As a first-time parent, you will have a laundry list of things to buy and do before the baby arrives. You may need to do some reading on important items before you purchase them, namely changing tables. The changing table is essential for many reasons. It’s where you change diapers and change the baby in and out of clothes. As you assemble everything and baby-proof the home, here’s what you need to know about changing tables.

The Best Items To Stock

Every nursery needs more than the bare necessities. There’s more to buy than diaper rash ointment and wipes. You must work with your partner to ensure you have other essential items, such as diapers and a trash can with a lid.

Having a trash can helps make every diaper change easy so you’re not creating messes and piling things in a corner. Some other items you should consider buying include nail trimmers, a hairbrush, and lotion. Depending on the season, your baby might be prone to dry skin, so having lotion on hand can rehydrate the baby’s skin the moment you need it.

The Other Essentials First-Time Parents Forget

There are other things you might forget. Some of these items you can buy at a later time, but it’s best to have them now. Since there’s likely to be more going on at the changing station, make room for these items:

• Small toys and books
• Hand sanitizer
• Pacifiers
• Nasal syringe
• Saline mist
• Nail tools
• Extra clothes

Having a basket of extra clothes nearby can help every change go smoothly without needing to go back and find an outfit that matches or works for the current weather conditions. Keep a basket close by with extra pants, shirts, onesies, and diapers.

Where To Place the Changing Table

Now, the placement of the changing table doesn’t necessarily matter. You only need it in an accessible part of the nursery that doesn’t take up too much space. If you want to know the best place, though, parents prefer placing the changing table up against a wall, away from windows.

Your changing table doesn’t necessarily need to be in the nursery. It could go into the hallway or your bedroom. Even if you place it in another part of the house, it’s not going to be fun lugging your infant here and there throughout the day when you could have one prime location: the nursery.

While it doesn’t always matter where you place your changing table, you must consider if you’re going to walk up and down a flight or two of stairs. The stairs are a huge undertaking, and something you need to weigh as a pro or con during those diaper changes.

The Furniture and Gear You Need To Buy

So, what gear and furniture do you need? Well, you have more than just a changing table to pick from—you don’t need a traditional table; a dresser will suffice. Here’s more on your two biggest alternatives to traditional changing stations.

The Two Changing Table Options

The most modern trend parents enjoy most is a dresser. Dressers have all the storage space you need to store clothes, baby wipes, diapers, and other necessities. The best dresser to use as a changing station is one with a flat top. It should be wide enough to store and organize your items.

The changing tray should go on the flat top of your dresser. The changing tray comes in many different materials, but the best one would be a wooden changing tray, and here’s why you should have one.

Why You Should Have a Changing Tray

A changing tray is a portable tray you place on any flat surface. It keeps the baby protected with easy-to-adjust straps. The changing tray comes with a compartment to safely store small items like lotion, diapers, and a change of clothes.

The tray is easy to transport, allowing you to slide it wherever you need. You can store it if you’re traveling with the baby. The changing tray is also easy to clean, requiring only a wipe and non-toxic cleaning supplies.

Always Have Storage Methods

Storage is your best friend in the nursery. Since you stocked the nursery with every outfit and toy you could find, the proper storage methods can make organizing a breeze. Grab bins, baskets, hangers, and shelves to store clothes, toys, books, and more.

If you have a lot of clothes to sort through, buy a space-saver hanger that folds down after you’ve placed everything on the hooks. They work well to save space. You’ll have more room for other things like cube shelves.

Try Automatic Diaper Ordering

You may run out of diapers. It happens, and when it does, you should buy more immediately. If you don’t have time to go out to the store, try automatic ordering. Automatic ordering, which many online stores are doing now for families and businesses, is the process of ordering an item monthly so that you don’t run out of that item.

For instance, every parent needs diapers. Being able to subscribe to a company and automatically receiving diapers saves you time from having to buy diapers weekly. Also, you have the option of subscribing to certain brands.

Is a Changing Table Worth It?

In some cases, having a changing table could be worth it. Infants only need a changing table for the first two years of their life. After that, the table takes up space. So, it’s really up to you whether a changing table is worth the cost or not.

In some cases, changing tables are good to have for space, and they can go anywhere in the home. Diaper changing tables also make the entire changing process less messy.

This sums up everything you need to know about changing tables. But you can still consider a changing tray instead of a table. It doesn’t take up space and it’s portable.

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