Minimalist Newborn Essentials + Advice
Since Jude is about to turn one (wow!) I thought I would round up my list of minimalist newborn essentials. This list was compiled during those first few months we spent at home - it is all the information I wish I had before he was born. I remember being highly disappointed in the lack of detail that some of the minimalist baby lists had - many were extremely general and suggested things like an eighty dollar mobile. I remember thinking: seriously, just tell me a specific number of onesies please! What are the random things I will wish I had at 2 AM?
While this list may seem long and detailed compared to other minimalist baby lists, this is legitimately everything we used during those first few months. It contains the random little things I didn’t think to pick up until we were desperate. I think that while it's so important to keep things simple, don’t be afraid to buy a few extra items that make your lives easier during that sleepless, crazy time.
While I tried to keep our baby supplies minimal, we did stock up on a few things we never used. You can read that list here: Baby Items You Don’t Need.
A key thing to note is that we did laundry often and always gave a load to our parents and friends to wash at their place when they came to visit - do it! People want to help! Apartment living with laundry sucks, but you can totally make it work. I kept clothing ridiculously simple + he was an April baby, so the weather was on the warmer side. Since clothes are being washed so often from messes, you really don’t need a ton for those first few months (especially since they are growing quickly!).
Highly recommend to only buy kimono style onesies and sleepers with zippers. The classic white over-the-head style onesies are such a hassle to put on when they’ve had a blow-out and you’re sleep deprived. Tons of buttons are a hassle too! Make life easier for everyone and get stuff that takes two seconds to put on and that can mix and match easily.
Minimalist Newborn Essentials
Short Sleeved Kimono Bodysuits: Always had about 5-6 in his size. The ones linked are similar to what we had with Jude.
Long Sleeve Kimonos: Had about 5-6 of these in his size at all times. We loved ours from H&M but they are no longer available- the ones I linked are similar and have great reviews!
Burt’s Bees Baby Sleepers & Sleeper Gown Sets: We always had a mix of about 8 in his size.
Burt’s Bees Baby Hats: These were my favorite. Two to rotate at nighttime and one for the diaper bag.
Carter’s Pants: Always tried to buy colors that would mix and match with everything.
Zutano Cozie Fleece Booties: We lost about four pairs of socks in the hospital and our washer ate several. Wish I had bought these booties earlier since they actually stay on!
Medela Breast Pump: Even if you plan on solely nursing, get one. Even if you don’t think you need one. I was so engorged when we came home that just pumping a tiny bit off before he latched on saved our breastfeeding journey. I would’ve given up without it. Check to see if your insurance will pay for it! Also make sure you have Lanolin Cream, Nursing Pads, and maybe even a few of these if you can afford them.
Nursing Cover: You can use a lightweight blanket tucked into your bra strap if you want to keep it crazy simple, but this was really nice to have in public while I was still trying to figure out how to position Jude. I liked that I could easily see him and the pattern wasn’t ugly.
Boppy: So great for breastfeeding, but so many other uses too! This Waterproof Cover was useful.
Love to Dream Swaddle UP: We had two of these and Jude slept so much better with his arms up. We tried a regular swaddle blanket and he would always break free and have the blanket over his face - made me super nervous, so I loved this zipper version.
Little Unicorn Organic Cotton Muslin Swaddles: This was my favorite brand of swaddles! So many uses! We had several, but I found I typically grabbed my favorite patterns and used the same 3-4 ones on a regular basis. You don’t need that many.
Gathre Changing Mat: One of my all-time favorite items! We still use this! The quality is amazing and I love not having another item to throw in the wash since you simply wipe it down.
Wubbanub: This guy holds the pacifier in place so you don’t have to + it’s easy to find if you drop it. Have a spare one for emergencies though!
Solly Wrap: Baby wearing is the best! Solly brand has lightweight fabric so you don’t sweat + the quality is amazing.
Diaper Backpack: Highly recommend a backpack instead of a bag! I didn’t love ours, but it was still useful to have the hands-free aspect. Now that Jude is older, I use a small one I picked up from Walmart.
Dockatot: If you are going to go the co-sleeping route, we loved this!
City Mini Jogger and Car Seat: If you can, having the ability to clip your car seat onto your stroller in those early days is so nice. This stroller is lightweight and folds easily, which I love for living in an apartment and carrying up and down the stairs. We recently took off the adapters for placing the car seat on it and Jude now has room to grow into it for years.
Angelcare Baby Bath Support: This one doesn’t get moldy and made bath time so easy for us! Not totally necessary, but it helped with my nervousness surrounding baths in those early days.
Diapers & Wipes: Duh. Don’t open them though, some stores will let you swap them if you have too many in one size.
Mini essentials kit: thermometer, diaper cream, nail clippers, bulb syringe, and Gripe Water - there were a few late nights with a screaming baby where I was so thankful experienced moms in my life bought gripe water for us! I had no idea.
Rocker/Swing: This was the way I took a shower when Joshua went back to work! Having something to put your baby into so you can be hands-free is so important. We had the Rock’n Play that has since been recalled (yikes) but I loved the ability to move it around our space easily. You do not need a rocked and a swing and a bouncer. I’d say just pick one apparatus you can place baby in.
Obviously use your own discretion and apply my advice thoughtfully to your own living situation. Depending on the weather, you may need to add more clothes for extra layers in the winter - these were just the essentials for us!
Let me know in the comments if this was helpful, or send me a DM on Instagram with any questions you have! Having a newborn is one of the best seasons in life - don’t be afraid to purchase items that will enable you to soak it all up and make the sleepless nights and transition into motherhood easier.
Chloe Rey
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