What’s Needed in a Baby’s Nursery?

It's not easy to prepare a nursery for a newborn. The market is flooded with baby products, making it hard to know which ones to invest in. Although the nursery furnishings you ultimately choose to purchase will largely reflect your own tastes, there are a few essentials that every new parent should have on hand. These fundamentals will serve as a springboard from which you can branch out and acquire the supplementary materials that best suit your parenting style.

You undoubtedly already have the big-ticket baby gear set up, but these nursery essentials are likely to make your life as a new mum a bit easier.

In a perfect world, we would have studied to be a wedding planner or a nursery decorator for expectant mothers. Why? Because a woman's budget goes out the window for two major life events: her wedding and the birth of her child.

Every woman has dreamt of her wedding day since she was a little girl. They imagine every last detail, from the dress to the flowers to the venue to the bride's shoes. As soon as that date passes, her thoughts turn to her unborn child, and she begins planning the nursery and imagining the baby's first outfits.

Shopping for all the baby needs is only one of the many things that must be done in preparation for the birth of a child. It's simple to keep yourself occupied by shopping for baby necessities, such as furniture for the nursery and necessities for feeding, changing, and sleeping. In any case, expecting mothers may be taken aback by the sheer volume of baby gear they'll need. But how do you know which baby products you can do without and which ones are absolutely necessary? No need to worry; we'll explain everything in plain English. In this article, you'll find an exhaustive catalogue of all the items you'll want or need for the newborn.

We have a wide range of baby nursery furniture to help you create the perfect room for your baby.

Baby Nursery Essentials

So, to kick things off, let's run through the list of everything a nursery needs and why:

Crib

Having a secure crib is priority number one. A baby will spend the majority of his or her time in a crib, which should come as no surprise. According to Baby Center, a baby can sleep for 16–17 hours per day (67% of their day), therefore finding a suitable crib is essential.

Visibility is an important consideration while looking for a crib. Even though we had a baby monitor on at all times, it was tricky to position the camera such that the baby was constantly in view. Closed-off sides are standard on more than half of today's cribs. To avoid having to check on the baby every five minutes, pick one that is both barred and viewable from all sides. This simple infant bed is cutting-edge in design, budget-friendly in price, and dependable in construction.

Mattress

There appears to be some dispute regarding the best type of mattress to buy, with many people taking positions on the organic versus foam versus waterproof spectrum. However, there are many excellent mattresses available for a reasonable price between $50 and $100 that meet all three criteria. To choose the best option for your kid, consider both. We still sleep on the hypoallergenic crib mattress we bought years ago.

Avoid Clutter

During the night, you'll be toting your child from one room to the next, and tripping over a misplaced chair (or toy, book, playmat, etc.) may be a real bummer. Keep this in mind, and invest in plenty of well-designed storage spaces to avoid cluttering the floor with unused items.

Crib Sheet

There is a notable difference in the standard of available fabrics and linens. Everything from linens to onesie to lotion may be found at affordable prices at Burt's Bees. You want these qualities in all of your baby goods since they are trustworthy and inexpensive.

Pillow & Nursing Chair

Any chair that makes it easy for you to sit down and feed your baby qualifies as a nursing chair. You may swivel, rock, and relax with your feet up in this chair. Make sure your seat is as comfortable as possible, because a baby will need to feed at least once an hour. Affordable nursing chairs can be found for $300 to $800. Although excellent overall, most can only be employed in the medical field. In place of the standard "nursing chair," They opted to purchase a La-Z-Boy recliner. Once the baby is out of the house, your husband will be able to take the traditional rocking rocker down to his man cave and continue using it there.

An essential item is a nursing pillow. Babies should have their heads supported during nursing to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal distress. If you try to hold the infant in this posture without a pillow, you'll end up with carpal tunnel syndrome. We had my Boppy Pillow for two years now. You can use this pillow for tummy time after nursing, or for any other purpose. Babies can use the Boppy as a seat when the time comes to start sitting up on their own.

