Baby Furniture: What's Essential?

You're probably looking forward to buying furniture for your baby's nursery, but you may also find the prospect overwhelming. You'll quickly find out that whether you shop at the mall or in cyberspace, there is a dizzying -- and often high-priced -- array of choices in baby nursery decor.

Which furniture items should you have on hand when your baby is born, and which can wait? Is the designer baby crib with all the amenities better for your baby than the run-of-the-mill version? Should you borrow or buy?

WebMD decided to check in with the experts -- including several new moms -- for their best tips and advice on setting up a nursery for baby.

Top Baby Furniture Essential: The Crib

Unless you're planning to co-sleep with your child, you'll probably need a crib at some point, though not necessarily right away.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that one of the safest places for your baby to sleep to prevent SIDS is in their parents' bedroom. Having your baby nearby also makes night-feeding easier. Of course, you can always move a crib into your bedroom if you have the space, but many parents prefer to put their newborn to sleep in a smaller, more womb-like space -- such as a bassinet, Moses basket, or co-sleeper (a bassinet that attaches to the side of an adult bed) -- for their first few months of life.

Many parents put off buying a crib until their baby is a few months old, but Ali Wing, who founded the baby store Giggle and wrote the Giggle Guide to Baby Gear, recommends that new parents make the crib their first nursery purchase, even if they won't be using it for a while.

"There are fewer choices in baby cribs than there are in other furniture items," she explains. "Once you have crib, it will affect how you approach your other purchases."

"Don't get me wrong: We love bassinets," she says. "They're beautiful, they're really fun, but it's important for parents -- particularly those on a limited budget -- to differentiate between what they need to have and what's fun to have."

7 Tips on How to Buy and Assemble a Crib

Buy a new crib. A family heirloom has sentimental value, but it's not safe. And even your neighbor's 5-year-old crib may not be safe if it has missing or worn hardware, or outdated construction. Millions of cribs have been recalled, especially the drop-side style that was so popular in the last decade. Any new crib should have all fixed sides (no moving parts).

There are two crib sizes. A mini is less expensive, but fits a baby up until only 6 to 8 months; a standard fits a baby for up to 2 or 3 years. Many standard cribs give you the option of converting it to a toddler bed by removing one of the sides, but this often requires a conversion kit, which costs a bit more money.

Crib prices depend largely on the materials. Higher quality wood and greener materials carry a bigger price tag, as does anything made in America or manufactured under a designer name. Starting prices can be as low as $100 to $150; there are many cribs around the $500 price point; and elite models cost $1,000 or more. When you buy a crib, keep in mind that the mattress is a separate purchase, not included in the price.

If building your crib is a daunting task, ask the store where you're purchasing it if it can send someone to assemble it for you, for a fee.

When you assemble the crib, be sure you screw all the hardware tightly in place. Place the mattress at the highest level so it will be easy for you to place yournewborn in it and take her out. As your baby grows, lower the mattress so she can't get out on her own.

Make sure that the crib isn't in front of a window or a wall decoration that a baby could grab onto. Keep the crib away from draperies that have pull tabs or cords, and lamps with cords.

Okay, you've had your chance to buy and assemble a crib -- here is what can go in it: the mattress with a mattress protector and a fitted crib sheet, and your baby. That's it! Toys, stuffed animals, pillows, and bumpers are all suffocation hazards, and the only kind of blanket permitted is a wearable one that zips or snaps up. Unfortunately, most traditional bedding sets include bumpers, but there is no safe time to use them; fortunately, it's getting easier to buy fitted crib sheets individually, or bedding sets that don't have a bumper. By the time your toddler is big enough to ask for his teddy or want to snuggle on a pillow, he'll be old enough and it will be safe!

Parents’ tips: should I buy baby furniture?

Kitting out your baby’s nursery can be an expensive exercise. Baby furniture will fit your nursery perfectly, but is it practical long-term? Read what worked for other BabyCentre mums.

Will having baby furniture make life easier?

"I think it depends on your home. Our nursery is small so the baby furniture fits nicely. It stores almost as much as adult-sized furniture and we will use it again with our next baby."
Philippa

"I chose baby furniture but I made sure it was well-made and sturdy. I also made sure it was a generous size for all the clothes, shoes and bedding."
Susanne

"I bought baby furniture for the safety aspect. It doesn’t have sharp corners or knobs on the doors." 
Harriet

"We bought baby furniture for our first and are now using it for our second. The nursery is small and the changing table is now a bookcase. The wardrobe has a drawer at the bottom and the hanging rail would easily take all my six-year-old’s clothes, so it will last years!" 
Esther

Should we just invest in adult-sized furniture from the start?

"We decided to get adult-sized furniture. The rooms in our house are big with high ceilings and baby furniture would look strange in them." 
Zara 

"We bought baby furniture and now that my son is five, he can reach the wardrobe handles easily. He empties its contents on a daily basis. I resorted to taking the handles off so he can’t open it. Now that his clothes are bigger, the cupboards aren’t big enough, so we are replacing them and the wardrobe." 
Corinne

"We bought an ordinary chest of drawers for our son. He doesn’t need a wardrobe until he’s older because all his clothes can be folded and fit in the drawers." 
Grace

"I knew that my daughter was going to have lots of clothes so I chose a big wardrobe and put boxes below the hanging rail to store shoes, socks and hats." 
Ruth

"We have big furniture but bought a cot bed and a changing unit and it all looks great together!"
Amber

"Buying baby furniture and then having to buy big furniture a few years down the line was just an added expense that we couldn't justify doing. Babies cost enough as it is!" 
Kim

Does mixing and matching work?

"My daughter’s room has a mixture of the two. She has a cot-bed, a toddler-sized table and chair, a bookcase and a full-sized adult wardrobe. The bookcase is laid on its longer side so that it’s low to the floor and the wardrobe has an extra rail lower down so she can choose her clothes." 
Sam

"I went for big furniture as it’s more practical. I still wanted it to look right for a baby’s room so I replaced the doorknobs with colourful, hand-painted versions that matched the style of the nursery." 
Eleanor

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a25004899/parents-tips-should-i-buy-baby-furniture#ixzz46L0cwhhO