I have looked at nursery furniture some. Mainly its because I have friends who are almost at their due date and have had to buy the furniture. However, some of it is price checking and wishing and trying to figure out what may work for the nursery.
I haven't bought anything either, but I've scoped out some of the major baby stores for prices and selection to get an idea of what's out there. SIL said they'd give us one of their cribs this weekend which was a welcome shock, and FIL has offered to buy us a glider so hopefully we won't need much other than a dresser/change table combo.
I am 16w and we bought ours from Target about a week ago because they finally had everything in stock and we didn't want to risk waiting. It will be stay boxed up in the dining room for 2+ months until we get new carpet and find out what color to paint the room.
I bought second hand. The crib from a friend's friend and the changing table from craigslist. To be honest though- we never once used the crib (well maye once for a short nap). I went back to work at 12 weeks, so we wanted her in our room to make nighttime nursing easier. She was in an infant sleeper/ rocker for the first 5-6 months (best purchase EVER!). It's super convenient, small (we have a tiny house), keeps babies heads elevated (great in case of reflux or silent reflux), and folds up with the click of a button for easy traveling. She slept in a pack n play until 1ish- 18 months, and then co slept with us until she completely weaned at 2.5. Now she gets her baby, grabs a blanket, and puts herself and her baby to sleep each night. It's so stinkin cute! She's so excited to be a big sister (she will be 3 and 4 months when baby arrives).
With DS, we started looking at about 16 weeks to get an idea of price, but didn't order for a few more months. We ended up getting a set from a baby furniture store and it took something like 12-16 weeks to come in. We were in the middle of building our house and didn't need it right away so it worked out.
Since this is my third and my 'surprise' baby, I am going to try not to spend so much on a crib this time around. I also learned my lesson. With my first two, each got a convertible crib, ($600-800) but converts into a Full bed. I loved the idea of being wise w $$ when I purchased the cribs. I was thinking they'd be useful for a long time! Pfft! I eventually downgraded to a twin bed for each kid so they could have more floor space to play w their toys! What a waste of $$. I eventually sold the cribs cuz I was done having kids.
This time, I will be conservative with a Jenny Lind-type crib from Target that can do toddler bed then transition to a new twin bed when he/she is ready.
Edited: it posted half of my comments so I edited to add what was missing.
I LOVE DD's crib (bought at BBB) https://www.babyappleseed.com/stratfordcollection.html (in
white) But I am thinking we should purchase a different crib for baby
#2 to distinguish their own identity within the room. They will be
sharing a room for a while. I've been looking at Pottery Barn kids.
And
I LOVE her bookshelf, dresser and armoire that we purchased at IKEA but
the dresser is falling apart and we will need a bigger armoire for baby
#2...I'm actually getting upset because I love IKEA's stuff, it's so cute and inexpensive but the way her dresser is falling apart it makes me think twice...
Oh! I should add, with DD we bought all the nursery furniture slowly and on sale as that's how we could afford it. We got it all at sears and we bought the first piece (the crib) around 12 weeks. Then, as we could afford it, we bought the rest of the matching set sans dresser. We couldn't fit it in her room.
@carmelissa I always put everything I wanted on the registry mainly bc whatever was left after showers you could get a % off the price (I think it was 10%). Also- you would be shocked at how generous people could be (I had people go in on larger items together). I also had a stroller car seat combo show up on my front door step ordered online by a family at the school where I teach.
This may be a silly question, but is it inappropriate to put the furniture on the registry?
Put it on because at the end you get a % off for everything still left and you can really save some money that way! Plus BRU has their promotion where you get a % of your registry purchases, even stuff you buy!
This may be a silly question, but is it inappropriate to put the furniture on the registry?
I think it depends on your crowd. I know my crowd would probably side-eye a crib on a registry.
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Really? Why is that, because it's a big-ticket item? (Though our crib was cheaper than our car seats.) I'm just being nosy, do they side-eye car seats, strollers, etc?
My crowd doesn't side-eye stuff like cribs & car seats, but they side-eye a bunch of unnecessary stuff. Like copious amounts of clothes (a few outfits is okay, 20 outfits is not), nursery decor (lamps, wall hangings), multi diaper bags, etc.
