When putting together your baby registry, it’s important to focus on items that will get you through the first few months—trust me, in those early days you won’t want to be running out to the store more than you have to!
However, newborn essentials like swings, swaddles and snuggle loungers go straight to storage when baby outgrows them, and you suddenly realize how many MORE things you need that you hadn’t even thought of.
From feeding essentials to safety must-haves, here are all the things you’ll need for the next phase starting around four months old.
Babyproofing needs
The absolute most important thing as a parent is to ensure your bundle of joy is safely taken care of, so baby proofing is essential once kiddos start moving around on their own.
With stairs being one of the main hazards for little ones learning how to get around, one of the first things parents should do is install baby gates (even if you live in a one level home, baby gates come in handy for sectioning off certain areas.)
These ones from GROWNSY have well thought through features like an anti-stumble pedal to reduce tripping risks, a double-locking system that can still be easily opened with one hand by adults, and a door designed with dual-action swing to automatically close if it was accidentally left open.
There are a few different size options with the option to expand if you need to move them around different doorways and staircases throughout the home, and they come in white, black and brown to help seamlessly blend into your home’s decor.
Installation is also quite easy, with v-shaped screws to provide a secure connection with railings, and a red mark indicating if the pressure-mounted gates need to be tightened.
Don’t forget electrical socket covers: as soon as my daughter started rolling around, the first thing she went for were the electrical outlets since they’re often at baby’s eye level.
Play yard
Our daughter started rolling around at just four months old, so it didn’t take long for us to realize we needed a safe space for her to play and be contained. And, give her a break from her loving puppy brother!
This play yard solved all our problems: it’s sturdy, has mesh siding so it’s easy to see inside, easy to clean and has a zippered access door if you’d like to let them crawl in or out. It also comes with hand grips to help babies practice standing.
We have the 47×47 inch which is a good size to give our girl enough room to move around (and for me to sit in there with her) without taking over our entire living room. You’ll also want to buy a play mat to soften underneath–even if you’re putting it on carpet–or put it on top of a thick blanket to help cushion any tumbles.
Another good option is to get the Maxi-Cosi Calao Travel Crib, which does double-duty as a safe space for baby to play at home (I keep mine in the office) and a crib when you’re travelling.
The sleep approved set-up works for all ages from newborns to tots, thanks to the bassinet option that can easily be zipped on or off. This is so handy to have in hotels, since the crib that’s usually provided is too large and deep for infants.
It comes in a easy-to-carry bag which airlines will check for free, and is one of the lightest on the market. The Calao Travel Crib is also an absolute cinch to setup: just pull out the legs and it snaps into place, and there are zippers and velcro straps to secure the ultra-soft mattress. Trust me, I’ve tried to assemble a few other pack ‘n plays before and this is by far the easiest.
The only thing I don’t like is that the wooden legs splay out a bit (a design that seems to be common with many baby products) and we frequently stub our toes on it, so just be aware of that if you’re walking near it at night!
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Kid carrier
A baby wrap or carrier is essential for newborns, but doesn’t work as well once your child is more mobile, heavier and larger. If you have a velcro baby who doesn’t want to be put down, try a hip carrier instead.
This ergonomic carrier holds children up to 50 pounds, and the non-slip padded hip seat and adjustable waistband work in tandem to help displace weight to ease the strain on parents’ backs. There are also a few pockets to hold things like keys, snacks, toys and phones while out for a walk, and has four different carrying positions.
If you plan on hitting the trails, keeping your little one protected from elements like sun and rain are essential, and that’s where a kid carrier comes in.
I’m a huge fan of Mountain Equipment Company products thanks to their durability (everything I’ve ever bought from them lasts forever!), so when it was time to get a hiking setup for our daughter I grabbed their Shuttlecraft Kid Carrier.
Turns out it’s a popular pick: with a few minutes of posting about it on Instagram, I had three different people reach out saying how much they love theirs!
It features lots of padding and shoulder straps for both parents and baby, a removable and washable bumper pad and a little mirror you can use to see your child when they’re strapped in behind you.
