Yesterday was a big day. It was the day when real excitement and adrenalin kicked. No it was not because of the First Round proper of the FA Cup, men - we went to the shops and we.........bought stuff.
Until now, after so many disappointments in the past, we had put off buying essential things for the impending birth. Part of this had been because we were trying to play down the relevance (a reverse psychology strategy to avoid major downers should we lose this baby) of this pregnancy but also partly due to daft superstitions people have mentioned. As each week has passed since the 24th week, we know that the likelihood of having a healthy new born has increased and so, in reality, preparations need to be made in haste.
So yesterday we joined the New Year sales queues and went to Mamas & Papas in Watford which was a fight in itself as it shares an entrance with a 24 hour Tescos with a Krispy Kreme franchise and petrol station. The little off shoot road takes you up to the defunct Borders and M&P. We almost turned back, it was that full, but after 45 minutes of queuing for a car park, we were in.
Now, we had received advice from recent parents that there is an excellent baby superstore in Peterborough which has an amazing website - it's called Kiddicare and I can heartily recommend it. However, one of the most important aspects of the whole experience is a) the excitement of choosing what to have for your baby live and in person and b) you will need good advice and demonstrations of equipment by well-trained shop assistants. We chose well to go to Mamas & Papas and we were chaperoned for a good hour by the excellent Saaema (I think that's how you spell her name) who talked us through everything from bath items, to cots, to prams to bottles to mattresses and never once said, 'Don't you read anything, you numskulls?' We ended up buying half the shop.
It should be said that there is a sale on at M&P but it ends today allegedly and it isn't fantastically generous, with 10 or 20% being the norm but there are the occasional 3 for 2 and 30% discounts or even the odd half price. But rest assured, on the main purchase items like beds and prams, the discounts are low. That said, it did save us a good deal of money. If you really know what you want, having seen and touched it elsewhere, then Kiddicare is a good bet as they have a sale on too and some of the discounts on big items like prams are superb. But you really have to know what you want.
With little real selling but lots of good advice. M&P guided us through everything. For men, the only real area we think we know something about is the pram and so I burbled a great deal about the obvious merits of Quinny and Maxi Cosi items but in the end I shut up as the lady demonstrated the ease and quality of the Pliko Switch Pramette kit (up to £150 off at the moment if you by the full combo) which in my mind was the 'Fords' of prams but we were both easily sold on its excellent usability and weight. It comes in handy 'sets' and so you can buy the pram, child seat (Primo Viaggio), iso fix kit and pram seat as a discounted kit which also had an offer. The assistant even checked the iso fix attachments in my car and showed me how to set it up. I could have taken all that information and gone into umpteen shops, as I would to buy a car, and compared what we saw to get the best but, frankly, the service was superb and we were delighted with what we bought. The 'switch' bit actually refers to the fact that you can easily just have the child pointing toward or away from you by simply turning the seat around. It's a 4 wheeler and snaps together very easily so it can be stored with minimal fuss.
The cot was the longest deliberation. The wood types, sturdiness and side panels were hard enough to consider but the biggest debate and difference on price was between cots and cot-beds - the latter lasting up to 5 years. We decided as we are going for more children after and in order to avoid being picked on by his/her peers for being still being in a cot-bed at 5, that we would get the Sherwood oakwood cot, with a top which straddles the rails so that you can change the child, and we will choose separate draws. The mattress and bedding took a while but I left that to my wife who had the 'gingerbread man' pattern in mind although I had read a fabulous book by Jasper Fforde in which the fictional kiddy book character was a serial killer. Great read.
The 'Moses' basket was a dilemma too. In fact, all the baskets were the same but the patterns of the innards were different causing pause for thought. In the end we decided on the 'gingerbread man' theme and bought extra linen and a good mattress plus a 'snug' stand in case the dogs brush by on a ball chase - the rocking types looked a bit flimsy. For bath time, we went for the aqua plastic thing which stands in your normal bath and the baby lies on it rather than the separate bath. If nothing else, storage is becoming a big issue around this baby and there may be no room left for my golf clubs at this rate - anyway, this item looks great.
With the larger items all decided upon, it was the accessories and further smaller paraphernalia which really ratcheted up the cost and minimised the space in the car on the way home (the pram and cot were being delivered separately!). Bedding, linen, mattresses, blankets, bibs, romper suits, vests, gloves, hats, socks all contributed. We even called at Boots and got Pampers, Tommy Tippee bottles with steriliser kits, baby bum creme, nipple protectors, sanitary towels etc etc.
By the way - there are tons of newborn and baby sites to register at for information and possibly discount offers. In subsequent posts I will try and collate the ones I have found but I try to add them as I go along.
In the end we parted with around £1,450 in M&P alone and a further much smaller wedge in Boots. The result is that we will have the ceremonial packing of the 'Overnight Bag' to do today, constituting the fabled and mysterious 'Layette' my wife refers to which in my limited mind is simply clothes and whatnot, which has to be wheelie based according to my wife. This will contain enough kit for mum and baby for around 4 days - personally, in my mind, a toothbrush, nightie and the rest as pampers would suffice but apparently you have to dress the mite too, hence the vast quantities of baby romper suits and an outfit for every colour of vomit as well as time of day, as far as I can see.
Today, we are visiting the private suites of Watford General Hospital, called the Knutsford Suite which I saw when my wife had a recent stay in the Delivery Suite in October. I thought it looked very swanky but not quite the Four Seasons but a small oasis of homeliness amid the blandness of a hospital. Private rooms are the key and even partners can stay if you fancy blowing £160 per night which seems a bit excessive and would buy you a very nice suite at a posh hotel in most places. The cost for the mum is a bit nasty too and you have to pay £1,600 upfront for up to 4 nights, you get money back for early release. Some medical insurances cover the cost if you have to have a Cesarean for medical purposes and it is worth checking out. I will give a fuller report later.
As for the early weeks in our impending baby's new life, well it is all sorted out in a gingery sort of way. I just hope he or she likes it.
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