Designing your baby’s nursery is one of the first tangible reminders that you do, in fact, have a little one on the way. But, if you’ve never had a room with a crib before, you should know that nurseries can get expensive quickly, and unless you pay close attention to what you put in it, they can also become a health and safety hazard for the person who you will soon love more than life itself.
Professional Mom covers a few things to keep in mind as you create the perfect sleep haven for your newborn.
Safety
The first thing you’ll want to pick out when designing your baby’s room is their crib. Although your goal may be to save money, plan to put some cash into this purchase. You don’t want to buy a used crib that could possibly be outdated or have damage you can’t see with the naked eye.
Two things you can skip are pillows and comforters. The Consumer Product Safety Commission stresses that a bare crib is the safest environment for a tiny tot. Other safety measures to implement in your nursery include:
- Keeping your crib away from windows
- Covering the outlets
- Using only safe and sturdy furniture, including the changing table
- Storing bath and body products out of reach
- Using non-toxic paint
- Securing furniture with straps
Comfort
As your baby gets older, their nursery will become their retreat. They will sleep there, play there, and enjoy quiet moments in your arms behind closed doors. The key to a comfortable nursery is keeping the temperature steady year-round. One way to do this is to replace or repair broken windows. Plan to budget for around $290 if your windows allow too much cool air in during the winter and warm air in during the summer. To find a reputable company, Google “home window repair near me” and read reviews before allowing a stranger into your home for contract work.
Other ways to keep the nursery cozy are to:
- Paint with soothing colors, such as gray, baby blue, or pastel pink
- Reduce sound reverberation by adding heavy sound-absorbing material between the studs
- Add a noisemaker to drown out sounds from the outside; this can help especially in the early days as your newborn is used to the sounds of the womb
- Reduce excess light during the day with room-darkening curtains
Budget
Having a budget-friendly nursery means skipping out on the little extras that don’t actually add value to you or your baby’s life. For the most part, you really only need a crib, changing table, nursing chair, and diaper disposal system. Decor is often where we overspend, so follow these tips to make your nursery beautiful without overspending:
- Paint your own mural using either latex or water-based paints
- Put your baby’s “coming home” outfit in a shadow box and hang on the wall opposite the crib
- Add decorative shelves and pretty baskets for storage
- Spend the most money on items that you can reuse for years to come
Having a baby is an exciting time, but it’s also one that can set you back up to $50,000 in your child’s first year alone. But there are places where you can shave expenses without sacrificing safety or aesthetics. By focusing on what really matters, your little one’s first bedroom will be their safe haven for many years to come.
Jenna Sherman hopes to help other parents acquire the skills they need to raise future leaders by providing a collection of valuable, up-to-date, authoritative resources. A mom of three (two girls and a boy) she created parent-leaders.com as an avenue for parents who want to make sure their children grow up to be strong, independent, successful adults.
Jenna is a regular contributor to Professional Mom and offers insights and tips that help not only “train” young parents, but also encourage and inspire.