20 Things You ACTUALLY Need for a Newborn Baby + Postpartum Care | Minimal Baby Essentials Checklist 

I appreciate your consistent promotion of second-hand items, minimalism, and affordability, showing that one can live well and raise babies for less. ❤🎉

I'm so excited for this video! I'm pregnant with our first after 11yrs of waiting on God's promise!

My children are 50, 48 and 45, so obviously I don't need this advice, but I still really enjoyed your video. Things have changed over the decades and you have so many more items to make child care easier. My children were born, when disposable diapers leaked and were very expensive, so we washed our flannel diapers. One thing first time Mums need to know is that the first few weeks, perhaps months are exhausting. Your body has gone through trauma, especially if you have C-sections as I did. Some babies don't sleep for very long, so you need to rest when your baby rests. If you have other children to supervise, it is a juggling act, but try to have everyone rest at the same time. Also, lower your standards. The children are the first priority. It doesn't matter if there are dust bunnies under the bed, or you only have the energy to heat up canned soup for dinner. Things like decorating and styling can wait. Be kind to yourself, cherish your little one and everything will fall into place.

You should be a model for maternity clothes. They all look so cute on you. What great ideas you shared

When I grow up I want to be like you , living the more simplify possible and you inspires me a lot , I am 17 year old teenager and I want to become a wife , a mother and future grandmother and great-grandmother someday like you, and I have to say that I am learning English with your channel too your speaking skills it’s so good for someone like me that it’s learning English, I wish you success with the channel because you deserve, greetings from Spanish girl living in England🙂🩷.

Thank u kindly I just found out I'm pregnant yesterday and it's my first. I'm nervous just quit smoking an it's funny cause I've been watching u for awhile now an u just made this as I found out I'm expecting God truly used u to spread a message

I didn’t have much money so I took my Husbands white tees and added Velcro and made a carrier, a swaddle for night, and used them for a nightie night blanket. She carried around that piece of tee shirt until it tattered. I did without so much and never felt like I missed out.

I only bought new car seat, stroller and diaper bag, the rest hand-me-downs for my first born. I used everything for my next 2 children all over again.

Well done Kristen. Best video ever done by you. You were helpful and informative without the giggling or minimizing yourself. You were easy to listen to and I listened to everything you said and I am 73 and way past baby business. Thanks for growing your delivery and the way of communicating with your audience.

Very good advice Kristen ! I’m a Grammy now but when I started my family I spent so much money and wasted so much ! Live and learn ! I’m happy to see my daughter is being more wise and frugal with her new baby ! Also I’ve been praying for you all in the tornado outbreak and hope you didn’t suffer any damage! God bless you!❤️

Don’t forget WIC. A lot of moms are eligible when pregnant and after delivery. Pumps are available too. If your baby has to have a prescription formula, WIC can provide that as well. They have income guidelines but most people were eligible.

Kristen, is everyone OK from that storm? Praying 🙏

You looked beautiful in all the dresses, but I like the rust colored one best. It was so flattering.

We’re having baby girl three too! I’m due in 6 weeks :) Helps for nursing and avoiding mastitis or getting to engorged and hard there .. sunflower lethicin is a game changer - once a spot gets a little hard take one or two during the day and it’ll soften things up by the end of the day so you can nurse and work it out or pump

Great video Kristin! I’m a Nana now….but I’ll tell you that you are so right on buying second hand. I didn’t but wish I did. I love that you aren’t jaded and need to have brand names or everything brand new. Wishing you a nice time on your little getaway with Josh. Many blessings.

In the 60s and 70s we made baby gowns for boys and girls. Easy access to diapering. Most of the gowns were made of flannel. Easy cheapy. They have nice receiving blankets and little shoes and things at Dollar Tree.

Beautiful Mama, beautiful video, beautiful family! God Bless you and your family! 🙏

So glad to see this video. Blows my mind all the things I see people buy and say they NEED for babies. When 95% of it isn't necessary. My kids are 31 & 27. I had just the basics. Mainly due to saving money. But, my Mom and sisters told me I didn't need all the bells and whistles. I did thrift many large items. I had small baby showers thrown for me with each. Only immediate family, about a dozen people. We didn't have the Internet or even registry type things at stores. We didn't have but, 1 main store with baby items at the time where I lived. When asked, I kept it VERY basic and simple on what I wanted. Kept it neutral. I didn't find out the gender on either of my kids. I reused everything from my first with my second and then handed down all my stuff to my sister and then my niece. My kids second hand dresser was once my Grandma's. Its still being used by my great nephew. It's been painted many times through the years. My crib was my sister's. I passed it to another sister then she passed it to a niece. We never had changing tables or monitors. I laugh at all the over abundance new Mom's post all over the Internet. I really enjoy your videos and your beautiful home.

