What's the minimum furniture that you need when you have a newborn?

I'm asking this question b/c I have a very very very small apartment and I'm trying to make the most of what I can in this space. I guess what I'm really asking is, "What do I NEED for the first 6 months with the exception of diapers, clothes, and baby wipes".





Non-condescending answers would be nice. (having to say this b/c of previous answers I have gotten from other questions.)

What's the minimum furniture that you need when you have a newborn?
depends on what your plans are...





many plan to co-sleep, no need for any furniture!!





I cleared a large drawer in my dresser for my daughter's clothes... no dresser for her





diapering on the bed/couch - no need for changing table





I'd say for me the only necessities were:


boobs


diapering supplies


clothes


carseat


sling





seriously... everything else could be improvised with...


ie: a towel is a towel, not necessary to have rubber duckie ones (though they are cute)





I did have a crib, but w/ breastfeeding, co-sleeping was the better choice... so our hand me down crib served as a clean laundry receptacle :)
Reply:All I had for my son was a pack'n'play and a cradle swing. We lived. I'd suggest getting a crib, though, as it's easier to have them sleep in it from the start.
Reply:Well baby sleeps with us. But both of us like that arrangement so we do not use the crib yet. I have a student desk that I have made into a changing table and I keep his clothes in the drawers. I also have these cubes I got at Bed Bath %26amp; Beyond that click together. In each one I hold diapers, on top I have a desk top diaper holder which holds all of his toiletries and of course diapers. I would try to use what you have already, see what you can recycle. I just put a changing pad on top of my student desk and voila! changing table!


You also would do nicely with a bouncer for the baby or a swing (bouncer would take up less space) to keep baby amused while you do laundry or what not.


Good luck!
Reply:you dont need a bassinet, use a crib,


you dont need a glider, for what? because alot of other mothers do?


you dont need a changing table, to collect dust , and toys and clothing?


you dont need a dresser,clear yours, and give baby a draw or two.


for high chair, you can purchase a chair that fits on most standard chairs, saving space.
Reply:Get a pack and play with the bassinet and changing table attachments(pooh 2006 came w/ both) When they're tiny you can leave both on at the same time. I'd highly recomend a swing and a bouncer seat, they make them foldable and whatnot for saving space. If you have room in the living room and a little room in the bedroom, set the pack n play in the living room and a crib in the bedroom. I have a 2 story apartment w/ small rooms, it was essential to have a changing/sleep station on each floor. And you need a place to sit, but you probably already have living room furniture and a bed in the bedroom. Don't change baby on the bed, it gets messy, lol, and dangerous after they can roll. If you don't have room on the floor in the bedroom, look into the changing tables they make that sit on the crib as well. Clean out the bottom of a closet if possible, and designate that as baby's space for furniture. We had a mini swing and a bouncer, she'd be in one or the other all the time. In fact, we started putting the bouncer right in the crib while she was sleeping and she got used to waking up there and transitioned to crib only quite easily when she outgrew the bouncer. Good luck!
Reply:Here's the bare minimum


Crib


Bottle


Spoons


baby thermometer


Car seat and a baby stroller


Crib


High Chair


Changing Table (could use table if necessary)


Baby Gates (if you have stairs)


Binky


If possible to splurge get a baby swing. You'll find it use full.





Hope this helps!
Reply:Vacinet or crib and a swing. You can also get a closet organizer for the baby, it will save you tons of space. Don't get a changing station you wont need it.
Reply:When my husband and I had our first child, we lived in a very tiny apartment... The biggest thing we used all the time was the pack n play. You can get one's that have the bassinettes/changing table with them also and they are a HUGE help. A baby under 6 mos really doesn't even need a crib. I would say to get a bouncie chair for the baby, the ones that vibrate, because they can be very soothing for a baby. Babies really don't need alot of furniture at that age, so just get the minimum, like a pack n play. My husband and I have had our 2nd child (we now live in a larger home) and our 14 mos old son wont even sleep in his crib...he only sleeps in the pack n play... LOL
Reply:The most important things is a "tight", flat sleeping surface. It has to be something with ZERO loose bedding, stuffed animals, pillows and even blankets, because this has been shown to reduce SIDS and keep the baby breathing. The best way to achieve this is a crib, because their manufacturing is regulated to Federal standards of safety, and it will fit them for longer than a bassinett will. When they can sit up, a swing is an awfully nice thing to have, for your own sanity, and the ability to actually use the restroom once in a while! Plus, babies really like them!
Reply:As far as furniture is concerned the one absolute must is a crib. Others may say a basinet but they don't last long and then you have wasted that money and end up buying a crib anyway. You can get some nice cribs at Wal-Mart that start out as cribs and then you change them into toddler beds and then into a full size bed. It is a wonderful investment because this could be the child's bed until he/she moves out. It comes with everything except for a full size matress set but the toddler bed is the same mattress as the crib. I know these are available all over but I say Wal-Mart because they are relatively inexpensive. I paid $250 for my daughters.


