Learn how to make a Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List for 0-6 months. This list is full of items and tips that will help preserve your sanity, are inexpensive, and minimal. I will show you my purchases over the years, and why I kept or purged certain popular items.
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For 40 weeks, our babies live in the warmth and safety of our wombs. They are naked, have no toys, bathe in their own pee, and food is supplied on demand. Then, suddenly, at 40+1 (or whenever your nugget decides to enter the world), we have been trained to turn this upside down. Suddenly, they need extravagant clothes, a variety of creams and soaps, a rigid schedule, and toys that will help them get into college someday (okay, maybe I am exaggerating a little). My point is, why this sudden change in how we view our babies? Yes, they will have more material needs now than when in the womb. But, it can be kept to a minimum with a little thought and preparation.
Making a Mental Switch towards Minimalism
My first tip is to stay relaxed. Having a baby, and especially a first baby, will always be a huge undertaking. Mama, I am here to tell you that you will do great! You will be told by a thousand and one people how to raise your baby. Just remember that the advise they are giving you was great advise for their children. It may not be for yours.
In my early days of parenthood, I would often succumb to pressure from family members to change what I felt was best. It was usually something simple. For example, I was noticing signs of exhaustion and wanted to put the baby down for a nap. But, felt pressured to keep them awake because family was enjoying their time with them. This was often quickly followed by the baby having a meltdown. You may face more challenging differences, but the same ideas apply. If the advice does not resonate with you, then politely but firmly reject it.
Exactly the same thing can happen with “baby items”. The retail world has everyone convinced that babies require a host of gadgets. You will have Facebook ads, massive lists of “suggested items for your registry”, and friends and relatives all telling you what worked for their baby. There are several common issues you will run into with many of these items:
- multiple items that serve the same basic purpose
- items that are quickly outgrown
- objects that are bulky and difficult to store
- lifestyle choices that requite a lot of upkeep
Learning how to make a Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List can seem daunting at first. But, go ahead and make a list, and then you can always groom it down from there.
How to Make a Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List: The Basic Categories
I will suggest a few specific items that, after much trial and error, worked well for me. But, my focus will be on providing you with categories and the simplest way to fill those categories based on your own preferences. You may notice a few obvious “blank spots” in my categories (for example, no pacifiers). For an explanation of this, see my post on How to Make a Pre-Baby List of Items I Do NOT Need.
- Clothing
- Sleeping
- Toys
- Items to Safely Contain Baby
- Pooping and Peeing
- Feeding and Breast Care (if breast-feeding)
- Travel
- Misc. (Comfort, Cleanliness and First Aid)
Minimalist Approach to Baby Clothes
When I was preparing for my first baby, my favorite thing was picking out clothes and imagining what he would look like wearing them. About half way through my pregnancy, I was gifted a large bag of lightly used infant clothes. For a couple of months, I could not bring myself to wash them because the “newborn” smell that still clung to them was so deliciously intoxicating. But, yes, I did eventually wash them and put them away.
Once my oldest was born, I quickly realized that babies require far fewer clothing options than I originally thought. I do not go as stringently “minimalist” in this category as some people do. But, I usually shoot for 10 outfits per size. This means that if I have a difficult or busy week, I am not pressured to stay up with the laundry every single day. And, at the same time, 10 infant outfits take up very little room and are easy to manage.
Here are some things I consider when choosing infant clothes:
- Various Fabric Weights (to accommodate different temperatures)
- Easy to Clean (is it washer and dryer friendly and does not wrinkle?)
- Quick Access to the Diaper (especially important for night-time clothes)
- Hard for the Baby to Get Themselves Out of (which is why I limit footless clothes that require socks)
- Do I Find it Cute? (Yes, this may sound frivolous, but has always been important to me)
How to Make a Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List for 0-6 Month Clothes and Outerwear:
- 5-6 one piece outfits: no collar, footed, with a full length 2 way zipper. If it is summer, I get all cotton. If it is winter, I get at least 2 of them with fleece fabric.
- 2 long pants (footed for winter and footless for summer). I pair these with matching onesie tops (short sleeve for summer and long sleeve for winter).
- 2 pairs of overalls (long for winter and short for summer). And, again, pair these with a weather appropriate onesie top.
- 1 pair of flexible tennis shoes. My favorite is the Stride Rite brand. They are easy to put on, stay on well, and are not stiff or bulky.
- 1 pair of slippers that snap around the ankle (I prefer the Zutana slippers).
- 4 pairs of cotton socks
- 1 snowsuit if it is winter: hooded, with insulated pockets for the hands and feet. If it is summer, then a hooded raincoat instead.
- Hat: sun hat with ear and neck coverage in the summer, or a warm hat with ear flaps for the winter.
- Swim Diaper and Swimsuit if it is the summer time. I always buy two-piece swimsuits because the one-piece suits are a nightmare to change a diaper once they are wet.
