Recommendation on where to buy a Cot, Changing Unit & Chest of drawers for nursery.

[SpringChicken]

Any ideas?

DP and i have been looking into the type of furniture we want in the nursery but haven't really come up with any idea's. We definitely a cot (Or Cotbed, not fussed), a changing unit and either a wardrobe or chest of drawers.

We found a nice cot and changing unit on special offer in toys r us but they are all sold out - can anyone recommend any other places - have got mamas & papas catalogue & mothercare catalogue, have looked in boots and toys R us.

Well have definitely gone off the changing unit idea now!

Have seen loads of cots i like but they are all out of bloody stock - ARRRGGGG - S'pose i've still got loads of time left but like to be ultra organised with these things.
Don't want to leave til the last minute then settle for a cot i don't really like.

Thanks all your suggestions and advice

springchicken we got both our cotbeds from john lewis - they were about £220 each including the mattress which sounds a lot but they should last both dd's until they're 5-ish. they deliver free too. some of the screws were missing and mamas & papas sent them through the post (I got the last one in the shop, so I got it reduced too )
both dd's have been real wrigglers, so never used a changing station, just a mat on the floor

I got dd a cot from Asda. Don't laugh, it's fantastic, carved wood v sturdy and turns into a toddler bed. But by that time it will hopefully still be in cot mode and occupied by sprog number 2. My friend told me not to bother with a changing station thing as she was scared to put her baby on it in case if fell off. I got a cheap changing mat from Mothercare and used that on the floor, much safer.

No no no! If you change them on the floor they can escape - there's nowhere to go if they're on a changing unit! Plus it's easier on your back and knees, PLUS it's easier to clean poo, wee and mashed food from a changing unit that can be wiped down than from a fitted carpet.

We didn't have room for a changing table but bought a contraption that fits over the cot and becomes sort of a table. Only about 30 quid. But like OliveOil I only used it about twice and thenused the floor. Couldn't be arsed traipsing upstairs with a newborn for every change. And if you use a changing mat you don't get mess on your fitted carpets!

But prettycandles isn't the point that they can still escape on a changing unit but onto the floor from a height?

But like I said in my post below I couldn't actually get to the floor with DS immediately post birth (for a few days) so had to improvise.

ASDA Well bugger me - never knew you could get a cot from ASDA.
Sounds like a nice one though!

I have changed my mind yet again about what i want - i initially wanted a cot with slated sides but solid ends as i thought they loked nices but have now decided that i would prefer the whole cot to be slatted so i can see exactly what baba is doing from every angle!

DP is going to kill me when i go home and say i've changed my mind yet again

Yes we have a super dooper Asda near me, near the new Man City ground (boo hiss), think it is a Walmart type superstore. Sells fridges/washing machines/dvd's/ etc etc. Bargains galore.

In three years and two babies I have never had one fall off a changing table, but they have both fallen off the bed because, in my mind, it's large and safe, so I'm less alert to their movements. When we stay at the in-laws I have to use the floor, and my back and knee problems are always worse by the time we get home again. Yes, in theory a changing mat keeps the gunk away from the carpets, but what about when the dear one crawls off in the middle of a nappy change?!

SC - haven't read the whole thread but thought I would add my bit.

DD's room is v small so we had to maximise space. Didn't bother with a changin unit - in fact, didn't much bother with a changing mat (whould change her on lap). Kept the changing mat in the bathroom up quickly strip her off before bath.

I did have a chest of drawers and - don't laugh - they were the MFI type rather than the John Lewis type, so that they are a bit tricky to open. This means that now DD is in a bed when I go into her room in the morning, her clothes are still in the drawers and not all over her room, cos she cannot open the drawers to get to them!

Did have a wardrobe for her in the biggest of our two spare rooms, but hanging her clothes up lasted all of, ooh, 2 weeks, and after that they all got put into drawers.

Just a thought - have you looked at the price of mattresses for the cot? Ours cost about £70. Might it be better to spend more on a good mattress than a super cot, if your cot doesn't come with a mattress?

I should have looked at this thread last week! I have just ordered the Argos baby furniture set which has a cotbed, chest of drawers with detatchable changer unit, and low wardrobe .. it was the best value I could find looking around for a set .. have tried IKEA furniture before but don't seem to be able to build it very sucessfully (pitiful I know!). Does anyone know by any chance whether the Argos furniture is okay?

Its all personal opinion I guess prettycandles. When I'm at in-laws I used to change DS on bed. But on floor at home.

Thanks Mum2Ella - i have already said to DP there we will spend the money on a decent cot and best quality matress rather than a super dooper cot and make do mattress! There is no way i am risking anything going wrong when this little one arrives!

I to was looking at the Argos furniture yesterday but didn't know of anyone who had used it before.

Found a lovely website today called Precious Little One - it had some absolutely gorgeous sets in it - the one i picked out came to £884 - needless to say, we will not be getting one of those

We've just ordered a three piece set from Argos consisting of wardrobe, drawers/changing top and cot/cot bed for £299. I know I'll end up using the floor for changing though!

Haven't received it yet but know from experience that they are very solidily built - fingers crossed!

I will let you know . . .

ps: forgot to mention that it comes with the mattress too.

Libb
now you've got this Argos set, would you recommend it? I'm really interested in the wardrobe rather than the rest of it - trying to rejig ds1's tiny bedroom to allow me to hang up school uniform shirts (and therefore not hsve to iron them ...)

Very, very personal choice on this one.

changed bub on floor before he could roll, but my back went ping so put mat on top of ordinary chest of drawers. Can't leave him for a second on it but it's OK. Hung some things over it for him to grab.

I have beautiful, beautiful cot called Global Bedside Cot (beech) which was h*ll to get hold of but apparently is now available via jojomamanbebe for 150 squids - drop side, up and over side, wheels, multiple base positions etc. But have a look in your local paper, you'd be amazed what good quality second hand children's stuff can be. Mattress was a present from dm.

Solid cot ends nice because reduce drafts but perhaps this is why more are all slatted now.

Copper, we haven't started using it yet! DS is still in his basket in our room but the changing table is a lovely height - it also detaches itself so when he is older it will just be a set of drawers. It is very robust and so I can see it lasting a long time (I completed the wardrobe the day DS arrived!)

So would the wardrobe be suitable for an older child, do you think? Could you hang teenage-size shirts in it?