Minimalist Baby Essentials (bare minimum) - things I used as a mom of two children 

Feel free to ask me the details about any items whether I mentioned them or not ✨🥰

you are a genuine minimalist Vika, not for aesthetics. it's actually so incredibly helpful - you could call it utilitarian even! 😄

This was such a great video for new and expecting parents as a message for them to ignore so much of the commercialism surrounding parenthood and to simply buy and use what the child actually needs.

You are so practical Vika. Babies aren't interested in any fancy products. They just want food warmth love and a bath. The less 'stuff' you have the better off you are.

Dear Ms Terekhina, I’m 13 years ahead of you regarding the children but I have four of them, and yes - hand me downs and minimalism are exactly what you need to stick to; regarding colours- gosh, my boys love purple and pink, why not allow them while they are small and can choose what they like, without prejudice?! Love from Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪

It's so funny, i remember finding your channel 2 years ago through your minimalism content. Even though I wasn't a minimalist and had no interest in becoming one. Fast forward and now I'm also a minimalist! Thank you for this video and now I'm going back and rewatching your minimalism videos!

I just so love your channel Vika!!! Your genuine ability to live your life without the weight of what most would call our “stuff” must feel so freeing. I’m absolutely certain that your being a minimalist contributed to your ability to get through the major life-changes you and Toyla faced in leaving Russia.

I have absolutely no interest in baby essential, but you are so fun and natural I watch anyway. Haha

You seem like such a great mom! Changing pad cloths, baby carriers, and car seats were the most important baby items for our family. I could not have been productive at all with 4 kids if I didn’t have a baby carrier!! Even now with older children, we still use the waterproof changing cloths for all kinds of situations, like riding in the car after swimming to protect the car from water. I love watching your videos and it’s so refreshing to watch another mom doing all of the mom things ☺️

I have always thought baby products have become so complicated and overwhelming! Not to mention EXPENSIVE. Most parents I know end up not using all that stuff. It's just a way to get new parents to spend a lot of money on things they will never actually use. And baby outfits are so cute, but often impractical. They're just going to 1) get them dirty and 2) grow quickly out of them. As long as they're fed, kept clean, warm, and loved, that's all they need.

My sons are now 29 and 32 and the 32 yr old will be a first time dad soon. Watching what you suggest reminds me how much stuff I bought that I did not need. Unfortunately, all of my friends had girls and they wore nothing but very girlie girl looks so I was stuck with having to buy far too much clothing. You are so right when it comes to just making sure their clothing is extremely comfortable. Recall having difficulty finding socks they didn’t kick off and eventually found some that stayed on. Now that I will be a first time grandmother, I’ve been looking baby things, which has been fun. 👶🍼

Not a mom myself but I did find this fascinating. In a world of baby showers and “must have everything” it’s so refreshing to hear you break down what is actually necessary. I’d add thermometer to your list. No doubt you have one but think of it as a family item.

Hi Vika! This was helpful for me as I am I’m pregnant with my first baby and about to become a mother for the first time. I feel I needed this information! Thank you! Much love from Australia 🙏❤

A baby in a white onesie is perfect + those little cotton pants if necessary. It shows off how adorable they are and is simple for the parents :)

a footed onesie story...30 yrs ago or more, my friend's baby had an episode of screaming fit which just lasted too long. her mom, a nurse, came over, and the two of them couldnt figure it out. the kicking and screaming continued, so they took baby to emergency room. the nurse there stripped the baby down out of the footed pants...and she stopped screaming! there was a hair wrapped around the baby's toe. what i thought was, a modern day princess and the pea.

I am embarking on my conception journey, our third try for artificial insemination next month and we are very content on having a minimalist approach! Sending you love and we are welcoming prayers and magic baby dust!

I agree with all of that. For the wrap: I hated it with my firstborn too but for my second I learned a new binding technique. You bind the whole thing BEFORE putting the baby in. Game changer! And so comfortable. And FYI if you have an ergonomic carrier you don't have to wait until baby can sit up...

