When to Buy Baby Stuff: In-Depth Guide for Parents

Pregnancy is a hectic and exciting part of any women’s life. Between feeling nauseated, going to doctor’s appointments, and battling hormonal chaos you have to start planning a nest for your baby.

Not to mention that you need a lot of baby stuff, a lot! Clothes, crib, stroller, breastfeeding pillow, toys and so much more. It may be a struggle to figure out when to buy baby stuff, but don’t worry, just keep reading.

The best time to start buying things for your baby

Usually, people keep their pregnancy a secret until the second trimester.  This is due to the fear that the mother will miscarry the baby causing a spread of sorrow for many. After the first trimester, the chances of having a miscarriage are significantly lower so it’s time to share the good news.

Now, buying all your baby stuff all at once is a hefty investment. It will probably be smarter to buy things over time so they won’t have a huge impact on your wallet at once.

Maybe some friends or relatives will have some old things they would like to give you before your baby comes. So don’t hurry to get everything in a few days.

What to get when

Splitting your purchases throughout your pregnancy is a smart thing to do. You have enough time to think about what you need and see what is on the market, what are the reviews, and compare prices. 

A foolproof way to do this is by splitting your purchases depending on what trimester you are in.

First trimester

The first trimester is the perfect time to start planning. Get a pen and paper and write down a list of all the essential baby stuff that you need to have before the baby arrives.

You can even buy a pregnancy planner if you are someone who’s used to journaling. I used this one during my second pregnancy and it kept everything very organized, now I look back at it and I’m thankful I had it.

You should start thinking about your living situation. Do you have enough rooms in your home for one more member of the family? Will you need to move before the baby comes?

Do you have space to put everything? Remember that in 9 mounts or so you will have double the stuff you have now so you want to figure out where you want to store everything.

You can also research the best stroller for your baby, the best crib, the best pack-n-play, and so on. The first trimester can be tricky for some women. You can feel nausea and physical discomfort, so don’t spend your time going to shopping centers, sit down, lay back, and start journaling and scrolling. This is the time when you should be planning and relaxing. 

Second Trimester

By now everyone probably knows about the good news so, if you’re planning on having a baby shower this is the time. Make sure to wait until you receive the gifts from the baby shower before you go shopping so you don’t end up buying something someone already bought for you.

By week 20 you should know the gender of the baby, so if you want you can start buying clothes for your baby girl or boy. The gender of the baby isn’t very important if you ask me so even if you want to keep it a surprise till the very end, you can still start shopping for baby clothes.

This is what I did and I had so much fun buying baby clothes because I wasn’t limited to the “girl or boy colors”, I just got what I thought was cute.

This is also the time you want to tie up any loose ends when it comes to the organization and planning you did during the first trimester.

You can also start putting together the nursery and ordering furniture online as it can take some time to arrive depending on where did you order it from. Most importantly enjoy this time, as it is said to be the easiest in the pregnancy.

Third trimester

Okay, so now it’s time to make sure you have everything you need. Diapers, baby wipes, lotions, stroller, car seat, crib, nursing pumps, breastfeeding pillows, high chairs, and so on. Make sure to wash all your blankets and baby clothes you bought from the store, online or you got from your friends and family.

Keep an eye on discounts and buy everything you can in bulk. Once the baby comes you will have less time to go shopping. This is especially the case with diapers, make sure to get a bunch of packs in sizes 0, 1, and 2.

Make sure you are up to date and you go to all your doctor’s appointments and have a plan on what to do when the delivery date comes.

Is it bad luck to start early?

I am a firm believer that bad luck doesn’t exist, but rather whatever you focus on manifests itself into your reality.

However, if you’ve been told since you were younger that buying baby stuff during the first trimester is bad luck then that thought is subconsciously embedded in your mind.

Don’t worry. If you believe that it is bad luck, just don’t buy anything yet, stick to planning and researching.

What not to buy ahead of time

In order not to waste money don’t buy things that spoil, like baby formula, and too many things that your baby will outgrow very fast.

Most of your friends and family that have kids will probably have 0-3 mounts size onesies that your baby will outgrow very soon so no need to buy a ton of them. Also, you don’t need to buy shoes just yet because they might not fit.

Conclusion

Everyone will have their own opinion on when to start buying baby stuff. The reality is that you can start buying anytime if that works best for you. Usually, soon-to-be mothers like to divide their purchases according to the trimester they’re in.

The first trimester is usually when some people consider it to be bad luck to buy stuff for the baby, so if you are superstitious you can stick to just planning at this time. Later in the second and third trimesters is go time.

I know that pregnancy can be intense, but make sure to have fun during this time, and cultivate a positive environment for your baby.