Creating a Nursery

I'm willing to bet that if you've found your way to this blog, you've also found your way to countless photos of picture-perfect nurseries and baby rooms. I'm also willing to bet that you've probably even started creating or thinking about what your nursery will look like. Am I wrong?

I want to be honest with you and say that I love a beautiful nursery as much as the next mom, and when our time came to start the pregnancy journey I too found myself looking and all sorts of inspirational nursery designs.

During all of my dreaming and searching, I began to wonder how much I really would NEED vs how much just looked pretty and perfect on social media. Did I really need a 7ft tall stuffed giraffe? Did I need to buy both a bassinet and a crib? And why are there no diaper pails in any of these picture-perfect photos?

For the next few minutes, I want us to forget those Instagram-worthy nurseries. Let's spend some time talking about what you are going to NEED vs what you may WANT. From there, you can decide how photo-worthy to make your own nursery. Deal?

Nursery NEEDS:

1. Space for the Baby to Sleep: Bassinet $100 or Crib $650

2. Changing Pad: Portable $16 or Stationary $32

3. Diapers $100

4. Wipes $30

5. Diaper Pail $48

6. Diaper Refill Bags $19

7. Butt Paste $12

8. Bum Brush $7

9. Tissues $2

10. Vaseline $2

11. Gauze Pads $9

12. Swaddles $60

13. Clothes $100

14. Burp Cloths $30

15. Bulb Syringe $4

Total Price: $539 - $1,105

Items on the Need List were either items we knew were essential to our baby's survival so we already had them, or we purchased them within 24 hours of bringing our baby home (they were that important).

The most important thing your nursery can have for your baby is a safe place to Sleep. We had a Crib in our nursery, as well as a Bassinet in our bedroom. It turned out, our baby hated the bassinet and wanted to sleep in his crib. Are all babies like this? Nope. Regardless of what your baby's preferred sleep location is, the important thing is to have a safe sleep space for them.

All babies sleep and all babies potty, so we know we will also need items essential to the Diapering process. For Starters, you'll need a space to change your baby. A Changing Pad can either be Portable (tossed onto your bed or couch) or Stationary (securely mounted on the furniture of your choosing).

Newborns can go through 10-12 Diapers per day. I recommend having no less than 100 Size NB Diapers on hand. I also recommend having an additional 100 Size 1 Diapers on hand. The diaper brand you want your baby to wear may not be what fits your baby best, so I recommend having a few different brands on hand, giving you the opportunity to decide what's best for your family.

**bonus comment** Do not open all of your diaper boxes. Typically anything unopened can be returned and replaced at a store. You don't want to be stuck with 200 size 5 Diapers in a brand you thought you would love but actually hate, TRUST ME.

I do believe it's safe to stock up on Wipes, as babies seem to be less picky about these. I love Pampers, but they are also the only wipes I've ever tried.

We have a Diaper Genie for disposing of Dirty Diapers and it is a life saver. The smell of your baby's poop rapidly goes from "that's not bad" to "I'm gonna puke", so a smell-proof place to put those dirty diapers is essential!

Diapers and poop also lead to a Chapped Butt, so you'll need to have some Butt Paste and a Bum Brush on hand for when things get red.

It's a good idea to have Tissues around for keeping the Umbilical Cord dry and free from contamination.

For Circumcised boys you'll also need Vaseline and Gauze Pads to keep care of their post-surgery site. I was vastly unprepared for taking care of a post-circumcised area and thus spent our entire first night at home on the phone with an on-call doctor (more on that in another blog).

Your baby will also need Clothes (they can't stay naked all the time) and Swaddles for sleeping. For clothing, I recommend having some options for Premie, NB, and 0-3M. There really is no way to know how big or small your baby will be, so I suggest being prepared here. I HIGHLY recommend the Halo brand swaddles, and have at least two on hand. We were given this brand to use in the hospital and they were amazing.

The last two things you are going to want are a Bulb Syringe and Burp Cloths. You might have a baby that does not have acid reflux, and these items are completely unnecessary for you. Our son constantly suffered from reflux, so we dealt with a steady stream of vomit for the first year of his life. This classic Bulb Syringe was so essential to our everyday life, that we owned three of them. Vomit equals stains, so we had a plethora of Burp Cloths on hand at all times.

Nursery WANTS:

1. Crib $350

2. Crib Mattress $240

3. Crib Mattress Protector $40

4. Crib Sheets $20

5. Rocking Chair $600

6. Baby Monitor $370

7. Lamp $35

8. Room Decor $500

9. Nightstand $140

10. Dresser $410

11. More Clothes $200

12. Laundry Hamper $40

13. Sound Machine $70

Total Price $3,015

See how expensive that Want List is? If you're tight on money, I suggest taking a hard look at your Want List, because so many items can wait (even though Pinterest says they can't). I will say, we purchased everything on the Want List before our baby was born.

I 100% recommend buying a new Crib. Buying a new Crib is the best way to know it's designed and built in accordance with the latest safety standards. You don't want to be on the phone with Poison Control or your Pediatrician and not have an answer when they ask what year your crib was built. A fun fact we learned when purchasing our crib: cribs are not sold in a bundle. You have to buy the Crib, Crib Mattress, Mattress Protector and Crib Sheets all separately.

If you decide to get a Rocking Chair, I recommend a La-Z-Boy. They don't cost much more than most recliners (if you shop sales - which is a must for purchasing a La-Z-Boy) and they have a lifetime warranty. Ours even came with expert stain removal!

There are many Baby Monitors on the market. We were blessed with being gifted an Owlet and so long as our wifi is working, it's amazing. However, if you live in a large home or have unstable wifi, it may not be the best option for your family.

Furniture for your nursery is obviously completely up to you, but I would suggest being mindful when purchasing. We decided to buy items that had a long life expectancy or a long use expectancy. We opted for a normal Dresser that could double as a changing station while needed, versus a special Changing Table.

I remember when my son was only a few days old, being so confused by how such a small person could produce so much Laundry. We opted to wash all of our son's clothes separate from ours to avoid any potential hair tourniquets. Having a separate Laundry Hamper for him, in his room, made this possible and easy.

Two Words: Sound Machine. I think I knew a sound machine would be beneficial in the nursery, but I had absolutely no idea how critical it would be. Our son will lay awake in his bed for HOURS if there is no steady sound machine running. The moment that sound machine kicks on, he's out like a light! We love the Hatch Sound Machine and it's "Dryer Sound" setting so much that we even purchased a portable one for when we are on the road!

When it comes to designing and preparing your nursery, just be financially wise (as I'm sure you already are). Save where you can save and invest where it's worth investing. You've got this!

Did you find this post useful? Let me know in comments! Think of something I forgot? Let me know so we can all get smarter together!