# What to buy?



## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

Thought there was a good thread somewhere with a comprehensive list of what to buy but cant find it! Although we have started to buy I am worried about forgetting something. Any ideas where I can find a good list?


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## ultrafirebug (Oct 22, 2010)

Congrats on your match. I would search google with something like baby shopping list, 2 year old shopping list (add boy or girl) etc and see what popped up.


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## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks for that. Its reassuring to know we haven't forgot something vital! x


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Other than the big ticket items (which I think you have), make sure you have shed loads of wipes, muslins and nappies plus formula. Anything else can wait as until you know what FC is sending with her, you will not really know what you need until then. Pixie was 8.5 months when he came home and the things I have found v useful were his carrier (I had a connecta) and portable high chair. Exciting times!


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

Same as BG says really. Little mans foster carer held off buying too many clothes as he had just gone up a size and she knew we'd want to buy our own so he didn't have many bug you never know. The portable highchair sounds a great idea and we haven't bought one but bay look to as we do eat out a lot with little nan and the vast majority of restaurants have the basic wooden highchairs which are fine for older ones but littlies (even though he's far from little!) slip forward in them as no footrest. We've solved it by ramming a blanket in front of him but not ideal!
Baby monitor is very useful and we have the camera one which is incredibly useful as little man often cries out going from one sleep cycle to another, with the camera we can tell that's what it is rather than going to him and waking him! (All hell breaks loose then!)
Bibs! We must have about 50 bibs and yet never one around, I honestly don't know what happens to them all! Wipes and nappies we use washable but I still have a couple of packs of wipes for emergencies or spare in the change bag.


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

Baby nail scissors, clippers and files!  My face is currently a timely reminder that his nails need cutting again! 😊


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Calpol, calpol, calpol and some calpol!!!! (Shops own equivalent are as good!) 
Also baby ibuprofen (you can alternate between the 2 and so many lo seem to come diwn with something in the beginning) and depending on age teething granules. We couldn't have lived without them. 

I also second a baby carrier or sling. When we were at home I carried him EVERYWHERE in our babasling, I think it was one of our most essential items as it aided bonding so much. 
Baby video monitor fab and yes bibs, what happens to them all!!! When you start weening the ones from ikea with the arms in are fantastic. 

Ooooooo pj this is sooooooooo exciting. Wee man is 29 months now and I miss the buying stage so much. Enjoy enjoy enjoy xxx


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Pj there are two list on parenting adopted children:
What to but a 2 year old on page 9
What to buy for an 8 month old on page 10
They may help xxx


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## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice. Flash123 the threads you mention are good too. x


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## Troodles (Jun 7, 2009)

Who knew I could replace my shoe obsession with baby stuff!! Lol

I just got a couple of splash mats for under the high chairs. 

Happy shopping! X


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## Troodles (Jun 7, 2009)

Oh and join Boots parenting club. I got a free changing bag which I'll put in the car with spares as bought a Cath Kidston changing bag for £24 Instead of £70!!! X


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## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

When LO moves in she will be 11 months. Do I need to buy sterilizer for bottles? I have read conflicting advice on this. Also muslin's seem to be popular but will I need them with an 11 month old? Would like to buy a good night light/ star projector/ music thing for settling at night time, can you recommend any? Thanks x


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## pyjamas (Jun 24, 2011)

Are there any other good parenting clubs to join? x


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

We still use muslins with our lo 8 months and can see us doing so for a while. 
Re sterilising the train of thought is because they're putting pretty much anything in their mouths at that age it's not necessary to sterilise, but others say that milk and particularly bottles are breeding ground for nasty bugs so to sterilise until they're no longer on formula or bottles.
We have the slumber buddy elephant for lullaby and light. It projects stars onto the ceiling and has 3 different colours choices or a rotate through all. A couple of different lullabies and heartbeat and water sounds on it. You can also choose whether it's on for 15,30 or 45 minutes.
Other than boots I haven't done any other parenting clubs, boots us good because you get extra points on baby stuff. Also if you use a follow on milk you get points and can use points to buy but not on ordinary formula. We use the hipp organic follow on milk.


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## Barbados Girl (Jul 7, 2012)

Muslins, muslins, muslins.  Until they can eat food without getting it everywhere! Shed loads of batteries as the flipping toys eat them. We sterilised until he went onto cows milks but he was eight months when he came home. You might want to take a view. It is the subject of some quite intense debate on mumsnet.


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## GoofyGirl (Apr 1, 2013)

Have you had chance to meet / speak to FC yet?
They will be a great source of info, we bought stuff after speaking to her and then bought a few last minuters during intros once we had seen routine and what they use etc. 
Congrats on your match xxxx


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

pyjamas said:


> When LO moves in she will be 11 months. Do I need to buy sterilizer for bottles? I have read conflicting advice on this. Also muslin's seem to be popular but will I need them with an 11 month old? Would like to buy a good night light/ star projector/ music thing for settling at night time, can you recommend any? Thanks x


Muslins are fabulous for use as 'snot rags' excuse the expression but our lo came home at 9 & 1/2 mths and has had about 6 colds since home bless him (sw says its common to happen over transition etc) so believe me they have been used plenty, well worth having, we also had a tommee tippee microwave steriliser which was on offer for something silly like £10-£15, I stopped using it around 11 months but don't regret buying it for that price, easier to store too when only being used for a short space of time, ref the steriliser probably best to see if Fc is still using one, if so then may as well continue until 12 mths, I dont think its critical after 6mths so won't hurt as long as your generally clean 

Something I've only recently discovered are 'wonder bibs' amazing things as there a waterproofed back but in a fabric type waterproof and the front is luxury soft velour type towelling, my lo is a constant dribbler and even at 14mths still cant be without a bib or he's soaked and in this weather even easier for him to get cold, I was going through a dozen bibs a day until I discovered these now one can last him all day, slightly price @ £5.99 each but price is irrelevant when its a lifesaver, and you don't need so many, I have 6 and to be honest could probably manage on 4 as your putting washing on regularly anyway.

