Moving baby's essentials back.

[emma&vas 10]

Hi all

 

We have decided to move back with our 6 month old baby as we are finding it hard over here on our own.

 

To anyone else that has made the move with such a young child, how did you move all of their essential items that you just can't be without like cot, high chair and change table?

 

thanks

Emma

[Quoll 6,094]

As one who managed two kids without change table or high chair (weird, I know!) I'd be inclined to sell up and buy when you arrive - or put out feelers amongst your family and friends and see what they have available! It'd be cheaper to buy new than send I reckon!

[steveNem 12]

When we moved over here we borrowed a travel cot and he slept in that for nearly 3 months till our stuff arrived. We did without a change table and just used a bed (oh my poor back!) and a high chair was a cheapie from ikea. The ikea basic costs £15. If you cant wait for your container ship over a few essentials in a box. We did that and I am so glad I did. I couldnt afford to pay out for all new stuff just for a few months.

 

Good luck!!

[Guest]

Ikea do cots cheaper than most travel cots too (though I guess a travel cot can be handy).

 

If you have family in the UK, get them to scour the secondhand ads for stuff too to use when you first arrive and if the rest is worth keeping ship it but otherwise sell it here. We have sold a lot of furniture and have been stunned how much people are prepared to pay - we can buy new in the UK for what we sold it for secondhand here.

 

Babies R Us (in Toys R Us) is a good source of cheap stuff too - we got our babies pushchair from there, it was all he needed from birth to 4/5 and cost 50 pounds! Okay that was 10 years ago

[Alicia3 10]

Are you taking the mickey...Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?

[Guest]

I'd not bother shipping them tbh.

 

Ikea do the best high hair I've ever used for less than £20 and plenty of decent places to buy cot and so on. Car seat won't be legal and UK has far better options re extended rear facing and Isofix etc.

 

I'd bring the pushchair as you can take that when you fly, car seat for temp use if need be and then buy the rest once you are back.

[Guest]

We never used a change table so never missed having one. Used a mat and got down on the floor usually.

 

I'd sell your stuff there and buy what you need once you are back.

[Sephie 103]

In our case, our baby will be about 7-8 months when we fly to Australia from the Netherlands, so I can totally understand your worries. We have bought a travel cot (with an extra mattress) to serve as a sleeping place for baby until our cot arrives in Australia (we bought a nice sturdy proper cot here so decided to take it over), haven't got a high chair yet but I anticipate we will probably get an IKEA cheap one there whilst ours arrives (we are getting a good Chicco one from here also to be shipped over) and we probably will change baby on the bed with the changing mat whilst we get our things set up there! If the items that you have are easily replaceable then as snifter says, perhaps it's worth just buying them new back in the UK. In our case we have decided to get them shipped.

 

As for car seats as mentioned above, UK/Europe car seats are not compatible in Australia and vice versa, so I'd just get a new one when you arrive back in the UK, we are leaving ours with my mother in Malaysia (our stopover) but we are checking in the pram/stroller into the plane so that's always with us at all times.

 

Good luck on your trip back to the UK!

Edited June 21, 2013 by Sephie

[emma&vas 10]

Thanks so much for all of your replies, I've got so much to think about now! It probably will work out cheaper to sell the stuff here then buy new when I get home. I will definately take a look in ikea as well.

[MrsLZB 84]

Thanks so much for all of your replies, I've got so much to think about now! It probably will work out cheaper to sell the stuff here then buy new when I get home. I will definately take a look in ikea as well.

 

We are just going though this, move back to the UK in 2 weeks. I have sold our high chair, the cot etc we are sending in the crate. My mum has got a second hand high chair ready for us and borrowed a cot. We have also borrowed a travel cot here which my daughter has been having her daytime sleeps in, in preparation for spending 3 nights in it once our crate has gone and before we fly. Gumtree in the UK has some great bargains, and stuff is generally cheaper back there. We have used the ikea high chair here in Oz and it's brilliant. Good luck with it all

[summerhill 10]

We moved to UK 2 years ago with a 1 year old. We sold everything on eBay or at babies and kids markets in Sydney and ordered everything we needed from either John Lewis or ikea and it was all waiting for us when we got here . Good quality baby equipment and toys and baby/children's clothes get good prices second hand in Australia , in some cases we got our money back so think twice before you pay for shipping. Also remember that most of the toys are only appropriate for a short length of time when they are that little, and can be quite large, so don't spend a fortune shipping them.

[Skippy1 349]

when our first little aussie was born in 1987 she slept in the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers :-)))) as we could not afford to buy cots etc in those days . Did the job for the first few months then straight into a bed. Those were the days no keeping up with the jonesesss with high performance prams etc

[lebourvellec 738]

As others have said easier to sell and buy new once arrive back. Kiddicare have competitive prices for things also do free next day delivery if spend more than £30.

[Maruska 457]

About the IKEA high chair, both kids used it and I found it better than the cushioned ( and more expensive) ones. Perhaps my kids are super messy but I had to pop the whole highchair in the shower couple of times after a meal. You won`t be able to clean a cushion that well :laugh:.

I wouldn`t ship unless you`re already shipping other household stuff and need to fill the container.

[Guest]

About the IKEA high chair, both kids used it and I found it better than the cushioned ( and more expensive) ones. Perhaps my kids are super messy but I had to pop the whole highchair in the shower couple of times after a meal. You won`t be able to clean a cushion that well :laugh:.

I wouldn`t ship unless you`re already shipping other household stuff and need to fill the container.

 

The Ikea high chair is the best one ever IMHO. So simple but works so well. Forget the fancy expensive things, they are a pain to wash, fold up and so on. The Ikea one is ace as it can fit to a table or have the tray. And so easy to clean. I used to stand it in the bath or garden, wash it off and leave it to dry. Sorted. I also like the sitting position that little people have in it rather than these big high back things that they lean back in.

 

I've used a lot of others over the years, expensive brand ones and all these supposed high spec things. Won't touch one now and always recommend the Ikea high chair to parents who are looking for a decent one.

[Guest Guest 47403]

Hi all

 

We have decided to move back with our 6 month old baby as we are finding it hard over here on our own.

 

To anyone else that has made the move with such a young child, how did you move all of their essential items that you just can't be without like cot, high chair and change table?

 

thanks

Emma

 

All those things you've listed can be picked up reasonably cheap in the UK can you ask family or friends to get them sorted for your return? Stop worrying you'll be fine the UK is a first world country lol

[emma&vas 10]

Again thank you all for your replies. I'm definately going to buy the ikea high chair! I guess I'm just a sentimental kind of person thinking that I wouldn't want to sell all of their first things, I'm probably a bit of a hoarder really!

 

Has it been the right move for all of you that have taken young children back to the uk?

[dmjg 4,061]

I agree that you won't need much.

 

Cots are everywhere, whether you want to buy a travel one and ship the big one over is a personal decision.

 

Both ours are in beds now and the wooden cot is long gone but we kept the travel cot. It's handy when family/friends with babies come over for a day, evening or night do. It gets more use now than it ever did with our two!

 

We have a travel high chair that is fantastic. it sits under the back tether in the car out of the way and is used everywhere from resturants to friends places to nannas and even at home when other bubs are around. The best thing about it is that it keeps the wriggly food monster in one place until its time to use a full sized towel to wash down half the kitchen and dining room.