Building your baby’s nursery sounds like a big job. It’s easy to get swept away by your nursery shopping list as you enter the foray of Pinterest boards and get bombarded by social media ads (wait, did you even tell Instagram you’re expecting?). Anyway, the truth is, babies don’t need much of that much stuff. You should allow for some indulgences in your nesting period but the important thing is about building a comfortable and practical space for you and your baby. We’ve pared it down to what we think are the nursery essentials for setting up your new baby’s room.
The essentials
A crib or Moses basket — they’ll be sleeping in the same room as you for the first six months, so this is a small and practical option that you’ll be able to carry around the house too. If you’re borrowing this from a pal or buying secondhand, make sure you get a new mattress.
A cot — there’s really no need to rush into buying this but they will need it eventually and we love a bit of organisation. Pro tip: get a cotbed. It’s a bit bigger than a standard cot, but can transition into a toddler bed later on. Saves measuring up twice, right?
Drawers — babies don’t start off with much but once visitors start arriving to coo at your new kid, the clothes, toys and other bits will need a place to be stashed.
Changing kit — you can buy a whole changing unit but to economise on space, just pick up a changer than you can pop on the top of your drawers.
A baby monitor — you can’t buy peace of mind but a baby monitor might bring you something close. Choose between a traditional audio monitor or a video one, both are equally safe choices for keeping tabs on your little terror.
Good additions
A nursing chair — you need a comfy spot where you can sit down and feed your baby. The nursery is a practical place where you can put your baby down afterwards but if you don’t have the space for a chair, don’t stress it.
A mobile or white noise maker — there’ll be some nights or nap times where they just can’t nod off. A musical mobile or white noise maker can offer the comfort your kid needs to drift into dreamland.
A nappy bin — you’re going to be changing lots of nappies, so this can be nice to have. But if you’d rather not have dirty nappies sitting around, it’s just as easy to take them to the dustbin after each change.
Toys and books — wait and see what arrives through friends and family because toys do accumulate very quickly. It’s worth buying a few books — maybe indulge in a few of your own childhood favourites — because it’s good to be in the habit of reading to them each night.
