What precisely defines a changing table?

[Jolleigh]

I have a glass topped desk-ish table (shelves at each end, a large pane of glass on top) that I'd always planned on using in the nursery as a changing table. I don't quite get why so many people seem to spend good money on purpose built tables.

Is it not just a desk with some inbuilt storage that has a changing mat on top and room for nappies and things?

Am I missing something?

Before DS (9) was born I kitted out the nursery with the M&P Hampton furniture range, including a chest of drawers with raised edges and a changing table. That has been in the nursery ever since (including a house move).

When DD2 was born, we purchased a changing table from ikea www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S29828090/ to go in the lounge, mainly to help my mum who looks after DD2 1-2 days per week.

As DD2 is now 3 and dry at night it is going to go into the girls bedroom for use as a desk (although it will need a stool rather than a chair). I think it is a pretty piece of furniture and we will have definitely had our money's worth from it.

The same can be said for the M&P furniture, we are still using the footbed for DD2, but due to her poor sleeping (not wanting to be alone) the girls are going to share and DS will go back into the nursery which us the next biggest room after it has been redecorated for him. He will use the M&P chest of drawers and wardrobe bought girl him as a baby!

A friend of mine just had a mat and used it were ever she needed. I bought a changing table for £55 which seems cheap compared to some out of ikea, I got it for the raised sides and plus had shelves underneath to store nappies. I've got a bit room for baby's nursery so had the space. And I only bought it as I have no other furniture that I could use.

It's up to you. If you have it going spare then why not.

The floor was best, though I expect it'd be trickier after a c-section.

I was going to stick a changing top on top of a Ikea Hemnes drawer unit and my DM was scandalised, today on the phone she told me she saw someone online who'd done just that and how great it was.

We always had dedicated nursery furniture but as my granny worked in a factory that made children's furniture and had a good outlet store my family always got it all cheap, I don't have that option!

You don't need a special changing table, but you do need some way of preventing the mat from sliding off. On a changing table this is the raised edge. If you're going to use a glass desk top, you'll need to find some way of keeping the mat in the table - babies are very wriggly. Self adhesive Velcro strips would probably do it. Also you won't want to have it in the nursery once your baby is mobile, they can try to climb from a surprisingly young age.

We used a chest of drawers that just happened to be the right size and height. Worked fine. It is handy to have everything nearby once they start getting wriggly and you need to get the changing done as quickly as possible before they pee in your eye/slide off the edge

The only baby furniture we bought was the cot.