Newborn Nursery Organization
Having a baby is hard. Taking care of a baby is hard. You have to learn to function on less sleep, sometimes needing to care for other children. You are in charge of a baby who relies on you for everything! So, it is important to have the nursery set up so you know where everything is and can easily access it when needed.
When thinking about the nursery, consider what you’ll be doing where. You want to make sure diapers and wipes are within reach when you’re changing the baby (and have extras on hand because no one wants to be stuck without a wipe!). Where will you be feeding the baby? Make sure to have a table nearby for water or to place the bottle down when needed. Getting everything set up before the baby arrives, if possible, will help when the baby is here and you’re not sleeping.
In this nursery, I made sure the top drawers were utilized with the most used items. There are diapers within reach, burp cloths close by and extra wipes available. Have you ever tried to change a diaper and realized you are out of wipes? It’s the worst! Having the next package close by is important. I try to keep a couple close by because you don’t know when you’ll think about restocking.
For clothes, you want to make sure you have a system for new clothes coming in and outgrowing clothes. I like using these drawer dividers for ease of transfer. I put the newborn and next size up in the middle drawers ready to go. Then, I put the next size in the bottom drawer in the same containers. This way, when she outgrows the newborn size, the next size up is ready to go without any extra thinking! Then, when time allows, you can have the next size ready to go. Make sure to label which size is which – you don’t want to do all that work and forget when the time comes.
With children, I love to have hand me down/ donate bins in their closets. When clothes get too small, if you just put them back in the drawers, you’ll get frustrated trying them on and realizing they’re too small again. When you try something on you child and it’s too small, immediately put it into a hand me down or donation bin, depending on your situation. For my boys, the eldest has a hand me down bin for younger brother and the youngest has a donation bin. If older brother outgrows something that’s too worn, I put it straight into the donation bin (or trash). I don’t like to waste time putting items back into the drawers to just get frustrated it doesn’t fit later.
For my daughter, I have a bin to return to my sister in her closet. My sister has two older girls than my daughter, so a lot of our clothes come from their donation bins! I fill the bin and when it gets too full, I put the clothes in containers to return to her house.
Just find which system works best for you and your family!
With newborns, there are also some other tips. First, have diapers and wipes in all rooms you may be changing the baby. I love this diaper caddy or find a drawer or bin that works for you. I have provided pictures of different ways I have organized. Also, in each of these spaces, have burp cloths and extra clothes. This way, you don’t always have to go to the nursery to get new clothes.
The key to surviving life with a newborn is making everything easy. The rest of life is new and different so having some structure to your house will help you days go smoother!
My last tip, after having three children, is ask for help! And accept help when people offer. This was really hard to do with my first and a lot easier now. If anyone offers help, I take it. If someone offers to watch my older boys, they will get them! I also have gotten better at asking for help when I need it. During the holidays, I had all three children home and found help on days I would need it. That made the holidays more enjoyable for everyone! Plus, my kids love being with their grandparents and their grandparents love being with them – win win!
