JC and I moved into a new apartment in Prenzlauer Berg a few months before my due date. We were incredibly excited about the new apartment. It was in our favorite neighborhood of Berlin, with plenty of cute shops and restaurants nearby. It also happens to be the baby epicenter of Berlin. Everyone in Prenzlauer Berg either is pregnant or has a baby (or two). So we knew we would fit right in. The only trouble with the apartment was that it only had one bedroom. So no nursery for the new baby. In this post I want to tell you how you can prepare for baby in your bedroom when you don’t have a second bedroom for a nursery.
Make Room in your Bedroom for Baby
Have a Bassinet Beside Your Bed
Most pediatricians recommend baby sleeps in the same room as her parents for the first 6 months. We got a bassinet with rocking stand that I could easily set up on my side of the bed. This makes middle of the night feeding sessions easier. And if she starts stirring in her sleep I can easily reach over to rock or comfort her. My mother in law also gifted us with a night light that has both of our last names engraved on it (we hadn’t revealed Isabella’s name at the time). This allows me to see Isabella easily for nighttime feeding and changing sessions.
Woven Bassinet & Stand – Design Dua
Personalized Night Light – see similar options here
The nice thing about the bassinet is that you can easily move it throughout the house, with or without the stand. We did this a lot during her first few months of life and before she started using her Baby Bjorn chair.
And when she outgrows the bassinet (by 6 months), we have the crib set up at the foot of our bed.
Baby Llama Mobile – Etsy
Wooden Mobile Arm – Etsy
Have a Well-Equipped Changing Table Station
We are lucky that our bedroom is big enough to easily fit a bassinet, crib and changing table. We got the SNIGLAR changing table, the VÄDRA changing pad and cover, and the ÖNSKLIG plastic containers for easy-reach storage, all from IKEA. If you don’t have enough room to fit a separate changing table in your room, you can also use the top of a dresser. However, you will definitely want a designated changing area with everything you need, i.e. diapers, wet wipes, hand towel, diaper cream, etc, within arm’s reach.
White Chunky Knit Storage Baskets – Pottery Barn
Baby Animal Bath Towels – Pottery Barn
Diaper Pail – Ubbi
Changing Table – IKEA
Set up a Baby Corner with Hanging Space and Drawers
Since we don’t have the luxury of a second bedroom to decorate for baby, I decided to make the most of the space we have in our bedroom and create a ‘Baby Corner.’ I used two FLISAT shelves on the walls from IKEA to display baby books and artwork that had been gifted to Isabella. I turned one of the shelves upside down so that I could use it as hanging space for some of her prettiest dresses. I also framed one of her portraits from our newborn photoshoot and put a toy chest on the top of our MALM dresser, also from IKEA.
Baby hangers – IKEA
Baby shelves – IKEA
I designated the top two drawers of our MALM dresser as storage for baby clothes and used organizer cubes, also from IKEA, to organize her clothes as much as possible (i.e. one cube for pajamas, one for tops and bottoms, etc).
Get a Rug for Play and Tummy Time Practice
We are lucky to have beautiful hardwood floors throughout our apartment. However, this makes it difficult to give Isabella lots of tummy time practice as safe and soft floor space is limited. We decided to buy a soft rug for her to have ample opportunity and plenty of space to play.
Rug – IKEA
While I look forward to being able to decorate Isabella’s own room someday (probably sometime before her second birthday), we have been able to successfully make space for her in our room for the time being.
Let me know in the comments below if you too have had to make space in your own bedroom for baby and how you did it.
