What are ( YOUR ) must Haves in your Nursery..

[Ladyrose215]

Hello Ladies.. My question is.. What do you feel like are the most usefull - Important items to have in your nursery.. What do you think will benefit other expected mothers to have.. Cant wait to hear from everyone.. Thanks and God bless

[Sunkissed19]

oh and a diaper bag and get a fold out changing pad to put in it...i got this rad one that can hold diapers...a wipe case and has the attached pad and it all folds up and Velcros shut! got it from babies rus...love it! especially to flop it open on those super hard ridiculous changing tables in public bathrooms and on the backseat of the car in weird places where u have to change a diaper NOW lol!

[Sunkissed19]

oh and we love our flippin diaper genie ...it works great for us..i think its easy and masks the smell!

[Sunkissed19]

im just gonna list what we have in our nursery because we use all of it everyday and its all become "essential" to me...i dont think there is a right or wrong (everyone has  different preference).

Crib

changing table- with a contoured pad and slipcover (i use my changing table everyday because my son is a pro at pooping and/or peeing right when the diaper comes off...i HAVE gotten poop/pee on the bed and the floor and everywhere else in between) i also dont like to haul diapers and wipes all around the house with me..i like having thing neat and tidy all in one place. we also have an organizer that hangs off the changing table that holds diapers..wipes and has a place for powders/lotions and hand sanitizer.

cloth bins on the changing table- i love to be organized...i hate havting to search around for things so this is a must have for me..one bin has hats...one has bibs and burb cloths...one has shoes..one for socks...one filled with toys and a little one with grooming things like nail clippers brush..comb thermometer etc.

Bookcase filled with books- I think reading to a child is ESSENTIAL no matter the age..we read three books a night before bed..everynight and even though matthew is only 4 months old he loves to look at the pictures and hear the rhyming.

in his closet i have another hanging organizer (lol) that has washcloths...towels...blankets and crib sheets ...again i love having it all right there...everything has a spot.

i also have a big flat roll away bin that slides under his crib that i store the clothes in as they get to small for him (i  hate having a ton of clothes in his dresser that dont fit so i clear them out regularly)

on his dresser he has a picture of his mommy and daddy :) a piggy bank that we put change in to buy toys and a lamp.

we also have a nightlight and a big comfy rug that we like to play on...plus his stuffed animals in a big net that hangs on the wall.

things we dont keep in the nursery but that we use on a regular basis-
travel system
bouncer/swing
activity mat (although we didnt when he was a newborn but 3+months he loves it)
a front pack (we like to take walks on the beach and go hiking...its also helpful for game night when i need my hands to hold cards...this way matthew can "play with mommy" but i cant still use my hands)
boppy (could not have lived without this as a newborn)
pack n play with a bassinet insert (this is what he sleeps in ..in our room at night)

also no one mentioned a baby bath and a camera :) u definitely need a good camera and or a video camera !

[penswriter]

What we had/have in our kids room (I guess it's not a nursery anymore)

Changing table
dresser
cribs
my glider with ottoman
hamper
garbage can
monitor
their stuffed animals
now their pillow (they got a pillow when they were 1)
blankies
blinds

[JoyRenee]

Love my rocking chair and changing table! Wish I had a glider though (even the cheap ones from Walmart are nice; ugly but really comfortable!).

[mom2ariana]

ashelen haha maybe im just uncoordinated but i used to get poop on her changing table too ... i have a dresser with side panels on the top and we bought a changing pad to put her on..and on top of the changing pad i have waterproof pads. i guess its everyone's preference but thats just what i prefer :)

[hkenny]

this is what I ment by a changing pad on top of the dresser.

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=2686930&prodFindSrc=search
then you just buy whatever cover you like and your set. Once your child is out of diapers you still have a useful dresser!

[ammanda]

I absolutley love diaper sacks.  there amazing and they smell so good, and there so cheap, you get like 40 of them for a dollar something at Walmart.  

I agree that bottle sterilizers are pointless.  Dishwashers work the same, and even if you dont have one, sometimes if  theres not enough dishes for the dishwasher, i just fill up the sink with really really hot water, and soap and wash them.  and I always rinse them out with hot water right when im done using them.

