Preparing for the grand arrival of your baby can be stressful, but do not worry, we have many fun tasks to do as well! The nursery will be your little one’s very first space, where you two will spend a lot of time, and the place where you will spend many nights and days deserves all the safety, comfort and cosiness. And fun! Together, let’s pick the bests of a nursery to create the safest, most comfortable and calming environment for you and your baby. Here is a list to walk us through.
Go with any Colour Palette You Like
On the internet, you can encounter many unique opinions about which colours your baby’s first environment should be. Here is another one. Although contrasting colours are indeed easier for babies to see, do not feel limited. Humans might not arrive with a fully developed vision and it might be easier for babies to see contrasting colours but vision improves very rapidly! By 2 months, babies are able to scan their surroundings roughly, and by 6 months they will see as well as you. As long as the room contains little stimulation, choosing the colour is totally up to your creativity!
Choose a Good Quality, Firm, Natural Mattress
Your little one will spend more than half of their first year asleep. Even by 3 years old, the time they have spent sleeping will be more than the time they have spent awake, having fun. Every time your baby sleeps, their skin and airways will be in contact with the materials of their mattress. Choosing a firm mattress with a non-toxic core and a natural, breathable fabric cover, and adding a water-resistant wool pad between the mattress and the fitted sheet makes for the best nursery set-up, ensuring their safety and comfort, and your peace of mind. Crib wool pads are natural, hypoallergenic and good for regulating temperature.
The Best Crib Sets
Crib sets with bumpers, crib skirts, and quilts are so pretty! However, they might not come in handy in every situation. Research recommends babies sleep on a firm surface, covered by a fitted sheet only, to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and suffocation. Fitted sheets made of natural fibres like cotton, bamboo or lyocell. When picking and putting on a sheet, make sure no cords, strings, or any loose material are within your baby’s reach. The design is up to you! There are many fun and cute designs for you to match with the rest of the nursery, and make the room a whole.
Blackout Curtains or Blinds
Blackout curtains or blinds come in quite handy when designing a nursery! Sleep is of utmost importance when it comes to the health of our little ones, and helping them develop their circadian rhythm leads them through a healthy path of sleeping pattern. The circadian rhythm is regulated by the melatonin hormone and babies are born with high levels of melatonin. Though they arrive ready to sleep the whole year, this borrowed melatonin disappears after the first weeks, often bringing in “day-night confusion”, which results in babies sleeping more during the day than at night. By keeping your baby’s space dark at night, you will help establish and maintain their circadian rhythm easily, which will bring more rest to you as well. Using blackout curtains or blinds in your baby’s nursery helps keep the room as dark as possible, helping your baby have a clear distinction between day and night.
No LEDs or Blue Lights
Anything inhibiting melatonin production can disrupt the circadian rhythm by tricking the brain into thinking that it is daytime in the middle of the night, hindering the process of forming it, and disrupting your baby’s precious sleep. At the earliest stage of life, it is best to keep your baby’s nursery screen-free. If you plan to use a night light during nighttime feedings and nappy changes, dim lights with preferably warm red or yellow lights or anything approved to be suitable for nighttime, rather than blue LED.
Nappy Changing Stations
Nappy changes are quite frequent, especially during the first months of life. If your main nappy changing station is in a different place like a bathroom, adding another station to the nursery can be a lifesaver since that way you won’t have to look for anything or carry your baby around in the middle of the night, disrupting their sleep. On the nappy changing station, having a waterproof or easy-to-clean pad, nappies, wipes, and a few changes of sleep clothes can make your life even easier.
Comfy Chairs
You will be spending a loooot of time sitting in a chair, feeding and cuddling your baby. A cosy rocking chair with good back support can make quite a significant difference in your overall comfort and physical health. When picking out a chair, keep in mind that safety is just as important as comfort, and remember that babies can get wedged between cushions or pressed against armrests, which are possible suffocation hazards. Consider how you will keep night feedings and cuddles safe and cosy at the same time. While picking a soft chair with good support can be beneficial to your back, having quiet alarms set to keep you awake can prevent your baby from sliding off your arms into the wedges of the chair, preventing any choking hazards along the way.
Storage Units are Your Best Companion
Many, many things to have under your hand! When raising a baby, you’ll always need to have many things within your reach, resulting in the need for good storage systems. As they grow up, toys will multiply along with other needs, and storage units will multiply even more. Having storage units with touches of fun will not only add a spark to the nursery but attract the attention of your little one as well.
