Hubby and I are planning to start trying for a baby in the next 6 months.

I've been broody for ages and want to start putting some things on one side so as to spread the cost. Things like wipes, cotton wool, Milton...... not big stuff or clothes.

I thought I could buy a few things when I do my weekly shop.

Is this bad luck or a good idea financially.

I appreciate any advice.

Thanks

i personally think it's a good idea. Babies are soo expensive so any way to help yourself go for it!

Thanks @)

My mate just text me the very same, she has an 8 week old and she was un planned so she didn't get chance to buy much before she was born. She said you go through so much it helps to buy well in advance.

I'm off to shops now to feed my broodiness!!!!! xxx

Hubby and I are planning to start trying for a baby in the next 6 months.

I've been broody for ages and want to start putting some things on one side so as to spread the cost. Things like wipes, cotton wool, Milton...... not big stuff or clothes.

I thought I could buy a few things when I do my weekly shop.

Is this bad luck or a good idea financially.

I appreciate any advice.

Thanks


I wouldnt say bad luck, because things like you describe can be used everyday anyway :) but rather than buying it could you not set up a savings account and even put like £5 a week into it so by the time the baby comes you will have the money and also a bit of interest :D i find opening a savings account with another bank works best as it seems more hassle to go get the money out rather than just transfer it to my account :)

Hi there, as savbaby says, try saving rather than buying (just think how to store the stuff you buy). We planned to get a gift card from the supermarket and just keep adding to that then use it to buy the stuff we needed closer to the time.

We never did but I wish I had.....

That's a good idea actually, some stuff has a 12 month shelf life and as we don't know how long it will take to conceive, it may be easier to save and get interest.
I did pick up a few bits and if I see anything exceptionally priced, I'll get it but a baby fund would be good.
Credit to hubby, he has suggested it and said he would call it a shhhhh fund. Right old softy.

Thanks xxx

Savbaby's is a good idea.

If you really want to collect actual stuff bear in mind it takes up a load of space, and you could be trying for a while...I'd also go with the advice of buying only things you too can use for the time being (wipes, cotton wool, etc)

As for the luck and bad luck of having baby things in the house, I always thought of it the other way round:
Q: can I guarantee that by NOT bringing things into the house before blah blah weeks/birth, I will have a healthy pregnancy and baby?
A: Of course not

So how on earth can you look at it the other way round and have it make sense?
You have to do things when you are comfortable to, really.

I'd recommend the savings account idea as well. One in five pregnancies end in miscarriage, and while you can never predict who'll draw the short straw, you CAN predict that if you're unlucky enough for it to happen to you, you WON'T want reminders of what you've lost staring you in the face all the time.

It's not a matter of luck, just pragmatism.

I fall into the category (as a non-parent who won't ever have to do the serious planning of having a baby) that I never buy things for the babies of friends and family until they're here and safe.

As AstroKath says, buying presents for babies who then are lost to miscarriage is painful emotionally for all concerned and using those presents for future babies is often unthinkable for the parents so the use of those items is usually lost.

The first 3 babies I bought presents for were all lost to miscarriage and I found myself hurting for the parents but holding on to a wrapped present that I really didn't feel was appropriate to give to another baby (even though I know that was just my emotional silliness, they were bought for a known child and that child couldn't use them) so now I restrict myself to buying for babies once they're born.

Another reason to not buy before falling pregnant is that when you do fall pregnant you find out that lots of parents around you have items that are very nearly new but no longer needed by their original recipient, so there are a number of things that you may not actually need to buy.

You may also well find that friends or family want to buy useful items for the baby and so making a checklist of the basics that you're likely to need and asking them for specific items may be the way to go.

As someone who desperately wanted a family but for whom it never happened and will never happen (I lost my womb and ovaries to cancer at 32) I also don't think that I'd cope at all well with having any baby things inside my house if I was having trouble conceiving or going through assisted conception- it would just be too painful. I went through a phase where I couldn't even bear going down the nappy aisle in the supermarket. At the moment you don't actually know whether you're going to have any sort of conception problems either.

