Free-standing furnishings
When the baby is very small you may want to use a crib or cradle for him or her to sleep in. These should be abandoned in favour of a cot (which has greater stability) as soon as the child can sit independently - usually at about 5-7 months. A cot should be sturdily built and thoroughly safe, which means making sure that slats are not more than 6 cm (2 3/8 in) apart, that the top rails are an adequate height for protection (i.e. preventing the child falling out even when the side is lowered), that the drop-sides themselves are the sort that cannot be released by a child and that the mattress is firm and a perfect fit so that there are no dangerous gaps between it and the cot sides.
Apart from the crib or cot you’ll need very little furniture. At the infant stage a trolley is a godsend (especially if it has a wheel lock) because it is versatile and moveable. You can wheel it about to have it at your elbow wherever you need it; with a baby on your lap you can’t be leaping up and down for things you’ve forgotten - the furniture has to come to you. Move the trolley by the crib or cot, use it as a stand for a baby bath or scales or general washing kit. Move it into the bathroom at bath time, if that is where you bath the baby. Later it can hold games, a tv, hi-fi, even a computer.
Another useful item at this stage is a cane or old wooden rocker or other nice capacious chair which will last through all the stages and possibly only need re-cushioning occasionally as opposed to recovering. Do choose one which does not constrict your elbows, to make feeding easier.