And I agree, i bought a pack n play with a changing table, and I never use it, i just change him on the couch and floor on his mat...  I have gotten poop fall out on the floor once before, lol,, but its not a big deal. ya its gross, but its my baby you know. lol

[Limonada]

Going back to the blackout curtain thing.....My oldest is almost 4 years old and we've never bought blackouts for his room.  He sleeps from 8pm to 7am no problem.  Sure, it would be nicer if he'd sleep in past 7am, but that would mean that he'd be up later at night, too.  And hkenny made a good point about children needing to be able to sleep elsewhere, if need be.

We use a diaper system, not a Diaper Genie, but the Safety 1st version (called Neat, I think) and it's been great.  It's not that hard to empty....and I've honestly found that it does keep the unpleasant odours down.  Of course, a regular old garbage can would work just fine, too, but I'm guessing it would need to be emptied much more frequently.  We only empty our Neat once a week - although my baby DS (7 months)  is only just starting on solids, so we're not into the real diaper nastiness yet, lol!

LMAO @ Ashelen re: hulk babies in disguise ;)

[Ashelen]

LOL Rachel I never get poop on the floor or bed!

but the gas drops is a good point...I try not to give them too often but when someone is gassy they are a life saver.

[mom2ariana]

must haves:
* swaddleme...i know people have said receiving blankets are better but if you have a baby that moves in their sleep they will get out of them. my daughter moves so much she kicks out of her swaddleme sometimes, but she sleeps 32094832409x's better swaddled. babies jerk around and wake themselves up. they will move and grunt at first which my mom insists is her trying to get out but if you keep them in it (unless they are crying) they fall asleep and stay asleep longer
* gas drops...we give them to her like candy
* mylanta...if you have a baby with reflux or tummy problems mylanta is the key. buy the adult liquid kinda and start out giving 1 mL...it is miracle medicine and i have already gotten a friend hooked on it + my pediatrician ok'd it.
* thermometer...takes baby's temp AND stimulates bowel movement to keep your baby from getting constipated if it hasn't gone in a long time
* TONS of burp clothes
* good smelling lotion and wipes...no one ever told me how much babies sweat under their necks..and let me tell you it STINKS. i wipe her neck constantly with baby wipes and use good smelling lotion to mask it
* diaper genie...works great :)
* changing table...idk how or why people dont use changing tables, but i wouldn't recommend not getting one...we use ours 20 times a day at least, you will need places to lay baby to give medicine, change diapers, change clothes, groom (nails, ears, neck) and you WILL get poop on the floor or bed if you decide to change baby there
* sleep positioner...baby will roll over and can kick it's way over to the side of the bed and get its face in the bumpers...i bought a sleep positioner and took the velcro sides off and they work better just stuck onto the crib sheet and keep her from rolling / suffocating in her bumper as like i said, she moves a lot

dont need:
* powder is a no no...it gets in their lungs and is bad for them...we were told not to use and we dont...ive never wished i had any
* wipe warmer (spoils baby so that he/she will cry when you are on the go and only have cold wipes
* bottle warmer (again, spoils baby and he/she won't take cold or room temp bottles)
* sterilizer (thought i would use but dishwasher sterilizes
* multiple bottles...baby's eat on average every 4 hours, and formula can sit out safely for 4 hours (ignore the 1 hr rule, even doctors say its b u l l s h i t and a way to get you to buy excess and waste it)...so we feed ariana every 4 hours and i dont need to wash her bottle very often, just rinse and shake it out with warm water. shes NEVER had a problem. only wash it in the morning as it sits out at night once they sleep through the night.
* receiving blankets..if you have a summer baby ( like i did ) you will never use them and they are a giant waste of money...as well as socks

[Ashelen]

the monitor comes in handy if you need to walk out to the mailbox for a moment or if you have to go to the bathroom for a few minutes if you catch my drift...I think that a cheap one is better than none at all (ours was fairly cheap but it has lights that indicate motion) and DH and I didn't use it a WHOLE lot with DD (mostly if I was napping and he stepped out for a cigarette or we were cooking or watching a movie or something) but with DS we use it every time we leave the bedroom to get freaky, lol. peace of mind when your mind is on something else :)

[Cassandrajane]

They wont be closed properly...
There is a street lamp outside my room (self made night light HAHA)... No, I think the lining is more for heat... to keep it in? I aint too sure, I have always had lined curtains... With light curtains (Like yellow) even with lining LOADS of light gets through.

