Shopping Time..

In some cultures, and according to some beliefs, many couples choose to wait till the baby is born to do the shopping. A lot of people advised me against shopping as well, but personally, I believe that we should always hope for the best.

And the fact there was a lot of things to buy and a lot of shops to go to makes shopping for a new arrival an exciting but herculean task. It is very important that you make a list of things you want to buy, and also do a little bit of research in each item.

Nowadays, there are so many different kinds of everything, at every price range and quality, so it is very important to do your bit of research. Sometimes, some things are more expensive but that doesn’t necessarily translate into it being better quality.

Also, another reason to start shopping early is the expense involved. You don’t want to be spending all the money at once. Pacing it out over a few months makes it a lot easier.

Clothes

one of the first things every parent-to-be buys. I was no different. I bought a ton of clothes. But I learnt the hard way that sometimes the size can be wrong. And the funny thing is that there are so many different sizes even in 0-3. Each brand has a different size. For example: I have an awesome onesie from Mamas and Papas but that is still too big for him one month on, and the size said newborn. And sometimes I am wondering if the baby is a human baby or a giant baby looking at some of the newborn sizes.

And remember scans are never accurate. I was told baby would be 3-3.5kg but he was only 2.8kg. And even premie clothes were too big for him.

Buy about 3 pieces in newborn, and 0-3months, and wait for the gifts :P. Most people find it easiest to pick up clothes as gifts, and we have enough clothes for him to wear till he is a year old. That said, of course I am going to shop as well!

Our big purchases the first month was the travel system and the crib. Both from Babyshop.

Graco travel set

car seat and stroller. Car seat is no longer a luxury and I honestly don’t understand why parents will save a few bucks by not buying one. Safety is primary. Safety first and foremost. It is true that we didn’t have car seats growing up, but the, there weren’t as many SUVs or maniacs on the road. For those who think that a mother holding the baby can protect the him better than a car seat, do this: Hold something in your hand, and get someone to push you hard! And see if anything happens to what is in your hand. The truth is that a car seat is not even that expensive, so why take a risk with your baby’s life?

For the Room

The crib we chose had a changing section as well, and drawers to keep his stuff. The drawers have proved to be quite useful, but the changing area is unused as yet. Don’t forget to buy bed sheets, fitted preferably and a crib mobile to keep the baby distracted. All available at Babyshop for very reasonable prices.

We then bought a cupboard from Ikea. Simply because it was cheaper there, and check in the regular cupboard section – not the baby cupboards. We got ours for 450QR. I think a baby cupboard is must because their clothes and other items are so tiny, and could easily get lost. Even with his cupboard, I am sometimes searching for his socks or other items, so imagine how crazy it would be if I had to search in our cupboard. Also get little boxes to put inside the cupboard to keep his socks, mitts and other tiny items.

Another thing I really researched and bought is the baby carrier. I got an Ergobaby Performance Ventax, with a newborn baby insert. Which is the one with mesh. Since Doha is an extremely hot place, it made a lot of sense to get something which will be comfortable for the baby even in peak summer. In winter, I can layer him, but in summer I can’t really remove all his clothes can I? This I ordered on Amazon, and got it here via shop and ship.

a lot of the smaller things like the sterilizer and the bath towels, and bath tub, I ordered on Mumzworld. Took about two weeks to get here. But it was better than hours of walking in shopping malls looking for the right fit.

Here is the list of other things to buy for the during the shopping time for baby:

And here is the list for mommy:

Happy shopping!