6 Must Have Baby Products for the First 6 Months

I can hardly believe BabyE is already six months old! He's really 6 1/2 if I'm being honest with myself, but I don't want to let him grow up too quickly! When we were preparing for his arrival, I resisted getting every baby product "they" say you "need" in part because of our small space and to minimize the environmental impact of having a baby.

BabyE enjoying a walk in his Ergo.

Despite my minimalist approach, there are simply some things that you do need with a new baby in the house.  Here's my list of must haves for the first six months of natural parenting.  (Even though I love our cloth diapers, I resisted putting them on the list because telling you babies must have diapers is just a little too obvious.)


#6 Burp Cloths

I kind of expected having a new baby would be like moving into a new house.  I remember when we got married and bought our condo.  It seemed like we were constantly making trips to the store for stuff we "needed" to set up our home.  Of course there has been a shift in our identification of our wants versus needs since then, but I was still surprised that there were very little unanticipated needs for Baby.  The one thing that I had not expected was all of the fluids that come out of a very little baby!  Our small stash of burp cloths was just not enough, so DH did an emergency run to the store to get some more. We needed a little less than two dozen to keep up. Support a small business by shopping Etsy or make some yourself. 

#5 Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper
Co-sleeping has been an integral part of our nighttime parenting routine from the beginning. In our version, Baby starts out the night in his own side-car co-sleeper.  It's been a great arrangement for us as I'm often too much of a light sleeper to have him in bed with me full time.  It allows us to stay within "arm's reach" but each with our own space when needed.


#4 Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets

This is a natural product that BabyE's doctor recommended in lieu of a chemical alternative like acetaminophen. When we first tried the tabs, I immediately dubbed them the miracle pills. After a full day of teething hysterics, Baby was feeling all better within ten minutes! 


#3 Jumper
Baby started using his jumper at just shy of four months old. This has been the perfect activity for our very active little boy.  This is one of those baby products that little ones use for a short time and quickly outgrow, so it's a great thing to borrow or find recycled on Craigslist. 







#2 Nosefrida The Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator

As the name implies, you are essentially sucking the snot out of your baby's nose.  Once I got past that uncomfortable fact, I realized what a great product this is. The idea of a traditional bulb nasal aspirator grosses me out because there is no way to thoroughly clean it out. With the Snotsucker, it all comes apart and can be cleaned and sterilized. Of course, there is a filter and two tubes between you and the snot, so it never actually comes close to your mouth. This doesn't even come close to the ick factor of mothering some days. 

#1 Baby Carriers
We started out using the Moby Wrap.  I loved how I could leave it on without thinking about it or it getting in the way.  It probably wasn't the most stylish accessory, but it allowed me to put baby in and out of it quickly all day long. When my Baby Hercules neared twenty pounds, the Moby could no longer contain his back diving ways. We then moved to the Ergo Baby Carrier.  It is the ultimate in baby carriers with super cushioned shoulder straps.  It amazes me how I can hardly feel the weight as I carry him in the Ergo.  The best part of it is that it's so easy to use, all members of the family can easily get Baby strapped in and enjoy bonding time. 

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