5 New Mom Tips For Setting Up Your Baby Room

When you find out you are pregnant it is a time of great joy, however, it can also come with a lot of apprehension and anxiety for new moms. There is a lot to think about, and many things you need to do to prepare for your new baby. You need to set up your baby room and may not know where to start.

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When To Set Up Baby Room

You can spend the first trimester planning your baby room, however, the best time to set up your baby room is during your second trimester. You will have the most energy during this time and some of the unpleasant pregnancy symptoms of the first trimester (such as morning sickness) should subside by the second trimester. You should know the gender of your baby which may play a big role in how you want to decorate your baby’s room.

The goal should be to finish tackling all the big jobs before your third trimester starts as this is when your energy levels will dip and you may start experiencing unpleasant pregnancy symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, frequent urination, heartburn, pelvic pain, sciatica, and more. You want to be able to rest and relax as much as possible during the third trimester.

What To Tackle First

The first thing on your to do list should be to paint your baby room. The reason you want to do this first is that it is going to be a much easier job to tackle when the room is clear of furniture and baby things. It is also essential that you get the room painted and the fumes cleared out long before your baby arrives.

The best paint to use is a water-based paint that is non-toxic to ensure your baby room is safe for your baby. Painting the baby room is a job for your baby daddy, you don’t want to inhale paint fumes while pregnant. If you are a single mom and have nobody available to assist consider hiring someone to do the painting for you rather than doing it yourself.

If the room doesn’t have any cupboards now is also a good time to get some built in cupboards installed or buy some free standing cupboards.

Baby Room Essentials

The most essential things you will need for your baby include the following items:

Baby Cot, Mattress And Bedding

Your newborn baby is going to be sleeping most of the time during the first few weeks. It is essential to have a comfortable and safe sleeping space set up. Make sure that the mattress is baby safe. It should be firm, breathable, and fit the cot properly without any space around the sides.

When it comes to baby bedding you want to ensure that you get a good fitted sheet. While you may be keen to get a cute bedding set for your baby rather wait until your baby is bigger. The best way for a newborn to sleep is in swaddle blankets. Make sure there are no pillows, extra loose blankets, stuffed toys, or anything else in the cot.

Changing Table

Your baby will be wearing nappies from birth until the toddler years. The first few weeks you may be changing your baby’s nappy every two hours. Having a changing table that is the right height is important. You can use a table or chest of drawers you already have in your home, or you can buy a changing table.

Feeding Chair

Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding you are going to want a comfortable place in your baby’s room to feed your baby. A rocking chair or comfortable single stuffed chair will work great.

Black Out Curtains Or Blinds

Creating the right sleeping environment for your baby is going to have a big impact on your baby’s quality of sleep. Making the room dark will help your baby sleep better. Blackout curtains will keep all the light out the room even during the day for day naps.

Nappy Bin

Getting a proper nappy bin is a great idea, it gives you a safe, hygienic and odour-free way to store your dirty nappies.

Handy Things You Will Need In Your Baby Room

There are many ways to decorate your baby room to make it beautiful, however, these items listed below are practical and will make your life as a new mother much easier, so I recommend you start with kitting out your baby room with these items first before focusing on the finishing touches.

Nursing Pillow

If you plan to breastfeed your baby a feeding pillow is a must have item. It will keep you comfortable while breastfeeding, reduce strain on your body and keep your baby at just the right height for nursing.

Night Light

Having a night light will give the room a lovely ambience at night, give you enough light to see what you are doing without turning on the main light, and make sure that your baby does not get disturbed by too much light when waking up at night and during night time feeds.

Nappy Organiser Caddy

A nappy caddy is super useful. Not only will it keep all the nappies, baby bum cream, and other items nicely organised, neat, and within easy reach on your changing table, it is also convenient to carry around the house.

Baby Monitor

Having a baby monitor will give you peace of mind as a new mom by letting you monitor your baby if you are not in the same room. You will be alerted instantly if your baby cries or becomes unsettled during the night.

Cot Mobile

Cot mobiles are super cute and will make your baby room look great, but they are not just there to look good. A baby mobile offers benefits for your baby including visual stimulation, developing motor skills, better sleep, and preventing boredom. It doesn’t just offer benefits for your baby, if your baby is distracted for a bit by a cot mobile it can mean an extra few minutes of sleep for mom, or even time to have a quick cup of coffee.

White Noise

One of the best ways to help your baby fall asleep is to play white noise, having a white noise machine in your baby’s room is going to be a very helpful tool for new moms. You can use it as part of your baby’s night time routine and it will act as a cue for your baby to fall asleep. A music box that plays music and vibrates and can attach to your baby’s cot or pram will also be fantastic.

Other Decor Items To Set Up Baby Room

Now that all the important items are covered there are lots of things you can add to your baby’s room to make it more homely and unique. Here are some ideas:

• Cute wooden shelves to add photos and for storing toys.
• Baby footprint and photo frame for when your baby is born.
• Toddler plush chair – yes baby will only be able to use it later but it looks super cute and your baby will grow so fast.
• Wall stickers will mean you can create the most beautiful themes and if you buy good quality ones they will be easy to remove and replace with others when you want a change.

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