Preparing flat for baby

[JoyJoyJoyJoy]

... specifically regarding a changing area.

We want to start preparing our (very small) flat for when the baby comes, but came across the question of what kind of changing/dressing area we need.

Do people have a changing table in the bathroom - after all that seems the right place for dirty nappies and wee accidents etc?

Or in the nursery room - as that's where all the clothes will be?

Or both - small changing/nappy area in the bathroom for baths, larger changing table with space for clothes in the nursery?

Or do we not need a changing table at all, and can just change/dress the baby in the bedroom/on the bathroom floor/whatever?

TIA!

We never had a changing table. If space is an issue I definitely wouldn't bother. We tend to change DD on a change mat on the spare bed in her room. We just did it on the floor in the lounge when she was tiny and pooing several times a day.

With our first we lived in a tiny flat, we had no specific area. We just had a changing mat and used it in whatever room we needed to!

This time I might consider it, and it will likely be upstairs in the spare bedroom. The spare room is tiny so we haven't decided if baby will go in there or with our DD yet. Although that is a long way away yet for us!

You only need one I'd put it in the nursery, you can carry baby to the bath wrapped in a towel.

It doesn't have to be a table but that decision ultimately should be based on your backs! Getting up and down from the floor with a tiny baby is difficult and you'd need to keep all the stuff for changes on the floor so it's the same level. A changing table saves your backs and has room underneath for bits and pieces. But it will make no difference to the baby either way.

A changing mat on the floor of whatever room youre in at the time is the best option i find , we had a big heavy changing unit in our first babys bedroom but it was such a faff going to his room every time he needed a nappy change we ended up getting a changing mat for the lounge that got used way more than the expensive unit

We have a chest of drawers which doubles as a changing unit, which is a great space saver. You can also get a cot-top changing unit. Def don't think you need two areas.

You can buy wall mounted changing tables or changing tables that fit over the end of your bath tub. Once we've moved we see what fits best, because I'd love to have something in the bathroom. We want to go for cloth nappies and reusable wipes, so having water close by will make it so much easier.
I was thinking about buying one of these Ikea trolleys to organise all the essentials (look on Pinterest for Ikea baby hacks and you see what I mean).

We never had one in our flat - changing mat kept down the side of the sofa and plonked onto the coffee table/floor when needed worked perfectly well.

Changing mat, muslin square or terry nappy (for under baby in case on accidents), floor in whatever room you spend the most time in.

Thanks, All, this is really helpful!

The over-the-bath changing table or IKEA organiser might be good ideas - otherwise I just wonder where to put baby down after you lift it out of the bath?

Saz Do you just use the top of the chest of drawers as a changing table, or does it have a bigger top attached to it that specifically makes it a changing table?

We've used a cot top changing table with both DC and will again with this one. Fits under the cot when not in use (I.e. when sleeping in cot) but space saving and back saving! And unlike changing tables on chest of drawers, they are facing the right way to be changed (I.e. vertically, not horizontally across you!) And you can use the space on top of chest of drawers for other things!

Don't waste your money honestly.

From then on we just used changing mats- one in the lounge and one upstairs that went between the bathroom and nursery.

Honestly in the middle of the night it's easier to put a changing mat under their bum then lift them in and out on to a changing table.

I had wicker baskets (one in the lounge one in the nursery) that I filled with nappies, bags and a pack of wipes so everything was handy.

As for clothing- we brought a standard wardrobe from Ikea with shelves down one side and a hanging space. I personally think chest of drawers are a waste of space and money.

We had a cot top changer for DS, it was great. He was a big baby & I had an emcs & it made life so much easier for me. We also had a changing table downstairs for the first few months when you're doing lots of nappy changes. After about 4 months we swapped it to a changing mat down the side of the sofa with a wicker basket full of nappies, wipes etc.

We just had a changing mat, special table seems like a faff and waste of space to me.
You can just put the mat on the sofa/coffee table/dining table/kitchen top/floor/bed/cot.

We had a changing table for Ikea - I think it was £25 - and it saved my back in the early days and until DS got too big for it at around 4 months or so. DH plans to turn it into a crafts table for DS now, so it won't go to waste!

I've just shoved a changing mat on top of a chest of drawers. I've put an anti slip mat underneath, and you don't leave a baby unattended on a hit surface anyway, so I don't see if being much different from an official changer.

Like others have said, you can change on various surfaces and don't need a special changer. Cot too changers can save space if you want one.

I don't understand when people say their babies have outgrown changing mats by a few months old? As long as the head and the bum still fit, the legs can just stick up or hang around for the few mins changing. I was still changing 12-18 month old children on the raised changing mats when I worked in a nursery (to save my back - 20 nappies in a row). Didn't have any problems with kids being too big?

We put a changing mat on top of a chest of draws in the nursery. We still use now and he's 2 lol!

Made sure the drawers were secured to the wall but that should be done regardless.

I don't understand when people say their babies have outgrown changing mats by a few months old?

Not sure if you're referring to me Lemondrop but if so, I meant he'd outgrown the changing table. Not just in a legs off the end way; he was much more mobile and kept banging his head off the sides or trying to roll. Just used the mat on the floor after that.

Ravioli, your post made me think of it but I've seen several posters elsewhere mention the same thing , which I've never really quite understood. Changing wrigglers on high surfaces is hair raising though!

We use a changing mat on the floor downstairs. I've got a box with nappies, wipes, muslin, change of clothes, cream down the side of the sofa. Does the job.

Thanks a lot for everyone's experiences!

Those that put the changing mat onto a chest of drawers or something - isn't it too small? Baby would only fit "sideways"?

Also, what if anything do people have in their bathrooms (anywhere to put baby down / any new storage things that you got for baby)?

I'm quite surprised that no-one seems to have a changing table! I had just assumed that the nursery would comprise cot - changing table - bit of storage for clothes and toys. But I can see now that a changing table that's just a changing table might be a bit of a waste. Maybe one that becomes a chest of drawers afterwards or a table would make sense though?

We have one of those chest of drawers with a changing table on top in the nursery. He's not here yet though so not sure how well it will work out.

Will keep a spare changing mat downstairs too though to just put on the floor.

We have this one: www.mamasandpapas.com/en-gb/sienna-dresser-with-changer/p/dcsi02700/

It's quite large actually, Bigger than DP's dresser, so I imagine it will last a while!

I think you can buy a changing table thing that goes on top of the Ikea chest of drawers (I like Ikea), but not from Ikea. I might have seen it on Amazon or Etsy or something like this.

A designated changing area and a table isn't necessary at all.

We had 2 changing mats. One upstairs under the bed and one downstairs behind the sofa. Tucked away and easily whipped out when needed. With them we had 2 small storage boxes of changing supplies (nappies, bags, wipes, cream etc).

Having 2 lots meant we didn't have to lug everything up and down the stairs but you won't have that problem with a flat.

With ds we had a chest of drawers that had an extra bit that sat on the back of it to make it wide enough to fit a changing mat. We used it for a few months I suppose. We didn't dig it out for dd. We now have a fold up changing mat that slides under our tv table and a drawer with wipes, nappies and nappy bags in it in the living room. We have and cushioned changing mat(2 actually, one for each dc) and and basket of nappies and wipes in there too.