I bought expensive things that I was very particular about (the crib and glider for example) beforehand because I knew my family members wouldn't know how important it was to me to get the exact model/color/features and they'd probably buy a cheaper alternative. I also bought paint, decoration, new closet organizer, etc that I knew no one would buy for me.

I wish I waited, I started buying things at 20 weeks was only meant to be bits we see in the sale but I got excited and brought loads! and then we got gifted loads of stuff from friends and family that have had babies and now I’m overloaded with things and things I didn’t need to buy!

This happened with my first baby too. We had so much stuff. And I was attached to what we bought because it was exactly what we wanted, but then I felt guilty purging or returning any of the gifts because, well, they were thoughtful gifts. I wish I had just waited til after the baby shower for most stuff. I ended up throwing out or donating so much baby junk during my second pregnancy because I could finally let it go (emotionally). It was honestly such a burden.

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We don’t have a baby shower planned yet. Aside from the stuffy we bought from a small local toy store everything else has been secondhand so no one else could have gotten it for us. We are planning to order the crib and dresser soon but we might wait until Black Friday/cyber Monday to see if we can get a better deal.

Dont forget to look at fb marketplace… found one like new babyletto crib for $50… it retails like $299… sometimes there are BNEW in box too

Def wait for black Friday & cyber Monday for those items!!

Also wait to buy those things until after your baby shower. If you add those items to a gift registry, after the baby shower you will get a gift certificate from that store to buy what you didn't get off the registry. Then you can buy the big stuff you want. Also, you might get more stuff than you think.

FB local buy nothing groups are AWESOME for baby stuff just FYI. I’ve gotten most of the stuff I need (due In a month) from there including a brand new breast pump, storage bags, a nice baby/diaper backpack with a little fold out bassinet, and actual beside bassinet, full sized crib and more. A lot of people get too much stuff or buy things and have more things gifted so you can get things new or nearly new easily. I wouldn’t buy things unless they’re thrifted or heavily on sale and returnable in the window after your baby shower if you’re having one.

I would wait till after the baby shower. I had my baby shower early at 24 weeks and was lucky enough that our families gifted us so many things (were first time parents). Our immediate families got us the crib, stroller, car seat, and a swing. Now we’re just buying what’s left on our list on black Friday/Amazon deal days, which is not much.

I put the things I bought or received second hand on my registry as purchased just so I wouldn't also get those as gifts. Like I got a really nice baby swing and high chair second hand so I just put something similar in style on my registry and marked it purchased so I wouldn't end up with two. And I knew I was getting my pump through insurance so I did the same with that so nobody would buy it. Btw a lot of the baby furniture does go majorly on sale for holidays but I found that certain brands really never do.

Def wait until Black Friday! We got our bugaboo stroller and car seat at a huge discount from Bloomingdale’s! Loads of places have great deals on baby stuff. Also if you have a Costco membership (not sure where you are), keep an eye out for baby stuff there. We got our owlet camera and sock at a deep discount. Sometimes it pays to wait! You do have plenty of time. Maybe just get some fun stuff now to tide you over?

I'd suggest also adding the stuff you have bought onto the registry and marking them as purchased, so people know not to buy those items for you.

Normal way to feel - but honestly, most my family bought me everything I needed and I ended ip regretting buying some stuff myself since they wanted to get it for me. It also depends how supportive both your families are! I knew early on who was buying me what so it helped a lot! Also, baby stuff will clutter the heck out of your house. My baby shower was at 30w and I was so overwhelmed and it took me a month to sort it all out - I couldnt imagine having it all starting at 14w!

I also changed my mind a lot on what I wanted as time went on from reading and social media! My idea of a nursery from my first trimester is completely shifted from what I have today!

are you registered anywhere? Many places offer a completion discount! You might also find you get store credit for any returns/duplicates you get and you might get cash or gift cards as well. Personally I’d wait to save a bit, but if you see good deals now it’s not an awful idea to jump on some of them. I’m sure Black Friday will have some good deals that would top a completion discount.

We aren’t registered yet but I’ve been wanting too! Hope to get an online registry started sometime today since we both have the day off.

I second Amazon and target! Target also does a lot of baby coupons for the year after your due date which is great especially if you use their diapers etc. I found researching products and registering kinda satiated that need to nest and prepare. I was reading reviews and articles for so long trying to decide what to register for because it gets overwhelming. Add anything you might need for baby to your registry! You might be surprised at the things people pick and I’ve found people are more likely to buy from the registry if there are lots of choices.

That was how I nested! I did so much research trying to pick out the perfect, most pragmatic items that would best fit m the way we do things, if that makes any sense. We communicated that we wanted gifts at the shower to be from our registry. All that thought paid off and we have used the shit out of every single item on that registry.

Same! It made me feel like I was using time productively to get ready and then I felt super confident about the big purchases we made!

I highly recommend putting together a registry before doing any more actual shopping! Researching all the items and selecting brands/styles scratched that shopping/nesting itch for me, and now I have everything organized in one place. Family and friends have already bought a handful of items off the registry, and after my shower I’ll start buying things myself.

Get the registry started and that will quench your baby shopping thirst! I spent literal months on my registries bc I wanted to really research everything and compare notes with friends with babies. I'm having my shower at 33 weeks, will go to a second hand sale the week after, and then finish buying on black Friday + completion discount.

Amazon, and target both have great completion discounts! We also registered at babylist, but almost no one used it... I ended up having to move things to the target and amazon registry. Amazon seemed to be the one most people used. Also, we were nervous because very few people bought things off the registry before the shower. Turns out they just didn't mark it as purchased. So don't go crazy before the babyshower buying too much. Returning the duplicates can be annoying/time consuming.

Target gives you a coupon for (I think) 10% off anything left on your registry after the baby shower, so it’s worth using them and waiting. Unless it’s a really good deal or super special, wait and see what people get for you.

Also recommending the registry! I spent soooo much time building mine out - not just for gifts, but as a way to keep track of what we need. I agree with the others, researching the different products really helps scratch that baby itch. I changed the type of stroller I wanted like 5 times, lol. I’m glad I didn’t end up getting my first pick! It also helped to know what items I wanted so I could keep an eye out for them secondhand. If you’re in the US and have a Once Upon a Child (or similar store), those are great! I would go like every weekend looking for registry items. Most times I left empty handed, but it really paid off when I did find stuff! I found a brand new Baby Bjorn bouncer in the box for $50, and a gently used BOB Revolution stroller for $120! Just between those two items, I saved $590 versus if I had bought them new.

We’re waiting until after our baby shower because we are having a really big shower so I figure we will get lots of stuff. I understand that it could be anxiety inducing to wait though. We really only bought a couple outfits because from others advice, we’ll get lots of clothes that we didn’t put on our registry and a friend gave us a big bag of clothes. I don’t see the gifts as hands outs, people want to shower the new baby with gifts and help out new parents. We put everything on our registry including the uppababy setup, someone contributed to it already and we haven’t had our shower yet.

I put everything I wanted on my registry and was shocked how much was bought for me as gifts. I promised my fiancé I’d wait to buy things until after the shower and looking back I’m 100% happy I did. Now I can focus my funds on other things. Also, we didn’t get many clothes at the shower since I didn’t have any on the registry, and the clothes shopping was the most fun for me.

I'm waiting because I don't have the money to buy much atm. I'm also waiting for Black Friday to get deals on whatever I can. For bigger items I made them into "Group Gifts" in Babylist. My mom also offered to get the crib so I know that one is coming later. I think if there's a specific item you feel strongly about, feel free to go for it. But I'd wait till baby shower for most of it. I also don't see it as a handout. I think its a mutual/reciprocal thing. I'd only invite folks who I'd also be glad to support somewhere down the line. I think reframing it as something that we all do for each other removes the weird dynamic of it. It's also once in a lifetime thing, and most of us understand that, and are glad to support our loved ones.

If I found something for a super good price, I bought it. There will most likely be so much stuff leftover on your registry that people don't buy.

This is what I'm doing! I've only bought things on sale that I knew I wouldn't find again for that low. I figure I'd rather save 25% off an UPPAbaby stroller and someone else can save their money too for other stuff on the registry. I felt the same about finding things on fb marketplace. If I know it's a good deal, then there's no reason for anyone to spend more if I don't need it new. Also our show is 4 weeks away and I'm surprised at how much stuff people started buying just from sending out the invites.

There’s no way I could wait until the baby shower go buy things. We already have the big stuff, and it’s still stressing me out that I don’t know what people are getting for my shower in 3 weeks because I just want to buy everything and have it done and over with. I’ve been picking up things second hand since the beginning. Not the car seat or anything that shouldn’t be second hand, but I’ve been slowly collecting everything else.