John has already picked out Harry's curtains (Light blue) So I know lighht will get through, as my brothers curtains are light blue and they are linned.

The front room is next to my room where Harry will be untill we move. So I duno about a monitor... if I am next door. And my mum is in the room below and John will be moving in, So If I go to have a bath, plenty of people will hear him, So I might not get one till I move.

[hkenny]

a comfortable place to nurse, for me this was an old school rocking chair and a bobby pillow.

I also loved the aden and anais swaddling blankets, they are HUGE and I swaddled my dd until she was a year...she loved it! I always found when she wasnt swaddled she woke up alot more during the night. Plus they are handy for other things since they are so big. We use ours still to cover the stroller if she is sleeping or for a blanket at the park. They are muslin cotton so they breathe which is I think why they work so well. Baby doesnt get to warm.

Personally I prefer to not have blackout blinds....I want my child to be able to sleep at grandparents houses who dont have blackout blinds. She can sleep in the daylight no problem b.c we never black out her room, makes sleep overs with my mom easy. I also did not find a wipe warmer useful, my sister had 1 and had huge issues any time they were out of the house b.c her son was so used to the warm wipes. I can see that they would feel nice but you might create a problem....just my 2 cents.

as far as a monitor we use ours alot but we have a 2 story home, I think that can greatly depend on what type of home you have. I do like the one we hvae b/c its video, it was great for when she was really little b/c we could look and see if she was awake or just making baby noises in her sleep. some would disagree but I found if we opened the door she woke up from our presence.

a change table....no. We have a dresser...which we store her clothes in and we have a foam change thing on top. Works just like a change table without the useless piece of furniture that you will only need for 2-3 years. Her dresses will be useful forever!
my dd loved her jolly jumper not something you will need right away, but compared to all the other things that are alot more expensive this was by far her fave!

[Ashelen]

Unfortunately winter is when you're going to need as much light coming in the windows as possible because the lesser amount of sunlight experienced during winter can throw off a carefully-regulated sleeping pattern...so any light color you can use, even if they're doubled lined, that allow at least some light through is helpful.

we used the diaper genies with my daughter...couldn't survive without them...but after awhile we got tired of emptying them (pain in the butt) so we just do the wal-mart bags and double bag the stinky ones too, lol.


i guess that both of my babies were hulk babies in disguise..they always managed to open the velcro swaddler blankets...and they managed to unwind the burrito swaddles, even when the L&D nurses would come in and go "oh you must've not done it right"...they'd be out of them again soon....so both of my kids slept mostly just in onesies or sleeper PJs..they both like to kick their feet a lot and the sleeper sacks irritated them....I loved the burrito wrap (with a receiving blanket) for snuggling time but they were always out of it the minute they were put down in bed no matter who wrapped them.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

a swaddler isn't really a blanket, it's a fancy contraption that came out recently thats supposed to make it easier to swaddle your baby.   I've never bothered trying them.  

[Cassandrajane]

So Blackout blinds should be used when they are toddlers??

What about the curtains, most of them have lining on? Basically doubles up the curtains mainly for winter...


Whats the difference between a delievery blanket and a swaddler blanket?

x

[LosingMyMindInGA]

It's amazing to see what things some people feel are absolutely worth it and necessary and what they feel are worthless.  It just goes to show it really depends on personal preference.  

Someone else listed a diaper genie.  *I* tried several different "diaper systems" and found all of them a pain in the butt and a waste of money.  They still stunk up the room and were a hastle to use.  I just buy the little scented diaper bags from walmart (MUCH cheaper) and put them in  a regular trash can with a lid.  If it's a super stinky one, I double bag it.  

I also agree with Ashelen on the black out curtains.  I don't think that's a good idea.  The sunlight is actually what helps to regulate sleep patterns and it's very beneficial for infants to to get that early on.  

[Cassandrajane]

No No, 6 to 7 months!!! And I am going to start him on Veg firrst.. but one at a time.. just incase and if I give him fruit I dont want him to develop a sweet tooth and not eat veg... If that makes sense???

