Buying guide
How to prepare your baby’s room
In the first months your baby sleeps in your room. What you actually need – somewhere to sleep, to change, storage, light and temperature – and what can wait.
In short
- For the first six months, the recommended place to sleep is in the parents’ room, in their own cot. The baby’s room can wait.
- You need four things – a safe place to sleep, a changing spot at your height, a little storage and a dim light for the night.
- Room temperature matters more than decor. A room thermometer is a better buy than a canopy.
- New furniture and fresh paint should air for a few weeks before the birth.
The baby’s room is where the pregnancy becomes real, and it is natural to want to prepare it nicely. The good news is that you can: it just doesn’t have to be ready in week 30 and it doesn’t have to be full. In the first months your baby sleeps next to you, and their room is more of a place for changing, dressing and storage.
Where they actually sleep
The safe-sleep recommendation is that your baby sleeps in the parents’ room, in their own cot, ideally for the first six months. So the first “baby’s room” is a corner of your bedroom, with a cot, a Moses basket or a co-sleeper. If space is tight, see cots for a small room.
You can prepare their separate room at any point in the first year. Many parents use it at first only for changing and for clothes.
The four things that matter
1. The place to sleep
A cot that meets EN 716 or a Moses basket that meets EN 1130, with a firm mattress that fits it, and nothing soft in it. Everything about choosing one is in the cot guide.
Where you put it:
- away from the radiator, the stove or air conditioning that blows directly;
- away from the window and from blind or curtain cords;
- with no shelves, pictures or heavy objects above it;
- at least a metre from any cable, including the monitor’s.
2. The changing spot
Eight to ten times a day, for months on end. Height matters, and so does having everything within arm’s reach.
- A changing table or a stable chest of drawers at waist height, with a raised-edge changing mat.
- Nappies, wipes, cream and a set of clothes on shelves or in an organiser, on the side of your free hand.
- A lidded bin for nappies, close by.
- Never your baby alone on it, not even while you reach for something further away.
The chest of drawers is usually a better choice than a dedicated changing table: you will use it for years after you stop changing nappies. Fix it to the wall.
3. Storage
A newborn has few things, but lots of small ones. These help:
- a few baskets or boxes by clothes size, so you can easily swap them as your baby grows;
- a separate shelf or drawer for night things: sleeping bags, sheets, spare bodysuits;
- a high spot for the care kit and medicines. See the care kit.
4. Light and temperature
- A night light with a warm, dim glow that doesn’t shine in your baby’s eyes. For night changes and feeds, without turning on the main light.
- Blackout curtains, useful for daytime naps and for summers with sun at 5 in the morning.
- A room thermometer. For sleep, a cool room, ideally 16–20 °C, is better than a warm one. The temperature also decides which sleeping bag you choose.
- Daily airing, a few minutes, with your baby in another room in winter.
New furniture, paint and smells
New furniture, mattresses, carpets and fresh paint give off volatile compounds, mostly in the first weeks. Do any renovation as early in the pregnancy as possible, ideally without the mother doing the painting herself, choose water-based paints and air the new, unpacked furniture for a few weeks before the birth.
What can wait or be left out
- A canopy, bumpers and decorative pillows in the cot. They have no place there. See what not to buy for a baby.
- A thick, fluffy rug, hard to clean. A thin, washable one is more practical.
- A nursing chair. If you breastfeed often at night, a comfortable armchair is a real gain, but it doesn’t have to be a special one. Try it before you buy.
- A humidifier, an air purifier, a white noise machine. Some families use them, others don’t. Wait and see whether you need them.
- Themed decor that your child will tire of in two years. Plain walls and a few nice things, easy to change, last better.
Our recommendation
For the first months: a safe cot in your bedroom, a chest of drawers fixed to the wall with a changing mat on top, a night light and a room thermometer. You prepare your baby’s room calmly, at your own pace, with a few baskets for clothes and with furniture aired in good time. What matters for safety once they start to move you will find in home safety.
Frequently asked questions
Where should my baby sleep in the first months?
In the parents’ room, in their own cot or Moses basket, not in the parents’ bed, ideally for at least the first 6 months. This is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, linked to a lower risk of sudden infant death. The baby’s room can be prepared later.
What temperature should the baby’s room be?
A cool but not cold room – ideally between 16 and 20 °C for sleep. It is more important that your baby doesn’t overheat than that they feel warm. Use a room thermometer and choose the sleeping bag according to the temperature.
Do I need a changing table?
Not necessarily. A stable chest of drawers at waist height, with a raised-edge changing mat on top, does the same job and stays useful afterwards. What matters is that it is at a height that doesn’t strain your back and that you have everything within reach, so you never leave your baby alone on it.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.