Pregnant but don’t know what you’ll need? Entering a store for early childhood makes you dizzy because you have no idea what’s really helpful? Your belly gets bigger and you are afraid of having to go to the office in sportswear? Here’s my personal guide to pregnancy purchases ! To help you disentangle yourself through the pitfalls of maternity marketing and the anxiety due to the hormonal waves .. from someone who has been there too!

The links to the Amazon.co.uk website are affiliate links. The Amazon Europe S.A.R.L. affiliate program allows other websites to earn 5% to 10% commission. In short, if you click and buy, you offer me a coffee 😉

When I was pregnant..

I don’t know if you have ever entered a children’s store. You know, one of those chains exclusively dedicated to parents who are expecting their first child, worried about what they should buy.

If you are passionate about marketing and business strategies, you should definitely go take a look : they are amazing. Extremely informative. I remember when we went to watch the strollers.

To make you understand what kind of people were my husband and I (because every couple is of course different), here’s a brief description: my husband loves order and minimalism. The less, the better. I’m always afraid to buy items that are too expensive or too delicate because … well, because I don’t pay enough attention.

For me, objects must serve something first and I shall use them when and how I need them. I don’t want to worry about breaking them – dirtying them – leaving a scratch and thinking “Oh man!”! (Let’s face it, it was a good thing after all since I’ve discovered the destructive power of a creature under 6 ).

I was sorry for the in-store salespeople who might have expected a very different approach..

But still. As we look at the strollers, I remember an employee promoting a capsule coffee machine, not for coffee but with milk powder. Did you know that it existed ?!

Why a guide to pregnancy purchases?

I had this feeling, that in order to satisfy the concerns of new parents-to-be who want to do well and to give the best to their creature, and who worry that they’ll not have enough time nor energy, the most unthinkable objects were designed.

(Just to be clear: I’ve nothing against milk powder capsules, although honestly the regular bottle’s preparation requires max 30 seconds)

You will find everything in these stores: vacuum diapers disposals; a stroller to go jogging that, if you want, can turn into a sled (you never know); the homogenizer; sterilizers; etc. And so on.

Difficult to disentangle between the many proposals of prepared sales people.. and to be able to say no : “Look, this car seat, sure, it costs twice as much, but in terms of security, there is no possible comparison, and is the only one that respects next year changes in regulation. Besides, the safety of your daughter has no price.. “

I’ll offer you today a little irreverent guide to pregnancy purchases, based on the little experience I have acquired. Hoping that even if you are not the expecting, you’ll have some fun reading 😉

Guide to pregnancy purchases : Home things

First advice

Take only the very essential before the birth.

Of course, you’ll want a crib, a stroller, and a seat to bring baby home, but that’s about all you’ll need in the beginning. Wait ! Children are not all the same and you can’t predict all your needs..

If, on the other hand, you expect to have your baby in your arms before going to the store, two incredible things will happen:

1. You’ll only go there if you discover an urgent need, powerful enough to make you give up an hour rest, or a walk around the park, five minutes of reading on the couch; and will convince you to pack baby and his stuff (read: a small suitcase) immediately after his meal to go to the store and make your purchases before the following one.

2. You’ll want to stay there as little as possible. (You’ll have to feed your baby at some point anyways). And you’ll already know more or less what you are looking for, which will expose you much less to all the temptations.

Second Advice

Make a research first. As this guide you’re reading, you can find on the Internet forums, tips and advice, as well as comparisons between brands. Get an idea when you’re still at home: going with clearer ideas will save you time and disappointment. (Money is a relative, and it can also be well spent).

When I was looking at the catalogs of children bedrooms, I also dreamed of having one with all the options and decorations. But then, I also looked around and resigned myself to the fact that I already had a lot of things that made up for a bedroom or that I could adapt other things to that purpose. (But looking at these catalogs is always a bit of a dream).

A very kind lady, who owns a children’s store with second-hand clothes and objects near me, helped me to overcome my commercial indecision. One of those people who are sincerely kind, willing to explain; she always gave me good advice regardless of my intention to buy.

Many times I left without buying anything after talking to her. But that allowed me to gain a lot of confidence, so much so that now I always come back to her store whenever I have a doubt … If you can find someone like that, then you’re fine! but otherwise, here I am trying to help you 🙂

My personal recommendations

1. THE CRIB _ We used our family crib, the one where I slept as a baby ! 😉 The crib has an advantage over the bed: the baby feels well protected when he is so small. On the other hand, you will only use it during the first months, so on this point, an evolutive cot can help!

