Nursery essentials

Nursery essentials

From mobiles to mattresses, cots to changing mats, we've got the essentials for all your nesting instincts

Creating your baby's nursery can be one of the most exciting things you'll do as a new parent, but you don't have to break the bank doing so. You can create a beautiful nursery, with all the essentials, even on a budget.

Remember: For the first six months it's recommended that your little one sleeps in the same room as you.

However, even though your baby won't be sleeping in the nursery for a while, you can still spend time there together so it feels familiar by the time they move in. So that, plus the fact that you'll be busy once the baby is born, is probably why most new parents have the nursery ready and waiting by the time the baby arrives.

To help, we've pulled together the top five basic nursery buys that you'll need - and we've given you some great product recommendations as well.

1. Cot: While your newborn will probably sleep in a moses basket to start with, as they grow, so will the need for sleeping space. You'll need to think about a suitable cot for when they move into the nursery. Consider if you want a cot where the side drops down, the height adjusts or one that will stand the test of time and convert into a junior bed
2. Mattress: The cot isn't complete without a mattress and there are lots of different options like foam, sprung and pocket
3. Baby monitor: Once baby has gone down for the night, you can listen to your baby gurgling and (hopefully!) sleeping through a baby monitor for the ultimate peace of mind
4. Changing mat: You'll probably be changing four to six nappies a day (at least!), so get a changing mat that can travel with you to any other room in the house
5. Mobile: Help relax and calm your little one with a musical mobile, which come with a range of different features to focus and occupy baby

It's a
wrap!

Kit it out

Whatever your budget there are lots of great products to help you create a well-equipped nursery for your new arrival.

We've pulled together some of our current favourites to suit all budgets:

Clair de Lune soft cotton waffle moses basket, £34.99

Motorola MPB8 Digital Audio Baby Monitor

Boots essentials changing mat - in pink, blue or green,£7.99

Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment - 1 x 30g £3.35

Safe sleep

We can't guarantee that they'll sleep through the night (and you're very lucky if they do!), but we can give you some advice to help keep your baby safe when they're sleeping. Follow these top tips to make sure you've created a safe sleeping haven:

1. The NHS recommends that for the first six months the safest way for a baby to sleep is on their back in the same room as you in a separate cot or moses basket, both day and night
2. Do not smoke, or let anyone else smoke, in the same room as your baby
3. Do not share a bed with your baby if you smoke, drink or take drugs or are extremely tired, or if your baby was born prematurely or was of low birth-weight
4. Don't let your baby fall asleep on a sofa or armchair
5. Avoid letting your baby get too hot
6. Place your baby in the 'feet to foot' position (with their feet at the end of the cot or pram)
7. Don't cover your baby's face or head while sleeping and use loose bedding
8. Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby

Sleep easy:

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