What to stock up on?
As you guys know, I’m kind of a shopping fanatic. Even though I love to shop more than [almost] anything, I’m also a super savvy shopper and rarely pay full price, whether it’s through a sale, online deal or coupon. I’ve been doing the same thing with baby stuff.
For example, our baby bedding (which is originally $500. $500 for baby bedding!) I snagged online for $170 with free shipping. Ballertastic.
We’re also trying to break up our big purchases by the month, so that our checking account doesn’t notice a difference from stocking up on baby stuff.
Next weekend, we’re ordering our stroller (Orbit) because through a deal with with website, if you order the travel set before September 5 you get the bassinet ($280!) for free.
The next big purchases will be the furniture for the nursery (crib, changing table, glider).
My mom said that I’m not going to have anything left to register for, but we really want to register for the necessities (bottles, organic baby hygiene items, whatever diapers we decide to go with, breast pump, nursery essentials) and are stocking up with the investment purchases and smaller things we wont register for (like clothes, because from what I hear, people will give baby clothes as gifts anyway, because they’re so cute). In the meantime. I’ve been hitting up Babysteals and Zulily for their daily deals, and also picking up stuff that I’ll need, that I feel weird registering for. Namely: nursing supplies, tanks, and bras.
I picked up this nursing tank via Babysteals:
and while it looks horrendous on me right now (I got a size up), I’m sure it will be perfect for around the house when little nugette is here.
The things I really need help with is picking out other tanks, bras and nursing supplies. I have no idea what the *good* brands are, and all of the nursing bras I’ve seen are less than attractive.
I think from now on, I’ll probably only buy nursing bras since my size has gone up (my band size has stayed the same but my cups spilleth over) and I don’t want to keep investing in expensive ones that I won’t be able to use later and that break and stab me with underwire.
Any recommendations?
I’ll be registering for many of the items you suggested *here* and *here* but are there other things we might want to stock up on in advance?
LOVE Babysteals and Zulily- anything I should be lurking for deals?
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I recently picked up the Madela sleep bra – online it was reviewed REALLY well for when you are sleeping and every new mom I know has recommended wearing a bra of some kind of bed. I totally agree with you though – nursing bras are so not cute 🙁
I didn’t buy as much baby clothes until this week (my baby showers are complete as of now). What the hubs and I did was register for everything, including big stuff, but transferred extra money each pay check to an account for ‘baby stuff’. Then, last weekend after my last baby shower, we did babypalooza … an all day shopping spree for the left-over stuff. Yes, we spent a lot at once, but we had budgeted for it for months so we had all the money set aside. It was so much fun too! 🙂
that’s a great idea! we have a “baby account” set up for whatever we might need later
Only get one or two nursing bras now. I had 2 when Aaron was born, then bought 2 more when he was 3 weeks old. They are all absolutely huge on me, both in band and cup size. I love, love, love the Glamourmom tanks, especially the longer ones. I have several and I wear them almost everyday. I got the first one when he was about 2 months, and still wear them (he is 10 months). Can’t recommend them enough. It’s hard to find them on sale, but their website does have an “outlet” page.
Check out Giggle (http://www.giggle.com/) for some daily deals
Also, Bravado nursing pads. I’ve tried every washable one out there and these are the best!
The Target brand nursing bra is surprisingly good. I used those and my nursing boobs were DD, so I feel it’s safe to say they were supportive. Also, they come in a bunch of colors.
I say if you want to stock up, hit the clearance rack now for some 18 month size stuff for next summer. 🙂
Oh, Zulily is so addicting!
I’m due in 2 weeks and we’ve stocked up on diapers and white onesies (basics) and we have all our essentials (car seat, scrib, swing, stroller, breast pump, etc).
I’m trying not to buy too many bras or tanks because they say your size can change again pretty quickly when your milk comes in. Also, I’ve been advised not to buy clothes too far ahead of time (like outfits for Easter or next summer) because you don’t know how quickly your baby will grow and I’ve had a friend or two waste a whole lot of money of clothes that there baby was never able to wear.