If you put all of this lot together then setting up a savings account which you can use closer to the birth to buy all of the items that haven't been already located or bought by family makes a lot more sense. It also prevents you having storage problems for however long it takes for you to conceive and can you imagine how many times you'll clean everything before the baby is born?

As AstroKath says, buying presents for babies who then are lost to miscarriage is painful emotionally for all concerned and using those presents for future babies is often unthinkable for the parents so the use of those items is usually lost.

On the other hand, I find great comfort from the little boots and dress I bought for a baby that I then lost. I now have a gorgeous baby girl and would never use those for her as Medusa says but I am glad that I had something to remember my lost baby.

I have had many miscarriages and after the first couple I didn't tell anyone I was pregnant and tried not to get to attached but after five miscarriages I decided that I wanted to celebrate each pregnancy and hence bought little baby items. I found that way much easier as at least we had loved and celebrated the baby before the miscarriage.

And now thanks to our eighth pregnancy I have a gorgeous baby girl.

Its worthwhile keeping in mind that not all thing suit babies so bulk buying is a bad idea, for example some brands of wipes, nappies and creams gave my babies terrible nappy rash. You also get more wipes and creams in your bounty packs which is a good way of trying out sample sizes to see what suits. If you've got the money i'd say start a saving account. As newborns mine didn't need much as we were given presents of everything but they are expensive little creatures now.

I think financial planning is a brilliant idea, as you certainly need a bit of money behind you for all the equipment they need. But probably best to buy things whilst you are pregnant, because tastes change etc. That pram you so desperately want, becomes another pram just 5 months later, as a better and bigger pram has come out.

I bought items for my baby during my pregnancy, but I think it all depends on how you think you might feel, should the pregnancy not end as expected.

Its worthwhile keeping in mind that not all thing suit babies so bulk buying is a bad idea, for example some brands of wipes, nappies and creams gave my babies terrible nappy rash. You also get more wipes and creams in your bounty packs which is a good way of trying out sample sizes to see what suits. If you've got the money i'd say start a saving account. As newborns mine didn't need much as we were given presents of everything but they are expensive little creatures now.

I bought loads of huggies baby wipes before baba was born and although he's not allergic to them they're rubbish IMO. I wish I'd waited to see which were best for him.

When Noah was born because I already had more or less everything I needed, if people wanted to buy him something I asked for nappies. He's nearly 10 weeks old and I only started buying my own nappies 2 weeks ago :)

Thanks everyone.

Medusa, good point, not knowing whether or not I can actually conceive, knowing me, it would be painful to have the baby things around the house.

I do have a few bits and I think I will put money one one side from now on as it can be used for something else if all doesn't go to plan.

Thanks so much everyone for your advice and sharing your personal experiences.
xxxxx

hi there everyone,
Well my Hubby and i have been trying for a child for nearly 10months now. we have a spare room in our house. there is nothing we don't have for a baby from bottles to pramette and a pushchair, from nappies, to wipes,dummies, cot Moses basket, car seats etc/.... we have got it all although we are lucky that we've the spare room to put it all in. we have 4 boxes of boys and 4 boxes of girls clothes. it doesn't bother us that all the stuff is there. i look at it that its financially saving us a lot of money because i know how dear babies can be. Some people think its really bad luck. but if we can get pregnant we will when the times right by our bodies. no amount of baby stuff or lack of it will make a difference. What do you all think? (probably that im mad lol) ps. the buying just got out off hand and i ended up with everything u could possibly need. It was my idea my husband doesn't mind but he thinks its weird he doesnt see the benefits of it YET. xx:):)

