When did you start buying things?

TeacherTiff

Another MoM that I know said she didn't buy anything until 30 WEEKS! Although not "normal", they could be here by then.

At what point did you feel comfortable in your pregnancy to start buying things? 

zsvendsen

I didn't really start until after my shower, which was 26 or 27 weeks. So kind of late, I guess! I didn't want to start before I knew genders, and I wanted to wait until my shower in case people bought "off-list" (which they did).

I'm still getting stuff, but the majority of the big stuff is taken care of by now.

leslie13510

I bought a few little things like some clothes, and other small randoms, around 20 weeks (right after my a/s), but then didn't buy anything else until about 23-24 weeks because of my cervix scare and cerclage.  Once we knew the cerclage was doing its job, and I made it to viability, I felt comfortable buying big things like cribs, dressers, etc. 

lrrb

I'm days away from 30 weeks and the thought of just starting on baby items makes me ill.  I'm SO far beyond shopping and doing a nursery I can't even explain it in words on here.  I've hit a HUGE wall.  For me my goal was to get everything done around 24-26 weeks and Im SO glad I did it then.  Don't wait until 30 weeks its a big mistake.....

macchiatto

I bought my first few things after my 20w u/s; my local MoM sale was the next day so I bought an EZ-2-Nurse pillow and a few clothes and PJs and things. I didn't buy a ton more (except a few major items like the DSNG and swing when I found good deals) until after my showers so I'd have a better idea of what I needed. I had a shower at 26w and another at 29w so I did most of the shopping between 27-30w.

ardilla

I bought a few tiny things (a few unisex pieces of clothing, etc) the first 19 weeks. At that point I picked out our nursery furniture, but was going to hold off buying till I hit 24 weeks. However, there was a chest being discontinued from the line I wanted, so I went ahead and got it at that point. At 21 weeks, my dad volunteered to buy one crib, and my mom volunteered to buy the other (they are divorced). Since they were offering, I took them up on it! Unfortunately, I wound up in the hospital from about 22w to 29w, then on full bedrest, so my DH wound up having to do the rest pretty much by himself. If I was doing it over again, I'd have made more choices early -- not bought, but had the plans in place.

natb22

I started buying things after we found out at our anatomy scan we were having girls (20w) not because I was afraid of a m/c but because I wanted to buy gender specific things

LakeGenevaBride

I didn't buy any major items until after my 20 week u/s.  However, I had been researching and browsing up until then.  

ougrad1

I found out genders at 11.5 weeks through CVS testing.  I felt comfortable to start buying major things at 22 weeks.

HaleyLady

ardilla:

I bought a few tiny things (a few unisex pieces of clothing, etc) the first 19 weeks. At that point I picked out our nursery furniture, but was going to hold off buying till I hit 24 weeks. However, there was a chest being discontinued from the line I wanted, so I went ahead and got it at that point. At 21 weeks, my dad volunteered to buy one crib, and my mom volunteered to buy the other (they are divorced). Since they were offering, I took them up on it! Unfortunately, I wound up in the hospital from about 22w to 29w, then on full bedrest, so my DH wound up having to do the rest pretty much by himself. If I was doing it over again, I'd have made more choices early -- not bought, but had the plans in place.

My parents are doing this too. We have been waiting until the a/s at the end of the month. We already picked cribs, but they are out of stock as soon as they come back in we are ordering them. 

Rangergal9

lrrb:

I'm days away from 30 weeks and the thought of just starting on baby items makes me ill.  I'm SO far beyond shopping and doing a nursery I can't even explain it in words on here.  I've hit a HUGE wall.  For me my goal was to get everything done around 24-26 weeks and Im SO glad I did it then.  Don't wait until 30 weeks its a big mistake.....

Well considering I am the one who waited until 30 weeks, I don't think it was a big mistake as everything worked out fine!  I knew two people who lost twins right around 20-22 wks pg, so I was extremely paranoid about losing them and then having all this stuff in my house, like they did.  Plus we didn't need a lot.  Everything was ordered online and shipped to us, so I didn't have to do any shopping in the store. My DH put the cribs together, painted, and hung stuff up.  We didn't even start their nursery until 34 weeks.   It took one weekend to do everything.  All we ended up using in the beginning was the RNPs in our room, car seats, swaddles, clothes, bottles, and then the swings in the living room.  Their nursery which my DH worked hard on actually went unused for the first 4 weeks! In the end you don't even need that much stuff anyway. 

