If you’re not sure how you want to decorate your nursery, start by choosing the baby bedding. You’ve decided on exactly what you want, and can see the completed nursery right there in your head. You’ve planned even the tiniest details, right down to the exact arrangement of the toys on the dresser. But is that all you need to worry about? Babies sleep a lot and so their bedding is very important. Take these things into account before making a decision:

– You baby needs to be comfortable, so choose something soft. Cotton is a natural choice, but look for 100% cotton instead of blends. Knit cotton or flannel are both great choices, but higher-thread-count woven cotton is an option, too.

– Caring for a new baby is very time-consuming and you won’t have time for spot treatments or dry cleaning – so make sure you buy a bedding set that you can wash in the machine!

– To prevent the risk of suffocation, make sure that the crib sheets fits the mattress snugly. If you crib sheets don’t seem snug enough, there is an easy solution: buy elastic straps that clip onto the crib sheet and hold it in its place.

– When buying your baby bedding, you should seriously consider whether or not you need a set. The American Academy of pediatrics recommends against unnecessary bedding that is included in most bedding sets (like crib bumpers or quilts). Purchasing separates can be smarter and cheaper than buying a bedding set. And don’t worry – your bedding can still match when you’re buying individual pieces. In fact, you can get a more unique nursery by using separates and bit of imagination.

– When everything else has been taken care of, then you should consider the decor of the nursery.

When considering how much you spend, think about the long term. Since toddler beds usually use standard-sized crib sheets, you could be using the same bedding until your little one is about 4 or 5 years old. If you’re planning on a big family (or even one more child), consider neutral crib bedding like the Vintage baby bedding, that can be reused over and over with each new baby. You might opt to buy cheaper bedding, though, if you are pretty sure you won’t be having more children. But whatever you decide, you should make sure you have several sets on hand – you’re going to need them!