Don’t Overcomplicate Baby Prep – A Simple List Of Baby Essentials From A Seasoned Mom
The final weeks of pregnancy can push even the most prepared mother to her limits. Between the physical and emotional challenges, there is an undercurrent of the near-untenable need to prepare and nest. Especially for first-time moms, the list can feel daunting, and there's never enough time before the baby’s impending arrival.
But what actually matters when it comes to nesting and baby prep? After seven pregnancies and five healthy babies, I can confidently tell you what is absolutely an essential baby item. Are there other items that might be helpful? Absolutely. But that’s going to depend on your personal situation.
We don’t need to overcomplicate motherhood and child-rearing. It really can be simple. The extras can be nice, but we don’t need to give in to the idea that having a baby is expensive and requires a mile-long baby registry. Don’t be afraid to make your nesting and baby prep as simple as possible.
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The crazy urge to dust, wipe down chairs, and deep clean the carpets – AKA Nesting before a baby comes
It’s an undeniable truth: nesting is a wild instinct that no mother can ignore. For some mamas, it might be just a quiet nudge to keep the house in order, even when you’re dog-tired. While others clear out every nook and cranny, declutter the basement, and create a to-do list a mile long. Regardless of how intense your nesting urge is, I find it hilarious and honestly providential.
When else do we have the energy or mental focus to hone in so clearly on a task? I certainly don’t have time between cooking from scratch, homeschooling, chauffeuring, and just regular tidying to dust blinds and fan spindles or meticulously clean cabinets and floorboards, yet that’s where I find myself at the end of every pregnancy!
I like to tell myself that perhaps God gave women this innate desire to clean and declutter because He knows we will not be able to do it again until another baby comes or our children are big enough to allow it. Either way, I find it both ridiculous and comforting that, regardless of how sore and tired I am, the trash can needs to be cleaned right now because the baby said so!
So while baby essentials may look like onesies in order and diapers galore for some moms, a deep-cleaned bathroom and empty hall closet might be the ticket for another. Regardless, the end of pregnancy is the wild west (much like the first trimester), and sometimes you just gotta let your instinct take over to “prep all the things”.
A truly essential baby list
So while you’re nesting, of course you’re likely triple-checking that you have everything you need to welcome a new baby. Luckily, the truth is, babies – especially newborns – have a VERY small list of essential needs. Like literally five categories of core *needs*:
Sleep
Food
Temperature regulation
Toileting needs
Comfort
From this list comes the commercial baby industry, which leads moms to believe that mothering is complicated and requires expensive gadgets to raise a healthy child. But that simply isn’t the case. You don’t need the $1000 crib or the fancy bottle warmers. Are those things wrong? Absolutely not, but you don’t NEED them to take care of your baby.
Ultimately, babies need lots of love. After all, they’ve been wrapped in warm fluid and snuggled next to your heart for 10 months. So when they come out, their core needs really are as simple as the following.
Sleep
Babies need a safe space to sleep, and this will look different for every family. The common recommendation for babies to be alone and on their backs may be safe for some situations and not safe for others. Biologically speaking, babies need their mothers to help regulate their circadian rhythm and breathing. The NIH recommends babies sleep in their parents' room for at least 6 to 12 months.
Some families will choose to keep their baby in a separate bed but in their room and attend to their needs from a chair. Other families prepare for safe co-sleeping and take measures to ensure that you and your baby will sleep best together.
What you don’t want is to be so exhausted in the middle of the night that you fall asleep while holding your child in the chair, and they are harmed by a fall. Or you’re not prepared for cosleeping, and you fall asleep in your bed, which is not prepared to accommodate your newborn.
Preparing for safe sleep is essential to you and your baby’s well-being, but don’t be fooled into thinking that your baby needs to sleep in a custom-decorated suite down the hall. A safe spot in your room can be perfectly adequate for many months.
And if you choose to put your baby in a separate room, make sure you have a safe and cozy spot for middle-of-the-night feeds and a dim light that encourages circadian rhythm regulation so you can both get back to sleep easily.
