Minimalist Baby Essentials 0-6 Months

This minimalist baby essentials list is a great starting point if your a first time mom. I now have a six month old baby and before I had my baby I had no experience with babies. I want to fill you in on what has worked for me on a minimalist level for the first 6 months after she was born.

Minimalist Baby Essentials 0-6 Months

Before I had my daughter I did a lot of research on what I would need for a newborn. A lot of videos and websites stated a lot of things that I didn’t feel we needed. I know everyone is different and it can also depend on what time of year you will be having your baby.

Our daughter was born late October, so I knew that I would not be spending much time outdoors. Since the weather would be getting too cold for a newborn baby, I wouldn’t need things like a stroller.

Now my husband and I live in New England, so our winters get pretty cold. I planned to get things that were easy to use but kept my baby warm.

I also tried to keep everything gender neutral, there are 2 reasons. Firstly, we did not know if we were having a boy or a girl, we wanted to be surprised. Secondly I wanted these clothes to be able to be worn on our second child when the time came whether we had a boy or girl and not need to buy more clothes.

So just with planning for the season we were expecting our baby, I was able to drastically decrease what I needed to get.

Another thing I kept in mind was to only get what I would need for the first 6 months after she was born. I didn’t want to get things that I thought she would need after that because she may or may not fit into it and it may not be weather appropriate.

I may also find that when she is older my preference in clothes and other items may change. For example: I used a lot of footed sleepers when she was a newborn and now I use more long sleeve onsies with leggings.

Minimalist Baby Essentials -Diapering and Feeding

Diapers

Of course the first thing on my list is diapers. There are too many options to count. You could go with disposables, there are many different brands, from Huggies and Pampers to organic brands like Honest and Seventh Generation.

Then there are options like cloth diapers. There are many styles when it comes to cloth diapers. You have flats, that’s what your grandmother probably used. There are “All-In-Ones”, these are most similar to disposable diapers.

There are options like Elimination Communication, you can find a lot of information and groups that go into the how to’s of this method. I have been using this method with great success starting about 2 weeks after she was born. I use a Top Hat Potty for all her potty breaks.

You also have the diaper free option – There are many countries that use this option. I personally haven’t tried diaper free for longer than 30 minutes at a time.

You can check out my post HERE, where I go over the diapers I used and how it went for me.

Diaper Cream

Every other day or so I will use some diaper cream on her little tush. She didn’t always need it, I mostly used it if her skin was a bit dry down there. I used Earth Mama Organic Diaper Balm. You can also make your own, there are many tutorials online.

Baby Wipes

My mother made me a bunch out of some cotton material that I use and toss in with her diaper laundry. I probably have about 40 wipes, that lasts me until I wash her diapers about every other day.

I also make my own baby wipe solution and I just keep it in a standard peri bottle.

Diaper Bag

I had a canvas backpack that had many pockets to hold all her little baby things. A backpack I found was a lot easier to use when already holding a baby, to help keep your hands free. So I was happy to re-purpose a backpack that didn’t get used very often.

Diaper Pail or Large Wet Bags

I have a Ubbi diaper pail that I add a large wet bag to. I did not want to keep purchasing plastic bags when I can just toss the reusable wet bag into the wash with the diapers.

Reusable Underpads

I used these whenever I did diaper free time. They are great to absorb number 1 or 2 if it should happen in that time. You will be glad to save your carpets, wood floors and cute blankets while you can. These are also great as a changing pad.

Muslin Burp Cloths

I have about 4 of these, they worked well for the times she may spit up or just to wipe the boogers from her face. With a couple in the wash and 2 to spare I found I didn’t need more then that.

Nursing Pillows

I used nursing pillows constantly. I have tried the Boppy pillow that is a horse shoe shaped pillow. Though my favorite was the My Brest Friend nursing pillow. I liked that I was able to tighten or loosen it as I needed.

Breast Pads

Not necessarily for my baby but it comes with having to nurse a baby. Reusable bamboo breast pads are a must have for me. I like Kindred Bravely brand and I’m still using them even 6 months in. I don’t have to use them since my milk has regulated but when I have a let-down I’d prefer it didn’t end up on my clothes.

Now bottles are not on my list since thankfully I am able to exclusively breast feed. I did get bottles though, just in case I needed them. I got the Mason Bottle brand and I did used them a couple of times. This brand of bottle allows you to add a nipple to the top of an 4 ounce or larger mason jar and use the ring that comes with the jars to hold it in place. They also make covers that can snap over the nipple right on the jar and silicone sleeves for an extra grip. You can find those bottles HERE.

Breast Pump

I did need to use a breast pump temporarily in the first 2 weeks of having our baby. She had a lip tie so nursing was quite painful for a little bit.

Nursing Cover

You may want to have one but you don’t need to use one if you don’t want to. I wanted the privacy for myself and my baby when we were away from home or had company over. I just used a trusty swaddle blanket and draped it over my shoulder.

Minimalist Baby Essentials – Clothes

Cotton Footed Zipper Sleepers

These were a must for me. Middle of the night diaper changes go so much more smoothly with a zipper. Having to fiddle with buttons was not going to happen. I wanted to keep baby as sleepy as possible and the less time spent changing a diaper the better. I had about 2-3 of these for each age range.

These are also easier because I did not want to fuss with a lost sock. These were also handy because they had built in mitts to keep my little one from scratching her face in those early days.

Sleeper Gowns

Sleeper gowns were another clothing item I used besides the footed sleepers. These are great at night for quick diaper changes. I used these a lot in the first couple months. About 3-4 of these was plenty for me.

