Baby’s Changing Station Ideas: Plus Special Needs Ideas
Our best Baby’s Changing Station Ideas
to suit your space and life-style.
Plus ideas for special needs children
beyond the baby stage.
You’re getting Baby’s nursery ready.
All the soft little clothes, the darling crib with its sweet bedding, the wall décor.
Actually the registry list is kind of long.
Do you have to add a diaper changing table to the list?
It’s your call and your list.
But take a look at our pros and cons.
A nursery changing table is actually an important part of preparing for your new little one.
Because, and you have to believe this, the diapering begins from Day 1, and you do want to be ready.
And remember, there are actually rewards to changing baby. (Beyond the fresh smell.)
It’s a close parent-child experience that happens over and over, and can be used as a chance for bonding. Talk baby talk and tickle and play toe/finger games with baby while changing. Make it a happy time, not one to be dreaded and resisted by baby. You set the stage with your attitude towards it.
”
The love of a mother is patient and understanding.
When everyone else leaves you,
her love never fails or falters,
even if her heart is breaking.
”
Helen Rice
Click on the section you wish to read:
Changing Table Safety Considerations
Economical Changing Station Ideas
Changing Table Best Experience Considerations
Special Needs Changing Station Solutions
This post contains affiliate links.
Before you shop for your Baby Changing Station furniture,
consider the safety measures you should address to prevent falls or accidents.
Baby’s Changing Station Safety Considerations
These are some items that can make a difference in your child’s safety.
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- Curved edges on the changing pad help prevent rolling, and keep baby more confined
- Make sure the changing pad has a safety strap, and that it is safely adhered to the dresser or changing table at all times. The only time you can skip the safety strap is if the changing table has raised sides at least 2″ high on all four sides.
- When baby gets bigger than the length of the changing pad you should quit using a changing dresser or table. It’s much safer to place a changing pad on the floor to diaper bigger, more mobile children.
- If you upcycle a piece of furniture to create your changing station, be sure it has non toxic paint or varnish as its finish. You may not believe it possible, but babies come to a stage in life when they chew everything, just like puppies.
- Some changing tables are portable. Be sure the wheels have working brakes to stabilize the table during use.
- Test the dresser or table you choose for tipping. If there’s any chance it could be pushed off balance, you can use furniture securing brackets to attach it to the wall. Like your kitchen stove and dishwasher have.
- On top of all these precautions, keep a hand on baby at all times. When you reach into a drawer for a diaper, or pull a wet one from the packet, never take both hands off your squirmy, wiggly baby!
Economical Changing Station Ideas
You might ask yourself if you really need to spend the money on a piece of furniture you’ll only use for 2 or 3 years of your baby’s life.
There are ways to have the convenience without spending a lot of money.
When our first-born was on the way, we bought an unfinished wood dresser from Home Depot. I believe it was about $40.00. It would probably be about 3 times that now. It was extremely well built, and when we didn’t need the changing aspect anymore, we just screwed the restraining fence off and it became the dresser our boys used till they left home. (One of them took it with him, so it’s still in use!)
- If you don’t want to invest in new furniture, look for a dresser you can paint or refinish. Build a box with a 2″ fence all around and attach it to the top. Add a changing pad and you’re gold.
- If you don’t have room, or don’t like the idea of trekking to one room all the time for diaper changes, create a portable changing basket or tote. Get one with dividers to organize all the items and keep it looking good enough to travel from room to room. You might especially like this if you have a two story home.
If you wish to invest in a changing station table or dresser, here are some good picks:
Dream on Me Marcus
Made of solid cherry wood, this classic design mixes curved and straight lines that will fit seamlessly into any nursery.
The dresser comes with a beautiful safety rail surrounding an included 1″ thick changing pad. It has a restraining strap with an easy release buckle to keep baby in place.
Three spacious, deep drawers glide smoothly, and allow you to keep baby’s essentials organized and accessible.
Delta Children Ava
The details (or lack of) make this dresser. Its simple silhouette puts the focus on the sleek, two-tone finish, splayed legs and minimalistic knobs. It includes a removable changing topper that turns the dresser into a convenient and contemporary piece.
- Strong and sturdy wood construction
- Features include 3 spacious drawers and removable changing topper (pad sold separately)
- Ball bearing side-mount drawer glides with safety stops
- Easy to clean surface
Babyletto Sprout 3 Drawer Dresser with Removable Changing Tray
Versatile in design and function, the Sprout 3-drawer Changer Dresser seamlessly moves from the nursery to a big kid room with an included removable changer top. Pair it with the Sprout 4-in-1 Crib for a classically styled nursery.
Aurora Contempo 5-in-one Changing Dresser
Stylish, Elegant. The Arm’s Reach 5 in 1 Changing Dresser will add a great touch to your baby’s nursery. For easy access to wipes, diapers, and other baby essentials, there’s plenty of open storage. This piece provides several ideas for use: baby’s changing station, toy storage, TV Stand, Book Shelf, and a coffee table tray. Adult assembly is required. Baskets, stuffed animals and mattress pad sold separately.
Baby’s Changing Station Best Experiences
- When shopping for baby’s changing station ideas, take your height into consideration. If you’re short, buy a low dresser. If you’re tall, you don’t want to stoop every one of the 2000 times you change a diaper that first year. This is especially important if you have a caesarean birth.
- Choose the changing pad carefully. Too thin and baby will be uncomfortable. Too hard and she can roll around too easily. It’s a Goldilocks thing, it has to be just right. Too soft and she’s lost in the curves, making clean up difficult.
