Your hospital bag is packed and the “was-that-a-contraction?!” watch is on. But when you get home with your
newborn, what do you really need to furnish the perfect
baby room? These 10 items should top your list.
The Crib These come in all shapes and sizes and some can be convertible to a
toddler bed. Regardless of your future needs, a
crib that follows current safety guidelines is essential for your bundle of joy.
A Change Table These also run the gamut from big to small but are a good way to incorporate drawers into the room for extra
storage.
Babies like to drop things, and often, so a
change table with a high
side will come in extremely handy.
A Comfortable Chair A comfortable chair will be indispensible after all those long and sleepless nights. And whether you go the rocking chair or recliner route, one with armrests is highly recommended — as it makes feeding
baby easier.
Effective Window Dressings Keeping a room dark is important for helping the little one sleep and helps teach them the difference between night and day. And if your baby’s room is lucky to be sun filled, good curtains or dressings can also be effective for keeping the heat out during the summer, and in during the winter.
Decor Whether you go all out to decorate, or like things clean and simple, personal touches will make the room feel more like a bedroom when
baby grows. Simple things like picking a
theme, or framing personal photos of a sibling,
family pet or even the
parents will become lovely focal points for the
baby.
Night Lights In the first few weeks and months, you’ll be spending a lot of time in baby’s room during the night. To help better distinguish between night and day, a light dimmer or night lights
work well to keep it dim enough to still seem like night, but cast a little light so you aren’t tripping over everything.
A Clock Small and hidden (like under the
change table) or large and on display, a clock will help with the timing of feedings, the timing of bedtime and anything else you want to schedule.
Kids’ Bookshelf Reading to
baby helps with language from very early on, and rather than piling the books in the room, there are relatively inexpensive small bookcases on the
market. These are also a great way to showcase favourite stuffed animals and other decor items if your room is small. Always make sure to affix anything like this to the wall so when they’re old enough to choose and then put away their own books, there’s no chance of the bookshelf toppling over.
Laundry Basket You hear you’ll be doing a lot more laundry, especially in the beginning months, but the actual amount will likely still surprise you. It’s a lot. Keeping a
basket close-by — particularly by the
change table — will save precious sorting and
gathering time.
Baby Monitor Whether your opt for a monitor with a high-
tech display screen or keep to the ones with sound only, hearing all of baby’s gurgles and sighs will keep you from worriedly checking in on him or her every five minutes. Just make sure the cord is far from their curious grasp.