Baby Essentials Tips - The OzBargain Way. Cot, Pram, Nappies, Bottles, etc

Lneil aus on 03/02/2015 - 10:44

Have a bun in the oven, expected end of April, need tips on what to buy, where from and when. First one!

So far, have these things in mind:

  • Child car seat (with bassinet ability for newborn and child)
  • Pram, lightweight good quality
  • Cot, with fold down/up side (second hand ok?)
  • Nappy supplies
  • Towels?
  • Wipes
  • Bottles/breast pump
  • High chair

I'm wondering which ones are good to get from gumtree/eBay, and which ones are best to order from dx.com/similar and wait a few weeks for delivery.

Thanks in advance, Neil

Home & Garden

Comments

  • siraitken on 03/02/2015 - 10:49
    +1

    I am in the same boat but wife's late June.

    I'd also appreciate the suggestions.

  • hippies on 03/02/2015 - 11:04
    +3

    i always get the price from babykingdom and do pricematch with my local babybunting…. after awhile they know my face.. but i dont care… as long as cheaper :)

    Nappies : i prefer my baby to use huggies, i tried different brand but for extra 2-3 bucks.. i stick with huggies

    carseat : i bought maxicozy… make sure when you buy this one, please check the fabric.. sometime during summer it will make the baby sweat

    Breastpump : we spend money for this but we didnt actually use it often.. i am not sure whether you do need it or not

    THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE : Baby Camera… this is very important for me… i use Belkin Netcam, does the job…

    Pram : Depend how much money you want to spend.. i bought bugaboo bumblebee ( again,, i pricematched with babybunting and get 300 bucks off, the manager wasnt happy but she couldnt do much about it since its the policy ) and my 14 months daughter LOVE the pram !…

    Wipes : If you have a baby girl.. this is very important… i use this one http://www.target.com.au/p/huggies-baby-wipes-384-pack/51848…

    hope this help :)

    • siraitken on 03/02/2015 - 11:42

      Thanks for you input.

      With the wipes why it is very important if you have a girl vs a boy?

      • GourmetFoodie on 03/02/2015 - 16:36
        +1

        Because it's much easier for bacteria from poo to cause a urinary tract infection in a girl due to the shorter uretha and closer proximity between the front and back down there. You have to really make sure you clean a baby girl very carefully, front to back. For a boy you should still be careful but the chances of them getting an infection are much lower. I'm pretty sure the nurses are the hospital explain this to new parents of girls though!

        • siraitken on 04/02/2015 - 15:31
          +1

          Thanks for your input.

          I am a father to be and have so much to learn!

          We are yet to find out the sex.

    • pink on 03/02/2015 - 21:06

      I think you mean Bee not Bumblebee ;)

  • kbear2002 on 03/02/2015 - 11:21

    both target and bigw seem to have baby sales (baby not included) at the moment … should be able to pick up some bargains … if you do purchase second hand stuff then be sensible … I.e if buying a cot then purchase a new mattress ext …

  • RandomNinja on 03/02/2015 - 11:43
    +5

    Congrats on the upcoming bub! Make sure you go out as much as possible before the bub is born cos you won't have much chance to for a while!

    Second hand is often very good value if your personal preferences allow.

    Cot and change table: Second hand from Gumtree/Ebay and still using them now for baby #2. If you stick to the high quality brands that use timber, they're often designed to outlast the child's needs and have long warranty periods (esp the ones that convert from cot to toddler bed to couch). The cot I bought actually has lifetime warranty and they've done a few repairs at no charge - including the time kid #1 used the side as a pseudo-trampoline. Obviously, inspections are a must prior to buying.

    Pram: Was looking at second hand until we stumbled upon a half price sale for a Quinny 3 wheeler and the wifey wanted something 'shiny'. It cost us <$500 for the pram base with seat and bassinet. $50 for the shopping basket was a kick in the pants tho…

    Car seat - Bought new, peace of mind was worth more to us than potential savings. The in-laws bought second hand and functionally they're fine, the belts just don't move as smoothly as a new seat.

    High chair - Ikea one. There's no need for those fancy models, they're often more trouble than they're worth in terms of size and difficulty in cleaning.

