3-6 Months Baby Must Haves and Essentials
3-6 months baby must haves and essentials! Baby basics to add to your wishlist – from books, toys, clothing to carriers, bedtime essentials and more! What to splurge on and what’s worth the hype as a first-time mom with a growing little!
Now that Sage is 5 months (time flies) I thought it would be fun to share another baby must haves and essentials round-up! Since my newborn must haves & essentials video and blog post got so much love from you guys, I figured this 3-6 months baby haul would come in handy for all of you mama’s and future mama’s out there! If you have a little one, you’ll know that they change so much from month to month, so there are different things you’re going to need to help support their growth and development – so let’s get into it!
Books
For Baby:
Books, books and more books! I read (the irony!) that it’s good to introduce your baby to books at an early age – which is probably why we’ve gathered quite the collection! Even if they can’t read or flip through the pages yet, it’s true that they can still interact with the illustrations and create a relationship with books! When we first started reading to Sage, we really liked these hardcover books by JellyCat. Not only do they have a ton of story options to choose from, but they’re also great starter books for your littles! The words are big, the pages are solid and safe (aka no papercuts!), and they have tons of “touch and feel” accessories that allows baby to stay engaged and entertained during storytime!
As their attention span starts to grow and you get more “advanced” with your reading, our favourite books have been Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I chose these two in specific because of their diversity, unique illustrations and overall messaging behind the story, which is really important to me as a mama!
For Parents:
Storytime isn’t just for kids! One book that Matt and I have really been enjoying is The Wonder Weeks by Xaviera Plooij, Frans X. Plooi and Hetty van de Rijt. It’s basically the stress-free guide behind your baby’s behaviour which has been very reassuring to read as new parents while we navigate Sage’s different ages, stages and behaviours. They also have an app that talks about different developmental leaps and suggests different toys and activities to do with your little ones to support them as they grow!
Toys
It’s no secret that Sage loves her toys! In fact, she loves them so much that we even have different categories to organize all of her favourites haha. Let’s get into them, shall we?
Grip Toys:
First up are grip toys, which also double as a teether if they’re soft enough. Ever since Sage has discovered her strength and been able to grab a hold of things more easily, these grip toys have been her favourite (well, next to my hair haha)!
Rattles:
Rattles have been a great source of stimulation for Sage while she’s continuing to grow and develop during playtime. She loves to listen and discover the different noises that they make and follow the rattle with her eyes. She likes to keep herself entertained with a variety of rattling toys, but one thing I will say to keep an eye out that they don’t do like Sage and bonk themselves in the head with the harder ones!
Stuffies:
Since Sage is still pretty little, I find that she gets overwhelmed by big stuffed animals which is why we love these blanket stuffies as a baby-friendly alternative. They’re smaller and easy for her to grab onto and the bottom half is a blanket for her to cozy up with!
Teethers:
One thing that we’ve definitely noticed over the past few weeks is that Sage is teething! She doesn’t have any teeth coming through (yet!) but she’s slobbering, drooling, with a relentless urge to chew things which is why it’s been nice to have some teethers on hand. We have a few different textures of natural teethers for her to gnaw on (ranging from soft to firm) but her favourite of all though is definitely the famous Sophie The Giraffe. It’s a bit of a splurge when it comes to baby accessories, but worth all of the hype in Sage’s opinion ;).
Crinkle/Texture Toys
Next up we have crinkle and texture toys! I know it might seem weird to have different categories of toys, but once you start to see how they interact with the varieties, you will notice that they all serve a different purpose! Sage loves this category because it’s yet another toy that allows her to use many of her senses when she’s playing! They’re fun for her because they make lots of noise with very little effort and will almost always put her in a happy mood if she’s getting fussy or bored.
Bath
Another activity Sage has been really into at 3-6 months is bath time! We usually like to take a bath together to make it more of an experience for her. It allows her to swim, splash the water and play with toys (shocking!) I’m very particular when it comes to bath toys because a lot of them are susceptible to growing mould when the water gets trapped – making them very unsafe for baby! We love this Whale Bath Toy by HEVEA because it’s all natural and opens up at the bottoms, making it easy to clean and sterilize. While we’re in the tub, I also like to add in a few drops of this natural Lavender Bubble Bath by HelloBello for the ultimate bath time experience!
Mirrors
If there’s one thing Sage can’t get enough of, it’s her own reflection. We make sure to have lots of toys with baby-safe mirrors built-in because it’s been the cutest thing ever to watch!
- Black and white graphics mirror
Sleep
We have officially come out of the four-month sleep regression, which means Sage has been sleeping SO much better…thank goodness! After getting quite a few requests from you HealthNuts about her sleep routine, I plan on doing a whole video dedicated to our experience. But for now, there are a few things that I wanted to mention when it comes to bedtime and sleep.
Hatch Baby Sound Machine
Now that Sage is a little bit older, we are definitely getting more use out of the Hatch Baby Sound Machine & Night Light that I mentioned in my Newborn Must Have and Essentials Blog Post. She sleeps with it during every nap and bedtime now, and we find that it’s a bit louder and more effective than the white noise feature that is built into her bassinet. We usually gravitate towards the trickling water sound, but it has a variety of natural noises (not artificial) to choose from! I personally find this white noise sound machine very soothing (even for when I’m sleeping haha) and it feels like there’s a waterfall right there in our own bedroom!
