Baby Arrival: When To Start Buying Baby Stuff?

When to Start Buying Baby Stuff?

Probably, the plight of all the expecting mothers. When exactly are you supposed to start buying baby stuff during pregnancy? This is the one important question on every pregnant mother’s mind.

Shopping for your new baby is often one of the most precious things for soon-to-be mothers. It’s so exciting, joyful, and a warm feeling in the gut. And I understand it, the urge to go out right away and gather all the baby stuff.

But let’s hold up for just a short minute and think through a few things before you pop out of your bed. You need to have a proper shopping budget and plan to go spend all that cash in buying baby stuff before giving birth.

Between superstitions, time pressure, and hand-me-downs, it is difficult to know when it might be the “right/official time” to pick up those diapers in the special offer or the cute baby crib that you saw through a shop window. It’s really a lovely feeling to start buying baby furniture.

Should you wait until the baby shower to buy diapers for babies? Is it bad luck to pick up a few baby items early in pregnancy? Do you wanna stay under a budget while shopping for your newborn? Can you get late at shopping for your baby?

Here are some questions I’ll help you out with so you can decide the perfect time for you to start buying baby stuff for your first baby.

When To Start Buying Baby Stuff?

I think it’s important to cut right to the chase.

When I got a positive pregnancy test during my first baby, I started to buy baby stuff after my first trimester was completed. In simpler words, I started shopping for my baby when I was around 13 weeks pregnant.

Thirteen Weeks Pregnant

According to the old wives tale, Thirteen weeks pregnant is absolutely the right time to start buying baby items because it is typically the most comfortable period of pregnancy time for the majority of pregnant women.

In this period, most of the early pregnancy symptoms disappear along with the risks of miscarriages. Most miscarriages happen during the first few weeks of pregnancy, so 13 weeks can be called a safe time for a pregnancy announcement.

This is also a time when expecting parents start telling family members, friends, and coworkers about their baby arrival announcement.

There is no hard and fast rule about when to buy baby clothes in advance, and by no means are you obliged to start purchasing at the 13-week mark. It simply, according to me, is the most comfortable and joyful time to bloom in all the baby shopping excitement.

Things To Consider When Buying Baby things

You can’t go on a shopping spree without a proper baby budget and baby checklist. Here are some things you must keep in mind when shopping for your little newborn!

Finding Out The Baby’s Gender

If you’re planning on finding out the gender of your baby, then it’s surely better to wait. It’d make sense to hold off on buying gender-specific items until the due date.

You can find out your baby’s gender at the anomaly scan, which generally happens near the 20-week mark. What if you’re having twin girls or twin boys, all products you buy must connect to that!

Baby Shower

In case you’re going to have baby showers, it’s better to see what you get. This would prevent you from buying some of the big-ticket items from your amazon baby registry.

Stock Pile

Start shopping for babies’ necessities, such as wipes, creams, nappies, and shampoos. This would also soothe the nesting feeling that expecting mothers get. Other than that, your house won’t be overrun with buying baby clothes and nursery furniture.

Is there anything you should buy in the first trimester?

In the first trimester, you mostly buy things for yourself rather than your newborn. So yes, there are a handful of things that you must buy when you find out about your pregnancy.

Pregnancy journal
Prenatal vitamins
Morning sickness relief
Bump milestone stickers
Maternity Clothes

Is It BAD luck To Start Buying Baby Stuff Early?

Another question other parents get stuck on is if it’s bad luck to start buying baby clothes too early? But let me be honest, buying things early is in no medical way gonna harm your newborn! In the real world, it’s not gonna affect your baby’s health in any way.

Although, if you feel like it’s bad luck to buy baby clothes early, then you should not. That’s the best advice. If you’re, in any sort of way, not comfortable in doing that or have second thoughts about it, then drop it. Do not stress about it, it’s supposed to be a beautiful thing.

On a personal note, I had a difficult pregnancy time. I developed a cyst near my womb which involved a lot of pain to deal with. In this pain, I didn’t get the time to think about when to start shopping for newborns. So I did it when I felt like it.

My point is that you could be really eager to start dropping your cash for diapers or you could be like me, stuck somewhere you didn’t expect, so go with your gut and start with baby gear shopping when it feels right. I think the second trimester is the perfect time to start buying baby gear.

When to buy baby things while pregnant?

What is the perfect time to buy each baby item category when you’re pregnant? When will you need specific things during your newborn journey?

Diapers

You can wait until the shower before you start buying diapers. When thinking of items to gift on a baby shower, the first idea that comes across every individual’s mind – buying diapers and disposable diapers.

If you’re not having a baby shower, then anytime in the 20 weeks to 30 weeks range is a good time to purchase diapers. But keep in mind, you don’t want to go rogue purchasing diapers. You should get:

(1) case of baby wipes
one case of newborn diapers
(1) case of size 1 diapers

You never know which brand would your child be comfortable with, so stocking them up could result in a waste of time and money.

In addition to that, you know how much space diapers need to store! You need a lot of space to store diapers in bulk because a baby needs a bucket of diapers every day.

Baby Furniture

The best time to do the baby nursery decor is when you find out the gender of your baby. If you’re not doing the analogy, then buying nursery furniture any time around the second trimester is a good deal. Try to decor your nursery theme like a pro!

