Ask the Mamas: Changing Tables

Posted on July 24, 2012 By Alex T. ask the mamas

Each week we will ask our mamas a question from our readers that pertains to babies, toddlers or parenting. Make sure to check back each Tuesday to see their responses!

Do you have a question you’d like to ask the mamas? If so, send us an email with your question to askthemamas@mamasaywhat.com.

MSW reader Leah asks:

“How long and how often did you use your changing table?”

• I have a suspicion that I’m one of the few who is still using their changing table daily with their toddler! Little Man is 18 months old and we still use his changing table for every diaper change. It is easy for us because his nursery is on the main floor of the house, so it’s not a big deal to take a few steps to get there. ~Mary Ellen M.

• Anna is 12 months old and we still use it every day. In the beginning, when we co-slept, all of her overnight changes were just done on my bed. I have found it easier since I cloth diaper to have everything in a central location —my changing table. So, even if I am not actually using the changing table to change her diapers all of the time, I always use it to store all of my cloth diapers and supplies. ~Jessica S.

• I was sure we’d use it for every changing; I was wrong. We had a shelf that we put a changing pad on and we used it for the first few weeks for every changing. Then it just made more sense to do it on the couch since we were on the main floor. Let’s be honest, going upstairs for every change was getting old. After that it was only middle of the night changings and by the time she was around four months, we changed her on her chaise in the middle of the night. So I guess collectively, it was used for four months. Not long, so I probably won’t even use one for baby number two. ~Sarah H.

• I wish we got ours sooner! We were building a house when Ty was born, so we didn’t put one up in our little condo. It took a while but we FINALLY moved into the new house on his first birthday and Holy Man! That changing table could have saved us a lot of sore knees, since we always just changed him on the floor. We didn’t realize how much we were missing out. Now we use it all the time (at 14 months) and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. ~Heidi C.

• We used the diaper changer that was on the Pack ‘n Play until he outgrew it. Other than that we used our changing table almost exclusively and still do at 23 months. ~Amanda P.

• L is just about 15 months old and we still use his changing table every day. If we are downstairs or on the main floor we will usually just change his diaper on the floor. But the changing table has been helpful for getting dressed in the morning, getting ready for bath time and getting into PJs after bath time. It has been well-utilized in our home! ~Corey P.

• We still use ours every time we change him (he’s five months old). I know some people say they change the baby in the middle of the living room or wherever they are, but that would require me to have all his diapers and wipes handy. I could see where that might be the case if our house wasn’t so small though! It’s easy to jump up and take him to his room to change! ~Kate D.

• Lilah is 16 months and we still use it often. Her room is on the second floor so I use our coffee table often on the first floor now, but when we lived at our other house (a ranch style house) we used it for every diaper and clothes change.  My brother-in-law handmade our changing table and I absolutely love it still! ~Miriam R.

• We didn’t have the space for a separate changing table, so we just put a changing pad on top of our son’s dresser. We used it each and every time we changed his diaper if we were home until he was walking at ten months old. We lived in a small, single-story house, so it was no biggie to just walk into his bedroom to change his diaper. By the time he was walking, he kept wanting to get up and run away naked, so I started changing his diapers on the floor and using the changing table less and less. I know my mother-in-law continued to use it longer than I did to save her back and her knees. By the time he was 19 or 20 months old, we were no longer using it. ~Alex T.

• My daughter is 18 months old, and we’ve used our changing table since day one. I think the only time we’ll stop using it is when she’s potty-trained and out of diapers. We’ll more than likely move it into the new baby’s room once he/she is born, but it’s nice and convenient not having to bend over or kneel down to change her, and all of the needed supplies are kept right there ! ~Sam A.

• R is 11 months old and I have never changed her on anything else at home but our changing table. That is how much I love it, I guess. Haha. My reasoning is everything is right there and it is a good height for me so I am not leaning over or hurting my knees. I will use it as long as she fits and I will probably cry the day her little body won’t fit anymore. ~Jaimie S.

• My daughter is five and a half months old and we have used it for just about every change so far.  It’s so much easier to have everything in one place… diapers, cream, wipes, clothes, etc. Even though I sometimes have to climb two flights of stairs with her to get to her room, it just makes the most sense for us to keep it all there. I have no doubt that we will be using it for a very long time. ~Kathy S.

• We live in a two-story townhome. As a newborn/infant, we changed his diaper on the changing pad (on his dresser) whenever we were upstairs and occasionally would go up there to use it if it was a yucky diaper. If we were downstairs, we just changed him on the couch, floor or Pack ‘n Play. We continued to use the changing pad until he was around 18 months. After that we used a bed or still anywhere downstairs. ~Cari H.

• We use a repurposed shelf from IKEA as our changing station. We have two and each are 36″ x 36″. We have them side by side to create a six foot long space. We added a changing pad to the top of one and the other has the wipes, creams, etc. on top along with a lamp. Below, we keep bins stocked with diapers, burp cloths, blankets, etc. We used this for our daughter from birth until she was 20 months. After that, she preferred to be changed on the floor. She’s potty training now and only uses a diaper for nap and bedtime and we usually change her standing up, or sometimes laying on the floor. The changing station in the nursery is now used for our son. We have a two-story home and his room is upstairs. So we use a Pack ‘n Play with an integrated changer on it downstairs. We use this maybe four to five times a day, and the rest of his diaper changes are done in his room on the changing station. We typically do ten to 12 changes a day, so maybe half and half between the downstairs play yard/changer and the other upstairs on his changing station. ~Lori W.

• Allie is 14 months and we only used ours regularly when she was a newborn. Our changing table is upstairs and we spend most of our time downstairs. I keep all of our diapering supplies downstairs as well. But our changing table is also a dresser, so it wasn’t a total waste of money. ~Bonnie N.

• James is 11 months old and we still use ours when home. It is so much easier. He seems to know that the changing pad is serious bum change time. If I try to change him on the couch or floor he turns into a slippery worm. ~Danica S.

The advice given here is solely based on our individual experiences and in no way is it going to be perfect for every mama, every baby, and every situation. None of us are medical doctors. If you have a question regarding a medical topic we can give our opinions, but please consult with your doctor. We are not liable or responsible for the results of following any specific advice in any given situation.

Added by Alex T. on July 24, 2012.
Saved under ask the mamas
Tags: ask the mamas, changing pad, changing table, diaper pad, Pack n' Play

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