My favourite features are the detachable sun shade, the kick-out leg which helps when you’re taking a break or fastening in your kiddo, and the large pockets at the back of the carrier as well as easy-grab ones on the front.
This is a huge upgrade from carrying her in a regular baby carrier on hikes, since she’s much more comfortable now and I feel better that she’s better protected from wind and sun.
Baby food processor
Starting solids is a big step in baby’s development, and it’s so important to introduce food properly from the get-go.
This usually happens around six months, though your pediatrician may recommend even earlier in some cases (we were told to start at five months to help our daughter gain weight). It can feel a little scary and overwhelming, but there are some great resources to help you along the journey both within the healthcare system and online.
The Solid Starts app is extremely helpful, as it provides direction about how and when to introduce certain foods, and how to prepare them depending on the child’s age. They also have a book, and an Instagram channel which has a lot of helpful tips.
While we didn’t have too much trouble integrating things like fruit, yogurt and fish, veggies proved to be more of a challenge to safely feed our (toothless!) daughter since they require more prep like boiling them so they’re soft enough to consume.
The answer? This all-in-one baby food processor and blender from GROWNSY.
This baby food maker steams and blends, boasting both auto and manual mixing options so you can tailor the meal to your baby’s needs. Start off with purees or juices for 5-7 month olds, and when your little one is ready for larger pieces of food you can make chunkier meals like steamed veggies.
Best off all you don’t lose any essential nutrients, thanks to the elevated steaming basket which minimizes the loss of water-soluble vitamins.
Great for juicing and meal prep for the whole family, this baby food maker is quiet enough to use during nap time, relatively compact, and the parts are easy to clean and dishwasher-safe.
High chair
A safe place for baby to sit upright once you start solids is a necessity to help prevent choking and falls. This isn’t something you necessarily need to splurge on: just be sure to get one that’s sturdy and easy to clean.
We like our Stokke Clikk high chair since it has different configurations to grow with your child from birth, wipes down easily and has a Scandinavian aesthetic which matches our home decor.
It definitely wasn’t cheap though (we got it on sale), so if you’re watching your wallet just get a used highchair on Facebook Marketplace or IKEA.
Tight on space? My sister opted to get this Perch Chair instead of a regular high chair for her daughter. It takes up way less room in the kitchen and folds up easily to take to restaurants, grandparents houses and when travelling with baby. So smart!
I’d also recommend purchasing a plastic mat to catch (some) of the inevitable spills on the table.
Car seat + camera
Depending how big your baby is, you may find them outgrowing their infant car seat sooner than expected even when removing the insert.
While I have no regrets about the travel system we used that allowed our daughter’s car seat to slip right onto the stroller, there are convertible car seats on the market that actually work all the way from birth up to age 10 (which can save you a LOT of money!).
We got Maxi-Cosi’s Andi 360° Rotating All-in-One Convertible Car Seat which has three modes: rear-facing (5–40 lbs., 19”–40”), forward-facing (22–65 lbs., 34.4”–49”) and a belt-positioning booster (40–100 lbs., 43.4”–52”), and you’ll never have to reinstall it. It includes an infant insert for newborns, a magnetic harness that keeps it out of the way while buckling your kiddo into the seat, and two removable cupholders.
My favourite feature is the 360° FlexiSpin technology that makes the seat spin all the way around effortlessly; anyone who has ever tried to get a toddler into a car seat knows not having to put them in sideways makes it so much easier. It also comes in handy during road trips to be able to sit in the back and spin her towards me to get her out during quick stops.
We originally opted just to get a car seat mirror (which I still recommend, so that the child(ren) can also see you), but once we had two kids we needed a baby car camera because the driver isn’t able to see whichever child is directly behind their seat.
We got this one from LAMTTO which gets mounted above the child’s seat, an adapter and cord that plugs into the dashboard, and uses Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to project the image right on your vehicle’s screen. This is so helpful not only for seeing the child directly behind you, but also both kids in the backseat without having to look in the rearview mirror or turn around.
It has night vision, no subscription or app downloads are required, and the view is wide enough that we can see almost the entire backseat.
Use code GLOBEGUIDE for 20% off on LAMTTO’s site, or LAMTTO10 for 10% off on Amazon.
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