This will give you a great amount of time to prepare, design, and complete the setup before your baby arrives. Having the nursery ready before the newborn arrives is a really important task. I know you can’t wait till the third trimester.

Start Buying Baby Clothes

Personally, I’m not an advocate for purchasing a lot of baby clothes. There’s a huge chance you’ll get a lot of baby clothes as gifts. Other than that, clothes are great items that you can buy second-hand.

I suggest you purchase from online stores; one outfit in each size through 12 months. This way you have many newborn clothes that are too cute for your child.

Tips for Buying Baby Stuff Early

Here are a couple of tips that you must keep in mind while buying newborn stuff.

a. Do a safety check on second-hand baby gear.

Hand-me-downs are no doubt a great way for newbie moms to save money. But make sure you do a quick check before you accept any donated items.

You can search for new baby stuff on the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

b. Choose easy-on, easy-off outfits.

It’s rare that your kid would cry for designer suits just yet—which is why you should always opt for outfits that are easy to wear and remove. Look for one-piece outfits that can be worn in zipping and removed in a snap.

These easy-on, easy-off outfits will save you from the frustration of time + energy consumption when you’re sleep-deprived or in a rush.

Also, make sure you do not overstock these cute fluffy onesies, chances are you’ll get these at your baby shower anyway. Still, it is good to add onesies to your baby registry!

c. Do not fall for newborn-size clothes

You can’t stop yourself from wanting to buy baby gear like cool woolens and tiny clothes? If saving money is a deal, you should buy the six-month size instead of the three-month one.

You can always fit it at a tailor shop according to your baby size, and then remove the stitches as your baby grows old.

Many babies grow in a half-year-old outfit before they even are 6 months old. While too big clothing can be rolled up to fit your little fashion influencer, a too-tight outfit always equals a fussy baby.

d. Start Off with one stroller.

A lightweight, comfy universal stroller that lets you snap it in your car seats. An infant car seat is your best bet when it comes to those first outings with the newborn.

This car seat stroller is usually very cheap, stays with you for a couple of months, and gives you enough time to check out other stroller options, as you walk by a baby shop or stroll through a mall.

Maybe you pick an easy-to-stash umbrella stroller for errand runs or a jogging stroller for runs in the park.

If you’re a working dad (or home mom), you might pick a lightweight stroller with a lot of space underneath. In any case, you should start with a cheap but good lightweight stroller.

Check this out on Amazon!

e. Breast Pump

It is not a must-buy product before the baby arrives, but many parents include a breast pump in their baby registry checklist. In case you do too, Spectra S1 is the best one. But you can wait till the third trimester.

e. Baby Carrier – A Must Item for baby registry

Maybe you don’t think you’ll be doing any walking with your baby right now unless he’s in a stroller. But trust me, you’ll want to go on walks with your baby at times you’re shopping. You will not want to carry a stroller all day or at times when the baby is too fussy and need fresh air.

You can ask around to find the best model or price for you, but know that a front carrier with hands-free freedom for the baby is absolutely amazing.

f. Do not underestimate the kindness of others.

No matter when you’re buying, what you’re buying, keep in mind that people will also be buying you gifts. So do not buy too many items or overstock on specific things.

7. What should you not buy – especially before your newborn?

There are a couple of things in the baby registry or pregnancy planner essentials list that isn’t actually essential. Trust me, there is some baby stuff that you shouldn’t purchase AT ALL for a few reasons.

Let me be clear, these baby items aren’t useful in my personal opinion, I’m in no way strict advising you to stay away from these products.

Baby Formula: Babies react differently to formulas, so this is something that you might want to wait for until the baby is born.
Newborn baby shoes: A big NO. Your baby won’t allow you to put shoes on its feet at this age because it is uncomfortable. You would chase around cute shoes in the shops just to find out later you wasted money. Socks are 100% fine.
Crib Bumpers: Bumper pads should never be used in infant cribs according to new guidelines released by the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the AAP, there is no evidence that crib bumpers protect against injury, but they do carry a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment.

8. When is it too late to start buying baby gear?

Besides the 13-week mark as the earliest time to buy baby stuff, when can it be too late to shop for a baby? At the latest, think about your baby registry or your pregnancy planner on what to buy for your baby by the 20-week mark.

This is why any time after the 32-week mark can be called “too late” to shop for baby gear. If you are able to get just the things you really need for your newborn by the 32-week mark, you’ll be in a good shape.

Mathematically, if you start buying baby stuff by 20 weeks, it would give you additional 3 months to get ready for your kid. Do not get any late than this.

Bottom Line

I hope now you have got helpful tips from the entire post on when to start shopping, if is it bad luck to buy baby stuff early pregnancy, and what items you have enough time for.

Although, if your urge to start buying baby items is too strong, don’t feel horrible about that. It’s completely normal to feel the need to buy certain things out of tension or excitement. You can also add your favorite items to your baby registry.

It mostly happens because your mind and body go through a ton of emotions with your baby on its way. If you end up buying too much, you can always gift those unused items to your pregnant friend’s baby shower.

Expecting a baby is certainly a time to be happy and excited, do not stress too much about when to start buying baby stuff. Everything is going to be alright. If you’re thinking about a baby shower then you must get a lot of baby gear!

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Baby Arrival: When To Start Buying Baby Stuff?