Cotton Long Sleeve Onesies or Footless Pajamas

These are on my essential list once she started to become more mobile. I had done some reading and found that it would be best to have her feet exposed since she was starting to stand around 3 months of age. So I wanted her to have a better exposure to the floor beneath her feet without fabric in the way.

These are also good so little one has a little extra to keep her warm on those winter days under her sleepers. I rotated though about 3-4 of these from months 3-6.

I did use cotton leggings when I had her in the onesies during the day. Since it was still winter I wanted to make sure her cute little legs stayed warm. The reason I didn’t just use pants was because we were practicing elimination communication. When doing this you need to be able to get the diaper off sooner rather then later. So instead of having to fuss with pants you just have to unbutton the onesie and remove the diaper.

Hats

I had some cotton newborn hats that I would use when we had to take her to a doctor appointment.

Once she started to grow out of those my mother knitted a hat for her that I was able to use for a few months.

When the cooler months of spring arrived I started using bonnets, these had been made my grandmother and my mother. So adorable!

Socks

I know I said I don’t like to mess with socks but I only used these though when we go outside and I want an extra layer on her feet during the winter. They also were typically used mostly when she was 5-6 months old going outside, because I’d quickly throw on a pair of pants for added warmth and to keep her pant legs from sliding up. I only had 2 pairs and thankfully did not loose them.

Pants

Same as the socks, I didn’t use them much. For going outside or those extra cold days. I only used about 1 or 2 different pairs for months 3-6.

Jacket

I got a couple jackets to use from the house to the car, going to the grocery store or more doctor appointments. The Burt’s Bees brand has cute jackets that are reversible with the cutest prints.

Blanket

I have a couple cotton blankets. I have a smaller blanket that I keep in her diaper bag and use to cover her in the car seat. A larger blanket as well that I can use now and later when she is older and needs a larger blanket.

Cotton Muslin Swaddle Blankets

I used these daily when my little one was put down for her naps. She was so comfortable and happy in them. Six was plenty for me and even then, I had extra.

Minimalist Baby Essentials – Carriers and Car Seats

Car Seat

We got the Graco 4-Ever all in one car seat. I like this option because I won’t need to purchase multiple car seats depending on her weight and height.

Baby Carrier

This was a must for me. Tending to the animals and cleaning is a lot easier when you have two hands. I got the Moby Wrap and the Solly Baby Wrap. The Moby Wrap is a thicker material that I find good for the winter months and for my husband when he used it. The Solly Wrap is thinner and I found that to be good on warmer days so we didn’t overheat.

Swing/Bouncer

This is good for when you just need to place your baby down for a little bit. Whether its to make dinner or go grab a quick shower. I like the bouncer and swing combo because it’s one less thing to keep in the house. I tend to prefer items that are multi-purpose.

Crib or Bassinet

I actually did not get either a crib or bassinet. My husband and I ended up deciding to bed share when we had our baby. So at the moment it’s not something that we need. Though whatever arrangement you plan, this may be on your list.

Disclaimer: I know this is a controversial subject, we did extensive research and take all the recommended precautions. We find that this is what works best for us.

Minimalist Baby Essentials – Bath and Laundry

Baby Bath

I ended up getting the Blooming Bath. I liked that it can fit in my kitchen sink, no bending over the tub and its soft in the warm water instead of the bulky, cold and hard plastic of most baths. Another key factor was that I can quickly toss it in the wash and dryer then fold it up to store it until the next use.

Uncented Baby Soap

I love using Dr. Bronners Castile Baby Unscented Soap. I use it for dishes, hand soap and baths and occasionally shampoo. It’s gentle on my baby’s skin and has great multipurpose uses with out over powering smells.

Note: If your a breast feeding mama you may want to steer clear of Peppermint scented soaps. This scent/oil can decrease milk supply. Source.

Baby Friendly Laundry Detergent

I use Tide Free & Gentle Unscented. This worked well with my cloth diapers and the general whole house laundry.

Minimalist Baby Essentials – Miscellaneous Items

Thermometer

I have a rectal/armpit and a temporal thermometer. I haven’t needed to use either thankfully. Though I did want to have it on hand just in case since we were heading into flu season.

Sound Machine

Not necessary but it helps a lot in my house with having many animals and they are not quiet when I need them to be. They can be extremely loud.

Baby Monitor

If she was not asleep in the baby wrap she would nap on a safe sleep surface. I liked the monitor so I could keep a close eye on her while she was napping in a darkened room without constantly opening the door to check on her. I like the HelloBaby video monitor it has a built-in thermometer and night vision.

Toys

When it came to toys I seem to lean more towards Montessori style. I prefer the wooden toys instead of plastic, musical and overstimulating toys. They don’t need much for toys in the first 6 months so I stuck with just a handful of items for when she was around 2-3 months.

Wooden rattles, Natursutten natural rubber teether toy, Crinkle Paper, natural rubber bright multi colored ball and a Baby Safe Mirror (she LOVED to look at herself in the mirror). I also had a wooden play gym, it had assorted shapes hanging from it that she could lay on her back and practice grabbing them.

I also had a few black and white plush toys and a black and white baby book with baby animals in it. Since black, white and red are the colors they see best in the first few months she loved these toys, especially the book.

I have a Zany Zoo Activity Cube, this is great to help her learn how to balance herself when she is sitting or standing and keeps her entertained for a little bit.

Thats about it

I tried to keep it pretty basic and minimal. Less things to organize and clean and keeps more money in my pocket.

Anything else you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

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