- Will you want a fabric removable cover over the cold vinyl changing pad? It’s the best of both worlds. The vinyl keeps the pad sanitary, while a removable cover adds style and warmth.
- Storage is a big consideration. You want to keep supplies handy so you can keep a hand on baby at all times. At least one drawer right under the table top is good, so curious fingers of a growing child can’t access as easily.
Best Picks for Changing Pads
Look for safety and a cleanable surface.
Keekaroo Peanut Changing Pad
Unlike any other diaper changing pad! Its strong outer shell makes it impermeable to ”any” fluid, so clean up is easy. That solid shell on the diaper changing pad also limits bacteria growth or deterioration.
Munchkin Secure Grip Changing Pad
If only your baby would stay still during diaper changes…well we know that never happens. Keep them comfy and safe with the Secure Grip Changing Pad. Featuring Xtra Grip rubber strips and safety straps that buckle, the Secure Grip Changing Pad stays in place during diaper changes and helps keep your little one safe as they squirm, wiggle and twist. And for those moments you need additional stability, fabric straps with screws are included to securely attach to your dresser or changing table.
Hatch Baby Grow Changing Pad with Scale
Meet Grow, the modern nursery innovation that reimagines the way you watch your baby develop. Combining a traditional diaper changing pad with a built-in, wireless smart scale, Grow helps you to easily track infant health metrics, providing reassurance to new parents from home. Syncing automatically to the highly rated Hatch Baby App (easily record nursing sessions, sleep, pumping amounts, and more), Grow provides you with a simple and modern solution to care for your bundle of joy.
Skip Hop Pronto Signature Changing Station
The ultimate diaper changing tool makes baby changing easy-no matter where you are. Our ultra-convenient clutch features a wipe-clean, zip-off changing pad, built-in pillow and translucent wipes case for timely refills. The large mesh pocket holds up to four diapers plus creams and other essentials, while the front zippered pocket is perfect for keys, cell phone or other personal items. Simply drop the Pronto in your bag, strap it to your wrist or clip it to your stroller and go!
Special Needs Changing Station Ideas
Perhaps you are expecting a special baby.
There are amazing solutions to changing stations when diapering continues into pre-school years because of special circumstances. Make it easy on yourself from the start, and consider investing in a changing table that can work beyond babyhood.
Isn’t this the best? And all those storage compartments!
It’s pricey, but when you consider the years of use you’ll get, it’s worth the investment.
Perhaps you have a relative or friend that would consider making one for you. That may be a more economical idea.
Or reach out to a senior hobby club. In our local retirement city there are many experienced woodworkers with tools available to them at their clubs. The items they make are truly amazing. And their kindness is boundless.
Wood Designs Toddler Changing Table
GREENGUARD Gold certified. Deep 8″ changing bed. Slide-in stairs with Stair Low feature to facilitate safe, easy entry. Ample storage for diapers and changing supplies. Furnished with a 2″ thick, red washable vinyl covered pad and safety strap. All surfaces and back are 100% Healthy Kids Plywood with our exclusive Tuff-Gloss UV finish. A recessed back for added strength, stability, and beauty. Full-length Pinch-Me-Not-Hinges with full-length Tip-Me-Not doors. Changing well is 8″D. 40″H x 43″W x 21″D. Lifetime Warranty. Made in the U.S.A.
We’re not done yet.
While gathering our information about changing tables, we came across more helpful hints.
So here’s a few
Bonus Considerations
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Baby Wipe Warmer.
Every mom everywhere cringes with baby when she places a cold baby wipe to that warm pink skin. But resist the urge to use a wipe warmer. It can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Sure, baby might throw a mini-fit when touched with a cold wipe the first time. But they get used to it. (My niece has to add ice to her littles’ bath water here in the desert. Our cold water from the pipes is “too ho-o-ot, Mommy!”) And what happens when you’re away from home when the blow-out of the week happens? No wipe warmer in the diaper bag!
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Diaper disposal.
Mani Powell-Razat, a mom from New York City, hated her diaper disposal so much she wound up leaving it on the sidewalk! “Old diapers would sit in it as I tended to forget that they were in there. Then I spent time cleaning the thing, which had by then collected a boat load of crummy fumes.” If you’re really worried about smelly diapers, you can buy disposable diaper sacks, which can seal in wetness and bacteria and keep the household trash odor-free.
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Baby Laundry Detergent.
You don’t want any harsh chemicals or potential allergens to touch baby’s tender skin. So you invest in Baby Laundry detergent. And discover the strain on the budget fairly quickly. You can purchase a free and clear detergent suitable for your whole family, and it will be fine for baby. My daughter-in-law has used such detergent with her family since the boys were little with great success.
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Laundry Stain Remover.
Even after laundering after baby’s blow-out, his sweet little outfit can look like a raccoon dragged it through the river. What’s the safest way to remove stains, yet keep baby’s clothes soft and fresh? Combine 1 part Dawn dish liquid, 1 part baking soda, and 2 parts hydrogen peroxide to create the perfect stain removing solution that works on fresh stains, old set-in stains, and dark clothes. Rub/scrub/brush it on the stains and let sit for an hour. Wash normally and enjoy!
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Bassinet.
This may be off topic, but those sweet, draped bassinets! I HAD to have one for my firstborn. And I liked it. It was portable and pretty. (I used lace curtains to make the most darling cover.) But just the truth here, a portable play-yard is a better choice than a bassinet. They’re like a very handy mini-resort for baby. And come with a changing surface for the newborn stage.
Enjoy finding the perfect
changing station ideas
for your new baby!
Until next time,
Kim & Dorothy