with both my pregnancies i went out straight away and bought things, brand new for the first pregnany, but unfortunatly i lost my first one so then ended up with a wardrobe full of things i couldent bear to look at them, afta i lost my baby and i came home from hospital i got the baby coat out had bought her and i cried and cried and cried for hours, i had to get rid of it, i know it sounds awfull but i couldent bear to look at them it was breaking me apart, but with my 2nz pregnancy i still did same got things as soon as i could, but maily had things given me aswell, and all was well this time, well a little scare at first but hes here, now hes a 15 month old and lifes a little bit more cheaper now hes not on baby milk lol,the saving account is the best idea so far, although i would still buy stuff knowing me lol

i dont think that its wrong to buy baby stuff before your pregnant i think its personal choice and there are pros and cons too both pros are you save a fortune because when you finally have a baby you will have everything you need for your new arrival yes baby stuff does take up space put look at it this way if you have a baby you will need the stuff anyway so its not gonna take up anymore space it just means its gonna be sitting till its needed the only cons i can see are if you are unable to have children naturally then you have a constant reminder of what you cant have but personally if its right for you then do it i was always told by family its unlucky to buy baby stuff until your pregnant and past the first trimester but i think its just superstisions past down through generations

I wish I had opened a savings account for my pregnancy. It would have saved me a whole lot of money. I think I may do this if I ever plan another baby. But my daughter has everything she could possibly need. My M.I.L went out and when she did her weekly shopping she picked up packs of nappies, wipes, shampoos, baby stuff for the bath etc, and I am still getting through the bottles of shampoo :hihi:.

My advice is go round charity shops pick up a few things to help with your broodiness. I am not a believer in it is a bad idea to buy things before you have a baby.

Personally i wouldn't buy anything before being 12wks pregnant but thats just me! I loved going round shops when i was pregnant choosing things for the baby and the chats with the shop assistants that go along with this, i can't imagine it being as exciting without a bump in tow!

Hi,

I think putting money aside is a better idea. I feel if you buy baby things and see them around you, that would put pressure on you to get pregnant quickly, even if it is unconciously. If then you don't get pregnant in the first few months (which is not unusual), seeing all the baby stuff might make you anxious and you might start thinking you can't get pregnant and all that. I would certainly feel pressurised if I had a house full of baby stuff but no baby yet!

Hi, I wrote a comment on this a good few months ago now when me and my husband were trying to conceive. I had bought everything although i had not yet conceived, I wanted to save myself a lot of money.And i didn't believe it was bad luck at all. So i just wanted to let everyone know that i am now 5 and a half months pregnant and we're having a baby girl. Im due 3rd of August this yr. So if you are thinking of buying your baby stuff and you are trying i don't think its a bad idea at all. xx good luck to all

I sold my carseat to a friend who was about 4 weeks pregnant. She has 2 prams, 2 car seats, and 2 moses basket's already. One for her house and one for her mums, she had a scan the other day.

Hi, I wrote a comment on this a good few months ago now when me and my husband were trying to conceive. I had bought everything although i had not yet conceived, I wanted to save myself a lot of money.And i didn't believe it was bad luck at all. So i just wanted to let everyone know that i am now 5 and a half months pregnant and we're having a baby girl. Im due 3rd of August this yr. So if you are thinking of buying your baby stuff and you are trying i don't think its a bad idea at all. xx good luck to all

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

i think its a good idea to buy things as you shop each week although it took me 2 years to get pregnant when my little boy did come he cost an absolute fortune, mind u he is definately worth it and pre planning really helped with the bills

Personally i wouldn't buy anything before being 12wks pregnant but thats just me! I loved going round shops when i was pregnant choosing things for the baby and the chats with the shop assistants that go along with this, i can't imagine it being as exciting without a bump in tow!

I totally agree, I miscarried in January at 11 weeks my MIL had bought tonnes of boy and girl clothes, maternity stuff for me in the sales and ordered the pram. It was really hard when I miscarried knowing all the stuff was there. I would go for the savings option as I think it would be torture if you struggle to conceive. Or suffer any set backs.

Good luck tho! :D