6 Month Old Baby Must Haves
This post is all about 6 month old baby must haves! It can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you truly need so I’m sharing my favorite essential items for a 6-9 month old baby.
To make it easier I’ve broken this blog post down into categories of play, sleep, eat, and babyproofing!
Must Haves to Play!
Now that Isaiah is 8 months old, his playtime looks A LOT different than it did when he was 3 months old. He is crawling, rolling, and obsessed with moving! Here is my list of 6 month old baby must haves when it comes to playtime.
XL Playmat
The first must have on my list for 6 month olds is this XL foldable playmat we have in our living room! It’s waterproof, nontoxic, and great for travel because of how lightweight it is! The mat is reversible and has another cute design on the other side which I was pleasantly surprised by.
This playmat is great for when your baby starts sitting, standing, and crawling because the cushy foam breaks your baby’s fall. It doesn’t seem to easily pick up dirt and is a material that you don’t have to worry about getting wet (aka spit up is a breeze to clean up)! So very happy with this purchase! Nice large, thick, lightweight mat for an affordable price!
Jumper
My next 6 month old baby must have is this Fisher-Price Animal Activity Jumeproo! If you have an active baby like me, you NEED this jumper! Isaiah is obsessed with it and it keeps him occupied for a decent stretch of time while I’m able to get things done around the house. I also don’t have to worry about him in here, so it’s great if I need to run upstairs or to the restroom. I pop him in his jumper and he’s so happy!
It also wears him out (well, let’s be honest, nothing seems to wear him out completely haha) which is great! This jumper has adjustable straps so it can grow with him as well. It also rotates in a circle which he loves because he loves to look around at all the different stations. We are obsessed.
XL Blanket (for the park)
Isaiah’s new favorite thing to do when he turned 6 months old was going to the park for tummy time! He used to HATE tummy time, but he LOVES fresh air, so now we throw down an XL blanket in the sun and he is content for literally hours. We actually use an extra comforter we have which works just as well. I wish I would have done this sooner!
Shatterproof Mirror
Babies love to look at themselves, so we pretty much have a mirror in each of Isaiah’s play areas. I found this shatterproof mirror on amazon and it’s a game-changer! I love that you don’t have to worry about it breaking or the safety of it. If you don’t want to get a special mirror for your 6-9 month old baby, you can seriously hand them any mirror and they’re occupied. We have handheld mirrors, books with mirrors… the list goes on and on.I even moved my mirror out of my office into the hallway so he could have an extra station to play. Just get any mirrors you can find haha.
Lovevery Playkit Subscription
I talked about the Lovevery play kit and play gym in my post about the Best Gifts for First Time Moms, but I had to mention it again because it’s seriously amazing! Lovevery is a play kit subscription company that delivers toys to your door every 2-3 months to support your child’s developmental stage through books, play products, and guides to help you through each stage. We have gotten the monthly play kits for Isaiah as well as the play gym and a few bonus toys! We’re obsessed and I love that I don’t have to peruse the toy aisle and wonder what is age-appropriate for him. They do they work for you!
Ergo Carrier
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’m OBSESSED with this ergo baby carrier for Isaiah. We have been using it since Isaiah was 3 months old. He is 8 months old now and we use it even more than before! This carrier grows with your baby so even though it’s a little more expensive, it’s worth it! We chose this model firstly because it was hip dysplasia safe – also because it seemed so versatile. You can wear the baby front or back, or facing inwards or forward. Can’t recommend this carrier enough!
Teethers
A 6 month old baby must have is definitely water teethers and teething toys! I like these that you can put in the fridge or freezer to keep cold and soothe their sore gums.
Fisher-Price Bath
This is the bathtub we have for Isaiah and we have no complaints! We used to wash him by filling our tub with an inch or two of water and laying his head on a folded-up towel, but once he started rolling all over the place we had to get a tub to contain him haha. This one is great because it grows with them at every age! From the newborn stage until they’re able to sit up, this bath has inserts to fit all ages.
Must Haves To Sleep!
Around 6 months old, your baby has most likely transitioned out of their swaddle and moved into their own room/crib. It can be confusing to know what they need when it comes to sleep (and keeping things sleep safe) so here is my list of 6 month old baby must haves when it comes to sleeping!
Sleep Sack
These are our favoite sleep sacks because they have long sleeves and are semi-weighted. Isaiah loved his merlin sleepsuit, but they can’t be in the merlin suit once they start rolling, so I was on the hunt for something that would best mimic it. We have the gray and blue but they also sell pink!
Guava Lotus Travel Crib
We have this Travel Crib and love how easy it is to set up! From my research, the only pack n play replacements currently on the market that do not contain flame retardants are: BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light, Guava Lotus, and the Nuna Sena. The Guava Lotus takes up very minimal space in the car and can be carried as a carry-on. We have zero complaints!
Sound Machines | Portable Sound Machine and Hatch Sound Machine
I included both of these sound machines in my newborn must haves and baby registry but had to mention them again because we still use them daily, 8 months later!
This portable sound machine is great for naps in the car, stroller, swing, or when we travel. The battery lasts a long time and it has a few different sound options, but we stick to the white noise.
