So, you’re worried that you’re forgetting something for your baby’s nursery. You got all the essential, big-ticket items but you have a sinking feeling that you are missing, something
small but important.
Firstly, you need to ask yourself, what do I need in my nursery?
It’s always the behind-the-scenes items that you forget. My daughter didn’t start sleeping through the night until we got her two of the items off this list!
We have listed some of the most important, but surprising nursery essentials that all soon-to-be-mums didn’t know they needed.
So, you’ve got your cot built and in position, your baby changing table ready for changing bums and the rest of the furniture prepped and filled. Wait! You need your babies’ room to be functional not just pretty looking and there are some products that you might have not even known existed that you won’t be able to live without once you’ve used them.
A Night Light
The dark doesn’t really affect newborn babies much and they don’t really become scared of the dark until they are much older, around 2-4 years old if ever, so these lights are more helpful for the parents than the children.
Firstly, they can be very helpful for midnight feeds. If your baby wakes up in the night, going into a pitch-black room and trying to set up can be super difficult.
Having the soft glow of a night light allows you to see what you are doing whilst being unlikely to wake up your baby to the point where they are going to be difficult to get back to sleep.
Secondly, it can really set the mood for nighttime. Getting your baby into a routine for going to bed with a night light can make sure they know that it’s time for bed.
We Recommend: Fedetkey Night Light – View By Clicking Here
Now I actually use this night light in my little girls’ room, we have it on a shelf above her cot and it has four light settings, 1, 2, 3, and RGB coloured.
We only use the first setting and it’s perfect for setting the sleepy mood and for her night feed without having to change it. My daughter loves playing with the coloured feature as well.
It’s rechargeable and doesn’t need a power cord making it great for using on the move or in places where there isn’t a mains power supply. You simply charge it up using a micro-USB cable that’s included in the box.
The best thing about this is that even though we use it all night, every night, we only charge it once a week. Just remember to turn it off in the morning!
A Nursing Chair
If you have the room in your baby’s nursery then a nursing chair is an essential item. They are perfect for feeding your baby in the middle of the night as they avoid you having to take them out of the room and potentially properly waking them up.
A Nursing Chair can also give the motion of rocking which mimics a mother rocking without having to stand up. This can help your baby get back off to sleep quickly, as let’s face it, how is that not super relaxing!
A Nursing Chair is also a great option for something if you are struggling for ideas on what to put on your baby registry and can be a handy item to have in the bag before the baby is born due to its multi-functional qualities.
We Recommend: Kub Haldon Nursing Chair – View by Clicking Here
The Kub Haldon Nursing Chair is the Lamborghini of nursing chairs.
Its honestly one of the comfiest things I have ever sat on and when you rock, softly, honestly, I could have gone to sleep. Being comfy is essential for a nursing chair, dealing with a newborn isn’t muscle friendly to start with, the last thing you need is to be sitting in an uncomfortable chair on top of that.
Although it might seem like a steep price tag for a chair, it is defiantly something you won’t regret.
Storage Boxes
There’s nothing better than having tidy room and your babies’ room is no different. Having it tidy will not only clear your mind but also help your little one start to understand how to tidy up after themselves.
Not having to stack or tidy into a corner allows you to tidy up with your little one in your arms. You can just easily throw whatever into the box and pack it away.
Having each box separated allows you too quickly and easily get to whatever it is you are looking for whilst conveniently not having to get anything else out.
The best storage ideas for your baby’s room will allow for lots of storage and even be able to be stacked up and stored on top of each other for extra space saving features.
We Recommend: AlphaHome Fabric Storage Boxes – View by Clicking Here
I use a similar product in my daughter’s room. Her little clothes when hanging up don’t cover even half the wardrobe so there’s lots of extra room at the bottom for storage boxes or additional storage. We used these boxes, fill them up and then you can stack them on top of each other.
We use one for nappies and changing bits, socks, vests, jumpers, blankets, and what not.
A Bladeless Silent Fan
During the summer it’s no secret that it gets HOT. For a baby this can be incredibly uncomfortable, and they don’t know how to deal with it. Offering them a baby fan or smart fan to help them keep cool is a great way to allow you to get some sleep.
Going for a leafless silent fan is the best option as this avoids any danger from little fingers being injured because they are too curious and obviously being silent makes them great for a baby’s room.