It would be good to invest in a swing because they are helpful in soothing a child but it is not a must and you can do without. If you have a closet space then you can save on a dresser (which are nice, but again not a must) and just buy many baby size hangers. Best Wishes.
Reply:You wash baby in a sink, change on a table or counter, have baby sleep with you... i think the BARE MINIMUM is a carseat
Reply:When my uncle got out of the service, my folks found them an apartment close by to move into once he had a job. Cheap, but what he could afford. It was a tiny one bedroom. There was barely room in there to stand next to the crib. So, based on that, a crib is all you need. You do not need a swing or bouncy seat or any of that. You may find that you need a high chair, but my Aunt just fed the baby in her lap. A rocking chair is a nice add on for regular furniture-you might find an upholstered one used (that's how I got mine). A sling, even a homemade one, can keep baby occupied while making dinner and such.





I should add that there are occasions when cosleeping isn't recommended. Very overweight, insomnia, smoker, taking medications other than vitamins. All of these situations can interfere with your sleep sense of where you are and where baby is.
Reply:My mother put me in a dresser drawer for the first few months of my life. I didn't out-grow the drawer for a little bit. She put me next to her bed on a chair. As a Mom, you make do with what you have and can afford. Later, she got a cradle for me.





You'll need at least a play-pen or some way to confine the baby (so it won't fall or get injured) while you get bottles made, go to the loo, comb your hair, etc.





Beyond that, the only other furniture you'll need is your lap. :) You can turn it into a bouncy swing, a horsie, a rocking chair, a changing table - whatever you need.





Good luck to you.
Reply:You need a crib, a changing table, or a pad to change the baby on and some kind of chair for when you nurse. Other than that, nothing!
Reply:My son slept with me though I know a lot of people are against that. You can alwasy clear out a draw if you need too or what I did was I got one of those plastic containers with 3 drawers I found that to be sufficate with one of my drawers until I was able to move.





Basically you don't need any furniture if you dont' have the money and or the place for it.





But I did sell my furniture to make room for him as he got older, he alwasy comes first.





If you want him to sleep in something other than your bed for the first 6 months get a bassenet.
Reply:ok a crib, a dresser, and a swing. Maybe a rocking chair. If you brest-feed a boppy is very helpful. And a carseat!!
Reply:A bassinet or somekind of bed side sleeper so that they have a place to sleep safely and take naps, and some place to store the clothes/supplies. You can change baby anywhere so you don't really need a changing table and tehy don't use high chairs for the first months. Oh and a baby tub, but that can be put up when you are not using it, so it shouldn't be in the way. You will already have to get a car seat, so baby can sit in that sometimes or simply lay a blanket out on the floor for baby (not couches or beds where they can roll off) as long as you don't have pets. Good luck, hope this helps!
Reply:Well I co-sleep, and I use a crib as a sidecar but obviously there are smaller co-sleepers or you can just push the bed up against the wall.





You need somewhere to store baby clothes. If there is room in your dresser or closet that's fine. Otherwise you will have to find a place, though a really nice looking piece of furniture could be in your livingroom.





Change tables are pretty useless. I made sure the dresser I bought was the right height but a) they start moving really young and b) its just as easy to put a change pad on the couch, bed or floor).





Playyard -probably not needed for the first 6 months UNLESS you have other small children or possibly a dog that the baby needs to be safe from.





Swings/bouncy seats are nice, but not needed per se. Although I have a fisher price portable swing and it folds flat and could be stored under a bed, playyard, or couch when not in use.





Bathtub, some people use the sink.





------------


So my short answer... um nothing.
Reply:Just a small bassinet, a bouncer, and maybe a swing. I have a swing, but I haven't used it. And she won't sleep in her bassinet, so the bouncer is all I needed!





Good luck!
Reply:Hi there,





You will need a bed of some sort. A cot with a tetra snuggle bed is a good option. You can get a cot that transforms into a bed and finally a lounge. This saves on buying new beds as the bub grows.


A pram or carrier. I use a sling. I own a pram and very really use it. It just takes up room.


A chest of draws, to put the bub's things in. Which you can buy a cushion to change the bub on. I changed mine on my bed or the floor.


A bub monitor can also be a good investment.


A bouncer or rocker, very handy.


Nappy bag and associated items.


I have a sheepskin that I use a lot.





I took my bub into the bath/shower with me. I put the clean bub in the bouncer to wash myself. Or I use a large bucket as a bub bath.


I use a big blanket off my bed, folded up as a play mat.





I am due in Nov with number 5, so far I have only bought some new cloths and a new nappy bag. I will be replacing my pram with a double, but that is all.





I hope that I have been of some help.
Reply:For a small apartment, I love my portable crib (it's a pack-n-play, but it's about half the size.) The other furniture necessity is a swing. A rocking chair is also nice if you can find any way to fit one in, but not totally necessary.
Reply:A swing and a bouncer seat. I'd say thats about it.





:)
Reply:I guess all you really need is a bed. It would be nice to have a changing table, but you could technically use another bed or the couch for that if you had to. You will obviously need a place to store things like clothes, baby wipes, diapers, etc. But you could use one of those 3 or 4 drawer storage carts for that, maybe $40 or so. You can always store things under the bed as well. The main thing is that your baby is healthy and well cared for which I am sure you will do, so I recommend the bed, mostly because getting in the habit of baby sleeping with Mom can be bad news for both of you!! Well wishes for you and your baby.
Reply:I think that the minimum furniture that you need is a crib/baby bed, bassinet, changing table, and dresser.
Reply:know u need a crib, a table to change diapers, a place to put the baby's clothes, if is possible a comfortable chair to feed the baby(where u gonna spend a lot of time feeding the baby, so make sure is comfortable) and i think that's all!!!