But all the minimalist guides I could find had a bit of excess...
So Here's The (Really) Minimalist Guide to Newborns
Sleep:
There are a couple different travel friendly options for sleeping. The true minimalist would choose just one (although at the moment I do have all three...). None of these can fit in the carry-on but they are all trunk friendly.
- Pack and Play - These have become so fancy! I love the bassinet feature, which means that I don't have to bend in half to pick up or put down the kid. The little tiny napper thing and changing station is a little unnecessary. I do wish I had the pack and play that comes with built-in storage space. Alas, retrospect.
- Peapod - For quick trips, we love our pop-up tent. Covered with UV protection and mosquito netting, it's great for trips to the park or beach. The thin mattress that goes underneath the tent makes it perfect for weekend trips away. It folds down into a small circle the size of a car's sunscreen to easily slip into the trunk.
- Travel Bassinet - My mother-in-law got us this. It folds up flat, which is definitely nicer than the space the pack and play uses. It does require more in the way of bending and baby will grow out of it sooner than the pack and play, but when space is a priority, this is a great choice.
Swaddle:
- Woombie - Now I love the aden+anais muslin swaddles but my husband had trouble rocking the origami required for retro swaddling. Instead we invested in the Woombie. We have 5 total and we could probably survive with less. They take way less space than the muslin swaddles and are way less complicated. Just zip them up and then you're done!
Clothes:
The thing about clothes is you'll get a ton and not all of them will be the right size. When they get too small, donate them, stat! You can return the larger stuff and hold on to the store credit until you need them. Or, if you're nomadic like me, you can leave them with someone and have them ship the next size when it's time.
- Sleepers - Those footy pajama things? Buy 5. Quick, easy, no worry about matching or finding socks.
- Onesies - When it's hot, these are the way to go.
- Pants - Somehow, my son manages to soil more pants than onesies! Or maybe we just have more onesies than pants... Either way, make sure you have these and a few spare in the diaper bag.
- Socks - Make sure you have socks and just go ahead and keep them all in the diaper bag, because they will get lost, or baby will have a blow out in his sleeper and you won't have any and everyone will think you're a horrible person because your kid isn't wearing socks. ...not that I know from experience or anything.
Bathtime:
Bath chair- We had a little seat for the bath someone gave us, but we tried another method that we and baby liked a lot better. We folded up a towel which he used as a pillow and put less water in the tub. Even with less water, he's more submerged which keeps him warmer and happier.- Washcloths + towel - If you feel like your towels are soft enough for baby, then scratch this off your list. But as much as we travel, we don't know the quality of the towels at our destination. Plus, baby towel and washcloths are thin and don't take up much space.
- Toiletries - We use Aquaphor baby wash and baby oil for his dry scalp. Two bottles and done!
Diapers:
- Diapers - We use cloth diapers, though when traveling, if you find yourself with only access to a laundromat, disposables may become a cheaper option. We run our diapers through the wash 3 times before using the dryer. That adds up! And carrying enough diapers to launder infrequently enough that the price is ok would take up a lot of space. So we use compression bags.
- Wipes - We also use cloth wipes with the same problem as above.
- Diaper Rash solution - We prefer baby powder. The paste is just too messy....
- Diaper Bag - If you have a fabulous purse, you could use that instead but you need a bag to carry things for baby. Most diaper bags come with a changing pad though if you want some extra, the cover for the pack and play changing station are thin and easy to travel with.
- Wetbag - If you're doing cloth diapers, you need a place to throw the dirty ones. Wet bags keep moisture and smell in and you can just unzip them and drop them in the wash with the diapers!
Feeding:
Breastfeeding makes all this a lot easier!
- Nursing scarf - Warmth and cover all in one!
- Nursing Bra - These are a convenience item well worth the money! (And Walmart sells them for cheap!)
- Nursing tank top - Cut the straps off an old camisole, leaving enough of the strap in front to loop it around and tack it back on the shirt. Now it can hook on the nursing bra and you didn't spend $40.
- Nursing pads - Loving Moments are the best! I got some from Babies R Us that ... "fill up", making a mad dash for clean ones while nursing. Let me tell you, that's not easy. But these just keep absorbing and are excellent.
Carrier:
- Seven sling - From the time baby can hold his head up, this is the easiest! Just throw it over your shoulder and drop him in! No origami required! (And usually you can find a coupon so you only pay for shipping! I love free!!)
- K'tan - For longer ventures or smaller babies, the K'tan is like a Moby wrap but with less origami! You can even do a DIY one with ease!
- Stroller - You can always go for a stroller instead but they take up a lot more trunk space.
- Carseat - It you're nomadic like us, you'll want to invest in a nice carseat that's super comfortable. We choose a convertible so that we're just laying down that money once and he should be able to use it until he's too old for a carseat!
So here are my bare bones recommendations! A few are options where you only need one but the rest are essential!
