What do you really need in the nursery?

[keschy]

I am setting things up now and so far only have the crib! I am planning on getting:

dresser/changing table
hamper
recliner or glider
book shelf
twin sized bed or futon

Am I missing anything or is there anything I don't need? I have a very big closet with the closet organizers and I'm wondering if I should skip the dresser. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Sangiovese]

Some sort of toy box - like a basket or metal bin, that has low sides and is open (no lid) so a toddler see and can reach the toys. (And can easily put them away!) People seem to give toys to babies as gifts, so you will probably fill it quickly (shortly after the baby is born!).

I'd stick with the dresser as a changing table - you can continue to use the dresser after it outgrows the usefulness as a changing table. I use one of the top drawers to store baby care items (diapers, cream, lotion, comb, etc.). I like that everything is hidden away!

In my house, the closet space ends up storing outgrown clothes and toys that I am saving for the next kid, so a lot of the space becomes taken over by bins of clothes, shoes, etc.

I never used/needed a bed in the baby's room, but that is probably more of a personal choice. Newborns are noisy when they sleep, and some people find it difficult to sleep with them in the same room. With the recliner/glider, you have a place to sit and relax if you need to.

I hope that helps!

[nfowife]

We have the crib, my glider with a small table beside it, a double dresser that is also our changing table, and a small bookcase. I also have a big toy bin that is canvas. And DD's hamper (white wicker), diaper pail, and swing, but I need to move the swing out because she doesn't use it anymore. I haven't felt the need for anything else in there. The bin holds toys for her to play with, the dresser holds her everyday clothes (I'm not much into hanging everything up though, you might be), her closet has the new and fancy clothes, and storage shelves, boxes of diapers, etc.
I also never felt the need for a bed in my DD's room. She slept next to our bed until 3 months old and in our room (but not next to us) until 4 months old, when she went to her crib full-time. She has slept through the night since 9 months old. I do have a video monitor that I adore. That thing is a must have as well!!

[C99]

What do you really NEED? A crib and a rocker. Everything else is just icing. :)

[KBecks]

Diaper pail! :)

Maybe a table with a lamp, and a CD player.

[cynsteele]

We have the crib, a dresser (combo style - raised part on the right with a drawer and cabinet, and the changing pad goes on the left), glider, ottoman, laundry hamper, floor lamp that gives really soft lighting.

I really needed a table or something next to the glider when I first started nursing, for cloths (we got messy), tissues, a clock. We just put a tv table in there, but now I don't need that anymore and have been dying to get a nice bookshelf. I need somewhere to put all these books people have given to us, and I have started reading to her. Also I want to put a basket there for all the stuffed animals she has. I feel bad all this stuff is in the closet.

A nightlight is invaluable to us. I can slip in and see if her eyes are open or closed!

I could use one other lamp maybe on the bookshelf for when I want to read her stories at bedtime, but I don't need it yet so it's okay.

Definitely we needed the dresser. We have a huge closet in there, but if she's in a diaper on the changing pad it is so nice to just reach in the dresser and get a new onesie. I have a basket on the raised part of the dresser where I keep diapers, wipes, etc. The monitor also sits on the raised part.

Cynthia
Sabrina 2-8-06

[megs4413]

a fan for white noise is sometimes good. I think also a small lamp that is not so bright so when you're changing in the middle of the night you can see, but aren't overly stimulating a tired baby. Also depending on climate where you live you might want a humidifier. I'm going to echo the pps and say that a dresser/changing table combo is best bc a changing table by itself isn't that valuable for that long.

like one of the pp's stressed NEED is different from all that we're saying. If for budget reasons you want to limit it to the truly important stuff i would suggest just a crib, a glider (only if you're BF, i was FF and ended up selling my glider cause we didn't need it), a dresser/changer combo, and a diaper pail. The rest of it isn't necessary, but it does help!

[asxmen]

what video monitor do you have?