How to Furnish a Nursery

Lots of new parents are overwhelmed with the choices between different brands and styles of baby furniture. Manufacturers these days market many luxury items as necessities for a new baby. Why one wonders how mothers of generations past managed to get by without things like baby wipe warmers and head positioners and all the other fancy gadgets designed to make taking care of baby a snap. How do new parents go about getting down to the nitty gritty of what they have to have for their cherished little bundle of joy? Follow this simple guide to nursery furniture necessities and you can't go wrong.

Crib - Every baby needs somewhere to sleep. While many parents opt to buy a cradle and a crib, a cradle is really not necessary as well as not very economical. The baby will only be able to sleep in a cradle for at most 4 months before they begin to sit up, pull up and fall out. A crib is the way to go. If looking to make a long term investment in your child's sleeping arrangements, consider buying a three in one crib that will grow with your child. These are a little pricier than the standard crib but will last until early childhood, converting from crib to toddler bed and finally into young child's bed.

Changing stand/table - A designated area to change and dress baby, either a changing stand or a changing table is best. Most of these come with multiple storage spaces to store diapers and diapering accessories easily and out of sight.

Dresser - Somewhere to store babies clothing. A dresser, wardrobe or designated storage space of some type. Most ideally would be a closet area where items can be hung and storage stackers can be placed to create bins and shelves that are easy for adults to reach and organize babies clothes, shoes and other accessories as well as a place to store extra blankets and quilts

Now that we've covered the basics, lets take a look at some optional items that are really nice to consider when furnishing a nursery.

Chair/Rocker - The latest trend is rocker gliders which swivel in all directions as well as rocking and reclining. A chair or rocker of some type is great to have in a nursery to be able to rock baby late at night, somewhere to relax while feeding baby or just to sit and look at your little cherub. It's a functional and versatile piece of furniture that will prove quite useful over the early childhood years and beyond.

Swing - Always nice to have when hands are busy but baby isn't, a good quality swing can be quite entertaining and soothing for baby throughout their first year. Make sure and follow all safety guidelines when using.

Diaper pail - something to place babies used diapers in, probably more of a necessity than a luxury in most people's opinions. There are several brands of automatic diaper pails on the market which are quite nice to have to avoid nasty smells and overwhelming odors in the nursery.

Baby bouncy chair - another option to the baby swing, nice to have and good for colic episodes when nothing else works and grown ups arms are too tired to keep bouncing baby, these items are soothing and handy for the new parent.

Baby bath tub - setting up a bathing station in the nursery is also nice, an area where the baby can use the baby bath tub and all the bathing accessories are stored until they are old enough to use a regular tub, preferably in an area that is easy for the adult to bathe the child, such as ontop of the changing table etc.

Another important choice for parents is accessories for the nursery. What to stock the nursery with before the baby comes is a frustrating decision. It seems like there are never enough items in place to be prepared. Here are a few guidelines for necessary accessories.

Crib accessories - 3-4 crib sheet sets, bumper pads, 6-8 receiving blankets, 1 or 2 warmer blankets. Optional accessories include a mobile, a rubber mat, head and body sleep positioners, quilt

Diaper changing accessories - if using plastic, 3-4 bags of diapers newborn size or size 1 to start, if using cloth, 12-20 pack of diapers depending on how often you want to wash them and diaper pins, baby powder, chosen diaper rash prevention cream or ointment, 2-3 packs of baby wipes, Diaper bag stocked each time it's used with items needed for a short travel from the home.

Baby bath accessories - soap, 2-3 baby wash clothes and baby towels, and a soft brush for babies scalp to eliminate cradle cap buildup. Optional items include baby shampoo, baby lotions for after bathing, baby bath robe for after bathing, baby bath toys for stimulating baby or just for you to have fun with showing them to baby.

Medical station - Designated place for all of baby's medical care needs at home. This could be in the same area as the diaper changing station, in the bathing area or even a designated shelf in the closet or dresser drawer. Things you will want to have on hand when baby comes home include: 1 bottle of baby fever and pain reducer, a nail clipping kit with baby size scissors, nail clipper, a thermometer, a nasal bulb for removing mucus from the babies nose and mouth, and alcohol swabs for the umbilical cord care. Optional items include a basic first aid kit, Vaseline or thermometer covers (this just depends on what kind of thermometer you have), Lydicane for babies skin if it gets dried out, also good for nursing mothers to sooth nipples and dry skin in the breast area.

Clothing - 5-6 onesies (all purpose these can be used as a jumper outfit when warm, underclothing when cold, a shirt with pants over them ) 2-3 baby gowns for sleeping, 3-4 plastic diaper covers, especially if using cloth diapers, 2-3 nice outfits to show baby off in, 3-4 pairs of socks, 2-3 pairs of mittens, 2 newborn hats, 2-3 pairs of booties, a jacket if cold weather prevails. Of course you can always buy as many clothes as you want, but remember they will grow fast so if your going to buy a lot, buy ahead a few months at a time so baby can grow into them.

This recommended buying guide should help eliminate that feeling of being overwhelmed when deciding on what to buy for your new baby and ease the transition into parenthood to make it streesfree and enjoyable.