Any tips for buying new items for the baby of expecting mother? I want to look at buying stuff for the wife and child at an affordable price, but I don't want to buy something that is not safe or to Australian /international standards. My wife is about 11 weeks pregnant. Any tips?
Happy to hear general tips for new expecting parents. We are based in Darwin, Northern Territory so happy to order items online.
Thank you.
Yes
Start searching Facebook Marketplace
This too… unused nappies (kids outgrow), clothes, toys, books, etc.
My sister in law visited from the US and saw some of our kids clothes had rips in them and told my mum. She sent clothes and my mum offered to buy us some.
I told them, my kids play outdoors a large part of the day (hardly any screen time - only Bluey, documentaries, etc.), climb trees, etc. And yes, a lot of our kids clothes are free, which we pass on afterwards, including all the ones that we buy, to be sustainable.
and the curbs!
Especially in OZB. I've seen at least three similar threads in the last six months.
Yes I also recommend it. Great tips given over the years
Finish that Steam backlog ASAP (Also, congratulations!)
And buy a Steam Deck. The instant pause function enables gaming as a parent.
How does that work vs just hitting Esc?
There's some infant things on sale next Wednesday (24/7) at Aldi, might be worth a browse. I would keep an eye on Aldi special buys to see what comes out.
Other than that if your wife is ok with going second hand for some things I would suggest asking friends or relatives if they have anything lying around that they could donate to you.
Thank you for the advice.
Loads of that stuff looks super useful, and I think the 'infrared forehead monitor' is especially useful device, though you can use any infrared thermometer. They then can help you test water temperature or warmed milk temperature as well as person temperature.
Also babies love plasma balls.
Sleep now…
and sleep some more!
Oh GOD, i wish someone had given me that advise.
took over 12 years until I got sleep ins again.
Im at 9 years now, im just so tired….4 more years to go…
Yeah managing sleep is huge.
Don't feel guilty about having naps during the day if you need some more as well.
It got better for us after 1 with our first, we also got some advice from an online sleep consultant that helped massively with sleeping through the night from 1 year on and it was a godsend.
In short we explained our night time routine with putting the little one to sleep, we were rushing in after every little cry and another big one was rubbing her head to sleep.
It worked to get her to sleep but between sleep cycles she would wake up crying because she expected us there.
As soon as we adjusted that it made a massive difference.
Out of curiosity what did you change?
I mentioned it at the bottom of my post, but in our case stop patting baby to sleep and extending out them crying instead of rushing straight in.
this cant be stated enough. sleep sleep sleep when you can. i made the mistake as no one really helped advise me. lack of sleep will wreck you and break partnerships up
I reckon this advice is BS
It's not like you can bank up sleep and store it. If anything this person should go absolutely bananas and stay up as much as possible doing the things they love before it all gets ripped away by the little time burglar.
Congrats, not everyone have this privilege to experience parenthood. The best role ever.
Enjoy every single minute, they grew so fast. Life changing.
Every minute? They do grow so fast, but don't make people feel guilty for not enjoying the hard parts.
The early years are hard work, and the early months can be exhausting. The hard work soon pays off though, and if you train them right and are not unlucky you get ten years of adorable.
Then you get teenagers :-)
If trained right even the teenage years aren't a problem.
…and filled with just as many milestones too.
Yeah, sometimes you may need to ask the partner to hold the fort why you go for a walk alone and then let your partner do the same, or whatever you need to do to unwind.
Never been a runner. Hated it. So boring. That changed the last 6 months. Love the freedom it gives me to get out for an hour or so, chill to a podcast or audiobook and come back mentally refreshed and physically charged. Send the wife out so she can do the same.
Also making it easier to keep up with 2 rambunctious young boys. Wish I had started it sooner, can feel trapped between the 4 walls of home and work. Slow energy drain and poor sleeps can become a vicious circle that makes it seem to hard to start but once you do it gets easier (I started with walking, then walking hills, then to running).
@souljah: My friend refuses to get a dishwasher just so he can do them manually and enjoy 15 minutes of peace.
Somehow people tend to forget the hard parts. They tend to remember only the good stuff, hence the "enjoy every minute, they grow so fast".
