When you and your partner are expecting your first baby, there are a lot of new things to expect. Especially if it's your first baby, there are a lot of things to consider and a lot of preparations and decisions to make. One question that comes up is what are the must-haves when it comes to the baby's first equipment. But also some formalities should be clarified before the birth of the child. At first, all this sounds like a lot of paperwork, and it might spoil your anticipation a bit, because who wants to deal with all the bureaucracy? Of course, there is a lot to do before the birth, but once that is done, you two can sit back and completely look forward to your time together with your baby.

The must-haves for your baby's first outfit

When you're expecting your first baby, there's a lot of equipment to get. But what equipment is a must and what is merely "nice to have" or perhaps even just unnecessary bits and pieces?

Topic - baby clothes: Most new parents find it difficult to buy the right amount of clothes. After all, you don't want to buy too little clothing for your newborn, but too much is also nonsense, because a baby quickly outgrows its clothes.  

Therefore, here is a list of what you should definitely buy for your baby:

• Some bodysuits
• T-shirts and jumpers
• Various comfortable trousers and rompers
• Tights/leggings
• Several pairs of thick baby socks
• One-piece pyjamas
• Hats
• Jacket
• Scarf
• For the cold days: a winter suit

Topic - prams and child seats::

To save money, parents often turn to second-hand goods. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Great, well-preserved baby items can be found at flea markets or online. However, when choosing the right pram or child seat, the safety of your child and not the price should be in the foreground. For this reason, we advise you to save on clothes, for example, and spend a little more money on the pram and child seat. Order the pram early enough, as some models have a certain waiting time. You should also check how easy it is to assemble and disassemble the pram and whether it can be stored easily in the car.

Especially during the winter, new parents worry about whether the baby is warm enough in the pram. For this reason, a warm and cosy baby blanket is essential for the cold days outside. Did you know that you can personalise baby blankets with cute motifs? You can simply type in the child's name or your desired text and create a baby blanket with a very special touch for your child. Simply select the design and size, type in the text and place it in the shopping basket.

Topic - sleeping - crib and other accessories: 

You have many options when it comes to the cot. You can choose between several variants, e.g. side beds, bassinets or a nest are worth considering. However, a baby will grow out of a nest very quickly. The easiest thing to get is probably a cot, which lasts the longest and is therefore advisable for anyone who wants to save money. About the baby monitor: a baby monitor is a nice gadget, for all the groundhogs who would otherwise not hear the baby at night, but not a must. However, if you want to be sure that you can hear the baby when it cries, a baby monitor is of course nice to have. For sleeping, a sleeping bag is best for babies instead of a pillow and blanket. A washable mattress cover is also helpful in case something goes wrong.

Topic - Diaper changing and baby care:

We recommend the following must-haves for changing nappies:

Changing table, if necessary a radiant heater above the chest of drawers.

• A washable changing mat
• Sufficient nappies in the right size
• A well-sealed nappy pail
• Diaper bag for when you are out and about
• Wet wipes
• Wound cream

For bathing and general baby care we recommend:

• Wet wipes
• Wound cream
• Baby oil (after bathing)
• Soft flannels and bath towels
• Nail scissors for babies
• A baby bath tub with bath thermometer

Topic - Breastfeeding or bottle feeding: When breastfeeding, nursing pads and some nursing bras are useful and a nursing pillow can make breastfeeding a little easier in the long run. You should always have a burp cloth at hand, both when breastfeeding and when giving a bottle.

If you decide to bottle feed, you will need several bottles, nipples for milk and nipples for tea. It is best to make sure that the teats are made of latex or silicone. You can get accessories for warming and sterilising the bottles, but warming and sterilising in the pot works just as well.

Topic - theme: An infant does not yet need any toys. In the beginning, a mobile and a music box are enough to make it easier for the baby to fall asleep. Only later can a crawling blanket and accessories such as rattles, stuffed animals and cuddle cloths be purchased.

