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Starting to panic ever so slightly about the amount of stuff needed for a baby. The hospital bag alone has me breaking out in a cold sweat. Please can anyone give me some advice on where to get things and what things to get. Here is what I am planning so far:

For hospital bag:
organic baby wipes,
organic cotton maternity pads,
Organic cotton nursing pads,
Organic cotton baby grows (though don't know where to buy these)

At home I am very aware that I need a car seat which I plan on buying second hand, and a moses basket.

Help, am freaking out!! Baby due 21st Feb. Basically I am looking for organic/natural where I can, and cheap as we are on a very very tight budget.

Hi

I wouldn't worry about the baby wipes - cotton wool and water is fine and cheap. Unfortunately organic and cheap seem to be two different things. My 2 youngest ones are 3 and 7 months and mostly clothed in freecycle and hand me downs from friends. Their cot and bed are freecycle too (bought new cot matress). Both little ones drawers are full of clothes that I have not spent a penny on and I have given away stuff unworn that they have outgrown. So many people buy expensive stuff for their kids that doesn't get worn out before grown out especially baby wear. It is a shame you are not nearer to me .
I found a moses basket a waste of space, early days baby was in bed with me and it was outgrown quickly.
Gumtree has a free stuff section and a wanted bit too.
I got unused first size reusable nappies on freecycle too - just passed them on this week

Good luck

JuzaMum

I agree cotton wool and water are fine for bum changes to begin with, or make reusable wipes from soft flannel on 1 side and terry on the other. When we were in after having ds I just used the hospital nappies and cotton wool. I had reusable nappies in my hospital bag but had a c-section so was in 4 days. I packed for only being in a few hours so had to rely on dh to bring in the right stuff.
Organic cotton babygrows are really expensive, ds has also been clothed in freecycled clothing and stuff from friends. As is his moses basket, crib, sheets, blankets. Even his nappies have come from gumtree, I've spent around £100 on reusables.
You could try Natural Mamas forum FSOT board for organic baby wear.
Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, it's such a special time x

My son had delicate skin and I found that I had to be careful with wet wipes. I used wet cotton wool balls and stored them in the fridge until I needed them.
You need very little for babies apart from food, clothing and blankets.
Would you consider using second hand rather than organic clothing? If so car boot sales and charity shops can be a good source of baby clothes.
Don't worry too much - babies are very good at avoiding consumerism. Time and love will go a long way.
I am sure if you let people know that you are happy to accept second hand stuff you may be surprised by the amount of stuff you receive.
Enjoy your pregnancy

The only things i think should be bought new are car seats and cot mattresses and even then our car seat was second hand but from someone we knew and trusted.

I have two washable newborn sized Mothercare nappies if you want them? I'm still using the next size up though. They are pretty small and I found them too small for my baby but I didn't try them immediately. You're welcome to them anyway if you'd like. Just PM your address and I'll post them.

Nearly every charity I shop see has a moses basket in it but you can definitely do without one. Depends on your preference.

I found the cheapest biodegradable wipes (although not organic) were from Waitrose. it made me feel better buying them but there was no point as i [put them in with my normal rubbish so they went to Landfill where they won't bio degrade

Have you thought of using cotton "swabs" (also called gauze!) instead of cotton wool? I had a huge pack from the chemist recently which cost less than 50p. You could keep them in a plastic container with whatever cleaning fluid you are going to use...water, oil, lotion.
My grandchildren in Thailand had nothing as babies (although some of the safety stuff like car seats would have made me happier !). They did not use nappies at all and at night just had a cotton cloth (and very wet parents ) they slept in parents bed, no pushchairs.. a shawl draped around adult to carry the baby / child. Wipes were def not an essential item, sluiced frequently in a bath of cold(ish) water. The washing was done by hand but dries so easily that it was not a big problem. The only essential seemed to be lots of fluffy towels which were used for wrapping, drying, absorbing! Dont know that I could have coped like that but my point is that we actually probably need to worry less about "stuff" than we do!
I have to admit that it was difficult not to say anything (trying to be a good MIL) when the little babies were wrapped in SIX layers of towels to keep them warm, wearing hat and mitts too in a temp of 30 degrees!
Have a great pregnancy, and stop worrying!

Hi

Some councils give a grant towards real nappies - here you get £30 if you spend £45. Some councils are more generous than others. I got a voucher which I used towards the cost but I could have been refunded after purchase if I preferred. It is worth contacting your council and finding out.

JuzaMum

It's 22 years since we had our son but he decided to come out 4 weeks early and in the wee hours of the day. The wifes waters broke at 5.20 am, in the car with a towel between her legs and off to the hospital. No hospital bag, no organic cotton buds etc just her me and the baby.

Don't stress out as it will come naturally. You will be a mum, and that is what counts. After that your hubby will be around to bring in things as you need them, it makes them feel important.

My son was so small we had to roll up the arms and legs of prem baby romper suits. All these baby clubs etc all promote MUST HAVE ITEMS which your mother didn't have for you.

Obviously organic cotton this and that will be good but in the end you are wiping a shi&&y bottom and then covering it with powder or sudacreme.

Good luck anyway but DO NOT WALK THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF CASTLERIGG STONE CIRCLE. I told my wife not to do it as the mystical properties would bring on the baby.

What do you know " she said.
5.20 next morning her warters broke.... 4 weeks early.....