I’m a first time mommy and the amount of things that social media and people tell you to buy is actually insane. This video was spot on and I agree!

Hey Kristen 🤗 even though I’m way beyond having babies 😂😂😂 I loved this video 👍🏼 giving new moms all this wonderful info is awesome! U did a great job listing ur must haves & why u needed them. My niece just had her first baby & their house is full of unused things & clothes he never wore. Babies grow sooo fast so buying used & great!!! Thank u for another great video & u look great 😊

Done having babies but I love you so much that I watched the whole thing anyway!

Thank you so much! I'm pregnant with my first and feeling so overwhelmed by all of the options. We're also trying to stay as minimal as possible. I love thrifting and am more concerned that well meaning friends and family will buy a ton of stuff and we only have a small apartment...I've saved this video and I'm going to make my husband watch it!

Those two videos sounds perfect. I’m an old grandma for the first time. Will be baby sitting when mom returns to work. Wish me luck! Would love some essentials so I’m not buying too much. Toys to (at grandmas).

Such good advice. I definitely agree on finding stuff second hand and not buying so much! We’re currently expecting our 5th baby and so I love seeing this content. You looked so beautiful in the new maternity clothes!!!

I’m so glad your video popped up in my recommendations! I’m also a minimalist and with so many baby items out there nowadays, it’s really stressful figuring out what you will really need for your baby. Thank you for this list!

Kristen, you are truly a breath of fresh air. I love you and your videos. You are beautiful and so unpretentious and real, I can’t wait to see you beautiful baby girl! ❤️

Kristen you are so right… babies don’t need nearly everything you would think. I am so happy we never went overboard with ours. Thanks for sharing!

Great advice. Even though I had my first baby in 1968. It’s amazing how little I bought or got as gifts and survived just fine. I’m amazed at the amount of things out there today that they make mom’s think they need. I was recently at a shower where they got a warming device for diaper wipes?? I imagine so many babies have survived without this item.

Omg how did I miss this video earlier?! I’m 25 weeks pregnant with my first thank you❤

Mercari is one of those great places to get second hand stuff that sometimes a baby didn’t care for or want even used so you can occasionally get things new or gently used .. Thrift stores carry Muslim blankets! Love them as locals for sunny California.. I love them as a cooler nursing cover options too

I like how simple you are.

I think it’s great to buy second hand items.., something I didn’t do but such great advice ♥️

I totally enjoyed this! My kids are adults and I have no grands, but it took me back to my momma with baby days! Sweet memories! 💕

Great job. You can tell you are a seasoned, practical Mom. Keep up the good work !!

Love you use second hand.Cant wait till you have your little one.I bet your girls are so excited.God bless you all.❤❤❤❤

All such great advice! My baby is now 15 and im almost 46, so no more littles for me. If i had it to do over, I'd follow your advice. I did cloth diaper my middle one and the last one for a bit, but ran into some issues and went back to disposables. You're such a great mom!

The squirt bottle story is hilarious. LOVE IT. U crack me up girl!! God bless u all❤

And the pieces looks so good on you! Blue is definitely your color, the black dress, lets just say you rocked that😉 I agree about the wide leg pants! So much more comfy than A pair of tight jeans! I still wear leggings of course, but i only have a couple pair of tight leg jeans, and those i kept to wear with boots in winter. But the flowy ones for spring/summer are awesome! Very comfy and cool. My daughter used the wrap like the second one you showed for her 2 youngest, and she loved it! My son & his wife have the Ergo.. basically my Son uses it. In the southeast there's a secondhand baby store called ' Once Upon a Child'. Most of the stores are huge! They carry name brands and like Walmart brands.. clothes, shoes, strollers, cribs, toys.. everything you need for baby, and the prices are great! My son & his wife shop there for their almost 8mth old daughter. And they make good money, they just realize how expensive things are retail! I'm just saying, no matter what your bank account is, it just makes sense to shop second hand.. they go thru things so fast! Its ok to buy some new things but for the most part second hand will save you so so much! My son, who's 24 now, was been tongue tie. But he nursed well. We had his clipped around 7mths. I didn't know how common that was! I here mama's say their babies were tongue tied all the time, but they had issues nursing. The 'Bumbo' seat is good for getting until they start feeding themselves. It holds baby up, helps teach them to sit alone, very sturdy but they won't fall out! They do have one with A tray too. Great video.. Even tho I'm now a Mimi😁 very informative for new moms!