Enjoy xx


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

Also we brought baby hooded towels as the Fc used one, soooo wish we hadn't wasted the money as never used them since, too small and far nicer to wrap them up in a big soft bath towel / sheet to keep them snug until dry, that's of course our personal experience, others may disagree 

And we bought baby sponges for the bath, two different colours so I could use one for bottom area and one for body and face to keep separate , sometimes these little tips are things you don't think of until later so handy to hear in advance   

Aldi nappies and wipes, fabulous, Im a brand snob usually but lo is a pooper so we go through loads, AND pampers leaked when I used them, the Aldi ones haven't leaked once, and we use sooooo many wipes that Aldi are fab as cheap as chips and have a clip lid which to be honest you need when opening and closing so often, we have a pack for changing, a pack on the kitchen table for mealtimes, bathroom and bedroom... crazy stuff!


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## Lorella (Jan 10, 2013)

I will second the use of muslins for snot rags! LO came home at 9 months and had loads of muslins but wasn't using them as she wore dribble bibs. Then when she got a cold though they came in very handy!
I didn't use a steriliser. 
We also have wipes everywhere....pack in bedroom, pack in change bag and pack in kitchen. Have now also invested in detol floor wipes and surface wipes. Much quicker and easier. 
Oh don't buy those silly little hangers from mothercare! They are no way big enough. 
I can recommend lots of toys! We bought a few but became clearly evident was not enough to keep Loretta ( or us!)  amused, especially in first few weeks when settling in. Had to have a big spend up in Toys R Us xx


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## Waiting_patiently (Dec 4, 2013)

Lorella said:


> I will second the use of muslins for snot rags! LO came home at 9 months and had loads of muslins but wasn't using them as she wore dribble bibs. Then when she got a cold though they came in very handy!
> I didn't use a steriliser.
> We also have wipes everywhere....pack in bedroom, pack in change bag and pack in kitchen. Have now also invested in detol floor wipes and surface wipes. Much quicker and easier.
> Oh don't buy those silly little hangers from mothercare! They are no way big enough.
> I can recommend lots of toys! We bought a few but became clearly evident was not enough to keep Loretta ( or us!) amused, especially in first few weeks when settling in. Had to have a big spend up in Toys R Us xx


You can also buy a dettol disinfectant spray, so you can use it for toys at night time, it just dries itself and is safe for children to use straight away, great especially when germs are everywhere, I noticed our music group using it for the bits at the end of the class.

Wooden kiddies hangers from Ikea are fantastic, but when it comes to trousers I insist on keeping the ones there on in the shop when I buy the item as I haven't seen any 'clip' ones for kiddies to buy in packs at all  x


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## mummy2blossom (Feb 21, 2013)

Ooo I got children's clip hangers from Wilkinson's! 

Also I bought hooded towels from ikea, much bigger than the usual ones (still plenty of room for snuggles with a 16month old!)

I didn't bother buying expensive floor covers for under highchair, just bought a couple of cheap shower curtains which can go in washing machine!

Not sure how old your Lo is but I would certainly recommend books from the 'that's not my' range. Sooo good for encouraging books in babies & great for teaching them to look at the pictures to find the hidden mouse per page. 

Congratulations & happy shopping!


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## Troodles (Jun 7, 2009)

Amazing tips ladies. Thanks. 

Any excuse to shop!! Lol

Xx


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## Lorella (Jan 10, 2013)

Oh yes WP. It does annoy me when they won't let you keep the hangers. The best hangers are the ones they are sold on! X


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

I'm another muslin lover and wee man is 29 months old! Dh recently suggested we get rid of them and I started stuttering in a panic.

Nightlights - apparently red lights help wee ones produce the hormone they need to sleep, which in turn helps their sleep cycles and prolongs sleep. For under £10 Ikea do a red lamp base and cover all in one. You put in a normal ikea bulb and it creates the illusion of a red light. It does make your room look like you are in a certain region of Amsterdam - but if it works! 

Sleeping music - we bought some lovely childrens classical cd's and they have been a godsend. From the beginning we always settled him in his own room and played these. Since then we have taken them away with us and used them to calm him when he is hyper. I also put them on in the car if I have ever had to make an early or late journey and they def help him fall asleep. 

Mummy - I'm also a fan of shower curtains (fab for carpet picnics when weening little one) ikea hooded towels and the 'that's not my.....' Wee man still loves them! 

We also bought 2 lots of changing stuff and keep one upstairs and one down stairs. When those 'expoding teething nappies' arrive there's no escape and you need immediate saving! 

Happy shopping xx


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## somedaysoon (Mar 7, 2013)

Not on here often now but a few items came to mind when I saw your post.

Ashton and Parsons teething powder - all natural and lots of people swear by them

Bibs, bibs and more bibs - dribble bibs for all that teething drool and tommee tippee plastic ones. The big apron bibs that cover arms as well are good for messy finger food.

Stock up on calpol/nurofen for babies just in case (our lo in very prone to ear infections)

Ear thermometer.  They hate the forehead strips and won't stay still long enough to keep one on.Can't think of anything more but we found these to be very useful. Widhing you all the best.


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## becs40 (Apr 9, 2013)

Oh yes re thermometer we got the new Braun one when Argos had it discounted not sure if they still do but its a no touch one. You hold it in front of their forehead for a couple of seconds. We'd already seen our lo with the ear one at the dr's and he hated it before he was placed so this was a godsend!


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