Baby changing table for small bathroom

[Mouche85]

Hi everyone,
I’ve been searching online for what feels like ages and haven’t had any luck, so I’m hoping the collective wisdom of Mumsnet can help me out.

We have a small, awkwardly shaped bathroom and are expecting our first baby. We’ve realised that a wall‑mounted, fold‑away changing table would be the ideal solution. The problem is that it needs to open from the side rather than from the end where the baby’s head would be. The only ones we’ve managed to find that open this way are made of plastic and look like the ones you see in public toilets—definitely not what we’re after.

Has anyone come across a wall‑mounted unit like this that isn’t the standard plastic design?

Our backup plan is to use a simple folding table, but we’re unsure whether that would be sturdy and safe enough for everyday use. Any experiences or recommendations would be hugely appreciated!

Are you thinking of for actual nappy changing or for drying and dressing after a bath? I don't think I've ever known anyone use a changing table in their bathroom. We had one on top of the cot as we bought it second hand and they gave us the changing table as well. But with both dc used the floor usually. Or the bed in the middle of the night.

Is there any reason in particular why you want the changing table in the bathroom? It is not where most people would have one. If the nursery is small you can get cot top ones.

You don't actually need a baby changing table at all, it's just a gimmick. You will be changing baby's nappy at all hours of the day and night wherever is convenient at the time - bed, sofa, middle of the living room floor. By the time baby wriggles you won't want to do it on a table and by the time baby sits up, rolls over and crawls it's game over!
Save your money. At the most a mat. At the least an old towel does the trick.
Best of luck!

We’ve never had one in the bathroom - it’s been in a bedroom. Sometimes I’ve taken the mat and popped it on bathroom floor but generally have wrapped baby up and taken to bedroom for dressing.

My mother in law showed me how to change a baby on my lap - best thing ever! Means you can quickly and easily change them anywhere - when places don't have baby changing I could just sit on the loo and do it!

You don’t have to put it in the bathroom. There are several available that are built in to, or screw on top of, a chest of drawers. We then kept DC’s like that even after they were toilet trained as it stopped them pulling stuff off the top, once we were using it to store toys & books.

I have never seen one in a private bathroom.

We had a change unit in the nursery - a chest of drawers, open storage section and flat top with raised edging for changing, which a changing mat fitted into. We also used it for drying after baths and getting dressed etc.

Had a small change mat for downstairs to use on the floor.

It’s not an essential but we found one of these very handy as it fitted across our bath. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Changing-Changer-70x50-80x50/dp/B079SDVL5Z/ref=asc_df_B079SDVL5Z?mcid=44192aa0f7443d3f9eede7224d04b2da&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697236948439&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4817361604104183230&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045341&hvtargid=pla-697805797816&psc=1&hvocijid=4817361604104183230-B079SDVL5Z-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

I have never heard of anyone having a changing table in a bathroom? Other than in a public toilet?
Like a previous poster said, you don’t even need one. We have a chest of drawers in our daughter’s bedroom which came with a changing table that attaches to the top. We never once used it for changing nappies, it is just used to display books etc.
It’s so much easier to just buy two mats, one for upstairs and one for downstairs and just change baby on the floor. (I wouldn’t splash out on these as even the expensive ones will get a little rip in eventually). Much safer changing baby on a mat on the floor once baby is rolling and on the move which will come round way sooner than you think.

No one puts a changing table in the bathroom. If you’re tight on space elsewhere then I would either go for a cot top one and/or just have a mat (or 2) you can use wherever is most convenient- your bed, the sofa, the floor.

We would have never used a change table in the bathroom. We did have a change table, in the nursery (even though baby slept in with us to begin with) but never ever used it, so we gave it away after our first baby and never bothered with one for the rest. We used our bed until they were old enough for a toddler bed, and then used their bed or the floor.

I changed mine on the floor or on a mat on top of a chest of drawers. Think you might be overcomplicating this.

Don't bother with one!

I think there are other, better things to buy for your new baby. Although I fully understand how easy it is to get sucked in to buying all the stuff. We live in a townhouse and just had a changing mat in every floor. I keep one under the sofa in the lounge, one in our bedroom and one in the bathroom upstairs for after the bath. Plus a travel one! You can put the mat on the sofa or bed if getting down on the floor is a struggle initially but once they start rolling it’s so much more relaxing to have them on th floor.

I never used a changing table just used a mat on a chest of drawers, floor or a lap.

Never used a changing table. Had cot top ones for my twins but I just used a mat on the floor. I have never seen a changing table in a bathroom.

There are always lots of posts saying you don't need a changing table, which I suppose is true if you don't have the space or money, or prefer using the floor, but that doesn't mean that you definitely won't find one useful. We never liked changing on the floor, partly because it was better for our backs to use the changing table (DP in particular has back issues), and partly because it can actually be easier to keep a wriggly or resistant baby in place if you're not on the floor. I can kind of see wanting to be in the bathroom too because of access to water and the loo, but we always had ours on the landing just outside the bathroom because that's where there was space, and that worked well. If you don't have space on a landing OP, would you have space for a nicer fold-down changing table just outside the bathroom?

We just do nappy changes on the living room floor (with a roll out mat, if it's a poo). I would very quickly get tired of walking upstairs to the bathroom to change the baby every time!

I would save the space and not bother.

We’ve never had a changing table at all in any room. Changed him on a change mat either on the bed or the floor before he could roll, on the floor since then.

Do people who don't want to walk to the bathroom not wash their hands?

I wash them in the kitchen after throwing the nappy in the outside bin.

" We never liked changing on the floor, partly because it was better for our backs to use the changing table (DP in particular has back issues), and partly because it can actually be easier to keep a wriggly or resistant baby in place if you're not on the floor."

Opposite here! Leaning over the changing table was bad for our backs, and I found it much much safer changing a wriggly baby on the floor. Each to their own! I would get 3 changing mats, one for your bedroom, one for downstairs and one hanging on the back of the bathroom door and just change on the floor, or on a chest of drawers in the bedroom if needed. Once they start rolling anyway it's a faff and you might prefer the floor so not worth buying a whole separate piece of furniture imo

You don't need a table OP. You'll use it a handful of times and then use a mat on the floor, bed or over you knee. Wash your hands when you've got rid of the nappy.

A table is just going to take space up.

Totally agree with this -and your lap is totally portable!

We have a folding one. Super sturdy, very handy and even took it on holiday with our three week old. Sits in baby room most of the time.

Not sure why in bathroom, always a bit colder and baby rarely is in there / needs changed in there.

Portable mats or one across cot looks fine too.