So funny I was just thinking when I watched your cleaning video that we hadn’t seen any minimalism content lately, I’m so excited for this!

Very helpful video!! Thank you so much ❤ having a baby can be overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be if you keep to a simple/minimalist approach 😊 thank you again!

THANK YOU VIKA! I’m 14 weeks with my first child and i don’t know what I really need. Thanks and I love your channel and your family!!

Thank you Vika for sharing this video. I'm a young momma of 2 boys and your videos is inspiring! :) especially with all the pressure to get everything for baby in social media this comforts me that there are mommas like us that use the basic, minimal and low waste.

I love that you’re so practical and sensible. 💕

This reminds me of your older videos and I love it. 🖖

About the plastic tub for Agatha, for some reason I got some ads for baby products and I saw they make these tubs that collapse so they’re easier to store and transport, maybe you can find one that suits your needs better and doesn’t take so much space.🙂

I literally caught up on all ur videos today and even cleaned while watching the cleaning inspiration one (please make more of that) and then I finished and wanted to watch more and here you are having uploaded 🥳🥳🥳

Your videos never fail to make my day :)

I don't consider myself to be a minimalist but we are very similar when it comes to baby stuff! At the end of the video I thought "of course, what else do you need?" 😂 except for the baby carrier... I would have loved to use it but my child just happened to hate it 🙄

Dear Victoria, very simple, well summarized and very helpful. The babies truly do not need much when it comes to clothing and stuff. A certain amount of those basic clothing pieces is though important, that you would have enough for changing and that the laundry wouldn’t need to be run every day. The rest is just nice-to-haves and then extra laundry on top. I would even say the best baby clothing and essentials “list” on internet. I have seen lots and lots of videos and have read through many articles back then while preparing and then having my child. And your summary is just so great to start with 😉 Not to forget - family and friends in the very beginning might bring quite many not necessarily useful clothing pieces (uncomfortable, synthetic textiles, not fitting to baby’s body "construction", colors and patterns that they like, and we don’t etc.) and other stuff. Well, everyone is so happy about the baby and of course wants to contribute. That was a big struggle to deal with in the beginning. Later me and my husband learned how to communicate what we need, what we don’t need and how to stay firm to our word :D And people were finally also happy about this clear communication. About baby carrier. Trully it is a great thing! :) Please please search more about carrying your baby with her back to your belly (when baby looks to the world). Especially what experienced pediatricians, physiotherapists, osteopaths specialized in babies say. I did that research on my own a few years ago, talked to specialists and it turned out that it is not ergonomic position for our human babies at all. The market gives you everything if demand is there - it is up to us to see it criticaly and do our research. Maybe there is more to that topic since I’ve researched… So according to the data from like 4-5 ago - when we pick up our kid up and put in such position only on our hands, we instinctively put an arm under baby’s legs/knees that their back would be roundish. In the carrier the back is unnaturally stretched, hips experiencing a lot of strain and that might lead to physical problems later. From a psychological point of view, the baby is also exposed all the time to surroundings and has no possibility to hide her sight if it happens to be too much of visual input. It is then quite a topic for very sensitive babies in bigger cities. Carrying with the face to your chest is great in first months (roundish back, familiar smell, safe to hide the sight etc. ). Later when the child gets heavier and could sit and shows the interest to watch the surroundings, carrying on your back is a great option. Keep on and warm greetings from Germany

I found the chaning table a must (for a happy back), but the baby scissors we gave away again (we use just the adult one), the nose thing my baby didn't accept, we didn't buy a mat for the baby to crawl on, he just crawled on the wooden floor. He hated the stroller until he was able to sit front-faced. I personally love that carrier you showed where you can carry them in different positions in. First we tried some other ones, but this one is the one i'd buy again for when the baby can sit.