We Recommend: Ocean Loong Bladeless Fan – View by Clicking Here
Copying the design from the Dyson Fan but at a fraction of the cost, this fan is perfect for your baby’s room.
It has no blades, so they aren’t a risk to children, super energy efficient, 9 speeds, and a remote control for using it if you are feeding your baby.
A Baby Swing or Bouncer
The best baby bouncers can actually mimic the movements of a parent. A bouncer such as the MamaRoo by 4Moms is a brilliant example of this and it has been scientifically designed to mimic mums’ movements.
Having a baby swing can be essential for new mums as it allows you to put your baby down whilst you get other things done.
We Recommend: Munchkin Bluetooth Enabled Baby Swing – View by Clicking Here
The Munchkin Baby Swing has a unique feature in that its Bluetooth enabled so you can connect your phone to it to play your own tunes through it. It has a touch screen front to control, the 5 different swing speeds and for how long that it will be in use before stopping.
A Toy Box
If you have the room in your babies’ room then you should consider getting them a toy box. They are incredibly helpful for storing, not just toys but also books, toys and shoes.
You might not think about a toy box whilst you are pregnant as your baby won’t be playing with toys. But you might find that its useful for storing all of the cuddly toys and blankets that youll likely get as presents whilst you are pregnant.
As they get older you can use it for toys and books and then when they get older again you can swap it out for shoes, clothes or even arts and crafts bits.
We Recommend: Vasagle Toy Box – View by Clicking Here
We recommend this toy box for a few reasons, firstly the size of it. Its 76cm wide and 48cm meaning it narrow enough for a corner of a room and nicely deep for those larger toys and A4 sized books can be stood up to save space.
A White Noise Machine
A White noise machine was another absolute god send for me and my daughter and was something that switched us from difficult to get to sleep to off like a light. It gave me an extra hour of mum and dad time every evening as my little one was going off to sleep so quickly.
You can get these machines in many different designs and the best white noise machines for a babies room even offer a night light that’s built in. They also offer rechargeable ones, similar to the night light that can be charged and used remotely.
We Recommend: Otium White Noise Machine -View by Clicking Here
This is actually the one we used with my daughter and do still use it now. Even if you didn’t need it for your kids, it’s a great bit of kit to use for yourself and really does work.
The Otium white noise machine is suitable for children of all ages and adults, and it features memory and timer functions.
The only downside to this is that it needs to be plugged into power to work if you want a white noise machine that you can take on the move with you or strap to a pram then go for the rechargeable Marpac Hushh for baby.
A Baby Monitor
A Baby Monitor is something that you might already have bought, but if you are going to be having a baby in your room with you for 6 months then you have oversighted the monitor (like I did!)
There are so many baby monitors available on the market and even most CCTV systems double up as a baby monitor and can be connected to your phone so can be set up with very little spend.
The best baby monitors offer pressure pads that can be placed under the mattress and detect movement as well as detecting no movement which can greatly reduce the risk of SIDS. They also offer built-in thermometers, but we have found that these aren’t accurate as our next nursery essential!
We Recommend: Angelcare 3-in-1 Sensasure – View by Clicking Here
The Angelcare Sensasure ticks all the boxes for a premium baby monitor system, it has a pressure pad that alerts to no movement after 20 seconds which greatly reduces the risk of SIDS, video display with night vision so you can easily check on your baby even at night.
The camera can be wall-mounted or placed on a flat surface, room temperature monitor, and 2 way audio make it a great option for any new parent.
If you can lose the pressure mat that’s included then the Tenboo Baby Monitor has all the same features as the Angelcare system but at a fraction of the price.
A Gro Egg Thermometer
If a child’s room is too hot or too cold it can mean they have a rubbish night’s sleep or end up waking up in the night cold or hot. That’s where a room thermometer comes in and saves the day.
It gives you an accurate representation of the temperature of the room allowing you to adjust accordingly. This is particularly handy if you are trying to get your little one to sleep through the night.
We Recommend: The GroEgg by Tommee Tippee – View by Clicking Here
The Gro Egg baby room thermometer by Tommee Tippee is a great device and something that I have in my little girl’s room. It changes colour dependant on the temperature, so you quickly know if the room is too cold or too hot.
This also doubles as a night light so you can hit two items in one with this product.
