Reasonable places to shop for baby ???

tishiewishie

Hi,
would anyone recommend reasonable places to start shopping for a new baby. It's gonna be my first and so must get everything from furniture to clothes to toys...
Any help would be appreciated!

Ayla

When I was shopping for my first child, I did a lot on eBay. It's quite possible to get collections of preused (but virtually brand-new) baby clothes, and we got our sling, wrap, bouncing chair, cloth nappies/terries and day cot through eBay for very reasonable rates.

It's very easy to get carried away, but if you want cheap & cheerful (and perfectly usuable) you can get great deals online and/or in your local adverts. Your baby won't know the difference anyway.

Moonbeam

kiddicare.com
tkmaxx
Dunnes Stores
Marks and Spencers (expensive but lasts well)
Next
Pennys
H & M
Tesco
and of course e-bay.

I have bought so many gorgeous brand new things for the girls on e-bay.

We got our buggy,cot,car seats,double buggy,feeding chair and probably more from kiddicare.
Bought my baby slings in tkmaxx.(babasling and samsonite)
I have to admit my girls are mostly dressed in Next clothes because I love them,and epople keep giving them as presents.They are usually too expensive but the sales are great.
Tesco sell the vests that wrap around rather then go on over their heads,I find these less stressful but discovered it late on.
Dunnes is great for baby clothes,their stuff is gorgeous.
Tescos stuff washes well and they often have 3 for 2 offers on baby clothes.

bulmersgal

There's no one shop, you have to go to them all and price everything. Mothercare have some good offers but very dear on some normal stuff. Tesco is quite cheap for clothes and the quality is good. But the best is looking out for stuff on sale. Kiddicare.com is great for ordering prams and cots but i got mine just as cheap on sale.

But i honestly priced everything remember bottles where 2.50 in boots but 4.50 in mothercare. It doesn't sound much but everything adds up. I know boots are having a 3 for 2 on all baby stuff at the moment

wmpdd3

Adverts.ie

I've borrowed what I could and bought everything else 2nd hand. it amazes me how little people use things, Some things I've only used maybe 5 time and have put it away.

And that's not even clothes.

wmpdd3

Agree too with pricing.

I got my friend to do a list and I priced everything....

I couldn't go clothes shopping so I did this!!

Sean Bateman

Never buy a second hand car seat though. It may have been in a crash already and therefore be unsafe.

Also, if you're getting a second hand cot or Moses basket, buy a new mattress and sheets. Vomit from other babies (together with cigarette smoke) is thought to be a factor in cot deaths.

How Strange

I got the cot and pushchair second hand online. Adverts.ie, buy and sell and gumtree are great for second hand stuff. I tried eBay but was always outbid to point that it was no cheaper than other websites.

I got most of the clothes second hand from friends.

As someone else said, don't get a used car seat as it could be damaged or more importantly it might not be suitable for your car. Go to a store where you'll get advice on the right seat for your car and where they show you how to fit it.

If you're buying equipment and clothes don't buy too much in advance because you won't know what you'll use until the baby arrives. I've about 8 ikea grobags that I've never used because I still swaddle him in a blanket.

My advice is to take everything you're offered (as long as you like it of course) because buying baby stuff is expensive.

hoodwinked

smyths nursery section often do sales so keep an eye out there, even outside of sales they still can be the cheapest for furniture/car seats/buggies...etc,


i've found alot of people recommend tesco babygros for long legged babys while dunnes are great for normal length leg babies,

as for clothes/toys, i would buy as you go after the baby is born, as you'll a: get loads as gifts from people and b:go through them so fast.

just buy a weeks worth to get you started.


good luck and don't worry too much, most people end up with way more stuff then they need or use.

sillysocks

I got my cot and a chair for the nursery. (don't even really need one!) on Kiddicare.co.uk.

I'd defintely second the wrap vests at tesco, they're brilliant especially when baby is newborn. The fold out flat so no need to try pull them over the head. I went back and bought them in a range of sizes and still use them now three months later. They don't often have them in every size so I check every time I'm In there.

Squiggler

sillysocks wrote: »

I'd defintely second the wrap vests at tesco, they're brilliant especially when baby is newborn. The fold out flat so no need to try pull them over the head.

I think this also goes for anything else you're going to put on the baby. We got lovely little bodysuits (tesco) and rompers/sleepsuits (Debenhams) that open out completely flat and fasten with poppers. Don't want to be trying to pull things over the head of a cranky baby, or trying to stuff legs into tubes while half asleep with a wriggling baby.

tishiewishie

Thanks so much to all for your help, ye're great. There's so much to think about isn't there, just trying to be prepared but won't worry as much now.

Shifty

I heard this on Dragon's Den:

www.babybay.ie

liliq

Shifty wrote: »

I heard this on Dragon's Den:

www.babybay.ie

+1 on this one... was having a look on it recently and while it's not huge at the moment it's definitely worth keeping an eye on- there were some great bargains on maternity clothes, buggies, electrical stuff like sterilisers, and pieces of furniture.

Also, heybaby.ie is another website I like to keep an eye on- they do special offers each week, and have some gorgeous things for higher and lower ends of the price scale!

I've never been able to resist the Next sale for stocking up on bits for gifts for my friends babies, and I love when Gap have sales as well!