Preparing the Room for Your Newborn

Welcoming a new baby is very much exciting for the whole family.   This is perhaps the most fun and joyful event in the family’s life.  However, along with the arrival of your newborn are some associated tasks and responsibilities that every parent need to learn.  Out of all the tasks in the preparation of the baby’s arrival, and absolutely one of the important ones is to prepare the baby’s room.

Preparing the baby’s room, we call “nursery” is no doubt the best favor the soon- to- be parents can offer to their new baby. Most couples would probably start planning for this the moment they found that the wife is pregnant.  Well, it is likely that in the first few weeks of your baby following the birth, you will want to have your baby sleeping in your room.  But, this doesn’t last long as babies grow faster than we’d like them to.  So sooner or later, you will want to get your child settled into his or her own room.  This is where the importance of preparing the baby’s room comes in.

Basic Things that Every Baby Room Needs

So you’re now ready to prepare for your baby’s room.  Well, you definitely need to know what the basics things every baby room needs for you to fully create a room that is worth living for your child.  What to buy and what to install?  Consider the following:

The Crib

The crib is perhaps the most essential thing that you could buy or create for your baby.   This is basically where your baby sleeps.  So being that your newborn will spend most his/ her time here, the crib should be chosen and prepared meticulously.  Now, the question is how to choose a crib for your baby?

Simple!  Just remember that when choosing the baby’s crib, think safety first.  Yes, safety is highly needed here.  So make sure that slats in the crib are no more than 2 to 3/8 inches apart. For safety, that’s the standard measure for the crib’s slats.  In addition and equally important check that you can manipulate the drop side easily with just one hand as there are some instances that you’ll need to hold your baby on your other arm. Some words of caution, disregard those cribs that feature corners posts that tend to extend above the rail.  If you do purchase this kind of crib, chances are the clothing of your baby may get hung on them especially when he starts moving on his own.

The Mattress

The mattress is a sleeping accessory worthy of scrutiny. The ideal mattress for your baby should be perfect in size to fit snugly inside the crib.  The mattress must fit tightly all round the crib for safety reasons.  The idea behind this is that if there is a space between the edges of the mattress and the side of the crib, there is a possibility for your child’s arms to get trapped in the space.  Worst, your baby could get suffocated if his or her head got caught.  So that said, only use a mattress that fits tightly inside the crib.

The Bumper Pad

Here comes the bumper pad!  This thing should also be taken into consideration as this also plays a very important role in the baby’s room.  Basically, the bumper pad takes the role of a protector.  It protects your child from direct contact with the hard slats on the crib.  Also, it can be a fun point to apply whatever decorating style you’ve got in mind. However, it is important to maintain the standard measure of the bumper pad in order for it to fully perform its role.  The bumper pad should have at least six straps to hold it in place. The straps should be closed with snaps as this provides more security that those that are tied to the crib.  In addition, it is a requirement for the bumper pad to fit tightly around inside the crib.  Just like mattress, the bumper pad should be fitted without leaving open spaces for the baby to bang his head or wedge it between the side of the crib and the bumper.

Note that you can purchase or make your own bumper pad if you wish.  However, choose a bumper that has its own fabric and firm foam. Select one that will coordinate with the motif of your crib. By the way, discourage the use of the bumper pad when your baby is capable of reaching a standing position.   Note that the pad can be his or her stepping stone to crawl out of the crib.  So watch out for this.

A Nightlight

A nightlight is a requirement for a safe baby room.  For safety do not creep into the nursery at night to feed your baby not being able to see in the dark.  Well, the nightlight provides you the chance to see where and what you are stepping at so you don’t get bumped or tripped into things inside the baby’s room.   It is important, however, to make sure that the nightlight is out of baby’s reach as those that are placed at floor level might attract crawling babies to sockets.  So avoid that, and install a dimmer switch for the lighting fixture of the baby’s room, instead.  You can also use a lamp.

The Changing Table

Although not very important as the baby can be changed on any surface, the changing table can be of great help to mothers and guardians.   It can be a back saver for everybody as it places the baby at a comfortable height in case you dress him or her, or change his or her diapers.   Yes, the changing table makes clothing and diaper changes easier and faster.  Plus, it helps to keep everything handy and at your easy access..

When choosing a changing table, make sure that it has a comfortable restraining belt to keep your baby while you wipe and change his or her diaper.  Also, it should have a safety railing around the top and should be sturdy.  Before using it, it is best to test it to make sure that it doesn’t bob.  And, when you change your baby’s clothing or diaper, keep an eye at all times on your child. Never leave the baby unattended even for a split second.

Swaddling Blankets

Do you know what swaddling is about?  Well, it’s basically the art of wrapping your baby with blankets to comfort and protect him or her from unfavorable temperature.  A lot of mothers prefer swaddling as it provides not only a sense of comfort to their child but also a sense of affection.   So, if you want to apply this technique, make sure that you have swaddling blankets.  Every nursery should have ample supply of this.

