How to use it
Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can come back to it. Nothing is sent anywhere and there is no account. Use the filter buttons to see only what you need before the birth, which is the shorter and more useful list, or hit print for a paper copy.
Two things this list assumes. First, that the baby sleeps in your room for the first months, which is why a bassinet is in the "before birth" bucket and some nursery items are not. Second, that you will be given things. Leave gaps in the list on purpose.
Buy in this order
| When | What | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| As soon as the room is decided | Crib, dresser, mattress | Furniture lead times are the only real deadline in the whole project. |
| Before the furniture arrives | Paint | Painting around furniture is miserable. Do it while the room is empty. |
| Around 30 weeks | Blackout blind, sound machine, monitor, anchors | The four things that make the room work. All cheap, all quick to fit. |
| Around 34 weeks | Sheets, changing pad and covers, diapers, wipes, clothes | The consumables. Buy small quantities of the size-specific things. |
| Around 36 weeks | Chair, rug, curtains | Nice to have in place. None of it blocks anything. |
| After the birth | Everything on the "buy when needed" list | You will know which of these you actually want within a fortnight. |
If the furniture has not been chosen yet, run the room through the layout planner first. Ordering a dresser that does not leave standing room in front of it is the expensive version of this mistake.
Why things are on the skip list
They fall into three groups, and it is worth knowing which is which.
- Safety. Crib bumpers are banned from sale in the US and should not be used. Anything soft, long or draped near a crib belongs in the same category. This group is not a preference.
- Useful for six weeks. Newborn-size everything, a dedicated changing table, a bottle warmer. Not bad products, just short careers and long storage.
- Solving nothing. Wipe warmers, nursery-specific bins with proprietary refills, decorative items sold as essentials. This is where the registry padding lives.
The five items that make the most difference
- Blackout blind. Under $80 and it changes how the room works more than anything else in it.
- White noise machine. Under $40. Same argument.
- A dresser you can stand at. The one piece of furniture worth paying up for, because it stays for 15 years.
- Furniture anchors. Free with most furniture, ignored by most people.
- A surface next to the chair. Costs nothing. Decides whether the chair gets used at night.
Questions people actually ask
When should the nursery be ready? +
What does a nursery cost to set up? +
Why is half the registry on the skip list? +
What if this is the second baby? +
Keep going
Nursery layout planner
Check the furniture fits before you order it.
All nursery ideas
Where the money goes, and the four expensive mistakes.
Nursery organization
The closet and drawer systems that keep the list from growing.
Small nursery ideas
In a small room, half of this list is optional.
Montessori nursery
A shorter list, on purpose.
Nursery paint colors
Paint goes in before the furniture arrives.
