After the popularity of my blog post The Ultimate ‘Sweet Life’ Newborn Essentials Guide, I realised how helpful Mamas find it to have product recommendations when they are navigating parenting, and the many things they do and don’t need. Lets face it there is a lot! I have always been a very organised person when it comes to Motherhood, and have made sure that with each new month and milestone I am fully prepared. As a third time Mother I am well versed in what I do and do not need, and feel confident in passing that knowledge onto you. I have created this blog post to guide you through all the essentials for a child aged four to eight months, however many of the products will be used before and well beyond that. There are many changes that happen during this period of a baby’s life; rolling, crawling, sitting, maybe even walking, they start to eat solid foods and drink water from a cup. When you think about it that’s a lot for a little one to take on, and I know personally I like to be prepared and ready to support them. For my full list of baby items head back to The Ultimate ‘Sweet Life’ Newborn Essentials Guide which includes all of the basics to get you started.
So, here is my ‘Ultimate Sweet Life Baby Essentials Guide for Four to Eight Month Old Babies,’ where below you will find a list of my must have items, to help you feel confident and at ease as you move out of the newborn stage and into baby. Below I explain each item in detail and why I love it. I have also included an ‘Ultimate Sweet Life Baby Essentials Check List’ which you can download, print off and tick off, as you purchase recommended items. Throughout this guide I have included some brands that I know and love, many of whom I have been using for years. The checklist is much more concise and serves as your practical guide to covering the essentials, but if you are interested in reading all about why I love each product then read on below. For more head to The Ultimate ‘Sweet Life’ Newborn Essentials Guide which includes all of the basics to get you started.
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SLEEP
Sleep suits – My little ones have always enjoyed sleeping in Love To Dream Suits. To start off with we use the Stage 1 Swaddles from Love To Dream which is a total game changer. Their little arms are tucked up nice and tight making baby feel secure like in Mum’s tummy. Then as baby rolls their arms need to be loose so we moved to a Stage 2 Transitional Suit. The Stage 2 suits give the flexibility of having your baby’s arm in or out as they roll, and start to move around the cot. There are lots of different suits to suit the temperature of the baby’s room as well.
BATHING
Bath mat – Your baby will soon grow out of their baby bath and you may wish to move to bathing them in a regular bath. I would recommend a non slip bath mat like the one by Skip Hop from The Stork Nest.
Bath toys – At this age baby will like to have a bit more fun in the bath. I love the selection of bath toys from The Stork Nest.
NAPPY CHANGING
Nappies and wipes – Different stages of nappy suit baby’s at different stages of their lives. I have always thought BabyLove Nappies were fantastic for keeping messes in and baby comfortable. Rosie was a Stage 2 to 3 BabyLove Cosifit Nappies during this time.
CLOTHING
As babies grow so do their wardrobes. Live Mila has been one of our favourite stores that stocks some of our favourite brands as Rosie has gotten bigger.
STARTING SOLIDS
Bib – My favourite is Waterproof Snuggle Hunny Bib from Love Mila, not only is it cute but its big and leaves no mess behind on Rosie’s clothes.
Bowls – The Foxx and Willow Silicon Bowl and Spoon from Love Mila are perfect because they are soft and they stick to the high chair with their suction cup.
Plate – Much like the above the Foxx and Willow Suction Plate and Fork from Love Mila is a great option because it sucks onto the baby’s high chair so they can’t spill their food everywhere.
Cutlery – Most bowls and plates will come with a cutlery set. Make sure you choose something that is soft and won’t knock on baby’s gums and teeth.
Messy mat – Protecting your floor will become very important once you start solids, because baby’s are really great at getting mess everywhere! I think that Hexxin Designs have some really stylish and functional options.
Food storage – You need some clever little storage containers that you can use to keep frozen baby meals in ready to heat when you need them.
Spatula – A soft and flexible tool for mixing your tasty creations.
Tooth brush – Oral Care from Kids Me Baby is a great option. As soon as baby gets teeth you should start practicing to brush them.
Baby food machine – Lots of people love to use purpose built machines like Baby Cook by Beaba from The Stork Nest that you can create and cook your baby meals in.
Highchair – I have always been one for investing in a great highchair because you can get so use out of something that is good quality. Rosie has the Mimzy 2 in 1 from Joie. I love it because it has wheels, is able to be wiped clean with ease, has two trays, and is adjustable to meet her growing needs.
Water cup – The Silicone Cup & Straw from Love Mila is such a sweet option. Perfect for not only drinks but also smoothies, milkshakes and yoghurt too.
OUT AND ABOUT
Pram – For Rosie our pram brand of choice is Baby Bee. I got the duo so that Chloe could fit in it as well, though all of their prams look amazing. At roughly 5 months of age I switched Rosie from a bassinet style seat to the toddler stroller. I have been so impressed with the quality of our pram and the price point, it is because they only sell online that they can keep the prices so low. They offer a pram solution to suit every family situation, and a 9-month free return period so you can set-up and test your pram inside your home and if it’s not the perfect one for you, return it free of charge (conditions apply.) The photos below show our pram with the bassinet seat attachment.
TOYS
Activity centers – All of a sudden babies love to be upright playing. Skip Hop Explore More via The Stork Nest if perfect for babies in this age group.
Musical and light up toys – Babies also love to get involved with more playtime. Flashing lights and music can be so much fun. Check out the range of Skip Hop Light Up and Musical Toys from The Stork Nest.
Play mat – Having a soft ad comfortable area for bay to play is really important. I love the stylish and functional play mats from Luxe At Play. They are reversible, wipe able and assist in creating baby’s very own play space. Rosie loves hers.
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If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me. #sweetlifeessentials when sharing your beautiful products and journey on Instagram.
Lot of love,
Disclaimer – As always please remember that I am not a midwife, lactation consult, doctor or any other medical expert. I am just a Mother expressing her journey and opinions in a hope that is helps you along yours. At times this website contains posts where items and experiences have been sponsored, gifted or blog posts have been paid for in return for advertisement/promotion. Where this applies it will be clearly stated at the bottom of the blog post. Natalie Sullivan and www.thissweetlofeofmine.blog only endorses brands/items that her family uses, loves and highly recommends. To read the full disclaimer see here. Thank you to the following brands for working with me on this post: Love Mila.