Furnishing and Decorating

Of course, how you furnish, decorate, and organize your baby’s room is a very personal thing. Here I list all the items that we got for our baby’s room, but certainly your own tastes and needs should guide your purchases.

Crib

Crib designs and colors are highly personal. We purchased the Baby Cache Taylor Lifetime crib for its classic design. It also converts into a daybed or a toddler bed.

Crib Mattress

Honestly, I don’t know if there’s a difference between a $50 crib mattress and a $200 crib mattress. We hedged our bets and purchased one that was middle-of-the-road in cost, the Serta Perfect Dream mattress. Our baby seems to like it just fine.

Crib Pad

The crib pad, which is waterproof, is meant to protect the mattress from leaks and accidents. We got ours from Sealy, and it’s been perfectly serviceable. I recommend buying two, so that you’ll have a backup for when one is in the hamper.

Crib Bedding and Mobile

Choosing the crib bedding and accessories was my favorite part of buying baby things. We went with the Lambs & Ivy Luv Bugs design, but of course you should go to the store and take a look at the designs and fabrics that appeal to you. After you choose a motif, you’ll need to purchase a comforter, a bumper for the crib, sheets (get at least two sets), and a mobile. If you’re going all out, you can probably also find a matching lamp, light switch plate cover, night light, picture frame, wall décor, throw pillow, curtain, hamper, rug, blanket, and diaper stacker.

Dresser / Changing Table

In my opinion, you should get a waist-high dresser instead of a changing table. A dresser is more appealing to look at, and you can just plop a changing pad on top and hide all the changing gear within the drawers. We got the Graco Kimberly, and it looks beautiful in our baby’s room.

Glider

I love our glider, which is basically a rocking chair that rocks on a pedestal instead of curved legs (safer for kids’ fingers). We got the Shermag Glider and Ottoman Combo, and the ottoman rocks too! It’s just so comfortable to be able to rock your baby to sleep while sitting down, especially in the middle of the night. You will not regret this purchase.

Not Recommended:

Bassinet

I wanted to get a bassinet to keep next to our bed for the first few weeks, but the idea of spending so much money for something that would only be in use for about three months really put me off. We finally decided to just buy a pack ‘n’ play that comes with a bassinet (most do). This worked out perfectly. We would have purchased the pack ‘n’ play anyway, and we managed to avoid buying a whole other piece of furniture.

Changing Table

If you already have a waist-high dresser in your baby’s room, you will not need a separate changing table. You can simply put a changing pad on top of the dresser.

* Nice to have, but not necessary.

Return to Registry Checklist

See another category: Dressing Up, Feeding, Diapering, Staying Healthy and Groomed, Bathing, Traveling, Entertaining, Remembering, Miscellaneous