Newborn Essentials – Minimalist list

baby lying on white fur with brown blanket

When I got pregnant with my daughter, I didn’t want to buy anything before I knew her sex and before I was 24 weeks pregnant. However, I started being curious about what to buy pretty early, and my, oh my! People go kind of crazy nowadays. I couldn’t believe the amount of stuff people would buy and how expensive that stuff was. I mean, check out the top 20 YouTube videos about baby essentials and you’ll believe it costs an arm to have a baby.

The truth is, it doesn’t. If you watch this type of video, also go ahead and check the video they all make 3 to 6 months later about everything they regret buying!

People around the world make babies and although I’m very grateful for the comfort we have access to in the West, I think we go a little too far when it comes to baby gear. No wonder so many young couples would rather be DINKS if they believe it costs that much to have a child.

I had my baby nearly 6 months ago (oh how time flies) and this is the list of everything I’ve needed every week or occasionally. Bear in mind that I exclusively breastfeed and bedshare.

  • Thermometer

I especially used it when my baby received her very first shots (sad face) and had a fever for over 24 hours after that. Make sure you use an old-school, cheap digital thermometer. I had that and an ear and forehead thermometer but it didn’t work accurately for my baby. Only use the digital in the rectum for accurate results.

  • Nose Sucker

My baby had her first cold at 4 months old and it was so sad to see her struggle to breathe. There are different types of nose suckers but for her little cold (she didn’t have a lot of congestion), I love the Frida baby nose sucker. Make sure you are gentle with it.

  • Muslin Blankets

I use one every day. It’s one of the most useful items on this list. I have used them to wipe my baby’s drool, vomit, and spit; I’ve used them as burping cloths, shades in the sun, pads to lay her down especially during tummy time to avoid having drool all over the bed, I’ve used them as swaddle blankets too. As I’m writing this article with my baby sleeping on me, I’ve put one on top of her forehead to avoid the light from the screen disrupting her nap. It is essential. Get several!

  • Baby carrier
a woman wearing a carrier while looking at the sea
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

My baby is sleeping in one as I am typing. I have three but one of them isn’t very comfy so I only use two. My baby loves to be close to me and so do I. However, sometimes I need both my hands to do stuff so having a carrier is a game-changer. There are several types and it can be difficult to pick so I’ve made an article about it. You can read it here.

  • Changing pad

OK, it was essential at first but now that my baby is older, I can do without most times, except when we have a blowout. What I love about changing pads is that when there is poop everywhere, you just need to put it in the shower, wipe it, and be done. I live in a small apartment so it’s never too far from where I am and it just makes my life easier.

  • White noise machine

Since my husband was at home with us for the first few months, there was always noise in the background, and having the white noise helped me calm down my fussy baby when she was a newborn. It’s on for every nap now. I always feel a little guilty knowing that she should be able to sleep in a loud environment but at the same time, I know I can’t and I am still a healthy person so it should be ok, right? Right?

  • Baby shower gel

You are going to need to clean your baby a few days after birth. She had her first bath a week after birth. I now bathe her every 2 days. Baby’s skin is very fragile and soft so I picked the CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo which is very gentle on her skin and hasn’t caused any bad reaction.

  • Playmat

Sometimes, you won’t be able to hold your baby, even in the carrier. They also need to be on the floor to learn how to use their body and play. Having a playmat is the ideal solution, They can be moved around (at least mine can, I know others like the Lovevry one that require to stay in place), are light, and don’t take up a lot of space.

  • Stroller
woman pushing stroller
Photo by Marcin Jozwiak on Pexels.com

I started using my stroller when the baby was around 2 months old and I love it. It’s a great way to go for a walk and let the baby enjoy the view too. Had I had the budget for it, I would have picked one that could double as a car seat but I’m still pretty happy about my purchase. I went for the Milly and Coup Milo stroller which isn’t for sale anymore. It’s pretty great, even now that it’s colder, it shields my baby from the cold wind very well and doesn’t take up too much space.

  • Car seat

As mentioned earlier, I would have loved to have a car seat that doubles as a stroller. However, I am pretty happy with the car seat I got. It’s the Graco SnugRide and I like it. It’s quite heavy to carry around but we have been using it from the day she was born and it hasn’t failed us. Make sure to learn how to properly install the car seat because you may need to do it several times.

  • Nursing pillow

I still use it to this day. Although I definitely could have picked a better option, I love my nursing pillow, especially on those days when my back hurts and I need a little bit more support. I love that if I get in the right angle, I don’t need to hold my baby and even though I love holding her, sometimes, it helps to have both hands free. Like during lunchtime and we’re hungry at the same time haha.

  • Clothes
a person holding baby clothes
Photo by Matilda Wormwood on Pexels.com

Do I need to explain? Lol. Make sure you get lots of onesies. Cute outfits look good and all but daily they can be a pain, especially if you need to change your baby after a blowout.

  • Wipes

I got the Water Wipes because they are plastic-free, unscented, and hypoallergenic. We’ve had no issue whatsoever using them and I even use them to remove my makeup now!

  • Diapers

We use both cloth diapers and regular ones but I like the regular ones better. Still not a huge fan of the washable ones because they get wet super fast and my baby is not very comfortable after only one pee which means I have to change her diaper more often. Any tips?

  • Electric nail trimmer / Nail clipper

Baby’s nails grow very fast and very sharp. Also, my baby moves a lot when I try to clip her nails so I mostly file them to avoid hurting her little fingers. I bought a cheap one from Amazon here.

The following are very useful but you can do without them for a while or completely in my opinion.

  • Bouncer

I bought a bouncer when she was 3.5 months old. Before then, she was either on the floor or on me. Now, she uses the bouncer less than 1 hour every day but it’s useful when she doesn’t want to be on the floor and I need to do something that can’t be done with the carrier like cooking hot stirring stuff or taking a shower. I still would rather put her on the floor for her development but I’m happy to have the option. We picked the Maxi-Cosi one and it’s fine.

  • A few toys

Toys are very important for your baby’s development but I don’t buy into the narrative that pushes parents to buy all the toys, all the age-appropriate toys at that. I think babies and children can deal with fewer toys and be less overstimulated. I started buying toys for my baby when she was a month old and she still doesn’t have that many. I followed Emma Hubbard’s guide on YouTube.

  • A few books

We started reading with her quite early and mostly bought books from the second-hand store but they are not essential at first because newborn babies have very short wake windows at first. Feeding and playing will be enough for a while.

  • Towels

You can use a towel you already have at home. You don’t need to buy ones that are designed for babies. However, they are the cutest! Especially those with animals on the hood.

And that’s it! It’s crazy how 20 items doesn’t sound that minimal but it’s still a brand new person so they will need some stuff, especially in the world we live in. It may be different in another culture. As you can see, I have not mentioned a crib or bassinet. That’s because we have been bedsharing since she came home. If you are curious, you can check the article I wrote about it here.