It is often difficult for first-time parents to prepare for the arrival of a baby. They face many questions. One of the important parts of planning for a baby is buying various types of baby furniture and setting up the nursery.
Caring for a newborn is not an easy task. They are sensitive, fragile, and need all-round care. Having a well-equipped nursery at home is a big help at this time, and nursery furniture is the focus.
Your baby will spend a lot of time there, and the room should be safe and comfortable. Here is a guide to important baby furniture for the nursery.
The Importance of Planning Your Nursery
Your baby should create a nursery for your baby for several reasons. Some reasons are safety, giving them space, and establishing a routine.
It is safer for babies to sleep in cribs in a separate room than sleep with their parents. The babies’ rooms are specifically designed for the safety of babies but the parent’s bedroom is not. Many experts discourage co-sleeping for this reason. Items in your room may accidentally fall into the baby’s crib harming them.
Babyproof your room if you plan to co-sleep with the baby for the first few weeks.
Having a separate room for the baby also helps create a flexible space for them. When the baby becomes a toddler, you replace the crib with a toddler bed and they can keep using the room for a few more years until it is too small for them.
The room can also double up as their play area and baby toys do not have to lie all over the house.
Planning a good nursery is important as it ensures the baby’s safety and comfort, brings convenience, and allows you to dictate the room’s appearance. Paint the room in calming colors and use non-lead paint. After painting position the furniture and examine the room layout. This will help you design a safe and aesthetically pleasing nursery.
When Should I Start Setting up Baby Furniture?
Planning for the baby’s nursery starts as soon as the parents discover they are expecting. Both parents should participate in the preparation as parenting a baby is a two-man job.
Planning starts as soon as the pregnancy is discovered but the practical preparation happens later. Most parents start setting up the baby’s nursery during the second trimester. The expectant mother is usually energized and motivated by the baby’s impending arrival.
Additionally, during the second trimester, the expectant parents announce to family and friends that they are expecting as the bump has started to show. Family and friends may shower them with baby gifts prompting them to set up the nursery.
Therefore, setting up nursery furniture should start when the mother is in the second trimester. The mother is still energized and can actively take part in the planning. As with most plans, have a checklist for the nursery furniture.
The most essential baby room furniture such as cribs should be on top of the list as their role starts as soon as the baby is born. Other furniture such as baby walkers should be bought when the baby is interested in walking.
Start preparing early enough to ensure the baby’s safety and comfort.
What Baby Furniture Should Be Prepared for the Nursery?
Cribs and Cradle Options: The Heart of the Nursery
Cribs should be one of the first pieces of furniture that you get for your baby’s nursery. Cribs provide a safe environment for babies who spend most of their first weeks sleeping. They have slats for ventilation and visibility, are sturdy, have met safety standards, and are safe for your baby.
Bassinets serve the same purpose as cribs. Bassinets are smaller and cheaper than cribs but still provide a safe sleeping place for your baby. Based on your preferences and budget, you can either pick a crib or a bassinet for your nursery.
Cribs and bassinets promote healthy sleeping habits as the baby recognizes them as a safe sleeping space.
Baby Changing Tables: Solving Baby Care Challenges
Baby changing tables are important for the baby’s nursery. They help take care of babies by facilitating diaper and baby clothes changes. Babies require a lot of diaper changes, and the changing table makes the process easier.
There are many types of changing tables and parents should go for the ones they prefer. Some types are: changing table with a crib, changing table with storage, and changing table with a bathtub.
All baby changing tables are designed for convenience and parents are often spoilt for choice. The changing table with a crib allows you to change your baby’s clothes after baths or diapers and put them to sleep. The changing table with storage gives parents an easily accessible place to keep baby diapers and clothing.
A changing table with a bathtub is a picture of convenience. You wash your baby and transfer them to the changing table for dressing. Safety should be the priority when picking a changing table for the nursery.
Baby Bouncer: Calming Your Baby
A baby bouncer is a piece of baby furniture designed to engage and soothe the baby. It comes with a toy to engage the baby and straps to keep the baby from falling off. Parents mainly get baby bouncers to calm their babies when they develop crying fits.
Parents can use a bouncer to soothe younger babies by gently bouncing them. This can be a convenient alternative to holding and bouncing the baby in your arms, which can become tiring.
