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Do you really need a million baby items in your house? Babies do not REQUIRE that much and let’s face it, you don’t WANT all that stuff in your house!

if you want the joy of a baby shower or people want to buy stuff for your family, create an amazon registry. most people have amazon and are more likely to stick to the registry. a note on the registry or invitations May help as well! I Added SOMETHING like This: “gifts aren’t necessary but feel free to purchase our carefully researched items from amazon.”

WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO LIVE IN A time WHERE most of us CAN HAVE ITems DELIVERED IN 1-2 DAYS. IF YOU DECIDE YOU NEED SOMETHING ELSE AFTER BABY IS BORN, THAT’S FINE! IT’S BETTER THAN HAVING A LOT OF STUFF THAT YOU NEVER EVEN TOUCH!

Must have

Burp cloths: simple square ones are multi-purpose and can be folded for thickness

Burp cloth uses: Nursing cover, lightweight blanket, diaper changing surface, nursing cover, tie behind baby for a bib, etc. Milkbarn makes some super cute organic cotton burp cloths that are square and can be folded for more absorbency or left open for the above purposes. Basic flat cloth diapers are very ABSORBENT and inexpensive. All of these options can be repurposed after baby for so many things!

diapers & Wipes

Cloth diapers

There are many ways to cloth diaper. Thirsties natural are my favorite all in one diapers because the changing process is basically the same as disposables (especially important if you have a significant other or caregiver who isn’t sold on cloth yet). Natural fiber is better for baby’s skin, the environment, and ABSORBENCY. If you’re unsure about cloth diapering, my advice would be to start with like 6 and don’t overthink it! Nickisdiapers.com has some great info if you want to learn more.

disposable diapers

Most common diaper brands contain a lot of dioxins, fragrances, and pthalates which can be harmful to their health and even a cause of diaper rash. There are a lot of more natural and sustainable brands out there now! Bambo and Seventh Generation are better options than most. If you are on a very tight budget but don’t want to do cloth, Abby & Finn is a brand that is more transparent about their diaper and wipe ingredients than most other companies.

Cloth wipes or water wipes

Most conventional baby wipes have a lot of unnecessary ingredients in them that can irritate baby’s skin. Keep it simple with homemade baby wipes! Good options for disposable are Water Wipes or Pipette.

sleeping

floor bed

A twin size mattress on the floor is a great alternative to a crib! A floor bed allows baby freedom to explore and encourages independence. We chose this because there was no risk of baby climbing out, we could sleep a guest on it, and it will last much longer than a crib! My baby napped on the floor bed as a newborn and it was great because I could lay down with him and nurse him to sleep then roll away. This non-traditional decision we made was the best thing we have done! Make sure to completely baby proof their room and know that not only is it okay if they crawl off the bed and start playing independently, it’s encouraged! The worst thing that could happen is it doesn’t work for your family, and you can use the travel crib below and set aside the bed until they’re a little older. Also, if you cosleep, you can easily transition them to their own bed by cosleeping with them on their bed! It’s genius and more people should do this!

mattress

Mattresses contain a lot of toxic chemicals including flame retardants. Whether you get a crib or twin mattress, make sure to get a high quality one. There has even been a link between SIDS and the toxic gases in mattresses. An organic or at least a Greenguard certified mattress is a better option for not only babies but for the overall air quality in your home (especially since we spend so much time in our beds). We have two Brentwood Home mattresses and we’ve been very happy with them—they aren’t made of 100% natural materials, but are Greenguard certified and a more affordable option.

• Brentwood Home $

• My Green Mattress $$

• Avocado Mattress $$$

Bassinet—if you aren’t planning on safely cosleeping

The SNOO bassinet costs a pretty penny but after 3 weeks of no sleep, we rented one from Happiest Baby for $100/month. It was worth every penny and is very reassuring for anxious new parents! The SNOO rocks and shushes baby back to sleep when it senses their cries. It also has a swaddle that literally hooks into the bassinet, preventing baby from rolling. It was a lifesaver for us but I do think that if we have another baby, we will just safely cosleep. For a more economical option, the Guava Lotus travel crib (below) has a bassinet conversion kit. This option will be easy to pack up and travel with and works perfectly as a safe bassinet for baby! Guava makes high quality products and uses organic materials wherever possible.