Finding the right nursing chair for your baby nursery is an important decision. Check out our range of the best nursing chairs at My Baby Nursery.

Dresser And Drawers

Babies may be small, but they have a lot of clothes since they need to be changed three times a day. That's why having a closet is essential. You should acquire a dresser or drawer to store your baby's clothing, towels, washers, bibs, socks, gloves, and hats. There is no need for a dedicated changing table if there is already a suitable surface available, such as a drawer or dresser. Any dresser top will do for this Serta changing pad.

A Baby Registry

You probably won't have time to run out and get these things before the baby is born, what with all the prenatal appointments, weight gain, and fatigue. A baby shower, to the rescue! Easy-to-use registry will save you a lot of time and energy in preparing the nursery. A variety of items are available, and you may learn which ones are the greatest by reading customer reviews. You and your loved ones will have no trouble using this method, and you'll get just what you need to create the nursery of your dreams with no hassle.

Waterproof Mattress Cover

Since your baby will be spending time on both the crib and your bed, a waterproof mattress cover is a must for both. Babies inevitably have endless spit-ups and blow-outs. If you want to avoid getting up in the middle of the night to change and wash your mattress, invest in a waterproof cover for it. There are better options out there, but for the money, this mattress cover made of bamboo is the way to go.

A Bouncer Seat

If you already have a high-quality (and likely expensive) crib in your child's nursery, there's no need to waste space with a bouncer seat. Well, a crib can look a bit huge and flat to a newborn used to being snuggled up in your belly, and not the nicest position to watch you fold laundry. It's in these situations that a bouncer's elevated and manoeuvrable vantage point proves useful. It provides a more secure environment for your baby than a standard crib mattress, and the rocking or vibrating motions might help them get used to the feel of Mom's body. Also, your baby will learn that crib time = sleepy time if you just use it for naps and bedtime. Please remember to always keep your kid with you when he or she is in a bouncer and to always use the safety straps.

Wipes, Diapers, and Clothes

In the early stages of a child's existence, they will require the basics such as diapers, onesies, wipes, and mittens. The first few months were a breeze since we used Pampers Sensitive diapers and wipes. We were relieved that went with the least drastic measures possible given that this is one of the most delicate times in their lives.

Ensure that anything you might need while using the changing table is within reach.

Think about all the baby gear you'll need, such as diapers, wipes, extra wipes, a cover for the changing table, a laundry hamper, a poop pail (or whatever you use to dispose of used diapers), burp cloths, a pacifier, etc. If your baby has just had a poop explosion, you don't want to risk him rolling off the changing table just to get a clean towel or other item to slide under his butt.

A Night-Light

The mood lighting in your baby's nursery isn't for his benefit just yet, as he won't be terrified of the dark for at least another year (or maybe never). A night-light or dimmer switch is a must-have for the nursery to prevent you and your partner from stumbling over your feet when you enter at 2 o'clock in the morning for a feeding. Even better, your baby will be able to learn the difference between night and day with the aid of the soft light of the night-light (as opposed to the glare of a bright bulb). Once you have finished feeding your baby, what else can you do to put them to sleep? Use a calm, reassuring voice, and limit post-meal cuddling to a few quick kisses.

A Mom Zone

Some of a mother's most precious moments as a parent occur when she feeds her newborn child. However, this process can be time-consuming and render you nearly immobile. Keep a water bottle and some nutritious snacks (a fruit and a small container of nuts, for example) in a basket next to your rocking rocker or glider (or sit near a bookcase). Keep a few books and periodicals handy, as well as a Bluetooth speaker loaded with your favourite tunes or audiobooks to enjoy some hands-free fun.

