Every parent has heard of creating a birth list during pregnancy. This list brings together everything parents need for baby’s arrival. Created to make life easier for parents-to-be, it can also be a real headache to design. Why create a birth list? When should it be distributed? What are the essentials? Here’s our complete guide.
Receive the gifts you want
No more 10 cuddly toys lost at the back of the closet as gifts from friends and family! Thanks to your birth list, your friends and family will be able to give you gifts they want, and which will be useful in their daily lives.
Responsible consumption
Creating a birth list also means consuming responsibly. Firstly, by avoiding waste and over-consumption with unnecessary gifts, but also by choosing brands that respect your consumer habits. Made in Europe, oeko-tex fabrics, anti-UV. The gifts you’re given will be like you.
Save time:
Having a birth list also means optimizing your time by avoiding the hassle of running to the stores. Gifts are either collected in-store for brands like bébé9 or Orchestra, or delivered directly to your home for specialized birth list sites.
You shouldn’t wait too long to send out a birth list, especially if it contains bedroom furniture, a stroller or a crib, as these items can have a long delivery time (sometimes several weeks). We think it’s a good idea to start quietly after the second-trimester ultrasound and distribute it around the 7th month of pregnancy.
There are several ways to make a birth list.
On specialized birth list sites
There are a number of free birth list sites, such as milirose.com and mesenvies.com. On these sites, the main advantage is that you can freely add products found on any website. There’s also the possibility of making transfers directly to the parents’ bank account. More and more recently, wellness needs are appearing on these birth lists. You can suggest help with home-delivered meals, baby-sitting evenings for romantic get-togethers, or fund-raising campaigns for help with household chores. No taboos! The first few weeks at home with a newborn can be quite demanding, and a little help can go a long way…
With each purchase, your loved ones reserve the product and have the choice of having it delivered to their home to give to you in person or directly to your home.
It’s the ultimate in freedom.
You can also create birth lists with specialist nursery brands such as bébé9, Orchestra, L’armoire de bébé or vertbaudet.
Here you can choose from a range of brands. You’ll receive personalized support and advice. The choice is generally quite wide, and the products are of the highest quality because they are sourced with care. So you can’t go wrong. The birth list is available in-store or online, so your loved ones have plenty to choose from. Reserved products are gathered together and you can collect them at any time. With in-store birth lists, there’s one major difference: you’re committed to the reservations. If no one offers you an item on your list, you have to pay for it yourself.
It’s the safest solution.
Indispensables
To give you some ideas, here’s our list of must-have items to add to a birth list.
To dress him:
Clothes from your favorite designers, like a UV-resistant baby swimsuit funny marmots of course!
For the bedroom:
Co-sleeping bed and/or classic bed
Wardrobe/dresser
Changing table and mattress
Decoration: lights, pictures, garlands, rugs, storage space
Cosy
Playpen
Play mats
Household linen: towels/toilet gloves, sheets, changing mat cover, small blanket, diaper
Sleeping bag
Baby phone
For meals:
High chair
Feeding bottle
Bottle warmer
Freezer jar
Bibs
Cutlery
For outings:
Stroller
Footmuff
Parasol
Mosquito net
Cosy
Baby sling, baby carrier
Sunglasses
For the Bath:
Bathtub with folding stand
Care products, e.g. La Rosée cosmetics baby range.
For your peace of mind
Kitty for household help:
Preparation/delivery of ready-made meals
Evening baby-sitting
For moments of happiness :
Babywearing lessons:
Photo session
Thalasso bath
Baby swimming session
For us, creating a birth list is essential to have products that we love and that are like us. Products that will stay with us for years to come.
What about you, for or against birth lists? What items do you think we might have overlooked?
On that note, we wish you all the best with your birth list and, above all, lots of happiness with your little ones.
