At
simplybabyfurniture.com
we strive to offer you as many options as possible to furnish your
babies nursery in any style or on any budget. We know that the dizzying
array of products can leave you wondering what all these products do and
if you need them.
Baby furniture 101 serves as a guide for the new busy mom to provide an
overview of all of the available categories of furniture products for
your babies’ nursery.
Of course, you should be reassured by our 100% satisfaction
guarantee.
We have made it simple for you to find and buy the right furniture
for you. You can be reassured that all of our collections of baby
furniture meet the highest standards of safety and comfort, so you
can enjoy peace of mind while your baby enjoys a good night’s sleep.
NOTE: This guide is informational only and you
should consult your medical professional with any questions.
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A Moses basket is a woven basket with handles while the bassinet
is typically a plastic woven basket on a stand. These are not an
essential buy, but they certainly can make life easier in the
first few months. You can use a crib from day one but both a
Moses basket and bassinet are portable between rooms and both
items fit easily into your own bedroom if this is where you want
your baby to sleep during the early days. These are best for
babies up to 3-4 months or until the baby is mobile.
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Cradles are a traditional piece of furniture that rock or swing
to help sooth your baby to sleep. Some come with mattresses,
many do not, but these can be bought separately. Bedding is
generally purchased separately. Cradles are suitable for a baby
up to around six months and should not be used once your baby
can sit up, kneel or pull themselves into an upright position. |
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Cribs are suitable for babies from birth. A NOTE ABOUT TWINS: If
you have twins, many pediatricians recommend putting them in the
same crib for the first four months.
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Toddler Beds are for toddlers who have learned how to climb out of
the crib or for parents expecting a second child who will need the
crib. Toddler beds can be used with a standard crib mattress, until
the baby grows big enough to sleep on a traditional mattress size.
This is not an essential piece of furniture, but bridges the gap
between a crib and a regular bed. Many cribs are convertible which
allows the crib to be converted to a toddler bed. See above
convertible or stages cribs. |
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A changing table is a specially designed unit to use
while changing your baby's diaper or clothing. It may not be
an essential purchase as a simple changing mat may serve you
just as well but it is very nice to have a specific area for
storing diapers and diaper products and for being able to
stand and change your baby.
Changing tables often include a storage area for
diapers, wipes and creams, while those that combine a chest
of drawers offer even better storage facilities. Look for
ones with guard rails for extra security. . In general,
you'll find that open shelves running the length of the unit
are more convenient than small high-sided baskets.
This piece of furniture can be especially important if
you have had a caesarean or anticipate trouble sitting and
bending post delivery. If you intend to buy a changing
table, make sure you buy it before your baby is born. It
will be of most use in the early months and must be used
with extreme caution once your baby can roll. |
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Some of these are designed to double as a place for
diaper changing and usually feature a plastic mat on top plus a
raised section at the back and sides to protect the baby from
falling. If you decide to use the chest of drawers as a changing
table we would recommend a 3 draw model so that is at a good
height for changing and that you use a lipped changing pad with
a safety belt. If your budget permits, you can usually buy a
chest of drawers to match your crib, and an Armoire too.
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Versatility is perhaps the important aspect of your
nursery furniture because your baby won’t be an infant forever.
The combo tower offers both a changing area and storage for
diapering essentials and toys or clothing. Putting a changing
pad with safety belt on the lower end of the combo tower works
great as a changing table. Many combo units also have a matching
hutch that can be added later to transform the combo tower into
a dresser and bookcase. All in all this is a great space saver
and our favorite.
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There are wonderful Armoires available ranging from
traditional wooden designs to hand painted motifs to fun
curvaceous design. Some feature a low hanging rail so that a
younger child can reach their clothes, and one or two shelves
above for storage and some have easy access drawers below like
this one pictured. A great compliment to a bigger room set and
easily transitions from baby to toddler to child.
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Rocking chairs have long been a fixture in the nursery
because babies (and parents) find the back-and-forth motion
soothing and sleep inducing. A glider is simply an updated
rocking chair that most parents find much more comfortable -- if
you've never sat in one, you have a treat in store. The
smooth-as-silk gliding motion requires almost no effort. Gliders
tend to be safer than rockers because they sit flat on the floor
instead of on rounded rockers that can pinch your child's toes,
or yours. A rocking chair can be invaluable for rocking your
baby to sleep.