Good for you getting all those great deals!
white onesies, long and short sleeve! you can never have enough! We put them under a lot of outfits to keep the twins warmer since they get chilly really easily. but other clothes i think just buy them as you need them. we already have some summery 6 month clothes people bought us that they’ll prob never wear
my fav nursing tanks are actually all from target. They’re cheap and comfortable. I have like 5 of them because I wear them to sleep in. Their nursing bras are awful though. I have this one from Motherhood…it’s actually really comfortable! Very full coverage though, but that’s nice when you’re nursing, I promise http://www.motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=976090361&MasterCategory_Id=MC29
I’d get a few cute nursing tops to to wear out. But I live in tanks and shorts at home haha and nursing pads! the nuk ones don’t ever show leaking, atleast not with my experience with them.
my favorite were from target, too. and cheap enough to get a bunch of different colors.
my favorite sleeping/nursing bra was from majama.
I by no means am ready to have a baby, but I love vicariously <– hope I spelt that right, living through your pregnancy posts! I swear that you are going to be the best mama ever! (other then my own of course 😉 )
I only bought 2 nursing bras and a nursing tank, I am glad I did that because I actually had to exchange them yesterday when my milk came in. If you are able to try different brands then I would go try them on and see what feels best. I have the Gillian O’Malley (?) Ones from Target and love them. Size wise for baby clothes or diapers spread them out. Hadley ended up being 2.5 lbs bigger than my other daughter and will not use all the newborn ones we bought or were gifted. Luckily Target let me just return/exchange some and put the difference on a gift card for me.
We did the same thing with spacing out buying the bigger stuff. Do you use ebates.com? (Cash back site) If not check it out, you get a certain % back for stores. I used it to buy a lot of stuff. I just got my $85.00 check last week.
I have 6 day old mommy brain, hope this made sense. 🙂
Ok, they are not cute, but the Bravado original nursing bras are great for the first few weeks while you’re learning to breastfeed. They’re comfortable, super easy access and supportive in case the girls go a little crazy when your milk comes in, then once things settle down and you have a better idea of your size, go for the cute ones. Good luck.
These are the ones I have too. I got them from Target. Kind of hideous, but wicked comfortable and cheap enough that I won’t mind if they don’t fit when my milk comes in.
Signed,
the other Sabrina
Don’t buy nursing bras – I never found nursing bras that could touch the quality of a really good regular bra. And if there is ever a time in your life when you want the BEST bras, it is when you’re preggo and nursing.
I liked the Chantelle bras that I found at Nordstrom. . . when I get pregnant I gain 3-4 cup sizes! I had myself measured this last time, and when she told me my size I laughed out loud – I didn’t even know they made this size! So I bought these beautiful (but heavy duty) bras, and then I bought nursing clips from an online sewing supply store and sewed them (plus a support band) in. You could take them to a seamstress if you don’t sew. Best money I ever spent! When you’re wearing a bra around the clock you do not want some chintzy overpriced thing from a maternity store.
The other thing I would stock up on are really cute bibs in larger sizes. The baby food era is not that far away, and I never seem to have enough bibs. I don’t know what happens to them, but I can never find one and when I do it is the ugly one at the bottom of the drawer. Have fun shopping!
I am no where near pregnant & I LOVED reading Joanna Goddard’s registry list of A Cup Of Jo. She really has great style:
http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/08/motherhood-mondays-what-to-register-for.html
Happy Shopping/Registering 🙂
xoxo Em
Oh, I forgot – get kimono-style onesies for the small sizes (newborn – 6 mos). There is nothing worse than wrangling a onesie over your newborn’s head. I remember thinking that in getting her dressed I would somehow break my daughter for sure!
Glamourmom’s were the absolute best I had – and they come in a variety of colors, sizes and lengths. I also thought they looked the most like regular tanks.
I agree that Glamourmom’s nursing tanks are the best. I tried ones from Bravado and Target but Glamourmom is by far my favorite. I just ordered a few more when I had my second child last month because I got so much use out of them the first time. If you expect to be pumping often, it may be worth it to consider a pumping bra. I bought one made by pumpease. You can find directions online to convert a sports bra into a pumping bra, but I thought the pumping bra was so easy to use and worth the extra money since it didn’t have to slip over your head.
