Did you discover that you are expecting your new little bundle of joy? Them it’s high time you made up your mind about when to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy. Although pregnancy is an exciting time, it can also be stressful. Even though you are probably anxious to hold your newborn in your arms, you are also possibly beginning to worry about everything you need to buy and do to get ready for their arrival. Unfortunately, your thoughts may have immediately turned to the reality that you will have a tiny baby less than nine months after you learned you were pregnant.
Even though babies fill our lives with so much joy, caring for them requires a full-time job. You may think it would be easy to get ready for the arrival of a tiny baby during the pregnancy period, but even though babies are small, it takes a lot of work to buy stuff and prepare everything before they are born.
When to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy? Well done for planning ahead! There is a lot to purchase and do between now and the time you meet your child. Even though you may not have mentioned your pregnancy to anyone, you don’t want to waste this time by doing nothing.
There seems to be so much stuff to buy, but you’re not sure exactly when would be a good time to start doing so during your pregnancy. The truth is that there isn’t a set time during the pregnancy when you should start buying stuff for your child.
While some parents can’t wait to choose adorable things like baby clothes and nursery furnishings, others would rather wait to start buying stuff for various reasons during the pregnancy period. So, here is a helpful guide on when to start getting ready for a baby in case you’re newly pregnant and trying to decide when to start buying stuff during your pregnancy!
Things to Consider Before Starting to Buy Baby Stuff During the Pregnancy
How Much Free Space Do You Have?
How much space you have in your home is important to consider when buying stuff. Although free-standing bookcases, large dressers, and reclining gliders may sound nice, they probably won’t fit in a tiny room. Yes, babies are small; but their belongings take up a lot of space. Stuff like diapers, clothes, cribs, bassinettes, and changing tables will occupy the majority of one room and more.
Consider how much room you have to store your child’s needs. If you don’t have much space, think about a mini-crib and other clever nursery design ideas to help you create a practical nursery. If you have a separate nursery, make arrangements to keep everything there during the pregnancy.
If not, hold off on making any purchases until you relocate to a more prominent area. Finally, note the room’s dimensions and where you intend to place the furniture. Doing this eliminates the potential to buy pricey items that will only scarcely fit into your space.
Budget
Similar to how limited space is something to think through, considering your budget when starting to buy stuff during your pregnancy is also an important point. Baby stuff is never expensive. Contrary to what some businesses would have you believe, newborns don’t require high-end bouncers, designer clothing, or fancy cribs—making a budget for the newborn forces you to consider what your child requires, preventing you from becoming tempted to buy the hottest trends.
Determine your financial plan in the earlier stages of your pregnancy for newborn stuff and how much you can spend on particular items before you go on a spending binge. Your finances will suffer if you don’t have a budget, so plan for what you need during the earlier stages of your pregnancy and set aside money for longer-term savings goals.
Researching the top budget-friendly brands in the earlier stages of your pregnancy is smart because many companies compete to offer top-notch goods at affordable prices. In addition, try looking for used items on shopping websites, mobile applications to buy and sell, and swap groups if you want to stretch your budget a little.
You should be able to find some reasonably good quality items for a lot less money because babies outgrow their stuff incredibly quickly and frequently do not use them for very long. Additionally, planning ahead for your child’s budget can increase your desire to find special offers and wait for the best offers.
Baby Shower
Are you eagerly awaiting a baby shower from someone you know? If so, wait until after the baby shower to start buying stuff. You might find that you receive most of what you require from friends and family members, depending on how many people participate. So it might make better sense to postpone purchasing stuff even if you don’t intend to host a baby shower.
When word of your pregnancy spreads, you might find yourself with many hand-me-downs from many other parents. You can also create a registry to let people know what baby items you would like to receive at a shower.
The registry serves as a kind of checklist as you go along to help you remember what you still need to buy and what gifts you’ve already received. If your baby surprises you by arriving earlier than expected, plan to have some newborn stuff ready if you want to host your baby shower close to your due date.
Here is a list of some of the most important stuff to buy primarily during your pregnancy
- Diapers
- Hat – a newborn must have a hat since most of the temperature loss happens on their head
- Blankets
- Shampoo and laundry detergent
- Baby wipes – suitable for the sensitive baby skin; scentless wipes should be preferred
- A crib or a bassinet
- Socks and gloves
- The hospital bag for you and your newborn should be ready after the 32nd week of your pregnancy for possible early birth
Pregnancy Trimesters to Buy Different Essentials
The First Trimester of The Pregnancy (0-13 Weeks)
There is a lot to buy and do during the pregnancy before you start shopping, including creating a budget and sorting your house to make room when to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy. Take the first trimester of pregnancy as your time for research! Then, as yo
u move forward, you’ll have a lot of decisions to make and a lot of things waiting to be bought. To celebrate your pregnancy, buy something special like a cute onesie, a stuffed animal, or a parenting book.
It can be so much fun to shop for your child. However, you’ll have plenty of time during your pregnancy before your bundle of joy is born to complete this. What then is possible during the first trimester of the pregnancy? You are the focus of the first trimester of pregnancy.
Ensure your health and wellness during your pregnancy. For many women, it can be a difficult time. You might feel fatigued and experience morning sickness, and your hormones might be out of control. Even though you may feel happy and hopeful, this could also be a time of fear or anxiety. Unfortunately, both are possible in pregnancy!
- You should make a plan and budget for all the things waiting to be bought. It’s a good idea to consider what to buy immediately. Buying toys, clothes, and other necessities can be very expensive. Plan out how much you’ll be spending each month of the pregnancy on it.
