It might seem like a bit of a contradiction in terms to discuss minimalist living and newborn babies. As everyone knows, babies need a lot of items to help care for them properly. And with an abundance of stuff on the market, how do you know what is essential and what isn’t to avoid buying unnecessary property and clutter you don’t need.

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So how can you retain your minimalist style yet still have everything you need to care for a newborn?

Buy As You Need It

It can be tempting to purchase everything you need for your new arrival before they arrive. But not only can this be expensive, but it can bring clutter to your home. Babies do need a lot of items, but only when they hit certain milestones. So refrain from purchasing items before you need them. In the first instance, buying Buggies, a crib, sleepsuits, vest and cleaning and feeding apparatus will serve you well. Anything else you can purchase as you need it.

Choose Multi-Use Products

Items you can adapt for each age and milestones can serve you well for longer. Highchairs that can grow with your child or toys that can adapt and serve your baby well as they learn can reduce how many toys you have in the home. Choose a pram suitable for newborns up to the age of four, so you only need one or even a baby carrier that is flexible to support your growing child.

The more uses one item has, the fewer things you will need to buy, thus reducing the clutter and excess in your home.

Be Traditional

You have probably heard many people talk about how “in their day” didn’t have or even need all of these different items. And in a way, this is still true today. Using your kitchen sink instead of baby baths, using cloth nappies instead of disposable ones, and breastfeeding will reduce the need to clean and sterilise bottles and feeding equipment. Forgo the Moses basket and use a crib or cot from day one, choose sleepsuits for smaller babies and avoid falling into the trap of buying socks, shoes and other accessories they don’t need.

Do You Need It?

Ask yourself if you need it, and will your baby be worse off without it? Chances are, for most things, the answer will be no unless it is vital to their care or development.

Bumbo seats, walkers, Jumperoos, etc., are all great, but if you are determined to live a minimalist lifestyle with a baby, you can realistically live without these items.

Babies will still learn to sit up and walk and crawl without gadgets and toys to encourage them to do so. When it comes to toys, have a one basket rule, meaning you do not need it if it doesn’t fit in the basket.

Living a minimalist lifestyle with a baby doesn’t mean you need to go without or allow your baby to suffer due to not buying them the equipment they need. The reality is, you need to think carefully about what you are willing to buy and assess how suitable and functional it will be for your baby and your lifestyle.