Must Have Baby Items: 3-6 months
Hi moms, dads and soon-to-be parents! Hope everyone is well. Me? Over here still trying to figure shit out and having lots of fun doing it! Learning along the way and sharing as I go. This is a fun age! Nico naturally developed a solid routine/schedule, which has made the days more predictable and easier to manage. We transitioned him out of his SNOO at about 4 months old, he has a solid 1 hour nap in the morning, 2 hour nap in the afternoon, and still sleeping about 10-12 hours a night. He also started to teeth (ouchies and no more cute gummy smile!) but he also started eating solids as well, which is super exciting! Overall, he’s more observant. engaged, mobile, and interactive.
Here’s another list of “must have baby items” that our 3-6 month old Nicobaby needed/enjoyed during this stage. For items that continued to be useful, I copied them over from the newborn list.
Most items are found on Amazon and linked here on my Must Have Baby Items: 3-6 months Amazon List. If they are not available on Amazon, I added individual links below.
If you have other must have items that you recommend, please drop it in the comments!
EAT
Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair - it’s not cheap, but it’s made to grow with baby and ensures safe eating. Also a big factor for me haha but probably not AS important - it’s beautiful and matches our dining table.
ezpz First Foods Set - “The developmental tools you need for baby's first foods/drinks and helps baby succeed with eating and drinking independence.” Facts! I follow a bunch of baby led weaning blogs and they all recommend this set. It comes with a bowl, 2 spoons, and a cup. The tiny bowl stays put, which makes it easy for Nico to grab food from it on his own. It’s also sized to help with portion control. Nico learned how to eat with the tiny spoon right away- they’re the perfect size and have a great grip. I like that this set comes with a cup and he’s already learning how to drink from it on his own!
Sleeved bib - when you’re doing baby led weaning and letting babies learn how to eat on their own, they get that shit EVERYWHERE. You need this - we got him the Bumkin Winnie the Pooh one, SO CUTE!
Baby Brezza - we started supplementing breastmilk with formula at around 5-6 months. If you’re going to do formula, the Brezza makes life easier. It’s basically a Nespresso for formula and mixes formula with water at the desired temperature. You’re ready to feed immediately after dispensing.
Bottles and nipples - I mostly stopped breastfeeding throughout the day when I returned to work and mainly pumped and bottle fed, which meant we needed more bottles. We started him with the Avent Phillips bottles because they’re more natural. Then we decided to try Dr. Brown because it has a filter thing that helps with digestion? Idk I feel like Nico is fine with either. The more important tip: I didn’t know this, but baby’s bottle nipples need to be upgraded based on age and desired flow level. Newborns are generally level 1 and babies 3-6 months are level 2.
Philips Bottle Sterilizer - This one has a sterilizing setting, a drying setting, and an automatic setting that sterilizes and dries right after. It probably sounds crazy, but just having a drying option makes a big difference and it’s weird that not all sterilizers have this option.
Dr. Brown Bottle Cleaner with Sponge and Scrubber - Before getting this, I used a basic brush and sponge for Nico’s bottles and my pump parts. It was such a struggle to get in the little crevices. This thing is a game changer!
Philips Avent Fast Baby Bottle Warmer - If you’re planning on bottle feeding expressed milk or formula feeding, this bottle warmer is clutch. I’ve tried others, and this one is worth the extra dollars because it’s super easy to use. You basically stick the bottle in, set the knob at the number of ounces you are heating up, click the button and poof it brings the milk to the perfect temp for baby. We went on a trip and left this at home and it sucked.
Spectra S1 - Breast pumps are typically covered by insurance, but for this one - you have to pay a copay. I like that it’s chargeable so you’re not glued to an outlet while pumping. I tried the Elvie and while I liked that you can just stick it in your bra, I found that for me it doesn’t pump as much as milk as the Spectra. (Also Elvie is not worth the $500 imo). I would also recommend getting extra pumping parts so that you’re not having to wash and dry the parts in between each pumping sesh.
Momcozy Hands Free Pumping Bras - If you like multi-tasking… actually no, if you don’t want your hands glued to your boobs for 15-30 minutes, you need this.
Freezer storage bags - if you’re planning on pumping and freezing breastmilk, get freezer storage bags. I like the Philips Avent ones, but I’m sure all work the same. Squeeze out all the air bubbles and lie it flat so it freezes flat to maximize storage space.
SLEEP
Babyletto Crib - looked at A LOT of cribs, but really like the look of this one. It’s both modern and classic. The best thing about it is that it grows with baby and tranforms into a toddler bed.