    Change supplies - Recommend Sudocrem and Bepanthan as nappy change creams. Sudo during the day and Bepanthan at night (as it's oil based). Wipes; I'm personally concerned about the preservatives used in wipes so stick to Huggies AU wipes. Imported Huggies wipes have different standards and ingredients to the AU ones, something to watch out for if eczema/dermatitis is a concern.

    Nappies I find are very subjective based on individual experience. I swear by Huggies/Babylove nappies, my brother swears by the Coles brand ones - we prefer our brands as we've had leaks with other brands. Visit a baby show and pick up a bunch of samples, then use those to test which works best for you.

    A simple baby rocker is something we've found very useful. Being portable, our bubs cried less in the rocker cos we can put them down where they can see us (eg: kitchen)

    Hope this helps, good luck!

  • brazen00 on 03/02/2015 - 11:55
    +2

    Congrats on the impending arrival! As well as going out as much as possible, make sure you sleep and enjoy sleep ins. They pretty much cease to exist after children.

    There are some good recommendations above here so I'll keep mine brief.

    Wipes and nappies are definitely subjective. For nappies, consider cloth/washable nappies. They'll save you a bucketload in the long run. Otherwise start with the cheapest brand and see how they perform. We started with cloth but eventually that wasn't holding enough so ended up with Aldi nappies for the day and Huggies for the night (since they tend to hold more).

    I would definitely consider 2nd hand except for
    * Cot mattress - for hygiene and safety
    * Car seat - for safety. Once a car seat has been in an accident it should be replaced. Better for peace of mind to buy new.

    As RandomNinja noted, expensive high chairs can be a lot of bother. I speak from personal experience here.

    You asked about towels. For starters I'd look at a pack of old-fashioned cloth nappies (just squares of towel really) as these are sufficient for drying babies and spills alike.

  • Berniesmum on 03/02/2015 - 12:32
    +2

    I would say you can easily get away with buying almost everything secondhand, but you need to be happy with your pram(otherwise you'll curse it everytime you go out) and know that your carseat is safe.

    Facebook is fantastic for secondhand baby goods - i find it's even cheaper than gumtree, as everyone is trying to sell the same things

    There are some items that everyone thinks they will need, but very few actually get good use out of. These are the items to buy on facebook/gumtree - breast pump, baby carrier, 0000/000 clothes
    then there are the things everyone needs to offload- bassinet, cot, change table. not much can go wrong with these, so if the description says "good condition", it probably is.

    For breastpump and bottles, you might not need either, so there's no need to buy in advance. However, if you do decide you need a breastpump, you will make that decision at 9.30pm on a monday night.

    I buy aldi wipes when they have the bulk boxes, otherwise i dont mind the comfybots from coles or dymples from big dub.
    If you're a costco member, their huggies are a decent price

    Unless you're particularly short, dont worry about the up/down side on the cot- you'll be too paranoid that the creaking will wake the baby

  • NancyCat on 03/02/2015 - 14:46
    +3

    Any safe-n-sound convertible car seat (from birth to 4 y.o.) are good. We had an infant carrier for our third child, but the infant carrier didn’t last long, our smaller-than-average baby girl pretty much outgrown it when she was 4 months old, we had to put her on the convertible car seat. Also, the infant carrier was very heavy for me to lift it onto our 4WD with her in it. For us that an infant carrier was a waste of money. I guess infant carrier or not would depends on how often you go out with your baby in the car.

    Pram, we have a Steelcraft Agile Plus, which goes with the said infant carrier….it is SH*T…don’t buy it. I thought I’ve done enough research beforehand, but somehow, I still got it wrong. Anyway, we bought it from belly2baby.com.au, they had the best price at the time (2 years ago)…so have a look there.

    Another thing you might like to consider is are you going to have a second child? Do you want a pram that can add an extra seat?

    Change table: You don’t really need a special change table as such. Just buy a small table/desk (e.g. Ikea) and put a change mat on it. Put all your changing stuff (nappies, cream, wipes…) in a nice basket/box and put it next the change mat…there you have it, a change table. When your kid is older, your change table will become his/her craft table/desk.

