Baby Items I Use Every Day//6 Months
I remember being pregnant and trying to figure out what to put on Rose’s baby registry. I really didn’t know which knickknacks I’d use and which I wouldn’t. I didn’t really know which “necessities” I would end up using either! And many people would debate what items even are “necessities” for babies! Of course there were some obvious basics but there was a lot of guess work involved too when deciding what we might need.
Now, six months into having a baby, there are definitely some items I use every single day-and not all of them were originally from my registry! Go figure- you live and learn.
I thought it might be fun to list some of the items I use daily and which I would not part with at this stage in Rose’s development. Some of the items I list might be terribly obvious and boring, while others might surprise you. (And no, I did not list diapers even though, yes, we use many daily.)
1. An Unbrella Stroller
For all the hoopla over intricate and complicated travel system strollers, a simple umbrella stroller is what I use most. Starting when Rose was about four months or so, I begin reaching for an old umbrella stroller that my parents had at their house. I’ll use it inside the house, pushing Rose around as I do chores, as well as when I go for a walk around the block with her. For the first few months of her life I did use her intricate travel system stroller because it has the car seat attachment. However, after she could be safely propped sitting up, the umbrella stroller has been the most convenient and usable option.
2. A Diaper Genie and Wipe Warmer
I am listing these two items together because they are often mentioned as being items which people don’t need to buy. While they may not be necessary, they have been greatly used and appreciated by my household. My parents actually have one of each in their nursery as well. I bought two diaper genies second hand for under $10 each, and then asked for the refill bags on my registry. While the bags are expensive, they have effectively kept odors away and hold many more diapers at one time than my regular trash cans could.
The wipe warmers are items Rose appreciates. She was born in the winter and having warm wipes on her skin was comfortable and comforting for her. She was and still is less likely to cry when her wipes are warm. Call me crazy, but I too would prefer warm wipes over cold ones. Seems like a no brainer to me! Lol
3. Bottles
Before you roll your eyes over this basic item making the list, read on. My plan was originally to (almost exclusively) breast feed Rose, so I didn’t ask for many bottles on the registry. However, I became gravely ill after her delivery and was unable to breast feed. As it turned out, I am not disappointed that I ended up needing to use formula. My husband and I have really enjoyed our bottle feeding experience with Rose. She has thrived and I ended up being able to rest much more and recuperate faster than I would have otherwise. My husband and parents also love being able to feed her, enjoying even more cuddles along the way. The various breast feeding supplies/equipment I received were not put into use, but I was able to pass much of it along to others. I think it is wise for expectant mamas who plan to breast feed exclusively to go ahead and ask for some bottlefeeding equipment just in case. Life throws curve balls and it is nice to be prepared in case things don’t go as planned.
4. Sleep Sacks
One of the things I was not as informed about during my pregnancy is the concept of sleep sacks. In my “baby days” I am pretty sure parents were still using blankets in cribs. Even if they weren’t however, my parents certainly didn’t have sleep sacks for us. I remember casually picking up a sleep sack at a secondhand shop shortly before I gave birth to Rose. We ended up needing it constantly and had to purchase a few more. They are rather expensive even though they are simple to make, so I sew many of them now. I like to have lots of them on hand because they tend to get pretty smelly from spit up after one nights use. I have made fleece, long sleeve versions for winter, and some lightweight, sleeveless versions for summer.
5. A Fun Activity Center
Rose has always been the type of baby who is ok being set down. She does not have to be held constantly to be content. She loved her swing and reclined bouncer when she was a newborn. She loves her activity center now. My mother bought her a Fisher-Price bouncer/activity center which she absolutely loves and likes to spend quite a bit of time playing in. It is upright and stationary so she can’t move it even when she is able to walk. This is quite nice for safety reasons. It has many different manipulatives and things to fiddle with, as well as some happy music and lights. It can keep her entertained while I sew or do chores.
6. Bumbo Seat
In case you don’t know what this is, a Bumbo is a seat to help prop up a baby who is not quite sitting up independently yet. Rose loves being able to look around and play with her toys without toppling over! I wish I had discovered these sooner than I did. One of the nursery workers at church gifted a Bumbo to Rose after A Sunday morning in their care. It is a useful item to have around the house.
7. Bibs, Bibs, and more Bibs
As lame as it is to include bibs, I could not be honest without listing them. We go through ever so many more bibs than I thought we would on a daily basis. It is not unusual for Rose to go through 4 bibs a bay. Of all the items I’ve had to go back to the store and buy more of, bibs are at the top of the list. I can’t seem to wash her bibs fast enough to build up a stock pile.
8. A Soft Play Mat
A soft, padded mat for tummy time or playing on is an item we use every day. It doesn’t have to be fancy or have toys which dangle down over it, just something comfortable has worked really well for us.
9. A Microwavable Bottle Sterilizer
This is one of those items we heard about by word-of-mouth. In the early days of taking care of Rose, we were having a hard time cleaning and sanitizing the bottles fast enough for her use. Someone suggested a very simple and cheap apparatus that you can put your rinsed out bottles in, fill with a bit of water, and then microwave for a sterilized result. I have gotten to the point where I do not use this every day, as I have found other ways to sterilize the bottles, but it was something that came in handy daily for many months.
10. A Feeding Logbook
Up until a short time ago, we kept a daily record of when Rosie was fed. We diligently kept the record for almost 6 months. The reason this was so important for our situation was because we had multiple different family members feeding her throughout the same day. Because of my health concerns after giving birth to Rose, I was unable to do much of her care the first couple months. It was up to my parents, sister, and husband to feed her. We needed to know from the last person who fed her when they had done so and how much she had taken. The logbook was a great nonverbal way to keep this information readily at hand. This is a really wonderful thing for situations like mine when everyone has to work together to keep the baby fed. I have heard that this is also a tool people use when babies have nannies or sitters.
I hope you enjoyed this list of things I use on a daily basis for my 6th month old baby. It always interests me what items people find helpful and what items they never end up using.
I am off to put my sweet one to bed.
Xoxo
Lexi
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