One of the most fun parts of preparing for baby can be designing their nursery. You probably have access to plenty of cute ideas for styling the space, so let’s focus on function.
Surface Area
It’s important to have enough flat surfaces to hold all the stuff. You’ll find you’ve never needed so much set up and objects around you as when you are cradling a baby and trying to live your life at the same time. Surface area includes your changing table, and space around it for a brief lineup of fresh diapers, wipes, diaper cream, pacifiers, burp cloths, and the like. Surface area also includes end tables or similar pieces that will host things you need, like a glass of water, snacks, your phone, tissues, more burp cloths, a book, and whatever else you may need to be comfortable in one place for a while as you are feeding and rocking your little.
Comfy Seating
Make sure you have a good chair to sit on for those feedings and rocking sessions. Your comfort will be important during the strenuous newborn and infant stages. This is one of the most important aspects of the room, because it will most likely be used multiple times a day. Choose something supportive.
Accessible Outlet next to Seating
You will want your phone, and to be able to charge it.
Bed
Even if the nursery isn’t going to double as a guest room, having a bed will allow for even more seating and more surface area. If you are breastfeeding or chest-feeding and would prefer to nurse on your side, you’ll be grateful for an adult sized bed to lounge on so your back gets a break. If you want to hang out on your baby’s level while they practice tummy time, it can happen here. And the bed can also serve as a space for more receiving blankets, burp cloths, and sleep sacks that you may want accessible in the middle of the night or during the day.
Storage
Taking advantage of vertical space and using multifunctional pieces can make a big difference. Keeping all clothes, toys and accessories for later ages organized and labeled for easy access once it is time to pull them out can save work and overwhelm later in your closet. For the clothes your baby currently wears, we personally love using the konmari style of folding and filing, which makes it easy for you to see everything you have. It’s such a let down when you find a crumpled onesie that got lost in the back of the drawer that your baby didn’t get to wear, and it is already too small!
Not sure where to begin? Our postpartum doulas can help you create and maintain a functional and organized space for your growing family, in the nursery and other areas of the house where life will be integrated with baby. Ask us how.
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