Is it possible to be a minimalist with a new baby?
So much is advertised as “essential” for newborns, and it seems inevitable that you’ll buy hundreds of new items in the process of “nesting.” Before you have your first child, it’s hard to know – what do I actually need? To compound the problem, lists you’ll find online are generally written by companies that want to sell you things. Yes, you’re going to have to add more “stuff” to your home when you welcome a new member of the family. But it doesn’t have to be out of control. You can be a minimalist even with a new baby!
Below, I sort baby products into 3 categories: essentials, “nice to have” products, and products I advise not buying. Within the “nice to have” list, I included some “MVP” products that significantly improved my life those first few months.
Some Quick Disclaimers:
- Although I’ve added links to certain products, I don’t make any money if you click them. These are just honestly the products that helped me through the newborn phase.
- My goal with minimalism is to make my life easier and simpler. Some of the items I suggest may not be 100% “required” for a very intense minimalist. However, they made my life easier with a newborn and didn’t contribute to clutter, in my opinion.
The Essentials – Stuff Even Minimalists Need for a New Baby
Everyday Basics for a New Baby
- Clothes – for a list of specific pieces, see this article on how to create a newborn capsule wardrobe
- Bottles
- Bassinet – even if you plan on co-sleeping, bassinets are useful for naps
- Bassinet/crib sheets
- Swaddles
- Diaper bag – buy one or repurpose a bag you already have
- Stroller
- Baby Carrier or sling
- Books – to be honest, for his first few months, my son’s only interest in a book was in biting it. But a lot of experts will tell you it’s important to create a habit of reading to your baby. And eventually, after months of reading to him at night, he did end up loving books. So, these go on the “essential” list, but you don’t need an extensive library.
- Breast pump (if you’re going to breastfeed) – there is no minimalist way to pump as far as I can tell – it’s a nightmare of little parts you have to sanitize. But the Zomee double electric breast pump – which I got from a Buy Nothing group – was the easiest for me.
Hygiene
- Diapers
- Baby wipes
- Pacifiers – not everyone would agree these are essential, but I definitely put them in this category for their instant-calming effect on my newborn
- Baby-safe soap
- Diaper cream
Health and Safety
- Thermometer
- Ibuprofen or Tylenol for fevers
- Nail clippers or electric trimmer (see below for a recommendation)
- Car seat
- Baby cam – I’d consider this an essential if you don’t plan on being glued to your little one 24/7
- Nasal aspirator (“snot sucker”) – unfortunately, your baby will get congested, and you may need to help him or her clear it!
Non-Minimalist But “Nice to Have” New Baby Products
These are non-essential, but they will make your life easier.
First, let’s cover what I consider “MVP” products. You could live without these if you’re committed to being minimalist with a new baby. However, I used them extensively and was grateful to have them.
- Diaper Genie – a device where you can magically throw away dirty diapers without ever smelling them. Genius!
- SNOO – this “smart sleeper bassinet” responds automatically when a baby starts fussing by gently rocking and playing white noise. It also swaddles baby in a safe sleeping position, which provides peace of mind. In those first weeks, it may just mean your little one (and therefore you) can sleep for 3 hours at a time instead of 1. If you’ve cared for a newborn, you know that that can make all the difference. Later, it can help train your baby into sleeping through the night. What’s the catch? Well…it’s expensive. Your baby will also outgrow it in 6 months. Still, I recommend renting or buying used.
- Nail grinder – how do babies’ nails grow so fast? If you don’t trim them, they’ll scratch their faces. The first time we cut our son’s nails with clippers, both my husband and I nicked his tiny fingers. (Devastating!) That’s when I went searching for a product to save us. I found this electric nail trimmer that grinds nails down gently. I’m not promising baby will always cooperate with the process, but you can be sure you won’t accidentally hurt them.
- Topponcino – we used this supportive pillow to carry our newborn constantly until he could hold his head up. And it made it easy for friends and family to hold him without worry.
- Doona – both a car seat and a stroller are on my list of essentials. This product is both! It served us well my son’s first year. It was fantastic to travel with only one bulky item and to transfer baby easily from walking to taxis. There are some drawbacks, though. First, it’s expensive. Second, your baby will outgrow it by around a year. I recommend buying one used.
Other products that, while not technically essential, got a lot of use in my home:
- Bibs – these cut down on outfit changes due to spit-ups
- Burp cloths – any cloth can be a burp cloth, but I used these constantly the first year
- Bottle warmer – there are other ways to warm milk, and I only used this for 6 months. But when your newborn is creaming, something that prepares milk fast and with consistent (and safe) results is a lifesaver.
