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?

No table is safe unfortunately and babies will always unexpectedly roll, kick or tumble at the exact moment you take your eyes off them, including the two seconds it takes to bend down and pick up a pack of wipes etc underneath the table! Honestly a simple mat on the floor will do. I used a table or the first two weeks because of severe back pain after labour so I struggled to lean over ds on the floor but dh and I have already agreed that we won't bother with One next time, just use the bed, our laps or the floor.

I agree, jammie. And factor in the tiredness which can affect judgement and reaction speed, so what might seem safe enough under normal circumstances becomes less so.

My lap for most times. Odd poo explosion was floor with a towel underneath followed by bath usually.

On the few occasions I used baby changing tables whilst out both me and DD hated them.

John Lewis curved mat with muslin or towel on.
Cot top changer and then mat on bed after a few weeks, when baby able to roll.
Anything that projects out is something u might bash yourself on.
Do NOT plan on changing on floor straight after birth, u will not be able to bend down if csection, will find it hard to bend after vaginal delivery. U might plan for vaginal delivery but end up with csection.

NorthEasterlyGale - LOL@"Greased weasel"!

Thank you all so much for this, I think we'll go for the wedge mat from JL at first then and pop it on top of the dresser (note to self: find blu-tac equivalent that's much stronger). And then we'll move on to the floor when the baby is weaselling around the place! Thank you again for all of your advice - I feel very reassured!

Also slightly curious - how exactly do you change a nappy on your lap?

For first DC we had a proper chest drawers/ changing table/ baby bath thing. V expensive. Quickly learnt that a changing mat on the floor is just as good if not better/safer. Did that as soon as DC1 could roll and did the same for subsequent 3 DC's.

Buy one for upstairs and one for downstairs and a thin folding one for the nappy bag. Cheap and easy.

unlike some peoples concerns neither of my children has ever fallen off a changing table so it isn't inevitable!

FWIW - I am a floor changer as mentioned up thread - I think the baby 'knows' when she is higher up as she doesn't seem so wriggly on a higher up one when out and about.

Secondly, Ikea rug grip is cheap and seems incredibly grippy for our new rug, I suspect it might work for a changing mat too?

marking place, I was having this discussion the other day, v interesting to hear all points of view

Can I ask the floor changers? What do you do with all the changing paraphernalia? Our table has a little area for boxes of cotton wool, a tub if water, spare nappies, sudocream, etc.

We currently due an old wash table but the little shelf is just at the right height for 3 week old to estart flailing around and pull stuff off the shelf. We're looking for another solution so interested in how the floor might work for us... Also- isn't it a bit chilly? (Esp at night?)

We changed dd on our bed on her chamging mat.
Don't think we'll do this for ds, wee sprays all around.

Personally I'd get a changing table/matt on chest of drawers. I hate changing babies on the floor - gives me backache.

Just buy 2 mats, one for upstairs and one for down and change on the floor.

No baby has ever rolled off the floor

blank we just had a little storage basket, like the changing matswe had one up and one down. Why would the mat on the floor be any more chilly? We only changed them at night if they pooed anyway, which thankfully wasn't that often.

I use a pretty storage basket, one up one down. Downstairs got the free fold up change mat which came with the pampers/boots bag, upstairs the nice padded M&P one. Once she got a bit older and stopped with the poo-every-feed routine I started to use upstairs only - I need the exercise to work off the biscuits . The downstairs basket got re-assigned as the toy basket.

Its not cold on the floor? I mean, she's on a mat, padded with a towel, on the carpet/rug - I can't see how being on a table would be any warmer?