Although babies do need a lot of things, I think you can still be smart about what you buy and absolutely need. I’m not a minimalist myself, but I hate having too many things. I want everything in my home to serve a function and spark joy and the same goes for baby essentials. So, today I’m sharing my minimalist baby essentials. Most of these items I either got as hand me downs or I received as gifts from my baby registry. These items will set you up for the first 6 months and beyond. I highly recommend getting things you are unsure about as the baby grows older since you never know what they need until the time comes.

I am going to divide my minimalist baby essentials in different categories to make it super easy for you all. Hope you all enjoy!

Minimalist Baby Essentials

Clothing:

For clothing, I highly recommend getting less than what you think you need because you will easily end up with way more than you need. Start with just 3 swaddles, a pack of wash cloths (that can easily serve many functions), 2 blankets and a weeks worth of clothing for every size. For example, for 0-3 month, get 7 onesies and 7 diaper shirts plus a couple extra. Do the same for 3-6 months, 6-9 months, etc., but for those sizes, just get diaper shirts and pants. For baby hats, I highly recommend the ones by Copper Pearl. They were the only ones that fit PS’s head perfectly from when he was a newborn to now (he’s 6 months) and they’re super adorable. I also recommend getting gender neutral clothes so they can be passed down to subsequent babies.

Feeding

If you are planning on breastfeeding, then you don’t need much. A nursing pillow with one extra cover, some nursing bras and pads and D drops are all you absolutely need. Don’t buy bottles or a breast pump until you absolutely need to. Amazon can bring you these things the next day so don’t bother buying because you never know what you will and wont need.

Sleep:

The same goes for sleeping. I set up a beautiful nursery for PS thinking he will need his room right away. But you really don’t know how things will go with your baby. We started off with a bassinet in our room and then moved PS to his crib after a month, but at the two month mark, we started co-sleeping. So, I suggest just buying a bassinet to start and then see how life goes. Maybe you’ll need a crib, maybe you won’t.

For the baby monitor, we got the WyzM camera that is super affordable on Amazon and has great night vision. I didn’t want to spend a lot on the camera and this one is great and can be used as a camera later as well. Even for the sound machine I recommend getting an Amazon Alexa since it can play all types of white noise and do other things as well and can be used once your baby is older too.

Hygiene:

Start with just 1 box of newborn swaddlers and 1 box of size 1 diapers. Again, you never know how big your baby is going to be. With PS we didn’t even need many newborn diapers. Also, I highly recommend getting a diaper pail that uses regular garbage bags since that will save you money over the long run. And just buy one changing pad with one cover but get a few of the wipeable diaper liners instead.

With regards to skin care, get one type of body wash/shampoo/moisturizer first and then see if your baby likes it. If they do, that’s great, stick with it. If not, then try a new product. I love K’pure Naturals products for my own skin care, and have been loving them for PS’s too.

Transportation:

This can be the most expensive category and the items you purchase here will last a long while. So, get good quality items. You will be able to use these items for subsequent babies and you’ll also be able to sell most of these items at a good price when you are done as well. So, try out a few brands of car seats, strollers and carriers and get something that is made of quality materials.

And, that’s all. Another essential for babies are toys, but you won’t be needing many in the first couple of months when all the baby does is sleep. But if you are looking for toy ideas for your little one, check out my Panda Crate review post. I have been loving all the toys the crate comes with and it’s basically all I’m purchasing for PS for now (other than all the gifts he received).

I hope you all found this minimalist baby essentials post helpful. Let me know in the comments below if you think I’m missing anything. For me, personally, these essentials are key 🙂