I rest my case,

Sorry to come down all Health and Safety, but avoid buying a scond hand car seat unless you know its history. It may have been in a crash and have unseen faults that would prevent it from protecting your baby should (god forbid) you ever have an accident. It would be like a biker buying a second hand crash helmet from a stranger - a really bad idea!

dont have time to read through all the posts but, i agree with just using cotton wool and water instead of baby wipes ( wipes are too harsh and can cause rash ) you should also wash baby's bum in the sink after poo's to prevent nappy rash.

this is a must have! : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moby-Wrap-Baby- ... 885&sr=8-1

its a baby wrap to carry your baby on you. i wish id known about it when i had my first child. its grate to settle your crying colicy baby and its easy to breastfeed in it and it doesnt hurt your back.
i had tried other baby carriers with my first child but gave up with them as i couldnt breastfeed in them and they hurt my back after 10 minets of wearing them!
you can easily make one yourself, its just a long piece of material.

Thanks all so much for the feedback. I am staring to feel a little less panicky now. We went to look at pushchairs today with the plan that we would find one we want then look for it second hand. I was thinking of buying a second hand car seat but will think again on that.
I am planning on using cotton wool and water, but wanted to get some wipes for the hospital.
I want to use washable nappies but after finding out that you have to change them up to 12 times a day at first (!?) I think I might use biodegradable disposables for the first few weeks!

Some hospitals aren't keen on you using wipes and provide cotton wool and dishes for water for you. If you are buying wipes try Jackson Reece, they're biodegradable and can get unscented. You can get reusables which can have a disposable insert (Flips or Mothercare Smart) we tried the smart ones (from freecycle) but couldn't get a good fit on my son.
It's so exciting! My son's only 5 months but thinking of number 2 already :D

i used biodegradable nappies and found them to be quite papery and rough and they caused my daughter to get friction rash round her legs. although this was 4 years ago now and there was only 1 brand avalible, no doubt there will be better ones avalible now.

i tried cloth nappies at first and felt too overwhelmed by the amount of washing, plus i found they leak a lot, like every time theres poo it goes everywhere!

so i just used disposables now but i cut down the amount i use by letting the baby use the potty whenever possible. i can go through a whole day with the same nappy on ( the baby, not me!) . baby's that are infant potty trained are fully toilet trained before 1 year old.

Big Al wrote:It's 22 years since we had our son but he decided to come out 4 weeks early and in the wee hours of the day. The wifes waters broke at 5.20 am, in the car with a towel between her legs and off to the hospital. No hospital bag, no organic cotton buds etc just her me and the baby.

Don't stress out as it will come naturally. You will be a mum, and that is what counts. After that your hubby will be around to bring in things as you need them, it makes them feel important.

My son was so small we had to roll up the arms and legs of prem baby romper suits. All these baby clubs etc all promote MUST HAVE ITEMS which your mother didn't have for you.

Obviously organic cotton this and that will be good but in the end you are wiping a shi&&y bottom and then covering it with powder or sudacreme.

Good luck anyway but DO NOT WALK THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF CASTLERIGG STONE CIRCLE. I told my wife not to do it as the mystical properties would bring on the baby.

What do you know " she said.
5.20 next morning her warters broke.... 4 weeks early.....

I rest my case,

i was having a homebirth for my second child so i didnt pack any bag as i was adamint the baby would be born at home ( first child was in hospital and ended with ceserian, for me it was a horrible experiance trying to care for my new baby after having major abdominal surgary)
anyway, after hours of pushing in the pool in the bedroom my waters still haddent gone and all i was pushing was the amniotic sac which was comming out but refusing to burst. i started screaming for an epidural as i was loosing it and demanded to be taken to hospital ( by this point i didnt care where i was i just wanted it to be over!) the paramedics came and somehow i managed to walk into the ambulance, all i had was a dressing gown on, no bags, no nothing. they though i was going to give birth in the ambulance, as did i! as soon as i got to the hospital they examined me and broke my waters, gave me the epidural and the baby was out all within an hour of arriving! once the epidural started to work it was like bliss, i could have gone on for days like that. luckily though it was all over quickly and i got to meet my beautiful little boy!

the hospital provided everything for the baby and me in the begining. then my mum brought my things to the hospital for me.

it acctually worked out better being in the hospital as my placenta got stuck and i hemmeraged and ended up being taken to theater to get it 'manually extracted' which is exactly what it sounds like! then i had to get a blood transfusion. but it was still better than having another secerian!

anyway, good luck!

Hello,

This is what we've found useful for LittleQB who arrived just over three weeks ago:

- Cotton wool. (Our hospital was very against wipes and provided little dishes for water so it was very convenient).
- Muslin cloths. In our house they're now called, "chunder rags". We use them for mopping up sick, as bibs and separate ones for on the cold changing mat.
- Booby. I was in hospital for three nights and watched some mothers formula feeding, I am definately too lazy to go down that route!
- A library card. Reading has really helped me survive late night feeds which can last up to an hour and a half.
- A dedicated plastic bowl for holding water when changing nappies.
- About 30 vests and 30 sleap suits. This way we don't run out and have to wash late at night and then dry with a hairdryer (we had to do that once). All the pretty outfits we were given are still in the draw unworn.
- Wooly cardigan and hat.
- Lots of cot/basket sheets, about five or six.
- A pillow which can be washed in the washing machine. I've found this really helpful to lean on while feeding.
- A draw with all the changing stuff in. When one is in zombie mode at 3am it's useful to have everything in one place.
- Sudocream; useful as a preventative and if your little one does get nappy rash.

Here are the things we've been given or bought but not had much use for:

- Bath support. Daddy holds him in the bath and his little legs just float.
- Moses basket. We were given one and are using it as he does sometimes like the rocking motion but I'm not sure we would have bought one as they're only big enough for about a month and a half.
- Outfits, you know the sort; little dungarees and tee-shirts with matching socks. They're too much hassle.

Good luck and remember, whatever your labour is like it's all worthwhile in the end.