The nursery

01 June 2019

Do you think your baby will ever wonder how much their wallpaper cost? Probably not. A safe and peaceful place is important for every child and their parents. Baby will not be the only person spending time in the nursery, so creating an atmosphere of joy and serenity is as important for you, the parents, as it is for your baby.

You can safely assume that sleeping in the coming months will not really as restful or as long as you’d prefer. Especially if you are breastfeeding, you will be up feeding your baby several times a night (especially in the beginning). Make sure to include creature comforts for Mom and Dad for the days to come - invest in a nice chair, a feeding pillow and a warm fluffy blanket for the colder nights ahead. A place to put your feet up doesn’t hurt either!

Lighting the way
Choosing the lighting in your baby’s room will also be important. Nobody likes a bright light in their eyes if they’ve woken up in the night. Your baby does not know their day from night yet, and clear separation between daylight and low level lights at night will help them to establish their rhythm. Nursery lamps these days come in all forms, so have fun choosing that airplane or rocket ship lamp. Your baby will treasure it through their entire childhood.

Furniture
It’s far too easy to go overboard decorating your baby’s room. Of course, every nursery requires a crib, dresser, and changing table; and these all come with a variety of price tags. Second hand is always an option, but always bear in mind never to use someone else’s crib mattress or cloth items which cannot be washed, lest you save money but bring unwanted pests into your baby’s safe haven. Have fun with it but don’t spend too much, there will be so many other things you’ll need.

Clothes
The truth is that babies grow fast. Really fast. While you may need to have a big supply of onesies on hand do to the constant risk of spit up, you should try to limit your number of truly cute outfits to a handful and source some used clothes from friends and family for everyday wear. Your baby will be growing so fast that the adorable dress or tuxedo you buy for that one event you want to take them to will probably wind up being single-use only. Choose with care!