When looking back, you always tend to focus only on the positives. Which is not wrong, but not exactly accurate.
im at the teenager part right now. imho no ones prepared for it lol
We're currently pregnant at about 15.5 weeks. The big ticket items we don't really feel comfortable compromising on are the pram and car seat. I know a lot of parents say a 2nd hand pram is fine but it's just a personal preference given it's probably one of the more heavily used items. I've basically signed up to all the newsletters for the brands and Baby Bunting, and also follow the socials. Also keep an eye for TCN discounts like this (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/855285) as the baby gift card works at Baby Bunting. Also not sure if there are baby and pregnancy expos in Darwin but if you're planning a trip to Melb or Syd there's two that rotate around called One Fine Baby and the PBC Expo. Also see if there are some Facebook groups for your local area. Some people give away stuff.
Not an expert as this is our first as well but feel free to reach out if you or the wife want to chat.
Thank you very much, we will be in Melbourne around August to see my wife's family.
Ah I think the expo is in Sept but I came across this - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/darwin-baby-expo-tickets-912…
Oh I also share this with parents who don't know where to start for their shopping list. https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltee50a64aa85c8d90…
I don't think you really need to start buying much a few more months but good to get the research in early imo.
Heavily used? We hardly used the big pram. When they are little, a BabyBjörn style harness is awesome. Backpacks can work too.
And when they are too heavy to carry, a collapsible stroller is convenient.
For newborns, a car capsule is very handy, so baby can move around without being woken. They are a lot of money for a few months, but many people rent them, or get second hard (as hardly used). The convertible seat will last for years, so get that new.
Second this. Hardly used pram. If you’re being economical get second hand or forgo altogether. Harness is definitely the way to go.
Also when buying prams - look for one with bugger wheels. It will be much easier to push on rough terrains, stairs, etc..
I have often exclaimed "bugger" while pushing a pram.
Typo: bigger :)
We're currently pregnant
Congratulations but this term is friggin ridiculous IMHO.
Why should anyone care about your opinion on this?
Yeah it's funny using the new age language is actually to the detriment of women in this case. Muzeeb is right, the man is present for the challenge but he's not actually enduring the biological challenges himself.
If OPs wife got cancer he wouldn't be announcing "we've got cancer" to anyone even though it would be a huge emotional toll on him.
@Assburg: True, good point, except there is always some donkey who says "Who is the father?", when you say my wife is pregnant. This quick statement cancels out those people. Though the current title of "We are expecting" seems better than "We're currently pregnant".
@FabMan: "I share a huge milestone in my personal life with you, and you think it's appropriate to conjure up an image of another man inseminating my partner?"
Queue incredibly awkward silence and just bask in it. These people can go to hell man.
@Assburg: When couples tell me they are trying for a baby I ask “so you’re basically telling me you’re having a lot of unprotected sex?”
We hardly used a pram. Kids don't like it. Used baby carrier most of the time. I regret spending any more than $200 on a pram
We hardly used a baby carrier. Kids don't like it. Used pram most of the time. I regret spending any more than $x (can’t remember) on a baby carrier. :)
I think the tip is, don’t buy everything you think you need or what other people say they used (besides the obvious essentials like a cot and nappies). If and when the need becomes apparent, then buy the item.
Yeah just trying to give a different view. They all different. Just don't waste too much money on anything
@ddilrat: Our kids were happy in both a stroller, carrier, and backpack carrier. Have all come in handy in different situations.
One advantage of second hand prams is being able to sell it again with little to no financial loss of you don't like it or needs change - no amount of in store testing will match real world use and how you little one likes it.
We had a pretty big and heavy pram for our first but ended up hating it and selling. Was just two hard to get in and out of car for my wife. Took up too much room, in an awkward kind of way.
Ended up getting a really light and compact stroller that had big wheels with a bit of width to them - bigger wheels help navigate steps, tree roots, broken foot paths etc. wider wheels help a lot on sand, soft first/gravel and grass (we like to adventure).
It could also lay back really easy if bubs fell asleep.
Second hand might mean affording 2. One super compact and lightweight for adventures and one more for doing shopping etc where you want some storage room underneath etc. just a thought.
We bought a 2nd hand 3 wheels pram/stroller off gumtree, travelled to multiple countries with it, sold it for the same price we paid after using it for 5 years.
Suggest getting a lightweight and compact pram instead of those as big as Bunnings shopping cart otherwise it will be too hard to get in and out of the car and getting around especially in small restaurants.
