Before my newborn arrived, I had to make a great many choices as an expectant mother about the future care of my child, as any new mother does. A mom-to-be must make decisions about how best to immunize her child, how to save money for his or her future, whether or not to take advantage of umbilical cord blood banking, and countless other important decisions.
Baby Decor
One important and probably the most fun task of becoming a mother-to-be for me was equipping and designing my baby’s nursery. In the abstract, designing a nursery seems to consist of little more than setting up a crib and a changing station. However, once I began planning the room, I found that there’s a lot more that goes into designing the ideal space for my new baby.
The first decision I had to make, and that any new mother needs to make about her baby’s first days is where he or she will sleep. Some moms opt to place the newborn directly in the crib once they arrive home from the hospital. Others choose a bassinet that can be placed in mom’s room, so she has easy access to the baby for late night feedings and bonding.
Still, other mothers choose to co-sleep, which involves sharing a bed with the baby. Should a mother choose to co-sleep with her child, she should be sure to observe safe guidelines to prevent SIDS.
Painting the Baby’s Room
Aesthetics play a vital role in the nursery. There are many mothers who choose traditional colors for their children. This is often pink for girls, blue for boys, and green if the new mother has decided not to find out what gender her child will be. However, mothers have a great many colors to choose from and should not feel limited by the stereotypical nursery colors for their children.
Parents needn't choose between blue or pink for a baby's room. Photo from Decorpad.com
Studies show that colors can affect mood and stimulate the brain in newborns. Moms who wish to create a calming environment might opt for colors like pale yellow or beige. This is what I chose to do. I loved the idea of painting the room a neutral color such as beige, so that I would easily be able to change the accent colors and/or the theme of the room as my baby gets older.
Safety Concerns
Some of the seemingly more mundane aspects of nursery design are actually some of the most important. A new mother should make sure that the room is designed for expediency as well as aesthetics. This means that a clear walkway should be established between the crib, the changing station and the door. A mom will be walking through the room many times throughout the day and night. She doesn’t want to risk injuring herself or tripping over obstacles in her path.
A new mom must also safety proof the nursery, ideally before the baby arrives. Safety proofing may include securing any cabinets, drawers or doors. Though it will be several months before the baby is able to reach such items, it is wise to secure them sooner rather than forgetting about them later. All outlets should be covered and any electrical cords should be placed out of reach. Moms who wish to display fragile keepsakes in the baby’s room should make sure that they are not accessible to little hands.
Guest blogger and mom, Katie Moore
When the big day arrives, the last thing a new mom needs to worry about is whether or not her nursery is ready for her baby. Having the nursery prepared in advance gives the mother peace of mind that her child will have a nurturing room to come home to. — Katie Moore
Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging and meeting new people! To connect with Katie, contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie, or via Twitter, @moorekm26.
Interested in guest blogging at MomHomeGuide.com? Contact Lauren at momhomeguide@gmail.com.