Five Baby Things You Won’t Need (and Five You Will)
Keep it simple as you learn what your baby actually requires
By Lydia Hyslop
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My last post was a psychological deep dive into how we express love through material things, so I’m keeping it plain and simple this time, hitting you with a bare-bones list of absolute necessities for the new parent. Think of this as the most minimal and practical list possible. This is the list for all you Anti-Brunch parents out there. The ones who disdain unnecessary and excessive waste, blind consumption, and fast fashion.
But, first, let me highlight several superfluous baby items you are sure not to need! These are items that will be cleverly marketed to you, the vulnerable new parent. As with so much of the baby swag out there, resist if you can.
Five Things You (Probably) Won’t Need
1. Cutesy Newborn Clothes. I polled several parent friends, some who have been in the game for a while and others who are brand spankin’ new. I was hoping for a little more crossover in the absolute non-necessities category, but this was the only item that rang true across the board. Resist, resist, resist. As precious as they are, you will not need a whole bunch of tiny baby clothes! Your baby may even be too big for them upon arrival.Those clothes are also going to see more than their share of poop and puke. Get one cutesy outfit if you must, take the damn social media photo, then take it off. Babies spend a lot of their time naked, in a diaper, or in something comfortable, like a plain cotton onesie. Baby clothes are so overrated, and what an industry there is! You really can’t justify the price tag of fancy baby clothes. Eschew the urge to play dress up with your child as if they’re a baby doll. Baby dolls don’t need a dozen diaper changes a day, but your little one will.
I’m honestly hesitant to list the rest, as one parent’s HELL NO item is quite literally another parent’s absolute necessity. Each baby is so different, which makes a definitive list impossible to create. So, a brief disclaimer: I’m sure some mamas will need these...
2. Bottle warmers. Some babies don’t take a bottle (like mine!). I think before bottle warmers were invented parents ran bottles under hot water to heat them up. Bottle warmers are definitely NOT a necessity.
3. Wipes warmer. Room temperature wipes never bothered us, or any other babies before wipes warmers were invented. You could even go zero waste and use cloth wipes with a little warm water as a wipes warmer hack.
4. Bathside kneeler. I’d never heard of this one! On the subject of baby bathtime, what one baby likes, another will not. We had two different baby bathtubs given to us in the beginning, but our son screamed bloody murder no matter the tub. We ended up just holding him in the shower. Some babies love bathtime, though. I’d recommend waiting to see how your baby does with a tub before investing in any additional accoutrement.
5. Infant bath towels. To me, this one feels like something you could get if you wanted to, but you really don’t need it. A regular-sized towel is fine, although it may not have a shark fin or puppy ears sewn onto it. If that matters to you, buy one! Or perhaps invest in high-quality towels the whole family can use for years.
Overall, this particular mama’s sentiment summarizes new baby swag the best: “You don’t need half of what people buy you.”
Since parenthood is less about cute Instagram photoshoots and more about SURVIVAL, I feel much more confident offering you this next list. These five things are incredibly basic, and truth be told, this will get you through at least your first few months with a new baby.
The Five Things You Absolutely Need with a New Baby
1. Diapers & wipes. Cloth or disposable, baby’s gonna pee and poo! Figure out which best suits your lifestyle and invest accordingly.
2. Burp cloths. Breastmilk or formula is your choice, but either way, you’re going to need burp cloths. It truly doesn’t matter what you use, but I do recommend the burp cloths by aden + anais. They double as a bib when your baby gets older. In fact, we still use them as “handkerchiefs” when our now four-year-old has a runny nose! They’re super absorbent and have withstood the test of time.
3. Sleep plan. Where will the baby sleep? This determines if you need a crib, a co-sleeper pillow, or a bedside bassinet. We used (and liked) a little co-sleeper pillow by Snuggle Me Organic, but our baby outgrew it after two months. DockATot is another brand that emerged after we needed such a product, but I know several moms who loved theirs. I realize that co-sleeper pillows are a very divided subject, and there is no “right” or “wrong” personal choice when it comes to you and your family; however, please make sure you’ve properly researched the risks that come along with any infant sleeping apparatus. SIDS is a tragic issue, and you absolutely must be informed so that you can choose your own adventure wisely.
4. Swaddle blanket/wrap. So many options out there, but a simple swaddle blanket will do. Get fancy with a zip-up or velcro swaddle if your baby busts out of the blanket.
5. Emotional support. YOU WILL NEED IT! They weren’t lying when they said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Your new, most important job is simply keeping your baby alive while also keeping yourself alive and maintaining your sanity. In my experience, you’re just a squishy blob who lays around a lot and produces milk while your baby lounges on you at all times. You are your baby’s island, and it does often feel pretty deserted! Get that emotional support, please. Find a community amongst other parents, be it in-person or virtual. I’m here if anyone needs to ask me anything, ever. Postpartum depression is just starting to be normalized, thank goodness, so please please please reach out if you’re struggling.
To those who want to shower your new parent friends with gifts, why not ask them what they actually need? Maybe it’s just a load of groceries, a meal train, or a date night (when that’s a thing again) that would help the most. Listen to your new parent friends. Sometimes it’s the non-material that is most valuable.
I’m including a bonus list below of things you might consider adding to your baby registry (or sourcing second hand). It’s always helpful to pick things that are built to last, made with quality materials vs. plastic, or that will grow with your child.
Bonus List of Baby Registry Items
Big ticket non-infant items, like a high chair and car seat
Stroller
Thermometer (several mom’s listed this as a necessity item, but I literally never used ours because my baby didn’t have a fever until he was 2)
Baby Monitor
White Noise Machine
Playpen
Non-toxic teethers (or use a frozen corn cob like my friend who sent me that genius mom hack!)
Baby gate
NoseFrida aka booger/snot sucker
Bouncer/swing
Rocking Chair
Crib & Linens
I know the urge to nest before the baby arrives is strong. This may show up in the form of decorating your baby’s nursery, organizing baby items, creating your baby registry, or obsessively pre-washing all the baby clothes (it me!) I would advise new parents to focus on the bare necessities. Keep it simple. Your life is about to get so much more complicated but also infinitely more beautiful. Trust that the material items you discover you need will come into your life one way or another.
And sleep. Go on a date and sleep.
Editor: Phoebe Bates | Designer: Kelsey Wolf | Copy Editor: Katie Frankowicz | Communication/Support: Meg Chellew
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