Furnishing a Nursery Safely
When decorating a child’s first room or redecorating an existing one, planning for safety will assure that the new room will be enjoyed free of hidden hazards or ill fated accidents. Resolve to prevent accidents, promote health and educate the young child for a life of safe and wise choices.
Essential Nursery furnishings
Essentials include a crib, changing table or dresser, a rocking chair, shelves, a lamp, pictures, waste basket, bedding, set of bumpers and a waterproof mattress. Nursery furniture made of untreated hardwood is preferred for air purity. Laminated wood is suitable if it is smoothly finished. Stay away from pressed wood which contains formaldehyde that releases toxic gases. If you must use it coat it with polyurethane. Painted furniture should be labeled lead free or you paint it with lead free paint.
Essential Room Preparation
If you will be painting the nursery allow time for it to air and de gas. Use paint that is certified safe. Use a carbon monoxide monitor and a fire alarm. Have an escape plan. Use safe outlets. Know how to call 911.
Cribs
Cribs should contain the baby safely: having no places for the baby’s head to become entrapped. Cribs that meet safety standards are labeled and will have a crib mattress fitting so tightly that two fingers can barely be inserted between the mattress and the rails, slats that are no wider than 2 3/8 inches apart with no cutouts of any kind on the headboard and footboard of the crib. The corner posts should be level with the end panels or no higher than 1/16” to avoid loose clothing or bedding from hanging on them.. Releasing the drop sides should be a two step process. If not a minimum force of 10# should be required to release the rail. The top rail should be covered with teething guards. If you set up the crib, make certain it is done properly and is checked by another person for good measure. If you use a second time around crib check carefully for gaps, lead based paint, sturdy hardware, and safe drop side mechanism. If any of these fail it is best to buy a new crib.
Changing Table
Look for a changing table that sits solidly on the floor with sturdy slightly flared legs and shelving to hold changing supplies. A dresser can serve this purpose quite well if it sets solidly on the floor and shelves are located nearby.
Rocker
Choose a true rocker or a glider. Both will function well for baby soothing. The rocker should be sized so that the person rocking can always keep his feet on the floor. The rockers should gently slope without extreme backward tilting. Gliders that are well proportioned with strong under carriage need to be checked often for loose hardware. Screws and bolts may need tightening occasionally.
Shelves
Shelves that are chosen for the baby nursery will very likely be the same ones used for the toddler nursery so they need to sit solidly on the floor and be anchored to the wall or be hung very securely on the wall at a height above the toddler’s reach because toddlers are attracted to shelves and may be tempted to climb them. Shelf climbing on unsafe shelving is the #3 home safety hazard according to CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Council). Wisely using a floor plan may help you to position the shelves correctly for transitioning to your toddler's needs.
Lamps
Use a lamp that meets safety standards for wiring. It will have a label from either UL (Underwriters Laboratory) or ETL (Electrical Testing Laboratory). If you use a second time around lamp carefully check cords and plugs for brittleness or wear. It is possiplbe to have a wonderful older lamp rewired sarely to be enjoyed with complete peace of mind.
Pictures and mobiles
Pictures should have washable surfaces without any glass to break. The frames should be smooth and free from pointed metal corners. Mount pictures securely with a hanger that is suitable for your walls. Prints from Picturethisroom.com are perfect for a safe and happy nursery. Mobiles should be hung well out of baby’s reach.
Waste Basket
In the infant nursery a waste basket lined with a plastic liner can be used. Additionally a waste covered disposer for diapers is essential for keeping the fumes of soiled diapers contained.
Bedding, Bumper, Mattress
Avoid entanglement or suffocation by following the recommendations of the CPSC. Essential bedding is about what not to use. No pillows, no quilts, comforters, sheepskins, no adult sized sheets should ever be used in the crib. Stuffed toys are out too. Sheets should fit so tightly that they cannot be pulled up at the corners. Choose non-pillowy bumpers to cover crib slats installing them so that no strings or ties are dangling and then trim the tie ends. Use a firm completely waterproof crib mattress that has not been covered with a plastic liner. A light blanket that is tucked around the mattress and comes only as high as the baby’s chest works well for warmth or use a sleep sack. To reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) always place the baby on his or her back to sleep. A sleep positioner designed for holding infants in the best sleep positions could be used.
Safe Nursery Rewards
Forward planning for your safe nursery gives you freedom to enjoy bringing your new baby home Your thoughts can focus on feeding and cuddling and growing your baby. Enrich these good beginning with beautiful framed or unframed prints from Picturethisroom.com. They can be touched and enjoyed and wiped clean with a soft cloth when needed. They will not compromise the safe nursery environment you have created.
By Donna Smith
Picturethisroom.com
