OMG! first timer totally confused!!!

[dolly]

hi everyone,

I'm 30 weeks pregnant and suddenly realised that aside from 2 x sleepsuits and 6 pairs of socks, my LO will be here soon and I have bought nothing!!

The problem is, I'm a first timer, none of my friends in London has kids yet, and my family are 80 miles away When me and my OH venture into Mothercare etc, we come away with nothing and after having suffered mild panic attacks.

Money is tight (all you need is love - and we have plenty of that!) so I need to know what I really, really need. Clothes are ok, I think friends and family will come up trumps there. What I need to know is:

1) what is the best breast pump? I want to breastfeed, but for trips out and maybe night feeds I'd like to express
2) do I need a steriliser machine? what one?
3) how many, and what type of bottle do I need?
4) what other feeding accessories do I need to begin with?
5) what baby equipment will I need? I've heard of nasal asparators etc, but does a cotton bud do the job as well?
6) I want to buy a travel system - are they good? I saw strollers from birth for £100 in MC - are these suitable for tiny babies?
7) who uses wet wipes? a friend said that water and cotton wool is better?


I know there are a lot of questions here - maybe someone can recommend a website with all these answers? I don't have time to sift through loads of reviews, so any advice is hugely appreciated!

thanks - and hopefully this time next week I might be able to venture into MC without crying!!

xx

 

[kelly'n'jack]

1) i wouldnt buy a breast pump straight away, i wanted to breast feed but it didnt work out for me and LO and its not recommended to express until around 6 weeks so probably best to wait.
2) i have a steam sterilliser but think a cold water sterillieser is just as good and cheaper!
3) 6 bottles is the normal amount to start with, i started with boots brand ones, but my baby had very bad colic so borrowed some dr browns from a friend which help with colic but cost a bomb! i would advise starting with avent, there the ones ive settled with now, there not the cheapest but have good reviews.
4) you dont really need much else to start with, maybe some dummys to have on stand-by, even if you dont think you will use them, i decided my baby needed one at 3am so glad i had already brought them!
5) never had a nasal asparator! there are lots of list on this site of things to buy, heres a really basic list
bedding
moses basket / cot
milk powder
nappies
nappy cream / talc / baby bath etc (although i only used water for a few weeks) sponge, cotton balls
changing mat
baby bath / top and tail bowl
plenty of vests and sleepsuits
There would keep you going for a few weeks and then you can buy more things as you need them. sure ive forgotton some stuff though!
6) i have a travel system, would recommened, but i manly use the pushchair only (not car seat attached) as its not good for LO's to be in a car seat for a long time.
7) i use wet wipes, couldnt live with out them!

 

[ejhedgehog]

Hi, firstly try to stop the panic, we all worried first time round!

1) what is the best breast pump? When i had my daughter i used the Avent one because i had the avent bottles, it wasnt a particularly enjoyable experience but it did the job, this time im getting the tommee tippee closer to nature one, because those are the bottles i want this time!

2) do I need a steriliser machine? what one? yes you do, last time i had the electric avent steriliser, and this time im getting the electric tommee tippee closer to nature one (for the same reason as above!)

3) how many, and what type of bottle do I need? well if your starting with breast feeding, you probably wont have to buy any to start with, most sterilisers have 2 or 3 bottles free and if breastfeeding doesnt suit you, you can always go out and buy a few more, 6 big ones in total should do you, and they can be any style you like (i think you can figure out which ones *I* like! lol)

4) what other feeding accessories do I need to begin with? bibs and muslin squares (you can NEVER have enough)
breast feeding - maybe some shells for you (if your producing a lot of milk) and some pads of course, a nursing bra (GREAT invention)
bottle feeding - get advice from your midwife /health visitor about which formula, bottles and steriliser (as above)

5) what baby equipment will I need? I've heard of nasal asparators etc, but does a cotton bud do the job as well? PLEASE dont touch your baby with a cotton bud! especially dont stick it in its ear or nose! (remember...you should stick nothing in your ear smaller than your elbow!!) I had an aspirator it wasnt a "nessesary" bit of kit... but as baby cant blow its nose, it did help when needed.
you dont need a high chair right away, you basically need a cot/cot bed (cot beds are good as they can last til your child is about 7 years old) a pram or travel system, dummys (for your sanity) clothes that DONT do up at the back (think about it...how uncomfy must they be when your on your back nearly all day??!!) nappies, cotton wool, a top and tail bowl, changing mat, maybe a box for all the cleaning bits... baby bath, nappy cream etc...umm.... a monitor so you dont have to keep running upstairs to make sure baby is ok, blankets and sheets for the pram and bed....errrr....... basically.... look at each product with your sensible pre pregnancy head on, just because mothercare sells it, does not mean you need it,
expensive nappy wrappers and refills for instance... a bucket with a lid and the ton of nappy sacks you will end up with will do the job just as well,

6) I want to buy a travel system - are they good? I saw strollers from birth for £100 in MC - are these suitable for tiny babies? as long as they lay flat and it definitely says suitable from birth and thats what you want... then why not, I hate travel systems, i like a proper pram...its as good as a cot on wheels! think about what your actually going to need, you say your in London, so maybe a lightweight easy folding one would do you, ask the advisors in baby shops... thats what they are there for.

