When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited.  I couldn't wait to buy baby things.  Now, just 3 short years later, my second baby has turned one. And I have given away most of the baby things I bought! Some of the things I bought were

a necessity and some were just a waste of money. So here is some advice that will hopefully save you some money:-

• Don't buy too many newborn or infant size nappies! One or two big boxes is enough. They can grow out of them very fast (my second baby didn't fit them at all!).
• Don't spend lots of money on maternity clothes - you will get about 6 months wear out of them! The money is better spent on comfortable clothes that you can breastfeed in.
• Don't buy too many clothes, you are likely to get lots as gifts.  The babies grow out of the smaller sizes so fast.  If you want to spend money on a nice outfit, buy size one (at least they will get 12 months of wear out of them). Second hand clothes are also a good idea if you want to save money. Also, if you plan to have more than one baby - buy unisex newborn clothes (all babies look beautiful in white!).
• Buy things when they are on sale, most of the big department stores have baby sales.

Things I was glad I bought:-

• Baby sound and movement monitor  -  it had a sensor under the mattress and an alarm goes off if the baby stops breathing.  This greatly reduced my anxiety.
• Waterproof mattress protectors (breathable ones) for all the beds in the house. These saved our mattereses many times over.
• Quality car seats.
• Digital camera - so we could take lots of picture of our beautiful babies growing up.
• A baby bouncer - my first baby spent most of his time sleeping in it.  My second baby wasn't too keen on it.

Things I could go without:-

• Nappy bag - now we just uses a cloth shopping bag.
• Rocking chair - never used it. Became a finger trap when we had our second baby.  I found a beanbag to be more comfortable to breastfeed in.
• Toys - in 3 years, I have accumulated enough toys to fill a shop!  Many were gifts, so try not to buy too much.  I recommend linking rings that the bub can chew on.
• A cot that turns into a bed etc.  You will probably need the cot to stay a cot if you have more than one baby.
• Soft cloth cover for change mat - it spent most of the time in the wash - a plastic cover would have been more practical.
• Baby name books - just borrow them from the library.  You no longer need them after you pick the names - buy parenting books instead.
• Lotions and potions - we still have a cabinet full of them - we only ever used bath soap and nappy cream.
• There were a million baby accessories that I wanted to get when I was pregnant, but I'm glad I didn't.  If in doubt, wait until after the baby is born to see if you really need it.

Be sensible and try to save money where you can. Congratulations and good-luck.