Simple Sustainability: Minimalist Baby Gear

by Sky Trombly –

Most conventional weekly pregnancy updates contain a to-do list telling the expectant parents to buy this or that each week. New parents hope to have a baby shower to help curtail the costs of the expensive and expansive baby gear. By the time the baby is born, s/he already has more belongings than the average medieval king.

This is my third go at it. At first we wanted two children, so I felt generous in gifting away my baby gear to friends and family with more urgent need. What these two factors mean is that I’m starting from scratch with a whole lot more parenting wisdom than I once had.

The following list represents that hard won wisdom as well as a desire to make baby’s first year as environmentally responsible as possible. My hope is that by sharing these thoughts, I make it easier for other parents hoping to do the same.

These are my “must have” items for baby. Please note that I will do follow up pieces on baby clothing and diaper set ups.

Feeding

Everyone’s situation will be a little different. My two older kids certainly were: my younger would have nothing to do with any artificial nipple or pacifier and my elder had major feeding and reflux issues and required just about everything. The truth is, the situation can be very unpredictable. As a minimalist, I’m planning for my ideal and I will have no qualms buying additional gear if warranted.

These are my “must haves”:

− burp cloths (about 6)

− a nursing pillow (Really any pillow will do the job, but I’m spoiled.)

− a nursing throne (I said I was spoiled. Stake out a place for mama, or papa, to sit for long stretches of time. I have a glider rocker and side table for this purpose.

− a place to record feeding/changing information (You will be asked this information everywhere or, if nursing, you may want to keep track of which breast the baby drank from last. A lot of parents are turning to tracker apps for their phones and devices.)

− cloth nursing pads (at least 4 sets)

− nursing bras (4)

− nursing tank tops (4)

Things I would wait to buy:

− a breast pump (manual is fine for occasional use, but an electric can be a real life-saver for kids exclusively on the bottle or for mothers working away from home)

− breast milk storage containers

− bottles

− bottle cleaning implements

− more burp cloths (if the child has reflux or GERD or if laundry cycles warrant a bigger stash)

− pacifiers (I prefer the single piece kind because they are easier to keep clean and therefore last much longer

− a pacifier “leash”

− a nursing cover (you may find that through clever layering, you don’t need or want one)

Sleeping

Consider how you want to set up your sleeping arrangements. Are you and your partner both into co-sleeping? Would either of you prefer that the baby has a nursery? We got a convertible crib for my first born. It seemed very eco-friendly. We could buy the crib, turn it into a toddler bed and then buy rails for a twin-sized frame down the road. He spent his first months in a nursery and I spent the nights jumping up to check on him at the slightest whimper.

For my second-born, I bought a sidecar co-sleeper for our bed (an Arm’s Reach Mini). This worked well for the first three months, but necessitated a new arrangement when he became more mobile. A major mistake that I made with his sleeping arrangements was relying too heavily on nursing to sleep and his reliance on the comfort of parents close by. This limited his ability to put himself to sleep.

My plan for baby three is to put the baby in our side-car co-sleeper for the first three months (we got this item back) and then outfit a pack and play with a comfortable mattress for the remainder of the crib years, eventually switching to a twin-sized set up and skipping the toddler bed altogether. If I didn’t have the co-sleeper, I might just begin with the pack and play in our bedroom.

These are my “must haves”:

− a safe sleeping surface + mattress (our co-sleeper for the first three months)

− crib sheets (x2)

− crocheted/ knitted/waffle woven blankets (x2, these are very “breathable”, unlike the heavy synthetic baby blankets which are great for day time snuggles but are potentially dangerous)

− burp cloths (2 near the crib)

− a night light (1)

Things I would wait to buy:

− swaddles, some babies don’t enjoy these

Travel & Parking

I’m not sure whether this is true or not, but I’ve been told that hospitals won’t let you leave with your newborn without first seeing that you have a car seat. Regardless, as a car-dependent, rural mama, I didn’t feel the need to test this out. We originally had a car seat and stroller system. You could snap the car seat directly into a huge stroller and never have to wake your babe. As my eldest was born in a cold October and was shuffled from hospital, pediatric, and specialist care, this system had some appeal – until the snow melted.

