While waiting for Baby, the idea of opening a birth list is rather tempting.
Ideal for limiting duplicate gifts, however, it sometimes has some disadvantages.
Here is my opinion as a future mother….
Are you already worried about receiving Sophie la girafe in triplicate?
And the idea of the 25 birth-size babies is demoralizing you? To avoid this kind of setback, more and more future parents are opting for the birth list.
On the same principle as a wedding list, the birth list allows families to determine what they need, or want, for their future child.
The people around them have an overview, and can choose to buy a particular item, or participate in the purchase of a larger one. They are thus sure to please and parents avoid unpleasant surprises and duplicates.
Almost all specialized brands (such as Aubert or Autour de Bébé) offer to open a birth list. Ditto for large areas. And more and more websites offer this service.
It remains to be seen what the conditions are. Some stores force parents to buy what they have put on the list (yes, yes, I assure you!)… For me, they are to flee at all costs! Others allow you to recover part of the kitty in the form of a bank transfer, which can be practical if you want to buy some of the items in another brand.
You must therefore make an informed choice :don't let yourself be lured by the promise of a gift voucher for 5% of the amount of the payments, if this then forces you to add an astronomical sum to finish buying everything that has not been taken on your list!
Also, beware of the fees that are sometimes charged when withdrawing part of the sum.
After having compared many possibilities, it is finally towards a list in a generalist brand that I chose to deposit the birth list of Petit Loulou. Because in the end, no doubt, these lists are only there to push us to spend more and more money!
Thanks to a gift card on which all the payments are combined, I will be able to make all the purchases to prepare for Baby's arrival without breaking the bank in a specialized store.
Of course, I'm not going to force people's hands:if they don't ask me, I won't even tell them about the list, and will let them treat us with a gift of their choice.
This is what seemed to me the best compromise, but it is only a personal opinion, everyone then manages their preparations as they see fit!
And you, have you opted for a birth list? Share your experience as (future) parents with us in the comments.