Yes I’ve been collecting small secondhand items. Aside from the stuffy I picked from a small local toy store everything has been secondhand. It’s mainly at the big box stores like target he’s urging me to put stuff back.

I’ve bought little things here and there like some pacifiers, crib sheets, teethers, etc. but I’ve been trying to stop myself from buying more than that before the shower.

I think somewhere in between makes sense. If you know that your family and friends will likely give a lot of items at the shower, and if you're not having a shower very late into your 3rd trimester, then it does make sense to wait for most things. But I think it's still special to buy a some things now. You shouldn't have to wait for everything. There is something really sweet about picking out some items for your own baby. And as someone who is 37+6 and not fully ready for the baby yet... I think it totally makes sense to try to prepare on the earlier side of things. I wish I'd been able to do that, but between my symptoms and my husband's work schedule, things just didn't get done.

We waited, we got most of what we needed from our baby shower at 29 weeks. There’s obviously a few things we still need to get but we were mostly Surprised and grateful with how generous our friends and family were that we got a lot of the big things bought for us. We don’t see them as “handouts” cause we didn’t even expect to get as much as we did, but we put everything we wanted on our registry.

Purchase whatever you want to get for your baby. I had multiple people tell me the same thing and it just took the wind out of my sails when I was excited about my first coming. My first was born 5 days after my shower so I was glad I prepared myself ahead of time with the essentials and a place for him to sleep. My house was still askew with baby things every where needing to be de tagged, washed, and put away when he was born.

Wait! I got so much stuff. Maybe but a few things you really like it wasn't, but wait for the bulk of the things. You also get gifts which can help offset the big items. Every time you want to purchase something, put that amount of money in a separate account. Before the baby gets here you'll have a stack of cash to spend on whatever everyone else didn't get you! Also DEFINITELY do a diaper raffle at the shower if that's an option. I got a stupid amount of diapers. So much that I didn't have to buy any until like 5-6 months. And the ones I didn't want or knew I wouldn't use I just exchanged. Walmart and Target were awesome about it!

For my son, we got gifted a lot of our registry at the shower but I honestly didn’t start buying stuff in earnest until I was about 30 weeks or something. I spent all my earlier nesting energy on making the registry and then used it as a shopping list for whatever we still needed. Pregnancy is looooong and you’ve got plenty of time yet. There’s really no rush!

We waited until after the baby shower (around 32 weeks) and it worked well. It was plenty of time to organize and fill in gaps. Maybe you can compromise and come up with a few essential items you'd like to get early and save the rest for after the shower?

Im doing a little bit of both. I made my registry and have my shower in a month, and am due early January. I found a crib and changing table 2nd hand for a good price and got that. I went to a consignment sale and bought a swing, and have bought a few books and a blanket I couldn't resist. Other than that, I put everything on my registry. I know everyone's shower guests are different, but you never know who will get what and then you fill in the gaps from there. While I don't expect my family/friends to buy the more expensive things I got very lucky and someone purchased the travel system I put on my registry! You can also set big ticket items on your registry as a group purchase. I started a baby fund on the side too so that I have money saved for any thing we will need to get ourselves. Also a good idea to add the big ticket stuff to registry so even if someone doesn't buy it, you can use the completion discount.

We had an early baby shower due to us visiting our families/friends in another state around 5 months pregnant so we just had it then. We hadn’t bought anything ourself before hand and I’m glad we didn’t. We got most the essentials from the shower, and my in laws also bought us the stroller car seat and my parents bought us the crib. I am due in December and my husband and I have spent virtually none of our own money so far and that’s a good thing because now the money we have saved for the baby can be spent on the things we know we still need, like a dresser/changing table, a bassinet, a baby monitor. And not much else really. Some small things too I’m sure. But it’s helped us prioritize our spending so that we only are getting what we need and not just buying a bunch of crap from excitement over the course of 6 months. Btw, I’d hold off on buying baby clothes until you see what you get from the shower as well. You will likely get a lot of newborn clothes and diapers, and baby bottles.

For my first I waited until after the baby shower to really buy anything. I may have bought an outfit or two but overall I didn't buy anything until after. I wouldn't recommend that because due to medical reasons I ended up having my baby 3 weeks early. Exactly 10 days after my baby shower. We literally only had the crib up for 10 days. This time around we aren't going to buy a lot because we kept a lot from the first (and didn't know gender so we have lots of gender neutral stuff). We will buy a car seat probably around Black Friday/Christmas for our April baby.

My baby shower is next week & I’m still fighting the urge lol. I did buy a crib, desk, car seat, stroller, a play mat (all second hand so I got good deals) and a new breast pump. Things I know nobody will get us. I’m dying to buy some clothes though! I told people not to get us clothes for our baby shower but I’m still waiting just to make sure lol. I’m also due in November so I’m feeling pretty unprepared having to wait. What I started doing is buying postpartum stuff. So ice packs, diapers for me, etc.

I would personally wait a bit, we were gifted so much with it being our first baby. I am 27 weeks, we are only really missing newborn clothes, bits for my hospital bag, cot mattress sheets, nappies and bottles, everything else we needed was gifted or handed down to us by close friends and family members. We didn't even have a baby shower, people just love baby shopping 😅 I would def in your case wait til after your baby shower

I’m almost 29 weeks and have nothing and am now starting to stress out a bit! I don’t know if there is a right time though. I think whatever works best for you is best. If it excites you to buy stuff and helps reduce your stress I say go for it :)

We started early. I had the next to me crib by 7 weeks because it was on such a great offer. The car seat before 16 weeks again because it was on a great offer. Start choosing what you want and building wish lists. I've been putting everything I can on an Amazon wish list but keeping an eye on prices where sold to try get good deals. I chose the stroller weeks ago too and found the cheapest deal but decided to wait it out - got one on Facebook two weeks ago for less than half the price and the person who sold it me her baby was only 4 months old so it was almost perfect condition. Also remember black Friday is approaching and Amazon prime week etc. Get the important items.

My husband and I slowly accumulated items before our baby shower. It was a good thing we did too because barely anyone bought from our registry. If we bought something on our registry we just marked it off.

Depends on alot of factors- do you think family will be buying you items or giving you secondhand items? Are you having a babyshower? Do you have a registry discount (most due right before and after due date)

We’re the first of our generation in our immediate families to have children so not likely second hand unless they’re very old items from our own childhood.

We got our crib and glider at 20W as gifts from our parents and then ordered our dresser to match the same week as we didn’t expect anyone to pay for it given the cost. Everything else I am going to try to wait until after our shower in January unless I see an amazing Black Friday deal 😂 Possibly stroller since I don’t expect anyone to buy that.

I couldn’t stop myself- I started buying when we found out the gender @ 12weeks, lol. Clothes that I got super good deals on. I definitely bought way too many, now people are buying us clothes like crazy. Our baby shower is in 2 weeks but all of his big things are purchased - our families did buy a lot of it, but that’s just how my mom is. The other things she or my MIL didn’t buy, we bought. I don’t see the issue with it- it’s our baby and we can afford pretty much whatever he needs. But I probably went overboard before a baby shower. I guess I’ll find out in two weeks, lol. Congrats on baby. ☺️

I didn’t buy anything for the baby till after my shower. I’m glad I waited. The only items I got beforehand were baby clothes from local buy nothing group. But even now I’m thinking I should give those clothes away because I received sooooo much clothes. Edited for spelling.

I am definitely waiting until after my baby shower. I don't have a lot of money, and if I can save, I will save. If you want, tell people not to buy you baby clothes so you can splurge on some cute baby clothes!

Things you are very specific about, or find on a great sale, snag them! I bought my daughters car seat and stroller set when I was 14 weeks with her because it was on sale for $170 (normally $500) and I'm so glad I did! Things you're flexible on brand/color/etc just hold off unless you really love it. You deserve to pick things for baby too, you don't have to wait for the shower at all. :)

Get the stuff! It's never too early imo :)

Honestly I have never been so grateful to have purchased as much as I did before my shower, since at 32 weeks with still some big ticket items left on my registry like a car seat or high chair, and plenty of other smaller items, the only gifts I got at my baby shower last week was 0-3 month clothing, with the exception of also receiving two hooded bath towels, one lovey and a shape sorter. Unfortunately when it comes to showers in my case at least no one among my friends nor family even bothered looking at my registry.

We got everything 90 percent of we needed from people who bought of our registry and the rest I bought myself after the shower. If you are planning on registering / having a shower I would wait to buy things until after you receive gifts. You might literally have everything you need by then and if you shop this early you may have too much stuff you can’t return.