How much you use a pram is up to the kid, don't be surprised if you stop using it years before you expect to. We stopped when our kids was around 18 months old, wasn't worth the resistance.
Buy a midrange second hand, and spend your savings on fixing up your body, core, back, shoulders - they're going to get a work out when your 16kg toddler wants to be carried heaps because they refuse the pram but their legs aren't developed enough yet
Lol good times, absolutely love giving the piggy backs
Totally agree, everyone says get second hand stuff and for somethings its fine but a pram, lets say its like $1000 (which is expensive), you are going to use the crap out of it. We still use that pram nearly 3 years later for things where the little one can't quite walk around all day (they still get tired pretty quickly). If you think about how much you use it, it isn't a big deal.
11 weeks, youve got a long way to go yet. Slow down, dont run out and buy everything because honestly, most of it you wont use or itll end up redundant (for a variety of reasons).
Things to buy over time:
Honestly, babies are pretty carefree. They poo, eat and sleep. Everything else is our projected nonsense. Mine was in a $20 secondhand carry bassinet on a table beside our bed for 6 months. Pita is now 6' tall and eating me out of house and home! 😐🙄
I think you have already used the tip… /AYOO! (sorry)
We have 2 kids under 5 so I'll try and keep the list simple:
BUY NEW:
* Car Seat - Get a convertible that will do 0-4 years (can be turned from a rear facing to a forward facing seat), don't waste money on a capsule seat. We bought Britax for both, very happy with them.
* Pram - I think 3 wheeler prams are better than 4 wheelers, easier to move around and can go over more terrain as they usually have bigger wheels. Get something that can have a bassinet on top and converted into a pram - we bought a babyjogger.
BUY 2nd HAND
* Cot
* Change Table
^ You will find a myriad of these things on marketplace, throwouts etc. Paint them up if you need to but there is no point in spending big $ on these when you can get pretty much new ones all over the place for next to nothing or free. Just make sure they are not falling apart obviously.
As for clothes, just get whatever is going cheap from kmart or bonds etc. Babies grow quick and you will need to get a bigger size pretty quickly.
The BEST thing to buy no matter what are a bulk pack of cloth nappies, I buy these for all our new parent friends as a gift. They get used everywhere except as nappies (unless you want that sort of thing) https://www.kmart.com.au/product/12-pack-cotton-terry-nappie…?
p.s. Congrats!
why would you buy a pram new instead of second hand. pram should absolutely be in the second hand bucket, easy to get them for a fraction of the new price.
A few reasons:
1) Are you planning on having more that 1 kid, this pram could be used for both like we did.
2) If so, what's the gap between kids likely to be? (new parents won't know this necessarily) We had a 4+ year gap between our two so the prams being used all over again but showing signs of age now.
3) Some prams can be used from age 0 - 3/4 so you'd want something that will last the abuse of 1 kid
Pretty much buy once, buy right.
I agree that there are great second hand prams available but if you have kids you'll know how much they will destroy a pram so you'll end up having to buy another one if you have a second child. Then it begs the question if you are saving money or not.
none of those are reasons to buy an overpriced new pram when barely used ones can be purchased for a fraction of the price.
@gromit: You are spot on, we bought a used Baby Jogger double seat pram in excellent condition for less than a third of the new cost. The benefit was we got a much sturdier pram than all the cheap new prams.
Similarly we picked up a Baby Jogger capsule for less than a third of the new cost. Many people say not to get a capsule but we found it invaluable. Our baby initially didn't like going in the pram's bassinet but loved getting wheeled around in the capsule, plus getting him in and out of the car without waking him was great. Even my wife was sceptical and didn't want one, but now it makes it was the right decision to get one. The only downside is she can't lift him in the capsule, so we now only use it when I go with her.
I agree with @gromit, none of those are relevant reasons to not buy a second hand pram. A brand new pram is a luxury expense for the parents, but is generally functionally the same as a second hand one. A pram isnt designed to split atoms, its designed to push a kid around in.
If you are financially savvy, buying a brand new pram is generally a bad investment. Theres no reason why a good pram from a decent brand will last 3+ kids as long as you (and the previous owner) treat it right.