Masterpieces in One Minute

While your face will always be number one in your baby's heart, exposing him to brightly coloured photos will help his (still developing) vision and pique his interest (what is that?). Don't waste money on expensive frames; simply use removable adhesive strips to mount a line of clothespins to the wall above your baby's crib, keeping it well out of his reach. Then, include various photographs, postcards, greeting cards, and even drawings made by older siblings. The convenience of interchangeability means that you can give your baby (and yourself) new and stimulating visual stimulation on the regular.

Do Not Be Frightened of the Dark.

You should make sure your baby's room can be dimmed to resemble nightfall at any moment. It's recommended to use blackout shades or thick curtains to create the illusion of darkness when napping during the day. We put in a nice window shade, but after using the crib for naps for a while, we realised how ineffective it was. Also, babies aren't complete idiots. Ours associates the presence of bright light with the start of a party, and he doesn't want to miss out on the fun for any reason, so he forces himself to stay alert even when he's not feeling particularly pleasant. But as the lights go off, his eyes feel heavy because he knows it's time for bed. It's not necessary to turn the nursery into a fortress, but giving oneself the option will help everyone get some shut-eye.

Open Baskets

You probably have a habit of shoving mess inside of closed containers, drawers, or closets. However, as a new mother, convenience will be your primary priority, especially in those early days when you may only have one free hand to search around for a burp cloth or a binky. For this reason, wicker or plastic baskets with wide openings are a must-have for any nursery. Put the toys in one, the clothes in another, the blankets in a third, and so on. Even if your newborn baby is inconsolable, you can always reach for whatever it is you need in a split second.

A Fan

Is the temperature too high in the nursery? Perhaps not, but an electric fan serves more purposes than just keeping a baby's room cool. It's an efficient way to generate white noise, the kind of ambient hum that helps put kids to sleep and drowns out everyday sounds like doorbells and barking dogs. You can also use the radio's static between stations as a source of white noise. You might also try using a white-noise app (they do exist!) to drown out distracting sounds like those made by a hair dryer or your own heartbeat.

Sturdy Boxes

That tiny bracelet from the hospital! It was the tiny white bonnet he wore during his christening. It's natural for new parents to become mini-archivists, storing keepsakes of their child's infant years, even if you wouldn't touch a scrapbook with a ten-foot pole. You could invest in some archival-quality storage boxes and place them in your child's room so that you can easily access them and keep them in excellent shape. This way, you can keep his first pair of small socks and the newspaper you bought on the day he was born safely tucked away without having to dig through your house.

A Journal

You won't be able to keep track of how many bottles your kid drank or when he poops if you haven't gotten much sleep. A notebook and pencil should be kept in the nursery for those first few days and nights. Make a note of when he ate, pooped, and napped so you can predict when he will need to do so again and take note of any deviations from his typical routine. Convert the baby log into a little journal while you're at it.

Snuza 

The Snuza is an alternative to the AngelCare Monitor. The Snuza attaches onto your baby's diaper and acts as a portable breathing monitor. The Snuza can be used in the cot at home to check respiration even though we used the Angel Care. When we were travelling with our babies or if they were napping in a different location than their bedrooms, the Snuza came in very handy. Again, the Snuza offered me a great deal of calmness, therefore we are happy to recommend it.

Pick out nursery furniture that can be used even after the baby grows out of the toddler years. While accent furniture featuring whimsical motifs like footballs and butterflies is certainly sweet, it's wise to select neutral items that can easily be updated in the future.

Sleeping Bags

Since overheating is thought to play a role in sudden infant deaths (SIDs), it's not safe to bundle babies up in so many blankets that they can't move their arms and legs or see out of their little faces. Your infant will certainly wake up for no reason if they are too cold because they kicked off their covers. Fortunately, the baby sleeping bag is a quick fix for both of these issues. Sleeping bags for infants are a terrific way to ensure that your child has a comfortable and safe night's rest. You can use a sleeping bag with a tog rating of 2.5 for the vast most of the year, and a tog rating of 1 or 0.5 for daytime naps during the hotter summer months.

My Baby Nursery has a wide range of the best baby lighting for your nursery right here.