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Baby clothing and Equipment


Paul
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Hi Guys

Been having a look at baby shops in France, but am noticing a massive difference in price between the same items if purchased in the UK or France. The prices in France seem to be extremely high compared to that of the UK, and that's not even taking into consideration the current exchange rate. Even if the exchange rate was £1 = EUR1.45, the price in Euro's for most items are still very expensive. I am looking at buying things like electric steriliser, baby monitor, cot and changing table, bedding....etc.

Have tried Autour de bebe and Bebe 9. Does anybody any other suggestions?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Lindsey  

 

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Where are you Lindsey?  There are depot-vente shops around that sell second hand baby equipment and clothes.  It's really worth having a look.  I know that there are ones in Périgueux, Angoulême and Mareuil.  They are privately run though not chains.

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Hi Lindsey,

Congratulations qnd commiserations!

The prices over here are indeed high, especially in baby shops, I took one trip back to the UK and bought it all in one very expensive go!  Check and see if there is a Relais Assistant Maternelles near you and ask if they are due to have a bourse (second hand sale) sometime or ask at the PMI. 

The very large supermarkets sell everything and can be good value, some points to consider,

Microwave sterilisers are much cheaper than electric,

Baby monitors are not good for your nerves (you jump at every little squeak and small babies squeak continuously), if they cry you will hear them, I guarantee it!

French babies sleep in sleeping bags - you will be considered a bad mother if you use sheets & blankets and expose your child to the risk of suffocation

Don't waste money on a crib/moses basket, go straight to a cot - we use a cot bed so it last's longer.  When the babies were very small, I put the pram bit of the pushchair inside the cot.

Electronic breast pumps can be hired from the pharmacie

Subject to resources the CAF will give you a payment of around 800 euros when you are about 7 months pregnant and thereafter about 170 euros a month till baby is 3. 

Can you buy smaller stuff on line and get someone to post it on to you.

IKEA do some reasonably priced baby stuff if you like IKEA - their stair gates are very good value

Try www.babycentre.co.uk and visit their forum for families in France, loads of relevant info there

Good luck

Busy Bee

 

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When are you due ??? the hypermarkets often have baby fayre weeks and things are on promotion.  I found france much cheaper than uk for baby stuff and shopped in the hypermarkets for all of mine and two children later the stuff is still going strong...

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i'm looking for bits and bobs too for first arrival due in august. have done alot of research into best bargains because we have no money!......

so far......

have had someone kindly bring over a moses basket (bought online from john lewis for £30) with them when they visited

bought cloth nappies and other stuff such as muslin cloths, washable wipes... from an online uk shop - they delivered here free because the order cost was so high

have bought a car seat from a french online shop (can't remember which one) reduced to 30 euros

now i need to get......

a couple of bonnet/hat things (can't find them here other than in 'birth sets' along with stuff already got) and some sleepsuits. they seem much cheaper in uk online stores such as adams / m&s / next. may see if someone is happy to bring them out when visiting us

bed barrier - we're going to try the three in a bed thing

a couple more 'milking bras'

a 'milking machine'

haven't used them yet, but http://www.allobebe.fr seems quite a good site to add to that list of potential french ones to use.

squidge x

 

 

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  • 4 years later...

French supermarkets are about the cheapest places and Autour is not too bad.

It is expensive having a baby in France, there again, you do get very good allowances too, very very good in comparison to the UK.

 

Three in a bed? Yes, I've heard of it, but where I lived it summers were very very hot and it would have been very very cruel to have either of our babies in with us, bad enough two of us in a bed. So no, don't fancy it at all. How do you get them into their own bed? And even if I could have just pulled my baby to me to feed, I'd still have needed to get up to have a drink and a wee, so, better for us if baby was in their own bed.

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