Designing the perfect nursery for your new arrival is not just a task, but a joyous journey. It’s the first place they will have in your home to call their own, and choosing the theme for your nursery and stocking it up can bring new parents immense pleasure. It’s a beautiful signal that their little family is growing, and they will soon step into the wonderful world of parenthood.
But what exactly do you need to know about creating the perfect nursery, and what do you need in there? It can be easy to be sucked in by influencers online showing you all manner of essentials for nurseries, but do you really need it all? Chances are you probably won’t, especially not at first anyway.
These tips will help you create the perfect nursery for your baby and ensure you have everything you need.
Sleeping Arrangements
A top priority for your baby’s room is that you have the right sleeping arrangement. Now, this could be via a crib or a bassinet. You can choose a full-sized crib for the nursery or a mini one for smaller rooms and keep a bassinet elsewhere in the house, or you can choose a bassinet only for the room.
Your crib must adhere to US Consumer Product Safety standards, meaning its top rails must be at least 26 inches from the mattress, and slats should be no more than 2 ⅜ inches apart.
You also need a firm but breathable crib mattress for the baby to sleep on without a pillow. You need mattress protectors and crib sheets, too. Newton Baby crib sheets, for example, are made of organic cotton muslin sheets and are designed for comfort for babies and durability.
From here, you can choose to have blankets for your little one or a sleeping sack; blankets aren’t recommended for newborns in cribs, although you can settle down swaddled. Or they can sleep in a sac that acts like a blanket without the risk of them wriggling under it. You can even buy sleep sacks that have a built-in swaddle feature, too, for added comfort for the baby.
Lighting and Temperature Control
The nursery needs to be between 68 and 72℉. To control this, you should have a thermometer to check the temperature and find ways to heat up or cool down the room as required. This might mean you need to adjust your HVAC settings or add a fan to regualte temperature and choose how your baby is dressed carefully to ensure they are not getting too hot or too cold when sleeping in the nursery.
Using soft lighting or increasing natural light in the room can be preferable to using main ceiling light sources that can impact your baby’s sleeping patterns. The aim is to use diffused lighting in your nursery either via adding a soft curtain in front of windows to block bright daylight or using a soft lamp specifically for nurseries to help you create the right level of lighting and set the ambiance for improved newborn sleeping (of course this might not work for all babies, and some simply might not sleep regardless, but this is something to aim for).
Chair
If you’re planning on breastfeeding your baby or simply want to be in the room with them while they settle, then a comfortable chair is a must. A rocking chair or glider is often preferable for rocking a baby to sleep, but the key is to find something you can comfortably reside in for long periods. This is your sanctuary, a place where you can relax and bond with your baby.
For added comfort, don’t forget a pillow. Whether it’s support for sitting in the chair or a cushion specifically for feeding, a pillow can be a valuable asset for increased comfort for both you and your baby.
Dresser
A dresser is vital for storing all of the baby’s clothing and spare sheets and blankets, too. You can purchase dressers for nurseries with changing tables on top for easier sign-up and changing babies when required, making them dual-purpose. But at the very least, you need a unit to store all of your bedding, clothing, and even feeding essentials (including snacks for you when you’re feeding the baby, too).
Cleaning and Diaper Storage
Your nursery needs a system that stores and facilitates cleaning supplies for babies when required. It needs to cater for those times you might find an explosive diaper situation, spit up in the crip, or their feed comes back up all over the carpet or your chair, for example.
Cleaning supplies need to be in an accessible place, too; a unit on wheels can be a great idea. You also need to organize things for easy access for those times when you need to find things quickly. A diaper pail, changing table, and diaper storage caddy are great ideas to add to your nursery to keep everything you need on hand.
Storage Bins
Sure, you have your dresser, but storage bins are great for having items you need to hand without getting up to help you retain organization. Storage bins with lids on can form part of the decor of the room but can be easily moved when needed. You can have bins for towels, muslins, and blankets. They can hold emergency bodysuits or sleepsuits or hold all of your feeding essentials such as snacks, comfy clothes if you need to be changed quickly, etc.
Safety Equipment
While newborns aren’t likely to go exploring around the room, safety equipment is still a must. Socket covers and a baby monitor provide an extra layer of security, ensuring your baby is always safe. Fixing units to walls to prevent them from being pulled over and keeping hanging and shelving out of reach are additional safety measures to consider.
Window safety equipment, such as blocks or barriers, can be helpful as the baby gets more mobile. If the crib is close to a window, the back of the curtains can help stop the baby from pulling them down or trying to climb them.