35 USEFUL GIFT IDEAS FOR YOUR FIRSTBORN

When you are pregnant with your first baby you are probably already looking at baby gear and diving into a whole new world of cuteness.
There are so so many things that you want and that you might need and – have you seen that cute sun hat or that pacifier with “mommy’s favourite”? But how do you know which gift ideas are actually useful for your firstborn?

Yes, I completely understand, I have been there. But wait a second before spending a whole months’ salary on clothes and stuff.

There will be many people who want to give you a nice present for your babies’ birth.
Your friends, your family, the friends of your family, yes yes believe me.

What is a registry for a baby?

Some of them will want to know what you need or desire and it is always good to make a list to let them choose. There are great websites where you can create lists without being bound to one shop. And your friends can select the item, they’d like to give to you (www.listedenaissance.fr or www.mesenvies.fr).

We were really lucky and my parents bought us our stroller/car seat combo – I found our “Ferrari” on Le Bon Coin for half the price and as good as new.
And my parents-in-law wanted to pay for the baby bed, wardrobe and changing table.
I think these are the two biggest expenses you are going to have.

You can either tell your friends with a gift list exactly which product you want to have or let them choose the one they want.
And they can choose if they want to buy it on the internet or in the little shop around the corner.

What do you put on a baby wish list? Which gift ideas are useful to you?

SLEEPING and BABYS ROOM

• A swaddling blanket: this is actually new to me. I wish I had known the benefices of swaddling for my firstborn. Now, I swaddle my boy at night so he calms down and doesn’t wake himself up because he tosses his hands in his face.
  Swaddling is basically making your baby a bundle. You put a blanket around her so she cannot move her arms and gets the feeling of being in your confined and warm womb.
• A travel cot: you should ask for a light one that is easy to assemble. It’s always good to travel light and it can be really annoying if it’s difficult to use. You don’t need to go for the “Ferrari”, there are great travel beds that don’t cost too much.
• Crib sheets: also something you do not need to spend money on. You will need two crib sheets in case your baby’s’ diaper floods or your baby burps.
• Pillow and blanket: your baby will only need this growing up so this makes a great gift idea.
• A cot bumper if you want to have one. Some cots already come with a bumper, others don’t.
  This is mostly to make the bed look nice and comfortable. It can also prevent your baby to hit her hands against the wooden bars.
• Decoration: you should think about everything you might need to decorate the babies’ room. This can mean a mobile, a cute carpet, a miniature lamp, photo frames or a music box.
• A big basket for toys: once you have children, you will be tidying up like all the time. We use a nice big basket to just throw everything in that’s lying around.

FEEDING

• Pacifiers: your baby might not need or like them but it can be nice to have.
  We did not need them as our daughter never accepted anything else but the real deal. However, she used them much later. When I was expecting our baby boy, she wanted one to fall asleep.
• A drying rack to dry bottles, nipples and pump pieces.
• A soft plastic bib: this bib can be rinsed after every use and even go into the dishwasher. No need to put them into the washing machine after each and every use. And the best thing, they usually have a collecting basin so less food is spilt on the clothes and on the floor.
• Cloth bibs: they are easier to carry in a diaper bag. You can use them while travelling or when you just go out.
• Plastic/ bamboo dishes: you can find really cute bamboo dishes but I have heard that they break more easily than the plastic dishes. I’ll let you know once I’ve tried ours.
  Also, they should not be used in a microwave (same goes for plastic dishes).
• A feeding cup: this will come in handy once your baby doesn’t need or want a bottle anymore. It helps to learn to hold a glass.
  In my experience, it is given by the same people that buy the dishes for your baby.
• A high chair or a booster seat: there are so many different kinds on the market.
  I liked ours that has a removable tray. It can also be used as a small chair. You can find high chairs that grow with the baby. They can be used for children and later even for adults. Personally, I find them too bulky to keep them longer than needed.
• A baby bottle or two: at some point, you are going to need bottles so this can be a useful gift idea
• A thermos baby bottle and/or a bottle warmer: this can come in handy while travelling or when mommy isn’t around to breastfeed.

