Baby Furniture
Finally, your day is fast approaching when you will bring your new bundle of joy home. After waiting a long, nine months, you will son be experiencing the greatest day of your life. However, before you can bring your new son or daughter home, you need to have the nursery prepared. Obviously, when shopping for baby furniture, you want something that looks adorable but furniture that is also functional. After all, you are going to be busy so the more your baby furniture can help the better.
In this article, we wanted to talk about the various types of baby furniture you will need. While you can still find many traditional pieces such as the white, wicker bassinet or Jenny Lind crib, you also have a huge new selection. With so many choices, you can decorate your baby's nursery any way you like, knowing you can find the perfect baby furniture to compete the look. Soon, you will have a newborn sleeping soundly in a brand new crib sitting next to a rocker for mom or dad.
First, you want to make a checklist of all the items needed. Although some of these pieces of baby furniture are optional, this would be considered the normal list. In addition, some of these items will be needed immediately while others can be purchased as your baby ages.
- Crib and mattress
- Changing table
- Bassinet or cradle
- Highchair
- Bouncer chair and/or baby swing
- Play Pen
- Dresser
- Rocking Chair
- Crib sheets (fitted)
- Waterproof mattress pad
- Blankets (receiving and comforter type)
- Bumper pad
Remember, the above listed baby furniture is just a guideline. Chances are you will omit some pieces and add others. The key when choosing your new baby furniture has to do primarily with available space and safety. Start by considering the size of the nursery. Like most people, the smallest bedroom in the house is used. Because of this, you typically find space for bedroom furniture to be limited. Therefore, plan what you can and cannot place in the room before you head out shopping.
An excellent way to save money when buying baby furniture is to buy second hand pieces. However, along with this comes a huge responsibility that has to do with safety. In fact, choosing the wrong size baby furniture, pieces that do not meet current safety requirements could be deadly. Therefore, please pay close attention to the construction of the baby furniture to make sure your baby will be comfortable and safe.
To give you some ideas, the age of the baby furniture will play an important role in the decision-making process. For example, we recommend you buy a new crib and then save on used pieces elsewhere. Any crib made prior to 1986 was not required to meet strict guidelines for slat distance. Sadly, many children have died when heads became stuck between the slats. Therefore, only buy a crib made past 1986 and again, we highly suggest you invest in a new one so you know all current safety standards are met.
Other safety rules for used baby furniture have to do with paint. Since older furniture was often painted with lead paint, which is toxic, choose only natural woods and then if you want to add colour, you can with safe paint made today. If you buy a used dressing table or dresser, always check for loose parts. The last thing you want is to change your baby's diaper only to have the changing table fall because of a loose or broken part.
Finally, consider the placement of your new baby furniture, again for both comfort and safety. For one thing, keep the crib away from the window to avoid the hot sun or cold drafts. Then, never place any type of portable heater near your baby's crib. In addition, your new baby furniture as far as the crib should never be placed near a window with blinds that have cords, which can cause strangulation. Finally, make sure your baby furniture is not near any type of loose object that could be pulled down once our little one begins to grow.