For my next born, we kept the car seat with the base, but let the stroller get dusty. We had gotten into baby wearing. He was a spring baby and carrying him around, especially on trails and around town just seemed so much easier. I never needed to put him in a sketchy shopping cart either as he snuggled me in his carrier.

This time around, we got a car seat with two bases (for both cars) and a newborn insert all second-hand. I ditched the bulky hood and added a car seat cover as we’re due for another cold-weather baby.

For the first three months, I intend to wear my baby in a stretchy Moby wrap. This kind usually only works for around 3 months anyway, but it takes care of the issue that newborn’s have with their tiny frog legs.

When I want to put my baby down away from home, I’ll put her in her car seat. At home, I have our old bouncer back (minus a few unnecessary attachments). I think as a minimalist parent, you should feel comfortable getting rid of the unnecessary elements on baby gear – especially when you don’t think you’ll be able to sell the item after you use it.

These are my “must haves”:

− car seat (the kind with a base are really great for this stage)

− baby carrier or a stroller

− some place safe to lay your baby down during the day such as a bouncer or baby swing

This time around, I’m trying:

− newborn insert for car seat

− car seat cover (if you’re having a warm season baby this may be completely redundant).

Things I would wait to buy or reconsider getting altogether:

− a stroller

− a grocery cart cover

Bathing & Pharmacy

Kids don’t need to be cleaned very often. And they don’t need a lot of specialized gear. I know, marketing seems to make this realization a little counter-intuitive, but think about it: why do babies need their own nail clipper?

These are my “must haves”:

− a nail clipper (that the family shares)

− a soft brush (mostly for cradle cap, both my boys had this so I expect to deal with it again)

− a baby towel (x1)

− baby wash cloths (I have a store of these for washing kids’ faces and for multiple kids bath times)

− a mild soap (I like Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap and Nature’s Gate’s Baby Shampoo and Body Wash)

− a mild lotion or oil (my favorite is coconut oil but I also have Aveeno’s Baby Lotion)

− a nasal aspirator (for getting boogies out), we have one that comes apart so that it can be thoroughly cleaned

− saline solution (for the aspirator)

− a thermometer (the kids share)

Things I would wait on or completely reconsider:

− eczema care

− cold care

− pain relievers

− a baby bath tub

Toys, Books, Stimulation

Babies from birth to three months usually don’t have a lot of interest in toys and you will probably receive some as gifts so there is no need to stock up on these at this stage. At about 3 months exactly, kids seem to universally gravitate toward those plastic keys – so don’t throw those out if you get some.

I believe in reading to your child, but a library card is probably the best route to take. You can purchase any favorites, but get a much wider selection and save a lot of money and clutter by taking this route.

Stimulation comes from you and all those people who want to be in your baby’s life. Simple games and cuddles are priceless and come without any clutter!

These are my 0-3 “must haves”:

− a library card

− any book that is fun for the parent to read out loud

− some books written in French (or whatever family language you have other than English as these may be hard to get at the library, depending on where you live)

Memorabilia

I’m a failed baby booker. OK, I’ve admitted it. Moving on. I am a big believer in having some stuff to remember this time. It seems like a never ending cycle of kid care until you blink and then try to recall the time later on. The trick is to make memorabilia super easy for you.

For my first born, I tried the baby book thing because that is what my mom did for us. Later, I learned about baby’s first year calendars and I was won over. Put the calendar somewhere very easy to access, like in the pocket of your nursing throne. Keep a pen handy. Don’t worry over perfection.

Cameras that can be set to put the date in the corner or organize data by date are worthwhile. I haven’t used it yet, but I plan to have milestone stickers to put on the baby’s clothes for pictures. You can also get blank, labeling stickers for those milestones not represented in commercially printed sets.

Also, a fabric or permanent marker can be a great way to turn a onesie into some occasion-specific outfit. I’ve written all kinds of events or messages on my kid’s clothes (and diapers for that matter).

These are my “must haves”:

− baby calendar and pen

− camera

− fabric marker / permanent marker

Something I’m trying out this time around:

− milestone stickers and blank label stickers

Baby’s First Three Months

Your baby’s first three months are an exciting time of learning and change for you and your baby. There really is no need to clutter it with junk you’d regret.