When you're expecting a baby, people always ask you whether you've "got everything". When pregnant second time round, the question then becomes "did you keep everything?".
I've always thought that you don't really need a great deal of stuff when you have a baby (although stuff does accumulate really quickly). Whatever you're missing, you can always get creative...
When we had Gracie, she wouldn't sleep in her cot, so we co-slept. Now, with Ella Mae, we do the same. She has a great cot bed which we intend to use for her naps, but at the moment she isn't keen. Like all babies, she likes cuddles, and finds that far nicer than a cot.
Having a baby that likes to be held most of the time is tricky when you have a 4 year old that also needs you. I have mastered giving Gracie a shower whilst wearing Ella Mae in a sling (babywearing is brilliant - it means you're hands-free). But certain things are easier if baby is in her cot.
Lots of parents have a Moses basket for this. It is small and cosy, and can be carried from room to room. You can also put something in it that smells of you, to comfort baby. However, being a "How much?! You must be bloody joking" kind of girl (yeah, ok, I'm a tightwad) means that a Moses basket / carrycot isn't something I would buy if I could possibly help it.
And so, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the cheapskate's Moses basket - the baby bath.
Seriously. I make it snuggly by putting my dressing gown in there. Works a treat. Now I can keep an eye on her whilst having a shower. And the bath is easy to move about, so I can take it from room to room if required. And yes, it is the bath that belonged to Gracie, we kept it.
I'm incredibly pleased with my discovery - after all, weren't babies kept in bottom drawers in the olden days (absolutely no idea whether that is actually true)? And didn't people bathe their babies in the kitchen sink back in the day (ditto)? It's good to make things multi-purpose - for example, we currently use Gracie's old playpen, now dismantled, to hang our washing. It drives me insane to be honest, but no matter...
I'm sure, with a bit of thought, I could come up with loads of things I don't need because I use something else for that purpose. In fact, I think we all could.
Go on, give it a go. You might surprise yourself.
