so they will be useful.
I already have lots of flannels/face cloths and bath towels so really the baby could make do with what I already have, but I'm going to buy a nice new soft hooded baby towel or two for them as well lol.

 

[ab11]

Hubby as said no to preloved breast pump unless someone is selling new one xx

 

[ab11]

He's far too laid back, not worried about anything lol
We're going to put deposit down on pram next month then gradually work are way through list xx