2. THE CHANGING DRESSER _ I equipped a table that I no longer used, covered with padded fabric and equipped with wooden drawers for diapers, creams, medicines. No need to buy a big piece of furniture in my opinion.

3. THE STROLLER _ We’d found a used trio set from Chicco, similar to this one. It did not cause us any problems, but I think we could have found better. In any case, I was happy to have bought a used one (perfect condition and half price). The criteria of choice? That it fits in the trunk of your car – some are unnecessarily huge (unless you lived up in the mountains); that it’s not too heavy, so that you can lift it easily – you know, when there is no elevator for example.

4. THE CAR SEAT (If you do not take it as part of the stroller set) _ We opted for the cradle of the stroller trio during the first months, then for the car seat from 6 to 8 months passing from category 0 to category 1 (9-36 kg). I recommend this option, choosing good quality, to avoid buying two car seats, but it obviously depends on your needs. Putting the cradle in the car is very tedious. If you have little space, the car seat may be better for you..

5. THE BABY BOUNCER _ .. We bought a used, simple bouncer (like this one). My eldest used it a dozen times at most. It is true that it was convenient when she was a newborn, when we wanted to eat for example without holding her in our arms. But she never really appreciated. My son a lot more … Obviously, there are more sophisticated ones, with lights, sounds, movements … babies may like them more. But every baby is different. So be careful 😉

6. BABY CARRIER (or wrap if you’re ready to learn how to put it on). _ I tried both. I recognize that the wrap is more “child-friendly”, but I have never been able to learn the technique well; in some situations, I found it uncomfortable (when traveling to the airport, on the street … everywhere you have to put it on quickly and there is not much space).

   The baby carrier saved my life. (Here’s ours). Perhaps more indispensable than the stroller. Because the baby likes to stay against you; Sometimes he can not stand to stay for long in the stroller or the bouncer. And you can continue doing what you were doing with your baby on yourself (I do not know how many times I vacuumed, stretched linens, prepared dinner with my daughter in the baby carrier. She could not stand to be alone to play!)

7. BREAST PUMP As I explained in my post on breastfeeding, a breast pump since the birth can be an incomparable ally.

Guide to pregnancy purchases : Mom’s clothes

So here I open a difficult chapter. Because for me, finding pregnancy clothes that also were aesthetically pleasing and appealing turned out to be an almost impossible mission.

For breastfeeding it was even worst. (I reached the top when I was looking for a dress to attend a wedding, which could also be compatible with breastfeeding. Level of difficulty: climbing Everest.)

I would leave the possible causes to this phenomenon to another post. Here, I would like to give you some advice, because I am convinced that feeling beautiful during pregnancy and without spending a fortune, is possible and even necessary..

Remember that to raise a healthy baby with a super brain, it is important to be calm and feel good.!!

Personally, I used one French brand in particular :

• Vertbaudet.

I found other sites during my research, but did not use them personally. I quote them anyway because they have many choices and offer different brands and price ranges :

Envie de fraise, an online French store.
Séraphine

I’ll also mention Pietro Brunelli, which is an Italian brand, more on the pricey side.

Guide to pregnancy purchases : Baby’s clothes

Same story: I advise not to exaggerate before birth. Imagine that you buy an entire layette in size 0, then your son is born bigger than expected and cannot wear any of them! Every child is different, even for the pace at which he grows up (in general, it is better to go wider than narrower)

I’d start so :

• 2 or 3 pajamas, according to the season;

• a dozen bodysuits, including some of size 3 months.

• Plus, of course, some warmest jackets depending on the season.

During the first two months, I dressed mine almost exclusively in bodysuits and pajamas. The hospital where you give birth will tell you exactly what to bring; you can stick to their advice to get started!

• sleeping bags. I found them so convenient that I hardly ever used the sheets. They are suitable for almost all seasons (in summer they do not need anything, so no worries); and in all situations.

The children stay covered and warm; you do not have to redo the beds; they wash themselves very easily; you can take the kids in your arms while they sleep with them. I discovered them in France because in Italy we do not use them so much (That explains my surprise as I told you in this post about pregnancy)

I’ll conclude suggesting you this post about an eco-friendly baby registry 😉

Here you are! I hope to have given you a first idea and advice for your pre-delivery purchases! And if you have questions, concerns or advice, if I omitted something, leave a message. 🙂

The links to the Amazon.co.uk website are affiliate links. The Amazon Europe S.A.L. affiliate program allows other websites to earn 5% to 10% commission. In short, if you click and buy, you offer me a coffee 😉