Whether you're expecting your first baby or seventh, planning your baby's nursery is a very exciting time but can also be fraught with decisions with the array of choice of nursery furniture and nursery bedding that is now available.
Before you even begin to think about nursery themes and colour schemes the most important consideration is to decide exactly what the room is going to be used for. Maybe the nursery has to double up as a bedroom for an older child, in which case perhaps a complete baby theme is not going to be suitable or perhaps you could decorate the room in two halves so your older child feels grown up whilst creating a perfect baby corner for your newborn.
Ideally you should include a place in the nursery to accommodate a comfy chair to nurse your baby, a place to change nappies and storage options for all those baby bits and peices and of course a safe and comfortable area for your baby to sleep.
Positioning your baby's cot is also an important consideration as it is not advisable to place the cot directly under a window in full sunlight nor against a radiator as you don't want the baby getting too hot.
Baby Sleeping
Initially you may wish the baby to sleep in a Moses Basket in your bedroom, so they are close by, but as your baby becomes more settled it will be time to move the baby into the nursery into a cot or cot bed.
Today there is a great variety of styles available, many of which come with co-ordinating ranges of nursery furniture. You may wish to purchase a cot or maybe even a cot bed thinking further ahead making the transition from a cot to a bed that much easier. Whether you decide on a cot or cot bed, it is important that you purchase a new, comfortable, supportive mattress for your baby and ensuring that the mattress is a good fit for the cot it is being used in.
It is also a great idea to buy a cot mattess that comes with a removable, washable cover for those little mishaps in the middle of the night.
From cribs, to cots and cot beds, there's a wide selection of options available to you as a parent to ensure your baby gets that much needed rest. A little planning is required on your choice of nursery bed as this will set the scene for the whole nursery.
A cot bed is the most practical solution as they often come with underbed storage as well as lasting longer as they can be converted into a toddlers bed at a later stage.
Baby Storage
Once the style of cot/cot bed has been chosen you can then consider other pieces of nursery furniture you may require. The most obvious piece of furniture is somewhere to change nappies in comfort as bending over a bed or on the floor can be very hard on your back so it is best to do this at waist height. You can either purchase a stand alone changer but this will have it's limitations later on as many of the new designs now combine baby changing facilities with storage solutions so they can double up as a chest of drawers at a later stage when nappy changing has ended.
If room allows, think about investing in a wardrobe and maybe chest of drawers as these will last many years even when your child is grown up. Shelving units and bookcases can hold baskets for baby's items now and later be ued to display your ever growing children's toys and books. Consider the longevity and multifunctionality of furniture pieces before making any purchases.
Baby Bedding
One thing for sure is that you will need quite a lot of bedding for your newborn as you have to bank on one set being in the wash at any given time!
It's a good idea to have a range of bedding available to use in the cot depending on the temperature and the time of year. Coverlets are perfect for a newborn as they are just like quilts but only 1 tog making them safe for a newborn to sleep under without the danger of over heating. If the temperature drops you can simply add layers of blankets to the coverlet for added warmth. Once baby is almost a year, it is then safe to use a cot quilt which are usually about 4 tog and again, if the temperature drops a few extra blankets can be used.
Co-ordinated cot bedding brings the nursery theme together and can be the perfect finishing touch to your chosen nursery theme. There are many beautiful soft fabrics available for your newborn in beautiful pastel shades along with co-ordinating cot bumpers, fitted cot sheets and sleepsuits.
Some nursery bedding collections will go the whole way in co-ordinating with curtains, rugs, wallpaper etc available making the decorating of your nursery really simple. Many also have extended their nursery collections by offering cotbed duvet covers, cotbed quilts and pillowcase sets in the same themes so as your baby becomes a toddler the nursery will grow with them.
Before you even begin to think about nursery themes and colour schemes the most important consideration is to decide exactly what the room is going to be used for. Maybe the nursery has to double up as a bedroom for an older child, in which case perhaps a complete baby theme is not going to be suitable or perhaps you could decorate the room in two halves so your older child feels grown up whilst creating a perfect baby corner for your newborn.
Ideally you should include a place in the nursery to accommodate a comfy chair to nurse your baby, a place to change nappies and storage options for all those baby bits and peices and of course a safe and comfortable area for your baby to sleep.
Positioning your baby's cot is also an important consideration as it is not advisable to place the cot directly under a window in full sunlight nor against a radiator as you don't want the baby getting too hot.
Baby Sleeping
Initially you may wish the baby to sleep in a Moses Basket in your bedroom, so they are close by, but as your baby becomes more settled it will be time to move the baby into the nursery into a cot or cot bed.
Today there is a great variety of styles available, many of which come with co-ordinating ranges of nursery furniture. You may wish to purchase a cot or maybe even a cot bed thinking further ahead making the transition from a cot to a bed that much easier. Whether you decide on a cot or cot bed, it is important that you purchase a new, comfortable, supportive mattress for your baby and ensuring that the mattress is a good fit for the cot it is being used in.
It is also a great idea to buy a cot mattess that comes with a removable, washable cover for those little mishaps in the middle of the night.
From cribs, to cots and cot beds, there's a wide selection of options available to you as a parent to ensure your baby gets that much needed rest. A little planning is required on your choice of nursery bed as this will set the scene for the whole nursery.
A cot bed is the most practical solution as they often come with underbed storage as well as lasting longer as they can be converted into a toddlers bed at a later stage.
Baby Storage
Once the style of cot/cot bed has been chosen you can then consider other pieces of nursery furniture you may require. The most obvious piece of furniture is somewhere to change nappies in comfort as bending over a bed or on the floor can be very hard on your back so it is best to do this at waist height. You can either purchase a stand alone changer but this will have it's limitations later on as many of the new designs now combine baby changing facilities with storage solutions so they can double up as a chest of drawers at a later stage when nappy changing has ended.
If room allows, think about investing in a wardrobe and maybe chest of drawers as these will last many years even when your child is grown up. Shelving units and bookcases can hold baskets for baby's items now and later be ued to display your ever growing children's toys and books. Consider the longevity and multifunctionality of furniture pieces before making any purchases.
Baby Bedding
One thing for sure is that you will need quite a lot of bedding for your newborn as you have to bank on one set being in the wash at any given time!
It's a good idea to have a range of bedding available to use in the cot depending on the temperature and the time of year. Coverlets are perfect for a newborn as they are just like quilts but only 1 tog making them safe for a newborn to sleep under without the danger of over heating. If the temperature drops you can simply add layers of blankets to the coverlet for added warmth. Once baby is almost a year, it is then safe to use a cot quilt which are usually about 4 tog and again, if the temperature drops a few extra blankets can be used.
Co-ordinated cot bedding brings the nursery theme together and can be the perfect finishing touch to your chosen nursery theme. There are many beautiful soft fabrics available for your newborn in beautiful pastel shades along with co-ordinating cot bumpers, fitted cot sheets and sleepsuits.
Some nursery bedding collections will go the whole way in co-ordinating with curtains, rugs, wallpaper etc available making the decorating of your nursery really simple. Many also have extended their nursery collections by offering cotbed duvet covers, cotbed quilts and pillowcase sets in the same themes so as your baby becomes a toddler the nursery will grow with them.
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