I got so overwhelmed with the selection (and prices!) when looking for nursing bras & tanks that when my little guy was a month early I still hadn’t gotten any! I have a ton of the Express shelf bra cami’s and they worked perfectly – just the right amount of stretch so they fit even though they weren’t maternity, and I just pull it down to nurse. Plus, since they weren’t brand new or super expensive, I don’t mind when I leak every now and then.
Joanna from A Cup of Jo did a post on what to wear as a nursing mother, including sexy nursing bras. http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2010/10/10-things-to-wear-as-nursing-mother.html
awesome- thank you!!
I picked up the baby steals tank too, totally agree doesn’t look so great quite yet:= Hopefully we will be rockin’ it later though:)
I heard Bravado brand nursing bras were good too, i plan on checking those out!
I used to buy my nursing bras at Walmart! They are so cheap there, and because they are going to get stained anyway, why pay a fortune?!
I don’t know if you are having a baby-shower or plan to but here is a great idea to think about. 🙂
So one thing you are going to want for you little one is books, right? This is not something you want to buy a ton of because believe it or not you would be blown away by how much a children’s book can cost now-a-days. My sister-in-law and I threw a babyshower for my sister and she asked us to make a little statement on the invite for all of the guests to bring a book and with their name and a message for the little one. It was such a great idea! She seriously stocked up and now has a little library going on. The best part? She didn’t put a dime towards any of them. Baller! You can find great poems/rhymes online to include on the invite. I don’t remember the exact one we used but they are all over the net! 🙂
may have to copy that idea 🙂
My cousin is doing that too! Such a cute idea!
i work at in education so everyone who invites me to a baby shower or kid’s birthday party gets a story book from me!
As a lactation educator, I can say 100% that Bravado brand bras and nursing tanks are amazing. They were all I ever wore. For the almost year of pregnancy and then 3 yrs afterward that I nursed 🙂 4 years, lived in those puppies!
You want “The Original Nursing Bra” and you want to consider the “plus” or “double plus” sizing. Trust me, you don’t think you need it now, but you may.
You can try this stuff on at your local hospital which more than likely has a nursing boutique/store there. That’s way better than buying online.
And there are brands of nursing bras and tanks I wouldnt touch with a 10 foot pole but i dont want to brand bash publicly 🙂
Medela for pumps, all the way.
And Motherlove makes an amazing nipple salve and diaper rash salve and ‘roid balm. You could use one product for all 3 needs. All natural, amazing.
Stroller: BOB Ironman with the stationary not swivel front wheel. I have put over 1000 miles on it and it rocks. Like a Vitamix in terms of pricing but you will have that thing…forever! And it can handle the AZ or CA terrain whereas other strollers can’t even handle small rocks 🙂
I second this! I LIVED (and still 6 months later wear a lot) in the Bravado nursing tanks!! And the original nursing bras too. Bravado stuff is not cheap but a completely worthwhile investment, our boobs will thank you.
When I was in the hospital a day or 2 after having my son I had on a nursing tank from Target.. and boy did my Dr let me have it for not wearing something more supportive.
Medela Pump in Style is a really good pump. Kinda pricey, but it was nice to have.
Bras/tanks–your size can change a lot, even from now until the end of your pregnancy, after your milk comes in, etc. I know you want to stock up, but it is hard to know your size ahead of time. Maybe get a couple of nursing tanks for sleeping/lounging around the first couple of intense weeks and then head out to the store to look for things that will be a good fit for your new bewbs. 🙂
Ok I’ve never had a baby so don’t have heaps of advice to offer here, but I’m a massive fan of Elle Macpheron bras and she does some gorgeous maternity/nursing bras. You can check some of them out here http://www.asos.com/search/elle-macpherson?hrd=1&q=elle+macpherson&SearchSuggestUsed=true#parentID=-1&pge=0&pgeSize=20&sort=-1 – (you gotta scroll through to get the maternity ones) this site offers free shipping and returns too!
I used nursing tanks for a year straight. Got em from Target, put my pad directly in the tank, and that was all she wrote. I could wear a cute shirt over, and had enough support and shape that I didn’t need a bra.
