As expectant parents prepare to welcome the newest addition to their family, setting up the nursery represents not just a physical space but a manifestation of love and the anticipation for the new baby. This should be an exciting and fun time for parents. There are so many fun styles to choose from and so many fun things to add to your newborn’s nursery. But for some parents it can be a very overwhelming and stressful period. Worrying about when to start setting up your nursery, what to actually get for your nursery, where to place each item, and if the nursery would be ready in time.
If you are feeling confused on where to start or want to ensure you are able to enjoy the process and not be stressed, read on for a few helpful tips.
The Ideal Time to Begin Setting Up Your Nursery
Most people would consider the second trimester to be the golden period for nursery setup. You are hopefully over the morning sickness from the first trimester and are feeling a bit more energised. You also are still able to move around with relative ease and comfort. And even if your baby decides to make an early entrance into the world, you will still have enough time to have everything in place.
Get the major items like furniture if you are planning on having a baby shower in your third trimester. You can then set up a baby registry for your shower or wait to see what items you are gifted by family and friends, then purchase the rest.
What Do You Actually Need in Your Baby’s Nursery
The essence of a perfect nursery is its ability to cater seamlessly to your baby’s basic needs. The essential things you need are:
- A sleeping area
- A changing hub
- A feeding nook
- Smart storage solutions.
If you are short on space and don’t have an extra room to set up a nursery, you can still provide these essentials for your baby by setting up a nursery in your bedroom. Use a bassinet or beside crib for the sleeping area. Change baby using a changing mat on the floor or bed. Feed in any comfortable chair around the house. Devote part of your closet or dresser to their clothes, diapers, and other essentials, you can use a dresser divider to easily sort clothing.
How to Reduce Costs Associated with Setting Up Your Nursery.
You can navigate the financial aspects of preparing your nursery and set up your nursery on a budget without sacrificing quality by following these tips.
Purchase items early.
Purchasing items early gives you more of an opportunity to look out for when items are on sale. This would be a good way to reduce some of the upfront costs of setting up a nursery.
Consider buying second hand.
For safety and health reasons it is recommended you buy a new crib/cot/bassinet or at least a new mattress. Aside from this, always make sure used furniture meets safety standards, hasn’t been recalled and doesn’t have any peeling paint, chip or missing parts.
Up-cycle existing furniture.
Shop your own house for baby’s new furniture and room accessories. You probably have plenty of finds that you can transform into nursery-friendly showpieces. An old dresser can easily be converted into a change table/dresser combo, any comfy armchair can be used as a feeding chair, an old bookshelf can be turned into an open mini closet for baby’s clothes. You can even up-cycle diaper boxes and other cardboard boxes into storage bins for extra storage space.
Decorate with free printable wall art.
A few cute, framed prints can make any room feel more inviting. So, download, print and decorate away.
Accept the generosity of friends and family.
You’ll likely find people more than happy to let you declutter their homes by offering previously loved items.
Tips for Designing a Nursery
Beyond the colour schemes and themes, the design of a nursery should focus on the fusion of functionality and safety.
Functionality
When designing your baby’s nursery, think beyond the newborn period. Decide if you are planning to use your nursery furniture for more than one baby or if you want a crib/cot that can transition into a toddler bed. Do you want a timeless style or do you plan to redesign the room as your baby gets older.
For an effectively designed nursery, consider the three main activities that would take place there: sleeping, feeding, changing.
Sleeping Area
This is top priority, because your baby would spend most of their time in the nursery sleeping. Whether baby is in your room or their own room, here are a few recommendations.
- The safest place for a baby to sleep is in a crib, cot or bassinet that meets safety standards.
- Bare is best, follow safe sleep guidelines. All you need is a tight-fitting mattress and a fitted sheet designed for the mattress.
- Bedding sets, pillows and bumper pads may look nice but they are not safe for your baby. Any loose or soft items in your baby’s crib can suffocate your baby.
- Place your crib or bassinet away from windows. Your baby could use the crib to climb up to the window and get caught in window coverings or fall through a window screen.
- Place your crib or bassinet away from other furniture so your baby cannot use it to climb out of their crib.
- Keep the room as dark as possible. Keeping the nursery dark when baby sleeps (naps and overnight) and exposing them to light when awake is one of the best ways to prevent the day and night confusion baby’s usually have. The best way to make the nursery dark is by using blackout window covers.
- Get a dim night light. You can use this to navigate middle of the night feedings and diaper changes.
- Get a white noise machine or app. White noise is comforting to a baby because in the womb they could hear blood rush from the placenta all day. Some night lights also have a built-in white noise machine.
Feeding Nook
Feeding times are intimate moments of bonding. The basic things you need in your cozy feeding corner are:
- A comfortable feeding chair. Focus more on how comfortable it is rather than style because you’ll be spending a lot of time in this chair.
- A side table with a drawer. This will be handy to store all feeding-related items like, breast pads, burp clothes, snacks for you, drink bottle or glass of water. You can also use it for your phone or a clock to keep track of time.
- Nursing pillows. In the early days of baby’s life, you’ll nurse 8 to 10 times a day. You obviously would want to be as comfortable as possible. A nursing pillow allows you to support your baby safely and comfortably during feeding.
Changing Hub
Changing your baby’s diaper is an activity that can be done anywhere. All you really need is a flat surface and a changing mat. Your little one’s dresser can also double as a space for changing your baby. To make the dresser multifunctional, you’ll need a soft, comfortable changing pad and cover to place over it. Conveniently, diaper changing essentials like diapers, wipes and diaper creams can be stored in the top drawer of the dresser. Remember to securely strap the changing pad to the dresser so it doesn’t slip off.
Smart Storage Solutions
Babies are small but they have a lot of STUFF. Especially if you’ve had a baby shower or have been gifted items from family and friends. Efficient organisation of baby’s clothes, diapers, and their essentials keeps the nursery tidy and functional. Some tips for storage space and organisation include:
- Use baskets on open shelves to store smaller items.
- Consider purchasing a crib/cot with built-in drawers for storage or use baskets/tubs that slide under the crib/cot.
- Use baskets or drawer dividers in your baby’s dresser to easily sort clothing.
- Keep only what you need in your baby’s nursery. If you have clothing, books or toys that they are not ready for yet, pack them away in a wardrobe or another room until they are older.
- As your baby outgrows clothes, move them to a plastic tub. Store them for your next baby or sell/donate them.
Safety
The final thing you’ll want to do when designing your baby’s nursery is to make sure it is safe. Although your newborn won’t be moving around for some time, it’s easier to get the baby-proofing out of the way early on.
- Make sure that your window coverings do not have long accessible cords. Window coverings with long accessible cords can strangle your baby.
- Use angle braces, anchors or safety straps to anchor your baby’s nursery furniture to the wall. Keep this in mind for furniture in other parts of the house too.
- Install locking devices on drawers so your child can’t open drawers and use them as steps to climb a dresser. Open drawers also make your furniture more unstable.
- Cover electrical outlets and secure electrical cords.
- Use a video baby monitor to keep an eye on your baby while they are sleeping. Mount the baby monitor to a wall out of reach of your baby, and not on your baby’s crib.
- Keep ointments and medicines out of reach.
Embracing the Joy of Preparation
The journey of setting up a nursery, while daunting, is a profoundly rewarding aspect of the transition to parenthood. By focusing on the essentials, embracing cost-saving strategies, and prioritising the safety and functionality of the space, parents can create a nurturing haven that welcomes their new arrival with love, safety, and comfort. It is in this process that the essence of family begins, not just in the physical space prepared, but in the hearts of those who fill it with love.
