Your baby is unique, but all babies have one thing in common: bottle-fed or breastfed, your baby’s gotta eat.
Not only does your baby have to eat, but your baby has to eat a lot, all day and night!
Even though you love your little one to pieces, you’re also looking for any shortcuts to take care of them so you don’t wear yourself out.
One idea you may have seen around the internet is to install a mini fridge in your nursery. Keeping milk on hand right next to where the baby sleeps seems like a great idea.
But is it a good idea to put a fridge or mini fridge in a nursery?
Overall, having a mini fridge in the nursery can be convenient for parents who need to store formula or breastmilk and want to keep it separate from the rest of the household food. It’s also a great place for mom and dad to keep their favorite snacks for late-night feedings and other time spent in the nursery!
The main downside is, of course, that even a mini fridge can be quite bulky and expensive. It’s also a hazard that your curious baby might get into as he or she gets older and more active.
Let’s outweigh the benefits and drawbacks, then we’ll talk about if a mini fridge in the nursery is worth it.
Benefits of putting a mini fridge in the nursery
If you hadn’t thought of the idea of putting a fridge in your baby’s nursery before, you’re in for a treat. We’re going to list those pros for you now.
Don’t have to go to the kitchen to feed the baby
Sometimes the most convenient option is the right way to go. You have so much on your plate already; make your life easier by putting a mini fridge stocked with breastmilk or pre-made formula right in your baby’s room, so you have one less trip to make!
This would be especially convenient for you if your kitchen is far away from your baby’s room, for example, if your baby’s room is upstairs while the kitchen is downstairs.
Think about it, your baby is inconsolable in the middle of the night unless you are holding them.
You don’t want to wake up the whole house (not to mention, the baby) going up and down the stairs, turning on lights and rummaging around in the kitchen for all the milk fixings!
With a fridge in the nursery (and a bottle-warmer), you can do it all right there in their room.
Works for breast milk or formula
Refrigeration is essential for expressed breastmilk and pre-mixed formula.
Here’s why:
When you express breast milk, it’s likely because your baby’s probably just nursed and you’re getting some extra. You won’t be using it right away, so where does it go?
Breast milk lasts 4 hours at room temperature, but it can stay good for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Formula, once mixed, needs to be used within 2 hours. If it’s not used within 2 hours, pre-mixed formula can be used within 24 hours if you refrigerate it.
So you either take the expressed milk or pre-mixed formula out of the fridge to feed your baby.
But your baby, obviously, has a mind of his own, and may not follow your plans!
Your baby could be crying for other reasons than hunger, or only eat a little bit and decide that they are full or want to play or sleep instead. What do you do with the formula or breast milk then? Put it back in the fridge for next time, of course!
A mini fridge in the nursery is ultra convenient for both formula and breast milk .
Keeps baby’s milk separate from other refrigerated items
Some parents like having a separate fridge for the nursery in order to keep expressed breastmilk or formula out of the main refrigerator.
People do this for several reasons.
One reason is to help keep the main fridge in the kitchen freed up for other things.
Another is to keep the baby’s milk from being permeated by other food smells.
One rather odd reason to have a mini fridge in a nursery is to keep other people who use the main fridge from accidentally consuming the baby’s milk!
Although this is a legitimate reason to have a separate nursery fridge, it’s probably an unlikely thing to happen.
Who would grab the small bottle of milk shaped like a baby’s bottle to add milk to their coffee? (Insert nauseated emoji here!)
Also great for Mom and Dad
We’ve talked about the baby’s food being stored in the mini fridge, but what about Mom and Dad?
Moms who pump their own breast milk appreciate having privacy during pumping sessions. If there’s a mini fridge in the nursery, the pumping and storage can happen all in one room.
Plus, looking at a sleeping baby in the crib could help increase what mom expresses.
Parents love keeping snacks and drinks in the mini fridge for themselves, too!
This is something to consider carefully, especially for the mom recovering from birth, natural or C-section. Anything to help her not move around so much in the beginning weeks and months is always a good idea.
Breastfeeding moms also love to keep dampened nipple pads in the refrigerator to offer them relief from potentially painful nursing.
The convenience factor of this idea sells dads who take over night feedings.
If you’re having a hard time getting Dad on board with feeding the baby at night, maybe putting a mini fridge in the nursery could help him out (don’t forget to put his favorite drinks in there, too)!
Drawbacks of a mini fridge in the nursery
Now that we’re finished oo-ing and ah-ing over the great reasons to have a mini fridge in your baby’s nursery, let’s get back to reality and check out some of the drawbacks.
Takes up space
Let’s face it, a mini fridge in a nursery is just another thing taking up room in your house.
All the conveniences aside, if you buy a mini fridge for this purpose, you will have to find a spot for it.
One way to solve this issue is to buy a side table tall enough to fit over the fridge, to help tie it into the decor and to make it more functional.
Or, you could find some sort of stand to set it on top of, which might be a good idea because of our next drawback…
Could be within baby’s reach
When your baby gets older and more curious, the mini fridge in the nursery could go from a huge convenience to a huge headache, as your baby might be able to open it and get into it.
However, there are a few ways around this.
Just like with hot objects (like a fireplace) or dangerous objects (like electrical outlets), you can teach and train your baby not to touch the fridge in the nursery.
Alternatively, you can find a sturdy shelf or strong table to put the mini fridge on. Or, you could put the fridge in a closet that the baby can’t access.
You could even baby-proof the mini fridge with a simple plastic locking system.
One final solution to this problem is to take the fridge out of the nursery altogether once your baby becomes more mobile.
This could coincide with the time your baby stops needing breast milk or formula anyway!
Noise
Some parents worry about the noise that a mini fridge produces being a nuisance or something that wakes the baby up, and may therefore decide that a mini fridge in the nursery is not for them.
Most fridges do make some noise, but it’s more like white noise and will likely not bother your baby.
Otherwise, if it’s a concern for you, and you really want a nursery mini fridge, you can create some white noise to drown out the fridge noise, like with a sound machine.
Might not be necessary for you
Lastly, putting a mini fridge in the nursery simply may not be of use for you and your baby’s situation.
If you only breastfeed your baby and rarely need to express milk, there’s really no use having additional refrigeration in the nursery.
You also may not feel like you need one because you live in a smaller house and it’s not a big deal to store milk or formula in your main fridge.
Wrapping up & final verdict
If you’re looking for an excuse to buy that cute vintage mini fridge you found for the nursery, you will probably find a good reason in this article.
There are plenty of trendy options out there! Plus, as we’ve discussed, it’s very functional for many reasons.
However, a mini fridge in the nursery isn’t for everyone or all situations. It’s a bulky thing you have to find room for, or you may be worried about your baby getting into it.
If you have the space, express milk or use formula, and want to make it through those beginning months without extra hassle, it’s a good idea to put a mini fridge in the nursery. Especially if you are running out of space in your main fridge and you pump breast milk.
For more ideas, check out:
Hope this helps!