The first night that your baby spends in their own bedroom is one of the most emotional events you will experience as a new parent.
The bittersweet feeling of happiness and contentment at the knowledge that they are growing and thriving, while simultaneously feeling a tug of sadness at being more physically distant from them.
With my first child, I was so reluctant to move him into his own bedroom that his beautifully designed nursery stayed empty for over a year - while his cot remained firmly in our bedroom.
With my second child, I was more willing to make the transition at the recommended 6 month point. But not before I'd spent months making their bedroom as welcoming and comfortable as I possibly could.
When you have a baby, there is often an overwhelming amount of "stuff" marketed to you - most of it you will simply never need! If you're a first time parent, it can be difficult to know which are the must-haves and which are the products you can really do without - and of course, these can be expensive lessons to learn.
I'm going to share with you the items that I loved and used regularly with my own children, and would recommend to help you to create the perfect calming nursery environment.
All of the below items can be found in the Very Baby & Toddler shop, along with a huge selection of other fantastic products to help you to create the perfect calming environment for your little one.
Somewhere To Sleep
Of course it goes without saying that the most important element of any bedroom for a little one is somewhere for them to sleep.
I am a huge fan of the Chicco Next2Me bedside cribs for the early months as they are perfect for safe co-sleeping - then once baby reaches 6 month, I have always used East Coast cots as I find them to be both stylish and sturdy - in fact ours lasted for all 3 of our children, so although it wasn't the cheapest one available - it did serve us very well.
It's important to remember to keep bedding to a minimum, as although baby duvets and cot bumpers are available to purchase - they do not meet safe sleeping guidelines. All baby really needs is a clean, new mattress along with clean, new fitted sheets and either a light blanket or a baby sleeping bag. We were big fans of Gro-bags for all 3 of our little ones.
A Rocker
This is something that I found really useful, particularly for my second and third children as there would often be moments when I needed to take my eldest to the toilet and needed somewhere safe and secure to pop baby down while I nipped to the next room for a moment.
I found having a bouncer or a rocker was ideal for this, and also for those moments when I wanted to be able to eat my lunch and needed both hands free. This Counting Sheep Bouncer from Sleepcloud is a lovely choice, as its neutral design and color makes it the perfect match for any decor and it also has the option for soothing music and vibrations to help settle little ones too.
A Thermometer
It's important to be able to check at a glance that the temperature in baby's sleep space is optimum, and we found the Gro-Egg to be the ideal product for this. The egg changes color to reflect the temperature in the bedroom as well as giving a clear numeric reading, making it very easy to peek in and check at a glance that the temperature is suitable without disturbing baby. It also acts as a handy nightlight!
A Humidifier
Although it may not be a product that everybody immediately thinks of, a humidifier can make an ideal addition to baby's nursery as they can help with relieving dry coughs and sinus infections, chapped lips and dry skin as well as other problems associated with dry air in a home environment.
This Crane Elephant Humidifier has a 24 hour tank capacity, doesn't require a filter and promises whisper-quiet operation too.
Lighting
It's recommended that babies and children sleep in total darkness wherever possible as this is best for relaxing and restorative sleep, but some little ones do have a preference for some light and when this is the case - there are some products designed with babies in mind that can help.
I love the Chicco Next2Stars Light Projector as it not only provides a gentle light, but can be used to play soothing lullabies for 30 minutes to help baby to fall gently off to sleep.
Toys
Of course no nursery would be complete without a few little toys here and there to make it a more welcoming and happy space.
A stuffed toy can really help little ones with the transition away from Mummy or Daddy at bedtime, and provide comfort to help them feel confident to fall asleep on their own.
I love the Chicco First Dreams Baby Bear Night Projector, as not only is it an adorable stuffed toy but it plays soothing lullabies for little ones too.
Another option is the Snuz Cloud Sleep Aid - a light up cloud-shaped plush which plays a selection of white noise sounds to help comfort baby, and has the added benefit of being portable too.
Bath Time Products
Finally, there are a couple of baby bath time products that you'll need for to make bath time with baby run smoothly.
The most important one for me was a bath thermometer, as I always very anxious about making sure that the bath water was the perfect temperature for my little ones. We used the Tommee Tippee bath and room thermometer, which was ideal - so easy to use, you just pop it into the bath and the temp is displayed for you.
We also used the Angelcare Soft Touch Bath Supports which are perfect for propping baby up comfortably in the bath, to allow you more freedom of movement while bathing them.
As I mentioned earlier, baby products can be expensive - luckily companies like Very regularly run Baby & Child product sales where you can pick up some incredible bargains, so it's certainly worth keeping an eye and saving some money where you can.
*With Thanks to Very for collaborating with me on this post
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