Creating your Baby's Dream Nursery: Week 27-28

Creating your baby’s dream nursery

At 28 weeks pregnant, you’re stepping into the third trimester — an exciting time when your plans for baby may start to feel wonderfully real. Perhaps your Pinterest is already filled with dream nurseries and colour schemes, or maybe you’re only just beginning to think about where everything will go. However far along you are, there’s plenty of time to create a space that feels right for you and your baby.

NHS guidance recommends that your baby sleeps in the same bedroom as you for their first six months, so you can enjoy bringing the nursery together at your own pace — adding the essentials and personal touches whenever the time feels right.

An empty room can feel full of possibilities. Your nursery doesn’t need to be picture-perfect; it simply needs to work for you and your baby. And if you don’t have a spare room for a dedicated nursery, a baby-zoned area in your own bedroom can feel every bit as cosy, personal and special.

Choosing nursery furniture for your space

Finding the right furniture is one of the most exciting milestones of nursery planning.

Choosing a matching baby furniture set takes the guesswork out of pairing up finishes and styles, so the whole room instantly feels beautifully pulled together (no interior design degree required).

A two-piece set pairs a cotbed with a dresser-changer – a complete setup for sleep and changing from day one. If you have the space, a three-piece set adds a full wardrobe, so you can hang up little clothes, tuck away spare bedding, and keep everything organised as your baby grows.

If you’d love the charm of an eclectic room, mixing individual pieces creates a warm, characterful look. You might pair a new cotbed with a vintage chest of drawers, a wardrobe and a snuggly rocking chair.

If you have the space, a nursing chair gives you a comfy spot for late-night feeds, bedtime stories, and baby cuddles. A rocking chair adds a gentle soothing motion that can help settle your baby, while supportive armrests give your arms a break during longer feeds. Choose a style you really love and it can easily move into another room once the nursery days are over.

Then there’s the all-important question of where your baby will sleep.

What cot should I choose for my newborn?

Moses baskets: Traditional, lightweight and compact, these offer a snug first sleeping space and are easy to move from room to room during the day. You can add a folding stand to raise baby to a convenient height or choose a rocking stand to gently sway them to sleep. Most babies will need to move on from a Moses basket at around three to four months.
Bedside cribs: A roomier option for the first six months, these sit alongside your bed so your baby is close for night feeds and settling – a drop- or zip-downside makes it easy to reach and lift your baby in and out, while some also rock to help soothe them to sleep.
Cots or cotbeds: If you have the space in your room, a cot can be used from birth. Adjustable mattress heights mean you can keep the mattress higher while your baby is tiny, making those frequent lifts in and out easier, then lower it as they learn to sit, pull themselves up and stand. A cotbed lasts even longer, converting into a toddler bed when your little one outgrows the cot stage. If you like the idea of a cot or cotbed but aren’t sure you can squeeze one in, compact or ‘mini’ versions give you all the same flexibility in a smaller size.

A quick note on safer sleep

Whichever sleep space you choose, always place your baby on their back on a firm, flat mattress, and keep their cot or crib clear of pillows, cot bumpers, soft toys and loose bedding. It’s also important to make sure they don’t get too hot – a room temperature of 16–20°C is recommended.

Finding the best mattress for baby

Once you’ve chosen the cot or cotbed, there’s the mattress to think about. There’s more choice than you might expect, from fibre and traditional sprung mattresses to mattresses made from natural materials such as wool or cotton. Some are dual-sided too, so you can simply flip the mattress over for the toddler years.

Add a waterproof mattress protector to keep your mattress clean and dry through those inevitable midnight leaks. You’ll thank yourself at 3am.

If you’re not sure which one to go for, our baby mattress buying guide talks you through the options.

“We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, so we kept the nursery neutral at first and got the furniture in place. Once our son arrived, adding the wall art and finishing touches was a lot of fun – we could style the room just for him.”

Priya, mum to Rohan, 2 months

Bringing the nursery to life: decorating and styling

When it comes to decorating, interior designers swear by a simple formula they call 60/30/10: first ground the room with a calm foundation such as pale walls and neutral flooring (60 per cent), layer in natural textures like oak or a woven rug (30 per cent), and add soft pops of accent colour through curtains, lampshades, or wall art (10 per cent).

Once the paint is on the walls and the big furniture decisions are made, this is where the real fun starts. Styling the nursery with soft fabrics and cute accessories turns a plain room into a cosy space for you and your baby.

Themed sheets and accessory collections – from safari animals to delicate botanicals – make it simple to coordinate your decor, while practical additions like video monitors and room thermometers help give you peace of mind.

Finish with the details that make the room feel personal: a beautiful print or a framed scan photo, a wall shelf styled with favourite baby books and a soft teddy, or a personalised blanket on the nursing chair embroidered with baby’s initials.

If you’d like more inspiration our nursery interiors collection has plenty of ideas to find bedding, decor, and accessories tailored to your space – and to your baby.

Enjoying the final countdown

Remember – your baby will spend their first six months sleeping in your bedroom, so the nursery can evolve as you discover what actually works for your routine.

For now, there’s something rather lovely about standing in a space that used to be a spare room, home office, or dumping ground, and seeing the first tangible signs of the little person who's about to join your life.

Another milestone ticked off and one step closer to bringing them home.

First Moments Exclusives