Baby Furniture Must-Haves

“What is the most important piece of baby furniture in your nursery”, people often ask me. My answer is always the same, “It depends”. No, I am not playing it safe. It actually depends on a lot of factors.

If this is your first baby, you may be tempted to buy the universe and squeeze it into the baby nursery. However, there is no guarantee that whatever you buy (no matter how cool it looks in the catalog) is something you are going to use. Why would you want to waste your money and space (if you are a mom, you know what I mean – you must have broken a couple of toe nails by bumping into some furniture while running fanatically at the sound of your baby crying for you).

You need good looking furniture for your baby, but what you don’t need is good looking clutter. Overloading the baby n kids bedroom is never a good idea. The little creatures need space, even if they can’t tell you that.

So what are the mandatory baby furniture you can open your wallet (and your gates) for, and what stuff you can pass?

The answer is simple: a good baby crib (with a very comfortable crib mattress), a baby changing table, and a storage space (ideally with a baby closet organizer). However, if you can afford (money and space), there are a number of baby furnitures out there that could come real handy. Let’s start from the most important to the optional ones.

A baby crib set includes a baby crib furniture (normally made out of wood), a crib mattress, and baby bedding (sheet, blanket, and pillows etc.). If you have a pre-loved (hand-me-down) crib for your new baby, make sure it is of good quality, clean and properly sanitized. There should be no loose elements, sharp edges or peeling paint (which can go into your newborn’s eyes or hurt his/her delicate skin).

We have a detailed article on Baby Cribs and Crib Mattress. It covers all the specifications of a safe crib and crib mattress, along with tips on how to place it to make sure it is safe for the baby. You need to be extra careful about the baby crib bedding as carelessness may lead to SIDS.

Baby Bassinets

A baby bassinet is a modern baby furniture that is cozier than a crib. It is small and light weight, and is hence portable. You can drag it to your room when you want your little guest to visit you, and shift the baby bassinet back to the baby nursery when s/he falls asleep.

The concept of baby bassinets has evolved quite a bit in recent years. You can find bassinets or cradles that rock from one side to the other, some have wheels, while many have soothing vibrations with soft music.

You can also find a baby bassinet that is more portable than ever. You can attach it to your bed in case you want to co-sleep with your baby. Some are fold-able that come handy when you travel. A Playpen can be easily folded and moved from one room to the other. You can also put your baby inside while taking a shower or doing some household chores to make sure the little crawling creature stays inside, safe and sound.

Baby Changing Table

Although while buying baby furniture, changing tables are not a must have, but life (and your backbone) can definitely find comfort due to its presence.

A good baby changing table normally has useful storage areas or draws/ cabinets to put diapers, baby towel, clothes, wipes, lotion, and rash cream, etc. at an arm’s distance. All the necessary stuff at one place comes real handy when your baby turns few months old and starts to shift sides. You just cannot move a single second away while he rolls over.

Storage

Your little one owns a lot of stuff. Day clothes, night clothes, bibs, towels, diapers, bath accessories, toys, rattles, teethers, lotion, nail clippers, baby bag (when not in use), and the list is endless. Talking about being high maintenance!

You need a proper place to store all the baby stuff. This storage place could be in your baby’s changing table or in a small chest of drawers. You can always use a good baby closet organizer to make sure all the stuff is at its place so you don’t have to run like a headless chicken when your baby’s diaper leaks in the middle of the night.

You don't have to buy expensive storage shelves. Have a look at the two organizers below; both look different but they both serve the same purpose.

Nursing Chair

A nursing chair is also a good addition in case your baby nursery has space for it. Whether you breastfeed or bottle-feed, it is important for you to sit comfortably to feed the baby.

You can also buy a night lamp in case you want a dim light in the room. Make sure all the baby furniture is placed according to your baby’s safety and the nursery is baby-proofed.

For newborns, weight and size increases at a rapid pace in the initial months. So make sure you are not investing in something the baby is only going to use for a couple of weeks. Your baby’s nursery is his/ her nest. Whether you put loads of baby furniture in it or keep it minimal is your own choice. You only need to make sure it is safe and comfortable.

Got my baby furniture, what next?

Now that you have got the stuff you really want, we have loads of ideas on how you can make your nursery look chic and practical at the same time. Baby furniture often come from different stores - one or two may be a gift from a loved one while your newborn baby may have a hand-me-down from an older sibling. Everything needs to look coherent though. Let's do that now. Gone are the days when pink and blue were the only colors when thinking about baby nursery themes. Check out our Nursery Ideas that you will absolutely LOVE!

Whether you like modern baby furniture, or prefer an old fashioned look, we have some awesome ideas to decorate your nursery. Read our article (with pictures) on 6 super cool nursery ideas you will love!

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