How To Fit A Baby In A Small Space — Stephanie H Cochrane

Having a baby is weird. Sharing your body with another human is weird. The process of getting them outside of you is weird. And then, well… there they are. They have requirements, and one of those requirements is physical space.

They need a place to sleep (even if it’s right next to you), they need to wear clothes and those clothes require storage, they need special furniture that will assist them in eating and moving and playing. A person tiny enough to pass through the birth canal is suddenly taking up a LOT of room in your home.

And what if your home isn’t that big?

If you’re looking around a space that already feels cramped and wondering how on earth you’ll fit another human inside of it, I’ve got four considerations that may help.

Square footage and vertical space

When you’re pregnant, people like to ask about the state of the nursery, or “the baby’s room.” Do you have it painted yet? Does the crib match the changing table? Have you purchased the ten piece bedding set?

These questions can bring up all kinds of anxiety about your parenting abilities. Don’t let them. Your baby needs some room, that’s true. Having an entire spare bedroom to dedicate only to them and their needs is nice, but not necessary. When you’re short on rooms, it’s helpful to think in terms of square footage.

This is the time to get out your measuring tape. Instead of asking, “Which room will I put the baby in?” ask “Where could the baby sleep?” At this stage we’re not thinking about what makes sense, only what is possible in terms of actual space. Is it possible to put a bassinet in the spare closet? If you scooch the table and eat on the couch, can a pack n play go in the eat-in kitchen? Would a shelving unit in the closet make room for baby clothes to go in your dresser?

You’ll be surprised how many places baby and baby things will fit. Once you have a good idea of where things could go, it’s time to think about where it makes sense to put them.

Proximity

How close do you want to be to your baby? Every parent is different. A good friends of mine has her kids sleep in bed with she and her husband for two or three years. Everyone in their house sleeps great and no one is bothered. I, on the other hand, can hardly stand to have my fresh newborn sleep on my chest for even one night. Being honest about your preferred proximity will save you space and money.

If you are a big snuggler who plans to babywear and cosleep, you may not need to think through where to put a crib. Get a good cosleeper or baby lounger instead and revisit the crib in a few months.

If, like me, your sanity quickly deteriorates without without at least twelve inches between you and anyone else sleeping in your bed, then you may need to get creative about how your baby can sleep separately from you while still within reach. We used this lounger and bassinet combo for our first two kids. I love them because they are both easily portable and storable.

Noise

Once you decide how close you want to be to your baby, consider the noise factor. I lack sufficient language to communicate how urgent it feels to keep a sleeping baby asleep. Our first kid slept alternately in our bedroom, the dining room, or the office/second bedroom depending on what was going on that day. That was doable because we were adults who knew how to tip toe past a sleeping baby.

Truitt “napping” in the “dining room” at about 4 months old. Peep the dining table-turned-diaper-station in the background.

When our second came along we had a very loud 16 month old in the house and the “sleep anywhere” method was no longer a viable strategy. This is another time to think outside the box. How can you create enough separation and quiet that your baby can sleep while the rest of the family continues to live? A sound machine will certainly help, but the big daddy is a closeable door. Look around for one of those. Where in your house is there sleeping space for a small human and a door? A closet is perfect, but a bathroom will do in a pinch.

August’s bathroom sleeping arrangement that gave me my room back and protected Truitt from fussy younger brother noise during the night.

Privacy

In case it’s not abundantly clear already, I am a person that needs my space. This is true in a physical sense—don’t touch me while I’m trying to sleep—but also in an emotional sense. I need to have some time in every day where it feels like no one is looking at me or expecting anything from me. I need to close a door and take a breath.

Certainly there’s a period of time with a new baby where privacy just has to be set aside. That’s normal and fine. But starting day one, I am looking for small ways to reclaim it.

You may not have the same need for privacy that I do. Awesome possum. Go forth and revel in constant togetherness. You have my blessing. But if you share my need, take that into consideration when deciding where to put your kid. If the bassinet fits just as easily at the foot of the bed as right next to it, and the slight increase of space between you and baby makes you feel more like a person? Stick that kid at the foot. They will be just fine.

Our new guy is going to sleep in our walk in closet. Me and my measuring tape figured out that a mini crib (bigger than a bassinet, not as bulky as a regular crib) would fit in there with a couple inches of clearance for the door. It took a little rearranging, but I’m happy with my separate-yes-close proximity and my closeable door. The rolling cart next to the crib holds clothes, blankets, diapering essentials, and saved me from having to make space in our dresser.

Half of a walk-in closet isn’t as cute as a fully decorated nursery. It’s special to walk into a room you painted and primped and took care to make extra cozy for your new little person. But what is really special is that little person themselves, and here’s the truth about them.

They can’t see what color is on the walls, but they can smell safety and comfort on your skin. The tightest corners of your home feel vast and unknown to them, but they know food and warmth are in your arms. Everything is brighter and louder and faster than they’ve ever known before, but they know peace is wherever you are.

Here is the point. You’re gonna be great. Your baby needs a safe place to sleep, something to eat, and lots of snuggles. You can do that in a mansion or a studio apartment or a closet or a bathroom. I’m rooting for you.