Friday 13 February 2009

Fitting out a baby nursery - Checklist

FREE Nursery Furniture Tip sheet from 4little1s.com

OK, so baby is definitely on the way, you have had the scans and now you need to get organised. If you have a spare room or already have a room in mind for babies nursery, hopefully the list below will help you gather your thoughts as to what you might need. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but is a good place to start as there is so much you could buy, the list and amount you can spend is endless !

Buying a complete set of nursery furniture is quite common, with a typical nursery furniture set including all the major pieces you may need, Cot, mattress, changing unit etc. These are generally more cost effective than buying individually, as you don’t end up mis-matching furniture or looking for a discontinued set a few months or years later .

NURSERY FURNITURE

Nursery furniture sets – Look out for good quality and safety tested pieces, a typical package would include cot bed and mattress, wardrobe and changing unit. These range in costs but new ones start from around £700.00

Baby Moses basket - Used in the early days to let baby sleep, some have stands so they are at your waist level.

Babies Cot - Where baby sleeps and seen often as the most exciting purchase. Measure up the room beforehand so when it arrives there are no surprises

Changing mat & covers - Make the changing mat a fun place for baby to be and more comfortable with a cover. Some can even be placed on top of the cot to make it even easier for this difficult task at the best of times

Baby height charts - Have fun while your baby grows with these height charts, bright colours add fun to any nursery. There are a variety of types from wooden handmade charts with sliding tops, to material and plastic ones.

Baby Lampshades - Babies love to watch these and having a bright and fun lampshade is a great way to brighten up a room

Baby Mobiles - Mobiles hanging from the ceiling keeps your babies attention while lying down. From our experience, we have found these great to keep baby distracted during feeding or changing nappies. See our range of bright and fun fairies, trains and shapes mobiles on our website www.4little1s.com

Baby Monitors - A baby monitor is like a microphone that allows you to hear your baby while they hopefully sleep and you are in another room. Popular fun designs can be in the shape of a flower or animal, others using digital have the designer look.

Curtains - You should outfit your nursery windows with two types of curtains: sheers that can be pulled across during the day to keep glaring sunlight out of the nursery and heavier drapes that can be pulled shut to keep the room dark during baby's nap time.

Carpets and Rugs - Not only should your rugs and carpets ideally be steam cleaned to remove any allergens, pet hair or viruses, you should also make sure that rugs have a skid free backing so that nobody is in danger of slipping in the middle of the night while holding the baby.

Chest of Drawers - You will be surprised at just how much you accumulate in terms of baby clothes. Having somewhere to put it all helps de clutter the Nursery. Look for fun designs with no sharp edges or corners.

BABY BEDDING

You will be surprised just how much bedding you will get through. Babies do make a mess, so it’s worth stocking up on a few spares. We guarantee you will be changing something in the middle of the night and you will be glad then that you bought a spare set at the time.

Baby cot bumper- Protect babies head from hitting the sides of the cot. These come in a variety of colours and patterns, and can stimulate attention and concentration. Matching sets make the nursery a great place to be

Baby Cot blankets - Snuggles become part of babies association and attachment. Lots of different styles and materials, look for extra soft.

Cot Duvet and Pillow cases - Makes sleep time fun with these brightly coloured matching sets

Baby Swaddle pod - A small sleeping bag that holds your baby snug and warm, our range is designed by a Neo Natal nurse who obviously has experience in these matters

Baby Sleep suits - Larger than a Swaddle Pod, gives baby more room and allows increased movement as they grow. Hopefully giving you a good night sleep

Baby Quilt for Cots - A variety of different colours and patterns available to made sleep time more fun. Helps baby with colours and pattern recognition. Might be worth considering buying a few of these as they can get dirty

Baby throws - Like regular throws, they provide the finishing touches to the Nursery to give them the matching look. Brightly coloured ones can be used to pick out colours in the nursery

Baby Fleece blankets - Keep your baby warm day and night with these lovely fleece blankets for your little ones. When you are not around, this is what baby embraces and cuddles

Bedding bundles – Like nursery furniture sets, you can buy bedding bundles that usually include sheets, blankets, pillowcases etc and help not having to think about buying items individually. In most cases these are more cost effective.Finally….

Baby Toys - What baby nursery could be complete without a full range of toys to stimulate their brain? Look for brightly coloured and fun to play with toys like wooden toys as well as the soft and cuddly ones. We stock a wide range of nursery toys as well as some qwirky ones, like Deglingos.


All the Nursery furniture and baby bedding above can be found at our website http://www.4little1s.com

Nursery furniture and baby bedding from 4little1s.com..........