If the Gro Egg isn’t for you or you already have a night light you can got for something like the Happy Family Jungle Thermometer Card which is much cheaper and can be thrown away after use without the worry of wasted money.
Over the Door Hanging Organiser
An over-the-door hanging organiser gives you extra room in places you didn’t know you could get extra room. They can be great for storing teddies, nappies, creams, blankets, and whatever else you need to quickly change your baby and have it in one easy-to-grab place.
If you try and place your changing mat near the door as well as this can be very handy for a night change.
We Recommend: Vesta Baby Over The Door Hanging Organiser View by Clicking Here
We have recommended this one due to its nice design which will go nicely in any nursery. It also has 4 pockets which makes it convenient for storing all the bits required for changing a baby bum as well as clean windows in each pocket so you can see those little niggly items that fall in between other items.
Baby Projector
A Baby Projector is something that can be a little confusing when hearing the name but it’s actually a device that projects images or patterns onto the ceiling, for example, stars or animals.
They are very popular for young babies as well as when they get a little older around 2 years old but in between, we found that our little one wasn’t that interested.
You can get baby projectors in all types of designs and styles but the best baby projectors offer built In sounds or songs, different light modes, and even remotes to control them so you can turn them off without entering the room and disturbing your baby.
We Recommend: Moredig Night Light Projector – View by Clicking Here
The More dog night light projector is a great example of one of the best baby projectors. Not only can you control it with a remote control for easily switching off from outside the room you can also use it as a night light, white noise machine, and just for fun.
The one downside to this projector is that it’s corded meaning it must be plugged into the wall in order to work. If you want something mobile or you don’t have the plug socket In a suitable position to work, you should go for the battery-powered Whale Night Light.
Mist Humidifier
Mist humidifiers can be a great way to keep babies rooms from becoming smelly, especially if you have a nappy bin in there. They are also slightly safer than using incense.
You can usually use the best mist humidifiers for a baby’s room with or without oil, have some sort of night light or light-up feature, and have as close to silent running volume as possible.
You also want to try and find one with an auto shut-off feature that will turn itself off once it has run out of water. When they have run out of water the noise level usually rises and makes a horrendous humming noise.
We Recommend: Cadrim Ultrasonic Humidifier – View by Clicking Here
This humidifier ticks all the boxes when looking for a humidifier and includes a night light that can be set to 7 different colours, low running volume, and the ability to use it with solely water or water and oil.
If you want something that’s a little more universal and can be used in other rooms too then the WOOO Essential Oil diffuser and humidifier is a great option and cheaper!
Nappy Bin
A nappy bin is an item that you’ll need depending on the layout of your home and how easy it is to get to the main bin. If it’s easy for you to walk into the next room, maybe in a flat or bungalow you might not need a nappy bin.
Nappy bins are great if you are looking to save time, an example of the best nappy bin would be one that seals in the smell and also holds more than 30 nappies. Some nappy bins you can get are very small and need emptying multiple times per day in some cases.
We Recommend: Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin – View by Clicking Here
This nappy bin is a great option for anyone looking for a nappy bin. It is available in different designs but the white one will go in any nursery. The bin offers odour protection and 12 refills with the deal allowing for almost a year’s worth of use from one purchase.
You are also able to store up to 30 nappies before needing to empty it allowing for convenient storage without having to go to the bin every half a day.
If you want a cheaper bin that can be used with slightly cheaper refills, then the Angelcare Nappy Bin is a great option although doesn’t include as many refills.
Laundry Bin
Another great option for your baby’s nursery is a laundry basket. It’s something that might slip your mind with baby clothes being so small you might think that you won’t need one but when you are potentially changing your baby 5 times per day it can soon pile up.
Having a laundry bin can make it easier to transfer dirty clothes to and from the washing machine.
When it comes to laundry bins, a simple bucket could be classed as one so buying one will be more tailored to the décor in your nursery.
We Recommend: Junnom Laundry Baskets – View by Clicking Here
The great thing about this laundry bin is that it’s a little smaller so it’s great for baby clothes. If you aren’t using it also folds away flat and can be stored down the side of the wardrobe or cot.
The design is very neutral which is great for any nursery.
Indoor Climbing Frame
Another great option and less thought about one is an indoor climbing frame. These only really come into play once your child gets a little bit older but can be a great way for your little one to gain confidence walking, climbing and standing up whilst also giving them the exercise that could miss out on during a rainy day.