I laughed when you said you hate your little bath tub. We use a big plastic box from the container store and I hate it so much as well 😂

Not a mom, will never be a mom but here I am listening to Vika😅

In the US, there are many consignment stores which have baby clothes. My son grew up in barely used expensive clothes which I could not afford at retail prices. Yay.

My favorite thing for taking baby to a party , even after walking was a pvc rocker were the cloth wrap goes up crotch and snaps in back..oh my god, for feeding ,taking them with you around the house, when in kitchen...they are close to everything, safe and kicking makes it rock...both kids used it for 1.5 or 2 years ...you can put them down in a group of kids. And it keeps them from being mauled, yet a part of group. Godspeed Dee

Just the video i needed :) im expecting my first baby this autumn and planning on going very minimalist with all the stuff.

We are very minimalsitic too, but we love our changing Sideboard. We cloth diaper and I like to have everything stored in one place (diapers, Inserts, wipes and clothing) and it still fits my 2 year old

Hi! I love your videos :) I would like to see a sit-down video where you talk about your overall experince on motherhood, for example what are the best aspects and worst aspects of being a mom, what has surprised you about motherhood and so on. Is it difficult for you to keep your own identity when you are mother as well? We are all different :). God bless!

Having had 2 babies I totally agree with your approach. They outgrow so fast and in the blink of an eye they are already toddlers.

When my kids (17 &13) were babies I used the same changing Matt and I could use it anywhere. So much easier, fit everywhere and easy to clean.

I would love an updated video on all the toiletry items you use.

I’m not a mom yet, but I took notes 😂😉 advices are always nice!

Appreciate your perspective. I wish you could get some high quality cloth diapers if you have another baby, so true that some kids skin reacts easily. Much love to you and your family.

Love hearing your updates ! Looking forward to seeing what is happening with the house !

As a mom myself, you definitely learn what u like and what u don't. What u will use & what u won't. For myself i hate baby carriers & wipe warmers. My 1st grand baby was born last june, Its tradition for the mothers side to buy the big items for baby. My daughter LOVES the bed i got. Its extremely light weight, comes with a changing area, canopy, and one side zips off for bed sharing or for when the child is bigger & can crawl in & out on their own. Its simple but really cute. Its folds up in just a minute & is easy to travel with if needed. Im definitely not super minimal but im practical & like thrifting clothing & toys when i can. Thanks for sharing!

Love you and your family, God bless you all! Keep the videos coming. Can't wait to see the progress you make on your house.

Hi Victoria, regarding washable diapers. You could try to find them second hand and then it can be still worth buying them now that your daughter is already a bit older. I am, by the way, very happy with the system of absorbing cloth inside and then a waterproof cover panty on top. I think it is more convenient and cheaper than all-in-one washable diapers. Greetings 🤗

I listened to the end even if my own daughter is now 23 years old😃 (it's far from all that for me). Minimalist is planet-friendly and resourceful because you can do as much or more with little. Tolya your husband who builds a bed as you wish. great when you have a handyman husband, tolya also becomes vicariously minimalist somewhere even if I know from a previous video that he is not😁. Thank you for these tips for new moms watching you.😃

Love your mininalust attitude towards baby products. ❤

Could you do an updated video on this if there are any changes for the new baby? ❤

I used cloth for my two boys and learned about a proper wash routine. For those who are looking to switch I recommend using 100% cotton only (no synthetics) because synthetics don’t get clean enough. (Probably why those Chinese ones smelled) The reason why they smell after the baby pees (ammonia smell) is because they’re not clean enough even though they seem clean out of the washer. I used Fluff Love University as a great washing resource!

Can you make a video of what you took in the red bag for the 2 day trip with your babies?

See if you can get a LilleBaby Complete carrier. It allows you to back carry and is a cheaper price than a lot of other carriers with that option. It’s good for weights from 7 to 45 lbs so Agatha should still fit in it too. I loved mine and gave it to a missionary friend who travels from the US to Haiti and she loves it too!

