One of the first things that new parents-to-be get excited about after the initial exhilaration of finding out there is going to be an addition to the family is decorating a nursery for the new little prince or princess. There are a few things to consider before actually beginning the project, so grab a paper and pencil and start taking notes for a project that will be fun for you now and enjoyable to both you and baby in the future.

How do I get started?

The first order of business will undoubtedly be deciding which area of the house will be turned into the nursery. There are some very important things to take into consideration when choosing this room or area if you actually have more than one choice.

1. You will want the room to be close enough so that you can hear the baby during the night. If it is not possible to have a room close to yours, be sure to have a good brand of nursery monitor. Keeping the bassinette in your room for the first few weeks if the baby's room is a distant one is perfectly fine.
2. Consider the nursery's proximity to other rooms in the house that may not be conducive to the quiet time and sleep that a newborn will need. If, as just one example, one of the walls in the nursery is next to the room of an older child who tends to be noisy or play loud music, you may want to consider choosing another nursery area. If that is not feasible, at least try not putting the crib against the "noisy wall" whether that's another child's room or even the kitchen.

Color schemes for the room of dreams

After the room is chosen, you will need to get down to the nitty gritty with things such as themes and color schemes. If you are starting this project before knowing if your baby will be a boy or girl (or if you don't plan to find out ahead of time at all) it will be more difficult planning colors or a theme.

One thing to keep in mind is you certainly do not have to stick with the old "rules" of pink for girls, blue for boys, yellow or green if you don't know the gender. Greens and yellows will certainly work, but so will colors such as lavender, peach, and neutral colors used in combination with any of the above.

You may be tempted to do the room in a color scheme of splashes of vibrant colors. Decorating with those bright hues has become very popular these days, but you may want to stick with the more subdued and pastel colors for the nursery. That does not mean that you can't have those splashes of vividness here and there in your accessories, just that it may not be the best idea for the walls. With everything else that the baby will be learning and taking in during those first few months, a room full of bright colors may turn out to be a bit overwhelming for him or her.

Some words of caution while preparing the room

Will you be painting or using wallpaper? Plan all those things out before beginning. What will the flooring be? When you know all these things, the room will start coming together nicely.

Concerning the painting, the American Pregnancy Association warns that chemicals and solvents in paints offer various degrees of toxicity for humans, but there are no studies concluding the risks to a mother-to-be. It is still recommended to avoid paint exposure, however, so it would be a much better choice to have someone do the painting for you. Even after the room is finished, be sure to have good ventilation in there to minimize your contact with the fumes.

If you do find that you need to be involved with the painting for whatever reason, do not ever be involved in the removal of old paint. Paints manufactured prior to the 1970s have lead in them and are very dangerous to young children and pregnant women. This means stay away from the area if any sanding or old paint removal is being done.

If being in the locale or helping to paint the room yourself cannot be avoided, be sure to use proper safety precautions such as not having food or drink in the room and having proper ventilation. Be sure to get plenty of fresh air. As with anything else you do while pregnant, do not overwork yourself and take plenty of breaks.

If you simply don't want to take the risk, even though no studies are conclusive, you may want to just wallpaper the room and that would be a fun project as well.

Choose a Theme

If you will be using a theme, keep it in mind while you are shopping for the room. It is fun and exciting to shop for a themed room. Some things that you will be searching for to fit your theme include:

• Curtains
• Bedding
• Decorations
• Accessories (lamp, mobile, transfers for furniture, etc.)
• Wall hangings
• Wallpaper borders

Shopping can be by the traditional means of a trip to a brick and mortar store or the mall, but remember that some fabulous bargains can be found online. Shopping via the Internet also allows you to choose some items that you simply would not be able to find at your local stores. Don't forget to check the online auctions such as eBay for items to add to your chosen theme.

Preparing the nursery for your own needs, too

In addition to making sure everything is set up nicely for the baby's comfort, don't forget yourself while decorating. Some considerations to make it a room for your own enjoyment as well include:

1. Buy a rocking chair for yourself if you don't already have one to put into the nursery
2. Plan to have a night light near your chair for those delightful bonding sessions or late night feedings
3. Arrange to put your changing table, diaper pail, and other items at the place where it will be most convenient for you to use them.

Closing thoughts

When you have finished decorating the nursery (providing you hadn't already started buying layette items) it will be time to think about putting a layette together for the baby. The nice part about waiting is that you will now have the room finished and have space in the baby's own room, such as a dresser, to keep the layette items.

You will know what will be needed for the most part, and will surely be adding things to this list, but for some basic bottom line ideas, try starting with:

• 5 or 6 undershirts (buy the 3-6 month size, not smaller)
• A few sleeping gowns (again, nothing smaller than 3-6 months)
• Winter outerwear if baby is born during a cold month, or if winter will soon arrive
• At least 3 or 4 "all-in-one" sleepers
• A few footed sleepers
• 5 - 7 pairs of booties or socks
• 3 or 4 receiving blankets
• Bath items (soft cloths, towels, oil, shampoo, powder, lotion, baby tub, etc.)
• Diapers
• Bibs
• Crib sheets, waterproof mattress pad, and bumper pad

Keep in mind while possibly going overboard with buying these things, however, that if you think someone will have a baby shower for you, a lot of these things will be given for gifts.

External Links:

• American Pregnancy Association - Much information dealing with pregnancy
• Childbirth.org - Many resources and articles concerning pregnancy and babies