When do you buy baby stuff?

[WifeofAnt]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, it just seems applicable to pregnant women, lol.

We have:
Infant Car Seat & Stroller
Pack N Play (cosleeping)
Swing
Bumbo & Tray
Infant bouncer
Very few outfits
One teething ring (it was cute)
Gloworm
Moby Wrap

I just feel so anxious that we don't have more things. I'm only 21 weeks! My baby shower will be at 24w6d (out of state) and its hard to wait. I have two registries but either no one is buying anything or they aren't checking it off. I wish I could have the alternative nesting of wanting things clean but I guess my disorganized nature is holding it at bay.

[shoefairy3]

Definitely try to wait until after your shower. My shower for my 1st one was a lot later than yours. It was so hard to wait.

[lillymonster]

After your shower unless it's on sale and you know no one will buy it for you. I am stocking up on cloth diaper sales now. You might want to check out return policies if you buy it early.

I think I installed the car seat and had it checked ON my due date! I knew I was being induced in a few days, and I didn't have any feelings that I was going into labor on my own anywhere near my actual due date.

[Climbergirl]

I am 18 weeks tomorrow and I am slowly buying stuff. Mainly because I want to space things out a bit.

We will have a registry soon, but I won't have a whole lot on there. I will have a bunch of "big" things we will need for this one (like a double stroller) but I am hoping since the birth will be during the holidays, my family will give us money to buy some of that stuff.

[MaerynPearl]

33 weeks... no baby shower (despite it being DHs first child) and we have -
bouncy seat (wedding gift)
cradle swing (garage sale find)
baby bath (garage sale find)
MIL buying crib eventually (DH needs to talk to her about that...)
clothes
cloth diapers
birth kit

anything else... not so horribly important really. (well car seat, we have ours picked out but cannot afford it until September. Hoping she does not decide to come before then!)

really, you sound more than prepared.

[laughymama]

35 weeks here.

We have:

Carseat
TONS of receiving blankets (We use the HECK out of those suckers)
Bouncy Seat (Garage sale buy from when DS was a babe)
Co-Sleeper (Left over from DS.)
Pack-N-Play (Left over from DS.)
Blankets
Boy clothes left over from DS

Gender is a surprise but no shower this time around. If it's a boy I'm assuming people will just let it be. If this one is a girl though...I'm fully anticipating a full on assault of girl clothing and miscellanea. (Our family is REALLY wanting this baby to be a girl. )

You sound prepared, Mama. You'll be surprised at how LITTLE you'll need. You'll get a ton of stuff at your shower, for sure. Hold out a little longer.

[Fruitful4Him]

I like to be set up before term (37 weeks) but sometimes it does cut close. I wasn't able to find any baby boy clothing until about a week or two ago and I was internally FREAKING OUT...but it worked out when some friends passed along some things they were done with. Things have been beyond tight here the past 6 months and I was beginning to think I was going to have to dress this little guy in pink. Most other baby items besides baby carriers/slings are not really as big a deal for me... so thankfully we had that covered. Now just waiting for baby!

[finnegansmom]

I already have all my newborn diapers bought and I'm only 12 weeks. LOL.
Of course I have restraint issues when it comes to cloth diapers so...

I think with my first, everything was in place around 35 weeks...? Bought/acquired around 30 weeks or thereafter, we moved to a new house around that time.

I like to set up the nursery/room whatever the month before.

[quietmim]

Try not to worry mama! you WILL have everything you need. don't forget that the stores will still be there once you have the baby if you happen to forget something. I went WAY overboard with the diaper stash, myself. It sounds like you are well on your way. It is so fun, isn't it? Also, the anxiety is part of the whole nesting instinct! Take care!

[jessica_s]

You sound good! I don't think we had bought anything at 20 weeks for our first!

Re: Registries. In my experience no one buys stuff until the last minute. Like the morning of. You do probably want to check and make sure stuff is still available and in stock though when it gets closer to your shower.

[hawthornehill]

i am 25 weeks and just started buying clothing and diapers. not quite ready to buy the bigger stuff like a carseat yet.