We are also obsessed with our Hatch Sound Machine. I love that it connects to an app on my phone so I can adjust it as needed. I also love the night light feature for nursing, night feedings, night time diaper changes, or dimming the lights to cue Isaiah for bedtime and nap time.
Mesh Crib Liner
I know that crib liners/bumpers aren’t technically deemed as “safe”, but if you are in the market for one, I highly recommend this mesh crib liner. Isaiah has a tendency to throw all of his paci’s out of the crib and they get lost in the dark. I love that this keeps them contained in his crib so we don’t have to crawl all over the floor with a flashlight looking for his lost pacis in the middle of the night. He is also getting to an age where he can roll and crawl and I don’t like seeing his arms poke through his crib. This mesh liner is breathable but also keeps him contained inside his crib.
Sposie Pads with Overnight Diapers
Once your baby is 6 months old, they are probably sleeping longer stretches through the night. This can cause them to leak through their diapers! We got overnight diapers for Isaiah when he started sleeping through the night at 5 months old. Once he started sleeping on his tummy, he would leak through his diaper (I think it’s a boy thing) so we added these sposie pads to his overnight diaper and it hasn’t happened since!
Must Haves To Eat!
Around 6 months old, babies start to eat solid food in addition to breastmilk or formula. Currently, I am feeding Isaiah purees. I love this brand because it’s 100% whole foods and no other junk or preservatives. I eventually want to make my own baby food for him, but that’s another story! Here is my list of 6 month old baby must haves when it comes to feeding!
High Chair
Once your baby is 6 months old, you can start introducing solids. There are a lot of high chairs to choose from, but we went with this basic $20 high chair from Ikea! We added accessories we found from yeah baby and amazon.
I have heard wonderful things about this Stokke high chair. This high chari is great for promoting postural stability during mealtimes (this means your little one will achieve proper alignment at their feet, knees, hips which in turn, supports appropriate upper extremity and jaw functioning). It’s also a chair that will grow with your baby so the investment is totally worth it!
Silicone Roll Up Bibs
I love these OXO roll-up bibs for Isaiah! They have a little pocket at the bottom that catches food, water, and spoons that fall from his hands and mouth which makes cleaning up a lot easier as well as helps us from wasting food. It’s not too heavy on Isaiah’s neck either. I keep one at home and one in the diaper bag for eating out/travel.
Full Sleeved Bib
These full-sleeved bibs are great if your baby is a messy eater (like most!) These Tiny Twinkle bibs are really good quality and super easy to clean. I like to hang it so it will dry and it dries pretty quick. TIP! Make sure you tie it as tight as safely possible so the food won’t drip or fall in between the shirt and bib and get his clothes underneath dirty.
Baby Spoons
These are Isaiah’s all-time favorite spoons! We started purees at six months old and he wasn’t the biggest fan until these spoons. He loves to feed himself with them and I love that he has a sense of control over his eating. This also helps him work on his fine motor skills so it’s a win-win!
One warning is that there is no guard so you really need to supervise your baby so they don’t shove the spoon too far into their mouth! What I do is when giving him the loaded spoon I make sure he grabs right below the base of the spoon so his hand acts as a natural guard from going too deep.
EZPZ Tiny Cup
When your baby is six months old, you can start introducing water. At first, Isaiah was NOT interested at all… but now? He is OBSESSED because of this Tiny Cup! He thinks it’s a game and loves to take tiny sips and feel the water dribble down his chin and neck. It’s a little messy but I love watching how happy and excited he gets so it’s worth it!
Splash Mat
If you have a rug or carpet under your baby’s high chair you NEED this splash mat. Isaiah tends to make a mess when he’s eating and this keeps our rug from getting baby food stains and crumbs all over it!
Portable High Chair Seat / Floor Play Seat
We got this baby seat for Isaiah when he turned 6 months old to allow him to watch me in the kitchen or whatever room I was in. He was rolling all over the place and this kept him contained while also helping him work on his sitting! It has an anti-slip rubberized bottom that makes it stick to whatever surface you put it on. The inner seat material feels comfortable and unlike hard plastic, has a soft feel to it. The tray is a good size and has no metal springs that rust or could pinch your baby’s legs. The removable pads make cleaning easy, too!
Must Haves To Babyproof!
Around 6 months old, babies start to roll, crawl, sit, and even pull up to stand! It’s important to keep your home babyproofed to avoid any injuries. Here is my list of 6 month old baby must haves when it comes to babyproofing!
Baby Gate
We got this gate to block the stairs once Isaiah started army crawling at 7 months old.
Playpen
We don’t personally own a playpen because we don’t have the space in our 1700 sq ft home… BUT I have mom friends who swear by this playpen and I’m so jealous! It even comes with balls so you can turn it into a small ball pit
Outlet Covers
Once your baby starts rolling and crawling ALL bets are off! Isaiah beelines towards all our outlets, cords, etc. We snagged this 30 pack of outlet covers off amazon and will probably need even more!
Pipe Insulation
I ordered pipe insulation off amazon to babyproof the sharp corners and edges in our house. It’s not pretty, but it’s inexpensive and at least your busy baby will be safe!
I hope you found this list of must haves for your 6-9 month old baby helpful! Was there anything I forgot? If so, leave a comment and let me know so other moms can see what they need in the future!
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— The Best Gifts for First Time Moms
— 17 Tips and Tricks for First Time Moms
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