Some very hot tips.

Rachel is one of the smartest people I know. 


Here are some of her pearls of wisdom in response to the email I sent out.

"Oh yes all the stuff kids come with. Its obvious but a lot of parents are dying to get rid of stuff so more you put the word out the more people will come to you. I would say friends and friends of friends is the best source."

Social media is pretty good for talking to friends-of-friends, so try the Facebook for shout-outs. Rachel also recommended som really good websites to help start checking things off the list, here are some of them:

"Gumtree and eBay were good for things like the cot, pram and bjorn" - the downside is that you have to pay, though not a lot for things. But what can get confusing in E-Bay is whether something is new or old, so just double-check closely to see if it's actually second-hand. I haven't bought anything from either of these yet but will keep you posted as to how it all goes. 

"We rented the car pod thing from the hospital" - there's heaps of information about restraints from the Government, and on the whole it looks as though it's pretty easy to hire them as you need them either from the hospital or the council. If you don't have a car (which we don't) and really need one, you can get them as add-ons from hire car companies or request one from a taxi. So don't bother buying one. 

Rachel also said, "People will buy you things. I told them not to but they still do. The best advice I got was be very specific around what you need otherwise you will end up with a bunch of teddies and clothes they never wear. Some things I have found a total god-send and would ask for as pressies. It's probably hard to get these used as the wear and tear on them is pretty heavy.
http://www.lovetodream.com.au/ - brilliant to keep baby swaddled and helps them sleep.
http://www.adenandanais.com/shop/classic.aspx (muslin cloths you can use for all kinds of things)
http://www.babybjorn.com.au/products/bouncers/ (man oh man this is a brilliant chair!)
The pram is also tricky used unless it is hardly used. They really go through a beating and you can end up spending more money on parts.We love our Mountain Buggy. My advice would be to ask for the pram for your grandparents and then get the bassinet fixture second hand (as they are only in that for a few mths).

Some pearlers for sure, though I reckon I will try and investigate the pram thing a bit more. Rachel also offered my a high chair, which though not on my list I reckon will probably be useful.