| Walking into a baby furniture store can be completely | | | | never bothered me in the slightest. So this is going to |
| mind blowing - there's so much stuff! Most of us don't | | | | come down to personal preference and your budget. |
| have an unlimited amount of money to spend, and if | | | | Having said that, you will need a comfortable chair to |
| you've never had a baby before, it can be really hard | | | | sit in, particularly if you're nursing your baby. |
| to work out what's really necessary, useful, or basically | | | | Portable Crib |
| a waste of time. If you're planning to set up a gift | | | | This is one piece of baby furniture that got used a lot |
| register at the store, you want to make sure the things | | | | in my household! My son used to come to work with |
| you put on it are useful and practical. It's can all be | | | | me when he was little, and I used a portable crib for |
| incredibly confusing. | | | | his naps. It was great when I went to visit family and |
| Let's take a look at some of the main items you're | | | | friends, because baby was familiar with it and happy |
| going to find in the baby store, so that you can have | | | | to have a nap when the time came. I also didn't have |
| some idea of what baby furniture you really want or | | | | to worry about baby rolling off someone's bed. It |
| need before you even get to the store. That way you | | | | meant that we could go on holidays and know that |
| can focus on picking exactly which one you want, | | | | baby had somewhere safe and familiar to sleep. I |
| rather than messing about deciding whether you | | | | used mine so much that I ended up having to buy a |
| actually want or need it. | | | | second one when my daughter came along! It's |
| Baby Bassinet or Cradle | | | | important, though, to spend some time making sure the |
| A bassinet or cradle is used from birth until around 4 | | | | portable crib you choose is well constructed and safe. |
| months. Basically, if the baby can roll from side to side, | | | | Make sure it can't collapse easily, particularly if baby |
| it's time for baby to move up into a crib. Make sure the | | | | tries to climb out. Check there are no small spaces |
| mattress fits snugly against the sides. You may even | | | | where fingers could get trapped, and a collapsible |
| find that a padded bumper, sheets and quilt are | | | | padded base is very helpful. |
| included. | | | | High Chair |
| The bassinet probably falls somewhere in the middle | | | | A high chair rates very close to the essential end of |
| between necessary and unnecessary. If you're on a | | | | the scale. The good news is that you don't need one |
| budget, you can certainly go without one. Having said | | | | straight away, so you can put off buying it until quite a |
| that, I loved my bassinet and wouldn't have been | | | | few months after baby is born. Look for an adjustable |
| without it. It's so convenient to be able to move baby | | | | tray, restraints of some kind and perhaps even |
| around. I generally let baby sleep in his own room | | | | lockable rolling casters. Some models also have a |
| during the day, and used a baby monitor, then at night | | | | reclining seat, so you can use it even when baby is still |
| wheeled baby's bassinet into my room. Mine could be | | | | bottle feeding. |
| rocked gently to help baby fall asleep, and because it | | | | Car Seat |
| was up on a stand, it was easy to life baby in and out | | | | This is definitely essential - apart from ensuring your |
| - I was recovering from a caesarean. | | | | baby's safety, you're breaking the law in most places if |
| So my advice would be - if you can fit a bassinet into | | | | you don't have one. Newborns must travel in the back |
| your budget, do it. Perhaps it's an item that a few | | | | seat of the car, facing the rear. Once baby is older, |
| friends or family could buy for your baby shower. | | | | usually closer to 1 year old, you can place baby in a |
| Baby Crib or Cot | | | | forward facing car seat. When your child is older again, |
| Some sort of secure bed for baby is definitely | | | | anywhere from 2 years upwards depending on their |
| required. Spending a fortune buying one isn't required! | | | | size, you can change over to a booster seat. |
| You can buy cribs in a massive range of styles - with | | | | The major decision you'll have here is whether to buy |
| a huge range of price tags to match. Probably the | | | | separate, specially designed car seats for baby and |
| main thing to look for is to make sure the crib adheres | | | | then your toddler, or whether to buy a convertible |
| to the required safety standards. Check that the | | | | model. Personally I always had 2 separate car seats, |
| mattress fits snugly against the sides of the crib. Some | | | | mostly because all the consumer safety research I'd |
| other helpful features are: an adjustable base height, a | | | | seen suggested that a specifically designed car seat |
| couple of release mechanisms (not just one, in case | | | | was more effective in an accident. Thankfully I never |
| baby learns how to do it!), lockable wheels, and no | | | | tested that theory out! Construction and safety levels |
