XP: What do we spend $$ on and what do we not...

[rugbywife]

DH and I have to (finally) start buying baby stuff...I have put it off long enough. Knowing me, I would be that person that ends up having nothing and the baby comes early.

I know there are hundreds of brands and what not...I can sift through all of that...I guess I just want to know where to spend $$$ and where to spend less $$$...because we can't afford to spend lots on all things...

So...

Stroller?
Car Seat (since we will have to change it all the time)?
Crib?
Change Table?
Cloth Diapers?
High Chair?
Vibrating Swing thingy?
Breast Pump (I will have to pump after 4 months because I go back to work at 4.5 months and DH is off for the rest of the year)...of course, should I wait to see if I can even effing breast feed before I buy one?)
Monitor? (We live in a small bungalow...but we do spend time in the basement...or at least DH will, watching rugby, lol)

Any other big ticket items I am missing?

Read more: pandce.proboards.com/thread/266820/xp-spend-money-on#ixzz2njWcCA00

[Deleted]

Rent a breast pump at first to see if you'll end up nursing. Make sure you have it ready before birth, sometimes it can be a lifesaver when you are first starting out.

Honestly the rest of it can be as cheap as you need it to be. Car seats are just as safe when cheap but less convenient. I'd probably upgrade on that just to make life easier.

We repurposed furniture for the nursery and got a used crib from friends (bought a new mattress for it though). We aren't big stroller people so we didn't spend a lot on that either.

[Deleted]

If you're short on space, check out ikea for space minimizing gear. They have sturdy but slim nursery furniture. Also forget about a high chair and use a convertible booster instead. That saves $ and space.

[Deleted]

Oh but definitely get a rock n play. Lol

[Booze Raccoon]

I never used a changing table.  A changing pad on the bed (we had a queen bed in DD's room) worked fine.  
We never used a high chair either.  A feeding chair strapped to one of our dining chairs worked perfectly.
We also didn't put DD into her crib until she was 3 months.  I have pictures of her at 3 mo while DD is building her crib.  lol
We got a space saver swing, it was cheaper.
We lived in a 1100 sq ft condo at the time and we did use the monitor but I didn't buy anything fancy since we were always on the same floor.

A baby bjorn was a good purchase also.  

I can't think of anything else you would need.

[Jalapeñomel]

Call your insurance about the breast pump. Mine gave me a PISA.

[Jalapeñomel]

Get something to wear the baby like a Beco, Ergo or a ring sling (the baby Bjorn is no good for baby).

Get the Baby Bargain book.

Look at the GP board, because many people ask this question so there are a ton of great answers.

[sonrisa]

Dec 17, 2013 7:08:34 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I just want to know where to spend $$$ and where to spend less $$$...because we can't afford to spend lots on all things...

NO:

Changing table. Get something cheap off your mother's group board or craigslist, or use furniture you already have or just put the changing pad on the floor and then you can slide it under the crib when not in use (which is what we started doing around 9 months for safety anyways because she kept trying to get off of it).

Crib. Ikea has them for $100 and they work great. Plus you don't have to wait forever for them to be delivered.

Vibrating Swing thingy. Your baby might not even like it. Look for something used on your mothers' group board if you want. Here, cord v. battery operated matters. If they like it, you don't want to spend twice the price in batteries just to make it work. 

Monitor: this shouldn't be big ticket. If you are in close quarters, all you need is sound. Interference and static are the only things that really matter. Static and interference will drive you insane. 

High chair: Ikea again.


Maybe:

Cloth diapers. I'm torn on this one. We went with cloth at first but after 4 months it didn't work out. So my instinct is no. However, good quality cloth diapers do make a difference. I'd say these are the perfect resource to get decent quality but used from your mother's group board and then resell when you are done.


Stroller: we spent a bit more here to get a good jogging stroller for our stroller. DH wanted to take her running once she was big enough and it was worth the price to me to get the breaks. You'll use this a lot unless you only baby wear so make sure whatever you get really works for you and your life.

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2013 7:08:34 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

DH and I have to (finally) start buying baby stuff...I have put it off long enough. Knowing me, I would be that person that ends up having nothing and the baby comes early.

I know there are hundreds of brands and what not...I can sift through all of that...I guess I just want to know where to spend $$$ and where to spend less $$$...because we can't afford to spend lots on all things...

So...

Stroller? Chicco Keyfit with stroller. Very easy to use
Car Seat (since we will have to change it all the time)? Chicco Keyfit. Diapers.com sometimes has them for 20% off with free shipping
Crib? Pottery Barn Kids, we paid $400 during a Labor day sale. Very sturdy and simple assembly.
Change Table? We use the one that came with our Pack n Play (Graco) which is awesome
Cloth Diapers? Newp
High Chair? Not yet- DS is only 8 weeks old
Vibrating Swing thingy? I have one from Comfort & Harmony that is only a swing, no vibration, but DS doesn't even like the swing part. He'd rather chill in the basinett.
Breast Pump (I will have to pump after 4 months because I go back to work at 4.5 months and DH is off for the rest of the year)...of course, should I wait to see if I can even effing breast feed before I buy one?) I borrowed one from a girlfriend, an Avent, and my insurance also purchased one so I went with the Madela Freestyle (battery operated so you can move around with it) but honestly I get more our of the Avent (better suction). Your insurance may cover the entire purchase price for one, you just have to get a prescription from your OBGYN
Monitor? (We live in a small bungalow...but we do spend time in the basement...or at least DH will, watching rugby, lol) Haven't purchased one yet.

Any other big ticket items I am missing? A Pack & Play.

Read more: pandce.proboards.com/thread/266820/xp-spend-money-on#ixzz2njWcCA00

[underwaterrhymes]

Breast pumps are covered under the new healthcare act. We got a $300 one for free delivered right to my hospital room. Call your insurance company to determine the process - but they usually have vendors they work with that they'll refer you to.

[Deleted]

I went cheap with everything and used the money to buy cute clothes

Seriously though, don't spend a fortune on stuff that you will only use for a short time.