Choosing the Right Baby Furniture for You and Your Baby

If your baby is due sometime soon then chances are you have been starting to think or already have made a large purchase in the baby department at Wal-Mart or another popular department store. However, there are some things to think about when purchasing the necessary baby furniture. There is a difference between baby cribs, bassinets, and playpens, and all three of them have their advantages and disadvantages. Knowing what you should buy and where will definitely be a help to you when you finally do need to purchase this type of baby furniture.

Baby Bassinets

Bassinets are usually smaller than a crib but just big enough so that your newborn baby can fit comfortably inside it. Mothers and fathers will often use these in the nursery, their own bedroom or have it sitting in the living room. However, are baby bassinets really all that necessary? If you have a crib and space is limited you may not need a bassinet at all. Think about it: what is the purpose of a baby bassinet anyway? Your baby will sleep in it and that's about it. Babies can do everything that they do in a bassinet in a baby crib. So buying one of the baby bassinets may not always be necessary. Sure, they might look cute and provide something different for your baby to sleep in every once in a while, but what happens when your baby reaches 3 or 4 months of age? They will begin sleeping in their crib at that point anyway.

Baby Cribs

Finding the best and cutest crib is something that mothers and fathers usually always want to concern themselves with. Should we go with a white crib or a brown wooden one? Which crib will look best in the nursery and which one is the most practical? There are definitely some affordable cribs on the market today and there are also some more expensive ones. The crib that my wife has chosen is a Jenny Lind white crib from Wal-Mart. This crib retails for just $100 at Wal-Mart and is sturdy enough to give your infant the support he or she needs.

You may be able to get a crib from a relative, friend, coworker, or even at a garage sale. However, be sure that you know the condition of the crib before you buy it and you should find out whether or not it's missing any screws or has any defects. A weak crib could spell disaster if you're not too careful.

Playpens and Playards

Some manufacturers sell playards for your baby. They actually double as a bassinet for early in the child's life, but then you can take the bassinet part out and just use them as a playard for your baby. These play-yards usually are easily foldable so that they're easy to transport in case you need to take your child to the babysitter's house or your parent's house. If you're buying a playard then you can have this right beside your bed to use for the first few months of the baby's life, and then transfer them to the crib in their own nursery when they're just a few months old.

Baby cribs, bassinets, and playards are some of the more expensive furniture that you'll need to buy for your baby when he or she comes home from the hospital. Knowing how you'll benefit from each one is something good to know before you go out and actually buy them.