I can’t believe that Sophie is six months old already! Now that we’re half a year in to parenthood (whattt?! 🤯) I thought it might be helpful to share the products that we’ve found to be super helpful and most effective for our family over the past few months.
You can find the products we loved from 0-3 months here!
SLEEPING
As soon as Sophie started showing signs of rolling over we pivoted her sleeping arrangements to keep her safe. We removed the newborn insert from her bassinet (😭 growing so fast!) and made a few other adjustments to help us all asleep more soundly.
Sleep Sacks
As we transitioned Sophie out of her swaddles (😭), we used these lightly weighted sleep sacks and they were so helpful at keeping Sophie comfortable, contained, and warm overnight. I ordered the Classic to use the majority of the time and then the Winter for the especially chilly nights. The sacks are not only helpful for soothing baby, but are essentially wearable blankets to keep babies warm because it’s not safe to put loose fabric in a baby’s sleeping area.
It took about a week or so for her to get used to sleeping with her arms out (she tends to wake herself up by touching her face in her sleep). Those few nights were rough for all of us since she was waking up way more frequently throughout the night, but she finally adjusted and now she’s doing great!
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Owlet Sock Monitor
We ordered this oxygen and heart monitor while I was still pregnant, assuming we would want to use it as soon as we brought Sophie home, but we haven’t really see a need to use it until now. Sophie always stayed pretty stationary while she slept, but now with the potential of her rolling over, the monitor gives us a lot of peace of mind overnight. When Sophie graduates to her crib in her own room we’ll buy the Owlet Cam as well so that we can keep an eye on her.
Omg the four month sleep regression was REAL. 😩 That was a rough few weeks, but we made it through. The week before Thanksgiving, Sophie decided on her own to start sleeping through the night, which is amazing. I was fully prepared to have to sleep train and thankfully we don’t need to right now (we may need some guidance as she gets older, but for now she’s doing awesome).
FEEDING
Bottle Upgrade
We bumped up from the 4oz bottles to the larger 8 oz bottles of the same variety that we have been using as Sophie started taking 5oz in early October and then went up to 6oz in early November. Please note that we are still using the Stage 1 slow-flow nipples and not the Stage 2 medium flow nipples that come standard on the 8 oz size bottles.
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High Chair
The best part about this awesome high chair is that it grows with your little one and be configured so many ways. Also available here! We adore the portability of this option, but doesn’t work for our current situation, which is such a bummer.
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Silicone Bib
I love the invention of this silicone bib that will catch any drops / drips and prevent them from getting all over baby and down into the high chair seat, as opposed to the traditional style bib that only protects the front of their top. Some babies aren’t big fans of this type of bib so I also have this one and this pair in my cart, just in case.
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Suction Plate & Bowl
These stay-put plate and bowl are crucial for baby meals. I’m not trying to make feeding baby harder on myself by offering plates and bowls that can (and will be!) be tossed onto the floor when there are solutions for that in the modern age! Plus, these aren’t bad to look at.
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Introducing Allergens
Something that our pediatrician recommended was starting to introduce common allergens into Sophie’s diet as she begins solid foods. she suggested giving Sophie a pinky-tip of peanut butter daily. On the first day, look for a rash on her body within 2 hrs of giving her the peanut butter and then to look for blood in her stool (as anaphylaxis is uncommon as the first reaction to peanuts; it could occur if a second dose is given, however). If no adverse reaction appears, she suggested continuing to give Sophie a bit of peanut butter daily. She also mentioned using a peanut butter made only with peanut specific machines (not from factories where other nut butters are produced on the same machines) in an effort to isolate the nut allergy. We struggled to find peanut butter companies that disclosed this information at mainstream stores… maybe this is available at more specialty stores like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, but we didn’t want to make a special trip for just a jar of peanut butter. 😬 We did find this brand at Target that only sells peanut butter, so we figured that was a pretty safe bet. Thankfully, Sophie hasn’t had any allergic reactions [yet?]. 🙏🏼
*PLEASE discuss giving allergens to your baby with your pediatrician as I am not a medical professional and am in no place to give out advice; I am only repeating what our doctor suggested to us for our circumstances.
We also got these mix-ins for Sophie’s diet; we add them to her formula, baby food, or yogurt because they will introduce her to many common allergens that she may not get exposure to from our particular diets (if she’s eating what we’re eating).
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Stain Remover
As we start Baby Led Weaning / introducing solids, there are bound to be messes, and therefore stains. This spray gives us peace of mind that Sophie’s clothes (and our clothes!) won’t be ruined every time we eat a meal. Yes, we’re fussy like that about our clothing. lol
MISCELLANEOUS
Activity Center
I would argue this is Sophie’s absolute favorite thing from this 3-6 month stage — she has sooo much fun in it (as demonstrated above 🤣) and she loves spending time playing with each toy. *I* love it for a few reasons: (1) Sophie can have some safe, independent playtime, (2) I have peace of mind that she is safe while I have access to both of my hands to get a few tasks done, and (3) Sophie gets stimulation from the toys, of course, but she also gets practice at holding up her core, [sort of] standing, and getting her feet familiar with being on the ground and supporting her. Not only that, but the activity center can be adjusted to grow with her even beyond this stage (you know I love longevity with products, especially when it comes to babies!). Plus, it’s pretty. 😅 An all-around win in my book; Sophie and I can’t recommend this product enough!
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Car Seat
Sophie is sooo close to outgrowing her infant car seat (which feels crazy to me — didn’t we just bring her home from the hospital?!?!) We decided it was time to secure the next model so that we’re ready when she reaches the maximum measurements for the infant car seat.
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Teethers / Soothers
In addition to her actual teething toys, we also got Sophie some soothing options which seem to give her gums some relief!
TEETHERS
One // Two // Three // Four
The first one is a favorite for obvious reasons (made in France and they share a name! 😉), the second one is also a rattle so it can double as a toy, the third one has some smaller corners and bumpy textures that Sophie loves to gnaw and rub her gums on, and the fourth one is great for on-the-go because she can’t drop it!
Oh! And these cute drool bibs are so perfect for preventing the front of Sophie’s clothes from getting completely soaked in saliva whilst not looking like she’s going to a duel at high noon in the Wild West. Highly recommend!
SOOTHERS
Silicone Mold // Foodie Feeder
We freeze formula in the mold and then pop them into the pacifier-style holders for Sophie to chill her aching gums. Baby’s first popsicles! 😂 We also plan to use this device with solids like softened veggies (sweet potato, etc.) and fruits like banana and berries!
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Motor Milestone + Purposeful Play Cards
Created by @themovementmama — I wanted the physical copy to have with me when Sophie and I are doing Tummy Time because sometimes it’s just easier to access than the digital version.
EDUCATION
@the.peaceful.sleeper
for baby sleep training
@milestones.and.motherhood
for physical milestones advice / help (as seen above ^)
@safebeginnings
great suggestions for safety such as baby proofing the house from an expert
@tiny.talkers
to encourage babies to use their voices (which in Sophie’s case doesn’t feel like a concern at the moment; girlfriend LOVES to talk and shriek 🤣)
Tinyhood course
on starting solids — purees AND baby-led weaning options! I think we’re going to try a hybrid version of both
@solidstarts
for baby-led weaning tips
* We could also use a refresher on how to administer infant CPR
I hope these suggestions are helpful for you! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have a question or a product / resource to share with other readers!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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