    Nappies: Can’t go wrong with Huggies, especially for nightime/going out You can get a big box from Coles/Woolies/BigW for $27/28 dollars when they are on sale, so stock up then. BabyLove are good too. Once Upon A Time (Woolies homebrand) are not too bad either.

    Wipes: Huggies…definitely use Huggies for ‘number 2s’, they don’t rip. Aldi ones are good too.

    High chair: Yes, most people will say Ikea. Cheap, easy to clean… But I bought an adjustable high chair from Tarjay, similar to this one http://www.target.com.au/p/childcare-capri-hi-lo-chair-littl…. It was about $100 on special. It is adjustable, so you can tilt the chair to almost lying down position. We have been using this ‘high chair’ like a bassinet since our daughter was a newborn, and wheel the baby around inside the house, and also lowered this high chair/bassinet to our level when we are sitting on the couch. My soon-to-be 2 y.o. still like lying on the high chair to have her bottle. Where as with the Ikea high chair, the bub needs to be able to sit up straight. Having said that, our Tarjay high chair is almost 2 years old now, the plastic cover is starting to rip, and we are thinking to get the Ikea high chair.

    I wouldn’t worry too much about bottles/breast pump, wait until you need them. (You can buy good quality bottles from Coles/Woolies…so don’t worry)

    You can get most baby stuff (good price) from BigW and Tarjay, especially when they are on sale. Don’t buy too many expensive clothes for newborns, they grow VERY quickly. Spend your money in good/beautiful baby blankets/wraps. Also, your friends and family will give you/your bub gifts.

    It’s a very exciting time for you and your partner…just enjoy the moment…don’t worry too much about buying the wrong thing.

  • Alan Fartridge on 03/02/2015 - 14:48
    +1

    We had our first in May last year so I'll give some info on what we bought.

    Car Seat - We weren't sure what to get and rented a capsule for 3 months from our local baby shop for about $50. We ended up buying an infa-secure car seat that's suitable for new-born to age 4. I think we paid about $120 on sale at Big W.

    Pram - My wife had her heart set on a $800 Silver Cross Wayfarer. We used that for about 5 months and then sold it. It looked great but just wasn't practical. We then bought a Baby Jogger City Mini which was from eBay for a fraction of the retail price. I can't recommend these prams enough. Excellent value if you can find one new for around $300.

    Wipes - We get the $9 box from K-Mart. They're super value and we prefer them over huggies or other big brands.

    We didn't get a breast pump as my wife wanted to feed naturally.

    The most important thing to remember is that all babies are different and what works for one doesn't work for all. You'll probably end up experimenting with different brands, sizes, smells and colours until you find what's right.

    All the best for the birth of your little one!

    Nappies - Snugglers from Big W. $24 a box and, IMO, better than huggies at around $35.This is the only brand that doesn't leak during the night for us.

    • brazen00 on 03/02/2015 - 17:00

      Awesome to hear a glowing review of the City Mini. We're selling our stupidly expensive iCandy pram to get the double version of the City Mini (#2 is on his way). Can get them around $300 on Gumtree.

      • Alan Fartridge on 03/02/2015 - 20:04

        Our second is due this year too and we went for a double along with the single. Keep your eye on eBay as a seller pops up every now and then with brand new baby joggers. We got the single & double for around $450 delivered.

        Harvey norman had the doubles pretty cheap too. Online only.

  • loulou1 on 03/02/2015 - 21:08
    +1

    If you intend on breastfeeding, buy Lansinoh. It is a godsend. You will need it.

  • pink on 03/02/2015 - 21:18
    +1

    Cot/Changetable: You can buy secondhand. However, be mindful that second hand cots have a lot of teethmarks! To be honest, I don't use the fold up/down sides because it makes to much noise and can wake up a baby! It is nice, however, to have a cot that has a base that can be adjusted.

    Car Seat: I didn't buy a capsule for our first child but wished that I had. With our second, it was the first thing I purchased! It makes it so much easier to not have to wake up a child that has fallen asleep in the car! In terms of car seats, be mindful that second hand is not ideal because a. they have a limited life (apparently) b. if they have been in a car crash previously, they can't be used again.

    Nappies: I use Huggies. However, Snugglers and Pampers are also very good. I loved Pampers a lot as they were so thin! However, Coles stopped selling them and you can only get them in the US or online now.

