Now that Baby Girl is five months old, it’s time to reflect on my baby preparations and share my eco-friendly, minimalist baby essentials and what I would skip with you.
Setting up a baby registry is daunting for a first-time mom. I researched a LOT before creating mine, but you never really know what you need until the baby is here.
If my pregnancy taught me anything, it is that you can never fully prepare for anything. That being said, let’s discuss what I believe are my minimalist baby essentials and what I wish I would have skipped.
Eco-Friendly, Minimalist Baby Essentials
My eco-friendly, minimalist baby essentials are chosen based on my baby being an exclusively breastfed baby and me being a work-from-home mom. Your baby essentials may look completely different if your situation is different, so keep that in mind as I share.
Must-Have Baby Essentials
These are the items we use every single day that I believe are worth every penny. They are in no particular order.
1 // Car Seat
I LOVE my Nuna Rava Convertible Car Seat for its eco-friendly materials, quality, and the fact that it doesn’t use harmful fire-retardant chemicals.
Baby Girl also loves going for car rides in it. I’m glad I splurged for this car seat, and want to purchase a second one for my husband’s truck.
2 // Baby Carriers
My baby is a velcro baby, and our carriers have been very well-loved. My personal favorites are by LILLEbaby – The Complete All-Seasons and Elevate carriers.
I used the Boba wrap and XZY wrap, but due to having a c-section, I didn’t wear them as much. Baby Girl grew fast and I found the structured carriers more comfortable. They aren’t a regret by any means, but they aren’t what I prefer.
3 // Clothes
Obviously, baby clothes are essential. I shopped secondhand for the majority of her wardrobe, but I found that I needed more sleepers and newborn clothes than I originally thought, which I ordered through ThredUp and Burts Bees Baby [best sleepers ever!].
I also found that the Burts Bees Baby booties are the perfect sock replacement! Highly recommend them. You won’t regret it! I skipped the hassle of regular baby socks because they just don’t stay on. However, these booties do!
4 // Reusable Cloths
I am using pre-fold cloth diapers as burp cloths, reusable baby wipes for non-poop clean-ups, and reusable nursing pads because I leak a lot. All of these are ride-or-die for me.
5 // Diapers
My preferred brand is DYPER, but I also like Pura Diapers. Both use natural materials in their top sheet, which is a must for me.
We did a diaper raffle at the baby shower, which helped us stock up on diapers. Definitely recommend it and also communicate your brand preferences.
6 // Wipes
My preferred baby wipes are Honest Conscious Clean Wipes and Eco Wave wipes. They both work great and are made of clean ingredients.
7 // Changing Pad
The Keekaroo was a total splurge that I’m grateful for. It’s wipeable and doesn’t add to the laundry pile. If you can splurge on a changing pad, I highly recommend it!
8 // Playtime Items
We are obsessed with the Lovevery Play Gym, Ingenuity Swing, and baby books – Bedtime Bear is her favorite.
[I didn’t originally ask for a baby swing, but a family member insisted so we have a swing. Since about a month old, she’s had it as a part of her morning routine and loves it. Any other time of the day is questionable, but that’s okay.]
We also really like the Ergobaby Evolve Bouncer and toy bar. It was designed with a Pediatric Orthopedist and can be used from newborn to toddler. I put Baby Girl in this so she can watch me cook or when I’m in a bind for a shower. She wasn’t a fan of it until about 2.5 months old, but now she loves it!
The best thing I can recommend for playtime is a blanket on the floor. It allows babies to move around freely, explore new milestones, and stretch their bodies.
We don’t use containers much throughout the day at all. She mostly gets direct attention from us or independent play on a blanket or the play gym.
9 // On-the-go Items
A diaper backpack and wet bags are my must-haves for on-the-go. I did a lot of thinking about whether I wanted a diaper backpack or a regular backpack, and I am so glad I chose the diaper backpack! It’s inexpensive but made well, so definitely a big win!
We also got this baby mirror for the car. It isn’t anything special, but we like it.
10 // Baby Health & Homegoods
Here are a few things I recommend that don’t really need their own section:
- Earth Breeze Eco-Sheets in Fragrance-Free
- Haakaa electric nail file
- Baby hair brushes – mostly recommend for girls. Baby boys may only need a soft brush or comb.
- Frida Baby 3-in-1 nose + ear picker
- Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Soap
- Earth Mama Baby Lotion Scent-Free
11 // Nursing Supplies
While not technically a baby essential, these are essential to feed the baby if breastfeeding.
The Earth Mamas Nipple Butter and Silverettes were the best in the beginning as I adjusted to breastfeeding and when Baby Girl is cluster-feeding. They saved me so much!
[The Earth Mamas Nipple Butter is edible so you don’t have to worry about cleaning every time you feed.]
The Boppy Nursing Pillow is another thing I use all the time! [I’m using it right now as Baby Girl naps while I write this post.]
12 // Utility Cart for Our Bedroom Nursery
Having a utility cart for our bedroom nursery setup is super helpful! We store everything she needs for bedtime, diaper changes, and personal care in it.