My wife and I just bought an Uppababy Vista V2 off marketplace for $900 with all the accessories including second rumble seat (planning on many kids, so needed double pram). Would have cost us $2600 brand new with all the accessories and we picked it up for $900. $1700 discount for a few very minor areas of wear and tear.
Why would you buy a car new instead of second hand. Car should absolutely be in the second hand bucket, easy to get them for a fraction of the new price.
Once you start telling people you won't believe the amount of baby stuff people will try to offload on you.. really consider to take it so you can spend money on other things.
Every first time parent wants the brand new, overpriced pram. But a lightly used one you can often pick up for 30% of its original price from marketplace. Similarly a used cot with a brand new mattress is a good option too.
Definitely get a new car seat though.
We also found a nightlight and good blockout curtains made a massive difference. Whilst newborns will sleep in a well lit noisy room, adults not so much.
If the hospital offers the class on how to bath the baby go to it, it looks easier than it is.
Username checks out.
If you feel grossed out by used stuff (understandable, no one wants to throw their own into some other kid's puke) then: take the cot and just buy a new mattress for it, attack the stroller with a good steam cleaner, wash suitable toys in mild caustic soda, etc.
+1 blockout curtain/roller absolutely necessary, even small things will wake baby and start a crying cycle (e.g. car driving past outside)
Every first time parent wants the brand new, overpriced pram
This, I was using cheap ALDI pram for my first born, after awhile "opps it broke buddy, would you like to walk now or just stay home"
Set an alert for the search 'baby' so you don't miss out on any deals
Pro tip. I've picked up my best bargain babies that way.
Have your second baby first. Then you won't be worried about everything.
get a snooo
Become closer to your parents and parents in law, so they can be roped into free babysitting later, and they'll probably spend a bundle on baby stuff. Invite them to dinners, involve them in baby planning, send them prints of sonograms, etc.
Run now, keep running ;)
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/help/customer/display.html?node…
We offer a discount called the Completion Discount on eligible remaining items from your Baby Wishlist that are sold and shipped by Amazon AU. The discount offer is 10% for primary list owners (15% for members of Amazon Prime at the time they redeem their discount). You're eligible for this discount 60 days prior to, and up to 90 days after, your pregnancy due date inputted on your Baby Wishlist. Your Baby Wishlist must be active for at least 14 days to be eligible for the discount.
Most new-parent assistance is oriented toward the lady giving birth and rightly so but the new dads usually get lost. Can't tell if you're male. If you are, look for new dad support networks around you. Don't lose touch with friends just because you have a baby now.
How very progressive of you to not assume that OP, whose wife is having a baby, is not himself a male.
Can’t tell if you’re trying to be funny. OP and wife could be an FF couple using a sperm donor to get pregnant.
That's true. If I said I was having a baby soon and me and my husband wanted cheap baby stuff, we would be using a surrogate or adopting too.
Most first time parents get clucky and want lots of new and fancy stuff. Babies grow up so fast! And they aren't pretty little dolls… they poo and pee and play with their food, puke and drool. So, lots of practical clothes that can be chucked into the wash. I used a baby sling and then a compact fold up stroller… depends on your lifestyle if you think you'll get mileage out of a pram, pretty pricey for short term use. Second time around, I would go second hand all the way. My son loved one of those bouncer chairs. Lots of colourful things to look at and feel. And consider occasional day care / baby mums/dads groups… they love to be with other kids.
Spot on
Take any hand me downs you can get and buy second hand where possible and thoroughly clean.
The main purchase for us was a carseat(Britax). Pram/Stroller, we were given by a friend. Later, we ended up buying a smaller one second hand for $50.
We got all furniture second hand and in great condition. For the cot, we bought a new mattress.
Don't overdo it with large/bulky items. For a stroller, with our first child we carried around a full sized pram/stroller. Second child, we're using a travel pram that fits in the footwell in front of the baby seat.
The terry towel recommendation is a good one. Very convenient having them on hand.
The Snoo did not seem worthwhile but did work well for a friend.
As above. Take all the hand me downs that people throw at you. Don't overspend on useless stuff Baby Bunting has entire departments for. They create a solution for made up problems.
Check out Gumtree/FB as people are always offloading newborn and baby clothes that have prob been worn twice. You can get entire wardrobes for barely anything.
Tip: don't hold out wearing the "good stuff" for the first 3 months. They grow out of 0000-00 reeaaally quickly.