Snuggle me organic 

A multipurpose infant lounger that is easy to wash and travel with! You could get an extra cover for this but I never found it necessary since the whole pillow can be tossed in the washing machine!

if you choose: baby monitor or video monitor*, White noise machine, organic 5-second swaddle**

*We had both a regular monitor and a video monitor. Now I see that neither were really necessary due to the layout of our house I can hear him no matter where I am but it was helpful for me as an anxious first time mama.

**you should not swaddle or use a sleep sack if you plan to cosleep, due to concerns about baby overheating. 1-2 swaddles in size small and medium should be plenty to start!

on the go

Stretchy wrap and/or structured baby carrier

This is definitely personal preference but the stretchy wrap was amazing for me in the beginning. I practiced tying it while I was pregnant so it was like second nature when Arden arrived! I would simply tie it before leaving the house and just slip baby in and out while I ran errands. Once he outgrew the wrap (maybe around 5 months), we used the structured one and still do at 1 year old. Babywearing is convenient and there are a lot of benefits for both mom and baby.

convertible carseat

A convertible car seat can be used for most newborns so it is perfectly safe to just get one car seat. I personally felt like it was easier to babywear and didn’t want to be carrying the heavy car seat or pushing a stroller everywhere I went. The main criteria for non-toxic car seats are to look for flame retardant free since they are touching the fabric and my son sucks on the straps. The Britax carseat in safewash fabric is what we currently have and we’ve been very happy with it especially since it’s so easy to install and is machine washable. The Nuna Rava is a flame retardant free carseat made of high quality materials with even more certifications but it comes with a price tag of $450. With all of that said, some parents prefer the infant carseat since it comes out so easily and can be carried around or clicked into a stroller. You can purchase extra bases for the infant car seat If different people are driving baby around and simply click the seat in. Do what you feel is right for your family and lifestyle!

if you choose: Wipes container to go, fawn design diaper backpack, Stroller*

*We got a “cheap” stroller ($200) and now that my son is 1 year old, I feel the need to upgrade. If your lifestyle requires a stroller, I recommend just splurging on a good one so you don’t waste money on a bad one and need to upgrade a year later! You can find a lot of used strollers for rather inexpensive also! Uppababy and BOB are the most popular brands for high quality strollers. I’ve also heard wonderful things about the City Mini as a less expensive option!

clothing

baby clothes

Secondhand clothing is the most inexpensive and sustainable way to go. Some people may want to purchase clothes for baby, so it’s up to you to point them in the right direction! Organic cotton is a super soft and more sustainable choice. Rompers are my favorite since they are easy outfits and cover baby’s legs so the car seat straps won’t dig in. Some easy to find brands that make adorable organic baby clothes are Finn + Emma, Milkbarn, and Burts Bees Baby.

Baby booties: 2 pairs

These booties eliminate the need for socks! We only had one pair but it isn’t as hot in SC so if they were in the wash it wasn’t a big deal. I would recommend 2 pairs if you live in a cooler climate. They have a velcro closure to stay on and they are made of a super soft blend of organic cotton and bamboo.

Fire retardant free pjs

Most children’s pajamas contain flame retardant chemicals that can be harmful to their health, containing endocrine disrupting chemicals. There are lots of other options out there such as organic cotton or any pjs with the yellow tag saying “wear snug fitting not flame retardant.” Note: polyester fleece not only contains these chemicals but it isn’t breathable and not necessary for babies to stay warm. If you’re concerned about baby’s temperature while sleeping, see the next item!

