Baby Haul/To Buy List

Hey everyone,

Today is another Mumma To Be Diaries entry. Talking all things lists, hauls and my tips on feeling prepared and organised throughout pregnancy.

If you know me well, you know how much i love a good list. I make at least one every day and make multiples of the same one sometimes to help my mind seem clearer about a certain situation. Whether its finances, food, make up, or baby related, you can guarantee there is a list for it!

When I first found out I was pregnant, It was hard to not want to buy everything at once and I found myself getting paranoid that I wasn't going to get everything in time. I made myself a time frame and decided I wasn't going to purchase anything baby related until my 20 Weeks Scan. I did some research, as discussed in my first trimester blog post (linked in case you've not read it), decided to buy a book, some vitamins and a pregnancy pillow and that was it up until 20 weeks. We were lucky enough to have things gifted to us when we started telling people we were expecting and i decided from then on to make a list and section it out.

How I made my lists

Everyone is different when it comes to what is classed as essentials so I read different blog posts, watched different YouTube videos and looked on Pinterest for inspiration on what was vital for different sections of having a baby. Separating them into categories such as feeding, bathing and sleeping etc. I listed items I believed I would need for when my little bubba is here. I then split all the items into the remaining months of my pregnancy so I was spreading out the costs and not just buying everything at once. Obviously, some items we're more important than others and i knew once i started ticking them off monthly that i would start feeling so much better. Of course though, I love a good bargain and I would make sure to keep an eye out on prices and some months would switch up the items if there was a good deal on etc.

Amazon Registry

Another great way to plan and create a list is through Amazon. If you use Amazon regularly, you can buy so many different things on there and there is actually a button where you can 'add to baby wish list' on all products. This means you can browse through, add to your list, keep an eye on the price/if there is any discounts applied and then go back to it every month and purchase through your list. The Baby Wish List can also be accessed by other people as they provide you with a link to share to friends and family. This is a good idea for those people who ask you what you need when buying for your baby showers it makes it super easy to show them what you're planning on buying and they can also shop directly through the list but Amazon wont tell you who's bought it so it is still a surprise at your baby shower! It also means people are buying you what you want/need and could stop multiples of items being bought as I've heard people say that this seems to happen a lot.

What I've bought so far

I am currently nearly 28 Weeks pregnant and I would say I feel pretty prepared. We have been very lucky to have been given a lot of items from family/friends whom no longer needed them. For example our Next to Me Crib and Moses Basket was given to us from my little sister who had a little boy last year. I will just be buying new a mattress for both and it will look as good as new! Clothes is another thing we've been given a lot of, especially in sizes 0-3 Months! We are basically sorted and done for those sizes now!

We also did a lot of research on baby baths and ended up going for the Angel Care Bath Support as there was loads of great reviews on this and got it on sale in Tescos. I bought the Aveeno Bath/Hair Care and the Tommee Tippee Care Kit after researching the best options for these products and getting the best price at the time.

I had also heard a lot about the Snuz Cloud as a lot of mummy's were raving about the white noise sleeping aids and saying they were a life saver and alongside that have a couple of sleeping bags for him in the crib (again after research advising a baby should have nothing in the crib at all whilst they sleep so a sleeping bag keeps them warm). If you want to know more about this go to https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/.

As me and Zac go on a lot of walks, we knew a baby carrier would be very beneficial to us and we have the Baby Bjorn Move which will be perfect for us to carry him round in whilst we take the doggies out. Again this was something I did a lot of research on as they can be very expensive and I wanted to make sure I got the right one for us.

Below is a picture of the random its and bats I have bought so far.

What else I need to buy

The main thing on our list at the moment is a travel system. We held off buying one online due to the lockdown and the shops being closed so we couldn't look at them in person. And hoped that by July the shops would be open. Hopefully that is correct and we get to see them in person before we buy! I've got my eye on the brand Ickle Bubba as i have seen a lot of recommendations for different travel systems by them. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know!

We also need to get a mattress for the crib and Moses basket along with some sheets!

Then other than small bits and bats such as blankets, a thermometer and a play gym/mat, I just need to figure out what i need in terms of feeding. So far I have a Starter Bottle Kit from Nuby which Zac's mum bought us but I am planning on Beast Feeding. I understand things can go wrong so I would rather be prepared but I will also want to express too so I need to get a breast pump, steralizer and more bottles!

As for nappies and wipes, I am going to start picking them up on my weekly food shops as from this week. I also need to get a list in place for our hospital bags which i will do a whole separate post on.

I hope this has been some help for you guys and if you have any advice on others things i may have missed out please let me know!

Next up on my post will be Maternity Clothes Haul and my Second Trimester round-up as I am officially in my third and final trimester! Scary times.

Hope you're all keeping safe and well.

Until next time,

Chloe xx