First of all I am happy to hair you had no pain 👍😘.

My firstborn is over 35 now and I never had a babyshower, no phone either. I delivered her at home in a small bedroom at my aunts place. My aunt was the midwife.

I had all the baby stuff like all Dutch moms have. You get a list what is needed for you, the baby and the moment you give birth at home. After the birth you get help even if the help is no help.

With my other kids I never had a baby shower either. It is not common in the Netherlands. Common is you recover for 10 days, have help and visitors.

I never had visitors and the minimum of help. After she left I started cleaning the shelter etc since the animals needed to be taken care of.

Echo's exist since a long time already 36 years ago. I had them but never asked or wanted to know the gender. By now the midwife or doctor thinks you know so with the youngest two I had to ask several times how or what.

I never really needed to know it I knew their gender and always was right.I also knew they were healthy so never wanted to test for all kind diseases.

By the way all baby starters clothes are white. You have them in other colours too but white is fine. I saved it and still have it. My children used it and my grandson too.
All my children wore cotton diapers I had to wash and I seldom had a wet crip.

Those bags I used too. In the early days there weree ribbons attached to it which you tied underneath the mattress or at the side of the bed. During the winter they head very thick ones. I think up till the age of 3-4 years old.Mine walked in it too. 😁