    Wipes: Make sure you buy wipes that dont have bad preservatives in them. I believe the new Aldi ones sold in bulk next week don't have it. I use Aldi, Curash and Huggies. I just buy whatever is on special.

    Highchair: I recommend the Ikea plastic cheapy chair. The chairs get covered in food and the Ikea chair is so easy to clean!

    Pram: I recommend the Mountain Buggy Swift. It is all terrain, a comfy ride, you can run in it and take it out shopping. Perfect for everything and it comes with a carrycot for newborns.

    Bottles/Breast pump: I would only buy new. I also wouldn't buy it till you find that you actually need it.

    Baby monitor/Breathing monitor is something that I would highly recommend. I have an Angelcare one and love it.

  • Holysmoke on 03/02/2015 - 21:30

    Congrats Neil. Please detail your baby bargaining experiences here.

  • horsome on 04/02/2015 - 00:29

    More and more baby products are popping up at department stores like target and big w than 2 years ago - seriously if you wanna go cheap you are well looked after now more than ever.

    And dare I say it but I may have seen the Ikea chair killer in target the other day, same chair, same price but with retractible legs for portability.

  • mskeggs on 04/02/2015 - 10:29
    +2

    Congratulations.
    I strongly advocate 2nd hand. You will save potentially thousands of dollars that would be much better spent on something more lasting. No child remembers that their parents spent lots of money on baby things, and in a year when they sticky, faded and outgrown you will wonder why you spent so much on a new item.
    We had 4 kids and used a mix of new, 2nd hand and 'hand-me-down' things. Consider also that you will meet many other parents via community groups, work, pre-school etc even if you don't know many now. These people were a great source of hand-me-down and swaps for us, and we repaid the kindness to others.
    For your own long term benefit, I recommend you involve yourself in as many 'community' style things you can. Your children are a gateway to making many new friends and will help support you and your family. Things like volunteering to help at the pre-school fundraiser, doing a job on the P&C, helping coach a Saturday morning sport team, visiting the local church playgroup are all great opportunities where nearly everyone there is in a similar "don't know many/anyone" and if you are friendly you can quickly make friends.
    The benefit of having a local friend with kids at the same pre-school who can collect your kid if you are running late, or can swap some baby sitting so you can get out for a rare night out is fantastic.

    Lastly, work out a way so that both parents can spend time doing parenting duties. I took some time off work when my first child was a baby and had a blast being a house husband. I still like making a flash breakfast and school lunches on days when I work from home, and sharing jobs like buying kids clothes, bath time, reading stories is all good.

  • maximum on 04/02/2015 - 21:29
    +1

    New car seat - everything else second hand. I'm a member of a couple of Facebook children's /baby groups to sell my kids things and find everything is really cheap and hardly used.
    I got a whizz bang double electric breast pump but used it once (I breast feed 8 years in total). I had a manual breast pump I used - just found it better.

  • neil aus on 15/02/2015 - 23:09

    Thank you sooo much to all the replies, we are having a girl so need good wipes, thank you all again! God bless you all!

    • NancyCat on 16/02/2015 - 08:43
      +1

      BigW baby sales is on at the moment. Big box of Huggies nappies & wipes combo only $38. Stock up now.

      • Archi on 16/02/2015 - 14:08
        +1

        keep an eye out for IGA, every now and then they have sales on the jumbo box huggies nappies for only $25 the most recent was just before Christmas.

  • Archi on 16/02/2015 - 14:20
    +1

    we use a booster seat instead of a high chair. and we strap it to a plastic chair so it's easy to clean. the one we use comes with an activity centre,

    so when we go out sometime and I know some restaurants don't have good high chairs I can bring this along. as well taking it to grandmas and grandpas house, and picnics.

    versatile and has multiple uses,

    sometimes the high chairs at restaurants are just filthy and I would rather have my own..

    my little girl is 15 months and is still using it.

    http://www.mamasandpapas.com/product-baby-bud-with-play-tray…

  • Archi on 16/02/2015 - 14:48
    +1

    wipes we use
    http://www.johnsonsbaby.com.au/johnsons_baby_skincare_wipes_…

    breast pump
    madela,get second hand cause you can purchase all the accessories so you will only be using new parts that come into contact with you and the milk.

    bottle
    avent bottles with microwave steriliser.

    car seat
    any safe and sound from birth to 4 years is good.

    pram
    baby jogger city mini. bought the optional bassinet. only downside was stroller is forward facing only. but I got a good deal on the stroller and bassinet so i'm not complaining.