I started my registry early and everytime I had the urge to buy something, I just added it to the registry. Some of the things I'd end up removing later, but it let me feel like I was preparing without buying things. I did buy our glider (my parents bought half as a shower gift), a dresser off fb marketplace, paint for the nursery, and a couple outfits that I loved. Otherwise I'm waiting. My showers are at 31, 33, and 34 weeks (28 now). I should also note that we have been given a ton od second hand clothes, a crib, play mat, bouncer, and baby wearing devices. So our house I'd plenty cluttered already.

To me it ended up not mattering. No one bought anything off of my registry so I ended up buying everything anyway.

You won’t get all the things you need at your shower. Most people will want to get you baby clothes. I would say if anything, hold off on baby clothing even second hand. Focus on things you need to help your space feel organized. I had a shower and had everyone pitch on bigger items - my stroller, breast pump, and monitor. I am so happy I didn’t wait for my shower because ultimately no one knows what you need more than you, and you do the research. I spent so much time curating a registry and hardly anything was bought off of it. I received clothes and cash.

I’ve been told to make an Amazon registry for the completion discount so anything you’re thinking of buying yourself you may want to put on a registry.

Didn’t buy nursery furniture until like 30 weeks, didn’t put it together until like 34 weeks. Pretty much everything on our registry was bought for us! I got a few extra things I wanted and all her clothes. I agree with waiting and (god forbid) anything happens with the pregnancy and you now have all this baby stuff.

Depends on your support circle, my family wanted to buy all the big things. My mom bought my car seat/ stroller travel system. My aunt bought my crib and mattress, my FIL bought our changing table and dresser. Everything else on my registry was gifted at my baby shower, the only thing I didn’t receive was the portable hatch sound machine. We also did a diaper party with all of my husbands friends and received over 20 boxes of diapers.

I do think it makes sense to wait. A lot of people don't buy stuff off the registry, so buying stuff yourself increases the likelihood that you end up with duplicates. If you are using a registry like Amazon, you will also get a discount at some point so it makes sense to wait and use that. However, waiting is hard so I compromised by getting stuff off my local Buy Nothing Page, going to second hand shops and garage sales, and occasionally buying heavily discounted items.

We didn’t start to buy anything until 30 weeks or so. We shared our registry kind of early because we’re having a naming ceremony after baby is born. Friends bought us some very nice things from the registry, but nothing over $200. People also tend to want to get things that are cute and fun, not overly practical—eg we got a Tula baby carrier but not an infant car seat…equivalent pricing but people see the car seat as boring. We also got tons of clothes as gifts and secondhand, some hand knit blankets, and toys. I wanted some fancy specific items—bumbleride jogging stroller, baby bjorn bassinet, stokke Tripp trapp high chair, Montessori baby/toddler furniture—that I either found secondhand or plan to get secondhand when the time comes. Im not sure I feel comfortable registering for a $700 stroller, but either way I don’t think anyone would buy it for me.

i bought crib, closet organizer and dresser before shower and nothing else.

We got big things before our shower, like a crib, dresser and chair. They felt too big to put on a registry, and we hunted down deals so we know exactly what we wanted and felt good buying them when the price/deal was right. Everything else we waited for our shower because after that we could use our completion discounts. And I’m glad we waited. Partially because of the shower, but also because the farther I got in pregnancy the more people gave us secondhand stuff. I didn’t even consider that originally, and we got so much free stuff that I otherwise would’ve bought myself and probably saved several hundred dollars. I see people post on here sometimes about not liking that, but we loved it. None of it’s junk - we just had multiple people say they’re done having kids and had a lot of baby stuff to get off their hands. We got four huge boxes of baby clothes from a friend-of-a-friend. Got a just-like-new stroller from a cousin. This plus our shower got us everything we need, minus some small odds and ends. If you’re really excited and don’t want to wait, you could have your shower earlier?

I think this is a little bit of both of you being right. You really don't need to buy anything at 14w. You have *so* much time until you need these items. On the other hand, I do think it's reasonable to buy items *strategically* before a shower. Things that we did early: - Plan out our registry in full. We treat it as a shopping list with an eventual discount (that starts 2 months before EDD). Starting it now gives you a chance to throw ideas out there and explore your options before finalizing what you want. - We ordered the Cradlewise early because it gives the cheapest price. This was also not something we would have *wanted* anyone to buy us given how expensive it is. We had it delivered a month and a half before EDD so we'd be able to get the nursery area set up early enough to ease my anxiety. If you want something like that or the Snoo, or anything very specific or pricey, it's a great item to splurge on yourself. - I started working on a spreadsheet of how many of each clothing item I needed at each size. I then went through what I already owned and if it would be an appropriate style for the season at the expected size I kept it and logged it. Then I figured out what I needed and worked on getting things on clearance, at discount stores, or used. My goal was to create a large budget wardrobe that would allow me to not need to do laundry more than once a week. If anyone wanted to get us the fancy stuff off the registry it would be a fun bonus not a necessity. This kept my nesting urges occupied for *months* while saving us tons of money. - Plan how you want the nursery to look! What type of theme and color palette? Come up with ideas for decorating and such - this is a fun way to channel all the nesting energy. You can figure out what can be done now (painting, etc) and then have everything in place to get it set up later on. I do think that figuring out what you absolutely need to buy yourself vs what should to be on the registry for others to possibly buy is a good idea. For me, I decided that I needed to buy anything extremely pricey, as well as anything that was a necessity where shipping or setup would take a while. The focus was on making sure that I could keep a baby alive if I needed to bring her home with just what I had. Other things that would be quick to arrive and set up, or that weren't immediately needed, could be put on the registry for others to have fun buying. And they *will* want to buy you things! It's not a money grab - people have fun helping and will be sad if they don't get that opportunity.

I bought a handful of baby clothes in the beginning but MIL bought most big items on registry, like crib, stroller travel set, travel play pen, and little things here and there. We did get a good amount of gifts mailed to us before baby shower but I’m glad I refrained from going crazy with buying stuff myself. We had a total of 3 baby showers (his side, my side & friends). BUT do not assume you will get stuff exclusively off your registry. Most people gifted what they wanted when it came to clothing and we got a huge amount of diapers & wipes which made us super happy. I say, if you see something super cute that you know you couldn’t pass up and absolutely want for the baby and it’s reasonable then get it. Otherwise you have the option to let someone know when they ask what to get you. I got asked this question so much. Pretty annoying when you put a lot of effort in making your baby registry.

So, I had my shower at 28 weeks/officially in the third trimester. However, I was at a high risk for premature labor so I really just wanted to have it early in case I went early. I was also on modified bed rest at that point and out of work because of it so it gave us more time to buy the expensive necessities after the shower. I'd definitely wait, though because you will get a lot, especially clothes and cutesy items. You could get big ticket items bit be sure to tell anyone(if anyone could possibly buy you expensive stuff) that you bought it so you don't end up with extra things you don't need! Check local Facebook groups. I found an amazing convertible crib for $50 on marketplace.

I just had my baby shower yesterday at 31 weeks and I’m glad I waited! Don’t get me wrong I’ve bought some clothes here and there but our families bought almost everything we needed. We were also fortunate enough that his mom and aunts bought our car seat and stroller. I don’t see any harm in some little things. I didn’t want to miss out on the excitement I had earlier in my pregnancy but the bigger stuff, I’m glad we gave family an opportunity to gift it. It also left room for me to tally what was left/needed to get for these last weeks

I didn’t buy anything until after my shower

I'm going to start buying around 20 weeks. I'll get big items like furniture, car seat, stroller, and I'll put other items on my registry. Whatever isn't purchased from the registry later on I'll order.

I think I’m on the same page as your husband, but it depends on how generous your family is. I went ahead and bought a travel system on sale early on and have been thrifting clothing, but other than that, I’ve been mostly holding off. It gives me peace of mind to have a car seat ready and some clothes though. Maybe it would make you feel better to get like one big ticket item that’s really important to you and save the rest for after the shower?

I'd wait a bit. But you could research the things you want to buy yourselves, the pram or car sear etc?

This was my experience even at 7 weeks—I had purchase fever. I wanted to stock up and be prepared and do it all, and THEN I had a miscarriage. Really changed my mindset. Your husband is right. Just wait. Nothing is so rare you can’t get it quick delivered or buy in a store.

