Baby changing unit - is it necessary?

[babywhen]

Most of my friends and family seem to change their babies on mats in whatever rooms they're in so I'm not sure if they're worth buying?

We have an IKEA one which I use for pretty much every change at home, even if it means gasp climbing the stairs. I find it much more comfortable than on the floor/bed, and like having everything stored in one place. It also has drawers for clothes, and when he's older the top bit can be dropped down to become a desk.

It's not an absolute essential but we have definitely got our money's worth out of ours!

We had the cot topper one- brilliant! I wouldn't bother with a changing table unless your nursery is massive!

Had an emergency section and there is no way I could have used a mat on the floor for the first month or so (although I'm sure someone will be along to say that they could).

It was so useful having it all in one place.

Another one who wouldn't be without it - my back really didn't enjoy pregnancy, so DH built me a changing unit. The changing surface is pretty high (1m, higher than the units I'd seen on sale) so I didn't have to bend at all. It's also much longer than most commercial ones, so we could use it for much longer. It helped that DD didn't roll! It was great.

I've just remembered how much my knees hurt in the early days. I'm tough as old boots but they felt so tender for months .

Depends how much you value your back, I would be in huge amounts of pain without mine but my back is useless. Some people can bend down do it on the bed or floor etc I cannot

I only used mine during the early days when I had a terrible bad back from breastfeeding.

I find it much more convenient to do it on a mat on the floor or the bed.

doesn't have to be a specific unit that's sold as a changing unit

This basically. If you have any kind of table/desk/chest of drawers at the right sort of height etc you can use that to save your self from bending without having to buy a specific unit.

I prefered changing sitting down on bed/sofa half the time (no bending involved!), but we had a mat on a desk for standing up to change.

I would see how you go. My back was so sore that we got one a couple of weeks in and it was fantastic.

We have baby due imminently & have similar set up to lots of ppl here, specific changing unit upstairs with drawers (2nd hand wooden nursery set, lovely) then set of drawers downstairs with raised side mat on top, nappy bin beside.

We have wooden floors so I don’t want to be on my knees & DH is 6’5” so he doesn’t want to be on floor PLUS for us a consideration is 2 dogs, I don’t want to change DS on the floor with 1DD in particular (10 month old very large puppy) in his or my face) or stealing nappies (dirty or clean) so everything HAS to be away & DS off the floor for us. To have all in one place is easier but just a set of drawers at right height downstairs (no dogs allowed upstairs!)

Yes much better to have a piece of furniture you actually like and would want in your home long-term even after kids all toilet trained, that just happens to be a convenient height for changing. No need for a "safety rail" around the edges - they just give a false sense of security, much better to just never let there be a moment when the baby is on there without a parent's hand on them.

I love ours, it's in the nursery and we take her there to change her bum. I had the same reservations but it hurts my back doing it anywhere else.

Don't bother, I use a mat on the floor most of the time.

I do have a nifty device for in the nursery. It's a changing mat that goes on top of the cot. I got my cot second hand and it came with it. Handy as my nursery is too small for a separate piece of furniture.

This will come off when the baby is actually sleeping in the cot, but I do use it when I do changes late at night.

Saying that, if I didn't have it I wouldn't be that bothered. Mat on the floor is just fine xx

Babies often wee or poo during changes while their nappy is off. No idea why anyone would want that all over their bed or carpet! I change my baby in the bathroom on a waterproof mat on the washable tiled floor.

No - another thing designed to make you spend money. You'll manage without and can use the money saved for something that is a whole lot more fun.

Nope. I bought 2 (1 for upstairs, 1 for downstairs). Never used them. Thebinr upstairs became very handy for storage and the cats rather enjoyed the on downstairs as a daybed/control tower 🙄. The sofa and the bed in the nursery was more than adequate for nappy changes etc.

We love ours. But we live in a bungalow so it’s 5 seconds to dd room. If I had to go upstairs, I doubt it would get used. It’s got everything we need on it. I also store all her other stuff there, thermometer, calpol, muslins, and so on.

I used one religiously until he was eventually too big for it. I loved it. We had a mobile above it to distract him in the beginning and he never once rolled when he was on it. It also saved my back!! When we were out of the house I had to change him on the floor and when he was crawling he used to just flip himself over and crawl away! Never had that with the change table. I'd definitely get one.

I have a mat in the lounge and a changing station in the nursery. I have to admit, it is really helpful and it's nice to not always be kneeling down

@DamsonPie I've been told to have old towels at the ready to put under the mat.

We started with a change mat on top of the chest of drawers and then once DS was rolling moved the mat onto the floor so he could't fall off etc.

They can be dangerous. It was always changing mat on the floor for me

Not safe and not needed. A changing mat on the sofa is perfectly adequate

I really loved ours. We used it everyday but I did have a mat and changing box in the lounge too. I have a bad back so changing on a proper table was very helpful and keeps all the supplies/spares in one place.

This time around we have in built drawers so we've gone for a cheaper unit that we'll pass on. The original was converted into a chest of drawers and is still in with dc1.

I changed all mine on the floor.