Having a Baby? What You Actually Need (and Don’t)

So you’re having a baby. Congratulations! You’re about to be bombarded with love, unsolicited advice, and an absolutely bonkers amount of tiny things. Bottles, bouncers, bibs, butt cream. It’s a lot.

And because your friends and family are lovely, they want to buy you things. That’s sweet. That’s great. And also: terrifying, because if you're like me, you're trying to keep your home (and the planet) from drowning in plastic.

Consider this permission to guide the generosity toward things that you’ll actually use, that won’t wreck your aesthetic or your values, and that hopefully won’t end up in the trash within six months.

 

First, a little honesty…

Babies need very little. What you do need is:

• A safe place for them to sleep
• A way to feed them (bottle or boob or both)
• Diapers (cloth or disposable—we do not judge)
• A few good-quality, soft, seasonally appropriate clothes
• Something to carry them in (wrap/sling/pram)
• Your sanity. Which cannot be purchased but can be supported by asking for useful gifts.

 What to put on your must-have list

• Secondhand clothes & gear
  If you’re using Treehouse Circular (hi! it’s us!), you can make a wishlist, send a link to products you love, or even suggest a Treehouse gift card so you can get what you need, when you need it. We have an ever-rotating collection of adorable things. Want gently-used onesies? Booties? Done.
• Reusable basics
  Think cloth wipes, organic muslins, silicone bibs, glass bottles, or stainless steel snack boxes you’ll still be using at preschool age.
• Things that grow with baby
  Convertible high chairs, expandable wardrobes (hello, #growwithme clothes), and wooden toys you won’t hate looking at.
• Support gifts
  Instead of a wipe warmer, ask for a week of meal delivery. We're fans of La Petit Cigone here in Geneva. Instead of a baby monitor with 9 features you’ll never use, ask for a friend’s time holding baby while you, oh, I don’t know, shower for the first time in days.

What to skip (trust us)

• 17 blankets in different colors (you will use two)
• 17 fancy outfits with buttons and bows (you will use one and your baby will definitely spit up on it.)
• Plastic toys that light up/sing/make you question your will to live

How to say “I’d love it secondhand, please” without sounding preachy

People want to help. They also sometimes want to shop at big-box stores because it's what they know. So give them options:

• “We’re trying to keep our baby gear as low-impact as possible, so secondhand or local gifts are especially welcome!”
• “Treehouse Circular has things we’d love—and they’re all preloved!”
• “Gift cards are great too—especially for the things we’ll discover we need six months from now.”

 The TL;DR

You deserve to feel supported and celebrated. A sustainable baby registry isn’t about saying no to generosity—it’s about helping it land in ways that feel good, make sense, and don’t fill your home with clutter or guilt. Ask for what you need. Skip the fluff. And if in doubt: send them here to Treehouse Circular.