When to Begin Preparing for a Newborn

I saw you were looking on craigs list for items...which I think is great...just be careful with carseats and cribs...it is not recommended to use those items used

I would try to get everything you need (whatever baby will sleep in, clothes, diapers, car seat, etc) ready at least 4 weeks before your due date. It may be tough to drag a newborn around after giving birth to try to find things. It can be hard to know what you will use or need in advance- I was dying for a diaper genie with my first and we got it and I ended up thowing it away. So I guess I am saying within reason I would have everything you anticipate needing on hand.

As a side note you should never buy a used car seat- they can be damaged in an accident and you might not be able to tell. So I would plan on paying full price for that from a store. You will need a car seat before baby arrives to get home from the hospital- I had a homebirth and we still needed one to take baby to the doctor when she was a couple of days old.

I have not read any other responses but in my opinion, I would disagree with your husbands and your thought to wait.

First of all, this is your first so more than likely you will have a shower or two? Correct? So you need to start thinking about a registry and what you would want. There is so much to choose from and you should have those decisions made so that your guests know what you need/want.

Second, there is nothing wrong with buying a little here and there. I am 34 weeks pregnant and have been buying diapers since I was about 15 weeks pregnant. I have multiples of each size and I am just stocking up based on how much we used for our other two and per advice from friends.

As far as being organized, I understand how you feel... I NEED to be 150% organized in many areas of my life. Becoming a parent and having someone else to take care of is very overwhelming. I choose to do whatever I can to make things easiest on me. My nursery has been ready for probably 3 weeks already... just in case. Plus I am SO uncomfortable, the thought of doing it now or a few weeks from now makes me hurt.

And my last comment. Be CAREFUL what you buy from Craigslist and other sites... if it is used you NEED to know how used, all the product information and for car seats, the date of expiration and if they have been in an accident. Also, there have been quite a few crib recalls in the last 6 months, I think 3. Research online and see who has recalled, you wouldn't want to buy one of those. And again, check the date of manufacture... you technically shouldn't use a crib that was manufactured prior to 2000 (based on some of the guidelines I have read recently).

Hope all this helps. Good Luck and CONGRATULATIONS!! :)

Have not read your responses so sorry if this is a repeat.

Do not buy a used car seat!!!! I saw you were looking on Craig's List for items. Any other items are fine for buying used except a car seat. You don't know if it was in a accident or possible dropped and is not worth the risk if it has been compromised.

I began buying things like that when I was about 5 months.. because the sooner you can get it organized and ready, the better it is. Once you get towards the last trimester, you really don't want to have to worry about finding that kind of stuff, it's better to just be ready, for your sake. I was so nervous and anxious in that last trimester that if I had to worry about stuff like that, I would've had a break down.

You absoultely need a carseat, a bassinet or something for the baby to sleep in, a couple sleepers, diapers. I would prepare towards the end of your second trimester when you still have lots of energy. I don't want to scare you, but I had a very healthy pregnancy, but then all of a sudden problems started at 31 weeks & then I had to have my baby six weeks early. There's nothing scarier than dealing with a premie & recovering in the hospital with nothing ready. Don't do that to yourself. Even with a full term baby, you'll be exhausted when you are home & don't need the extra work.
I think it'd be devastating to have something happen to the baby with or without the supplies, don't you? Prepare yourself. You'll be so glad you did it when you had the time & energy!
Best of luck!