There are several types of baby bouncers. Portable baby bouncers, adjustable baby bouncers, swing baby bouncers, and many more. Pick a certified baby bouncer to keep your baby safe. Parents can start using baby bouncers when the baby reaches the crawling stage. At this stage, they have better head and body movement control reducing the risk of injury.
Rocking Chairs and Gliders: Comfort for Parents and Baby
The nursery is all about the baby, but don’t forget to add some comfort to the caregivers. Place a rocking chair or glider in the room for the parents to rest and relax after caring for the newborn.
A rocking chair is designed to generate a gentle rocking movement that calms the baby and lulls them to sleep. Instead of walking around rocking the baby in their arms, caregivers can sit on rocking chairs and use less energy by using their feet only. Most rocking chairs are portable, parents can use them outdoors as they enjoy the scenery or get a breath of fresh air. Additionally, caregivers can use rocking while feeding their babies.
Gliders are a modern version of baby rockers. They have a sleek and stylish appearance and generate a back-and-forth movement different from the rocker’s arc-like motion. Additionally, gliders allow a 360-degree movement.
Rockers and gliders are not as essential as cribs and other furniture but provide comfort to the baby and its parents. Generally, rocking chairs are cheaper than gliders and parents should consider that when choosing between the two. They can be a good addition to the nursery, but prioritize safety when buying either.
Dresser: Make the environment more organized
Baby dressers are one of the most essential baby furniture for the nursery. Dressers give you a place to store baby things. Contrary to what people think, dressers are not designed for clothing only. They can be used to keep many types of items.
For example, they can be used to store baby toys. Baby toys are small and tend to lie everywhere around the house because babies play with them everywhere. Therefore, they are prone to get lost or broken when people walk around the house and step on them. When that happens, you will cover the replacement costs, and quality baby toys are expensive.
Organize the dressers and have a separate cabinet for clothing, toys, diapers, baby wipes, and other baby care products. You can also sort baby clothes and put them in different drawers. Storing the items in the dresser helps improve the appearance of the nursery. The room will have less clutter.
The dresser should be positioned near the changing table for easier access. Secure the cribs with straps to prevent accidents when the baby reaches the climbing stage.
What Should You Look for When Buying Nursery Furniture?
1. Choose Safely-Certified Furniture
Certification is the mark of safety and quality. The safety standards for nursery furniture are higher to ensure babies’ safety. They test the structural integrity, toxicity of the source of materials, and their safety for use by babies.
Therefore, ensure that the furniture you buy for your baby’s nurseries is certified. Look for common and renowned certifications. ISO standards are the most common and European certifications are also authoritative.
2. Choose Environmentally Friendly Furniture
Eco-friendly furniture is good for the nursery and the environment. The furniture is made from toxic-free materials and does not negatively affect your baby’s health. Wooden furniture also improves the quality of indoor air reducing the risk of your baby getting asthma or breathing-related allergies.
They are sourced from renewable sources and do not deplete our resources and harm the environment.
3. Consider Convertible Furniture
Convertible furniture transforms to perform other tasks aside from their main role. Convertible furniture is suitable for the nursery as it grows with the baby. For example, the convertible crib can be converted into a toddler bed and is still used by the baby when they grow older.
They are also cost-effective in the long run as you do not have to buy other furniture to accommodate the baby’s growth.
4. Consider Furniture with Storage Space
Furniture pieces with storage are beneficial for the nursery as they optimize space. There is no need to buy storage furniture when you have a piece that serves the same role. They also help reduce clutter and improve the nursery’s appearance as items will have designated storage areas.
It also adds convenience as you do not have to look far for storage solutions. Cribs with storage are perfect examples.
5. Consider Nursery Space Size
The size of your nursery determines the type of furniture you buy. If the nursery is small, get furniture for smaller spaces such as mini-cribs. They will help improve the nursery’s aesthetics and make the room seem spacious. Size also determines the number of furniture you can buy.
6. Don’t Ignore Caregivers’ Needs
The caregiver’s needs tend to be forgotten when planning for the nursery. They spend considerable time in the nursery keeping an eye on the baby and should be considered when buying furniture.
Most of the furniture in the nursery is baby-size, get a comfortable rocking chair for the caregiver and place it in the nursery. The caregiver can rest on it while monitoring the baby.
How do I Set up Nursery Furniture?
Let the Crib be the Focal Point
The crib is arguably the most important piece of furniture in the nursery. The baby spends a significant amount of time in the crib and making it the centerpiece helps ensure the baby’s wellbeing.
