Tuesday 23 July 2013

What to buy for babies...

The problem with being pregnant for 9 months is that you have 9 months to spend lots of money on stuff you dont actually need for your baby. But its an exciting time, and with most of this crap being advertised left right and centre you have no hope of avoiding it!
So I thought i'd do a little review of those things that were worth buying and those that weren't.
Unfortunately I'm a bit of an ebay addict, I also like quirky unusual things which aren't a good match!
One bit of advice I will give you is don't start shopping too soon. Or if you can't help yourself, stick to little bits and pieces. People give you a lot of stuff, in my case it was bath stuff and a lot of clothes.
People always buy newborn stuff so if you see nice outfits, maybe buy them in the next size up so you've not got to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe after a couple of months.
So hold back and see what you get given first, if your having a baby shower, have it a few months early so you can see what your given and then have time to do the rest of your shopping.
(I got a lot of vouchers as well which is perfect for getting the rest!)
Ok, 2 bits of advice. Buy second hand. Baby stuff is EXPENSIVE, they know your going to want only the best for your little bundle of joy so they will charge ridiculous amounts for it. Some people would never be seen dead in a second hand shop, me I love them.
Internet sites such as gumtree and ebay are also great for picking up second hand items locally and at least you can see where they are coming from that way.
I bought a lot second hand, especially clothes. Why pay £20 for one baby grow when you can get a black sack full of second hand ones for £10? Of course its nice to get the odd few nice bits but they're not going to be in them for 5 minutes, and when they are they're just gonna poop or puke on them so save your money! Also with clothes bare in mind the season, theres no point in buying 0-3 months snow suits if they're born in June. Our boy is a june baby and has barely worn clothes its been that hot.
In the house its just a nappy, a vest if a bit coolers and shorts and tshirt if we are going out.
Bouncers, swinging chairs, walkers, all those types of things are expensive new but you'll find second hand for £10-20 usually just check they work and are in good condition first. All covers can be washed first.

So i'll start with the good things.

Co-sleeper cot
This thing is amazing! We started with a moses basket and then used a snuggle nest in our bed but this is perfect. I can feed him and put him back to sleep without having to get out of bed. He also sleeps better because he can see us.
Some people think co sleeping is dangerous, but with this baby had their own space and you can't roll onto them (not that you would anyway, I've fallen asleep with Oz in my bed plenty of times and your just subconsciously aware they're there, even when asleep.)
These are about £200 so keep an eye out for second hand on ebay. The only thing you will need is a new mattress which is about £50 on its own.
You can also get the 'maxi' version which is ideal for twins or bigger babies.


Sleepcurve mattress

This mattress is for a moses basket but you can also get them in other sizes. It has a dip where the head goes to prevent flat head syndrome and to help open the air way.
You can buy special sheets for them  but normal sheets fit just fine, don't waste your money.
We use it for the moses basket during the day and also in the cot on the pram.

Delta Baby Shantala Bath


 I love this bath, and even better, so does Ozi. I was expecting a scream fest but he sat there happily, almost as if he was enjoying it! Baby sits upright in the bath as opposed to lying flat, this helps calm them as its how they were in the womb. The water can come right up to their shoulders to keep them nice and warm. The shape also helps keep the heat. My only criticism is that it says can be used from birth, it is near impossible to bath a baby alone, you need two people and I can imagine this will be the case until they can hold their own head up. Also its worth getting a non slip mat for the bottom. But I do love this bath and would definitely recommend it!
We got ours from amazon for £15.99 which may be expensive for a bath but worth it when you see how much they enjoy it!
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delta-Baby-Shantala-Bath-White/dp/B003EBPYNA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1374313560&sr=8-5&keywords=tummy+tub

Swing

We realised after the first few weeks that unless asleep in his cot, Oz was constantly in someones arms. No wonder we couldn't get anything done! I bought this months ago after spotting it in a charity shop for £20 ( they're usually around £80) so we dug it out and its brilliant! He will sit in it quite happily long enough for me to sort myself out in the morning and has occasionally fallen asleep in it. Looking round the charity shops I see loads of these so don't waste money on buying new. The covers can be washed and everything else wiped down.

Tummy with mummy


I cannot recommend this enough. After only 2 weeks of using this Oz can already hold his head up. He is happy to go on it for short bursts at  a time. Not only can they practice their tummy time, theres a harness so they can sit in it or lie on their back making it perfect for massage or changing. It folds down do easy to store and portable. They are about £40-50 I found mine in TK Maxx for £30 but if your baby hates tummy time, id say its definitely worth it to make something thats so crucial to their development more enjoyable for them.

Kangaroo care t shirt

This is a t shirt that also acts as a baby carrier. The idea is to strip baby off to their nappy and pop them in it for skin to skin. This means you can do it anywhere and don't have to worry about stripping off yourself! I thought the idea was brilliant, we've used it a few times and he likes it but the weather is so hot i can't use it at the moment or he'll overheat. This would be ideal for premature babies for which skin to skin is even more important. They are however, way to expensive for what they are, they're about £50 new, I got mine for £20 second hand which I think is just about right. Can also be used as a feeding top after so you'll get your moneys worth I suppose!!

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