Whats in your nursery? Did you get it ready before or after the birth?

[Annie456]

Hi all,
I'm 28 weeks and have bought pretty much everything I'm going to need for the baby but haven't bought any of the nursery furniture.

DH wants to wait until after the birth so we can see exactly what we need rather than rushing into buying things that are unnecessary. LO will be in our room for a good few months but I still want to have the nursery set up. We will do some minor decorating after the baby is here - when we know whether it's a girl or boy (please don't flame me for choosing decor based on the sex, this is not what this post is about!)

So what is in your nursery (furniture) and did you get it all ready before or after the baby was born?

Thanks!

Our spare bedroom will eventually become the nursery and we never really crammed with stuff (just have a sofa in there, computer desk and massive built in wardrobe - we use air bed for guests which is amazing:) so it will be easy as we only need to take the computer out, we will get another wardrobe fitted in our bedroom which currently only has bed + night stands and for the next 6 months baby will sleep in crib in our room + use that wardrobe for storage. Didn't bother getting a changing table - figured we can always buy one if we feel we need it.
Our flat has white walls throughout (I know I know this will not last long!) and I was thinking of keeping the "nursery" decoration minimal - maybe some wall stickers like these (love the safari):
weegallery.com/store/safari-wall-graphic.html

I will create an activity mat area for baby to "use" in her room during the day where I intend to use some montessori mobiles and toys as baby progresses - nothing too elaborate, mirrors on the wall, mobiles and mat on floor.
This will become her sleeping area when she is ready to "move in" to the nursery (hopefully around 7 months) where she will have a montessori bed and a little shelf for her toys/books + sheepskin rug and a ramp attached to the wall which she can use to help her stand up. I will try to decorate it in simple designs and colours that can "evolve" and add mini furniture (table + chair) as she grows. A must have will be blackout blinds as the room is really bright and hot - but with lovely bay window :)

So far I have bought a crib, changing mat (because it was on sale for £10:), some wicker baskets and ordered the mobiles.

My name is aprciotears.... and I am a 'nursery-a-holic'.

I am 28 weeks with DC1, and I am a little embarrassed to admit, I have gone a bit crazy in the nursery... . We have basically everything we need, and despite trying not to over-do things too early, I have not been able to control myself. I have been careful not to let my obsession be known - haven't been yabbering till peoples ears bleed about it. BUT - Mum came over the other day and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw all that I had done! lol.

The silly thing is, I don't know exactly how much the room will actually get used either, but I have been swept up in the whole decorated nursery concept! We haven't spent a lot of money though which I think makes the difference. Aside from the cot and mattress, I haven't bought any brand new furniture. I have trawled through ads, or dropped 'subtle' hints (such as 'Do you guys want these drawers?' HAHA!) at my folks place about crappy old pieces of furniture they never use. DH has been lovley enough to sand it all back and decorate it in our chosen colours. I definitely think it would be a different story, if we had to buy everything brand new, because it would become an expensive exercise

I think your DH does have a good point, no point in spending money on stuff that may actually never get used. Men are so damn logical aren't they

Like ShowofHands, my daughter is only now at three and a half contemplating moving a bed into her own room. Until now it has been a playroom where she gets dressed. She has been in a separate single bed in the same room as us.
I am now expecting number two and I really do want a nursery this time, even if baby sleeps with us at night. It is just nice to have a separate space for baby. And if you have your rocker in there, and a nice little table with your favourite books, it is a nice peaceful breastfeeding retreat. I loved my rocker by the way, but it really is not essential as it is not as comfortable as feeding on the bed.

I would recommend getting cotbed, moses basket and some kind of change table, even if like us you end up co-sleeping. It was good to have the moses basket to move from room to room when DD was tiny, although sometimes I just rolled her pram around the ground floor, and the cotbed (as a cot) at minimum is somewhere safe to put an older baby for daytime sleep, and when you want to have a shower! We had the cot in our room until last year. It is a good way to transition a co-sleeping toddler out of your bed as it has the cute little-size factor that toddlers love (think wendy house kitchens).

One thing we did not have was a separate change table and I do want one this time as they are a bit sturdier for older babies than the cot-top versions. It has a short life though as you will stop using it once your baby is mobile as a bed or the floor is just safer for rolling infants. Another massively handy thing is a "change caddy" which basically is a little basket of nappies and wipes and stuff that you can take from room to room, and an extra foam change mat to keep in the living room. Finally a lamp with a dimmer - invaluable for night feeds. You don't really need more than two drawers for storage of bub's clothes, but pretty little outfits look nice hung on hooks on the walls, if you like. Those chest of drawers with a change top that can come off are I think the best arrangement.

By the way, cloth nappies are, against all expectations, just the business when baby is brand new and going through twelve to twenty four nappies a day. Easy to use and absolutely guaranteed to contain nasty poo. You really have to change newborns frequently so disposables are just not all that useful with their absorbency, and they don't absorb new born poo quickly enough.

Am expecting DC2 and definately having a proper nursery this time. I want to nest!

Have managed to get a nice cot bed a bargain price. Have even got matching bumpers and quilt for less than a tenner which I didnt mind spending on as it will make the room look nice even though its all for show as neither can be actually used.

Am getting the universal cot top changer from mothercare for £25 and have a nappy stacker for my one life nappies. DC1 was changed on kitchen table so will be nice to have a space to change baby.

Have got a tallboy chest of drawers already in there and a matching wardrobe has just arrived. May put another rail in it if neccessary. This will last beyond the baby days as it isnt nursery furniture.

As I already have most of stuff from DC1 I dont mind buying little things I never had from last time- bumper, nappy stacker etc

Think I will also get the gro light dimmer too.

If only I could fit a chair in.................

My 'nursery' (read ex-study / smallest bedroom) currently consists of a massive pile of books donated by my 13 year old neighbour, various parcels of clothes from Ebay still as they arrived, and a few other random bits like bedding and curtains (still in packets).

I've had two attempts at ordering furniture off the internet, both ended in delivery date being consistently moved to the right and I ended up cancelling in anger. Waiting 4 to 6 weeks now for the 3rd attempt. Not too worried really, baby will be in our room after all, but it would be nice to have it sorted and done.

get some block out blinds/curtains! I got thermal ones, which block light and keep the room warm in winter and cool in summer. It really improved DS's naps which were in his room. You can get some "pretty" curtains to go over the top, but most kiddy curtains arent functional enough on their own.

Like most other posters, I found DS rarely used the nursery apart from nap times, and slept with us - we got thermal curtains for our room too

MummyAbroad can you or anyone else :) recommend a good place to order thermal blinds? in London? :)
Thanks :)

I got these ones off Amazon.com I bet you can find the same or similar on Amazon.co.uk

Thanks Mummy will check them out!