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The small table from a table and chairs set can be very
useful to keep near your nursing chair to hold drinking
water for you when you’re feeding your baby. As your baby
grows older they will enjoy sitting at a child-sized table
and you will appreciate that they can draw, paint and make
messes in their own space. So, although it may seem a long
way off, it’s worth choosing one your child can use as a
toddler and young child (even as a computer table) is a
smart buy.
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Keeping the nursery or the playroom free from clutter is
made easy with a simple toy box. Before you know it you will
have toys both soft and hard that you can stow in here. Look for
toy boxes with a ‘safety latch’ that keeps the lid from shutting
on little fingers. Some toy boxes also serve as a bench seat and
is a great place for pretend play and for sitting on while
putting on shoes.
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Highchairs are a perfect place for feeding from birth
until your child is more comfortable in a booster seat.
Feeding a fidgety baby or toddler can be hard work. A highchair
can make life easier for you and more fun for your child. A
highchair allows you to secure your child in position with a
harness so you can then concentrate on the feeding. It can also
give your child his earliest feelings of independence as they
start to feed themselves, perhaps sitting alongside the rest of
the family at meal times.
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Bouncers are a safe place to soothe, entertain and feed
baby from birth until your child can sit unassisted (never use
as a car seat). These are a great place for baby when you need a
few "hands-free" minutes to fold laundry or answer the door. A
seat that bounces with baby’s own movement not only soothes, but
also helps baby develop physical abilities. Because of their
compact size, bouncers are easy to move from room to room—even
into the bathroom so Mom can take a shower knowing baby is
secure and entertained in the bouncer!
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Lighting for the nursery requires careful thought and
planning. A dimmer for the main ceiling light is essential. If lamps
are within toddler height, choose one designed for the nursery which
has a hidden bulb and stay-cool exterior.
A nightlight or lamp is reassuring to your baby and useful for you
when you go in at night. You can buy nightlight lamps or a
nightlight that plugs into an electric socket to provide a small
glow. Or you could simply use a lamp with a low watt bulb.
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Crib mattresses, like adult mattresses, vary in price. Some
high priced mattresses offer all natural qualities others coil and
others are basic foam with a vinyl covering. It really is your
preference but we do suggest a firm mattresses for babies.
One thing you can do to help prevent your baby from having
allergies is to use dust mite barrier bedding. Usually this is only
needed with natural mattresses as most other mattresses have a vinyl
cover which will act as a barrier—An encasement provides a barrier
between your baby and the places dust mites live. A mattress
encasement easily slips over your baby's crib mattress and under
your stylish crib sheet to provide the ultimate in allergy relief
and prevention.
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Every new mom will tell you tales of how they regularly
rush to check on their new baby for no good reason - some inner
instinct makes them anxious and forces them to stop what they
are doing and go check their baby is ok. Monitors help take the
anxiety out of this natural urge and can give parents peace of
mind whatever they are doing and wherever they are around the
house. The most basic monitors listen and transmit any sounds
the baby makes, more sophisticated ones allow you to mute the
sound but to see the level of noise coming from the baby via a
visual lights display. The most cutting edge ones also allow you
to view your baby via video links, even in a darkened room. Just
which monitor you choose will depend on just how much you want
to know about your baby. Very anxious moms, or those with very
premature or at risk babies, will certainly find monitors which
detect breathing and movement very reassuring.
Most operate on two channels so you switch between channels to
minimize interference.
Monitors come in 49 MHz, 900MHz and 2.4MHz technology. 49 MHz
technology operates on a less-used channel. This means you’re
less likely to run into interference from home phones and other
products that employ 900 MHz technology. 900 MHz and more
recently 2.4 MHz technology offers more powerful signals, with
excellent clarity and up to three times the range of most baby
monitors.
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Safety gates and guards can be invaluable once your baby
becomes mobile. Position them at the top or bottom of a staircase or
across a door opening and you can limit your child's exploration to
a safe area. Styles vary and include those that secure to the wall
at just one side and swing to open, those which are secured on both
sides with an integral walk through gate section and those which
work as barriers and have to be removed when you want to walk
through.
All have their uses in certain situations and depending how
regularly you are going to be going through the barrier different
styles offer different benefits. Most important for those to be in
regular use is the ease of opening and securing, and the stability
of the fixings. Look for a very robust fit because toddlers will
often push at the barrier or try to climb over it.
A pressure fit style is generally the quickest and easiest to
install. Be aware that those with a floor level cross bar can
present a tripping hazard which you need to be particularly careful.
We do not recommend these at the top of stairs.
Also great as a pet or dog gate to keep puppy and baby apart when
you can not be with them!
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Click here to download a printable Adobe Acrobat PDF version
of this guide.
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