Babsie7

We got a guess on sexes at 12 weeks, but I didn't start buying specific items until it was confirmed at the anatomy scan at 18 weeks.

afwifestrecker7706

We got a few things gender neutral around 12 weeks. We got the big stuff after the a/s at 18weeks. I am still getting stuff and it is getting harder to be in stores now. I was also trying to get as much done as I could as quick as I could cause of worries of bedrest which thankfully we have not had to deal with yet but I am glad I am almost done and don't have to stress.

s270453

I started buying things around 10-12 weeks.  I wanted to spread out expenses.  Our budget couldnt handle big expenses at once!

lrrb

Rangergal9:

lrrb:

I'm days away from 30 weeks and the thought of just starting on baby items makes me ill.  I'm SO far beyond shopping and doing a nursery I can't even explain it in words on here.  I've hit a HUGE wall.  For me my goal was to get everything done around 24-26 weeks and Im SO glad I did it then.  Don't wait until 30 weeks its a big mistake.....

Well considering I am the one who waited until 30 weeks, I don't think it was a big mistake as everything worked out fine!  I knew two people who lost twins right around 20-22 wks pg, so I was extremely paranoid about losing them and then having all this stuff in my house, like they did.  Plus we didn't need a lot.  Everything was ordered online and shipped to us, so I didn't have to do any shopping in the store. My DH put the cribs together, painted, and hung stuff up.  We didn't even start their nursery until 34 weeks.   It took one weekend to do everything.  All we ended up using in the beginning was the RNPs in our room, car seats, swaddles, clothes, bottles, and then the swings in the living room.  Their nursery which my DH worked hard on actually went unused for the first 4 weeks! In the end you don't even need that much stuff anyway. 

 

So glad it worked out for you at 30 weeks.  I on the other hand am a hot mess and couldn't do it now.  If you want to wait until 30 weeks to buy everything then go for it.  But in MY experience I couldn't do it.  And I needed A LOT of stuff so maybe thats the big difference in waiting.  You NEVER know what your going to feel like in the 3rd tri.  

MrsLnt

I ordered my cribs around 25 weeks maybe, because it was tax-free weekend here. Anything else, I waited until after my shower which was around 27 weeks. I bought a lot of stuff on Amazon with 2 day prime shipping between 31 and 37 weeks.

TeacherTiff

Thanks everyone! I am definitely a planner and waiting until the 3rd tri would be too much for me. On the other hand, we know someone who just lost twins at 20w (though she had complications from the beginning) so it's hard to get over that fear. I don't know that it will ever go away though. And like someone else said, spreading out expenses is always good!

I appreciate your input!

violaplayer

Around 25ish weeks. Unless there was a great sale on a must have....

amanda31H

I never considered not buying things in case something happened with my pregnancy.  Don't get me wrong....I had a lot of concerns and some tough moments, but  I just lived my life with the information that I had.  I personally would have gone crazy if I held out on doing things in case I lost one or both of them.

So we ordered our cribs around 20 weeks when I found what I wanted.  We started working on the nursery at the very beginning of second tri, and by my shower (at 29 weeks) the entire nursery was set-up including curtains hung, furniture assembled, etc.  Prior to that I bought a couple pieces of clothing, but that's it.

We didn't use the nursery as a place for the girls to sleep until they were about 12 weeks, but we used it for changing diapers, nursing in the beginning (when I wasn't tandem feeding), and it housed all the supplies.  I loved having it all set-up and complete in advance.

I got tons of stuff at my shower, and then I shopped for the other items I needed immediately after.  I had all the clothes hung (left a lot of tags on, but hung nonetheless), diapers put away, wipes out and ready to go, etc. by 33 weeks.

Mrs. Alice

I went out and bought some boy clothes on the way home from the a/s.  I bought cribs at 23 weeks and the rest of the stuff I bought or was given to me after they were born, but before they came home.

cookiemonster03

We also knew the sexes at 13w due to CVS.

We didn't buy anything until 22ish weeks. Partially out of mild paranoia, but more because we didn't see a need to order things so early. We ordered the cribs then, and after our shower (we registered at 17 or 18w) we picked up the couple of things we needed. We did most of our shopping online, so really, not a big deal timing wise.

sarahvarno

We started buying little things once we got passed the 20 week mark.

caitdana

I felt comfortable after 24 weeks but didnt get around till 26 weeks and then the girls suprisingly came the next week.