Sleeping and Bedding
I will freely admit, that for the first year, I do something which is NOT recommended. I co-sleep with my baby. It has just been what worked best for our family. However, I do keep an Arms Reach Co-Sleeper next to my side of the bed. When it is bedtime, and the baby is asleep, then I place them in this to start with. This allows me to get a couple hours of peace and space to myself. Then, when they wake up for their first feeding, I bring them into bed with me for the rest of the night.
My Minimalist Bedding Arrangements:
- Arms Reach Co-Sleeper with a fitted cotton covering for the pad
- Water Proof Mattress Pad for my bed
- A fabric, waterproof Hospital Underpad (also called a Chucks or Chux Pad). I sleep with my upper body on one of these. It catches all the leaked breast milk, leaked spit up, and any diaper leaks that might happen during the night. Then, the next morning, I only have to wash that instead of changing the entire bed.
Toys: Is it Possible to Make a Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List for Toys?!
This is another area where less is definitely more, even though we have been trained to think the opposite. I typically keep about 5 toys on hand for this age group.
- carseat toy
- teething toy that attaches to the wrist
- something with wheels
- highchair toy
- ball
However, I usually find they are not super interested in the toys. They are much happier with exploring everyday items. For example, if you offer a baby of this age a toy and your clean hairbrush, they will probably choose the hairbrush. So, if you want to go the route of strict minimalism, you do not need to buy any toys at all for this age group. Simply offer them safe and clean everyday items you have laying around. For example: a wooden kitchen spoon, hairbrush, empty lotion tube, Tupperware container, etc.
I also get some brightly colored board books that tell actual stories, and read these on a regular basis. Both my husband and I are book worms, so encouraging our kids to love to read has always been very important to us. You can add books with textures as well to engage their tactile senses.
Safely Containing Your Baby in a Designated Space:
I have a strict rule of thumb for this category. I do not buy or use any piece of equipment that holds them in a position they cannot maintain on their own. For example, I do not put them in a highchair until they can sit on their own. And, I do not use walkers because they are designed to be used before the baby is walking on their own. I want them to develop their motor skills on their own terms, and I want to encourage as much rolling and crawling time as possible (rather than replacing it with sitting). This has always worked well for my kids, and they have always exceeded their motor milestones by a large margin.
So, what times will you need to have an appropriate “container” available?
- When the baby is asleep, but not in their bed
- During active play
- When eating solid foods
- While outside
- During times of hands-free carrying (so you can cook, etc while still holding the baby)
What I use to keep my babies safely contained:
- Swing that mostly or completely reclines them.
- Boppy Lounger (I use this for the newborn phase before they can roll. I especially love that it is easily portable and can be machine washed and dried).
- Large Playmat (Or, if you have a nice area rug or carpet, you can just throw a blanket down).
- Highchair (once they can sit on their own)
- If it is summertime, I use either a pack-and-play or yard-pen to keep them safely contained while I garden.
- Carriers (I am a huge proponent of carrying your baby whenever possible. As long as the baby is not hungry, I find it just as bonding and comforting as breastfeeding.)
Minimalist Pooping and Peeing: How to Make Your Pre-Baby Shopping List for Elimination
As you probably know by now, I try to use natural, non-processed, and handmade items whenever possible for my family. But, I will freely admit that Diapering is where I depart from this somewhat. During my first pregnancy, I decided that cloth diapering was not worth the time and effort for me. Now, this would have been completely different if one of my kids would have had sensitive skin or other issues with disposable diapers. Thankfully, that has not been the case. I also potty train at 1 year of age. So, the expense associated with disposable diapers is not as intense for us as it is for families that potty train a year or more after that.
Disposable Diapering Necessities:
- Diapers: Free and Clear
- Wipes: 99% water or Free and Clear
- Diaper Pail/Diaper Genie
- Natural Diaper Rash Cream and Coconut Oil (I pack Coconut Oil in my go-bag for delivery. As soon as I can after the birth, I smear this on the baby’s butt. Then, when they poop that sticky Meconium, it wipes right off.)
Feeding and Breast Care (if applicable)
This is the one true essential. Technically speaking, you could re-create the womb environment pretty closely. Do away with all clothes and toys, and let them empty their bladder and bowels at will. But, feeding your little nugget will be the backbone of your parenting for this age group. I will explore my timeline for advancing their food levels in a separate article. But, I will briefly outline it here. I breastfeed excessively for the first 4 months. At 4 months, I start to introduce the high allergy foods. At 5 months, I start to introduce other solid foods (veggies and proteins). Around 6 months, I add in fruits. I try to avoid sugar, processed foods (including commercial baby foods), and most grains until they are past the age of 1. Roger basically self-weaned at 15 months when I was pregnant with Jack.
Things to think about when making your Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List:
- Will the baby always be with you? Or will you need to leave milk with your partner or a babysitter?