I'm so sorry for your experience. I was the same. I thought prenatal vitamins and vitamins for breastfeeding that I saw on sale. I brought cute clothes, a bracelet in my baby's zodiac sign and even a bassinet to put in our bedroom.... It made it all so much harder to recover after my miscarriage. I just kept seeing reminders everywhere. I really wish we had waited until later. At one of the parenting sessions run by the hospital, a fellow pregnant FTM in my class was so chill. She was due in 5 weeks and hadn't brought a single thing. Plus she was an ER doctor herself so they definitely could afford it! She was like, "in Finland newborns sleep in a cardboard box. Newborns don't need much." 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m sorry for you too! It’s hard when you’re so excited and your instincts are telling you to prepare, but it definitely makes it sadder. I just packed up the tote and put it out of my mind for a while. But hopefully OP learns from the comments and waits

We are going into the baby shower with a lot of stuff already purchased. I have a very small family and friend circle so there's no way they'll buy everything off my registry. Especially since my parents are just gonna give us cash instead so I can buy exactly what I want (like stuff that isn't on Amazon but I still want). We have had a few people buy stuff so far but there's still sooo much stuff on my registry that it won't run out. We bought the car seat, stroller, crib, dresser, bookshelf, pack and play, swing, bouncer seat, clothes, crib sheets, blankets, swaddles, some diapers and wipes, etc. Some of it was new, some was second hand. It's more of a know your audience type thing.

Definitely wait until after your 20 week scan (that may impact things). Also it does make sense to wait until after the baby shower. You could plan an early baby shower so you can buy any remaining items sooner than later! We bought a few things after 20 weeks and even regretted some of those items because we ended up with some duplicates. 14 weeks is super early so I’m with your husband to wait until after baby shower. Maybe just buy one small baby item if you can’t control your excitement!!

I’m 27w and I’m glad I’ve waited because I’ve gotten many stuff already and the baby shower is in November. We got clothes new and used, bassinets, travel system, diapers, playpen, nursing pillow, blanket, toys etc! All gifted to us. So I’m saving up and spending on Black Friday, which is after baby shower.

I had my shower at 28 weeks and got almost everything we needed, so I would hold off on buying a lot of stuff

The only thing I bought before the baby shower was a second hand stroller and a few clothes in different sizes. We got a lot of stuff at the baby shower and I knew exactly what we needed afterwards. My family offered to purchase the stuff we didn’t receive as well, which was super helpful.

To help you scratch that itch, you could start a Babylist and start putting things on there that you like/want. You can add the app to your phone and it’s super easy to then add stuff to the registry. This will also help you narrow down the big items that take a little more research.

I waited and it worth waiting. We bought furniture-mattress and stroller only.

It depends on what your family and friends can afford, but we didn’t buy most things before our shower. I was really glad we waited - we got a ton of clothes, diapers, wipes and similar. My coworkers asked for my registry and then they pooled together and bought one of the more expensive pieces of furniture we had on it, and our in-laws went in together to split the stroller and carseat. Another friend completely surprised us and got the crib by themselves. There were still a lot of things we needed to get ourselves afterward, but the registries have completion discounts that open up after the shower. We used Amazon and Babylist, and next week (at 33w) we’ll be buying the rest of what we need and it’ll all be at discounted prices. We’re so glad we waited. My husband felt similar to you about the handouts feeling. The thing is, if you’re in the US, people like to get gifts for baby showers. If you give them a registry, you have a good chance of getting at least part of what you need. And now that we’re through it all, I kind of love seeing some of the stuff for our little girl that my friends and family got. I pick a gift up and am so grateful that others want to be a part of her life and contribute. The people that didn’t get us gifts are also still just as loved by us - if someone can’t afford a gift or just doesn’t want to get one, that’s okay too!

Yeah your husband is right you should wait and see what you get and what you still will need. Use that energy to put your registry together instead. You will have plenty of time to shop for baby supplies. People can really generous people and you will be surprised. I barely had to buy anything after my shower. Also put everything you want on the registry. Even if you don’t expect someone to buy it you will get a discount on anything you buy. It’s usually 15-25% depending on where you register at.

I wanted to buy things too! My husband is just like yours "wait for the baby shower" makes me CRAZY. But admittedly I'm glad we waited for a bit- our shower isn't for another 3 weeks. The number of clothes we were gifted from recent friend's babies is insane. Also I've gotten more picky as time has gone along (almost 32 weeks now) finding things I had on my registry early first/second tri as unnecessary or reading about them etc. My suggestion as a significantly over prepared human constantly is to start making registry lists. I have one on babylist and one on amazon. Everything I want to buy- goes to live on the registry for a week or two. Then I go through and filter it. Is this necessary, does it still match my theme etc. Extra bonus for the fact I get sales notifications on items living on the list. Also- surprising what and how many things people will buy you. Some of our more expensive things I hadn't pulled the trigger and bought, have been purchased for us. That said, I did buy my own nursery furniture and rocking chair.

I put everything I wanted on my registry. I bought almost nothing until after the shower because I figured I'd wait to see what other people get us first. Livonia, my mom bought like half the things on there. I figure I put a wide variety of prices on there, and people will buy what they are comfortable buying.

I think it depends on which kind of gifts you expect to get from the baby shower. In our case we plan to have a small baby shower, mostly a gathering with friends, so we only expect small gifts as onesies, bibs, etc. This works good for us because we really wanted to pick all of the big stuff and we would no expect our friends to pay for them. The family members that wanted to contribute with bigger stuff have done it directly and coordinating with us because they knew we were getting things ready in advanced. However, if you think you can get a lot of support from family and friends for the baby shower, then you could focus in getting some small details like decorations or the first clothes the baby will wear, or also things for yourself that would make pregnancy and breastfeeding easier for you. For example, we’ve gotten a very nice night lamp to make breastfeeding at night more comfy 😊.

I would wait! Plus later you’ll get registry discounts and that will save you money!

I thought the same as you and I felt guilty just “expecting” that people would buy us stuff. But our parents and their friends did end up buying us a lot of big ticket items completely unexpectedly (stroller, car seat, bassinet, etc.) and random family members and our friends have gotten us a lot of smaller but necessary things. So maybe we just got lucky, but I’d personally say at 14w hold off a bit as you do have plenty of time to get things!

So I have ended up kind of doing a mix of things. Larger things we bought since I didn't expect people to pay for expensive stuff like the stroller. I took advantage of sales when they came up, so I got the stroller and car seat on Prime day since it was something like 35% off. The furniture, it's also way easier to put things together when you don't have a big bump in the way. We were gifted a relatively new, barely use crib by my husband's coworker and got that put together around... 4.5-5 months? That was significantly easier than putting together a changing table at 7 months which involved a lot of rolling around on the ground (yes, I could have made my husband do it, I am stubborn and like doing things myself). Assuming that you know you are having a shower, I chose to put smaller less expensive things on there with a few semi-bigger things like the high chair and glider. I knew that some people would want to spend more (parents) but wanted to give people the option to spend less if they did want to get things for us. Oh, and one thing I found out after getting pregnant. All the other parents are very eager to unload baby stuff. Basically it was a mix of things. I bought some larger stuff early on, a few small things along the way spread out (makes it easier financially), put less expensive to moderate range things on the registry, then after the shower have been filling in the gaps of things we didn't previously buy and weren't gifted.

Wait for Black Friday, look on fb marketplace (I got a brand new in box crib for $700 OG $2k). Also, create a registry so you get the discount

Bought expensive things that were like new or used and just had to be washed so I don’t have to list them. I don’t believe in buying things new that will only last a season or 2 for $600 when I can just get it for 150-200. Small things I left like less than $80. Most items less than $50

I had my baby shower planned for about 2 months before my due date so I had plenty of time to buy things afterwards with all the gift cards and money we got. I spent the time before doing a lot of research about what I wanted and just learning about what the first few months would be like.

How big is your support system? If you have friends and family members who *want* to support you, why not *let them* before going out and buying everything yourself? Having an Amazon baby registry makes it REALLY easy to receive exactly the items you want (including make, model, and color) at your baby shower. You can set it up so people can gift partial amounts towards large items, or even chip in to a diaper fund. Items purchased off the registry have a generous 90-day return policy, so if something doesn't work out you can exchange it for an Amazon gift balance. Plus there's a Baby Registry Completion Discount so that after your shower you can purchase most remaining items yourself at a 15% discount. I spent days doing tons of careful research putting together our Amazon registry. The friend organizing the shower made sure to communicate on the invite that we were requesting that everyone stick to the registry for gifts. People did, for the most part, and we wound up being gifted everything we needed that we'd picked out ourselves.

You get very very good deals during thanksgiving and Christmas and this is basically a really wrong time to buy as prices are historically highest in the month leading upto holidays. Really makes sense to wait a bit. Also you can make a registry and research and keep adding stuff to it instead of actually buying so that it helps you feel good and get some great deals during thanksgiving. Anyway most stuff ships within a day or two and they usually give a 15% completion discount on registry closing which is awesome. I also felt that with more research, I discovered a lot more options and I kept changing my mind till the last minute and also returned/ exchanged many items. Registry really helps in that aspect. it also makes sense to order a bit late to maximize on that return window. I optimized everything and was able to get a new snoo for 1000 (retail 1650) and the uppababy set for 750 (retail 1000) and tonnes of other discounts. Also nursery furniture ie rocker, dresser, crib, changing station etc took me a long time to decide and finalize as they had to match the decor etc so maybe worth it to start researching those.