- A baby registry can be created at any time during pregnancy. The list you’re making is just for newborn stuff, and you can usually set it to private until you’re ready to share it with family members and friends. Not sure where to start? Add essential clothing items to your registry first.
- Look into all the stuff you’ll need to buy. You will have twice as much stuff around the house in a year, so it is a good idea to think carefully about what you will buy. Different brands are available for everything from toys to strollers and baby wipes. Read buying guides to help you choose what to buy, what to avoid, and how much it will cost. Then, you can choose to purchase high-quality products and save money with the aid of thorough research.
- The first trimester of pregnancy is an ideal time to stock up on long-lasting consumables. To save money, you can choose to buy products whose prices may rise in the coming months of your pregnancy and stock up on them.
The Second Trimester of The Pregnancy (14-26 Weeks)
You have made your plan, and the second trimester of pregnancy is the time to implement your plan.
- You will have much more energy during the second trimester of your pregnancy than in the first trimester. You can use this energy as an opportunity to buy things to set up the nursery in your pregnancy. This will give you more time to assemble and decorate your items. Set up your dresser, crib, or changing table. Include any room upgrades you are sure you want. Choose a crib that best complements the décor after researching the various options that are available online. Order an adorable bookshelf to hold all the future books you’ll be reading to them. Place furniture and a crib order. It will take days or weeks for the furniture to arrive, so ordering it now will save you time. Additionally, you will have plenty of time to assemble the furniture by yourself and take pleasure during your pregnancy.
- The time has come to buy only what is necessary and to think long-term. If you’re planning to have a baby shower during the second trimester of your pregnancy, wait until you’ve received all of the gifts before making a purchase decision. Avoid purchasing all the baby shower supplies you might expect. Essentials like diaper packages, parenting books, stuffed toys, clothes, and feeding bottles are more likely to be given as gifts by your friends.
- Just keep in mind that babies don’t require a fancy room. Choosing a theme and decor can be enjoyable to make the baby’s room unique.
- Although you might discover that you hardly ever use the baby’s room for the first few months if you decide to buy and use a bassinet in your room rather than a crib!
The Third Trimester of The Pregnancy (27-40 Weeks)
The finish line is in sight! It’s time to double-check the baby list and buy everything else you need for your new addition as your baby’s due date draws nearer.
- Babies go through a surprisingly large amount of clothing, diapers, and creams for such tiny beings. Make sure you have plenty of burp cloths and baby bibs available in the nursery. In addition, it is important to buy wipes, diapers, creams, baby lotion, nail clippers, and other necessities for baby care.
- Don’t put off getting a car seat for too long. Be ready to buy your car seat at least 4-6 weeks before the due date of your pregnancy -if your child is born early. You should practice using your car seat in advance and give yourself plenty of time. And you’re not allowed to leave the hospital without one, so it is time to go and buy one!
- You can go through your child’s wardrobe and begin filling in the wardrobe gaps once the baby shower is over. You’ll likely end up with a mountain of newborn clothing and not enough baby clothes in larger sizes if you’re like most expectant parents.
- It’s always a good idea to wash your baby’s clothes, whether they are brand new or barely used, before your child is born. It’s possible that passed-down items were stacked in the attic or basement, where they accumulated dust. Similar to how new clothing might have chemicals that are bad for a baby’s sensitive skin. A baby-safe washing detergent should be used to pre-wash your child’s clothes because babies have delicate skin.
- Are you waiting impatiently for the arrival of your bundle of joy? One clever way to pass the time is to look for great deals on baby items. Watch out for discounts on bouncers, high chairs, playpens, and other things your baby may not require immediately. In this manner, you can hold off until your preferred models go on sale.
- Additionally, this time during your pregnancy is an excellent time to buy items for yourself, such as nursing tops and bras, creams for breastfeeding, breast pumps, and diaper bags.
What Not to Buy Before the Baby is Born
- Avoid stocking up on consumables like lotions or baby formulas. The entire batch is thrown away if your baby cannot tolerate a specific lotion brand. In addition, it is impossible to predict which formula they will be able to handle before they are born.
- Baby shoes are another unnecessary item until you understand what fits the baby well.
- Too many newborn-size baby clothes -your newborn will outgrow them in a couple of weeks.
Conclusion
Knowing when to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy isn’t as simple as you might think. When to begin buying stuff is greatly influenced by various factors, including finances, time, and feelings of caution regarding the pregnancy. You should start taking your pregnancy seriously between 13 and 20 weeks. If you have a baby registry, check to see what baby items have already been purchased before buying them.
In any case, prepare your baby’s necessities between 32 and 36 weeks of your pregnancy. Please take the time to avoid rushing and getting stressed out just before your baby is due, and enjoy the entire pregnancy and baby-related shopping process.
Hopefully, you’ve picked up a few pointers and baselines to help you along the way. First, spread out your purchases over the upcoming months of your pregnancy or hold off and wait for significant sales to occur before deciding on when to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy. The obvious place to start is with necessities like diapers.
If you’d prefer to wait before thinking of when to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy, you can still put some money aside or research these things during your pregnancy. Finally, base your choice on relevant aspects, such as store return policies or a high-risk pregnancy.
After reading my recommendations, you can start putting together your plan to buy stuff. What needs to be purchased sooner during the pregnancy? Which stuff on your to-do list can wait? Once you have a strategy in place, start shopping by visiting some online retailers’ websites or visiting some shops. Before you know it, your new baby will be here. Make sure you are prepared to care for them and ready to welcome them into the world.
In the end, you need to remember that the decision is entirely up to you and depends on what you feel most comfortable with and what you can afford. You’ve got this!
