Nursery ideas

With no concept of day or night, newborns will sleep for 8-18 hours, mostly waking to be fed. A Moses basket is lightweight, so you can easily move it and settle baby down nearby.

As baby grows, their sleep pattern changes. Now, they’ll be sleeping between 12–14 hours and with less night feeds, they should sleep longer. They’ll nap in the day too – a great chance to get them used to their cot.

With little or no night feeds, baby will have established a good bedtime routine, sleeping between 12–15 hours. This still includes a couple of daytime naps, but they should be able to begin to settle themselves and sleep in their cot or cot bed.

Pocket sprung - Has springs woven into individual pockets to provide support.

Spring - Springs are joined together by a coiled wire, which spreads baby’s weight across the surface.

Foam - Made from a block of foam with a memory foam layer. It responds to baby’s weight and moulds to their body shape to provide support.

There should be a snug fit between the mattress and the sides of the cot, as this will ensure a safer sleep. At most, a 3cm gap is ideal, otherwise wriggling limbs may get caught between the mattress and the cot.

Check the measurements of your cot to help decide your mattress size.

Any hypoallergenic mattresses are a great option, as they protect their sensitive skin.

Opt for reversible mattresses as it can easily be flipped during the night if it becomes wet.

Choose a waterproof, wipeable mattress cover that can easily be cleaned.

Depending on the mattress type you choose, regularly flip and rotate it to ensure all sides are used equally. When cleaning your mattress cover, we’d suggest using non-biological detergent for fabric, and a mild disinfectant or anti-bac for plastic.

Either vacuum or sponge wash any mattresses that don’t have a removable cover.

Tidy away those baby essentials easily with baskets, boxes and drawers. Select open shelving options for easy-to-reach items, and drawer cabinets for things you need less often.

A baby changing table or a baby changing unit is a great addition for any baby room or nursery. With storage underneath, they ensure all your changing essentials are readily to hand.

These high-backed chairs gently rock and offer you and your baby support and comfort whilst feeding. Choose one to suit your scheme for a calming look.

A clean mattress will help your baby sleep comfortably and breathe easy. Fitted sheets make night changes quick and easy, while waterproof protectors are great for any leaks.

A fresh and simple way to manage dirty nappies, and to keep odours at bay.

Feel reassured while your baby is sleeping. Often with app control, built in cameras and two-way talk options, a baby monitor is an invaluable nursery accessory.

Keep out the light, keep in the warmth. Curtains, blinds and blackout blinds are absolute must-haves for any nursery.

Create the right sleep environment for them. Room thermometers help keep the temperature in check. And, sleep aids use lights, colours and soothing sounds to help settle your baby.

Create an oh-so-adorable nursery with a light, bright and neutral colour scheme.

Add a personal touch to their first bedroom by upcycling a piece of furniture. Use a chalky finish furniture paint for a soft pastel finish.

Arrange different sized pictures and framed photos to create a mini gallery. Try different layouts on your floor first. Take a picture of the look you like, so you have an easy-to-recreate reference.

From cartoon characters and playful prints to minimal and geometric designs, choose a bedding set to suit the space.

Have a little declutter before you start - you'll probably find a heap of baby things you don't need in their room anymore. Once these are out the way (or in storage) you'll have freed up some space for toy and book storage.

There's a lot of playing and exploring to be done now they're toddling about. Adding in a cosy rug on the floor, a mini armchair, or tiny table creates little pockets of play (and helps to contain some of the mess).

Make them feel like a grown-up and include safe storage styles that their little hands can reach. Low open shelving for books, mini clothes rails for dress up costumes and baskets for toys work well, and will encourage tidy habits (well, we can hope).