As soon as that cute baby bump starts showing itself, the urge to start an entire home re-design project overflows you and you find yourself all over interior design magazines, colour palettes and baby furniture Australia online stores. Not to worry ladies – that’s completely normal, no matter how your husband starts looking at you ( respect for those rare cases who get that same avalanche of re-designing emotions and ideas).
Once the big baby-news come, mothers instantly start thinking about everything the baby would need once it comes to this world. A nursery, a small bed, a changing table, diapers, mats, cleaning products, toys, and creating a whole ambiance so that he feels comfortable, relaxed and pretty much like on 7th Heaven. We all want that and more, if possible. I know, men would say we’re overreacting, but it’s that maternal instinct which we simply cannot fight.
My hubby wasn’t exactly one of those cases, and when I said I needed to do some room re-arrangement because our baby was on its way, he couldn’t quite understand it at first – a baby that knows nothing, only sleeps, eats and poops needs an entire room?! Men’s logic, right? Bottom line, I did my re-designing project and I started looking for the basic stuff to fill it with so that I’m completely prepared when the baby comes.
Believe it or not, there is an entire kingdom of baby stuff on the market; baby furniture Australia online and offline stores are just stacked with amazing furniture elements for nurseries; everything from the essentials to the not so essential stuff. As much as I enjoyed searching through that vast online offer, I kind of started to catch on that men’s logic a little: my baby should have everything, but does it really need everything?
So, I made a list of the things that a mummy-to-be needs and those you could, but really do not have to spend money on.
A crib
The crib should be your center of attention when you shop for baby furniture. It’s your baby’s sleeping place! Choose carefully between these 3 options: a standard crib which has 4 fixed sides and slats; convertible crib which is large and can be transformed into a full size bed and a portable bed crib with parts that can be disassembled and easy reassembled when needed. Have in mind the space where you are going to place the crib and whether you can afford to buy another bigger bed when the time comes.
A crib mattress
The mattress is essential number two. You need a good quality mattress for the crib if you want your baby to really have a good night’s sleep without waking up and crying in the middle of the night. All mattresses in retail today are designed by strict rules, so you don’t necessarily need to look for the most expensive one to get a quality one. That being said, I’ d recommend you to go with the organic mattress. An organic mattress is in most cases allergy-free and very breathable. Trust me, you want the mattress to be fresh so your baby can get the good-night sleep he so much needs.
A cradle
This is for those of you who have decided not to create a nursery; some people simply do not have the space. Also, mothers who want their baby by their side at all times will find this essential. The cradle serves for the baby to be able to sleep by your bed, or in the living room while you are around. It should be easy to move from one place to another, so pick something small and light.
Slider/rocker
When in their mother’s arms and sliding, babies fall asleep right away. And how wouldn’t they, even I still crash when I put my head in my mum’s lap – it’s where you feel the safest to let down your attention guard and just let go. Now, a slider isn’t really a necessity; if you can afford one and have where to place it, go ahead. Besides for putting the baby in it to fall asleep fast, you can use it for breastfeeding as well; it can make the entire process a lot easier, since the sliding movement has a really calming effect on babies. The chair should be comfortable for you to sit on it, so choose something you can put pillows on if it doesn’t come with ones when you buy it.
Diaper pail
I think it’s only sanitary to own a diaper pail; you’ll be facing some really unpleasant messes while your baby is in diapers! This is definitely an essential; make sure it closes well and doesn’t let odor out.
Monitor
A baby monitor is a good thing if you have a nursery; once you put your baby to sleep, you’ll want to be able to finish a few things around the house before it awakes. And you won’t have to think about whether he is awake and hungry – you can hear it all through the monitor.