Burt’s bees sleep sack or castleware baby organic fleece sleep sack (1-2)

Both of these brands are flame retardant free and use GOTS certified organic cotton. If you live in a cold climate, Castleware makes organic cotton fleece sleep sacks. You could also get a woolino sleep sack!

bath & Health

Baby wash

There is no need to wash a newborn with soap and when you do use soap as they get older, any natural, non-toxic soap that you use should be fine! If you insist on a fragrance, attitude baby makes a baby wash that smells amazing without synthetic fragrance. Unscented is best, but this is much better than your “normal” baby shampoo!

fridababy bundle of joy kit

This kit contains stuff that you don’t think you need until its 3am and you cant get the boogers out of your baby’s nose. Haha! It contains a snot sucker, peri bottle for mama, nail clippers, baby nail file, and gas relief tubes for baby. The zipper pouch is handy and can be reused for travel.

Thermometer

Any thermometer will work under their arm! A forehead or ear thermometer makes most parents check baby’s temperatures way more often. Although convenient, it can add to unnecessary stress and anxiety. A good guideline is to read the baby not the temperature. A fever is a good sign that the immune system is working properly and fever reducing drugs can inhibit this process. Always call your doctor with any concerns but know that fevers can be caused by something as simple as teething in babies. We have successfully lowered Arden’s fever several times with skin to skin and a cold washcloth soaked in apple cider vinegar put on his head.

Diaper cream (1)

There is no need to use diaper cream during every diaper change unless there is a rash or irritation but it’s definitley good to have on hand! This little glass jar has lasted us a year. Diaper rash is not inevitable especially if you use cloth or fragrance free diapers and eat a good diet. If you need a thicker zinc based one, Weleda makes a good one!

if you choose: Hooded towel (1); Bath faucet cover, baby bathtub

this bamboo hooded towel is larger than most, lasting well into the toddler years! Only one is necessary! i don’t know about you, but i have way too many bad memories of hitting my head on the faucet while taking a bath so this faucet cover was necessary in my mind. However, i don’t think a baby bathtub is necessary. i found it easiest (and less scary) to just bathe with baby on my chest. i know not everyone will want to do that or may not have a bathtub big enough! If you feel the need to get a baby bathtub, boon makes one that is bpa and pvc free so is a better option but still plastic.

feeding

Lifefactory glass bottles:

Glass doesn’t release chemicals when heated and it doesn’t hold on to odors. We love the Lifefactory bottles because they are extremely durable and each bottle has a silicone sleeve. Dr browns nipples fit these bottles too (breastfeeding mamas should start with the slowest flow nipple that baby will take—usually preemie nipples). Most importantly, there are only 3 pieces to wash!

How many? If you are planning on exclusively nursing, 1 bottle is plenty. if you’re needing to pump and bottle feed regularly, 4 should be enough to start with!

BOTTLE BRUSH with replaceable brush heads

This bottle brush works great and you can purchase replaceable brush heads, making it less wasteful and easy to have extra on hand without taking up space.

Silicone pouch bib (1)

This bib catches any food baby drops and is easy to wash after meals! 1 is plenty.

clip on high chair

A clip on high chair takes up very little space, is easy to travel with, supports baby very well, and there is no gap between the baby and the table (less mess). Simply wash the tray and wipe down the fabric! I do toss the fabric part in the washing machine on occasion and air dry.

if you choose: Dapple dish soap, bottle Drying rack

although any dish soap will work for cleaning bottles and pump parts, this stuff really does help get the milk film off. they also make refill packs, meaning less plastic and backup always handy!

books and play

stuffed animal or organic lovey

I didn’t want any stuffed animals but when family insisted they bought Arden one, I searched for a non-toxic option. Bears for Humanity has a great mission and they’re made of organic material!

wooden toys

Especially if you are going to have a baby shower, people want to buy “fun” toys. Wooden toys are a less toxic, more eco-friendly option that encourages independent play and imagination. Hape, Plan Toys, and Manhattan Toys are great brands.