BABY STUFF

• A cute hooded towel: of course, your baby could use the same towels as you but where would be the fun in that?
• A protection bath mat: you won’t need it straight away this is why I rather put it on this list than with the must-haves.
  My little girl always wanted to stand up at some point while taking a bath and it happened a couple of times that she slipped. Luckily, we usually take our bath together so I was there to catch her.
• A water thermometer: the bath needs to be 37°C. This can be a small gift so you don’t have to spend money on it.
• A diaper dispenser with bags: if like me you are sensitive to smell, you should definitely have one.
  I’m not a fan of Sangienic since you need both your hands to close the bag. The Korbell has a simple design and is easy to use.
• A night-light for baby (with music): some babies fall asleep to quiet music. There are some cute animal-shaped night lights with or without sound.
• A reusable swim diaper: I didn’t even know they existed until recently but, hey, if you can have one swim diaper instead of 20 swim Pampers, I’ll go for it.

TOYS & GEAR

• A baby carrier or a sling: I’d recommend a baby carrier that you can wear on the back and on the belly. If you have lots of stairs on your way or your baby doesn’t like the stroller, if you need free hands or you want to protect your new-born from hands that might touch her. You don’t need one where you can wear baby on your belly facing the same direction as you are. This is not recommended for boys especially. You might have friends who want to buy you something together. So this might be the perfect gift idea.
  A sling can be great if you move around the apartment or you just want to go to the post office.
  I even found a fast drying one that allows you to take your baby under the shower or into the pool with you, quite cool!
• A play mat/ activity gym: a really colourful one!
  I always thought they were really ugly. And then I found one with pastel colours that I loved. But I was so lucky my friend gave us a different one. Babies love to discover colour, different surfaces and sounds (crackling, tooting). Yes, this will not necessarily look pretty in your living room but your baby will love it the more there is to discover.
• A diaper bag: there are thousands of different diaper bags on the market and they are all quite useful.
  In my experience, there are only a few points that make a difference. If you want daddy to carry the diaper bag, don’t buy a pink one with flowers!
  You will need a soft mat that is detached from the bag. When you need to change your baby outside of your house this mat will come in handy.
  And the last point, there are a few bags on the market that can be carried as a backpack. I have one of these and it’s great not to have an additional weight on one shoulder while carrying baby on my belly.
• A teething rattle: some toys have a teething ring attached to them.
  I’d just recommend to take one with soft plastic and not hard plastic
• A colourful rattle: they come in all shapes and sizes. Your baby will love to play with them, to listen to it, to see its colours and even to observe where the sound comes from.
• A wooden toy chain for the stroller: when being driven around in her stroller, your baby will mostly see you and the sky. As long as she is too small to grab her toys, this gives her something else to observe.
• A bouncer: this is quite a nice invention. You can put your baby in the bouncer so you have your hands free. And since your baby is almost in a sitting position, she has a different view than when she is lying down.
  For me, this is a real lifesaver when I go to a different room or when I just want to take a shower. And my baby is reassured because he can still see me.
• Bath toys and a net to keep them all together
• A cloth book: reading to your baby is really important but her first books don’t need to have words. Some nice colourful pictures to look at are enough. These books often have several textures or make sounds. My daughter couldn’t get enough of her book about a farm with animals.
• A cover for the medical booklet: this is something typically French I think. It’s a cute protection for the book with your babies’ medical records.
• A protection for the back of the car seat: once your baby is big enough to sit upright in her car seat and to wear shoes you will need to think about protecting the drivers’ seat. Not sure anyone will like this gift idea but it’s worth a try.

I hope this list has helped you to know which gift ideas might be useful for your firstborn. And that it gives you the inspiration to make your own wish-list. Try to be patient. Mostly these are not things you will need on day one and you can avoid spending a months’ salary on this gear.

Regarding clothes, don’t put them on the list or ask for clothes from 12 months upwards. You will receive lots of bodies and other clothes for 3-6 months old babies. So do not worry if you have enough babies’ clothes for the time after birth.

Do not hesitate to share your list on facebook or via WhatsApp with your friends and family, they will be happy to give you something you want and actually need.

Please share other ideas below in the comments section so other mommies can find more inspiration.