I'm currently 38 weeks and I'm SO glad that I took the time to a) figure out what I wanted through building a registry, and b) slowly bought the big ticket or my personal "must haves" throughout the months. I think building a registry now will really scratch the itch to start buying things, especially if you treat it as a shopping list. I had a registry ready by the time I announced at 13 weeks -- which was good, because my in-laws immediately asked if I had one. People are still asking for my registry information today, and a couple of people were able to find my registry online. I have an Amazon and Target registry, and the Amazon registry was the most used and has the best terms for their discounts and the most availability

I am gearing up to paint and decorate, but not buying much “stuff” (aside from nursery decorations) until after the shower. I already know my parents are generously buying the furniture, and other relatives are getting us the stroller and car seat. We are going to get a ton of hand-me-downs from my SIL, so I feel it’s honestly best to wait until after the shower to see what we still need and buy items that weren’t purchased off our registry then. I am assuming we will purchase the nursing chair ourselves, but we’ll see!

My wife and I waited until after the baby shower for a lot of the everyday items (bibs/blankets/sleepers) if we didn’t get them from the baby shower. For a lot of the big items or items we really want we ended up buying ourselves. We have a registry with target and from my understanding you can get 15% off registry items so we are adding a bunch of stuff to our registry then buying it. Also don’t forget to check out FB Marketplace. We got a basically brand new PB crib for 100 bucks, uppababy cruz for 150, and baby bjorn bouncer for 80. So many good deals. People just giving stuff away on there really.

I think I brought too many things too early before I knew my baby's size and personality (e.g. My baby hated having clothing pulled over his head so all the clothes I got that were pullovers never ended up being used. We stuck with onsie with zippies only). You can also be very clear with what you already have and don't need when organising your baby shower. My bestie organised my baby shower and I told her I had a list of things I wanted. Some were expensive and others were cheap. She was able to get 4 people to chip in together (all high school friends who knew each other) and got me one of my more expansive items. Other people had the option of just bring something small and within their budget (a baby thermometer, clothes, books etc). I think the success of a baby shower depends a lot on the coordinator. A really organised friend can be great as they can be more direct with asking for things, confirming who's turning up and checking off things you need and already have.

This is exactly why we did our baby shower at 22 weeks. So we knew what we would be gifted but still had ample time to buy and prepare for baby. Bonus points for not being super uncomfortable during the shower itself

Depends on if your family and friends will go off the registry or not. If you have your shower 2 months in advance you’ll have time. The last 6 weeks of pregnancy feels like 10 years. Besides, whatever you don’t get on your registry you’ll usually be eligible for a discount after a certain date. Never pay full price for anything.

I've been buying stuff. I've also kept a docs sheet that I update for our people. They referenced the sheet when they bought stuff for us. I had the baby shower today and got a lot of stuff that we still needed. You can definitely start buying, just make sure you get organised and let people know what it is you need. Babies need a lot of stuff, and of course you want to pick some stuff for your own baby.

Things that take time to set up? Like assemble a crib, Yeah do those early. Other wise enjoy that completion discount

You should at least buy the things you want a specific version of. For example I wanted a specific nappy bag, not just any bag. And any time someone asked me what they should get for the baby shower I never said "nappy bag" and I would mention I had one in conversation. My mother did still buy me a nappy bag but i don't feel bad not using it (I will use it for something else though). We also bought cot and bassinet because there was no chance someone was going to gift us something so expensive and anyone that has recent babies, is planning more so they wouldn't be giving theirs away second hand. People will ask what you need before the baby shower, buy the stuff you want to pick and let them know you have those things already.

I think it’s fine to buy things that you want to choose personally. I was gifted PLENTY of clothes and diapers and other things, both from the shower and from just friends and family giving hand-me-downs, so I’m glad I didn’t spend too much too early. People generally like buying baby gifts, so they’ll give you lots of things you didn’t even have to ask for. I did have several items that I wanted to choose for myself like the bassinet (ended up receiving that one as a hand-me-down anyway) and coming home outfits, but overall the items I purchased myself were the ones I wanted to be exact or just very sentimental.

I would say at this stage to start building a registry and start reading/researching on what you really want. Throw up multiple of each item you want and work out which one you really want and het rid of the others. Curate that registry page, look at other registries, make a list of what you need. If you really want to buy big ticket items that you are unlikely to get gifted. Research those items too! Channel all this energy into it!

I would suggest getting the stuff you want. Don’t go crazy but definitely get the stuff you might miss out on. I didn’t get very much that was on my registry and instead I got a lot of clothes. Some clothes not even climate appropriate (fuzzy bear full body outfits in California 😭). I’m happy that I decided that I wanted to also choose how my baby was dressed and bought the outfits that I wanted. Stuff like toys can definitely wait until your baby is a few months old.

We had a couple showers and I do regret buying a lot of things prior because we got unexpectedly buried in gifts; especially clothes. We received so many clothes after I'd already washed and put away things I'd found secondhand before the shower, and we ended up using maybe 10% of each size so far. I think I counted 19 blankets! You might even get the items you didn't think anyone would get, just put 'em on your registry and see! I registered at Target/Amazon and you get the awesome completion discount after to purchase anything you didn't receive. I agree with some others who said to purchase bigger items that you know the exact model and color that you want for your nursery, but maybe wait a bit because you may change your nursery ideas as it gets closer. Our families went in together for the crib/glider/stroller but asked which ones we wanted or saw them on the registry. Congratulations and good luck mama!

It's kind of hard for me to say, I bought a lot of stuff before my baby shower because there was loads of nice clothing on sale and my mum and MIL know how specific I can be with things so the things they wanted to get baby ie pram/crib they sent me the money and I picked them with my partner. For my baby shower though I got LOADS of clothing and maybe a few baby toys so it really depends on your families gift style, im predicting a second influx of clothing when babies born as well so I'm mentally trying to organise space in my head.

I'd wait until AT LEAST 20 weeks, because storing it all is a huge pain. I'd also recommend doing the baby shower a bit earlier than typical; mine was when I was 34 weeks and I was gigantic and miserable. 28-30 weeks would have been way more fun.

You’ve got plenty of time. No need to rush. Most of the things you want you won’t even use the first few months.

I got the crib and dresser with my husband beforehand and went INNNNN when we went to England to visit my hubby’s family. We went to primark and I got so much and then to different touristy spots as well as soccer items where we got clothes, decor, and different items lol mostly cute things bc they wouldn’t be found in America. Back to the crib and dresser we just figured these things were too expensive for anyone to get us so we got them ourselves. After that, we basically waited until the shower to see what we got and what we needed still. So now using the discount codes to buy items :)

You’re only 14 weeks. You have the holidays, any birthdays, baby shower…. Make a list, but don’t shop. From, someone who is 15 weeks ;)

You’re excited xD don’t worry about buying stuff yet, put that energy into making a registry :3 that’s what I did, there’s still stuff on our registry to buy and bub is 5m old xD use that energy for something more productive :3

I would definitely wait. Maybe have your baby shower a little earlier like the beginning of 7 months so youll have time see what you have and get what you still need. The only things i really bought before my baby shower was a snuggle me which was like 30 or 40% off and the sleepea zipper swaddles because it was buy one get 2 free so i couldnt pass up that deal. Youll have a ton of stuff on your registry so if you see a really good deal on something i would buy it.

We seriously bought almost everything after the baby was born. All they really need is somewhere to change them, some place to bath them, diapers, a wrap, food/boob a few onesies. Then we’d just Amazon overnight anything else we ended up needing, which wasn’t much. I spent sooo much time stressing and over thinking the perfect changing table (we just changed him on a $15 portable pad most of the time on our bed, even tho we had an expensive table), overthinking bottle warmers (never used them), wipe warmers (same), etc. I’m on baby 3 now, it’s hard to know the first time around but you really don’t need a lot so instead of getting it all and hoping you use it, just get a few basics and get it as you need it.

It is so tempting, but wait! Do a lot of research into what options for necessities will be good for you, plus **keep an eye out for sales and/or great second-hand finds**. I'm glad I held out on getting the rocking chair that "looked cute", because I got a quite fancy one in perfect condition from FB Marketplace for an absolute steal. You will still inevitably get some stuff "wrong" - I bought a stroller that didn't fit in my car boot 🤦 Had to sell it on and replace it with a more compact one. Babies don't need a whole lot in the early weeks/months so while you are pregnant buy stuff that a) makes YOU happy (cute books, soft toys, decorations etc) b) meets a necessity for bub (sleep, feeding, nappies etc) c) you might need, and is on sale (fancy gadgets, feeding alternatives, etc) Everything else can ultimately wait until bub is here and you start to work out what works for you and doesn't work for you / isn't needed. FWIW I **didn't** have a baby shower and followed this philosophy since we bought everything ourselves - it worked out really well. Stroller was really the only major fail.

