For both of my pregnancies I didn’t know if I was having a boy or a girl. I mean, I was almost 100% sure it would be one or the other, but where I live they don’t tell you the gender when you go for an ultrasound so it was a real gamble. With my first child, I really didn’t want to go shopping for unisex baby bedding – I wanted to wait until I had the baby to decide how the nursery would be decorated.

Like all first-time mothers, I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for that baby (sorry, second born but that’s how it is). Soft pinks and butterflies for a girl, blue and red plaid for a boy. But I grew impatient, I realized it was unrealistic to be any more enthusiastic about wandering around a department store in the dead of summer with leaking breasts and a brand new baby, searching for unisex baby bedding that – considering I live in a province where nobody knows the gender of their unborn child – is extremely hard to come by and very picked over.

So when I was about seven months pregnant I started my search for gender neutral nursery decor. Not fun, but I did learn some important tips that I’d like to share with you.

Tips for selecting unisex baby bedding from a mother whose been there

• Mint green might seem gender neutral, but if you have a little boy, you’re going to wish you went with something more masculine.
• Bambi and Noah’s Ark are classics and always a good bet but they have been done.
• Buy the basics in white, yellow or soft, powder blue. If you buy crib sheets in a soft shade of blue and put up gauzy white curtains you can accessories after the baby’s home for a boy or a girl without having to worry about ordering those basic items. You’ll have what you need and it will suit either way, but you can personalize later on.

I was really happy when my second baby was born and I had another girl. That meant I could finally have a perfectly pink nursery for a perfectly pink baby. But…I already had the gender neutral stuff and I was so sleep-deprived, I was just happy when she slept. I didn’t really care too much about what the nursery looked like. (Sorry again, second born.) Eventually I did buy some very adorable purple and pink butterfly bedding for her, but the unisex baby bedding I purchased with my first did serve me well.

Since then, I’ve had friends here facing the same dilemma so I’ve done some searching. Again, I’ve never found anything good locally, but online, the world is your oyster.

These are my absolute favorite choices for gender neutral baby bedding.

CoCaLo Baby 6 pc Crib Set - Jungle Jingle

See? Just because you don’t know if it’s a boy or girl, you don’t have to sacrifice style!

-Jaime