The medela breast pump is amazing, but I had problems with the storage bags. They cost about 20 bucks for 50 five ounce bags and then most of the bags leaked when I thawed the milk. That was super frustrating! I didn’t have that problem with the lansinoh bags. They worked great and cost half as much.
What came in handy right away were the soothing gel nursing pads. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable having your milk come in can be. Especially until you get the hang of nursing. We had latch issues in the beginning, but it all worked out fine. Tip: Store them in the fridge. 🙂
Ok, as the mother of 2, let me give you some advice. Buy EVERYTHING you can at consignment sales! I don’t know if they are very big where you live, but they are HUGE here in Memphis. I remember being sick at my stomach when I saw all the amazing barely used stuff at these sales that we had spent SO much money on, for about 1/4 of the price or less. I only WISH someone had clued me in. Bouncy seats, exersaucers, cribs, changing pads, clothes, you name it, it is there and it is cheap!!!!!
medela pump and lansinoh bags. I can show you how to rig them to be hands-free like the (sucky) medela bags are.
my nursing bras are from target and motherhood and are all pretty ugly. I only wear 2, and mostly only 1. DON’T buy more than one until your milk comes in, because you have no idea what size you’ll need. I went from a to b while pregnant, and b to d while nursing! I wouldn’t have guessed to buy this size so smaller bras would have been a waste of $ (and if unlike me you are buying NICE nursing bras, they are $$$!).
It sounds to me like you have got this whole baby thing on lock down! Amazing
I had a Medela bra for nighttime and it was the best – so comfy! I also invested in three of these nursing tanks:
http://me.factoryoutletstore.com/details/23689-36877/medela-67571.html
I had two black and one pink. They’re really cute and fit nice and snug, just like an express cami. The hospital we delivered at had a little nursing store where you could buy that kind of stuff and the nurses worked there. They were super nice and helped with sizing and everything 🙂
Bahaha! The stroller has a “Paparazzi” shield! Ok ok it’s to shield the behbeh from the sun but still, bahahaha! As for where to buy things, Target has an incredible baby department (no kids for me but I babysit and spoil my friends kids rotten there). Zulily and Ebay are also great places to get deeply discounted baby/mom/dad stuff.
Bravado makes AWESOME nursing tanks — good score!!
As for stocking up – I was seriously wait and just pick a few cheapie bras from Target. You don’t know what size you are going to be once your milk comes in (I was a 38C when pregnant — and a 36DD after — and it’s different for everyone!). And speaking of milk coming in – consider buying some cabbage – just in case! It was a lifesaver for me.
I do recommend Breakout Bras — free shipping, awesome customer service, and repeat customer discounts! http://www.breakoutbras.com
And lastly – don’t forget that you CAN and WILL (and should!) leave the house. If you don’t have everything (and you won’t!), it’s not the end of the world. There is nothing you need THAT badly that you can’t pick up or send someone out for. I think we tend to forget that when we are preparing everything. Having a baby is not liked being imprisoned. PROMISE!
I LOVE that you’re now calling her the Little Nugette! Too cute!
I am not a mama and have very little knowledge on this stuff. However was visiting my sister in-commonlaw last weekend and I think she had one of those nursing tanks and loved it, she layered it under loose-fitting tunic type tops that she could easily move to one side.
She also had this cute and hilariously-named nursing cape thingy called the Hooter Hider. It came in handy when we took the baby out to dinner with us!
Definitely get an extra Boppy cover. It will inevitably get poop or spit up on it (and if you’re anything like me, I used the Boppy ALL the time) and it’s nice to have an extra cover handy.
Check out Zutano- they make the best booties and they were the only ones the Jack wasn’t able to kick them off.
We used an Arm’s Reach co-sleeper for the first couple weeks and it was great- it made the early weeks of nighttime feedings easy and accessible.
And stock up on prenatal vitamins- you’ll need to continue taking them while you’re breastfeeding!
Personally I LOVE Medela’s nursing bras. They worked while preggo & while nursing. And while we’re on nursing, I LOVE my Medela Freestyle. Best investment ever!