Thank you very much for sharing your experience as a mom. Your family is so nice and you and Toyla are wonderful parents for your lovely kids. You are such a beautiful family and I wish you alll the best. Take care.Greetings from Italy.

The car seat should be used only in the car, not as a substitute for a bassinet because of the baby’s back. Also there are baby strollers which are very agile and lightweight nowadays, and baby carriers that can be used from newborn stage ☺️ that’s my experience…

My son is now 14, we had a wrap and a carrier, both from the beginning until he was 3/4 years old. For us it was easier to sleep together, so had not to wake up to breastfeed.

My eldest daughter is 15. My son is 6 months old. What you mentioned was exactly what I had and what I have with my babies. Bought by me I mean. Because my house is filled with clothes for both of them because everyone is gifting me clothes for both. And I have no storage space.... with my son I had 3 strollers!!! THREE!!!!! One of the persons that gave me one agreed when I asked if I can sell the stroller. But the other one didn't. And I still use the stroller that I bought, because I bought it according to our needs. The other one doesn't even fit properly in the elevator. So I just... keep it in the house and let it gather dust...

When breastfeeding goes well, you can eliminate like 50% of baby gear! Bottles, bottle warmer, sterilizer, pacifiers, formula, purified water, insulated bag etc... In the US they even sell a machine to make baby bottles (similar to a coffee maker) that costs around $300!! 😄I breastfed my second baby and it was so freeing to be able to leave the house with just an extra diaper in my purse! I still bought too much for breastfeeding that I didn't end up using: nursing cover (baby hated it), nursing pillow (didn't need it), nipple cream (I preferred coconut or olive oil), and nursing pads. In the US we get a free electric breast pump but I virtually never used it either. A simple hand held pump for the very few times I needed to express would have been fine.

Doesn't Tula have a newborn baby carrier? I used the wrap as well and it's a nightmare. I got a Tula carrier once my baby was able to sit. In theory, you could go with Tula from birth I think... But investing in two separate expensive carriers, considering the first might not be in use for long, wasn't exactly an option for me. That being said, Tula's sell well on the second hand market. So you can either get a second hand one, or get a new one and sell it once you dont need it to get some of that investment back. They're amazing for allowing you to carry your baby in all positions you mentioned. I loved mine ❤ great video! Thank you

Victoria Terekhina!..Thanks Much !.......

Lovely video, Victoria Thanks for sharing

I never bought a changing table. My kids all try to alligator roll during every diaper change so we do almost all changes on the floor.

I didn’t like a changing table either and more used the couch, floor or bed. I hate strollers too … i had a sling for my daughter and my son was two then, so he walked. When my daughter was almost two, she used to run around the house all day, if she was awake she did not sit down, so I figured she could just walk if we went out.i had a bassinet for the first few months and then they moved to the cot in the next room.

Hey Victoria, you mentioned your daughter had dry skin since birth. I highly recommend the QV eczema prone moisturiser and following that up with a baby oil, I’ve had very dry skin since birth and my mother sweared by this combination when I was young and I still use it today! Definitely give it a try if you can 💕 love your videos keep up the great work

I have a tiny stroller frame that I can attach the carseat to. I love this, my baby is now 4 months old and we use it more than ever. It even fits into the small doctors offices, I take it everywhere.

Genuine question to you Victoria. As a minimalist do you never miss the shopping element/excitment, dressing uo(make-up, hair,beauty&lifestyle) and ease of some gadgets? And if so what do you miss most? Very curious about YOUR answer🤗☺️

Good job ❤

You are sharing some great advice and ideas for new moms . Less is more when raising children 19:05

Thanks for this video,I don't like to have many things also,simple is better. We are really wondering how is the house renovation going,if there is no progress it is still ok to share,if you want😊

No changing table necessary. No baby ever fell off the floor 😊

Very helpful thank you!! Validating

Thank you.

So much Смута, luckily you got back in time Victoria.

10 months, that’s gone so fast.