- Pain Relief for Mama (especially if you are nursing for the first time)
- Undergarments conducive to nursing
- Clothing conducive to nursing
What I found useful for feeding and breast-care:
- Reliable Electric Pump for pumping large quantities quickly
- Small Manual Pump for taking pressure off an engorged breast or for easy portable pumping
- Milk Storage for fridge and freezer. I use mason jars for fridge storage.
- Bottles. It is not unusual to try a couple before you find one that works really well for your baby. Roger did great with the traditional Dr. Brown bottle. Jack had a severe tongue tie that had to be revised, so he refused a bottle until I found the Comotomo Bottles with their “breast-like” feel and nipple.
- Herbal Nipple Cream
- Gel Pads
- Nursing Bras. I find the stretchy polyester ones to be the most forgiving. Based on whether you are engorged or the baby has just drained one side, your boobs are continually fluctuating several cup sizes throughout the day.
- Nursing Pads made from natural fibers
- Nursing Clothing. I do not buy a lot of this. Most of the time, I just wear regular pants and shirts, and lift the bottom of my shirt to nurse. However, having a few nursing tops and one nursing dress is nice for the days when you have to nurse in public (family gatherings, waiting at a doctor’s office, going out for a dinner date, etc.).
Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List for Travel:
This is arguably my least favorite part of parenthood. I tend to think I need to pack half the house, I end up not using 80% of it, and the only thing I really needed was the one thing I forgot to bring.
Categories I try to cover for traveling:
- Carseat
- Warmth (if applicable for the time of year)
- Stroller
- Carrier
- Diapering Items
- Food (non-issue if you are breast-feeding)
My Traveling Necessities:
- Dark colored Carseat (so much easier to keep clean). I am so glad I live in the day of the modern “click-connect” carseats. It is so nice to be able to leave my kiddo asleep in the carseat while I run into the grocery store.
- For Warmth, I have never liked the carseat-compatible coats. They can be expensive, cumbersome, and too warm at times. I prefer to dress them in one of the fleece onsies I mentioned above, add a hat, cover them with a lap blanket, and add a carseat cover. The carseat cover is also useful when going in stores if you are one of those Barracuda mamas who prefer that random strangers do not touch their baby (although it is nice to have your baby admired).
- A good quality, easily collapsible Stroller that is compatible with my carseat is must-have for me. I keep a traditional stroller in my van, and have a jogging one at the house for taking on walks.
- My favorite traveling Carrier is the Ergo. Overall, it is the best combination of versatile and user-friendly.
- As you will see in the companion post, I do not use a traditional diaper bag. For Diapering Items, I typically just slip 2 small and lightweight blankets, a few diapers, 2 nursing pads, and a travel-size container of wipes into my purse. Especially during the first few months of nursing, your breasts are continually leaking. So, it is never a bad idea to have an extra set of pads. (Or, if you are like me, you will leave the house a couple of times and have forgotten to put any on at all!) The blankets can be used for burp clothes, nursing cover, or even as a changing pad. And, it is one less bag for me to lug around.
- Since my babies are still 90% breastfed even by 6 months, traveling with Food is not something I have to worry about. Although, if they are eating some solid foods, my Mustard Egg Salad is one of my favorite baby-foods to take with me when running errands or going out to eat. You can get that recipe here.
How to Make a Pre-Baby Minimalist Shopping List for the “Extras”
Then, there are always those items that do not fall cleanly into a certain category. But, many of these items will be things you use on a daily basis.
Miscellaneous Categories to Consider:
- Comfort
- Cleanliness
- First Aid
Baby Items that Make Life So Much Easier:
- To help soothe and Comfort your baby, the first recommendation is often “just swaddle them!”. That is a great idea, unless you have a baby like my first. From day one, Roger absolutely detested being swaddled. When I tried, he would simply scream until I released him from “jail”. On the other hand, Jack loved being swaddled for his naps. So yes, buy a swaddle (or maybe two, if you want to try different designs). But, I do not recommend stocking up on them until you know whether your baby is a fan or not. Two other items that work great for active soothing are a Rocking Chair (I have a traditional wooden one covered with a quilt), and a large Yoga Ball for bouncing on. I do not own one, because I find the rocker works well and I am not a fan of how much room the yoga ball takes up. But, it has been the Cat’s Meow for my sister-in-law’s baby.
- There are some basic items that help keep the baby clean and the laundry to a minimum. My favorite Cleanliness items are: Bibs (large bibs, not the postage stamp ones that come attached to outfits), something for getting boogers and snot out, and burp clothes (flannel receiving blankets work well for this).
- And, finally, First Aid. Thankfully, during these first 6 months, there isn’t much your baby can do to to hurt themselves. I really only keep a Rectal Thermometer and some Arnica (works great for bumps and bruises that may be acquired while they are learning to roll and crawl).
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Ergobaby 360 All-Position Baby Carrier for Newborn to Toddler