scared I won't be ready

[BabyCleo]

My hubby lost his job and we are moving soon. I'm so stressed, we have barely anything for baby and still need some furniture. We moved across country and had to restart our lives and we had a ton of debt. We are lucky that we are almost out of debt, and we have made a huge change but we aren't fully there. I'm so scared we won't be ready. I have some clothes etc but not much more than that. I'm just so frustrated and I have nightmares that baby comes and we have nothing.

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

Good for you for taking the steps you needed to in order to better your situation.

Any change can be very scary and it sounds like this was huge especially with a little one on the way. You have about 10 weeks to start slowly getting stuff together. If you pace yourselves and set small, easily obtainable goals I'm sure you will feel loads better as you get to cross things off. It will help you feel like you are accomplishing things. Also start with a short list of essentials, you can always revisit the list in a few weeks once you've crossed some stuff off. Making one massive list will make it look daunting.

Good luck, you'll do great! You are already moving in the right direction.

Baby doesn't need a lot up front, so furniture wise you can probably get by with stuff you already have. Thrift shops and kijiji/Craigslist can be great resources. Just don't buy a car seat or crib second hand. Ikea has cheap well built cribs too.

 

[Cattia]

When I was pregnant with my first baby we moved when I was 38 weeks. Everything was in boxes, we had nowhere for the baby to sleep and not a lot of stuff! You really don't need that much. You just need somewhere for baby to sleep like a moses basket or cot which is best in your room, a few vests and sleep suits, nappy, a car seat if you drive and a pram or sling depending on how you intend to carry baby around. Everything else can wait. Also, an awful lot of stuff you can pick up very cheaply second hand. There is no need to buy everything new as stuff often doesn't get used for long and is in really good nearly new condition. This time I have my buggy second hand and it cost about a tenth of the price of a new one.

 

[BabyCleo]

Thanks We are actually looking at IKEA for most of our stuff lol.

I wrote out a list and it looks terrifying, im thinking that I fell into the trap of "i need everything on the market" so I may revisit it. Im also cloth diapering and baby wearing so im hoping that will help with costs although I know up front cloth diapers are more expensive, but im willing to put in the money to that.

I cant believe you moved at 38 weeks! I would have been a nervous wreck lol, good on you!!

 

[Munchkin30]

You really don't need much. As pp said if you're Breastfeeding you only need nappies, basic vests and sleepsuits and a Moses basket. You need a car seat if you're travelling in a car but that's seriously it! Anything else is a bonus. Think of cave men, did they have any of this crap we all think we need?? I've got so much stuff from my dd and her cousins I walk into the nursery and feel guilty this poor baby is starting life with so much baggage and it's not even been born yet!!
I'm stressing cos we currently have no kitchen and everyone's just delaying us so I suspect we'll be living on concrete floors with no cooker when this baby's born!!

 

[kajastarlight]

All a human really NEEDS is to sleep, eat, and secrete - all the rest is luxury So if you have a place for baby to sleep (in your bed? in a dresser drawer on your bed? moses basket?) you have something for baby to eat (breastfeeding and/or a bottle and some formula for back up just in case) and something for bathroom control. (cloth diapers, disposables, lay baby on a towel and do lots of laundry....) That is all you NEED.... oh and a car seat I suppose. Unless you want to walk home from the hospital.....
Now, I can see how you (and me and every one ells) WANTS all the other stuff that make life fun. (stroller, diaper bag, breast pump, baby swing, crib.....) But try not to focus on NEEDING it all. Keep Calm and Prioritize

 

[BabyCleo]

Thanks everyone I revisited the list and took off a few things. I realized things like receiving blankets and flats double as change pad covers and burp cloths. Im a minimalist already, and I usually live with less as I feel better (bad OCD over here) so im going to look at this list yet again.

I don't drive and neither does hubby, so we are baby wearing. We wont bother with a stroller as we don't need a travel system. Anything else I can live without? lol

 

[kajastarlight]

I don't know if you have a changing table on your list, but if you do that is one thing I realy found to be something I could live without. I had one, but didn't really use it that often. When I did use it I was just using it to use it. LOL

 

[BabyCleo]

Haha! I was going to just buy a change pad and put it on the dresser and call it a day. Im trying to decide if I need a rocker for the nursery, right now its an ikea dresser and an ikea crib. I have some art to put on the walls too.

 

[atx614]

Agree with the pp! You don't need much! I am not working currently sahm with dd. I was the bread winner and hubby gets 12/hour. So we have made huge adjustments this time. We have bought everything used almost or are borrowing from ppl.

 

[lucy_lu10]

Sounds like you're doing the best you can.
As for the rocker, I had one but it was uncomfortable to nurse in. Just make sure to test them out beforehand if you decide on one. All you really need is a comfortable place to sit. I mostly used a back rest propped up in my bed when I wasn't out in the living room, worked perfectly!

We're also moving but the thing is.....we don't know exactly when! lol Our house is listed and we have a deposit on a mobile that we're moving onto some land closer to family. We have no idea when this house is going to sell; therefore I don't want to set anything up in case we end up moving before baby comes. Then on the other hand we have to get everything in order to move the new place onto location (omg, huge task in itself!) and get the land ready. So yeah, no idea where we'll actually be when baby arrives.....awesome! lol

I have a lot of baby stuff from when my boys were babies so equipment-wise we're okay, but I can't get any of it out yet. Thinking back though, all we really needed in the early days was a bassinet, clothes, diapers, nursing pillow & pads, a baby carrier, carseat, and somewhere to put baby while you shower, etc. (although you can use the carseat for that if you aren't able to purchase a small swing or whatever just yet ). Beds and dressers double as change tables and as long as baby is comfortable and close to you, they won't mind what you have/don't have. It'll all work out.

 

[BabyCleo]

That sounds like a huge move! Good luck!

Im still feeling so anxious. Ive never even really taken care of a newborn, so im anxious about that already. I cut down a lot of my list so im much happier now. My mum went over it with me and helped me cross off what I really wont need