suddenly overwhelmed by the choice of baby products out there

[Beagle]

I'mm 33 weeks pregnant and was going along quite merrily until yesterday. I need to but practicals like changing mats and nappy bags and just find myself staring at pages of products unable to buy anything. Where do I start? Is a vinyl changing mat a better choice than one with a removeable towel? I know part of it is just tiredness due to the recent weather but I suddenly feel swamped by choices and am procrastinating at changing mats as if my brain has dribbled out my ear. How do I get started?

Claire

[Fuschia]

For home a big standard plastic one with sides that we put behind the sofa. Though we often do it just on the floor/bed with a muslin under. Wipe clean is the best thing!

For changing bags, have a skip hop or something similar which is quite nice (clips to buggy handle)

I have never really got into the whole changing bag thing... a bag is a bag as far as I am concerned.. some cost upward of ?70!!!

[The Nappy Lady]

What Fuschia said. You can use a muslin, old towel or even terry square (about ?1 each) under baby onthe plastic change mat. It is useful as then if they wee it doesn't run up the plastic onto their clothing.

I think Skip Hops are great change bags, but if need be you can get by with a rucksack or similar and choose after baby arrives and you have a better idea of what you really need.

There's a lot of stuff you think you'll need that you don't, and sometimes something that you found essential with your first baby goes unused 2nd time around so worth picking stuff up 2nd hand when you can.

Good luck!

Molly

x

[Helen GV]

our changing mat has a cover plus removable towels, looks very nice when clean but i haven't used the cover for a VERY LONG TIME as it just kept getting wee-d or poo-ed on. The mat itself is wipe clean and i just cover it with a terry nappy/ towel/muslin which can be easily cleaned. Don't worry about getting the right one as you will probably find early on that there's no such thing!

For my changing bag i use a back pack, or just bung stuff in plastic bags and stuff them under the buggy. not very glam i know but i gave up on that a wee while ago too.... :o)

[jollybaby]

Beagle - I know what you're going through- and it's often the most minor items that cause the most angst. I spent ages in mothercare trying to decide whether to buy a cream or pale yellow blanket!

There's quite a good thread on baby changing bags - though may complicate things further for you!

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,464486,page=1

Now if you don't mind a bit of hijacking - does anyone have any thoughts on bouncers/rockers - is it really worth spending ?60 plus on one of the ones with multiple vibrate/rock settings and loads of cushioning or do the simple ones like this one work just as well. http://www.johnlewis.com/230436458/Product.aspx

[charlottep]

Beagle - do you have a close friend or family member that has recently had a child? When pregnant with my first i was overwhelmed too by the quantity and choice of baby products and for some reason totally unable to make a decision. I got one of those lists which claim to identify everything you'll need for a first baby (i used the mothercare one). I asked my sister to look over it and tell me what i actually really needed, including quantities and suggestions on types / brands, etc. She ended up compiling a brilliant list and i'm sure i saved quite a bit of money as a result too.

Re bouncy chairs, i have one with vibrate and it seemed to annoy both my little ones so i never bothered turning it on. I think it depends on what kind of baby you have, a fussy baby might need the extra helping hand to drift off and so something like a swing seat could work well. A more contented baby would be happy in a bog standard one. Either way though I think it's a good idea to have a seat that reclines fully to aid nap times (this can be used once your little one outgrows the moses basket). You probably won't use the seat for a couple of weeks after birth so maybe hold off and decide once you've met your baby?

[katgod]

Plain old basic change mat. I just lie baby on it, dad who is a gentler soul lays a towel on it as he thinks it's cold for baby.

Change bags-i had a normal black bag with number 1, with a foldup changing mat, and lots of pockets. It was perfectly adequate, and as plain and discrete husband quite happy to take baby and gear to change nappies. BUT, i felt a bit deprived so spent my leaving gift vouchers for number 2 on a snazzy change bag with matching mat, bottle insulater etc. It lasted about 2 months, got scrunched under wheels of pram, was impractical, clashed with my clothes and was a complete waste of money (over fifty pounds). Now with number 3 i have a neat little pouch thing that has a matching change mat and enough room for phone and purse and a few nappies. It is great. But any bag will do there is no magic to it you hust need a mat, nappies, wipes, spare trousers and nappy sacs when they are tiny. And half the things you think you need you won't need.good luck.

[Fuschia]

Linkadoos rocker we got second hand for ?10, nice seat and vibrates if you need it. Grows with toddler. Our 7 yo can fit in it even!!

Battery swings can be a godsend too...

[womanofdulwich]

do not waste your money on a top and tailing bowl!( I think that is what they are called) any old margarine container will do.

[Belle]

I think everyone makes one or two mistakes (I know I did with the cath kidston changebag) - where you maybe use it a few months and then switch and think, what a waste of money. But that's kind of par for the course and part of it all really!