The furniture should be arranged in a manner that ensures there is unrestricted access to the crib. In emergencies, the caregivers can reach the baby quickly. With the crib as a focal point, you can design and decorate the room to complement the crib’s appearance. The crib is also considerably bigger than other pieces of baby furniture making it perfect as a focal point.
The crib should be positioned away from the windows and farther from the other furniture to reduce the risk of injury.
Place the Changing Table and Dresser Near Each Other
Having the changing table near the dresser is convenient. After bathing the baby, you place them on the changing table and the dresser should be accessible so that you can access the baby’s clothing and diapers.
They do not have to be practically touching but should be close enough for a caregiver to reach the clothing while keeping an eye on the baby. Babies need close monitoring and this arrangement can facilitate that.
Place the Caregiver’s Chair Near the Crib
A nursery’s layout should factor in the caregiver. Place a rocking chair, armchair, or ottoman near the crib for practical reasons.
When the caregiver’s chair is near the crib, you can rock the baby to sleep and conveniently place them in the crib without waking them up. Babies are light sleepers much movement can wake them up and you will have to repeat the tiring process of lulling them to sleep.
Move the chair out of the crib’s path when you retire to your bedroom at night to ease access to the crib.
What Else Do I Need for the Nursery?
Apart from furniture, other items can also be placed in the nursery. The items contribute to the overall safety and comfort of the baby. The items include baby monitors, baby toys, and lighting.
Baby Monitors
Baby monitors allow parents to monitor their babies when away from the nursery. There are two types of baby monitors, audio and video monitors.
Audio monitors transmit sound from the nursery to the receiver in the parents’ room. The parents can then hear when the baby cries and go to the nursery to calm them down.
Video baby monitors relay live video feeds to the receiver allowing you to see and hear the baby. Video monitors are more reassuring for the parents as they listen to their babies but can also see the reason for their discomfort.
Baby Toys
Apart from baby furniture, toys are also essential for the nursery. Toys keep the babies engaged, instead of focusing on their parents the toys can keep them engaged and allow the parents to do other chores.
Toys also help stimulate the baby’s development. Touching and playing with the toys help babies develop their motor skills. They also foster bonding between the parents and the baby when they play together. Set aside a place in the nursery for storing toys.
Table Lamp
Lighting in the nursery is a given thing. However, parents should find other lighting sources in addition to the main overhead lighting fixture.
During the first few weeks after birth, babies are unaccustomed to darkness, and waking up in the dark terrifies them. Therefore, apart from the main overhead lighting fixture, place a table lamp on the dresser near the crib.
The light will help the baby see familiar objects when they wake up in the middle of the night calming them down. The lamp cords should be out of reach for children.
Design Tips for Cozy and Functional Nursery
Consider the Size of Your Nursery
Knowing the size of the nursery helps you make critical decisions about the overall design of the nursery.
You can buy furniture that fits the size to avoid over-cluttering the room. Cluttering affects the nursery’s aesthetic charm. Choose functional nursery furniture to avoid clutter.
Divide the Nursery Into Zones
To make the nursery functional, divide it into sleeping, changing, playing, and feeding zones. The sleeping zone should have a crib and should be positioned next to the changing area so babies can sleep after baths.
The playing zone should have a playpen and the baby’s toys to entertain babies. The feeding zone should have the baby’s feeding chair or a rocking chair for the parent if the baby is still young for a feeding chair.
The zones should be centered around the sleeping zone as babies spend most of their time there. Additionally, the organization will help the nursery look good.
Create Room for the Caregiver
Get an armchair or a rocking chair for the caregiver in the nursery. The chair should be strategically placed in the crib to avoid affecting the room’s appearance. For functionality, position the chair near the crib.
The chair should blend with the nursery’s decor. A red chair will stand out in a room painted in calming colors. Match the chair with the baby’s furniture in the nursery.
Conclusion
Early and proper planning for the baby’s nursery helps parents prepare adequately for their babies’ arrival. It also helps to set aside the finances for baby furniture as you can buy the pieces one-by-one instead of bulk buying which leaves you financially drained.
Clafbebe is a reliable nursery furniture manufacturer that designs, produces, and manufactures multifunctional furniture that parents love. Our superb technology and mature industrial equipment make our products truly affordable wholesale prices.
Reach out to us today to wholesale the best quality nursery furniture for your business!
