Frugal List of "Stuff" for Newborns

Babysmurf

Sleepsacks
Don't know what that is, but baby will sleep in babygros and celullar blankets.

sleepsuits
As in babygros? Yes, loads. that's all you need. But the size you need depends on the size of the baby. So I agree with a few packs of 0-3 months bought in advance and see how you go from there. Penneys and Tesco 0-3 months are small. Next and Debenhams and Dunnes are bigger!

Bodysuits (short/long sleeves)
Vests? I always used short sleeved ones.

cardigans
I always used these over babygros. But only at night when baby was sleeping.

Hats
Never used one.

Socks/Booties
Never used one.

Coat (January baby)
Way too fiddly for a newborn. A snowsuit is the handiest for when you need to go out.

Blanket for stroller
Will never go astray.

Blankets for at home
You need cellular ones for sleeping.

Muslin Cloths
A godsend!

Bibs
Also much used in this house, but not so much newborns.

Hooded towels
Waste of money

Crib sheets
Needed. Get some spares for middle of the night accidents!!

Swaddlers?
Not needed


Consumables etc
Babywipes
Different wipes suit different babies. I always bought the pampers sensitive ones when on offer in dunnes. Would try to keep it around a euro a pack.

Nappies
Pampers when on offer work out same price as cheaper brands. The sizes actually overlap by loads, so I would buy a pack of size 1 and a few packs of size 2 beforehand.

Nappy bags
Cheapest you can find!

Formula
There is no way I would buy this in advance. Buy in a few tubs of readymade stuff in the cartons in case you need them. Aptamil is what I always used.

Baby Body wash
I always used Oilatum for newborns. It is pricey but you don't need to use much.

Bottles
Avent all the way

Bottle tops
Teats? You only need the same number as you have bottles.

Cotton pads/swabs
You could do with a pack, but I only ever used them for conjunctivitis, which only one of mine ever got.

Digital thermometer
Braun!

Baby nail clippers
I never used these for newborns.

Vaseline/Sudocreme
I 'stockpiled' a few jars of sudocreme before my first was born and threw them out years later! Hate the stuff, never used it. Vaseline all the way here.

Fever reducer (infant)
Not for months so no need to buy in advance.

Soft brush and comb
Never used either!

Millem

Calm Down Brah wrote: »

With nappies you can get size 2 pampers baby dry for I think 30 pounds on amazon for like 240 nappies. A months supply. And you can have a monthly delivery straight to your door, no delivery charges either. The same for wipes and nappy cream. Much cheaper than supermarkets, if I'm right to buy nappies, cream and wipes (700!!) it would cost 50 a month vs 130 a month in tesco

That's very dear!! If you buy the deal in tesco/dunnes on the essential packs BOGOF €12.99 for 120 nappies so €25.98 for 240 nappies. It is on the week of children's allowance every month (first Tuesday of each month). They used to always have large packs BOGOF
I do buy from amazon too but you need to watch the price, try to pay as close to 10c per nappy as possible. As for wipes every month dunnes dog box of 6 pink j+j baby wipes for €5 which is a good deal if that's the brand you use.
Tbh I didn't get that long in size 2.

Calm Down Brah

Millem wrote: »

That's very dear!! If you buy the deal in tesco/dunnes on the essential packs BOGOF €12.99 for 120 nappies so €25.98 for 240 nappies. It is on the week of children's allowance every month (first Tuesday of each month). They used to always have large packs BOGOF
I do buy from amazon too but you need to watch the price, try to pay as close to 10c per nappy as possible. As for wipes every month dunnes dog box of 6 pink j+j baby wipes for €5 which is a good deal if that's the brand you use.
Tbh I didn't get that long in size 2.

I must have got prices wrong, because it defiantly worked out much cheaper!!

contrary_mary

indigo twist wrote: »

On the other hand, I was worried we'd have no newborn stuff, so my sister - knowing this - bought a pack of newborn babygros from mothercare. He was seven pounds three, and they were huge on him! I'm sure we'd have gotten plenty of wear out of them if they hadn't been nicked when I was still in Holles St. Thankfully my favourite one - the one used for his all-important first photo - wasn't taken, it had already been taken home. Other than this though, only two people brought us newborn sized gifts.

My little lad was only 6lb 12oz and he didn't fit into his newborn babygros - he was too long! He's still light on the weight front but busting out of his babygro sizes in no time. I need to find footless ones (anyone know where does them?). Every baby is different.

I bought the bare minimum before he arrived (superstitious) and I am now very glad of that. Chances are you're not going to be too far from shops and until they arrive you really don't know what you will need/use. I know the instinct is there to be completely ready but I honestly believe you would be better off putting a few quid aside every month and getting things after baby arrives. Things seem to always be on offer somewhere.

Before he arrived I bought the travel system (have walked him every day since we got home), a changing mat, a couple of packs of nappies, a few bags of cotton wool, a pack of vests, 2 packs of babygros, an aptamil "starter kit" just in case (this has little premade bottles and sterile teats)... and I can't really remember what else. Not much! A couple of cellular blankets from guineys. My OH got the cot and set it up while I was in hospital, and I did have to ask my mum to pick up some more babygros while I was in hospital, but after that I've just got things when I needed them. I only started using bibs around 3 months when he started drooling but never used them before that. Someone gave me loads of newborn bibs that have since gone unused to charity. Oh and don't but loads of clothes - you'll be washing every couple of days and will end up using your favourite things all the time. I can't get over the amount of clothes some of my friends have for their babies, most of which are only worn once. I got enough clothes for 6-9 months in presents, I just need to buy a few vests.

So my above re being frugal is to buy as little as possible in advance unless it's an absolute necessity (e.g. buggy) and you see a bargain!

firestarter51

SmokeyEyes wrote: »

The midwives in hospital only recommended one type of wipes and that was water wipes. They're amazing so although they're €2 or €2.99 depending on where and when you get them, they're the best wipes you can use. Apart from that, cotton wool and cool boiled water is perfect for cleaning after wee nappies so keep that in mind too!

There's a baby event coming up in Aldi on the 18th which is great!

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/thursday-18-september/

From that I can recommend the cellular blankets (they have holes so baby can't smother) their muslin cloths, their Tommy Tippee bottles which we bought just before our baby was born at their last baby event and which are brilliant and cheaper than anywhere else, Avent soothers are great, their hooded towels and their Vaseline, Sudo and Aqueous cream are cheaper than anyone else and we still have loads left from when we bought them months ago!Their bodysuits are also a good size and last well and they have a well priced thermometer and baby bag which are two essentials! You don't need any baby bath stuff either really, the midwives didn't recommend anything at the start and now a few months in we're using a baby emollient in the bath with him (he's 2 and a half months)!

I'm just out of hospital and the midwives said the water wipes are not as pure as first thought and causing reactions in some newborns
water with cotton wool is safer to use
Glad I didnt get too many packs

firestarter51

Would be a good idea to merge this thread with the
bargain alerts for parents to be
Thread already started, keep everything together so it's easier to keep track of the bargains

newtoboards

firestarter51 wrote: »

I'm just out of hospital and the midwives said the water wipes are not as pure as first thought and causing reactions in some newborns
water with cotton wool is safer to use
Glad I didnt get too many packs

First congrats! They aren't but they are definitely more pure than the others. They are good for sticky poo so be sure to hold onto them. They are also very good for out and about when water and cotton wool aren't easy to come by. I use them still all the time (even though they are so expensive in comparison to other types) because my son has bad eczema and they are the only ones that don't aggravate it. There will be things that irritate your babys skin and what works for one baby won't work for another so if the baby reacts try another type!