PS Aldi nappies are a fraction of the cost of other brands and are fine.
Unlike another OzBargainer don't believe you have much time when the baby is asleep to watch streaming video services.
Prime might be helpful if you need emergency supply of nappies and baby items.
As per above get as much hand me down freebies as you can. Worst case you can donate it to someone else locally in need.
From 0-1 you are going to get puke on everything and possibly explosive fecal matter. Have one or two sets of gloriously expensive clothes for photos. Rest of the stuff just goes to waste. Look for Kmart clearance items to stock up on stuff you won't get hand me down. Onepass subscription might be helpful. We buy a lot of next size up when they come on clearance.
You might be lucky one with kids that sleep through the night. If not you'll be on 3 - 4 hour cycles of waking up to feed and change nappies.
Reuseable nappies if you are leaning that way. Plenty of it going cheap second hand because not all babies adapt to them (either they leak at the sides or babies get nappy rash)
Given you’re in Darwin. Air con if you don’t already have it. I’m in QLD and having air con in bubs room has been an absolute life saver during bush fires (so we could close up), humid hot summers and right now cold winters.
My favourite thing and best advice for a new parents is to make friends with parents with babies born around the same time. I’m not sure what the parenting group set up is in NT, but any library baby groups, nurse clinic drop ins, sensory play etc are ways to meet other parent in the same phase.
Given you’re in Darwin I’d go for something relatively robust for your general pram. I’m not sure what I your lifestyle is like, but when I was there I walked a lot and the ground isn’t always smooth so maybe a baby jogger brand or similar. Darwin is also a great starting point for international and domestic travel so in that case babyzen yoyo as your travel pram if you can afford it or can get a good price second hand.
I’d stick to all cotton zip suits and swaddles. Just keep and eye out for specials for target and Kmart etc. no need for bonds until they get to crawling age 6months +.
Good gear and set up is great but the most important thing will be your relationship, family and friendships. I would prioritise this.
Some useful websites for your journey:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/
https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo
All the best OP!
My 2 cents:
Great advice here.
Love all these points. I'll add one related to them.
When your venting about challenges, problems, setbacks with raising your kids people will offer advice but it will 'feel' like your being judged or they know better. My wife really struggles with it at times, just hits different when the advice involves your kids. They are just trying to help, remember that and it will be easier.
I recommend watching Breeders on ABC iView. And don't think it's an exaggeration.
But apart from that - congratulations! Hope everything goes well.
When we got our first kid, I struggled to sleep worrying about the kid. I got an abdominal movement sleep device to attach to the nappy and a camera / microphone with a monitor next to my bed so I could check on them any time I felt I needed too. Allowed me to sleep peacefully.
When I would come home from work, I'd sent my wife off to sleep and I'd look after the baby for a bit, she would come back and join us after an hour or two. Kept her sane (ish) and I got bonding time.
This is literally a post asking for advice on parenting, not on being a (profanity) of a human, which you seem to excel at.
@FabMan: Don't mind him, he's probably just a lone person without anyone else making a fun of everything.
You won't need 90% of the stuff friends and the internet say you will. Of the stuff you might actually use, most will be offered to you for free by random friends and relatives, and you can pick up the remainder on the way home from the hospital.
About the only thing you'll genuinely need is a baby seat for the car, which I recommend you rent because you'll only be using it for a few months until the baby outgrows it.
Lots of car seats are birth-4 with extended rear facing. E.g. https://www.kmart.com.au/product/safe-n-sound-safekeeper-ii-…
For $169 for 4 years I think it’s worth buying.
This might sound rude, plz check if they are any tests to identify if baby has Down syndrome or autism. when my wife was pregnant we done Down syndrome test and came negative, but unfortunately my son had autism. Things went upside down there after. I don't want anyone in the same situation.
But apart from them, make sure she is always happy, healthy and FIT till delivery. Cook home food, meditate and listen to good music and finally make sure she has less screen time till delivery.
Again sorry if this suggestion was rude. I'm only making sure baby is healthy.
I really hope you will have a health baby.
All the best.
There's no test for autism and having either autism or Downs isnt a negative.
Test for autism pre delivery also tells me that this parent has done bugger all research on autism and what the disorder really is. FFS.
Tip: use the search function.