| stickers that can be peeled off easily. | | | | are constantly improving, however, so if buying a |
| Crib Mattress | | | | convertible model is where your budget is, that's okay |
| Many cribs include their own mattress, and that's | | | | too. |
| probably the best option because it should fit the crib | | | | Strollers |
| snugly. There are two types of mattress - inner spring | | | | This is another baby item where there seems to be |
| coil or foam. Generally, the innerspring style of | | | | too many choices. First you have to decide which |
| mattress will last much longer, but is usually a little more | | | | style of stroller you want, before even looking at |
| expensive. It's worth buying some sort of waterproof | | | | individual brands. At some point you are going to want |
| mattress pad, to protect the mattress, but make sure it | | | | to transport your baby, so you will need to buy |
| doesn't have any plastic on the side the baby will be | | | | something. You need to start by having a long, hard |
| sleeping on. | | | | think about what you expect your movements to be |
| Bedding Accessories | | | | with your baby. Do you plan to take baby jogging with |
| This is an area where you can start to spend some | | | | you? Go over rougher terrain regularly? Or will you |
| serious dollars! It's very easy to get carried away with | | | | probably only put baby in a stroller at the shops? Do |
| all the cute and gorgeous designs for baby bedding. | | | | you want a pram that can later be converted into a |
| Thankfully most cribs and bassinets use standard | | | | stroller? |
| sizes, which makes things a little easier. One good | | | | Once you have an idea what type of things you'll need |
| strategy is to buy the necessary basics yourself, then | | | | to use your stroller for, a salesperson at the baby |
| put all the less necessary accessories on your baby | | | | store should be able to guide you in the right direction. |
| shower gift register. Apart from the basic sheets, I've | | | | You then need to think about what added features |
| always liked to have a bumper for the top end of | | | | you might like - accessory bars, toy and activity bars, |
| baby's bed - and make sure it ties on in multiple places, | | | | headrests, adjustable height, rain shields etc. |
| so more than one tie has to break before it can fall | | | | Choosing the right stroller is probably going to take you |
| down. You should never use a pillow for baby, and | | | | a while! |
| even quilts or comforters aren't recommended - stick | | | | Baby Monitor |
| to ordinary blankets. You can also often get added | | | | A baby monitor probably isn't necessary, but I always |
| extras, such as diaper stackers. Personally I've never | | | | found it was great for peace of mind. It meant I could |
| found them of much use, but again, some of the extra | | | | be off in another part of the house doing something, |
| might make good baby shower gifts. | | | | but still be monitoring my baby's nap. Prices vary a lot, |
| Changing Table | | | | but it's probably better to choose your monitor based |
| If you're really strapped for cash, then you can | | | | on the features you're going to need, rather than price. |
| probably make do with using your bed as a changing | | | | If you're going to move around a lot, make sure your |
| table, but if you can, this is something I highly | | | | monitor is portable. Do you want batteries or mains |
| recommend. Your back will certainly prefer it! My | | | | power? Do you want video monitoring as well? |
| changing table was actually more like a set of dresser | | | | Bouncer Seat |
| drawers, and nowadays, with the changing table part | | | | Again, this isn't necessary, but it's very useful! Babies |
| removed, it's still being used as drawers for my | | | | love to watch everything that's going on around them, |
| daughter's clothes. So it pays to think ahead and buy a | | | | and it's much easier for them if they're raised slightly |
| changing table that's practical. Also look for safety | | | | from the horizontal. You can buy all sorts of fancy |
| features, such as guardrails and perhaps even safety | | | | bouncer seats, with everything from toy bars to |
| straps. And of course it needs to be well padded! It's | | | | battery operated bouncing. I only ever had a very |
| handy to have some sort of shelf where you can put | | | | basic fabric bouncer, and most of the time the toy bar |
| items you're using, but personally I just put them down | | | | wasn't even attached. Both my kids loved them, and |
| one end of the changing table and changed baby at | | | | the good thing was that I always knew where they |
| the other end. Once baby got bigger, I used the top | | | | were! Very handy, particularly when I was cooking |
| drawer. | | | | dinner. The main thing to remember is that you should |
| Rocking Chair | | | | NEVER place a bouncer seat on a raised surface, |
| This is definitely on the "maybe" list. A lot of women | | | | they should always be placed on the floor or ground. |
| swear by them, but personally I never had one and it | | | | |