Lovevery play gym

I can’t recommend this enough! Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but this play gym has everything you need to keep baby entertained for at least their first year of life. It comes with lots of cards, an instruction book on how to use it for each age, and babies love it!

books

Books are the one thing I told people to get us if they felt like they just had to buy something. People love gifting their favorite books and this was the one thing I personally didn’t mind having a lot of! The Babies and Doggies Book was Arden’s favorite and I loved how it had actual photos instead of illustrations.

misc. (your choice—not necessary)

changing pad

You can change baby anywhere! if you want to put a changing pad on top of a dresser (will last much longer than a changing table), here are a couple good options! The Keekaroo changing pad doesn’t require a fabric cover and you just wipe it off. You can secure a regular changing pad to a dresser by using adhesive velcro strips. A changing basket is also very popular for a more bohemian look and can be used for something else after baby.

Ubbi diaper pail

Diapers shouldn’t sit inside for as long as it takes to fill these things up! We now use any small boxes, bread bags, etc that we have hanging around to store dirty wipes and diapers in and they get taken out every day. With that being said, if you choose to get a diaper pail, UBBI is the best option because stainless steel doesn’t hold onto odors as much as plastic does. It will last longer and it doesn’t require brand specific refill canisters so you can simply use your normal trash bags.

wipes container

Every package of disposable wipes I’ve ever seen came in a resealable package BUT this can be good to have because it has a weighted piece inside of it to make it easy to pull one wipe at a time out and it looks much nicer. You could also use this to store homemade wipes!

bouncer

A safe place to put baby when you need to shower or clean can be a lifesaver. The Baby Bjorn bouncer is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and very well made. It has a higher weight limit than most so should last much longer as well! If the bjorn bouncer is out of your baby budget (and you can’t find a used one), this one is what we used and loved.

Guava lotus travel crib & sheets

If you WANT a travel crib, this is the one! I love how it opens from the side and is easy to travel with. Guava also makes a bassinet conversion kit for this that you could use as a bassinet at home. Guava is GreenGuard Gold Certified and free of flame retardants, PVC, lead, phthalates, formaldehyde and heavy metals.

breastfeeding/pumping

if you choose to exclusively nurse, most of these items won’t be necessary for you. For mamas who are planning on pumping, these are some favorites!

Haakaa!!

This thing was a lifesaver! The Haakaa is a less intimidating pump and allows you to easily express milk from the breast you aren’t nursing on. It is easy to build up a freezer stash if you’re going back to work and most importantly, it’s only one piece to wash! I swear this saved my nursing/pumping journey since i never responded well to the electric pump, this allowed me to save up enough milk on weekends to feed baby during the week. so easy to use and I recommend one for all breastfeeding mamas!

electric Breast pump

Not completely necessary if you plan to exclusively nurse or aren’t going to be away from baby often. I know that most health insurances will cover this. I went through Heartsail medical and they were so helpful with the insurance process and sent me everything I needed to pump! i had the spectra s2 and it worked wonderfully!

manual breast pump

A manual breast pump is good to have as a backup or might be an alternative to an electric pump if you won’t be pumping often. I kept this in my car (in a clean bag with a couple milk bags) so if i was away from baby and needed to pump, I wouldn’t need to rush home.

pump bag or small cooler: if pumping/traveling

Sarah Wells is a smaller company that makes beautiful, high quality pump bags. Although any bag that you already have will work, I loved how this had compartments for everything and a built in cooler. If you don’t want to splurge on a beautiful pump bag, just get a small cooler (also beautiful from Sarah Wells).

hands free pumping bra: 1 is necessary if you will need to be pumping often

I forgot my pump bra a couple times at work and it made me SO grateful for this genius invention.

silicone zip lock to store pump parts (1 to start)

I had no idea just how wasteful pumping was until I did it! You need to keep everything clean and together so a zip lock bag is the go-to. A reusable zip-lock is a great replacement for all of those single use plastic bags and you can simply wash it with soap and water at the end of the day. Here’s a pumping tip: you can store your pump parts in a zip lock in the fridge in between pumps during the day—biggest time saver!

nipple cream (1)

Mother Love is all natural, works great, and comes in plastic free packaging. One is enough to get to start—you’d be surprised how long it lasts. The main ingredient is olive oil so there’s no need to wipe it off before nursing your baby.

