Organizing Your Perfect Nursery

Setting up the perfect nursery for your new little bundle can be overwhelming. My goal is to share some tips and tricks to get you thinking about what is important to you and what will make your space function the way you need it to. Before I jump into all that though; hello! My name is Megan, and I am Mommy to four little ones. My oldest is six years old, and my youngest is four months. She is currently latched and happily breastfeeding as I attempt to type around her. That is her favorite place to be right now, so we spend most of our time attached. I have had practice setting up three nurseries, and I am currently working on our newest additions’ room. She has been sharing our room until she becomes a little more independent.

So, let’s get into this. Once you have decided which room will become baby’s room, you need to decide what you want to put in it. There are lots of pieces of furniture that are available, so I’m going to list them and include some thoughts that might help you decide what pieces are important to you. Think about how much space you have in the room, and try not to overcrowd your space.

Crib– How long do you want to use the crib? Many cribs give you the option of 3 or 4 uses (crib, toddler bed, day bed, and full size bed). Your baby’s crib could potentially go with them when they move away from home (unless your baby is a crib chewing monster like my little beavers). *Make sure you buy any rails or additional parts needed to grow the crib in case you can’t order them in the future for any reason.
Mattress– You have the option to buy foam or innerspring. And you have the option to buy one stage or two stage. Foam is lightweight and easy to change crib sheets. Innerspring will hold up longer if you plan to use the mattress for multiple babies. One stage just means that both sides of the mattress are firm and safe for infants/ babies. Two stage means you get one side that is more padded and comfortable as your baby gets to the toddler phase.
Glider/ Rocker– This is my favorite purchase I made for our nursery over all four babies. We bought a really nice, comfortable, full upholstered glider when we were pregnant with our oldest. I have spent more hours in that thing than I can even begin to count. It has been used for breastfeeding, snuggling, and story time. I have spent long hours comforting because of sickness or nightmares. I have fallen asleep in it, I’ve cried in it, and some of my favorite memories have been made in it. It was worth every single penny. *If you choose a neutral fabric it can be used in any room in the house long term.
Changing Table– You can still buy changing tables, but an option I prefer is buying a dresser and adding a changing topper and changing pad. A dresser has good storage, and it can be used long term. I honestly change my babies on the floor, or my bed, or the couch, or wherever I am at the moment way more often than I use the changing table. I still like having it set up though because it is a nice place to store and organize everything.
Nightstand/ Armoire/ Bookshelf/ Hutch/ Dresser– There are usually a lot of pieces that can be purchased with your crib. Again, think about your space and the storage you think you will need. Also think about long term. If you plan to use the crib as a full size bed, you might want the nightstands to go with it.
Rugs– If you have hard floors, you may want to soften and warm your space up with a rug.
Closet Organization/ Storage Bins– The key to having a comfortable, well functioning nursery is to have a good system set up for storing everything. I’m going to go into lots of detail on this piece. Have fun shopping for the perfect storage containers for your room.
Baby Monitor and Sound Machine– I know these aren’t furniture, but they can be important parts of the nursery. I love having a video monitor, especially as baby grows into the toddler phase and starts moving around the room. I also love having the option to talk to baby through the monitor to be able to try soothing with my voice as my first option. The sound machine helps block out noise that the rest of us make, including our dog.

Chaotic is a word I throw around a lot when I talk about parenting. It isn’t meant to scare anyone or come across in a negative way, I just mean that there are a million things going on at once. I really believe that when I have my home organized, life is easier, and the chaos is less. This includes the nursery! Every single item should belong in a certain spot. That way, when you need to grab something quickly, you know exactly where to go. I’m a huge fan of labels because when you forget where that “certain spot” is, you can just read until you find it. Here is a quick list of things that I have organized together in our nursery. Hopefully this gives you a place to start.

Medicine Drawer (Nasal Aspirator, thermometer, diaper rash cream, medications, nail clippers, nail file, band-aids, etc.)
Diapers (We do cloth and disposable, so we have a spot for both. The cloth wipes are stored nearby, and the disposable wipes stay out on the changing table)
Sheets, Waterproof Pads, Mattress Protectors
Burp Cloths/ Muslin Blankets
Swaddles
Warm Blankets (For snuggles)
Wraps and Carriers
Headbands/ Hair ties/ Brushes and Combs
Clothes
- Pj’s
- Onesies
- Pants/ Shorts
- T-shirts
- Hanging Clothes (Dresses, sweaters, jackets. nice outfits)
- Swimsuits
- Socks
- Hats
- Scratch Mittens
- Shoes (If you plan to keep them in the nursery. We keep all our shoes in our laundry/mud room)
**Clothes can make you crazy when it comes to switching out sizing. Here are two of my favorite tips.
- Have an “outgrown” bin. That way when you put something on your little one and realize it is now too small, you have a place to throw it until it can be properly stored away or given away.
- When it comes to storing, you have a few options. If you need to save clothes because you are still growing your family, have a bin for each size clothing. These don’t have to be stored in the nursery if there isn’t enough room. They can be anywhere in the house where they aren’t in the way. As a mom of four, I’m happy I saved things because it saved us a ton of money. Once your little one is moving on to a new size, just go grab the 3-6 month bin and do a quick switch out. Since we have boys and girls in the house, we have two sets of all the sizes. If your family is complete, have one bin to keep special clothes in for memories. Once your “outgrown” bin is full, go through the clothes and donate or give them to friends or family that can use them.
Stuffed Animals/ Dolls/ Toys

So now that you have some ideas on what to put in your nursery and how to organize it a little better, start planning and designing. This should be fun, so enjoy it! And if this isn’t your thing, hire someone to help you or ask a family member or friend for help.

Use Pinterest and make a nursery board.
Save Instagram posts that inspire you.
Take pictures of things you love while you are out shopping.
Have a plan and write it down or type it out so you can refer back to it when your brain starts to feel overwhelmed.
Don’t forget that everything should have it’s own place.
Remember that labels can be your best friend.
Buy or make artwork that has sentimental value to it.
Love your nursery! It is a very important room in your home ♥