Nursery Checklist: What to Plan and Buy Before the Baby Arrives
Set up a nursery in this order: decide where the baby will sleep, measure and plan the layout, finish paint and other messy jobs, buy and assemble the furniture, then stock the small essentials. Many parents start in the second trimester and aim to be done a few weeks before the due date, which leaves time for delivery delays.
Inspiration images from the HomePlanner Discover gallery. In the app you start from a photo of your own room.
When should you start setting up the nursery?
There's no right week, but working backward from the due date helps. Furniture can take several weeks to arrive, paint needs time to air out, and the last month is rarely the moment you want to be building a dresser. Many parents start planning in the second trimester and aim to have the room usable three to four weeks before the due date.
Doing it in order also saves money. When you know the layout before you shop, you buy pieces that fit instead of returning a dresser that blocks the closet.
Step 1: Decide where the baby will sleep
This decision changes everything else on the list. Some families use the nursery from day one; many keep the baby in their own room for the first months and use the nursery for changing, clothes and naps. Follow your local official safe-sleep guidance when you decide, and plan for the setup you'll actually use.
If the baby will sleep in your room at first, you may need a bassinet there now and a crib in the nursery later, and the nursery can be finished at a slower pace.
Step 2: Measure and plan the layout
Measure the room and sketch it with the door swing, closet, windows, vents and outlets. Decide which wall gets the crib (a solid wall away from the window and blind cords), where the dresser and changing pad go, and where the chair fits. Leave a clear path from the door to the crib.
Tape the footprints on the floor before you order anything. It takes ten minutes and shows you immediately whether that glider really fits next to the dresser.
Check the chair position too. You'll want a small surface within arm's reach of it for water, a phone and a burp cloth, and a lamp you can switch on without getting up.
Step 3: Paint, flooring and other messy jobs first
Anything that makes dust or fumes should happen before the furniture and baby things arrive. Paint early with a low-VOC paint and keep the room ventilated for a few weeks. Swap a ceiling light, add a dimmer, install blackout shades and put down a rug pad and rug in this stage too.
If someone else in the house is doing the painting, that's a good job to hand over.
Step 4: Nursery furniture to buy
Keep the furniture list short. You can always add pieces once you know how you use the room.
- Crib that meets current safety standards, with a firm mattress that fits snugly
- Dresser with a changing tray, or a changing table if you have the space
- Comfortable chair or glider for feeds and stories
- Blackout shade or lined curtains
- Laundry hamper and a small trash can with a lid
- A few bins or baskets for the dresser and closet
Step 5: Small essentials, in the order you'll need them
Stock the top dresser drawer and changing area first, since those get used from the first day home. Buy small amounts of newborn sizes; babies outgrow them quickly and gifts tend to arrive in the same size.
Anchor tall furniture to the wall as soon as it's assembled, before the room is in use.
- Fitted crib or bassinet sheets (two or three)
- Diapers in newborn and size 1, wipes and diaper cream
- Swaddles or sleep sacks, following your local safe-sleep guidance
- Burp cloths and a few washcloths
- A dimmable lamp or night light for night feeds
- A white-noise machine and a baby monitor if you want one
- Basic baby first-aid items and a thermometer
What you can skip or buy later
Wipe warmers, a dedicated diaper pail system, matching decor sets and big toy storage can all wait or be skipped entirely. So can a toddler bed, which you won't need for a long time. Check your local official safe-sleep guidance before buying crib accessories such as bumpers, pillows or sleep positioners; many official guidelines advise against them.
Keep receipts and leave tags on clothes until the baby arrives. You'll find out quickly what you actually reach for.
The final two weeks before the due date
Wash the baby's clothes, sheets and swaddles with a gentle detergent and put them away by size. Make up the crib or bassinet, stock the changing area, and put a spare set of sheets within reach. Install the car seat and have it checked if a fitting service is available near you.
Then stop. The nursery doesn't need to be finished to be ready; it only needs to work for the first few weeks.