How to Feng Shui a Baby Room

As pregnancy progresses, one of the fun aspects of preparation is decorating the baby's room. Mothers ooh and ah over stuffed animals, color swatches and décor, each one eagerly savoring the nesting process. While many parents opt for nurseries based on objects (like trucks or animals), some opt to prepare the nursery in the style of Feng Shui.

For those of you not familiar with the term, Feng Shui is a 3000-year-old Chinese practice of specialized interior designing to arrange space within the home that allows for an "open flow of energy." The practice comes from the Chinese religion and philosophy of Taoism and is based upon the idea that the earth is alive and filled with energy or "chi." By properly arranging your home to allow the chi to move freely, the practice can create a calming, peaceful environment that is a definite must for any baby nursery.

Feng Shui practitioner Kathryn Weber told Pregnancy-Info.com in an interview that the most important principles of Feng Shui to consider when preparing a nursery are these: the location of the baby's room, furniture arrangement and the colors used in the room.

According to Weber, a nursery should be somewhere in the home that is removed so that the baby won't be bothered with excessive noise. She also states that ideally, "a baby boy should be placed in a nursery located in the east and north parts of the house while a baby girl should be placed in the south, southeast or west parts of the home." Of course, this aspect of Feng Shui may be impossible for some with small living quarters or for those who just don't have a free room in those specific directions.

Arranging furniture and removing clutter is an important part of Feng Shui. Weber states that the crib shouldn't be placed along a wall shared by a bathroom or storage room because it will negatively affect the baby's well-being. The crib should instead be placed where the baby will be able to see his/her parents as soon as they enter so that he/she feels safe.

Whether you believe it or not, color affects us more than you think. Blue is a soothing and peaceful color that allows the body to calm itself, but studies have proved that it also makes people more productive, which is why it is often incorporated in gyms. Red is an "emotionally intense color" that stimulates a fast heartbeat as well as an appetite, which is why restaurants usually pull it into their décor.

With a baby's room, most often the color is decided by the baby's gender. Using the Feng Shui bagua, this wheel chart assigns certain colors and elements to particular areas of the home. For children, the Feng Shui bagua says that white is the best color because it instigates creativity. However, if you're like many people and can't stand white walls, a soft color is a good choice. According to Feng Shui, while bright colors are stimulating, they are usually too much so and do not help to promote relaxation for babies.

If you're wanting to use wall paper or designs in the baby's room, here are some helpful hints from Weber.

Using animal or jungle prints may be intimidating to newborns.

Water and sea prints should be avoided. In Feng Shui, it is believed that these themes could cause "respiratory, lung, nasal or kidney problems or may worsen a baby's asthma."

Nature themes are acceptable, as they will make a baby feel safe, especially if the designs are warm and pleasant.

While you may still use things like jungle and water themes, in order for them to be agreeable with Feng Shui, it would be better to keep the imagery light.

To finish off the baby's room, it is important to consider clutter, movement and lighting. Keep the clutter to a minimum. Organize your belongings and keep them in order. In Feng Shui, clutter blocks physical, mental and creative energy and leads to discouragement.

To allow for good movement, use a fan on low setting or play soft music. Keep the lighting balanced by using blinds. Too much light will affect a baby's sleeping schedule and too much darkness will be disheartening.

To see how a lack of Feng Shui could negatively affect you and your baby, read this case study.

Feng Shui is a much more in-depth practice than this article suggests. There really is no easy answer to "What is Feng Shui and how can I practice it?" I would strongly suggest going here to read more about how to actually practice Feng Shui and incorporate it into all aspects of your home.

Feng Shui in the Nursery, Pregnancy-info.net

Rodika Tchi, What is Feng Shui - Feng Shui Theory and Feng Shui Tools, About.com

Rodika Tchi, Feng Shui Nursery Case Study: Feng Shui Tips for Calmer Nights with the Baby, About.com