A Complete List of Baby Nursery Furniture for Your New Arrival

Your bump is growing, you’ve got babies on the brain and you’ve got lots of planning to do for your new arrival. There are lots of things to get ready for when Baby arrives - the nursery being one of the main things. 

If you need some help thinking of baby room ideas, we’re right here with advice on everything you’ll need in your little one’s nursery, along with when to buy it and how much to spend. After all, some items will last you a lot longer than others.

The months really do fly by before Baby arrives, so there’s no time like the present to get as much ready as possible!

What Do You Need in a Nursery?

There are lots of things you could have in your baby’s nursery, but not all are essential. We’ll list all the items you might need below, starting with the essentials. 

• Cot or cot bed (Opt for a cot bed if you want to convert the cot to a toddler bed when Baby is old enough. If you want to make things simpler as well as more stylish, choose a nursery furniture set so that your cot and furniture all match nicely together.)
• Cot mattress (Important: Make sure the gap between the mattress and the sides of the cot is no more than 2cm on either side for safety. Ideally, the mattress should fit seamlessly against the sides of the cot with barely any gap. Assemble your cot first before measuring for the mattress.)
• Waterproof mattress protectors (You’ll need at least two of these.)
• Fitted cot sheets
• Moses basket (These are perfect for newborns before they grow big enough to be transferred to a cot.)
• Baby sleeping bags and/or blankets
• Changing mat
• Changing unit (With endless nappy changes, a changing table at the right height will really save your back! No need for a separate mat - changing units feature one on top, with storage space underneath.)
• Storage (All those nappies, blankets and reams of other baby items will need somewhere to live! If you don’t have enough room in your changing unit, a storage unit or chest of drawers will provide ample additional space.)
• Wardrobe (Ideal for all the clothes that you’ll be given, and those you can’t resist buying yourself, of course!)
• Baby safety equipment (Your little one will be crawling and toddling around in no time, so be prepared with baby-proofing items like plug socket covers and cupboard door locks.)
• Rocking chair (Not essential but extremely handy when Baby needs soothing or nursing, especially for night-time feeds)
• Mobile
• Night light (Perfect for night feeds as you can keep the room relatively dark and so keep Baby as sleepy as possible. Making sure the room is dark at night also helps your baby learn the difference between night and day, and that night-times are for sleeping.)
• Thermometer (These are helpful for telling you how warm the nursery is, and which tog sleeping bag or blanket thickness to opt for, so you know your baby won’t get too hot or cold when sleeping.)
• Baby monitor 

When to Buy Baby Furniture 

If you’re a first-time parent and are wondering when to buy baby nursery furniture, any time that suits you best during pregnancy is of course completely fine. However, many mums opt to buy everything in the second trimester - after the uncertainty of the first trimester has passed and they’ve had their first scan, and before they’re too big and exhausted to deal with putting a nursery together!

You may also want to wait until the after the 20 week scan if you’re keen to find out the sex and decorate the nursery accordingly. 

If you’ve left it till the last minute, don’t worry, newborns don’t need too much to begin with. Somewhere for them to sleep and somewhere to change them is enough until you find the time for the rest! 

How Much to Spend on Nursery Furniture  

How much you spend on your nursery furniture is entirely up to you, but it is worth spending a little more on the key pieces - that is, those that will last the longest. 

The cot, mattress and nursery furniture should be the biggest investments. The cot and mattress will be keeping your baby sleeping safely and soundly for their first years of life, so it’s important they’re high-quality pieces. The nursery furniture will last for years longer, so getting a set that’s built to last is also important. Other items like changing mats, bedding and a rocking chair don’t need to cost a fortune. The rocking chair is only going to be used temporarily by you and potentially your partner while the baby needs to be nursed, so it isn’t as important as the rest of the furniture in Baby’s room.

Now you know how best to invest in your child’s nursery, when to buy baby room furniture and what exactly to buy, you’ll be more than well prepared for your little one. Once it’s all bought, all that’s left to do is wait for Baby to arrive and experience the joys of those first smiles, first laughs and first everythings. It’ll all happen before you know it!