It is never too early to start preparing, especially in the information area. I have to ask tho', do you want a relationship where you need to "hide" things from your spouse? Talk this through and compromise. It IS good to be prepared, and a natural instinct. Parenting is THE biggest job in the world. You darn well BETTER be prepared! Find out what his fears are about getting things in advance. Is it a gender issue; no pink or blue? You do not need to spend a lot of money to be prepared. Diapers are the most important thing. Will you be given a baby shower? Is he wanting you to wait for that? Work it out and let your excitement about this new life fill your days. :)

I heard it is called the nesting instint. I too wanted everything done but not too early. With my first I would was so organized. The clothes were washed, the drawers were labeled by size (mostly for my husband). It was very comforting to have everyting ready then I relaxed. With my second I was busy with a toddler so things were not as easy for me. I relied on my husband to do a lot and things just didn't get done and my daughter was 2 weeks early.
Just tell your hsuband it is a woman thing and you don't expect him to understand but he should respect it.
I agree with the other posts, to wait on the older baby stuff - it does take up a lot of room in the house. But I would have everything ready for day one. In fact the bassinet we bought was too big for my side of the bed with the the closet door, so we had to change the night stands it is nice to know how things are going to work before the baby comes home.
Good Luck

The earlier the better i think. And my first son was 2 months early so we thought we had more time, turns out we didnt. Get your essentials so you can be done with all that.

Do not worry about it all. We did not have a baby shower until after the baby was born and then it was like a celebration party and everyone got to meet him- about a month after birth. Anyway, we just purchased the crib and changing table and received the bassinet and swing from my sister-in-law. When the baby was born, my mom came with clothes, diapers, wipes, laundry detergent, etc. I breast fed so that did not require extras there and was sooooo cost efficient. Are you taking birthing classes? I am a certified birth instructor if you need any preparation in that area!!!!

we had a few misses so my husband didn't want to buy much before our baby came. We borrowed a bassinet and a few clothes and that was it. We ordered her crib and dresser but had it delivered after she was born. It would have been nice to be more organized, but in the end, it didn't make a difference. I nursed so we didn't need bottles, we bought diapers and she slept in our room in a bassinet. A few simple outfits, diapers, blankets...that is all you need at first.

If you are like me, when you give birth to your child and you're not used to living on 'sleep fumes' because you're up all hours of the night and your body's hormones are all out of whack, and all you really want to do in your spare time is take a shower, shovel in a meal within 5 minutes, and nap due to exhaustion...you're not going to want to have to run out and weigh the difference between carseat/swing/stroller A and carseat/swing/stroller B. Have you been to a baby goods department to actually shop for your baby and not just a gift? It can be completely mesmerizing and overwhelming if you're a first timer!

Get everything you need for the nursery. Get it all set up and ready to go: crib, dresser, rocker/glider/chair, changing table, and decorating/painting you want done (I can't imagine painting a nursery 8 months preggo). Put the diapers, wipes, bibs, burp cloths, in place.

Don't go overboard on the clothing, but make sure you have some ahead of time. And...you have to wash it before the baby wears it.

If you are going to breastfeed, you'll want a pump before you come home. It can be absolutely befuddling to send your husband out to try to find a breastpump for you (just ask my husband...). If you're going to formula feed, you'll want to have all the bottles because they will need to be washed and sterilized ahead of time. Again, stuff you won't want to do when you get home.

Personally, I'd avoid buying your carseat on Craigslist or used. This is the one area where you absolutely do not want to skimp on safety. If a carseat has been in an accident, you're not supposed to use it. Also, used carseats can 'expire' and with a used carseat you have no idea how used and abused it is.

Definitely register because if people are going to throw showers for you, they will want to know what items you need for your baby. Good luck to you - and try to get your husband to talk with some of his friends who are/were first-time dads to see how his logic and theory would play out :)

You will need a carseat, diapers, wipes, rectal or least temporal thermometer, bottles(even if breastfeeding), pump, a few onsies, a few footy pj's, a couple of blankets. Okay this being said...wait until fairly close to due date and see what you get. Fill in the above where you didn't get. Then after birth you can see what you feel you are missing out on. Babies are expensive, but don't really require a quarter of what people actually get for them. They need your love more than stuff. Keep in mind a baby doesn't care if you have a rattle when they get home from the hospital. They care if they are fed, warm and dry and loved. Save the money for the big stuff later. I also used a pack n play with a bassinet insert for the first 4 months, I didn't use a crib for my last 2 kids. It was a waste of time and money. They look beautiful, but are a necessity. I'd rather tell them that they can have a college education later then a designer crib now. Also if you buy too far in advance the return policies expire, recalls happen and then there is more to fuss about.

