Being a minimalist with a newborn – it doesn’t seem possible, right? Everyone knows step number one of having your first baby in the Western world is to create a registry and have all your friends and family buy you a few hundred “essential” items.
You’ll be relieved to learn this is not the case. While you will certainly be adding “stuff” to your home for your new family member, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The last thing you want to do while navigating this huge life change and new responsibility on no sleep is figure out how use, store, and care for a bunch of new gadgets.
This article focuses on baby clothes. What do you really need to buy for your little one? Is it possible to create a minimalist capsule wardrobe for a baby? As he or she grows, are you doomed to spending hours a week sorting a thousand miniature pieces of laundry? You don’t have to be!
Here are some tips to keep this part of the newborn phase simple and streamlined.
Decide how many baby clothes you need
Your baby will need clothes. How many clothes depends on how often you want to do laundry. Do you have a washer and dryer in your home? If yes, you’ll probably be comfortable with fewer clothes and doing multiple loads every week. If you use a shared laundry facility outside your home, it’s worth it to buy extra. A newborn is generally going to change clothes several times a day. With near-constant spit-up, vomit, poo, and pee, they really have a knack for dirtying clothes. If you’re looking for numbers, here are some suggestions:
- Onesies – 7-15
- Sleepers – 5-10
- Socks (pairs) – 5-10
- Shorts or pants – 5-10
- Winter gear:
- Sweaters – 5-8
- Coats/jackets – 2-3
- Beanies – 2-3
- Summer gear:
- Sun hats – 2
- Beach/swim clothes – 2
Buy just a few of each size
It’s worth it to buy several sizes before the baby arrives. Baby weight and size predictions are not exact. My baby was born large and spent maybe a week in the “newborn” size before moving on to size 0-3 months.
And your baby will continue to grow fast. Don’t bother buying a dozens of pieces in one size. They’ll outgrow them in weeks to months, and you’ll be shopping for a new size before you know it.
Buy neutral colors and simple styles
You can use the same minimalist practices you would for your own wardrobe with your little one. Again, you can plan to change your newborn’s clothes often. Save yourself time and effort by getting neutral colors that can be mixed and matched. When it comes to styles, keep it simple. Avoid buttons and snaps, because you’ll lose patience with them fast.
Of course, some people may find joy in dressing their baby up in adorable little outfits, even if it means matching carefully and dealing with buttons and bows. If that’s you, go for it! I’m writing as someone who prefers simplicity, but the goal here is to make yourself happy during this stressful time.
Read the care labels
This is another typical minimalist wardrobe tip that can apply to your baby’s wardrobe. When I received baby clothes as gifts, I was amazed to find out that many items require special care, including hand washing and line drying. I asked myself, “Why would anyone create an item for a baby – a creature that frequently and unexpectedly ejects a variety of fluids – that’s hard to clean?” My advice: learn from my mistakes. Pay attention to the care labels before you buy, and stick to things you can throw in the washing machine.
Decide ahead of time where you’ll donate or sell baby clothes
I recommend planning for clothing donations before the baby arrives. Why? Well, as I said above, your baby will grow fast. You’ll get new clothes every few weeks or months during this early stage. And that means that clothes they’ve outgrown will start to pile up quickly. If you want to avoid clutter, have a plan in place for what you’ll do with those. Do you know someone having a baby a few months after you who would appreciate them? Is there a donation center nearby? Figure out what would be convenient, so you can periodically drop off items and make space in your home.
Organize baby clothes by size
This is probably my number one minimalist newborn tip. Buy a few sizes at a time, but always organize clothes by size. You can use dresser drawers, drawer dividers, or baskets for this purpose. As soon as you realize something doesn’t fit your baby, grab everything in that size and put it aside for donation. This habit saved my sanity during the newborn phase with my son. Getting an uncooperative baby dressed can be a bit chaotic, and this way I always had clothes that fit him easily at hand. No rummaging in drawers required. Plus, I dropped off donations every 2-3 months, so his nursery stayed clutter-free.
What about you?
Have you raised a newborn? What tips saved your sanity when it comes to baby clothes during this time? I’d love to hear from you!