My FAV tank is the Under Cover Mama (usually can catch on babysteals). I love it because it’s not an annoying tank you wear over a bra, you wear it with your bra, any nursing bra. I can’t rave enough about them. http://undercovermama.com/
One thing you won’t need to worry about purchasing…baby hygiene products. I received sooooo many that even after two kids I still had to give some bottles of body wash, shampoo and lotion away.
One thing you want to do, once you decide your diaper route, should you go disposables it stock up on the larger sizes. Most people gift newborn sized diapers and then forget that the baby outgrows newborn size rather quickly.
If you do go the cloth route, I have a friend who purchased a sprayer that attaches to the toilet water line so that you can spray the soiled diaper off over the toilet and flush it…pretty awesome idea. http://www.pottypail.com/learn.php
Good luck…there’s so much fun in store for you. 🙂
Another fun website with daily deals that will be right up your alley is Eco Baby Buys. They often have cloth diapers, awesome baby food containers, etc. https://www.ecobabybuys.com/index.php/.
I too second the consignment stores comment and completely agree with your decision to purchase the big items on a monthly basis. My husband and I did the same thing last year (our daughter arrived in January 2011) and that we were almost guaranteed to receive all the necessities on our registry like you listed above.
Also, I have been meaning to contact you about the hypnobabies series to prepare for birth. I was like you and read lots of midwifery books to prepare myself mentally for the marathon that labor and delivery is. I am so proud that I was able to labor at home for the majority and then head into the hospital for a non-medicated birth. The hypnobabies ‘Come Out Baby’ mp3 file was extremely helpful for me during the last month of my pregnancy. http://hypnobabies.com/mylink.php?id=4058.
One last thing, about the cloth diapers. We used a diaper service in the beginning, once her umbilical cord fell off to make sure that we were committed to cloth before making the plunge and buying everything. We love it. So much easier than disposals and they don’t smell as badly and they actually do a better job of ‘collecting the goods’ than disposals in our opinion. We travel weekends away a lot and in the beginning we took disposals with us and hated them (she ruined a few onesies and never did that with cloth). In fact, my husband, raves about cloth diapering and how much he prefers then over disposals and that is probably one of the last statements that most people would ever think to come out of his mouth. Just another option for you.
Good luck with everything, you are doing an excellent job! (P.S. Sorry that turned out to be such a LONG comment – haha, guess I had a lot to say!)
xoxo
I’m sure you’re stocking up on baby blogs…I read them all even though I don’t have babies! I love Dear Baby Blog, YHL, and Cup of Jo! — Joanna Goddard is really good at reviewing products and things that she used. Here are some good links from her blog
http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2010/10/10-things-to-wear-as-nursing-mother.html
http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/08/motherhood-mondays-what-to-register-for.html
My partner and I, although we’re not trying for a baby yet we hope to fairly soon and we’ve already said that everytime we go to the supermarket for our weekly shop, we’re going to buy a pack of disposable nappies (if we choose to use them) and baby wipes and talc and baby shampoo etc so by the time baby comes, we’ll have a big stockpile of all the things we’re expecting to use a lot of, and it will only cost a couple of £ more on our shopping bill each week.
http://www.babyhalfoff.com and http://www.mamabargains.com are 2 more “deal” sites.
Stock up on diapers before she’s here if you end up deciding to use disposibles. We did, and at 5 months, I still haven’t had to buy a SINGLE pack of diapers for Gabe.
I also recommend going to a specialty lingerie store to get fitted by the professionals AFTER your milk comes in. I did this, and bought some… ahem… rather LARGE… nursing bras from them (Who knew your D/DD boobs could go all the way to an H while breastfeeding? Not me!)
My advice is to purchase 2 nursing bras from target. You can get them for @ 10.00. Once the baby is here, you can get more as needed. In preparation for the birth of my baby girl in December of 2010, I bought all the nursing supplies and discovered I didn’t need any of them. There will be time to purchase this stuff. The pilot can always run out and get anything you need. I never needed nursing pads, shields, cream, etc. and have been successfully nursing for 8 1/2 months now. I am such a planner and just wanted to have everything I thought I would need for the baby and what I have discovered is you can’t ever now exactly what you will need for you and your baby. It’s a unique and wonderful experience that you will figure out as you go. So, get a handful of things and try not to worry if you don’t have “everything” you think you may possibly need. You can always get it once the baby arrives. Good Luck!! You’re doing awesome and are going to love being a Mom!!