Hi R..

I understand your desire to want to be prepared. I may have been a bit on the "obsessive" side, b/c i started babyproofing the house when i was in my second trimester. LOL :0)

I think it's a good idea to get the nursery furniture and other essentials in your third trimester. If you have a shower, you'll probably get a lot of gifts which will need to organized. (bedding, clothes laundered and put in drawers, etc). Depending on what furniture you need, you might need to special order it which will take several weeks.

You are probably going to be tired and not feel like organizing and doing much towards the end of your pregnancy, so i wouldn't wait too long. And babies have a mind of their own. What if your baby comes before his or her due date? You DEFINITELY won't have the time or energy to get organized the way you probably want to be.

My husband and i went back and forth about getting the crib and putting it together while i was pregnant b/c he felt like he had all the time in the world b/c we planned on having the baby sleep in a bassinett in our room for the first six months anyways. Well he finally put it together for me and the entire nursery was done about one month before my due date. I just needed the peace of mind. :0)

My personal thoughts are dads don't get it!! Husbands/dads are more worried about the money aspect of buying things that you don't need/won't use and moms are more, but what if I need it?? I would buy some essentials before baby is born (cloths, onsies, diapers, wipes, detergent if your using a special one for baby, etc..) A crib can wait if needed (for me I didn't use one till my kids were 2-3 months anyway), but if you're not going to co-sleep (I didn't) you will need somewhere for baby to sleep. I recommend taking your hubby to the store with you and looking at pack and plays. They are a little expensive, but very versitile. Mine has a bassinet insert and changing table for newborns (which we always set up in our room for the first couple months), but then as they get older you can take out the insert and use it as a playpen, napping area etc. and you can take it with you places for baby to sleep. We used to take it to my in-laws for baby to sleep int when there is no crib. (they live 7 hours away so it would usually be an extended weekend)
Also, you WILL need a carseat/carrier. Alot of carriers come as carseat/stroller combos, so that is something to think about, but you can't bring baby home from the hospital without a carseat!
Also, if you can take your hubby with you or come to some kind of agreement/compromise it will work ALOT better than not telling him what you bought and "hiding" it.
One last point when deciding what to buy is what will you/baby need in the first month or so? I know for me I didn't feel like going out and shopping for the first couple weeks. You also want to be prepared in case baby comes early, and as you get further in your pregnancy(more towards the end) BEFORE baby is born you may not feel like shopping.
Congrats, and Good luck!
P.S. Don't forget to get you some essentails before baby is born (pads, if breastfeeding: nursing pads and lansinoh (sp?) cream,) Also, a cute idea if your hubby will go for it.. my MIL said her hubby always bought her a nightgown (with buttons in front for nursing) and robe combo for more comfort in the hospital as well as something easy, roomy and comfy after you get home. She helped talk my husband into it for my first. :)

I would only buy the things that a your baby will need right away. High chair, saucer, toddler car seat, toys, etc can wait a few months until you are up to shopping. Also, people may buy you some of these items for baby gifts. We always joked that the only thing we really needed the first month was a car seat, bassinet, bouncy seat and swing. The other stuff just took up space!

Glad someone said it- wouldn't recommend someone buy a car seat used. I was in a terrible accident (thank God baby and me were fine), and the car seat looked perfectly normal. I'm sure it had been compromised, you just couldn't see it. The insurance replaced the seat if we proved that it couldn't be used again by cutting the straps. Who knows if all people do that, though. Better to be safe than sorry.

A month before my son was born his room was ready!! I know it is very tempting to get things but I did wait till my 7th month before I starting getting things. I think is perfectly normal to want to get things in order and have them done before the babys comes. Plus once the baby comes you don't want to be putting all that stuff together (trust me everything always has to be put together) Also you can test things before the baby comes so you can concentrate on your little one. I say have fun getting things and remember to buy back up batteries for the toys!!