I had new things with my first. My second I shopped all second hand. We saved so much money on gently used items.

When my two children were born, I had a friend that had the cutest baby clothes. She lent me a big lot of clothes for my babies. Babies grow out of clothes before they even begin to wear it out. I loved having cute baby clothes that I could not afford. It was such a great option. When my kids grew, I always had a couple of friends that shopped high-end expensive children’s clothing and their kids were just ahead of my children in sizes. We just couldn’t afford to buy clothes, but my children always ended up with the nicest clothes. I ended up having children that loved second hand clothes. I think people thought we were more affluent than we actually were because my kids were so well dressed. We actually were in poverty. I look back and see how much the Lord blessed us!

Such helpful info for new moms! These basics definitely are the most important!

Okay, so right off the TOP, thank you for doing this video. Many of us "seasoned: moms in our family are always telling our daughters, who now moms themselves "We didn't ahve that, and you guys turned out fine".

Great video!

Great and wise advice.

I had my second child earlier this year and the amount of stuff I've been decluttering that we didn't end up using for either of our babies is crazy. Parents definitely don't need nearly as much as they think! The one thing I wish I would have had for my first was a baby wrap - baby wearing is such a game changer.

Great video, Kristen! Loved the outfits!

What a helpful video for new mommies. So cute!

Love this so much ❤ expecting my second babe next fall 😊

Kristen, Great video.

I love your beautiful baby nursery!

This was so helpful! Thank you!

I like the ruffle dress, the spaghetti strap dress you could kind of dress up and down if you had a little jacket or sweater . The leggings are cute, too.

Very nice video on sustainability, affordable options and simple life. Love it!

Wonderful wise advice for young mamas. Hope you and Josh have a wonderful Babymoon! 💕😊

I admire you Kristen for your thriftyness !! I Totally agree that we don't need some much of the stuff that is out there!!

Enjoyed

Thank you for sharing, this is helpful.

I AM A MIMI OF EIGHT… And I AGREE .. WHATS NEEDED..WHATS NOT.. THE BASKET OF ESSENTIALS ON THE COUCH IS WHAT IS NEEDED IS THE BEST IDEA.. WHEN I SAT WITH MY CHILD OR GRANDCHILD I MADE SURE OF THE BASKET. NOW ITS THE PHONE TOO. LOVE ALL YOUR VIDEOS..

I love this! Raising babies is only as expensive as you make it (obviously aside from medical expenses).

Kristen, I like the video is very important all this ideas for the new moms

Very informative for new mothers.

Great informative video for new moms. You look adorable in all those dresses. ❤️

Thank you so much for the inspiration. Blessed day for you and your lovely family! ❤

Such a practical list. Thank You!

I would agree with all of this. Great video!

HAPPY SUNDAY Kristen, family, and fur baby. STTB

Those dresses were gorgeous on you and your baby bump! Keep them all! I’m definitely not of the age for having babies but this was very needed for those pregnant women. Very good Kristen! And yes, do the next video about what NOT to get. It was fun to watch!

Great video and so good to see you. You look great and ready....wow another girl. Thought everything you said made a lot of sense and I am all about the reusing and thrifting of clothing. On another note, please give us an update on the tornado activity out there. Was concerned for you all.

You look cute in all of the outfits!

Hi Kristen, The clothes are so cute and look good on you! That’s a pretty bassinet! Good natural choice with the Burt’s Bees and the wipes as well! All the baby carriers were so neat! I love your intentionality with saving and reusing items! Great mom! Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic video. I loved using the thick cloth diapers for burp cloths. Then they became dusting rags.

You look so cute in all of the dresses!!

you are a great mom/im new to your channel/you are a lot of fun// I always had second hand clothes for my kiddos when they were small/ you have a great home/im glad i found you all/

For my second baby I only bought diapers and wipes when I was pregnant with my son I bought everything neutral colors.

❤❤❤ great video

Well done from a grandma of 2, I would keep at my home extras when I had the opportunity to watch them. Obviously the nursing part was helpful for storing the milk in bags for when I had them and needed to feed them. You are amazing and so inspiring to help new Moms❤❤have a Blessed week

This video is perfect timing for me! I'm expecting my first baby in October and I don't know what I actually need 😅 Excited to watch this!

The rust ruffly dress so pretty!! I used to work w a teacher who told me that babies dont need much.. a few white tees and onesies.. easy to bleach stains.. .. unfortunately.. i spent waaaay too much money ... This is really great needful advice.. my only is now 19 but I am enjoying this.

