Organic Baby Nursery Ideas for the Overwhelmed Parent

Creating your baby’s nursery should feel joyful, but for many expectant and first-time parents, it quickly becomes overwhelming. Which products are truly essential? What materials are safest for Baby? How do you balance your budget with your values? There are a lot of questions for such a small room.

With endless product choices and an abundance of safety information online, it can be hard to know where to begin. To help simplify the process for parents, we sat down with The Baby Chick® herself, Nina Spears. As a baby planner, doula and trusted resource for growing families, she has supported more than 800 parents through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. Her mission has always been the same: make families feel confident and empowered in their choices. 

In this Q&A with Naturepedic, Spears shares her best advice for building an organic nursery that feels healthy, safe and stress-free.

Spears explains that an organic nursery starts with health, not just style.

A: When I first began my career in the baby space, I started as a baby planner, and one of the very first things I helped families with was preparing their nursery. Over the years, I’ve visited countless baby stores, researched every product category and helped hundreds of parents decide what they actually need (and what they really don’t) for their baby. But what stands out most in my baby planning career is how much I’ve learned about creating not just a safe nursery but a healthy one, too.

A: Your baby’s nursery is their sanctuary. It’s where they’ll spend most of their time sleeping, as well as feeding, playing and growing. Because their tiny bodies are growing and developing so much, babies are more vulnerable to environmental toxins like VOCs, flame retardants and off-gassing chemicals. I always tell families that you don’t have to have a "perfect" nursery, but if you can, try to make intentional choices in the spaces your baby uses most. Prioritize clean air, safe sleep surfaces and low-toxin materials, and build from there.

A: I think it’s because today’s parents are doing their research. We now have more data than ever showing how chemicals in our homes can disrupt our hormones, impact fertility, affect neurodevelopment and increase the risk of allergies, asthma or even cancer. It’s terrifying. Babies are especially sensitive to these toxins because their systems are still developing, and people need to know that they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults do. This increased air consumption makes them more vulnerable to environmental pollutants in the air.

Once families learn all of this, it’s hard to ignore. The good news is that we do have choices and can make a difference.

The Baby Chick’s advice? Begin with the items that matter most.

A: If you’re going to start anywhere, I always tell my clients to start with a quality crib and crib mattress. Hands down, the crib mattress is the number one product I’m a stickler about. Why, you ask? Because your baby will be spending 12-16+ hours a day on that mattress for the next several years, touching and breathing in whatever materials it's made of and absorbing whatever it’s off-gassing.

In my opinion, a crib mattress is more than just a sleep surface. It’s really a long-term investment in your baby’s health. People may think I’m being dramatic when I say that, but what I’ve learned and what most people don’t realize is that mattresses can be one of the biggest indoor air pollutants in the home. Many traditional crib mattresses contain flame retardants, polyurethane foam, vinyl and adhesives, all of which can emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and contribute to poor indoor air quality. 

Choosing an organic, nontoxic crib mattress can drastically reduce your baby’s chemical exposure and improve the air quality in their nursery, which is huge for our children. I recently had the pleasure of touring the Naturepedic factory and learning more about theirs – check it out.

A: In my opinion, it’s foundational. The crib mattress is not just where your baby sleeps, it’s where they grow, rest and reset their nervous system. With so much of their early development happening during sleep, this one product can have an enormous impact on their health and well-being.

Spears shares a few other smart swaps to consider.

A: I tell my clients to look at anything large that sits in the room and touches the air or your baby’s skin often. That includes:

• Dressers or shelves. Look for solid wood instead of MDF (medium-density fiberboard) or particleboard (which can off-gas formaldehyde).
• Curtains and textiles. Choose organic cotton or linen without chemical treatments.
• Gliders or chairs. These can contain flame retardants in the foam, so look for GOTS and GREENGUARD Gold certifications.

A: A few that come to mind that parents don’t immediately think of are:

• Paint. Painting the nursery is so common, but what many parents don’t realize is that traditional paint can release VOCs for months. This is why I recommend going with a zero-VOC formula and painting the nursery early.
• Laundry detergent. Choose fragrance-free and EWG Verified® nontoxic detergent for baby clothes and bedding. You would be shocked at what some of the baby laundry formulas really contain.
• Air purifier. A HEPA air purifier can also help improve the air quality and reduce airborne pollutants and allergens for a cleaner nursery.

A: First would be the crib mattress. As I’ve already mentioned, in my opinion, it’s the most important investment in the nursery. Babies spend so much time sleeping, and it’s the closest thing to their skin and lungs for the first few years. You want it to be organic, breathable and certified nontoxic.

Next, a quality area rug or floor mat. Eventually, Baby will crawl, roll and play on the floor, so I recommend choosing a rug that’s free of flame retardants, VOCs (or is low-VOC), stain-resistant chemicals and synthetic fibers that shed microplastics.

Finally, the changing pad. This is an item that you will use for several years, multiple times a day. A safe, waterproof pad made without vinyl or foam makes a big difference. Again, proximity and frequency matter.

Spoiler alert: balance and budget both deserve a seat at the table.

A: I totally get that it can be overwhelming and hard on the wallet when you’re looking at every baby item, including the nursery. As someone who also shops on a budget, I always say start with the items that will be closest to your baby most often: their crib mattress, crib sheets, diapers and rug. Again, always think about proximity, frequency and duration of use. Those three factors will help you prioritize where to invest.

Also, I recommend looking for products that will grow with your child. What many of my clients (including myself!) have done is invest in a solid wood dresser that doubles as a changing station that can be used for years to come. Or, purchase a quality crib that can also transition into a toddler bed. You don’t have to buy everything organic, but when you’re thoughtful about the pieces that matter most to you, those small changes can make a big impact.

A: When I first started working with families, the organic options were limited when it came to aesthetics. Everything was pretty bland. But now, there are so many beautiful, modern options that are both nontoxic and stylish. I believe that function should come first, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your design and style. You can have both! So, to start, choose a color palette that is calming and brings you joy, then add in natural textures and furniture that feels good in your space.

My advice is to choose 1-3 statement pieces in the nursery (like the crib, wall decor or the glider) that reflect your style, and keep the rest clean, cozy and functional. What I’ve found is that less clutter = less stress.

A: Getting a high-quality, certified organic crib mattress from Naturepedic was a huge one for me. Having a chemically-safe changing pad and a solid wood GREENGUARD Gold certified crib also gave me great peace of mind. I also invested in a solid wood dresser that could double as a changing table (and we’re still using it years later). 

Having fewer, better-made pieces ultimately gave me confidence because I knew that my baby was safe and that I had created a space where she could truly grow and thrive.

TL;DR: Progress beats perfection every time.

Parents need to know that you don’t need more. You need better. Focus less on checking every single box on the baby registry list and focus more on choosing the right items with intention that work best for you and your baby. Babies don’t really need all that much, so go through the list, do your research on the items that you do need and want and then determine which is the healthier, safer choice for your baby. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s an essential or what’s best for your family.

Many of us can’t “do it all,” so I don’t want you to feel like you have to do everything at once. Again, start with the items that make the biggest impact – like the mattress, the air quality and the surfaces your baby will use daily. Small, thoughtful changes really do go a long way. Don’t stress about getting it all “perfect” now. It’s okay to go at your own pace, building a space where your baby can thrive and you can breathe easy.