Washable nursing pads (1 set TO START)

So much more comfortable than disposable nursing pads (in my opinion). I didn’t wear a bra for I don’t even know how long after having a baby. I wore these nursing tank tops and tucked a pad into the little holder and nobody could tell I wasn’t wearing a bra!

What to skip

• Nursing cover

  i will start by saying that way less breast is exposed than i had imagined! if you are uncomfortable nursing openly in public, there are amazing nursing shirts you could wear that hardly show anything. i also did the two shirt method if i knew i was going to be out that day. If you want something to cover more, you could use a square burp cloth (above) thrown over your shoulder. Super convenient and no need to carry around a bulky cover!

• nursing pillow

  any pillows can be used to help prop baby up. i used the boppy pillow for the first couple weeks until i learned about Laid back breastfeeding. baby should get lots of free floor time so no need for a boppy to prop them up either!

• Crib

  most people i know rarely even used their crib in the first year. read what i said above about why we personally chose a floor bed. if a crib still suits your needs better, go for it! The ikea sniglar crib is an inexpensive non-toxic crib. a high quality crib mattress will be expensive so it will balance out!

• Changing table

  babies outgrow the changing table quicker than you’d think! my recommendation would be to get a dresser (a small one if that’s all your space allows) and put a changing pad on top. you can secure a changing pad to the table with that super strong velcro, a screw, etc. You could also purchase a dresser changing table topper and remove just that piece when baby outgrows the changing table, leaving a dresser suited for an older child.

• teethers

  lots of other things work as teethers! wooden spoon, wash cloth dipped in breastmilk and frozen, etc. If you do decide to purchase teethers, natural wood coated in beeswax or 100% silicone are best—stay away from mystery gel filled teething rings.

• pacifiers

  pacifiers are not necessary and naturally the mom’s nipple is meant to be the pacifier (it doesn’t last forever but pros of this is it helps boost milk supply). We chose to go without so we wouldn’t need to worry about getting him off of the paci as a toddler and wouldn’t have to keep track of them all and bring one everywhere. do some research and decide what’s best for your family! if you do decide to get a pacifier, that’s perfectly fine too! 100% clear silicone is the least toxic option. here’s an article written by a pediatric speech therapist on the pros and cons of pacifier use that explains from a medical perspective why they have benefits and why they have downfalls.

• sterilizer

  unless you have a medical reason to sterilize bottles, it is not worth the time and hassle. breasts aren’t sterile and that’s where nature intended for babies to eat so a little bit of bacteria on bottles will be okay. keep bottles separate from other dishes and wash carefully. it’s also not good to heat up plastic bottle and pump parts that often due to concerns of the plastic leaching.

• wipe warmer

  these are mainly useful in the first few months when there are lots of overnight diaper changes. i just held the wipe in my hand to warm it up before using. you can’t travel with a wipe warmer, so baby won’t have nice warm wipes all of the time anyways.

• baby laundry detergent

  most common laundry detergents that are marketed to babies contain a lot of harmful ingredients. use a non-toxic detergent for the whole family and wash everything together! check out my post on my favorite non-toxic home products here.

• baby lotion

  naturally, our skin shouldn’t require lotion to stay moisturized. newborns will have some peeling and/or acne and it’s totally normal since they were living in amniotic fluid for 9 months! lots of moms put breastmilk on baby’s irritated skin. bathe newborns with soap only when necessary to give their skin a chance to balance out naturally. if your baby does develop skin dryness or eczema later on, california baby is a wonderful brand for good lotions and creams.

Remember that YOU are the parent and you decide what you feel is necessary for your child! Also, as I said in the beginning, if you change your mind and feel like you need something, you can order it! We are so fortunate to live in an age where we can have almost anything on our doorstep in 1-2 days.

With love, Amanda

Follow me on Instagram @yourtruepeace for healthy lifestyle tips and positive vibes! You can also join my new Facebook group Your True Peace: Natural Living and Inner Calm