Baby Nursery Essentials: From Clothes Hangers to the Crib

One of the best parts of being pregnant is planning the baby nursery! I pinned and pinned and pinned my heart out looking at furniture, wall art, rocking chairs, and all the cute knickknacks. When it came down to it, I knew we’d be spending a lot of time in the baby’s room and wanted to create a calm and serene environment that we could all enjoy. These are the items I love and what I’d recommend to anyone with a baby on the way.

Crib

What do we spend the most time doing in our bedrooms? Sleeping! The baby will need a safe space to sleep and a good solid crib is the way to go. We opted for a 4-in-1 convertible crib which will grow with our baby until she decides she wants something bigger than a full size bed.

Dresser with Changing Pad

The crib we chose has a coordinating dresser. I typically don’t go for the matchy matchy vibe, but this set was too pretty to pass up (and I was about 7 months pregnant when I ordered it and was just over everything and wanted to get it done, either way I am very happy with the decision).

What I like most about this dresser is the height and drawer space. The height was perfect to add a changing pad on top for diaper changes. There really is no need to spend money on an actual changing table when this does the job AND saves space. The drawer space is amazing and we’re able to store all the diaper changing essentials in the top drawers, all her blankets and bedding, clothes, pajamas, towels, bibs…it all fits!

Sound Machine

This thing is a God send. Our baby is a fantastic sleeper and I believe we owe it to 1. TakingCaraBabies, and 2. this sound machine. We’ve been using it since our first night at home and she stills loves it. It has a variety of sound and light color settings, we can control it from our phones, and it’s small enough to be moved from room to room and travel when needed.

I highly recommend the TakingCaraBabies courses for all parents to be. The techniques and tips she provides helped us tremendously those first few months.

Rocking Chair or Glider

Our swivel glider recliner is the number 1 item in our nursery that I’m asked about on Instagram. It’s beautiful, but most importantly it is SO COMFORTABLE! I wanted something pretty, but functional, and this one checks all the boxes for us. You may think I’m crazy for having a white linen piece of furniture in a baby room, but what can I say…I’m a risk taker!

It rocks, it reclines, it has a built-in foot rest (so no need for an ottoman that takes up space), and it’s tall enough to keep my husband comfortable for those late night cuddles.

Baby Hangers

Sometimes we forget how tiny babies are, and how tiny their clothes are. Baby hangers are a must. I found these super pretty velvet hangers on Amazon that I’ve been loving. If you’re like me and need everything to be aesthetically pleasing, get yourself some cute baby sized clothes hangers.

Blackout Curtains

Going back to my mentioning TakingCareBabies, part of the reason our baby has been sleeping through the night since she was 4 months old is we keep her room pitch black. The slightest bit of light would wake her up, so I got these blackout curtains to cover the blinds and window at night (and nap time), so when the sun rises her room remains very dark.

Bonus: Things you DO NOT need in the baby room

1. Crib Mobile – They are super cute, I love mine. But is it necessary? Not at all. She can’t even see it in the dark room.
2. Large toys – We are setting the tone that the bedroom is for sleeping. We do have books and a few of her snuggle dolls in her room, but the larger and noisy toys are kept in the play area of our family room.
3. Changing Table – As mentioned above, you can pop a changing pad on top of the dresser and call it a day.

So there you have it, my baby nursery essentials. You don’t need much in there during the first year, just enough for a good night’s sleep.

SOURCES

Crib – Westwood Design Olivia 4-in-1 Convertible Crib, Brushed White

Dresser – Westwood Design Olivia6-Drawer Dresser, Brushed White

Changing Pad – Naturepedic Organic Cotton Changing Pad, Natural

Swivel Chair – Best Chairs Finley Swivel Glider Recliner, Snow

Sound Machine – Hatch Rest + Sound Machine

Hangers – Premium Kids Velvet Hangers, White and Rose Gold

Blackout Curtains – Voile Overlay Blackout Curtains, White

Swan Mobile – HelloBirdieBirdie Swan Mobile

Peony Wall Decals – Rocky Mountain Decals – Peony Half Order

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