Parents buy important things, aunts and uncles buy the rest. I am a proud aunt of three and that's my assignment - to buy unnecessary and funny things and encourage irresponsible behaviour in general 😈😂😂 no, but just a little bit ☝

best wishes

What does UC stand for?

It’s great that you don’t see the need to waste money on nonessentials. Babies are not complicated. The biggest needs are food, clothing and diapers. If a mom can nurse her baby that saves a lot of money. I knew of a lady who had her babies in the 1940’s and would wash diapers in the bathtub. You just do what you have to do!

💖

❤❤❤

What about water wipes for diaper changing?

nice sheet

🙋‍♀️❤

the problem would be if the baby get dirty dont have enough close and you have to do laundry more often

👋👋💛🌸💛🌸

💐👍🙂

The less stuff kids have the more impressed they will be with world and will use their imagination and logic more

🩷🩷🩷🩵🩵🩵

Maybe the cloth diapers need to be stripped???

You know last night I was wondering, "does Victoria use disposable diapers?" That seems a strange thing to wonder. And absolutely no judgment I don't care what you use. But the thought occurred to me. The only thing I have ever diapered in my entire life is a duck. And I diapered her for 9 years with disposable diapers. I had to cut them because she was little, being a duck. But I think I saw some ad for disposable diapers last night and I don't know why, I thought of you. Maybe I wondered if they have disposable diapers in Georgia. Of course I keep thinking Georgia is living in the Stone age and it's not true, Natasha took us to a mall. Which is something I wasn't expecting to be in Georgia either. It must be all of those old churches... By the way I still love that dress!

It's not good for the babys spine to carry your baby infront forward facing. And your child cannot look away if it's overstimulated

It is so refreshing to hear you say this. Babies and children have too much these days. Iclothes toys etc. They get overload. A few good clothes and toys is quite enougj ❤

Each of your videos is such a breath of fresh air. ☺️ Much love to you and your sweet family. ❤

We use cloth diapers with our baby. Prefolds with a “snappi” closure are very inexpensive and dry easily so I think it’d still be worth it :). Natural fibers (not microfiber) do not hold onto smells at all, or if they do it’s normally something that can be troubleshooted like using too much detergent. Thanks for this video. Your philosophy on true minimalism is inspiring ❤️

Victoria, your videos help me to form an opinion that motherhood is not as difficult as it can seem. Thanks for sharing your experience!

I’m expecting my first in November. So excited for this video!

Vika!! Thank you for sharing your experiences as a Mom! You have certainly had more than your share of challenges, but also so many great satisfactions. It is always inspiring to see you going forward dear Vika! Our love to you and Tolya as well as to Agata and Adeline.

Классно, когда есть четкое понимание, что нужно и зачем. И нет этого ажиотажа на покупки «необходимых» вещей

The little, lightweight strollers are awful, and for tall people they're a nightmare. What you want most in a stroller is big, sturdy wheels. It makes all the difference in the world. It's not going to fly you up a set of stairs BUT it will glide easily over bumpy streets and curbs. If you can't find that kind where you are have your handy husband replace the wheels on the substandard one or even make one. When I can remember the name of the brand I had I will let you know. I walk everywhere and it was a game changer. Big wheels. That is the key. You can make your own cloth diapers, but seriously, nothing beats the good disposables.

I'm waiting to see more video on the house restoration

They make baby strollers SO BIG! When I have babysat for other people, I can barely push the things! I don't know how people maneuver those even bigger ones that are for 2 or more children. I remember years ago I saw a lady in Starbucks with one of those. I wish I had been there earlier to see how she got it in the door. I hope someone helped her hold the door open. It took up most of the place. Wow.

Mama of 8 here. I can tell you that I does were my favorite baby clothes because I could find cute ones in neutral colors (and half the time they went in just a diaper in the summers unless they were outside or newborn). And although I do have to buy new clothes some times, I know they will die in our family, so it’s ok lol😊