We hope we have been able to give you a good overview of the necessary initial equipment for your newborn baby. If you need more details and are looking for a good checklist, take a look at the baby equipment checklist, where you will get a detailed overview of the most important equipment at the beginning. 

The most important formalities to deal with before the birth

Not only the initial equipment is an important point to think about before the birth of the child. Before the birth, you also have to deal with a number of formalities, such as maternity protection, parental allowance, health insurance, and so on. For this reason, we would like to give you a brief overview of all the bureaucracy that awaits you before the birth of your child.

Topic - Selection of the place of birth and registration: Of course, you are free to choose where the birth should take place. You can choose between a home birth, a birth centre and a hospital. Birth clinics and birth centres often offer information evenings where you can find out more and then register in good time.

Topic - Midwife/ Aftercare Midwife: You should also look for a midwife early on, as it is very difficult to find one at short notice. As a rule, the midwife will take care of the entire process and also accompany you through the aftercare. However, if for some reason the midwife cannot take over the aftercare, you will have to look for an additional aftercare midwife.

Topic - Maternity protection and maternity benefit: Every expectant mother is entitled to maternity benefit within a certain period of time. From the beginning of maternity protection 6 weeks before the scheduled delivery until 8 weeks after the delivery, the expectant mother is entitled to maternity benefit. This is calculated on the basis of the average net income of the previous 3 months. Under certain circumstances (e.g. multiple births), the maternity protection period and the payment of maternity benefits may be extended.

Topic - Parental leave: Remember to submit your application for parental leave to your employer in good time. When submitting your application, you must already indicate the periods of time you have planned for parental leave. This way, the employer can prepare for the period of time you will be absent. If parental leave is taken before the child's 3rd birthday, the application must be received by the employer at least 7 weeks before the start of parental leave. Each parent can apply for parental leave and must be released by the employer for up to three years. During this time, the employee is not paid a salary; as a substitute benefit, an application for parental allowance can be made for a certain period.

Topic - Parental allowance: You should start thinking about parental allowance early. Why? Parental allowance depends on your income in the 12 months before the birth or before maternity leave. Therefore, you should already start thinking about this, even if you apply for parental allowance after the birth of your child. You are entitled to parental allowance for 12 months, which you can extend to 14 months with the help of the so-called partner months. This is the basic parental allowance, but there are other regulations, such as the parental allowance plus, which you should also take into account. You can submit your application to the relevant parental allowance office after the birth. What you need: Birth certificate and birth certificate.

Topic Acknowledgement of Paternity: Acknowledging paternity is relevant for all unmarried couples with a child. In the case of unmarried couples, the mother is automatically the mother of the child, the father must first acknowledge paternity and the mother must consent to it.

Topic - Custody issue: The situation is similar here. The mother automatically receives custody, whereas the father must apply for it. Through the acknowledgement of paternity, he is entitled to the right of access, but not the right to parental care.

Topic - Child's health insurance and paediatrician: The baby must also be covered by health insurance after birth. When choosing health insurance, it first depends on where the parents are insured and, if applicable, how high the income of both of you is. Depending on this, the baby will then be insured privately or can be included in the family insurance.

Since many paediatricians are also busy, it makes sense to look for a suitable paediatrician during pregnancy. This way you can be sure that your child can be examined by a doctor during the first weeks of life.

Topic - Day care centre and childminder: Places in day-care centres and with childminders are also rare, which is why you should look for places early enough. Even if you plan to apply for parental leave and stay at home for a while, you should keep the application for a place in mind and apply in good time.

Topic - Tax return: Receiving parental allowance obliges you to file a tax return, so you should keep all important receipts. It is best to do your tax return early so that you do not have to deal with paperwork during the time with your newborn.

We hope we have been able to give you a good overview of all the essentials before the birth of your baby and that you are now well prepared for the exciting time ahead.