  • neil aus on 13/03/2015 - 16:00

    OK, baby shower has been and gone, got some

    • wipes
    • nappies
    • clothes
    • play mat
    • glo egg room thermometer
    • pram clip on mobile
    • chibebe pod rocker (bean bag on rocker with straps)

    Today we did our first Gumtree shop, picked up:

    Now for a change table and car seat!

    We may well find another bassinet for our bedroom, this one will be more mobile and downstairs.

    • NancyCat on 16/03/2015 - 09:31
      +1

      What about a 'portacot' with a bassinet insert?
      http://www.target.com.au/p/dreamtime-portacot/46939524

      • neil aus on 05/04/2015 - 08:21

        This might be a winner! Thanks, will be looking for a local cot on Gumtree, have already seen this actual one too, for $50!

    • kbear2002 on 16/03/2015 - 11:17
      +1

      we find facebook sale/swap groups cheap for baby stuff as well, although i would suggest buying new mattresses and linen ect if your going to buy second hand.

      • neil aus on 05/04/2015 - 08:23

        We requested/picked up a Swiss ball on one of those Facebook mums and bubs groups, as they promote them in the anti-natal classes. Great tip, thank you!

    • neil aus on 05/04/2015 - 08:08

      OK, now we have a little more, from Gumtree,

      Safe n sound reversible car seat, 0-4 yrs, so no swapping after 6 months, $40, rrp $479, saving $439.
      Grotime change table, $40, rrp $349, saving $309. The local selling it was very honest and said it was not in an accident, it was very good condition, all the fabric parts went through our washing machine. It looks great now!

      On the local streets, I noticed a pram, fully upright with instructions, rain cover, and it fitted in my boot when I finally worked out how to fold it down! Steelcraft Eden reversible pram/stroller, $0, rrp $449.

      I've looked through the choice website at our local library, and borrowed their choice baby products book, great tips on what is essential, optional and not to buy.

      Also a local garage sale turned up a Moses basket/bassinet, $20, saving $180. We will keep one upstairs and one downstairs.

      FYI, at our last anti-natal class, our midwife said cloth nappies can be used with liners, which end up costing $2.60 a week. So we'll try cloth nappies in the day and disposibles at night to start. She also told us that baby formula costs $5,000 per year, whereas breast milk is free, portable and always ready and does not need sterilisng and heating!

      Wow, we've learnt so much recently. I can see the savings adding up fast here. I'm looking for a cot on Gumtree now, the choice book says a cot can be used from birth, so the bassinet might be a slight mistake, but you live and learn! T-minus 3 weeks now…

  • SuiCid3 on 17/03/2015 - 11:27
    +1

    Tip re pram:
    Buy a cheap one initially.
    This will give you an idea on what you would like if you decide to buy a replacement.
    Our first pram was a VeeBee Navigator3 which ticked all the right boxes, and was well under $200.
    When we needed a second pram, we knew exactly what features were needed when looking for a new one.

    • neil aus on 05/04/2015 - 08:19

      Great advice, we have found a pram to start, most likely to use our baby bjorn chest carrier for most trips initially. I've looked over some reviews and the mountain buggy swift seems to be a big favourite, lots on Gumtree and my wife might even try running with it around the local sports field.

      One thing I have noticed with reviews on baby items, is that some of the second hand items are no longer sold new, sometimes just a small change, so some reviews may not cover the old version any more! https://www.choice.com.au/babies-and-kids/baby-furniture/cot… has lots of recommended cots, for example, tasman, boori urbane, freedom furniture little star cot at $149 is the pick of the prices. Head to your local library for free access to choice.

  • rxjb on 30/04/2016 - 15:35

    Great advice thus far. Can anyone please help me understand why new users cannot post on the essentialbaby.com.au forum? Basically confronted with "You cannot reply to this topic" for everything! Help appreciated.

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