I haven't bought anything yet-probably wont till after summer. But since we are starting all over again : ) and last crib I bought was in 1993, we've been browsing. I actually still have the crib, but one wheel broke off and it's a dropside-which I;m fine with (it is not the type that caused problems) but my kids say NO WAY lol! So we're getting a new one, I figure my eventual grandchildren can use it here too someday!
Walmart has a nice crib for $139 that looks like our bedroom set (baby will be in our room for awhile) and changes to a toddler bed and later a full size headboard. The Ikea ones are well priced too but look so low to the floor. I don't think the more expensive cribs from the fancy places hold up any better-my aforementioned crib was $99 and lasted through 5 kids. My main concern is that it meets all current standards, so we are buying new rather than used.
As far as other furniture like a dresser and stuff, for the beginning it'll just be a plastic thing until we sort out bedrooms-with two kids adult age and planning to move out at some point, we have some rearrngeing to do in the next year, so I'll hold off buying stuff till I know what I need.
Re: Nursery furniture
___________________________________________________________________________
Trying for #1 since May 2010 l DX ~ Unexplained Infertility June 2011
IUI #1&2 = BFN; IUI #3 = BFP, m/c @ 6 weeks
November '11 ~ IVF#1 ~ ER 11/18 (29R, 17F) ~ 5dt of one beautiful blast on 11/23 = BFP!!
Beta #1 9dp5dt = 116, P4 = 28 ~ Beta #2 13dp5dt = 700 ~ Beta #3 20dp5dt = 9500, P4 = 26
1st u/s 12/27 - hb of 156!! EDD 8.10.12
**TEAM GREEN!**
Sweet baby boy born 8.18.12
Trying for #2
FET #1 - October '13 - c/p l FET #2 - December '13 - cancelled
l FET #2.2 - 1.30.14 - BFN
~ More testing - hysteroscopy, endometrial biopsy & more b/w - all normal / negative~
Surprise BFP while waiting on FET #3 ~ beta #1 500; beta #2 1600; first u/s 4/3 - measuring 5w5d, no hb yet!; 2nd u/s 4/10 - hb 132, measuring 6w6d - EDD 11.29.14
**TEAM GREEN!**
Beautiful baby girl born 11.24.14
This time, I will be conservative with a Jenny Lind-type crib from Target that can do toddler bed then transition to a new twin bed when he/she is ready.
Edited: it posted half of my comments so I edited to add what was missing.
(in white) But I am thinking we should purchase a different crib for baby #2 to distinguish their own identity within the room. They will be sharing a room for a while. I've been looking at Pottery Barn kids.
And I LOVE her bookshelf, dresser and armoire that we purchased at IKEA but the dresser is falling apart and we will need a bigger armoire for baby #2...I'm actually getting upset because I love IKEA's stuff, it's so cute and inexpensive but the way her dresser is falling apart it makes me think twice...
My mom gave us this changing table (in white) from walmart and that was a huge lifesaver! (great purchase!) https://www.walmart.com/ip/Badger-Basket-Modern-Changing-Table-with-3-Baskets-and-Hamper-Espresso/19226869
There's also a thread about this on the Oct board with some good suggestions
https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/comment/81829102/#Comment_81829102
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Really? Why is that, because it's a big-ticket item? (Though our crib was cheaper than our car seats.) I'm just being nosy, do they side-eye car seats, strollers, etc?
My crowd doesn't side-eye stuff like cribs & car seats, but they side-eye a bunch of unnecessary stuff. Like copious amounts of clothes (a few outfits is okay, 20 outfits is not), nursery decor (lamps, wall hangings), multi diaper bags, etc.
Walmart has a nice crib for $139 that looks like our bedroom set (baby will be in our room for awhile) and changes to a toddler bed and later a full size headboard. The Ikea ones are well priced too but look so low to the floor. I don't think the more expensive cribs from the fancy places hold up any better-my aforementioned crib was $99 and lasted through 5 kids. My main concern is that it meets all current standards, so we are buying new rather than used.
As far as other furniture like a dresser and stuff, for the beginning it'll just be a plastic thing until we sort out bedrooms-with two kids adult age and planning to move out at some point, we have some rearrngeing to do in the next year, so I'll hold off buying stuff till I know what I need.