Advice on (safe) changing table / mat?

[HomeIsWhereTheGinIs]

I wonder if some more experience people might be able to help me here? We're still very early on (and not going to decorate the baby's room until after the 12w all clear) but we were wondering about changing tables. Could I just put a changing mat on top of a chest of drawers that I already own? Obviously it doesn't have the lip thing that all of the changing tables appear to have - anyone got any thoughts?

[HomeIsWhereTheGinIs]

*experienced, obviously, apologies!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Honestly, I would just use the floor.

[McBaby]

Mat on top of chest of drawers worked for us till my DD could roll then on our bed or floor no idea why you would need a changing table just get a curved mat or similar which helps them stay in the middle when they can't move.

[NorthEasterlyGale]

We just used a mat on the bed or on the floor. Once the little wriggler learnt to turn over / crawl, we scrapped the mat and just laid him on a muslin as the slippery nature of the mat meant he could spin like a greased weasel and nappy changes were a nightmare for a while once he realised he could get away

[justabigdisco]

We got this and are still using it almost 2 years on, it's great and would definitely recommend.

[vj32]

Floor or bed. If its a boy put a towel on the bed then a changing mat on top to reduce the damage if you get sprayed on. We did use a cot top changer but only for about 8 weeks as I had a section and couldn't bend over. As soon as I could I used the floor - much safer.

[adagio]

A vote for mat on the floor here - in the early days padded with a nice cheap towel as the shiny plastic seemed too cold and icky for the delicate new skin (we have many, and generally got pooey water on them so pretty much one in the wash per change in the early days).

Now she is bigger, changes take place in the bathroom with the door firmly closed, the mat is down but keeping her on it is nigh on impossible and the bathroom floor is often subjected to baby widdles, and every poo change involves lots of shouting, wrestling and often poo all over the place. She is plenty big enough to move around but nowhere near big enough to understand instructions like 'stay'

[Notonthisplanet]

I agree with others to just change on the floor or on the bed, they are the safest options

[bonzo77]

I've always had a mat on an old chest of drawers. There's no lip, but I got some non-slip matting from amazon. You have to keep one hand on the baby at all times, but I find they soon learn that your hand on their tummy means no rolling. Mine is far easier on the chest of drawers than in the floor.

[BonaDea]

I don't know why so many people insist on changing babies on the floor. Of course you can if you want but it is much easier and nicer not to have to crawl around on the floor.

[HoratiaDrelincourt]

We have a changing mat on top of a chest of drawers upstairs, and a changing mat on a kind of padded chest/windowseat downstairs. You always keep a hand on baby anyway, or stand beside them so they can't roll off.

On the floor is no fun postnatally.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Sofa. Bed. Floor. Buggy (is great because you can strap down the arms when wriggly.)

[puntasticusername]

I think the main reason for the "lip" is to stop the risk of the mat and baby sliding off onto the floor. So personally I wouldn't do it on a lip-less cod unless, as someone else said, you find a way to fix the mat on somehow.

My main piece of hard-won experience to pass on is that babies seem to LOVE to wee while the nappy is off. And they can get it much further than you'd ever think. Especially little boys...

So if you do use a mat on top of a cod, bear in mind that you very probably will, at some point, end up taking the whole arrangement apart in order to clean wee from underneath the mat. And off the wall. And the carpet. And if you're really lucky, it'll have made its way down into the top drawer too.

It is for this reason that I have sworn that all DC2's nappies will be changed on a plastic mat on the vinyl bathroom floor. Might have to rethink if I end up having a CS though, hadn't really thought through the bending over angle...

[Sleepthief]

I think perhaps the reason people opt to change babies on the floor is because they have less far to fall if they roll off

When they're teeny tiny I've just changed them on my knee, moving to the floor when they are bigger. It's worked for three so far, so I'm not planning to change for number 4...

Also never had the fabled wee in the eye, despite having all boys

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Oh yes. I forgot the lap. Obviously it takes practice but newborns provide plenty of opportunity for that.

[puntasticusername]

Oh GODS

Thanks for that :p

[MrsSpencerReid]

I used the floor once DS could roll, bed, sofa, anywhere he would fit before that!! I always put a towel under him/above mat otherwise when he we'd it just ran off the mat, the towel soaked it up and contained it, must remember to get more now DS2 is imminent!!

[GreenShadow]

We only ever used the floor - much safer and easier as long as your knees aren't too dodgy.

[clare8allthepies]

My friend gave us a lovely changing unit from ikea which had a material top so there was a 'dip' in the middle so felt much less worried about baby not rolling off! It also folded up out of the way. We used to change all her clothes on there when she was tiny as well as nappy changes.

[3xM]

Always used a normal changing mat on top of normal chest of drawers. Not really sure why this would be unsafe if you are standing right next to them, with hands on during nappy change? Crawling is a game changer but before that never felt the need to go on floor.

[poocatcherchampion]

we've got that changing mat clare I love it. we recklessly leave the newborn on it and walk around upstairs. the 18mo can't roll off it yet so we are all clear.

I never change on the floor. so much so we also have a changing table downstairs.

I'm sure a cod would be fine provided it is wide enough. aside from the above, you will be always there..

[TheRobberBride]

I used a solid wood chest of drawers with a curved sided changing mat on top. The mat was secured to the chest with the same webbing that you get to keep rugs put on laminate flooring. It wasn't going anywhere!

Once baby got wriggly we ended up using the floor more often than not though

[Bloob]

I love our changing table! We have an ikea one - gulliver I think? I don't see why you couldn't use a changing mat on chest of drawers though. Maybe it would be quite slippy? Especially when the baby gets wriggly and your kind of holding them in place?

I still use ours now at 16 months - he can wriggle off less than on the floor and seems to feel less like its worth bothering as there are no toys etc! It's also great for storing nappies, wipes, Muslins on etc.
I never liked changing mat on bed - don't mind but its much easier having him at the right height.

[SaucyJack]

I've always just used my lap.

[MightilyOats]

We used a cot changer until ds was out of the cot (about a year old) and then got a basic ikea changing table. Do has a bad back so floor difficult and once dc are crawling you end up chasing them around the room with a nappy so the changing table/cot changer was a good option as couldn't free range as well. So long as you keep a hand on the baby at all times it's perfectly safe and they learn to stay put.

Used chest of drawers at mil's but it is a bit slippy with the changing mat so you might need non-slip stuff underneath. Also check you're comfortable with the height as can be back breaking if it's too short!