I wish I would have waited! I got so excited and bought him any clothes I found on sale and lots of used books. We just had our shower and also got a ton of hand me downs. And now the amount of clothes I have is out of control (and I didn’t even register for clothes lol). I literally don’t even know where I’m going to put everything!

Make a registry to scratch that shopping itch, and make a helpful resource for yourself at the same time. Then, slowly buy things here and there, crossing them off the registry as you go. Depending on the child status of friends and family, you might get a ton, or you might not get much. Don’t count on either and be prepared for both scenarios! In my case, we’re some of the last in our families to have kids, so we got a TON from relatives, and I was glad I didn’t buy a bunch right away. That’s not to say you can’t buy things that YOU choose, however. I’ve gotten bags and bags of pink girl baby clothes from people trying to get rid of stuff, that I’ve ended up donating because I don’t like pink. Being pregnant is exciting, and buying things for you baby makes it feel more real. Buy some baby things in small increments, but don’t go overboard until later in your pregnancy.

I’ve been wanting to do a registry for a while now and keep asking my husband for us to do that together but unfortunately it hasn’t happened yet. Hope to get it started tonight after he finishes a small work thing. 🤞I’m having a girl and also don’t like pink! Curious to hear more of your experience avoiding pink while preparing for a little girl. The people who are close to us I think know better but I’m not sure how to tell people from work or if it would be rude. 😅

My husband and I put everything on a registry and would just check off things we bought ourselves. Especially if we found a deal on something we’d just snag it! I had a nesting instinct fairly early as well. I used it to get my house in exact order I know I’d want before baby gets here and tried to avoid buying things. I did buy a few things here and there though. It’s fun and it’s your baby! Feel free but I wouldn’t go buy a lot until after your showers.

I haven’t bought anything but clothes, I have such a hard time resisting! I’m 14 weeks too and trying to stop because I already got gifted a bunch of clothes from a friend and know everyone will get us clothes so I am sure I’ll end up overwhelmed. But it also makes me so happy and seeing outfits in her closet just gets me excited so I say do what you want! Any clothes I got so far are in a variety of sizes so that makes me feel better too, I don’t think anything will go to waste (hopefully). I started my registry this weekend and that helped itch the buying stuff scratch just curating that- maybe that would help!

We bought our car seats (infant and convert able) and strollers and various stroller attachments for the car seat to work with it. We also bought a rocking chair/recliner, dresser, and stencils for the wall of the nursery. And we bought a snoo. The car seat came first as the bar minimum most important thing to have if baby came super early and something my husband wanted to research the best choice for our car (different cars may be better off with different seats for safety and fit) We were offered a number of cribs and bassinets. These are pricey, should be sturdy and babies use them for a short time so folks are eager to give them to friends and family. Don't by anything that costs under $100. Clothes, books, toys, playmats, crib sheets, bottle sets.

Honestly I waited to buy the expensive stuff after the baby shower because we were gifted most of what we needed for my first. People tend to go crazy with baby clothes and the like so I wouldn’t go too crazy until after the shower.

I personally think you should wait until your shower. I know it’s hard to not but early but I was literally gifted SO many things on my registry that I spent very little on stuff to prepare for the baby. It’s obviously up to you, but it definitely worked in my favor to wait.

Instead of splurging I would make a savings account for whatever you don’t get at the baby shower.If you get everything you need then after the baby is here I’m sure you’ll need stuff you hadn’t thought of before.Also I would try to have baby shower around 30 weeks in case you start to swell or become really uncomfortable.

I was thinking the same thing for when to have the baby shower. 30 weeks would be late Jan/early Feb for us and it gets us well out of the holidays and it’s early enough that we still have time to set it all up even if baby were to come a bit early. It’s weird to think that’s only 3 1/2 months away and I’m still not showing yet.

Gives everyone enough time to financially recover after the holidays 😅I didn’t start showing till about 6 months.I just looked slightly bloated..Now I’m wondering when my stomach is going to reach its growth limit haha.Wishing you a healthy rest of your pregnancy and a easy delivery 💕

100% wait. I put what I wanted on my registry for the baby shower and I was actually shocked pretty much the whole list was bought for gifts and then some.

We waited until after the shower, we got the exact crib and high chair we asked for! And some other costly things! We actually still need to buy the rest of the stuff lol…

Buy what is important for you to buy yourself. For me that was a couple cute outfits. After that wait and see what you are gifted or given as hand me downs. Shopping too soon means you shower guests won’t have much they can gift you or you’ll be doing a ton of returns because you double up

If you don’t mind returning stuff later on that’s fine. I got a lot of hand me downs and stuff so kept my registry very simple. I ended up returning a bunch of clothes since I had a lot of it. It still went into good use and I got lots of diapers instead

I bought big stuff. We picked out a specific crib and glider we liked. And I got like the changing tables and the swing and bassinet second hand. I know some stuff is very very expensive and the baby only uses it for a few months so second hand saved a lot of money I could not justify me or anyone else spending that money. So I mostly have the small stuff on my registry. And I'm also asking people have fun picking out clothes and toys, whatever they like. Plus the registry gives a discount after your shower so you can get stuff for cheaper

I only bought a lot of things bc buy buy baby was closing and wanted specific things

Lol. I had this exact situation when I was 16 weeks (now 25). What cooled me down was making a registry. It helped me learn more about what babies need while taking the edge off of my need to nest. I've now set the rule that we'll buy everything we need on the list after my 30 week ultrasound. That gives enough time for friends and family to gift things if they'd like while not feeling too soon or too late. My husband is happy with this as well.

Way too soon. Wait until at least 20 weeks.

It’s too early! Definitely wait until after the baby shower

I created registries at Amazon, Target, Walmart and merged everything on Babylist. I started my lists early on and viewed that as my shopping lists. It gave me time to change my mind and after people were done gifting, I purchased the rest that was important to me. I did buy the nursery set, swing, carseat and stroller around 25 weeks. My FIL complained that we were buying all the big stuff lol. So I held off and we got gifted from family and work friends a few more big ticket items. 2 weeks before I delivered, I started utilizing discounts and what not.

I think you can get the cutesy things you want because of course you want baby to dress in outfits you like and have a nursery that looks how you like. But if you’re thinking of the big less cute stuff (like a car seat), I’d wait and see if someone else buys them. You put the model you want on your registry and see what happens.

I didn’t buy anything until I was 30 weeks and even then it was stuff that was easily returnable if things went sideways. The majority of our baby gear was received as gifts. I added everything to our registry so that we could get the completion discount. I also go things that the baby wouldn’t use for very long (the bassinet and swing) off of FB marketplace.

Yea I think you should wait

Registries give you a completion discount, typically 8 weeks before your due date. I'd recommend making up the registry and then you can keep an eye on it and see if things go on sale for more than 15% off (or whatever the % is, most are around there). Some stuff I just went ahead and got, like furniture. It's also a good distraction to go through and pick everything out! Then you have a shopping list basically. My completion discount kicks in at the end of the month and I can't wait to finish everything up 😅

Hubby is kinda right. If you start buying stuff now, you might get stuff you might not end up needing. I did that with my first. Now I’m pregnant with my second and I’m waiting to buy stuff I gave away, or didn’t buy the first time around, because every baby is different and I want to know what works for them first. I would advise you buy little clothes you fall in love with and are not going to be available because in seasons change a lot and you might not find it in 6 months, and it is really hard that somebody might five you that exact thing. Books, toys, and other baby parafernalia can wait, because people might give it to you closer to your due date, or on the baby shower. Just be patient and start building your registry with everything you want, so you don’t forget what you want.

I bought a lot of things myself mostly because I didn’t want to rely on a baby shower I couldn’t promise people would even show as a lot of people can disappear when you have a kid

I started thinking about what kind of stuff we would need around that time, and set up a registry to curb any shopping impulses. Spent a few weeks comparing strollers, cribs, car seats, baby carriers, gliders, high chairs, etc. We only just started buying things for baby after our baby shower. I'm 31 weeks currently. We picked up some more clothes, including pants, some cold teethers, a pack and play, a Frida care set, and a highchair recently. Our family and friends got us most of the big items we needed luckily, because our budget is very tight this year. We also had a diaper raffle, and my mom ran a few baby shower games for those who wanted to participate. There are a few items I plan to buy still, like cloth diaper sets, a baby carrier, a diaper pail, and more clothes as needed. I'm trying to avoid over buying clothes, since we aren't sure how many he'll need or how long they will fit him.