Graco Premium Foam Mattress - There’s a lot of great reviews from Amazon (and friends) so we went with this one and Nico seems very comfortable in it.
Flannel crib sheets - in the winter, we got warm flannel crib sheets because they’re warmer. Nico would not fall asleep easily when we would put him down and his bed sheets were freezing.
Burts Bees sleep sack - When Nico transitioned out of the SNOO, we put him in the quilt version of this wearable blanket to keep him extra warm. This is the most affordable one, but great quality.
Halo sleep sack - Nico also likes the Halo sleep sack! We got the thinner one for warmer nights.
Hatch Baby Rest - White noise = Nico is instasleepy. The Hatch is both a noise machine and night light. You can control the sound/volume and color/brightness from your phone. There is a variety of sounds you can choose from (i.e. laundry machine, lullabies, waves) and colors. Tips on how to use the Hatch in my nighttime routine post.
ON THE GO
Uppababy stroller- I admit I haven’t tried any other strollers, but I can confidently say the Uppababy Vista is the best. You ever have a shopping cart that just does not cooperate? This stroller is the exact opposite. Soooo easy to navigate. Super light and easy to pull out and pack up.
Maxi Cosi Car seat - grows with baby and great reviews.
Noise cancelling headphones - If you’re headed to anywhere loud, you need these for baby to protect their ears. Nico used these on his first flight and his first football game! It didn’t bother him at all and he kept them on the entire time.
Portable/Travel Crib- If you’re going on a trip, it’s nice to have a travel crib aka pack & play. We got the Nuna Sena and Nico sleeps so good in it. He also enjoys playing in it. Throughout the day, I move it around to different rooms in our house depending on what I’m doing. My friends also recommend the 4moms one and the Graco Pack and Play which is a great budget option.
Baby Changing Pad by Lil Fox - It’s basically a portable changing table and diaper/wipe bag in one. Awesome for families who are on the go. I really like this one because it’s very simple, compact, fits easily in diaper bag, and super convenient to pull out and do a quickie change.
Tablet/iPad - I know, you’re probably thinking… why would a baby need a tablet/iPad this soon? Well, we go on a lot of road trips and Nico loves him some Cocomelon on long rides. It keeps him calm and happy. We added the tablet holder for the car that we use.
Baby’s Brew - Right before we went out, part of our routine was to boil hot water and pack it to go for heating up Nico’s milk. Or we would have to bug our waiter at the restaurant to bring us new bowls of hot water. Cue Baby’s Brew! The portable, rechargeable bottle warmer!!! Life changer!
Formula dispenser - I never leave the house without water in a bottle and pre-measured formula in these dispensers. So convenient for snacks/meals when we’re on the go.
Carrier - We tried a bunch but this Baby Bjorn was my favorite mainly because it is the easiest to put on and take off. I found that the others had great features but just way too complicated. I put this in the “on the go” section but it’s great for wearing at home when you need your arms to get things done! I use this a lot while washing dishes, vacuuming the house, etc.
Shopping cart cover - The first time I put Nico in the shopping cart, I imagined how uncomfortable and unsanitary it is to sit directly in it and insta-ordered this! Super easy to use and he loves it.
MISC
Sophie the Giraffe - the BEST teething toy. I heard about Sophie wayyy before Nico and I finally see that she is worth the hype. Put it in the fridge for extra soothing powers.
Teething Keys - When Nico isn’t destroying Sophie, he has these keys in his mouth! I put them in the fridge to cool them off and they really help soothe him when he’s in teething hell.
Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair - ok, I wouldn’t say this is a “must” because honestly Nico barely sits in the thing haha. BUT I know eventually he will. It’s SO cute for pictures. If you’re looking for a cool baby gift for the family that already has everything, this is the perfect little splurge.
Walker - Nico loves being in the walker. We’ve tried a few and his favorite is the Baby Einstein one because it’s compact. I’ve read it doesn’t really help babies learn how to walk, but he loves being in it to explore the room "on his own”!
Baby Einstein Neighborhood Symphony Activity Jumper - when Nico first started to sit up on his own, we got him this and it keeps him entertained for a while. He started off just sitting in it and looking around and slowly began to jump and play.
Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling 'n Seat Tub - Bath time is Nico’s favorite time of the day. He is so relaxed in this thing. Fits perfectly in our farmhouse kitchen sink.
Diaper Changing Pad - I didn’t want to spend money a changing table. For the first couple of weeks, we changed Nico’s diapers on the bed and that was not good for our backs. You can place this one on top of a dresser. Don’t forget to get covers. I linked a couple!