- Steam sterilizer – again, there are other ways to sterilize bottles, and it’s only required the first 4 months. But in the early days when I was sterilizing bottles, pacifiers, and what felt like a million breast pump parts after each use, this was a huge help.
- Boppy pillow – you could probably repurpose any pillow for breastfeeding, but I used the Boppy’s design is comfortable for both you and baby.
- Bathtub with sling – my newborn outgrew being bathed in the sink after a week. This made bath time easy and safe for us.
- Rocking chair or glider – my son didn’t care about being rocked as a newborn, but in later months, rocking became vital to get him to sleep.
- Play gym – I used to cycle through this routine during maternity leave: feeding baby, letting him play in his gym, and putting him down for a nap. While you don’t need special toys, your newborn needs stimulation, and this is an easy way to provide it.
- Swing – in the first few months, I found myself overwhelmed and begging for just 5-10 minutes to sterilize bottles and start a load of laundry. Since my baby cried whenever he was awake and not being held, it was hard to find that time. Buying a baby swing was my solution. My son could only handle 10-20 minutes in the swing without crying, but in those first months, that was what I needed!
- Wipe clean changing pad – we’re still using this daily for diaper changes a year and a half into my son’s life. Being able to buckle him in for safety is key.
- Sound machine – not required, especially if you have a SNOO. But this helps my son sleep longer, even through other noise in the house. I recommend buying a travel size machine so you can take it on trips.
Useless New Baby Products
There are some products I bought or asked for on my registry that I didn’t end up using at all. As I said at the beginning, a lot is advertised as “essential” but will really just end up as clutter. Here are some of the ones I advise you skip buying if you want to be minimalist with your new baby:
- Stroller toys – these are the toys designed hang from the handle of your stroller and, in theory, entertain your newborn while you walk. But I found that if you’re walking with your baby, there’s plenty for him or her to look at in the environment. Remember, everything is new and interesting to them!
- Anything that comes in a “kit” – plenty of products are sold as sets – first aid, grooming, etc. But within every kit there are several “filler” products that are not useful. I recommend just buying the things you need individually to avoid clutter.
- Impractical clothes – I found out quickly that I didn’t have the patience for lots of little buttons and snaps or any outfit that required layering.
- Baby shoes – before my son could walk, there wasn’t much point in putting shoes on him. Even in the winter, when I tried to use boots to warm his feet, he managed to kick them off instantly. As an alternative, I covered his feet with a blanket in his stroller.
- Portable diaper changing station – my Lenappy diaper bag came with a pad to cover diaper changing surfaces, and all other necessary equipment I just kept in the bag. There’s really no need for a separate product.
- Special bath towels and robes – while a towel with a hoodie and bear ears is adorable, there’s no reason you can’t use a normal bath towel for baby!
- Bottle brush – between the steam sterilizer and later the dishwasher, I didn’t find any need to scrub the inside of my bottles. I gave this away unused.
- Most toys and stuffed animals – it’s natural to want to buy plenty of cute toys for your new baby. But the truth is they can’t do much in their first several months. Advertisers claim certain toys will help your child develop and meet milestones, but your baby will do that all on his or her own. Kids will play with anything you have around the house. To be a minimalist new baby parent, I recommend not going overboard and just buying a few toys to start.
Some Advice for Being Minimalist with a New Baby
To keep being minimalist even with your new baby, keep a list of everything you have bought or been gifted. This helps you stay mindful of what you’re adding to your home. Think ahead before setting up a registry: how many new things are you open to adding to your home? 20? 50? 100? If you’re not keeping track, you can easily go way beyond those numbers.
Remember that each thing you buy will also require care. For many of these products, you’ll need to set them up, learn how to use them, clean them regularly, etc. And for all products, you’ll need to find a place for them in your home. So, don’t assume that more is better and ask for everything you see online. (For more about how clutter is more negative than neutral, read this article on the cost of clutter.)
Conclusion – Minimalism with a New Baby
Preparing for your first baby is a time of excitement but also some anxiety! And marketers love to take advantage of consumers’ anxiety. I hope this article helps those trying to be minimalist with a new baby to sort through the marketing nonsense and determine what you really want to spend money on and bring into your home.
For those of you who have been through the newborn phase, I’d love to hear your tips for being minimalist with a new baby!
Are there any other products you would consider “MVPs”?
Any products you bought but found totally useless?
Anything you think I forgot on the “essentials” list?