7) who uses wet wipes? a friend said that water and cotton wool is better? I used water and cotton wool to start with but soon got lazy and graduated onto wipes, while your baby is still small do yourself a favour and buy the good ones, when they get a bit bigger then you can use the cheapest old crap you can find (but dont ever buy the ones in the round tub... they are rubbish!)

and finally... the best tip i can give you is go to the martins money tips forum (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com) and pick your way through a few of the threads on the MoneySaving in Marriages, Relationships & Families board, they have no end of tips, deals and advice for new mums on the prowl for bargains!

good luck

 

[Dinski]

Dolly, look on ebay. You can find lots of bargains on there in the baby section, both new and used stuff, loads of baby clothes, bottles, strollers etc. Much cheaper than Mothercare or any of the big baby shops.

 

[Gemma & Jake]

1) what is the best breast pump? I want to breastfeed, but for trips out and maybe night feeds I'd like to express
I only had tried one pump which was the avent manual breast pump which I found easy to use and it is cheaper than the electric pumps.

2) do I need a steriliser machine? what one?
If you are breast feeding then you could just boil any bottles in a saucepan for five minutes but if you bottle feed it might be more convenient to have an electric steriliser as you will have more to sterilise. I would get a steriliser that fits atleast six bottles in (mine is avent).

3) how many, and what type of bottle do I need?
I would only get a few bottles to start with if you are breast feeding. If you buy a breast pump you should get a few bottles that screw on to the pump so that you can express straight in to them. When you change to bottle feeding you will need atleast six bottles and I would suggest getting Dr Brown or B Free bottles as they help to prevent colic(you can buy them in mothercare or on e bay).

4) what other feeding accessories do I need to begin with?
You will only need the breast pump and about 3-4 bottles if you are breast feeding. You could maybe get a bottle bag to keep your bottle(s)cool when out and lots of bibs especially when bottle feeding.

5) what baby equipment will I need? I've heard of nasal asparators etc, but does a cotton bud do the job as well?
Don't put a cotton bud in your baby's nose or ears as this can be dangerous. I don't clean inside Jakes nose as he will blow anything out himself and I just wipe around his ears with wet cotton wool. You need a moses basket if they arn't going in a cot straight away, a cot, baby monitors if you want them, a thermometer to check the temperature where your baby is sleeping( I have got a grobag egg), baby bath stuff including a bath, a changing mat and then obviously clothes and bed sheets and a grobag is a good idea or I think so anyway. This is the website which sell grobags but I got my grobags from e bay cheaper. I would suggest getting a couple of dummies just incase you need them but don't but the newborn ones as they are so small Jake couldn't keep them in but the 0-3 month ones are fine. I would also make sure you buy ones with orthadontic teats.
http://www.bumpto3.com/category.aspx?DI ... g(homepage)

DISPLAYCAT=essentials&CAT=Homepage&CATGRY=grobag(homepage)
6) I want to buy a travel system - are they good? I saw strollers from birth for £100 in MC - are these suitable for tiny babies?
I personally wouldn't buy a travel system when the baby only has the car seat to sit in as this can't be very comfortable for a newborn. I have got the Trenton Deluxe from mothercare which comes with a car seat but you don't have to use it as part of the pram as there is a proper lay down bit which is so much nicer. Mine was more expensive than £100 but it will hopefully be fine until Jake is about 2. Click on the two links to look at pram. Mine is actually black and cream but this colour is not on the website. It is a really nice pram as it is very nice to push and it even has a clock and thermometer on it aswell as good shopping space.
http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B0 ... 8&mcb=core
http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B0 ... 8&mcb=core

7) who uses wet wipes? a friend said that water and cotton wool is better?
I use wet wipes all of the time apart from when Jake has his wash in the mornings. It is probably cheaper to buy cotton wool but wet wipes are more convenient especially when out. I think boots wet wipes are really good at £1.99 as they are normally BOGOF, johnson wipes which are usually £1.49 BOGOF and also simple wipes which are usually about £1.25 each. I wouldn't suggest buying the huggies wipes as they are rubbish.