How to Prepare a Nursery Checklist
Bringing home your new bundle of joy is an exciting experience, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. You can help to minimize the stresses in your early weeks at home by preparing in advance for all of the items your baby will need in his nursery.
Before you dash off to the department store for baby supplies — and wind up with a multitude of items baby probably doesn’t need — start your preparations by making a list of the fundamentals and little extras you want for your baby.
Things You’ll Need
- Crib, cradle or bassinet
- Fitted sheets
- Mattress pad
- Dresser, changing table and rocking chair
- Closet organization system
- Changing pad
- Diapering supplies
- Fabric or wicker basket
- Window coverings
- Baby monitor
- Smoke detector
- Carbon monoxide detector
- Receiving blankets
- Pacifiers
- Baby towels
- Washcloths
7 Steps to Prepare a Nursery Checklist
1. Write down the most important essentials to start your nursery checklist.
Your baby will need a place to sleep, such as a crib, cradle or bassinet and a mattress. If you opt for a crib, choose one without a drop side, raised corner posts or cutouts. Ensure that the space between the crib slats is no more than 2 3/8 inches.
2. Add at least three fitted sheets for your bed of choice to the list and a mattress pad to protect the mattress from diaper leaks.
Skip the bumper pads and heavy crib blankets because these can pose suffocation hazards to babies. If you want these items to complete the nursery’s decor, be sure to remove them from the bed at nap time and bedtime to keep your baby safe.
3. List the furniture you’d like to accompany the baby’s bed, such as a dresser, changing table and rocking chair.
If you’re limited on space, skip the dresser and opt for a closet organization system to store all of baby’s clothes and accessories to keep extra furniture out of the main nursery area. A changing table is also a convenience but not a necessity.
You can lay out a changing pad and change your baby on a bed, couch or even the floor. Regardless of where you choose to change your baby, arrange diapering supplies nearby on a changing table shelf or in a fabric or wicker basket for convenient access, and always stay right with your baby when she is on an elevated surface.
4. Select the window coverings for the nursery.
Choose cordless window coverings whenever possible. If the blinds or curtains in the nursery have a cord, tie it out of reach.
5. Incorporate a baby monitor on your nursery list.
Opt for a monitor with two receivers so you can keep one with you throughout the day and the other in your bedroom. Invest in a smoke detector for inside — or directly outside — the nursery and make sure there is a carbon monoxide detector on the same floor of the home as your infant.
6. Choose accessories for the nursery, such as wall hangings and display shelves.
Opt for stimulating decorations for your baby with high-contrast patterns, such as black-and-white concentric circles or checkerboards. If the high contrast patterns don’t blend in with the decor you’ve chosen for the room, consider adding a black-and-white crib mobile to provide your baby with a visually stimulating toy while minimizing the impact on the decor.
7. Stock the shelves, drawers and bins with baby supplies, such as diaper wipes, diaper cream, receiving blankets, pacifiers, baby towels and washcloths.
Add newborn clothing to the closet, including five to seven sleepers and onesies, six to eight outfits, four to five pairs of socks, one to two baby hats and a jacket or snowsuit, depending on the season.
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