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Something I’ve discovered in my journey toward minimalism is that anxiety is one of the biggest reasons for overconsumption. Just think of all the “dorm essentials” people buy when their kids head to college. Preparing for pregnancy, birth, and baby is another high-emotion life milestone. So many things are advertised as “pregnancy essentials.” And almost all will just become clutter.
I still remember the anxious days leading up to flying to my host country with the Peace Corps right after college. My mom bought me tons of camping gear and gadgets advertised to solve various problems in the absence of electricity and running water. I packed it all into two giant suitcases and showed up at my host family’s home with more possessions than the entire family even owned. That was a big wakeup call. All these things we thought would be “essential” were not necessary at all to live in that environment.
I tried to remember that experience when I got pregnant for the first time. But I still fell for lots of advertised pregnancy “essentials” and cluttered my home with all kinds of nonsense. Not only supposed “new baby essentials” but also things that were apparently required for my changing body.
As soon as you start Googling pregnancy symptoms, the marketing onslaught begins. And it’s hard to know what’s actually needed. Certainly, some things are required. For example, any doctor will urge you to take a prenatal vitamin. And you’ll need some new pieces in your wardrobe.
But most of these “pregnancy essentials” are future clutter that will cause you stress. Now that I’m on my second pregnancy, I’m writing this post so you can learn from my mistakes!
The Fake “Pregnancy Essentials”: Stuff You Don’t Need to Buy Just Because You’re Pregnant
1. Products for Nausea
Morning sickness is one of the first pregnancy symptoms you’ll experience. And you’ll find tons of products marketed as solutions: ginger chews and gum, supplements, teas, scented candles, essential oils, room sprays, wrist bands.
I’m not saying you don’t need to buy them because you won’t suffer from nausea in your first trimester. I’m saying you don’t need to buy them because they generally do not work. And yes – I tried all of them!
What does make things a little better? Eating small, frequent meals, eating enough protein, and avoiding triggers like smells and tastes that bother you.
(My obstetrician also recommended vitamin B6 combined with Unisom. This did improve things, but the Unisom made me so drowsy I couldn’t use it long term.)
Unfortunately, beyond those tips, there is just not much else you can do to ease the discomfort of early pregnancy. It’s a problem that can’t be solved by throwing money at it.
2. A Ton of Maternity Clothes
As I admitted above, you will need some clothes to accommodate your new pregnant body. What I’m warning against is buying a whole new wardrobe.
For a first pregnancy, your belly won’t get that much bigger until about 20 weeks into the 40-week experience. And you won’t use these clothes again (unless you’re pregnant in the exact same season again).
If there was ever a time for a capsule wardrobe, it’s now. No one will criticize you for wearing the same outfits over and over for a few months.
Plus, you can use pants extenders and bra extenders to avoid buying a lot of new pieces altogether.
3. A Ton of Nursing and Pumping Bras
I could probably write an entire post about breastfeeding “essentials” that are not essential at all. I’ve seen so many products promising to solve all the little struggles that can happen in a breastfeeding journey.
But for now, I’ll just say – everything I said above about maternity clothes also goes for nursing bras. Yes, you’ll need some after you give birth if you plan on breastfeeding. But how many different bras do you actually wear now on a daily basis? Just a few should get you through the months or years you spend breastfeeding.
And you can also consider just skipping bras altogether to make breastfeeding easier.
4. Postpartum Belly Wrap
I bought a belly band while pregnant for the first time basically because I saw it on a list of “pregnancy essentials” to prepare for the postpartum period. I’d never given birth before, but it sounded reasonable to me that I would need “abdominal support” postpartum, like the listicle claimed.
I tried wearing it once. It was immensely uncomfortable like a corset. And it made my clothes fit awkwardly. I felt horrible in it and certainly did not want to sit and breastfeed or cuddle my newborn in it.
Yes, your abdominal muscles will be weakened during pregnancy. But the best thing you can do postpartum to recover is to avoid pushing yourself too much too soon. And I’m a big advocate of physical therapy!
5. Expensive Products to Prevent Stretch Marks
With my first pregnancy, I dreaded all the “horrible” consequences pregnancy was supposed to wreak on my body. My entire life, I’d heard negative stories about how bodies and attractiveness were “ruined” by pregnancy.
One of those consequences was stretch marks. And that’s why you’ll see all kinds of anti-stretch mark creams on lists of “pregnancy essentials.”
So, I did tons of research. I was willing to shell out a bit of money for something that would really prevent them. But the item with the absolute best reviews overall was…drug store coco butter lotion. Which costs $5.
So, I resisted the temptation to buy expensive high-end oils and creams. I applied some coco butter lotion once a day. And I didn’t get stretch marks.
Of course, if your skin is prone to them, you’ll get some while you’re pregnant. But in that case, there’s really not a miracle product that will prevent it. And also – who cares? They just prove that you’re a mom!
6. A Fetal Doppler
One of the more surprising items I’ve seen featured on lists of “pregnancy essentials” is a fetal doppler. It allows you to hear your baby’s heartbeat. It’s supposed to ease anxiety by letting you listen in to the heartbeat and rest assured that all is well.
But in my opinion, it just prompts anxious thoughts and behavior. I’ve lost a pregnancy before, and it’s traumatizing. But if a miscarriage is going to happen, it’s going to happen whether you’re listening to a heartbeat or not.
A product like this at home won’t change any outcomes and will only make you worry and waste time compulsively checking in.
7. Compression Socks
In a special case, your doctor may recommend compression socks during pregnancy. For example, if you’re taking a long flight, or you have a particular condition that puts you at risk.
But don’t buy these surprisingly expensive (and very uncomfortable) items up front just assuming you’ll need them during your pregnancy. You very likely won’t.