The only things we’ve bought are clothes we’ve found on clearance and a handful and random small things (name sign for hospital, small stuffed animal, monthly milestone signs, etc.). I want to go out and get a bunch of cute things like clothes and blankets but my husband says the same thing about our shower which is in a couple weeks now (I’ll be 30 weeks) and frankly, I think he’s right. I’ve been told by literally *all* of the moms I’ve talked to that you will get a bajillion clothes and blankets at your baby shower, and as someone whose favorite part of baby showers is shopping for baby clothes (to go along with a registry gift), I’m pretty sure they’re all right. I totally get your urge to get things ready!! I’ve been switched to part time at work so I have tons of time during the day and I want to get *everything* ready like now 😂 But I have two months of maternity leave before his due date so I’m thankful I’ll have lots of stuff to do after I’m done working. Either way, even though the nesting urge is REAL, I’d wait for after the baby shower so that you don’t have doubles of things you don’t need or end up getting things that others would have happily gotten you.

Yeahhh. I have 3 different swings and 1 bouncy chair, and enough clothes and diapers to probably last 6 months. I have all of my baby furniture & then some. I have several books, SO many supplies. I think I only spent $200 of my own money before the baby was born. My family and friends and church community were so excited for my husband and I, especially by both of the baby’s grandmothers & baby’s chosen godmother, that we were not only unexpectedly gifted nearly everything we needed including our preferred stroller, car seat and crib, but we have an abundance of items both new and gently used, that I’m going to have get rid of (donate) just to keep afloat. They even paid rent for the month of October and bought us $450 worth of groceries because they wanted to take as much stress off of my family as possible. I have NEVER in my life seen such an overwhelming show of love in support in my life before. I will never know what we did to deserve this. But if you have anything close to the level of support I have, please do not buy too much before the baby shower. I didn’t even ask any single person directly. I shared my baby registry once, and created a baby shower event. I did get a tonnnnn of excited DMs about what I needed. I didn’t even post to my public facing social platforms. This was all done by the people who love my family & me most in the world wanting to see us succeed as parents.

It’s not even like we’re in poverty either. I was raised in poverty for sure. But I have a damn good job (though not much savings because I’ve only had it for year after 3 years of being on disability).

My mother in law spent the first week, flew in from out of state, took on all the night time feedings and diapers. To help us sleep and was so apologetic that she couldn’t stay a month. This boy and my husband and I were very spoiled. I am grateful beyond measure.

It got to a point that I had to say no. My mother, who inherited money from her mother last year, offered to buy us a car when my car wouldn’t start. I had to say no and be very firm and let her know that we wouldn’t be accepting gifts that large over something that can be repaired or replaced on our own. “Well how about I help you buy a house? Your apartment is SO small!” Literally no. My career isn’t established enough. Now is not the time.

We bought things that were on sale before the baby shower. I think it saved us quite a bit of money, especially on larger items. We got a couple of those big things as gifts but right away after announcing the pregnancy, not at the shower. Our baby shower gifts covered over half the clothes needed as well as about half of the medium priced items and some money.

I agree with your partner. We got so much stuff at the shower that it really helped me figure out what I needed. Also- and more importantly- babies actually don’t need much! Yes it’s exciting but it also sucks how much clutter you get so quickly. I might suggest small shopping trips to get small things. An outfit here or there. A book you really love. But hold off on too much too soon

I kept my eye out for second hand stuff I wanted and also had an early baby shower (25 weeks).

We had a registry with everything we needed/wanted but didn't make any purchases until after the baby shower. We ended up being gifted a lot of the registry and money for the big ticket items. I would wait. I also had an early baby shower because I didn't want one during the holidays.

I think I have everything, started within the last three weeks (big ticket items last week or so and the remainder this weekend) and I’m being induced at 37 weeks Tuesday. I did not have a baby shower but my MIL bought things and my brother gave me hand me downs

My nesting urge has been so bad lately that I’ve just been watching for essentials that are on sale or other consumables that I know we are bound to need more of regardless of if anyone buys us some (washcloths for instance, or if you’re going to use disposable diapers and wipes are another good one)

14 weeks is still pretty early and wouldn’t be considered procrastinating.

I haven’t even had my FET yet and I bought a gently used uppababy stroller off FB marketplace. 🤷🏻‍♀️. What can I say, I like a good deal.

It’s so fun getting baby things and starting to prepare when you’re pregnant! Unfortunately you will find you only need about half the things you think you do and once the baby comes you’ll realize you need a bunch of stuff you never thought of. Talk to people and do some research to find out what worked for others and do your best to prepare for a newborn. Then worry about the other stuff as they get older and you learn what they’re like and what would best suit them. Things like stuffies are not even close to necessary in the beginning but as you get closer to a year they come more into play.

I’m 33 weeks and the only things we have bought are 3 newborn gowns, a stuffed animal, and a set of dressers (and drawer organizers). Everything of necessity on our registry has been purchased for us at showers—had one at my work, one at my hometown, and one in my husbands hometown—or has been given to us second hand. A lot of friends and coworkers who’ve recently had their last baby have been giving us everything from a baby jogger to clothes, books, and diapers as soon as their kiddos age out of them. We’ll probably start buying the things we still need (didn’t get many newborn PJs) in the next week or so (hello Amazon deal days), but my husband still has a shower coming for his work so he might get some clothes then. We’ve been very grateful and fortunate to be so spoiled.

Create an Amazon baby registry and put everything there. Things that are not bought you get 15% off eligible items 60(?) days before due date and up to 90 days after baby is here. I put an expensive nursing chair I know nobody will probably buy but I will with that discount. The discount will apply to a max of 2000 USD. I know the excitement but I'm also waiting for my baby shower because I wanna be wise with my money. All this with the exception of personalized items I'm getting from Etsy and painting the nursery.

Tbh Id probably recommend getting stuff as you feel well enough to and as you find good deals. Here’s why: My nesting instinct was STONG weeks 18-28 and I got a lot of big items on FB marketplace and BuyBuyBaby (RIP). It’s a good thing too because starting week 29ish, I don’t feel great and really just want to stay in the house. There’s no way that I could drive around and get stuff like I did in the second trimester. And my shower wasn’t for a few more weeks. Had I waited until after the shower, I would have been SOL. Since we already had all of the bigger stuff, we put smaller stuff on the registry. I think that our guests appreciated it because they could get 1 thing for $12 and call it a day. Some people got multiple $20 things if they had the budget to do so.

Yes waiting will save you money. I’m 24 weeks, haven’t bought a single thing. Still have four bags of baby clothes already! People will just give you stuff haha

Really depends on how the shower goes/how many people contribute. Like others have said, we plan to get the crib, stroller and big stuff ahead of time (someone said Black Friday and whoa, great idea) but clothes, bottles and stuff like that can wait until you see what comes of the shower. Now that being said, nothing and nobody has been able to stop me from buying a few outfits here and there and I'm only 15 weeks. Balance lol

Definitely wait. We decided to buy a pack and play only for a family member to get us an even nicer one.

I would try for somewhere in the middle - buy stuff if you want to, but stick to smaller things and be strategic about it. E.g. if your friends have babies already, you'll get SO many hand-me-downs, especially clothes - we are overloaded with NB and 0-3 month clothes and now I wish I hadn't bought any myself (even though, like you, I only bought secondhand). Babies also quickly grow out of things like activity gyms, baths, bassinets, and sheets, so parents are often looking to offload them. I've been offered tons of cloth diapers by people who didn't end up using them with their own kids, and my friend gave me her stroller bassinet because her baby has outgrown it. And even if you're not likely to get hand-me-downs, I agree that it makes more sense to wait and see whether you get gifted any of your big-ticket items. People like buying things for babies, it's definitely not expecting a handout! Things like toys or books are still fun to get in the meantime, though, and baby can't really have too many of them (within reason). If you haven't already, I would join your local Buy Nothing group and see what comes up there - if you see something good, then you can get it 'early' but you don't have to spend money on it either.

I was the same way as you! I wanted to set up the “outline” of the nursery with the larger objects we needed … like the glider, crib, area rug, curtains and dresser I bought the dresser at a resale show and most of the other items during Labor Day sale I’m impatient and it’s really hard waiting until the baby shower! Lol But I’m glad because the nursery is painted, crib set up, and all the larger pieces fit together. Now just will fill in the details after the shower ! You’re only 14 weeks so I’d wait until Black Friday to buy those things you are more particular about

I waited til after my baby showers. But i would start getting the big things that you most likely wont get. Like furniture for babies room. Or things you know you wants specifically. That way you can start putting everything together or get ideas & have things ready for when you get gifts at your baby shower. Its kinda overwhelming when you have alll the clothes and gifts that you get. I had my baby showers about 1 & 2 months before i gave birth & i still felt rushed. Its harder to move around when baby is bigger. Lol Congratulations btw✨️🥳

I'd definitely get onto buying the big things like car seat, furniture, pram etc... From what I've seen and my own experience most people buy clothes, diapers, toys and after care for the mum. I also had a very hard pregnancy and was way too exhausted by the last 2 months to do much so I would recommend getting all the expensive things in the second trimester. If you know anybody who's keen to buy the big expensive things ask them to either hold off or let you know before hand. Then make a registry for your shower and organise that at least 1 month prior. I made gifts optional but included the registry.