We borrowed a huge amount of stuff from a friend - would recommend doing that as it obviously saves money but also hassle in terms of the decisions you're talking about. The changebag I switched to is a baby bjorn rucksack, about ?15-20 on amazon and included v slimline changemat and two insulated pockets for bottles.I find it dead handy esp with a Maclaren as I can sling it on my back when my wee one is getting out of buggy without the tipping up issue, and also good for when you use a sling (though you feel a bit like a packhorse).

[apenn]

I know the feeling EXACTLY. Was so grateful when my mother in law took me shopping and just told me what to buy.

If you're planning to buy some disposable diapers to start you off, get the free Boots changing bag you get when you join their parenting club and buy Pampers nappies. It's very light weight and it a great basic bag, comes with a travel changing mat. Then, as advised above, you can always buy one later on.

Disagree with the above post re a top and tail bowl. I used mine a lot in the beginning. I got a round one from John Lewis that had two large sections and two little round sections. You can use one section for water, one section for clean cotton balls, and one section for the used ones. I kept mine loaded up pretty much constantly in the early days.

Lastly, don't panic. It may seem like you need to get loads of stuff beforehand but ther is life after birth and you can always get additional things you find you need. Mine was born early and we didn't even have diapers in the house. It will all come together!

-A

[Beagle]

Ladies, thank you.

Feeling less like a rabbit in headlights now. I worry baby Beagle will have arrived and I'll still be wondering what to buy. My sister has been very practical but I have momentary panics when I feel so unprepared.

[The Nappy Lady]

Beagle, don't worry. All the gear in the world doesn't prepare you for motherhood, but by some Miracle of nature we mostly seem to adept pretty quickly once they arrive ;-)

Really glad you're feeling better now.

Molly

[civilservant]

Beagle, I too spent months leafing through baby catalogues and wondering what to buy, with the result that when the baby arrived I had two packs of tiny babygros, a pack of nappies, a towel, some cellular baby blankets I inherited from my sister and not much else. That was actually a blessing in disguise as I could then shop for the baby's actual needs.

Where possible get travel stuff - it works just as well at home - as you'll be wanting to get out and about quite soon. You might want to get two of some essentials like changing mats, as it's a time-saver to keep a bag ready packed with going-out stuff so that you aren't worrying about whether you've got everything you/baby need when you are getting ready to go out.

Lots of great advice above and I wouldn't disagree with any of it - except about the top and tail bowl that sounds rather unhygienic to me. I just stuck the baby's bottom under a slow bathroom tap (water temperature checked first of course) when it got too gross for just moist cotton wool - buy it by the roll, not the expensive dinky little balls, you'll need loads!

The one thing that I would absolutely recommend is a sling for carrying your baby in, especially when they're very tiny. And they grow so fast, especially in the first few weeks - anything you get is bound to be grown out of almost as soon as you unwrap it. My other recommendation is breastfeeding exclusively, which means that you can chuck out the expense and tedious routines associated with bottles, sterilisation, formula and other blah, and it works out very well if you're ever travelling abroad.

Nappy Lady's spot on, you'll be amazed at how soon you'll be up here dishing out advice in your turn!

[missd]

I've just made a comprehensive list for my sister who is having a baby later this year. Let me know if you want me to send it to you!

[buggie]

don't know if this will help you but have found it useful to use and tick off the essentials (very little of it bought from John Lewis!)

baby shopping list

[alieh]

I found that there was very little that I really NEEDED in the first few days. Even the stuff that I thought I had well prepared (e.g. sleepsuits) didn't fit because baby was so big. Daily trips to Mothercare with a list of obscure things I needed were a feature of my husband's paternity leave! Shopping as you go can really help save money and stress.

I'm trying to remember the list of things that were really essential to have on hand, but don't have it handy. Off the top of my head:

-a few baby gros and sleepsuits (in a few different sizes)

-blankets/swaddling blankets

-a good sling for newborns (I had a Kari-Me and pouch sling)

-carseat

-somewhere for baby to sleep (we had an amby hammock)

-personally, I was glad to have a good buggy with a flat bed-like pram attachment. We used it as somewhere for him to sleep in the lounge and it was nice to be able to go for walks. Others might be happy just with slings.

-a change mat (we just got a plastic one that had raised sides to help avoid baby rolling off, and used muslins on top as others have said)

-you could get a bath (we had a tummy tub) but you don't even need this straight away

-nappies (just a couple of packs because you might find some brands work much better than others for you, and/or that you want to try cloth)

-wipes

-muslins

-nappy bags (i.e. rubbish bags for dirty nappies)

-flannels

We then went out in the first few weeks for other bits and pieces: vibrating bouncy chair to see if it would help soothe fussy baby, millions of breastfeeding paraphernalia, etc, etc

I'm sure if you posted on here people could give you a realistic idea of what to focus on.

Changing bags, I have coveted many that I have seen but still haven't bought one! My son is 19 months old by the way. I tend to just chuck some bits and pieces in my handbag and/or in the bottom of the buggy. These are the kinds of things you can window shop for on your daily meander up and down the Lordship Lane trying to get baby to sleep!

[plimsoul]

best friend's guide to pregnancy has a great list of what you don't need.