Essential products for sleep:
Crib that can be a cosleeper (I have this one and it’s great!)
Food
Like other baby topics, how you feed your baby can come with a lot of controversy, but it doesn’t have to. If you start with God’s perfect design – breastfeeding – and educate yourself on the physiology and seek support *before* you have your baby, you can set yourself up far better than a mother who simply says, “it’s natural, it will all work out.”
While breastfeeding is natural, it comes with a learning curve. Even as a nurse who had helped countless women in the initial breastfeeding setup, I was at a loss for how hard the transition was to full-time breastfeeding. Luckily, I had great support from my mom, sisters, and multiple friends, so I had a village stifling fears and encouraging me.
If you don’t have a support system, you can still breastfeed. But try to take steps to find a lactation consultant, friend at church, or support group that can provide help when you need it.
If you choose not to breastfeed, whatever your reason, there are more and more companies creating clean and nutrient-dense options for babies. Look for options without seed oils, corn syrups, or soy to optimize the nutrient density for your baby.
And when it comes time for solids, look into baby-led weaning if you want to save yourself from the trouble of rice cereals and baby foods.
Essential products for feeding your baby:
Nursing bra (great for large breasts/small ribcage)
Temperature regulation: AKA clothes and blankets
I think we can all agree that our babies need clothes and blankets for at least some part of the year. But you don’t have to buy into the fad that your baby needs dozens of outfits or the latest trends to be well cared for.
I won’t deny, I have loved dressing my children in cute outfits, but I’ve never had to spend hundreds of dollars on their clothing. Thrifting, consignment stores, and resale shops online have been extremely helpful when outfitting my children. And we’ve certainly had our fair share of new clothes from loved ones and church folk.
My point is simply this: you don’t need to break your budget and buy everything the ads show you. If you want to, go for it! But it’s not essential.
Something to keep in mind about clothes and blankets is that natural fibers (cotton, linen, wool) are the most in tune with our bodies' natural cycles and allow better temperature regulation than synthetic fabrics. They’re also better for hormone balance and regulation.
Here’s a list of essential products for clothing your baby:
Toileting needs
This one is pretty straightforward. Babies need a place to eliminate, and usually that’s a diaper. There are lots of great options for disposables and a whole trendy world of cloth diapers now.
For a disposable diaper, at the very least, I recommend fragrance/chlorine free. Both are endocrine (hormone) disruptors and often irritating to babies. I have put my babies in both cloth diapers and disposable for different seasons. One is not better than the other; it just depends on your family situation.
There’s also the option to practice elimination communication, which follows your baby's cues and gives them an opportunity to potty in a bowl or even the toilet, with your assistance. If you haven’t looked into it before, you may be shocked to know that babies can control their elimination! It’s really cool to see. We usually start offering the potty between 6-8 months, but I know of families who start in the newborn days and only use diapers as a backup.
Essential items for toileting your baby:
Comfort
Finally, comfort is a no-brainer for babies. They need lots of snuggles and contact to build a healthy attachment to you and feel safe. But it can be really overwhelming with the fancy tech now available to “help you” comfort your baby. Your or dad's arms can certainly be enough, and you don’t have to buy anything just because the influencers say they can’t live without it.
Products like pacifiers, baby carriers, swings, bouncers, etc. fall into this category. And they can all be great tools! I appreciate a good paci for long car rides or when my milk supply is too heavy. I love a good baby carrier for hands-free snuggles. And I use a swing when I need a safe spot to put my baby down. But if I had to choose just one comfort measure for my babies, it would be a good carrier. Only you can decide what gear, if any, is best for you and your baby.
Essential comfort items for your baby:
Baby prep is essential, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming
I still remember when I was pregnant for the very first time. I had my baby registry done before I was out of the first trimester. I remember thinking we needed it all.
Now, five kids later, the list of absolutely essential items is so much smaller. Of course, this doesn’t mean don’t prepare or don’t buy the cute outfit, but don’t overcomplicate it. Trust your instincts and ask the seasoned mamas. You got this!
