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Adoption
When did you start making baby purchases?
Our SW has told us that she has the gut feeling that we will be matched quickly and in our parenting workshop this weekend they made sure to emphasize to keep the basics on hand in case of a quick placement. So when did you start making purchases? Did you just buy the basics until you knew gender? I know we've had several people tell us that they want to do a shower for us once we receive our placement but I wasn't sure where to start before then! I want to be prepared but I don't want to have to look at tons of baby stuff if our wait goes longer. WWYD?
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Re: When did you start making baby purchases?
I am taking it slow.
I think I will start accruing the essentials after the holidays.
I know that my family and friends will step up if we do have a speedy placement. I see the prep and shopping part a good diversion while we wait.
That said, I did just "win" on ebay a nursery bedding set which I have LOVED for years. https://www.wendybellissimo.com/products/product_detail.php?id=63
I can't wait to see it in person!
If you know you are getting an infant, I would get a changing table, diaper genie (unless you plan on cloth diapers), a small package each of size 1 and 2 diapers, 6 bottles, baby wipes and warmer, desitin/balmex, 6-10 onesies, 3-4 jammies, some burp cloths/diapers, diaper bag, a car seat and a PNP.
Everything else can wait until you know size/age/gender. We knew it was a girl, so we were able to get a girly car seat/stroller/PNP combo that all matched.
Wash all the clothes, etc. so you will be ready. If it will bother you to see it everyday, keep most of it in a spare room, etc. until you get the call.
Mother and MIL did a shower for us when the baby was 2 mo old. (we brought her home at 2 weeks old from NICU)
The only thing we had when we got the call about Ben was a few clothes. I didn't want a shower, and I didn't want to do a nursery or have any baby items out where I could see them.
We stopped at Wal-Mart going out of town to get diapers, onesies, paci's, wash cloths, socks, baby wash. Babies really don't need too much. When we got back we registered and had 4 showers. We also did the nursery when we got back and got settled in. It wasn't a big rush because Ben slept in our room in pack-n-play for a while.
Everyone is different though. Some people want to be really prepared and others want to wait. Whatever suits you best.
Geez, back when we started TTC! LOL
For our adoption, toward the end of the home study. We're a month into our wait, and we did register. More as a checklist for us, though. I just pick things up as they are on sale. A few months ago, we started putting $20-30 week aside for diapers. This prevents me from stockpilling a ton of diapers in the basement!! We won't have showers until after the baby is here.
There's a timeline thread like this below, so check that out, too.
We started buying little bits here and there once we decided to adopt. But it has mostly been onesies on sale or sleepers on sale. I have a few little things.
My problem (in the timeline post) is that I don't know how to balance being prepared with not wanting to look at it all ready and vacant. Although, we do have all the furniture (all free!) and I know DH's aunt and uncle who are lending us a crib bought us a mattress. And a friend of my mom's is giving us all her old baby stuff, so we'll probably get that pretty soon.
I started a registry, but it's a list when we decide there is something that we want/ need so we remember the brand, etc later. It is a hard balance and sometimes I get very concerned about it, and other times I just think of it as the same thing as a pg woman planning, I just have a much more uncertain gestation.
We started the day we decided to adopt- we bought a high chair
We made a registry for ourselves to use as a guideline. And then started to buy the basics over the next few months. Basics as in crib, changing table, car seats, etc. We also bought some gender neutral clothing so we'd have some stuff.
Over the long haul I did end up getting more specific clothing - we just sold the girls stuff when we got out DS.
One thing I did learn. Even if people say "don't buy everything now" and "wait so there is stuff for your shower" - buy it anyway. There is no guarantee that you will have a shower. We didn't have a few things for our little guy that people had suggested we wait on that we would have loved to have had, we ended up borrowing them (swing comes to mind, and we didn't get it until it would have been useful for a while).
Now do keep in mind, especially if you are going to travel to get your child, that some things are easily aquired when you go get them. We bought the papasan soothing chair and the snap n go stroller when we were in IN, where our child was born. We also had only taken a small stash of diapers, wipes, clothes- so we bought more while we were there. You can always find a walmart or target or babies r us to buy stuff.
I agree with the pp's that mentioned having a registry as a checklist. I think that's a fabulous idea and it really does help you feel prepared. Whether you choose to buy those things in advance of 'the call' or on your way to the hospital, at any rate, you'll have a list. Also, we're nearing the significant gift giving season and if you're like my DH and I, we really don't want family and friends to spend money on us, nor do we want to acumulate much for ourselves at this moment, so we have some things in mind to pass on to family members so that they can buy things for the baby, or household, baby-friendly items instead.
Having said that, we have purchased a few things. When we decided we were ready to start a family we bought a onesie and little socks. We knew they would not be used for ages (that was 3 years ago) but it was our way of marking the start of the journey. When we started our homestudy we decided not to make purchases until it was over. We're going the IA route so it's a bit different in some ways. When our homestudy finished I started researching more actively and about a week ago we bought a crib from a fabulous furinture liquidation place because it was 400 dollars cheaper and I couldn't pass it up. Aside from that, we're waiting until we send our dossier. That was kinda long, sorry