I’m pregnant with my first right now too, so I don’t have advice on what brands to get and stuff, but I do know that you can get a free (you pay the shipping) nursing cover from http://www.uddercovers.com with the code “cousin2”. They are always updating their codes, and I probably get an email with a new code every holiday, but “cousin2” still works. Also, I think they are partners with http://www.sevenslings.com, you can almost always get a free sling that comes with leg warmers (for baby) and a bracelet. The most recent code I have from them is “fit”. That will work at uddercovers too (and I guess you can get free nursing breast pads at udder covers too – though you might have to do a separate order and pay the shipping twice. Not sure…)
Good Luck!!
One thing I’d recommend against is any type of nursing bra that has underwire. It can be REALLY uncomfortable and you can end up with plugged milk ducts – not fun. The comfier the bra the better – and definitely get a box of nursing pads. I know some people don’t need them but I did with both kids (I slept in a nursing bra with the pads in for roughly the first 5 months with both my son and daughter).
http://www.hotmilklingerie.com/ are not too bad 😀
I think i used the changing table for less than 4 months with all three kids. it was a waste of money and space.
You can buy a thick changing pad thingy that goes on top of a regular dresser. That’s what I used.
Bookmark http://www.babysteals.com. They have a new “steal” every day, and they have had the Glamourmom nursing tanks on often. Good luck stocking up on everything!
yep it’s one of my faves 🙂
I wouldn’t stock up on much yet. Odds are you’ll find your favorite type of thing later on, when it all goes ‘live’ anyway. It’s not like you can’t shop then, especially online.
I wouldn’t have returned the boy clothes yet, either. They say ‘100%’ but you just never know with ultrasound.
Gina, I just have to say, that as an anxious Aunt to be, this page is a life saver. I’m only 25 and have no clue about any of this stuff…and seeing as I’m busy working on a PhD and unwed, no babies are on the horizon for myself (hopefully). If my sister-in-law only knew what a huge help you’ve been. She’s getting totally spoiled because I’m taking so many tips from you about where to shop/when to buy/books to read. THANK YOU!!! You are looking gorgeous as well 🙂
aww thanks girl! i’m so glad the posts are helping! congrats on your upcoming niece or nephew, too 🙂
It’s not cheap but my favorite website to “window shop” off of is giggle.com
Their stuff is awesome!
Ditto to not wearing underwire. Literally every time I wear underwire when I am breastfeeding, I get a plugged duct, which is very painful.
I LIVE in Milkface nursing tops. They make BFing so discreet and comfortable. I have just the plain tanks and tees, but they have some pretty stylish tops as well.
Dont buy a ton of bottles (if you plan on pumping and letting your hubby feed baby), as many babies have to try a few different kinds before they like one.
http://www.kellymom.com is a fantastic resource for when you are frustrated and want to pull your hair out because baby wont latch, you dont know if you are producing enough, you are engorged, etc.
I love my Bravado original bra, the Bliss bra (both of these you can sleep in and no underwire so great for the first few months) and later I got the Allure bra (you can’t sleep in this one but it is more versatile). I went to a store a month prior to giving birth to get measured as I had been told its best to get measured as close as possible to your due date. I shopped online at breakoutbras.
Definitely get Halo SleepSacks. They’re the easiest way to swaddle the baby and keep her cozy at night. I love them and now that I know about them I give them to the expectant mom at every baby shower I go to.
Medela breast pump…I LOVED ‘The swing”. It worked awesome and I used it at least a few times a week! It was great to pump and store milk for when my baby started solid foods (to mix in).
Johnson and Johnson breast pads were amazing!
I also love my sleep sack!
Costco has baby wipes for cheap. You will use them from the bum to the hands!
NIPPLE CREAM!!! This is a MUST!!!!
Detergent for baby clothes and diapers!
I also live in a two story with stairs, which obviously need to be baby proofed. I have never liked the look of traditonal baby gates so i found these a couple years ago….They are very sturdy, super easy to use, and not such an eye sore as traditional baby gates….Good luck =)
http://retract-a-gate.com/