Pregnancy is an exciting time for all pregnant women, and it’s normal to plan for the baby’s arrival driven by the nesting instinct. You may be wondering what the right time to buy all the stuff your baby would need in the months to come is. Hence, we have put together a list of things you can purchase on a good timeline. Continue reading to get an idea of all the things you will need to buy you’re your baby in the coming months.
When Should You Start Buying Baby Stuff During Pregnancy?
There is no right or wrong time to start planning for your baby’s nest. You can start by making a list during the first trimester and buy stuff along the way, considering the monthly budget constraints or wait until the last month and pick it all up at once. Most women will find themselves making long lists and can’t wait to go shopping. To stop yourself from overspending, it is good to spread out the shopping over the months and take it slow. If you have a baby shower planned, you can make room for expected gifts and avoid buying the same thing twice.
Baby Stuff to Buy in Trimesters
Distributing your purchasing process over the entire gestational period can help you get all the essentials before the baby comes. So, depending on the trimester, consider these things before buying baby stuff:
1. First Trimester
The first trimester is the planning stage for buying baby stuff:
- Plan and create a budget for everything you will need to buy. Now is an excellent time to think about when you start to buy baby stuff seriously. Baby clothes, toys, and other essentials can be expensive to purchase all at once. Have a plan about how much you will spend every month on it.
- Research all the baby gear you will need to buy. A year from now, you will have twice as much stuff in the house, and it is a good idea to put some thought into what you’ll buy. Everything from the pacifier to the baby wipes and strollers comes in different brands. Read buying guides on picking what is suitable for you within budget and avoid. Good research will help you choose great products and save money.
- The first trimester is a good time to stock up on consumables with a long shelf life. This includes conditioner, shampoo, detergent, dish soap, and toilet paper. You can also pick products that might go up in price over the months and stock them up to save money.
2. Second Trimester
Now is the time to put your plan into action.
- De-clutter the home and start preparations to get the nursery ready. Now is the time to think long-term and buy only what is essential. If you are planning a baby shower during the second trimester, it’s a good idea to wait for all the gifts you will receive before making a purchase decision.
- Start working on the nursery. By now, you would know the baby’s gender, so you can go ahead and decide the nursery’s theme. Research the various baby cribs available online and choose one that best fits the décor. Order a cute bookshelf with all the baby books you will be reading for them in the future.
- Order the furniture and the crib. Now is a good time to order the furniture as it will take anywhere from days to weeks to arrive. You will also have plenty of time to put the furniture together by yourself and enjoy every moment of it.
- Resist buying all the stuff you can expect during the baby shower. Your friends are more likely to gift essentials such as diaper packs, baby clothes, soft toys, parenting books, mugs, and feeding bottles. Wait until after the baby shower to purchase what is missing.
3. Third Trimester
The third trimester is the best time to start buying important baby stuff.
- By now, you should have a good count of all that you already have and everything else that needs to be purchased. That includes clothes, wipes, lotion, strollers, and even a car seat. This is also a good time to make a purchase for yourself and pick up things such as nursing bras and tops, breastfeeding creams, breast pumps, blankets, and diaper bags.
- Prewash all the baby clothes you bought online or received as a gift and have them ready. It’s always a good idea to wash clothes before you try them on as the clothes could pick up a lot of dirt and microbes on their way from the factory to your home.
- Always stay on the lookout for good deals online on baby apparel and accessories. If you get an essential item such as diapers or clothes at a discount, grab it before the offer expires.
Things to Consider Before Purchasing Baby Stuff
It is never a good idea to rush into buying baby stuff without a plan in place. So here are some essential things to consider before you start purchasing:
1. Budget
The first thing that will strike you is how much having a baby costs! If you do not have a budget, you will surely strain your finances. Plan for what is needed and budget to save for something better in the long run. Since many brands compete to offer great products at competitive prices, it’s a good idea to research the best budget-friendly products or even go for second-hand products at half the price.
2. Space Available in the House
If your real estate is on the smaller side, you might want to reduce buying unnecessary furniture. Initially, babies are tiny, so bassinets, cribs, clothes, changing tables, diapers and formula will take up most space. If you have a dedicated nursery, plan to keep everything within the room. If not, wait until you move to a more prominent place to buy stuff your fancy.
3. Baby Shower
If you plan to have a baby shower, wait for all the gift items you will receive from your friends. Once you have a list of all that there is, you will have an idea of everything else needed. Setting up a baby shower registry is a great idea to let people know the items you’d like to receive. On the same note, you will also receive items passed down from other parents who wouldn’t need them.
4. Baby’s Gender
Most people still wait until they know the baby’s gender before planning for the nursery décor. To find out the baby’s gender, you will have to wait till the 20 weeks scan, beyond which you will know for certain. The baby’s gender won’t matter if you plan to go gender-neutral.
5. Pregnancy Month
Many parents wait until after the first trimester before going on a shopping spree. The pregnancy is going well, and women are in the best stage with the morning sickness behind and all the extra energy.
Is It Bad Luck to Buy Baby Stuff Too Early?
Good and bad luck is an idea that many people believe in, which has no grounding in reality. At best, it can be called a superstition. Buying things early during the pregnancy does not influence how the pregnancy will progress. If anything, buying things when low prices is a good long-term idea. On the other hand, it’s also possible to make bad purchasing decisions such as buying something too early or unnecessary.
Things You Should Not Buy for Baby
It is important to limit what you purchase for the baby. Here are things you can avoid:
- Baby formula is a consumable you need to wait before stocking up. It is impossible to tell which formula they can handle until they are born.
- Baby shoes are also a commodity that is unnecessary until you know what fits well for the baby.
- Avoid stocking up too much of anything. If you find that your baby cannot handle a particular lotion brand, the whole batch goes to the garbage.
The best time to start buying stuff for your baby is after the first trimester when you are ready with the plans for a nursery and know the baby’s gender. Having a list of all the things you will need will help you check off items each month and prepare for the baby’s arrival.
