Nest That Nursery!

Planning your baby’s nursery can be one of the most exciting and most stressful things to do in your preparation for your baby.  There is so much to do that it can be overwhelming.  Here are some tips that may make the experience fun and eliminate stress.  

Pick A General Theme- Get a few ideas of themes you may want your nursery to be.  Once you have picked a few themes you can focus on possible cribs ideas.  Some possible theme ideas are; jungle/safari, nautical, sports, princess, Disney, ballerina.  Or perhaps you don’t want a theme and prefer a color scheme to go with.

Measure- You should measure the baby’s room so you will able to go pick out his or her crib and other furniture.  When planning where to place your crib, it is good to remember not to put the crib near a window or heating system.  You don’t want to place the crib near anything that will distract the baby from nap time.  Temperature fluctuations can make the baby uncomfortable and interrupt sleep.

Pick Out A Crib- Shopping for your baby’s crib is such a fun experience for you and your partner.  There are many tips to remember when picking out your baby’s crib. Be sure it is a comfortable safe place for your baby.

Pick Out Furniture- You want to chose furniture that will compliment the baby’s crib, fit the theme, and is also practical and safe.

Divide And Conquer- If you divide the room into sections, this will help keep you organized.  For example, you have a changing area, whether that is an actual changing table or a changing pad on top of a bureau, it is what works for you best.  With your area for changing you have your diapers, wipes and any other essentials necessary for changing your baby.  You may have a section of the room that is meant for playing (if the room is big enough of all those baby toys.)  You may also have a glider or rocker where you have your night feeding.  Whether breast or bottle, there are some things you will need and it is good to keep them handy in your feeding area.

Make Room For The Electronics-  I did not realize all the electronic devices I would be using with my baby.  We have a monitor, cool mist humidifier, night light, Ihome for his night time piano music, the list goes on.  It is helping to have a little table that is just for electronics.  You don’t want wires running all the way through he baby’s room.  That just isn’t safe for the middle of the night when you are half asleep and have to go feed or what have you.  Keep this area far away from the baby but close enough to see from your monitor.

Safety Is Key- Before you know it, your little one will be sneaking out of the crib in the middle of the night and making his or her way into your room.  Make sure that from day one the nursery is safe for baby’s.  One less thing to have to worry about later.  As your baby is growing, you want to avoid have decorations around that are accessible to the baby.  Anything and everything will go in the mouth.  Better to be safe than sorry.

Most importantly, have fun.  All of these experiences should be fun and have as little stress as possible.  Enjoy this bonding experience with you partner and baby as much as you can.

Considerations For Crib

Picking out your baby’s crib is one of the biggest decisions you will make during your pregnancy.  With so many big decisions, you want to make them all as fun as possible.  I can’t stress enough that you need to include your partner in any decisions made during your pregnancy, especially your baby’s crib.

When crib shopping, there are a few things to remember.

Safety First-  Luckily, when you are purchasing a new crib, they all meet the safety requirements necessary.  The trouble does come in if you are getting a crib from someone.  The requirements are constantly changing so you must be careful that whatever crib you are getting is safe.  Do your research and be sure whatever crib you are purchasing or receiving does not have recalls on it.  When my husband and I were crib shopping he was going around picking up each crib and shaking them to be sure they were safe.  Slightly embarrassing, but he was right.  You need to be sure the crib is sturdy and safe for your baby.  A big thing for us that raised safety concerns, are the crib bumpers.  They look adorable, but can be cause for suffocation.  Now they have mesh bumpers which give the extra padding for your baby and are safer.

Color- There are so many cribs that are offered in a variety of colors.  Narrow down the colors you may want depending on your nursery theme.  My husband and I wanted espresso and then came across a navy crib which we were originally getting in espresso.  Look at all your color options to be sure it is what you really want.  Some things to keep in mind when picking out a crib color, your baby will eventually start to bite on the side of the crib.  For certain colors any mark will show.  Another note to keep in mind is be sure that whatever crib you chose, if painted, has good paint and will not chip.  You don’t want your baby chewing on the side of the crib and then get a mouthful of paint.

Adjustability- Some cribs have a straight front and some have a slope.  You want to be sure that it will be easy for you to put your baby in the crib and get him or her out.  Something to look for is an adjustable mattress height.

Convertibility- Buying a crib is a big investment, and a pretty important one.  Your baby will grow in the blink of an eye and before you know it you will be buying a big bed.  If you get a crib that converts it will save you a bit of money because it will grow with your baby.  My husband and I have a crib that converts to a full size bed.

Pick Out A Mattress-  There are some key points to remember when picking out the crib mattress.

• Firmness is super important. Test the inside and the edges of the mattress to be sure it’s a nice firmness.
• Be sure the fabric of the mattress can handle a beating.
• It’s crucial that you check to be sure you can’t put more than a two-finger width distance between the crib mattress and the crib.
• Make sure that the crib sheet fits snugly and can’t be pulled off the mattress.  Once you baby starts grabbing you don’t want him or her to pull them off and start playing because this can cause suffocation.
• Don’t buy a crib mattress at a store where you can’t return it if it doesn’t fit right.

Protection Plan- Whatever crib you do decide to buy, get a protection plan with it.  Your baby’s crib is not just a toy that they may get sick of and no longer need.  It is his or her bed for a good long while.

Your baby will be spending quite a bit of time in his or her crib.  Make is a safe and comfortable place that your baby will want to be.