Find the deals when you can, you may not find them again. But don't go crazy, you will never use a diaper genie, wipes warmer or two/three piece outfits for a newborn.

You do want enough so you don't have to run out and grab anything with a newborn. It's best to keep them home for a bit.

I LOVE the book "On Becoming Babywise". Highly recommend it.

Good luck!

PS-I purchased a great deal stroller at 11 weeks-haven't seen the deal since.

Getting things done in advance is great! By the end, you will be uncomfortable and tired so you will want it done. My first, I had the nursery done in June and I wasn't due until the end of November. I would buy the car seat new though, that is something I would not buy used. I wouldn't buy too many things though because you do get a lot at the baby shower. Good Luck!!

Doing your research is good!

Buying carseats second hand it bad. Also look for recalls on anything you buy.

Hiding things from your husband is bad. Any time you lie to your spouse you are encouraging him to do the same to you. If you feel that strongly about it, then just talk to him and come up with a compromise that you can both live with.

Your husband won't be able to back you up when it comes to your children rebelling against you unless he feels you respect him.

Your kids won't respect daddy or you if they think it is okay to do things behind their backs and hide it. And they will know when you do it. They always do.

So being a super organized person that hates to wait until the last minute I can sympathize with you.

So I would do my research for the best, safest products that you will need...make a list with prices and places where they can be purchased. Show it to your hubby and then each week or every two weeks buy one item on the list.

Start with small stuff that you could give to someone for a shower gift later if he's worried that you might lose the baby and then have to need for it.

Start with things that are neutral. If this pregnancy doesn't work out, won't you try again?

Remind him that as the pregnancy progresses you won't feel physically able to shop all over the place and walk for hours looking for things, so better to get them earlier than he feels.

Also remind him that sometimes babies come early and you might want to be prepared at least by, say 35 weeks.

There are always ways to do things without being dishonest to your spouse. My MIL buys things and hides them from her spouse. Neither really has much respect for the other. He thinks all her stuff is junk and won't budge a bit when it comes to her hobbies. She sneaks behind his back and does things and then it just shows him that she has no respect for him...And everyone wants to feel respected.

I think if you present him a list of good facts and a well researched list of items with prices, he will agree that it is best to get at least some of the stuff early.

I'm kinda superstitous, so I waited until I was about 7 months along. We had no problem with buying things. My oldest was born six weeks early, my next was a week late. With all the excitement going on the closer you're due, you'll wind up forgetting something. You never know when the baby is coming, I would say get necessities now.

I can't stress enough that you need to have the basic stuff ready. I had 2 miscarriages so I was extremely reluctant to have anything ready early for my 3rd pregnancy - but I did agree to the basics - car seat, bassinet, diapers, clothes and bottles in case nursing isn't working - and thank God I did because I ended up having a c-section and my son was sick and in the hospital for 2 weeks. I had absolutely no ability to shop for anything. You can window shop for the rest if you're not having a shower and your husband is really against setting the rest up but it is so nice to have things ready before you get to the exhausted stage. You want to enjoy that precious newborn and not have to waste time shopping! Best of luck to you all, Lacy

I didn't buy anything with my first. My mom threw me a baby shower a month before my due date and I got pretty much everything that was needed. I knew about the shower, so that's why I didn't buy anything...

I don't think there is anything wrong with getting the stuff early. Are you a member of freecycle?

It's a recycling site where people give stuff away, and you can get rid of your old stuff. You can get a lot of good stuff for free. It's a group set up to save the environment by saving all these used items from going into the lanfills. You can save money at the same time if you don't mind getting used stuff. You get the messages sent to your email, if you're interested - reply to that person, set up pick up time and place, and pick up. People give away everything from baby stuff, clothes, shoes, halloween costumes to furniture, appliances and everything in between. There is no limit.
Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/, then search for freecycle, freesources groups in towns in your area. Just type in your town, request to join, wait for approval and have fun.