Sleep Sacks
We started using sleep sacks around the 2 month stage and we’ve been loving them ever since! This is essentially a blanket that zippers around your baby, making it very safe because it can’t go over their head. This one has a swaddle inside as well, and I love using it in the morning after our early morning feeds. These sleep sacks from Guna Muna are on the pricier side, but totally worth it.
Swaddles:
We are still getting a ton of use out of our baby swaddles, but we don’t actually swaddle her anymore! Now that she can roll around and has much more mobility, we like to leave her arms out and free. Although we love the built-in swaddle in our bassinet, I find that it’s not warm enough at night which is why it’s great to wrap her in these swaddles for extra coziness. We love these ones by Solly Baby and these by Copper Pearl – they’re soft, stretch, they wash well and they have some fun prints to choose from as well! These swaddles are also great to bring with you on the go to use as a light blanket – making them handy even outside of sleep!
Clothing
For this essential and must-haves roundup, I wanted to talk about outfits but I feel like they’re often overlooked when it comes to baby hauls! I’ve probably mentioned a few of these items before, but I want to highlight them again because they have been such a staple through Sage’s ____.
Bibs
Sage is a drool monster now – which means bibs are essential! If she’s not wearing a bib, her shirt is guaranteed to get soaked which is why we like to have some on hand at all times. She’s not eating solids yet so we use the softer ones for now until it’s time to grab the food friendly options! We love these bibs by Copper Pearl because they’re soft, they’re comfortable and they come in all different sizes, styles and patterns!
Onesies
Now that Sage is 5 months, she’s much more mobile (or trying to be at least haha) so it’s nice to have outfits that are a little bit more fitted and durable. I love these onesies by Kyte Baby, Mebie Baby and Baby Gap! Of course, it’s always fun to have a few cute, frilly outfits as well – but I love these because she looks super comfy, they’re fitted but not too tight and it’s easy for her to move around when she’s playing!
- Kyte Baby Zipper Footie
- Mebie Baby Zipper Footie
- Baby Gap Onesie
Music
I’ve been asked a few times on Instagram what music I’ve been playing for Sage, which makes sense since it’s quickly become the soundtrack to my life! I’ve been listening to this Baby Songs for Daytime Playlist on Spotify. It’s fun, there’s a wide variety of songs to choose from – so that we parents don’t go TOO crazy haha. I know some people think you don’t need to bother with baby music at this age, but she honestly loves it. She loves to be entertained and I find whenever I’ve singing or dancing with her, I’ll get some giggles which makes every mama’s heart so happy!
Hygiene
These next few items are more hygiene-related products that I’ve been using more frequently in the 3-6 month phase. First up we have this Weleda Baby Diaper Cream which is all natural, made with Calendula and super soothing when I’m changing Sage’s diaper. Luckily she doesn’t get a major diaper rash, but whenever I notice redness this cream will soothe it almost instantly! Then, speaking of diapers and poop, these wet bags have been super handy for when we’re out and Sage decides to have a major blowout. You can put a dirty diaper or wet clothes in here and then wash them when you get home and it keeps everything dry!
Accessories
Bouncer + Toy Bar:
After 5 months of experience, I can definitely say that this Baby Bjorn Bliss Convertible Quilted Bouncer the most used baby accessory that we own! Not only does Sage love bouncing in it and observing the world from below, but I love that it keeps her happy and entertained while I get stuff done. This specific model by Baby Bjorn was an investment, but I love its versatility and ease when it comes to getting her in and out. Plus, you can easily bounce it with your foot and it’s also customizable depending on how you want your baby to sit.
Lovevery Play Gym
I talk about this Lovery Play Gym all the time, but that’s because it’s seriously the best thing ever! It comes with black and white cards as well as sensory strands for your baby to play with during tummy time. There are so many different things you can add to it as your baby grows, and they also have customized toys for every stage of development that your baby will go through. Sage plays in it at least once (if not twice) and a day and it’s been so fun to watch her play, and learn with it! If you can’t already tell, Matt and I are trying not to have too many flashy or battery-operated toys. We want her to use her imagination a bit more when it comes to playtime and I think colours, shapes and textures are stimulating enough – especially at this age!
Bumbo High Chair
We have just recently started using this high chair, and we love it! We don’t have her in here a ton yet, but when we do, it’s been so cute to see her sit up and observe us while we do things around the house. When you have a baby, they have to come with you everywhere – even when you’re in the bathroom! So it’s really nice to have seating options like this to put her in and keep her entertained.
Carrier
We are still loving this carrier by Baby Bjorn, and since I get a lot of questions about it so I thought it was worth mentioning again! Babywearing or carriers allow you to have free hands so that you can get things done while they sleep – a huge mom win! It’s perfect for hikes outside, but also for carrying your baby inside the house – if I’m just vacuuming, doing dishes, or laundry while she sleeps. It’s easy to strap on, comfortable, safe and grows with your baby. We use it every day!
There you have it – all of our three to six essentials and must-have baby products! I hope that this blog post is helpful, and gives you a good idea on what to pick up as your baby continues to grow! If you have a baby around this age, let me know what products you’ve been loving in the comments below!
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Love this!!! Do you happened to have the link for the bouncer bar?
Hi Nikole! Thank you for this video! I don’t see the link to the bouncer bar, please advise, thank you!