Preparing for Arrival: Nursery

DaVinci Kalani 4 in 1 Convertible Crib and Changer Combo - Espresso

Decorating your baby's nursery is often one of the most fun and delightful parts of planning for your new little ones arrival. From choosing colors and a theme, to picking out furniture and the right bedding there are a lot of options available. And then there are things that you may or may not have thought about. Items such as a carbon monoxide detector, smoke alarm, and even a mattress pad are essential but don't necessarily come to the forefront of your mind when planning. Shopping for your baby's furniture opens up a world of possibilities. From bassinets to cradles to cribs there are numerous options available. The same goes with dressers, nightstands, and changing tables. Where do you start and what do you choose? Probably the easiest choice is deciding the finish and style of the furniture. Do you prefer white, natural wood, or a dark finish? Does your house reflect your love of contemporary style or does it have a more classic look and feel? By starting with the questions that are easier to answer you'll be able to narrow your search by quite a bit.

Bassinets are a great choice for parents who plan on having their baby room with them (although they can easily be placed in the nursery as well). Bassinets, and cradles, are small enough to fit in your room and most will fit by your bedside. Keep in mind that bassinets are only useful for the first 3 to 4 months. Once your baby reaches a certain weight or learns to roll they have officially outgrown the bassinet.

If you're not planning on having your baby room with you then you can easily start baby out sleeping in his or her crib. When choosing your crib, also keep in mind that you have your choice of a standard crib, or a crib that converts to a toddler bed, daybed, and then a full bed. These convertible cribs are made to grow with your child and can be an economical choice. Today's cribs are all designed with stationary sides. Drop side cribs are no longer manufactured due to safety risks.

The other big decision is whether you want a changing table. Changing tables are a great way to keep your baby's items organized and gives you a place to comfortable change diapers and dress baby. While a changing table is not an absolute must, any parent who has changed diapers from a hunched over posture on the floor can attest to the ease and convenience of a changing table. And, as mentioned before, many of them convert to a dresser, making them doubly useful.

Once the furniture is chosen, or even before, you'll have a lot of fun choosing the theme of your baby's nursery. You may choose nursery bedding in a certain theme first and take colors from that for the walls or vice versa. Most bedding comes in sets, and some sets include only two-three items while others can come with up to eight items!

You'll also want at least two sets of sheets and mattress pads for those middle-of-the-night leaks. And while you should have at least two sets, you'll find having more reduces the amount of laundry you're doing, and is ideal in case your child has multiple accidents in one night. Make sure the sheets and covers you choose are made for a crib mattress and fit tight to reduce any potential suffocation hazard. And while we're on the topic of mattresses, there are a lot of choices there as well. From organic to cotton to vinyl, you'll be surprised at the sheer number available, so this is another place where you'll want to do your research. Every nursery needs a baby monitor and just like every other item that goes in the nursery, the options are endless. You have your traditional baby monitor which transmits sounds, video monitors which allow you to see and hear your baby (these are also very useful for the toddler years, especially when you transition to a toddler bed), and even models that monitor your baby's breathing as a safeguard against SIDS.

MobiCam Digital DXR Color Monitoring System

A glider or rocker is also a must for nap time, bed time, and those late night feedings. Whether you're nursing or bottle-feeding you'll want a comfortable place to sit while you rock your baby to sleep. And be careful, you just might find yourself falling asleep in the glider as well!

Finally, make sure your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and smoke alarms are working and have fresh batteries. Cover outlets, keep cords and blind pulls out of baby's reach, and attach anti-tip kits to taller, heavier pieces of furniture.

Designing your baby's nursery is fun, and at times stressful, so keep a handy list of everything you need so you can be sure you don't accidentally miss anything. Most importantly, remember that this is a joyous time and enjoy turning your extra bedroom into a warm, cozy place for your baby to sleep.