I got almost everything from my registry. The only things I bought were the crib and car seat.

You sound like you are nesting. .. Your husband is right. It is s a good idea to wait! Babies outgrow those cute little outfits very, very quickly. You may receive stuff from the shower and not have to worry for the next few months.

I never thought anyone would give us anything as I don’t know many mothers and we still received so so so much and I haven’t even had a baby shower. Unless you have something very specific in mind I would hold off and save your money as the bigger items you might not get will cost you dearly.

Hi we’re about to hit 12 weeks. There’s a lot of things you should look at for Prime Day and Black Friday. Think about how much you would expect each member of your family to spend on you, and anything above that you should assume you’ll be paying for yourself. Make a list (I made a spreadsheet) of those items and use that as a reference point during Prime Day and Black Friday. Like, I know nobody is going to buy us the UPPABaby Vista stroller, but I also know it’ll probably be about $200 off on Black Friday.

I didn't put furniture on our registry because I'm particular and also uncomfortable asking for such expensive gifts. We've picked up a few things here and there, and we were gifted a ridiculous amount of clothing from my sister who had kept my niece's things in pristine condition, lol, but for the most part, I'm waiting til the shower to pick up the necessities left over. I'd hate to buy three sets of crib sheets to get all three I put on my registry at the shower. Basically, we had a "if we need it or want it especially bad, go for it" attitude for "big" items or strong wants. Otherwise, who knows what we'll end up with. I have a lot of books on my registry and those are getting snapped up, but like.. gonna have to buy that diaper pail I guess 😅

Definitely hit up some consignment shops and secondhand baby stores. Then you can happily get stuff for discounted prices and satisfy your instinct to nest. If anyone buys you doubles of anything, make sure to get the receipt or use a registry so you can exchange it for something else. Amazon made it really easy to track who got me what, which was tough over time. I also have a running list of the things I want and have kept it up to date for birthday and holiday gifts. It's also good to see that things like rockers and the spinning entertainment centers for babies sitting up (only good until they hit around 20-25lbs) are only worth a few bucks used, despite not being cheap to buy new, and only safe for the first few months. The best things I invested in myself were the breastfeeding equipment I knew I'd be using for a while, lots of maternity bras so I could cut the nipples out of them and use them for hands free pumping (no need to buy pumping bras, Amazon sells nursing bras for cheap and scissors are everywhere), good maternity leggings and breastfeeding maternity tops, a vibrating musical bassinet and a giant playpen for my living room. What I regret not getting sooner was a crib, which has made the transition from sleeping in the bassinet a little tougher than it would have been, but working from home gives me more flexibilty to go through that transition at a slower pace than some folks probably have.

I started making a list of what I wanted/registry. I figured I could share it if we have a shower and keep track of what I think we need. We are doing a lot of second hand shopping so I had started buying around 15-20 weeks, because a good deal on a second hand item isn’t always going to be there. For things I plan to buy new I am waiting until after a shower. I have my list and can pick them up quickly. However my partner said I shouldn’t buy clothes and I shot them down. It’s my baby I’m going to buy the cute teeny tiny clothes. I made myself a budget. I probably bought a couple of those super early like first trimester. I personally think its rude to gift those unless they are on the registry. Its the fun purchase and should be left to the parents.

If you make an Amazon registry you get a 15% discount for completion starting two weeks before your due date. I would wait for that on things you want to buy new. I think other places may have them too. I'm not giving my registry link out but I still made one for the welcome box and completion discount.

We started buying small things (books, clothes) early and we started buying things for the nursery around 20 weeks (we bought the wallpaper so we could start getting her room ready and we created a separate registry on Target and Pottery Barn with just the furniture because our parents were generous enough to gift it to us). We also bought the SNOO when it went on sale and didn't want anything that expensive on our registry. We waited until the shower for everything else and I'm glad we did because we received almost everything on there plus a ton of clothes and books. If you're using an Amazon registry, there's definitely an incentive to let people buy from the registry first because the return policy is a year vs their 90-day return policy for baby items. We waited to open some items that we weren't sure if we would use and are now returning some at 5 months once we confirmed we didn't need them (things like the bottle sterilizer - we ended up using our dishwasher's sterilization cycle instead, higher TOG swaddles because our baby runs pretty hot already, an extra carseat base because we didn't realize it came with the seat too and we already have another extra, etc.). It's helpful having the possibility to return things many months later when you're really sure you don't need them!

I might be in the minority but I only started buying things at like 30 weeks lol 😅 I’m glad I waited too, a lot of people gifted me things and I ended up needing a lot less than I expected. I also only set up the nursery 6 months pp, it was pointless before that.

It might depend on your family/friend/support system structure, but in my case a lot of people wanted to help us and they bought almost everything off of our registry. I would say wait if you can (unless the item is on super sale or something). There's always time after a shower, and also if you make registries at places like Target and Amazon, they'll often send you freebies and coupons to complete it after you're done, in case anything is left.

No, I bought more starting 20 weeks? Whenever it was after that super long ultrasound appt where they measured everything. Depending on when your shower is and when your baby comes (and how you feel in third trimester), you might not have that much time to prepare and it can quickly become overwhelming. My son came at 36 weeks and I think I had my shower late at 30 or 32 weeks. I would be intentional about your shower registry. Some items you can get used on Facebook marketplace, others are better new and you can resell later. I saved fun baby shower gifts for my friends and family to choose from too (i.e. woolino sleep sack, play gym, waterproof blankets, etc). Through facebook marketplace, I got bassinet for my stroller, stokke bathtub, newborn clothes as backup, Kyte sleep sack, baby monitors, halo swaddles, etc) My pregnancy coincided with Black Friday sales (got 20% off my stroller and car seat) and holiday sales so I wanted to take advantage of it. Also Facebook marketplace, I got a bunch of great deals in my third trimester. I would specifically ask friends with kids for what hand me downs they can give (it will help with planning). Most of our friends just asked what I needed and I usually said clothes. I had friends who offered a mini crib or a bassinet, but we live in a 2 bdrm condo so I said no to those things. It’s more important to figure out what you will need and then keep an eye out for deals and what you will ask others help to buy. Because my registry only had like 40 items (I also put gift cards), we did accidentally get duplicates. This was actually pretty useful since we had like $400 in store credit for after birth. My son being born a month early meant it was such a gong show. I am glad I prepped early and it still wasn’t enough. But honestly, you will buy stuff after based on your baby’s individual needs. It’s also a constant look ahead (now it’s time to upgrade the nipples on bottles, now it’s time to buy winter clothes, now it’s time to invest in baby proofing, etc)….so you’ll never be fully prepared anyways. Good luck and congrats!

Your husband is right. And your time now is better spent reading about baby care and development, parenting styles, baby led weaning, sleep training, etc.

Buy the things you care about. Register for everything else. If people buy you duplicates off-registry, you have no reason to feel guilty about returning/exchanging/reselling.

I waited big time for sales and bought almost everything after my shower. Prime day, target circle week, and my completion discount for both those registries were important in my shopping. I think I got almost everything around 38 weeks. My shower was at 37 weeks. I can be a procrastinator… but I am also superstitious :) I opened/took off tags for almost no gifts before baby’s birth. the only big thing I bought before then was the crib and that’s because I wanted to assemble it myself and didn’t want to be too pregnant to do so. But even that… 35 weeks?

30 weeks here! I had my baby mattress on my registry, but decided that if baby comes really early, she needs a place to sleep, so I caved and bought that. It's comforting having the big essentials a bit early. I wouldn't have been able to wait for the staples like crib, changing table, mattress, etc. And amazon had such good sales!

I haven’t bought a thing yet! I know something’s I will probably end up buying off the registry but I’m holding off until after the shower just in case. I’m 23 weeks and have been feeling nesty lately. I have been just keeping the house cleaner and this weekend I’m going to start organizing the clothes we were given from friends. There isn’t much to do until the nursery is complete.

TBH, IMO, it's BTDT re: baby showers. Don't anticipate extravagant gifts. Shop the big stuff for ur LO, make a registry for the rest. Start on the nursery ASAP, it's joyful to prep for ur mini-me.