Getting The Nursery Ready
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You've chosen a car seat, picked out a bunch of clothes, decided on bottles and diapers, and your home (or at least your registry) is already filled with rattles and stuffed animals. Now it's time to move on to the big stuff. Furniture, curtains, wall-hangings, shelves ... all the things that will personalize what may have previously been a junk room, a guest room, or maybe even just a large closet. Whatever the room's previous function, it's now going to become your baby's nursery.
Of course, not all babies sleep in their nursery at first. A lot of parents - particularly if mom is breastfeeding - find it easier to have their newborn room-in with them for the first few months. I mention this for the purposes of space. If you aren't setting up a crib in the nursery right away, be sure you've left space for it as you set up the rest of the room. Sooner or later, Baby is likely going to be moving in to this room, and will need a bed to sleep on!
Leaving aside the bed question for the time being, what else does a nursery need? Well, you'll need some place to store the zillions of little layettes, onesies, and adorable outfits that are so difficult to resist buying! Some of these may go in the closet, of course, but drawers or shelves are often more space-efficient for those tiny little garments. Personally, I found that those plastic sets of 3 or 4 drawers worked well. I had one set for current clothes, and one set for the next size up. You may, however, prefer a more traditional (and more attractive, admittedly) dresser set, perhaps even color-coordinated with your crib and changing table.
As far as the changing table goes, there are various options to choose from. Some have drawers, some have shelves - many even have both. I have seen tables with hooks on the sides, from which to suspend your diaper pail. Newer models often have contoured mats or cushions on the top and safety belts to keep younger babies from rolling off. Mine actually has a rail around three sides, to serve the same purpose. This really just comes down to preference. As long as it gives you a safe, flat surface on which to lay your baby for a changing, and storage for the diapers, the rest is a matter of individual choice.
Really, your styles, tastes, and opinions are going to be the biggest factor in all aspects of the decorating process. After all, your child isn't going to care (for a few more years anyway!) what color curtains he or she has, nor whether the wood on his or her furniture is stained the same color. You will be the one who will have to like what you see when you are sitting in your rocking chair (another item for the list!) and looking around at the choices you have made. It will be you, and whatever other friends or family members might be helping you out, who will be using the changing table, folding and putting away tiny baby clothes, and rocking and feeding him or her at all hours of the day or night.
That said, there have been studies done based on colors and patterns, and their effects on development. My thought is, it certainly can't do any harm to decorate according to these studies. But the bottom-line is still a matter of opinion. You have to like what you've done with the room; you'll be spending more time there than you think!