[new york momma]

24 weeks and have bought nothing. I'm waiting till after my out-of-state shower when I'll be about 28 weeks.

[Ellen Griswold]

I'm 24 weeks with my third and I have bought nothing. This baby was a surprise so all the baby stuff from previous pregnancies was given away. There is no shower (that I know of anyway, I don't expect one) but people do know that I'm pregnant. A friend gave me more baby clothes than I'll probably be able to use, so I'm set there. Dh's step mom just asked me what else we need. The only 2 things I'm set on getting is a new car seat and a new bouncy. I'd try to wait on getting more things until after your shower. Had 3 showers with my first and I was very surprised at how generous people were.

[bendmom]

I have 31 days left, & we only have a carseat left to purchase. Like the pp, this is my 3rd, but D's 1st, and no shower. I purchased everyhing we needed pretty much at used baby stores and craigslist. I bought half the diapers on craigslist and the other half new. We were given a pump, a TON of clothes (it's a girl) handed down from coworkers and family. I know what is usefull in the first 6 months for me and what isn't, so I didnt' want to waste money or time waiting for others to purchase things. Here is what I have so far:

Swing (used)
pump, 1 bottle (handed down)
14 newborn diapers (half used, half new)
clothes (handed down)
wipes warmer (used)
changing pad with cover (handed down)
front pack (used)
thermometer, nose bulb, and nail clipper (new)
baby monitor (new)
bed rail for co-sleeping (new)
birth kit includes about 8 flannel recieving blankets (new)

[spatulagirl]

This will be my fourth. I have learned you don't need much and what worked for one kids doesn't always work for the next kid.

I like to have:

- car seat
- diapers
- clothing
- blankets
- bouncy seat (I don't think ours bounces but it is just for setting the baby down so I can shower or help the other kids
- sling

People always give me things after I have the kid and if I need something, I just find it.

[Twinklefae]

I'm 11 weeks and am just starting to buy the few things I need. We're hoping to get a crib second hand this week. I'm trying to space out our purchases - DH has just started a new job after being in school, and we don't have any savings.

[TnMsMama]

the only things you NEED for the first few mos, IMO, is a carseat, diapers of choice, wipies of choice, sleepers/onsies and a place for baby to sleep.

I demanded a ton of other stuff (and got it! LOL) and never used any of it till DD was a couple months old. She's 10 months old and still has never used a few of the items...

Im preggo again and am only going to get some NB diapers and some sleepers... going to focus all my financial energy on a double stroller - the good ones are pricey...

[fancyoats]

we bought a car seat the other day. got a changing table a few weeks ago. we have all the cloth diapers from my first dd already. i bought some onesies/gowns a while ago because i saw that they were on clearance and i needed some gender neutral stuff as opposed to girly stuff that we have saved from dd. about 2 months ago i bought a wrap. not bothering with a crib this time because dd NEVER slept in it.

all i really need is to get another bouncy seat (my dd's old one turned into a toddler rocking chair and i don't think she would take kindly to me taking it from her in favor of the baby). i really want to get a sheepskin, too. that's pretty much it, i think. i need to sew a bunch of diapers -- that will go a long way toward my feeling prepared.

[Qbear'smama]

I'm 20 weeks this week and I bought a cute little newsboy cap the day we found out he was a boy and I bought one romper previously. I have some gender-neutral sleepers and whatnot from DD, but as for larger stuff, I gave it all away in a fit of charity when I was voluntering at a residence for teen moms and working as a social worker. I have not started any serious shopping and I'm not really sure when I will... I don't feel anxious to go out and get stuff, I am sure that'll hit eventually!

[Quinalla]

I would try to wait for after your shower for sure, I know when you get in that mode how much it sucks to wait though! Can you do some setting up of the baby's room/gear? Make lists of what all you want to accomplish/purchase before the babies arrival and have goal dates to have it done by? Or practice installing the carseat and wearing your wrap? Read some books about parenting, child development, etc.? All of those really helped me to feel on top of things and head off anxiety.