Ideas For Setting Up Your Baby's First Nursery
Putting together a nursery really is one of the nicer jobs on the list when you’re expecting a baby. Having their own little bedroom all set up and ready to go can help you to feel organised and it can also make it all feel more real too. As weird as it sounds, any pregnant mums will relate to the fact that it just doesnt feel fully ‘real’ until your baby is actually in your arms- even if you’re walking around with a huge bump! The nursery is a spot where you can feed, change, and just be together without feeling cramped- babies need SO much stuff so it makes sense to have somewhere to put it all, even if they won’t be sleeping in your bedroom til they’re over six months old (as is recommended for safe sleep). If you’re at the stage where you’re ready to start putting together your baby’s first bedroom, here are some tips for getting started.
Consider a theme
A theme is cute but it can also make it easier to set up too. When you have a direction when it comes to the decor, you can pick up all of the bits and pieces that you know will match without being overwhelmed by all of the other choices. Some popular nursery themes are safari, woodland animals, under the sea, astronauts/ space, rainbows, fairies and so much more! If you know the gender you’re having you could go all in on a super girly or boyish theme if thats what you like, but many nursery themes are ideal for both. Which is nice if you want to stay neutral or don’t know the gender- or just don’t fancy going with a stereotypical boy/ girl theme. Once you have your theme decided it’s easy to choose decor like curtains, rugs, wall art, cot bedding and so much more to match. Etsy is great for personalised pieces, but you won’t struggle finding cute things on the highstreet.
Make it practical
As well as looking nice, the room needs to be practical. Many of us are working with a small-ish room or maybe even a tiny box room for a nursery so you’ll want to make the most of the space that you have. You can find space saver cots, small wardrobes and other compact furniture to fit perfectly. Consider the best layout, and prioritise what you’ll have in the room if it’s on the smaller side. A cot is an essential, and a chair is well worth the floor space so you can sit and feed/ rock your baby during the night feeds and stay comfy. If you don’t have space for a wardrobe, a changing table with drawers could be a good alternative, you could even turn an airing cupboard into their wardrobe instead if you have one out in your hall. Use the space on the walls for shelves where you can put things like trinkets and decorative bits and pieces so they’re out of reach. And a wall mounted light is also a good idea, especially over the changing table. Go with a dim bulb so it doesnt burn your eyes out during nappy changes in the night! Make storage a priority if you can, Ikea Kallax cube storage is good for baby rooms as they store a lot and keep it tidy looking on a budget.
Encouraging Early Development
The room your baby spends time in does more than just keep them comfy especially as they become more and more aware of their surroundings. Soft textures, colours, and shapes help spark their senses without overwhelming them. You don’t need every wall covered in bright colours to keep it interesting (a relief if thats not your style!) It can still look aesthetic and be good for them- a nice mobile hanging over the cot, a soft rug for tummy time and maybe a few interesting shapes and wall stickers can make it look child friendly without being overly loud. A bookcase is always a worthwhile piece of furniture in a nursery, even for tiny babies. Board books with faces, patterns and sensory pages can all be used from birth pretty much. It’s also worth thinking about sound- a white noise machine is good for naps and overnight once they start sleeping in there. An alexa speaker is handy as you can ask it to play some nice lullabies during relaxing time or some fun kids music during play time without the need for screens.
Changing the Room as They Grow
As sad as it is, babies don’t last. Before you know it your little one will be walking, talking and have all of their own preferences. As they move into toddlerhood there are some changes you’ll need to make to the room, but getting it right in the nursery stage can make this easier. Go with a cot that can transform into a toddler bed. Use wall stickers that can be removed and replaced with new without the need to repaint walls, and shelves that you can easily update the decor on. Have a look at this article- 74 Toddler Room Ideas for a Space Your Little One Will Love for ideas for what you can change it to as they get a bit bigger. Some other things to think about during the toddler stage too is safety, it can be worth adding a baby gate to their room so they cant get out of bed in the night and get into mischief. Window locks and plug socket covers are also important, as is anchoring heavy furniture to the walls so it can’t tip if it’s climbed on. These are things you could do right away in the nursery so you don;t have to think about them later on.
Enjoying the Process
Be sure to enjoy the process, it’s something you’ll only ever do a few times in your life (depending on how many kids you have!) so it’s such a special and memorable thing. Take a minute when you’re packing away nappies and wipes and folding tiny vests into the drawer, because this time will have been and gone before you know it.