8. A Pregnancy Pillow
During my first pregnancy, I bought a Baby Bub pillow. Which I then hoarded for years, knowing I wanted to eventually have another kid. But once I was on the second pregnancy…I couldn’t remember why I felt it was necessary.
Putting a regular pillow between your knees or hugging it will have the same effect.
As your belly grows, you’ll feel uncomfortable and have trouble sleeping. But the unfortunate truth is that no product is going to take that discomfort away.
9. Electrolyte Mixes
It’s true that it’s important to hydrate during pregnancy. But despite what marketing will tell you, you don’t need to buy anything to hydrate. Drinking water works just fine!
To be honest, I did forget to drink water sometimes during pregnancy. In those cases, I’d drink Pedialyte to treat the resulting headache. You also might use these during your first trimester if morning sickness is causing you to vomit a lot and lose fluids.
So, use these as needed. But this is not a “pregnancy essential” you need to stock up on or consume daily.
In fact, some of the more popular electrolyte mixes (like Liquid IV) contain caffeine, which you want to limit during pregnancy. And even if they don’t have caffeine, they likely have a good amount of added sugar you’d be better off avoiding.
10. Water Bottles
This is in the same vein as the note about electrolyte mixes above. Everyone knows it’s important to hydrate during pregnancy. So, it makes sense that lists of “pregnancy essentials” often include trendy water bottles.
And it’s tempting to buy one in the hope it will encourage you to drink more water. But if you’re trying to maintain a relatively minimalist lifestyle, just use the cups and bottles you already have. You don’t need to carry water around with you and drink it every second of the day.
11. Sleep Accessories
Beyond the pregnancy pillow, there are a ton of products marketed to help pregnant ladies sleep. On lists of pregnancy essentials, I’ve seen cooling sheets, bedside fans, eye masks, etc.
And it makes perfect sense to me that these would be marketed to pregnant women. Trying to sleep while pregnant is uncomfortable.
If you’re a back or belly sleeper, you need to switch to your side. As time goes on, your belly is uncomfortable, your baby is kicking you, your back probably hurts, you may have started snoring even if you never used to, and you feel hot all the time. And on top of all that, sometimes pregnancy just causes random insomnia.
Unfortunately, like I’ve said about a few items on this list marketed to solve pregnancy symptoms, the truth is that no amount of products are going to make you sleep like a baby in your third trimester.
Sleeping while pregnant is just hard. You can spend hundreds of dollars and fill a closet with clutter, and you’ll still likely be waking up at night.
I know that’s not what you want to hear. But the truth is the best advice involves habits rather than purchases. You’ll have better luck practicing good sleep hygiene, moderating caffeine intake, and practicing meditation and other relaxation techniques than you will buying a bunch of accessories.
12. Snacks, Supplements, and Products for Breastfeeding
These are more related to the postpartum period than the other “pregnancy essentials” on this list. However, it’s something you’ll be encouraged to buy during pregnancy if you’re planning on breastfeeding.
First of all, I’d recommend not getting anything ahead of time besides a pumping bra and possibly a breast pump. (Pumps are sometimes free through insurance where I am in the U.S.). You’ll probably be encouraged to pump soon after birth and continue it for a few weeks to get your breastmilk supply up.
However, other products – nursing bras, shirts, dresses, and covers; nipple pads; nipple cream, and so on – leave for later. Every individual has such a different experience with breastfeeding, and you can’t be sure what yours will look like. So, give it a few weeks after the birth to see what kind of routine you and your baby get into.
I love preparing ahead of time as much as the next Type A person. But I try to remember that these days you can easily have products delivered to your home within a day. There isn’t as much of a reason to “stock up” or “nest” as there used to be.
Secondly, when it comes to snacks and supplements that are supposed to increase breastmilk supply, none seem to work. Of course, that’s my own experience talking. But with my first kid, I had trouble producing enough to keep up with his appetite. I tried everything marketed to increase supply.
But it turns out the best way to increase supply is to feed or pump regularly, drink enough water, and eat enough food. Once again, spending money and stocking up on trendy products doesn’t actually help.
13. Classes
There are so many classes geared toward expecting parents. I’ve seen or attended classes for prenatal yoga, CPR, birthing, hypnobirthing, caring for a newborn, and so on. They can be quite expensive. But you can find all this information for free at the library or online.
That being said, classes can be useful to meet other pregnant people in your area and gain a support system. So, especially if you’re a social person, I do recommend one or two classes if only for that reason.
But you don’t need a university degree to have a baby. And you certainly don’t need to pay hundreds of dollars to learn what you’ll need to know.
Bottom Line: How to Prepare for Pregnancy Without Creating Clutter
Given that popular lists of “pregnancy essentials” are often trying to sell you junk, how can you prepare for your first pregnancy without wasting money and creating clutter? Here are some rules of thumb:
Key Takeaway 1
Wait until you feel the need for something before you buy it. Don’t just start reading listicles at week 6 and buying everything in preparation.
Key Takeaway 2
Pregnancy comes with a lot of physical discomfort. Consider if your discomfort can really be solved by a product. So often, that’s our first instinct in a capitalist society. But it ends up just leading to clutter. And eventually we have to care for all that stuff – or declutter it. It creates more work at a time in your life when that’s the last thing you need.
Remember this time is temporary, and the stuff you buy will be forever. If you really think you’d benefit from a pregnancy-related product, take Fumio Sasaki’s advice and “be a borrower.” Any friend who’s been pregnant before probably bought these products and no longer needs them.
What Do You Think?
Have you been pregnant before? What were the real pregnancy essentials, in your opinion? And what did you buy and never use? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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