You are pregnant! It is time to celebrate a new life and prepare for upcoming responsibilities. Nearly every first-time-parent couple experiences an initial state of confusion and feels entirely lost. It seems that they have no idea what to put on the list of priorities and what are absolute must-haves for their newborn. Most commonly, parents insist on buying everything they find necessary, and in the end, they use none of it.
So, instead of loading your home with a bunch of baby gear, it is much better to plan your shopping strategy first. Before you even focus on making your baby checklist, you need to know when it is the best time to start shopping and how to decide on the items you will need for your baby. That is why we came up with a list of useful pieces of advice for your most efficient baby shopping.
When Is the Best Time to Start Shopping?
Once you have received news that you are about to be parents, you can start buying stuff for your baby. Normally, some pregnant women wait for a few weeks to pass; this is most commonly the 12-week mark, while other future moms prefer to wait until they are sure about the baby’s gender. If you find out about your pregnancy a bit later, you can ask a doctor to check your baby’s gender and start making a shopping checklist as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if you want to keep the gender secret, then try buying gender-neutral designs that will perfectly fit a baby girl or boy. It doesn’t really matter when you start buying things for your baby. However, you should be all prepared before the due date. So, if your little one comes earlier than expected, you will want to be all prepared and ready for your parenting duties.
Where to Get All of the Things?
Where you will get all of the baby stuff depends on various factors. What you are buying, how much time you have, and how much you want to spend are just some of the things you should consider before setting off on your shopping. If you are counting pennies, instead of buying all the new stuff, you can get some second-hand items that can be a great solution for the stuff you will use for a little while. However, buying new is a much better alternative for products you will use for a longer period of time.
For instance, you will use strollers and prams for quite a long time, and it is of high importance that they are well-designed and aesthetically thought of. Just as the folks at Little Lou Baby suggest, items such as strollers and prams should suit the family’s lifestyle. Besides, some of these items should be brand new due to sanitary and health reasons. To this end, the crib, crib mattress, breast pump, baby carriers, car seats, and some others, should be new.
Think of the Season When Your Baby Will Be Born
When you are surrounded by the cuteness of baby clothes, you will gladly put them all in the cart. Yet, this is not an efficient thing to do, despite all temptation. Initially, you should think of the season when you expect your newborn to arrive. Buying clothes to match this season and age is of the greatest importance. Once you are done with the purchase of all the things you will need for the postpartum period, you can allow yourself to get a couple of pieces for other seasons. Just be careful to estimate the size and how old your baby will be during the upcoming seasons.
Think of the Family’s Future
You might be asking yourself how this is related to shopping. Well, it is. If you plan on having one more baby in the future, you should bear this in mind when buying baby gear. Buying more durable and even more expensive stuff is a good idea. Besides, getting these items you plan to reuse in some more gender-neutral colors will spare you from some future expenses.
What Your Child Will Need Later
Babies are changing fast and growing fast as well. Luckily, tons of products can cover more than one baby size. Beds and car seats are examples of these. This means that you can use these for your newborn child and adjust them as the baby grows. Today, you can find mattresses and strollers that will easily transform into something that will fit your child without problems.
Make a Checklist
One of the best ways to have a productive and efficient shopping trip is by creating a checklist. If it will make you even more organized and ensure you do not miss something, you can split it into a couple of categories. So, you can make a nursery, clothing, bath time, feeding, and write down all of the items you will need there.
Shopping is a great form of stress relief unless you are going shopping for your baby on the way. Then, this shopping can be quite overwhelming. But, worry not. With the previously mentioned pieces of advice, you will make sure that you get everything you need without loading your space with things you will never use.