Originally, we were going to use a nightstand, but thinking about how that functions in the middle of the night wasn’t as ideal [loud opening doors] as having things out in a cart. I’m glad we opted for the utility cart.
13 // Pacifiers & Clips
I’m hesitant to share this as a must because not all babies need/want a pacifier and for some, it can create nipple confusion when breastfeeding. However, that isn’t our story.
Baby Girl loves the Hevea round pacifier! I recommend trying the Trio-Pack they offer, which is what we did. Then we ordered a few more of her preferred pacifiers to have one for the car, house, and as a backup if either of the other two goes missing/gets damaged.
We also like the pacifier clip pack we got. They’ve held up exceptionally well.
14 // Stroller
We received a hand-me-down stroller from my sister that was originally my cousin’s, and it has been amazing! It’s 11 years old, so I can’t link to it specifically. However, it’s made by Jeep and this is the most similar stroller I could find.
I actually use it within my home to stroll around as I clean and tidy our home. Baby Girl loves being on the move, so it’s a great alternative to baby wearing.
We also go for walks with it around our property since it is an all-terrain stroller, and we clean the wheels when we come back inside.
Nice-to-Have Baby Essentials
The next set of items are items I use sometimes or could have waited to purchase.
1 // Crib, Crib Mattress, & Crib Sheets
While I have started using the crib more in the past couple of weeks for a nap here and there, it hasn’t been used much besides having a safe place to put Baby Girl when I need a moment to go to the restroom.
We scored a great deal on our crib, so I don’t regret it by any means. However, I don’t see it as something 100% essential in the first several months since Baby Girl is sleeping in the room with us.
Here is the crib mattress and crib sheets we chose and would purchase again.
2 // Co-Sleeping Bassinet & Bassinet Sheets
I’d love to say that Baby Girl has loved the bassinet, but the truth is that she never really cared for it. We use it, but if I were to do it again, I would choose a bedside crib. I didn’t know they existed until she was a month old.
3 // Baby Monitor
I love our baby monitor, but we don’t really use it since Baby Girl sleeps in our room still. We also do a lot of contact naps or naps in the same room, so it hasn’t been that useful.
Now that she’s five months old and I’m starting to use the crib more, I find myself using it more. But I didn’t find it necessary for the newborn stage.
4 // Diaper Caddy
The diaper caddy was a complete necessity for the first month. While I recovered from my c-section, we had it set up in the living room so I didn’t have to go anywhere for diaper changes with a couple of outfits if I needed to change her.
Since then, I haven’t used it much, but I do have ideas for how to use it so that it is still useful.
5 // Sound Machine + Night Light
Could have done without this. The only reason I think it was nice to have is for the night light. I could tap it on and tap it off. There wasn’t any searching for my phone to use as a night light.
I do recommend the one I chose over the Hatch brand, because it was a fraction of the cost and does the same things.
We are keeping it for her toddler stage since it has different color lights. I’ve heard they are great for quiet time. We will try it and see.
6 // Haakaa Ladybug
While I leak, I don’t leak enough to bother with my Haakaa Ladybug. It’s comfortable, and I recommend it for mamas who leak more than I do!
Baby Items You Can Skip
These are items I haven’t used or don’t think are necessary at all for Baby Girl. Some may surprise you, too!
Just to reiterate the beginning of this post, my baby is exclusively breastfed, which has a major influence over this part of my eco-friendly, minimalist baby essentials.
1 // Baby Thermometer
I totally fell prey to marketing. You don’t need a baby thermometer if you have a regular thermometer.
2 // Haakaa nasal aspirator
I haven’t taken it out of the box yet… I love the Frida Baby 3-in-1 nose + ear picker and the hospital bulb. I received several of them, so until I get my use out of the bulbs, I’m going to keep using them.
3 // Nursing Supplies
Since I exclusively breastfeed, these nursing supplies haven’t been used. I’m glad I had them on hand if exclusively breastfeeding didn’t work out, but it has so far.
The great news is that if exclusively breastfeeding works out for you, too, then you’ll create a lot of room for things you need.
- Breastpumps [Electric & Manual]
- Baby bottles
- Breast therapy packs
- Haakaa Colostrum Collector Kit [never leaked to collect colostrum before baby was born]
4 // Breastmilk storage bags
Again, since I didn’t pump, these weren’t necessary.
5 // Munchkin® White Hot® Safety Bath Ducky Toy
I have a love/hate relationship with this duck toy. It’s cute, solid, but useless as a hot water tester. If you’re looking for an inexpensive toy that won’t grow mold on the inside, it’s a great option. Otherwise, skip it.
6 // Stroller Fan
My baby was born in the fall, so I could have skipped this until this coming summer. I’ll probably be glad I have it at that point, but it hasn’t been used yet.
Final Thoughts About Eco-Friendly, Minimalist Baby Essentials
As a first-time mom, I needed quite a few things for my baby, but not as many as I thought I would.
I hope you found my eco-friendly, minimalist baby essentials and things to skip helpful! Remember, just because something didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t be an essential for you.
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