Hi Kristen...I love your videos so much that I watched this whole video, because I like catching up with your life. You look so beautiful in your picks for date nights. I loved the blue dress and the second one so much. You look beautiful in all of them and congrats for being sponsored. I love you promote second hand clothes and furniture. ❤❤❤❤

I hope you kept the red dress, that was stunning on you!

Hey, I loved your video❤! I'm from Denmark and I'm also about a month away from my first baby. I loved shopping at second hands and mother-help shops. It just makes so much sense to save money now and use it on your child later when they actually start understanding what they like and want🤑 p.s. I love the vintage/farmhouse vibes of your 🏡 🥰

Kristen I just love you! Wish I had your wisdom 39 years ago. Great video❤❤

I like this young mommies need this thanks for sharing God Bless 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

Okay.... you're going ot either LAUGH or feel sorry for me. BUt I'm a grandma now, so I am WAY past baby stuff, yet here Ia hanging out with you on this video. ADMIRING Ivy's room/nursey. LOVING the bookshelf and wondering what books you ahve on it? Love the framed horse pics too! Girl, I just love hanging with you, no matter what you're doing. Hope everyone is sage and well,? Saw your brother's tornado footage.

I have a 4 month old and i definitely kept my peri bottle after i was done using it because i thought "my 4 yr old will love this for his bath" 🤣 Not gross at all because its not like its touching anything and i only used it for a week. Sanitized it and off to the bath tub it went lol.

Hello from the Midwest Kristen 🌻🌾My oldest is having her first baby! It's a boy!!💙👣 (I have 4 daughters💞💞💞💞) Happy & blessed grandma to be 🙏 All the outfits are SO CUTE on you! 🤍

My favourite bath toy when I was young was my moms squirt bottle for her perineum as well! 😂

I did all the same with buying at flea markets and yard sales. I used cloth diapers cut into squares and several sewn together for the best thickest breast pads. No others worked for me.

Makes me want another baby❤

We’d love to see a video of “essentials” that you don’t buy!

I have my first daughter 18 years ago. Pregnant with my second one now, don't know what are the cool things they have out there now.

Hi pretty lady. Im sure you are very helpful for moms to be!!!You are a smart and clever mom/wife and it is wonderful. 😁❤👍

Do a nesting party! Women can come over and help clean your house/help you nest before your baby’s arrival!

Oh, you have to have two more! A mother of six. Has a nice ring. 😁 You are very correct. You don't have to buy all new stuff for new babies. I had almost all second hand everything for our children for the first five years.

Hello, my daughter is having a baby girl which is my first grandchild. I know she is overwhelmed. There are so many different items out now and so expensive.

Great advice! I had four children as well and the amount of baby items now is overwhelming and so unnecessary!

Please, don’t shove the baby my friend 😂😂, I cracked up at you ,when you said ,you just shove your baby down in there 😂😂😂😂

💛

All the clothes you shared looked adorable on you. So anything you like. My oldest granddaughter had her son in June last year. She never covers when she nurses him. I would warn my husband when she just whip out her boob for him to eat. My granddaughters are all larger chested. So it’s hard for them to keep their breasts covered that great. Now one of my other granddaughters is due in July. She’s having a baby shower next month. And her sister is bringing her so much stuff. She asked for diapers and gift cards for shower gifts. She’s going to have a diaper drawing. And my daughter and son in law are helping bring stuff down. Both of the girls belong to my daughter who lives close by. My oldest granddaughter and youngest daughter live in a different state. And I get to see my cute great grandson again. They were here a few months ago. I have tried to talk them into moving here. But my granddaughter says it gets too hot here. I love the heat, and hate the cold. That’s why we moved. I bought my granddaughter diapers from Amazon during one of their Prime days. I sent her a bunch diapers and twelve packs of wipes for $60. I had to ask her if that was a good deal. I haven’t bought any diapers since we watched my grandson. And he’s twelve now. So she said it was. But she had a huge baby shower. Her boyfriend’s grandfather was the mayor of the city they had the shower in. So they had a huge baby shower. We sent a crib and dresser as our gift. She picked it out on Amazon and I sent it to her. When she was here I took them to Carter’s and bought them some clothing. With my husband’s charge. We have young grandkids that we buy school clothes for. We also have the youngest who is two. So she will be using Papaw’s charge for a while yet. When I go to thrift stores I do look for clothes for all the kids. I have always done that. My granddaughter has been nursing. She has all kinds of pumps and bags and whatever else you need. Both my daughter were born at the end of October. So they needed warm clothes. And I didn’t breast feed either one. I had problems with my oldest daughter during pregnancy. And still do to this day. I’m going to save this video for both my granddaughters to watch.

What are you wearing in your lips?