But what can go in there?? Its small, like the size of a little rattle. And I wont be able to give him Banana's because I am allergic to them, so that's gotta be Johns job if Harry wants nana's LOL...

What fruits and  Veg can go in them??

x

[Ashelen]

YES cassandra feeder bags are AWESOME...but not right away. you've got at least several months before you can use them no matter how soon you introduce solids because you dont want to trigger an allergy...but eventually omg yes feeder/biter bags are fantastic.

I agree with Limonada about the wipe warmers...waste of money IMO.

[Cassandrajane]

My bad... I am only going by what my mum done with my brother and sister, Well my certains are dark (Dark purple) and they have lining in them as well...But you can still tell night from day and stuff... I guess they will be alright for now...

All 3 of us were brought up with Light shows instead of dummies... self soothing... my brother is 3 and he cant sleep at night without his Bun Bun (comfort teddy) and bear bears (Light show) we make a joke when he is older with his gf, it will be sex... bear bears and bun bun then he'll go to sleep! LOL... so thats that LOL...

What'ss the difference between and reciever blanket and a swaddler blanket? And i'd rather use boiled filtered water from the kettle than a sterilizer.... Better...

I got given this thing the other day from my step mum for when they are on soilds. its like a handle thing with netting on the top you like put a strawberry in there and they chew on it and suck on the juices and then wont choke on any big lumps.... Would that be benifitial?

x

[Limonada]

I personally don't think a wipe warmer is necessary - both of my boys adjusted just fine to having wipes used on them that were taken straight out of the package....and one wa a fall baby and the other a winter baby!  In the first month, yes, they're particularly sensitive to sharp changes in temparature....but IMO, I don't think that warrants purchasing a wipe warmer.  Holding the wipe in your hand for a minute is enough to take the "edge" off, really.

For us, the most useful thing has been the Winnie the Pooh gadget we have that straps to the side of the crib and plays music (4 different tunes) and has a revolving light show that projects onto the ceiling.  Both boys have been lulled to sleep by this thing....we even take it with us to use for naps and overmights.  We paid $29.99 for it....and I would have paid more, it's been so great!!

[Ashelen]

I think everyone covered it pretty well

but I have to add, sorry Cassandra..

do NOT get black-out curtains for a newborn. most newborns come with the schedules reversed anyway and it's vital that they're exposed to natural light on a consistant basis so they begin to learn the difference between "day" (awake) and "night" (asleep)..and you won't want to start tricking them until they're a little older...we bought black-outs when my daughter was about 13 months to get her to sleep in past daybreak and it worked like a charm, she's a 9pm-930am (like clockwork except last night lol) sleeper now.....but you want the newborn to begin adjusting to day and night cycles and because you aren't supposed to expose them to sunlight for a few weeks you'll want to use indirect sunlight (i.e. through a window).......it's important that the baby learn to nap even if their room is a little light from the sun because then they realize that this is *nap* time, not *sleep all night* time which helps a LOT when you want them to start sleeping through the night.


that's just my experience with my 2 though; blackout curtains are a MUST as toddlerhood approaches but newborns need that regulation.



I got a changing table with my daughter and used it for about 2 weeks...and I've never used it with my son and he's 7wks now. I prefer to change him on the couch or the bed or wherever we are...we have a large house now and it's a pain to lug stinky butt all the way back to the nursery just for a quick change, and pee changes are worse because you spend a few minutes setting up and moving baby for what only takes 20 seconds to do.

so I might say skip the changing table. a bassinet is a must-have for the first few weeks IMO or a co-sleeper..

[NicMom]

I had a wipe warmer and only used it a few times you can just as easily warm it on your arm and the wipes in the warmer dry out faster than in a container. Might also depend on where you live and how cold it gets there.

Must haves for me...
Boppy for breastfeeding
Glider with a foot rest for feeding, pumping, or just rocking
Mesh breathable bumper
bouncer
fish tv (it's this light up mobile that straps to the side of the crib and looks like the ocean, plays music as well)
a really good baby monitor

Nice to have...
changing table- easier on your back and easier when everything is in once place
black out curtians
swing
Diaper Genie

Don't need and won't use with my next baby....
bottle warmer
wipe warmer
bottle sanatizer
jumper
mobile