Baby’s Tub

A tub for your baby is but another essential item in the nursery.  A little plastic bathtub can provide a comfortable bath environment for your tiny beloved.  So, try to buy one that may fit the bathing needs of your baby.   Besides, there are a lot of baby bathtubs out there and it’s up to you to decide which one you prefer for your baby.  Just make sure, before using that the tub is completely clean. Be attentive and never, never leave your baby unattended in the bath.

There are a lot of other essentials that every baby room needs to have.  It may include the layette, a baby sling, books, baby clothes, and health care items.  But, beyond these material things, every nursery needs caring adults, not just parents, who will be a part of the baby’s life.

How to Decorate the Baby’s Room

So you’ve got all the essentials needed in a nursery.  The next thing to do now is to decorate your room and make it appear like a heavenly place for your child.  Well, decorating a baby’s room need careful planning, attention, time and effort.  So be ready to exert all of these when decorating your baby’s room.

Here are some of the practical tips to keep in mind when decorating the nursery for your most precious treasure:

Tip #1:  Think and Plan for a Room that May Last through Childhood

There is only one main idea to note here, that is, to think that your baby will grow old.  With this idea, it’s no doubt then that every parent, when planning for a baby’s room, should not give the room too much of a baby feel.   Colors like pink or blue might not be great for grown ups, as it might seem like it is for babies.   So, maintain a color that might be great for both babies and preschoolers.

Also, choose furniture and wall treatments that can suit every age and gender.  You can utilize accessories to give the room a baby feel, but don’t overdo it.  It is also important to ensure that there is a place for a bed as this may be of great use once your baby grows out of the crib.

Tip #2:  Wall-to-Wall Carpeting?  Avoid it!

When decorating a baby’s room, it is best for every parent to use either cork floors or area rugs on a wood.   The idea behind this is that area rush rugs can be replaced easily than carpeting in case they get dirty and the cork or hard floors are easier to clean up.  They don’t even harbor allergy-infuriating dust and dirts.

Tip #3:  Watch Out for the Light in the Room

When it comes to lighting, a nightlight is not only the thing of focus here.  A nightlight can no doubt help you avoid bumping or tripping on things inside the nursery every time you visit the room at night to feed your baby.  But, more to this, it is necessary for every parent to take note of the light in the room in the day time.  The angles of sun at day time is also worthy of attention.  The idea here is never to place the baby’s crib in a spot where there is a direct sunlight in the morning.  This also holds true in case of those streetlights that shine on all night.

Tip #4:  Enough Storage Space is Best

In a nursery, you probably need more storage space than you think. So try to plan or build the baby’s room with enough space for you to store away baby’s accessories once the child gets older. Your child will require bigger clothes, then shoes and other accessories he needs for his age. The number of the toys may even increase.  So you must anticipate that as your baby grows, his stuff grows too, so you need every inch of closet space you can possibly obtain.

Tip #5:  Make a Room for You in the Nursery

It is possible for every mother or father to spend a number of nights in the nursery with their baby, whether rocking the baby to sleep or reading him or her stories later on.  It is then important for every nursery to include a rocking chair or simply a comfortable chair where the parent and the child can spend their bonding hours.

Turning Your Baby’s Room into a Baby-Safe Zone

There are a lot of things that you can consider and do to make the room of your child truly worth living, outside from those above mentioned tips and ideas.  One of those is to start thinking that just like you, your baby needs a room that is safe from whatever environmental harms there are.   Safety is one rule here.  So before you place or transfer your baby from your room to his or her room, make sure that everything in place is safe.

Below are some safety tips to turn your baby’s room into a baby-safe zone.  Remember to do these room-by-room safety checks for these will definitely help.

• So you’ve bought a new crib.  Well, make sure that the crib you have installed for your baby has a firm mattress and doesn’t include decorative cutouts.  Also watch out for corner posts.

• Check and make sure that the playpen or crib slats are narrow.  Never ever leave enough space for the head of your child to get wedged between these slats.

• Make sure that the changing table has a restraining strap and three raised sides.

• Keep fluffy comforters, pillows and soft stuffed animals out of the crib for the reason that these things might suffocate your baby, especially if the baby is on his or her first fourth to six months of life.

• Once the baby is old enough that he or she is already capable of pulling to stand, make sure that you have removed the bumper pads as well as any toys from the crib.  These things could serve as the baby’s stepping stone to climb out of the crib.

• Once your child is up on all fours and started reaching for things, it is best to take down whatever decorations or toys you have placed in or strung across the crib, from rail to rail.

• Speaking of toys, it is best for parents not to buy a toy box that features a heavy hinged lid.There is a possibility that this thing might fall on your child especially when he reaches it to obtain a toy.

• Since falling is sometimes unavoidable, make sure that you have used a soft rug for the floor.  This will prevent injury and pain from those unavoidable falls.

So everything has been said and all the practical tips for preparing a safe and comfortable room for your baby have been revealed.  When planning, it is best to have an idea on how to decorate the room, what are the things needed, and how to maintain a safe place for your baby and this would entail a lot of effort and time to be invested The best way to succeed is to be aware of what you want and need to make the baby room a pleasing place to be, safe and comfy.