Your guide for creating a safe, comfy & stylish baby nursery

by Kimberly Aardal
(Colorado)

The nursery. For many parents-to-be, decorating and supplying a baby nursery is one of the most enjoyable parts of the months leading up to the little one's arrival. From choosing a dutailier rocker glider to coordinating the right shades of brown and blue or purple and pink, you'll have many decisions to make in the coming months.

But with so many furniture styles and products on the market it can be hard to choose items that will create the safe, comfy, and stylish nursery you want. This guide will give you all the do's and don'ts you need to know to decorate and supply the perfect nursery.

Don't create an elaborate and fussy nursery. Instead choose soothing themes that are both clean and simple. And while baby's new digs might feature stuffed bears and chunky mobiles, many soon-to-be parents try to blend the nursery with the rest of the home's decor. Calming colors and simple furniture will create the kind of restful room your baby will be more likely to fall asleep in and, as a bonus, the room will be stylish, too.

Do invest in only the essential furniture for baby's nursery. In fact, an infant's needs are fairly simple for the first year: a place to sleep, a place to get a clean behind, and a place to cuddle with mom or dad, like a glider. When you shop for the basics, look for furniture that provides plenty of built-in storage for all those diapers, lotions, onesies, binkies, stuffed animals, and everything else baby will quickly accumulate.

Don't use paint that contains high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Instead use no- or low-VOC paint that does not give off the toxic fumes that have the potential to harm moms-to-be and babies. After you've chosen your nursery-safe paint, add a modern flair to the decor by applying one shade to the lower part of the wall and another shade to the upper part of the wall.

Do invest in a high-quality glider for your little one's nursery. From late night feedings to cuddle-n-snuggle sessions, you and baby will spend plenty of time in that chair. By choosing a comfortable glider that provides good support you can focus on your baby instead of an aching back. In fact, some nursery gliders even have features like swivel, recline, and lock mechanisms that make it so simple to sit down into and get up out of the chair while holding the infant. In addition, if you invest in a quality rocker glider you can move the chair to another room when baby's grown and even pass it down when baby starts having little ones of their own.

Don't invest in just any bedding. Green-savvy moms are increasingly turning to organic sheets and bedding to lay their babies on at nap- and bedtime. Going green is a smart, non-toxic way to start your baby's life.

Do stock up on the basics. It's fun to shop for bedding, paint, and furniture, no question. But you'll also need to supply yourself with those little things that are utterly necessary for baby, from wipes and ointments to diapers and lotions. Keep the items on hand and within easy reach so you won't be forced to fumble through boxes to find them the day your newborn arrives home.

Don't neglect safety. It's true that newborns don't do much more than eat, sleep, cry, and make dirty diapers, but it won't be long before they morph into super-mobile baby. Before the activities of everyday parenthood set in, be sure to plug electrical outlets, hide electrical cords, and tuck away the cords for shades, blinds, and other window treatments. One way to ensure you're not missing a potential hazard is by getting down to baby's eye level and looking for dangers.

Do get the baby nursery decorated and stocked well before your infant arrives.

Why?

For many women, the last month of pregnancy is the most challenging, from swollen ankles to extreme exhaustion. The physical signs that the little one?s almost here can make it tough for even the most enthusiastic mom-to-be to focus on hunting for furniture or choosing a paint. Alleviate the stress by outfitting the nursery when you're still feeling fairly well.

It's true that decorating and supplying the nursery isn't exactly nuclear engineering, but it is a necessary part of being a new parent. Yet it's one that, between working, doctor's appointments, and all of your other responsibilities, can be challenging. Don't put it off any longer.

By using this guide you can build a stylish and safe nursery for your little one to sleep in.

As the publisher of EveryDayRockingChairs.com, Kimberly Aardal's mission is to write helpful and informative reviews and articles about rockers, such as the swivel rocking chair and the glider rocker ottoman. She lives in Colorado with her husband and Ginger the yellow lab, her best pal. When Kimberly's not writing about rocking chairs, she's exploring the mountains near her hometown