When you start buying stuff?

[elonwy]

I want to buy things now, but I'm kind of worried about jinxing it. This is the first baby, so we have NOTHING. Well, except for the pair or baby socks I bought for good luck (totally worked!) and the CD of Tool songs done as lullabies that I got for my husband. I want to buy diapers and stuff! When would you start buying things?

[WifeofAnt]

We bought our first things at about 12 weeks. Really small things. I then went crazy and spent like $400 at 16 weeks. Now I'm 29 weeks and there isn't much left to buy!

I was impatient. Some people wait a lot longer. If you're having a baby shower try your best to wait until then. Gift cards are an awesome shopping tool.

[Ellen Griswold]

I think a good idea with your first is to wait for a baby shower (if you are going to have one). Are you registered at a store? I remember that that sorta took the edge off of buying things. However, it pays to shop around and to know what certain things go for, like is the car seat you want a better price at amazon or somewhere else. Pacing yourself is good for the budget too.

I know what you mean about jinxing yourself though. Feels a little weird, shopping for somebody that isn't really here yet?

[MaerynPearl]

I didnt buy more than a few outfits until after 28 weeks BUT I moved across country at 28 weeks... so we were trying to keep our packing down to a minimal.

I would have bought a lot sooner if I could!

However, waiting until baby is viable is common for some first time parents. Not necessary, of course, but they don't want to jinx it, as you said.

I agree to wait for your shower if you are having one during the pregnancy though. Otherwise, go ahead.

[annablue]

I'm 24 weeks and I've already bought quite a lot. Obviously I don't need it yet, but I'm not going to pass up a good sale! I'm not having a baby shower anyway.

[MamaChef]

I bought a couple outfits in the beginning with the first and then just researched till after 12 weeks. Then all bets were off. I knew there were alot of things we wanted that you couldnt find at Babies R Us or target, which were the only ideas of registries I had so I bought slowly all pregnancy.

If you are going to register.. totally register on Amazon.com! I so wish I would have known they had a baby registry.

It's so convenient for people and then you get what you want and people dont buy you like, the thermometer from your list and then wander around Babies R Us buying clothes they think are cute

[MamaPhD]

I think I started to buy things once I started to really show w DD. I guess I really wanted to be "seen" at babys r us and such because I was so excited! I really enjoyed browsing, so I would browse for like an hour at Macy's and buy one PJ, repeat every other week, lol! I didn't have a family shower, but for work, I just asked for target card which was super convenient for everyone. With our second, I'm waiting for anatomy scan to find out sex, then off I go!

[sewingsparklz]

I was very conservative with my first; I didn't want to look silly, more than anything.

I did buy a few things here and there, finally, after my belly poked out a bit. ("After all, I am having a baby," I had to tell myself.) But oh, man, the baby shower. Actually I had two. OMGosh.

If you are having one, like others said, I would pick out what you want, register, and wait. Then after the shower, do your returns and your shopping. And try to heavily register for needful things, because those ladies love to OD on baby clothes!

But during the wait I don't think anything is wrong with buying a cute outfit, or getting something big if you totally love it and just want it NOW. I understand. When it's all said and done, it doesn't really matter!

Have fun!

[elonwy]

I'm thinking we're not going to have a shower. We don't have any family in the area, and none of our friends have kids. If I was still in LA where all my old friends are, I probably would, but up everyone I know is kind of a non-kid career path. I think it would just weird most of our friends out.

[Banana731]

If I felt like I was going to do most of the buying myself, I would start going to consignment stores and buying stuff that was cheap and nice as I found it.

[new york momma]

I'm 32 weeks with first baby and haven't bought one thing.

I had a shower at about 28 weeks and got lots of clothes and blankets.
Family has also promised to let us borrow a car seat and breast pump and I found a free stroller off craigslist.
I'm waiting till week 35 to start spending money--mostly because we're on a tight budget. That said, I do get a lot of pleasure window shopping and browsing online for baby items. If you have the money, space and time, why not start nesting early?

[katroshka]

My only advice is to just buy newborn stuff for now, and try to find a list of what babies really NEED rather than the mainstream websites that list like a million things... then you can buy more stuff as the need arises. I bought a ton of stuff when I was pregnant with my first that I never, ever used, and I was totally annoyed with myself. And I didn't buy nearly as much stuff as a lot of people do!

I would also say that you could do a registry even if you aren't having a shower. I'm sure your family and even some of your childless friends would want to help you buy stuff. I am using MyRegistry.com (I'm going to sound like a commercial for a second), it's pretty neat because you can add stuff from any website, so I have all the cloth diapers, slings, and random nifty stuff from a bunch of different stores. You can also set it up so that people can do cash gifts, if you like.

Oh, yeah... I was just saying this on the Life With a Babe forum (hanging out there to get back in the baby mood, my girls are "old" now!): I would do your baby-proofing before your baby is born. When I was pregnant with my first I kept thinking it would be AGES before the baby could get into stuff, so I had plenty of time. Well, once the baby is born you won't have nearly so much time or energy to do that stuff, and believe me, the time will fly and before you know it your kid has just dumped your whole bottle of dish soap all over your floor. At the very least, do the stuff that won't bug you (like cabinet locks which totally bug me), and that is harder to do, like tethering furniture. I think doing stuff to get ready for the baby is fun while you wait, but then once the baby is born things get hectic and it really won't be as appealing!

[elonwy]

My friend just suggested having a "virtual babyshower" since most the people that want to buy me things aren't nearby. I thought that was a really cute idea. Thanks for the MyRegistry info, I'm going to have to check that out. I didn't even THINK about babyproofing. Glad I'm asking these questions now
You ladies are so much help!

[LoveMyTwoBoys]

www.wishpot.com I saw it in a magazine and just remembered it after seeing this thread! I'm about to do all my dream shopping!!

With my boys, I started buying little things immediatly. I did the same with pregnancy #3 but then lost the baby at 11 weeks. Now, I'm totally paranoid and am not buying anything until Christmas when we tell family.

ETA: I just did it! It is SO neat!!! I may never go to bed now!!

[Aliy]

haven't bought anything yet and I'm just about 17 weeks.... with my first i think i was nearly 20 weeks or something and i bought a really cute sleeper.... I don't really like getting much stuff till the end. i'll try and collect free things through out, but i don't stress too much

[gummibears]

With DS we didn't buy until sometime in the second trimester. We just decided there wasn't a huge hurry, and the whole jinxing it thing.

This time still have yet to buy anything. I'm window shopping, but if I found something today that was the right price, I'd buy it. I'm hoping to wait a bit longer, though since we are moving and all the less to move = the better at the moment.

Edit: We did buy something - I forgot. A little toy at a used shop before I knew I was even pregnant (but I was!) at the time. We just grabbed it as it was a little exercauser and then it breaks apart into a toy that the baby can push around on wheels and it was only $6! Eee! How could we pass it up - even though we thought baby wasn't going to be in the picture for a few months down the line?