Baby Nursery: The Essentials

The rocking chair or glider is arguably the rockstar of the nursery. Why? The rocker is a great place to feed or nurse your baby. In the middle of the night it works wonders for soothing Baby back to sleep. If you can spend the extra cash invest in a footstool too. Mom, you'll feel like a rockstar as you belt out those lullabies for your biggest fan—Baby!

When you select your crib the most important thing to remember is to keep it simple. We know you want the best for baby but an ornate diamond encrusted crib is not only unnecessary but also downright dangerous. If you plan to use a crib see The Danny Foundation guidelines for important safety tips. And remember, drop-side cribs are now illegal. Just say no!

So Mamma, keep your crib bare—this isn't MTV! All joking aside get rid of bumpers, blankets, toys, and pillows. Although cute, these are all strangulation and suffocation hazards. The place to spend money here is the mattress. Budget $100 to $150 for a very firm mattress and be sure to put it at its lowest setting as soon as Baby can stand. If Baby's sleeping soundly it means you are too—win win!