Journal

What we wish we had read. Short, honest, with nothing to sell you.

Paternity leave in France: how to schedule it without losing a single day

It is an individual right, not transferable, and whatever you do not take within six months is gone for good. Here is how to split it sensibly.

Declaring a birth at the town hall: the five days that actually count

The day of birth itself does not count toward the deadline. And if you miss it anyway, the town hall is no longer the one deciding.

A summer baby: the layette, and the two common mistakes

Fewer layers than people think, a hat all the same, and a thinner sleep sack rather than none.

A winter baby: the layette, item by item

Cold changes less than drying time does. Here is what genuinely shifts for a December to February baby.

A spring or autumn baby: the easiest layette to get right

Mid-season is the easiest to equip and the easiest to misjudge, because the baby changes season along the way.

How many clothes per size: from birth to one year

Each size lasts a different length of time, and the quantities do not follow age. 3 month is the trap.

Sleep sacks: which TOG to choose, and why the month does not matter

TOG is chosen for the room temperature, not the season. The table, and what must never be added on top.

Winter layette, summer layette: what the season actually changes

The season of birth mainly shifts three items. The rest of the quantities move less than people think.

Hospital bag: how many of each for a three to five day stay

Hospital bag lists enumerate, they do not count. And the first question is not "how many" but "what does the unit supply".

Newborn gifts: what actually gets used

Newborn size has already been given twice over. Here is what is genuinely missing, and what beats an object.

Baby list: how many of each thing to ask for

A baby list with no quantities gets you eight three-month outfits and no sheets. Here is how to frame it.

Newborn or 1 month: the split that avoids never-worn clothes

Newborn is the size you receive most of and the one your baby stays in least. Here is how to split it.

Nappies: how many a day, how many in the first month, which size to buy

Eight to twelve a day, around 280 in the first month. And above all: why not to buy a case of one size.

How many bodysuits, sleepsuits and nappies you actually need

Baby lists tell you what to buy and almost never how many. Here are the numbers, and what actually changes them in your home.

What pregnancy apps know about you

A due date is health data. Here are the questions to ask any app, including ours.

Preparing together, actually

One parent usually ends up carrying it all in their head. That is not about goodwill, it is about how the work is held.

Second-hand baby gear: good idea, or not?

A baby outgrows things faster than they wear out. Here is where second-hand is obvious, and the three cases where it is not.

Car seats: the one thing never to buy second-hand

The R129 standard, rear-facing, and why a seat’s history matters more than its price.

Baby registry: what gets used, and what sits in a cupboard

Standard lists run to forty items. The first weeks need about ten. The rest is optional, and nobody tells you.

What really needs doing before the baby arrives

There is a difference between urgent, important, and can-wait-three-months. Here is the sort.

Hospital bag: the short list, and what people forget

Most lists run to three pages. Here is what actually gets used, and the two things always missing.

Childcare in France: why you have to start so early

Looking for a place once the baby is born is already late. The real calendar, and the options when the nursery says no.

Choosing a maternity unit, and registering in time

In some cities, places go in the first trimester. Here is what actually matters in the choice.

Maternity and paternity leave: setting the dates without stress

The durations are set by law. What you prepare is when you tell your employer, and how you split the leave.

Declaring a pregnancy in France: what to do, and when

One step opens almost all of your rights. It happens before the end of the third month, and it takes ten minutes.

Bulle

Your bubble, together, before the baby arrives.

© 2026 Bulle · Made in France, offline, ad-free.