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A diaper changing station is a dedicated area in your house or living space that is a hub for changing your child’s diaper.
It’s something you want to prepare before your baby comes because you’ll be spending A LOT of time here.
In these areas, you must keep your diaper-changing essentials close by to avoid looking around for them when the time comes to use them.
In this article, we’ll list the essentials for diaper changing and some extra items you may need while doing so.
Do I need a changing table?
Changing tables are not necessary when you have a baby. However, you should have a diaper changing station in your house so you can easily take care of dirty diapers and they won’t take up too much thought or time.
A diaper changing station can be anything from a changing table to a bassinet or even a space on your bed.
Regardless of where your dedicated diaper changing station is, there are always essentials you should have so that you don’t have to run around the house looking for them.
A diaper changing station makes it easy for everything to be in one place and easily accessible. What are these diaper-changing essentials? In this article, we’ll go over everything you’ll ever need when you’re changing your little one’s diapers.
What is essential in a diaper changing station?
Changing table
Changing stations don’t look the same for every parent, some may choose to have a dedicated changing table for diaper changes. Others will use what they have like a bassinet or their bed.
Whichever changing station is your style, it’s always good to have a dedicated area for changing diapers in your home.
While shopping for a changing table, look for one with storage. I prefer one with drawers so that when your little one starts mobilizing, they will be less enticed to “explore” those items.
Another factor when choosing your changing station is how high it comes up. For taller people, a bed wouldn’t be ideal to change hundreds of diapers over your baby’s diaper years. Save your back and get a changing table that is about hip height.
Changing pad
Most changing tables come with changing pads, but others don’t. Always check the description of the changing table you want to purchase to see if it comes with a changing pad. If it doesn’t, they will usually put the size of the changing pad you’ll need to fit the table.
Even if your changing table comes with a changing pad, you can change it out to fit your needs and personal style. This changing pad by Skip Hop, for example, comes with a mobile and a safety strap.
This is perfect to keep your baby entertained and keep them secure while you change them.
Little Dove even has a boho-inspired changing pad to go along with your nursery theme.
Regardless of which one you choose, it’s essential to have a changing pad to keep your baby comfortable while you change them.
Diapers
What’s a diaper-changing station if you don’t have diapers?
Diapers are a given, but you always want to make sure your changing station is always stocked. A stack of diapers in your diaper changing area is essential.
Remember to add some diapers that are sized up for when they grow out of their old size.
Drawer dividers will make it easier to keep diapers stacked or even a dedicated basket nearby will do the trick.
Wipes
Wipes are another essential for your diaper changing station. I like to keep mine in a wipe warmer when I have a newborn, especially during nighttime changes, to avoid a full wake-up in the middle of the night.
Diaper rash cream
Even though you won’t need rash cream for every diaper change, keeping a tube handy in your baby changing station is essential.
You never know when a rash could pop up. Even if you change your baby’s diaper as soon as they wet themselves, they may still get a reaction to foods they’ve eaten or materials of the diaper itself.
There’s a reason why this comes right after diaper creams. Diaper cream is pretty thick and gets messy when applied.
cotton swabs or cotton pads
Use cotton swabs or cotton pads to apply diaper cream. Sometimes your handy dandy finger is best for applying diaper cream. If so, cotton pads will clean that right up.
Extra clothes
We’ve all heard of a baby blowout, but sometimes the diaper changing mess is just a small leak in their diaper.
Spare clothes at your changing station are essential so that you can keep your baby nice and dry when accidents happen.
Diaper bin
Diaper disposal is essential for a diaper changing station. Instead of carrying your baby to a bin to dispose of the diaper, keep one nearby.
Disposal bins that are meant for dirty diapers reduce odors and make throwing them away easier than your ordinary trash can.
This diaper bin reduces odors and uses ordinary kitchen trash bags.
Sanitizer
The CDC recommends that you wash your baby’s hands and your hands after a diaper change.
Although it’s essential for keeping you and your baby safe, it’s not practical, especially if you’re changing 5 diapers a night.
Hand sanitizer will keep you germ-free after a diaper change, so be sure to keep this nearby in your diaper changing area.
Toys or Pacifier
Diaper changes aren’t pleasant for you or the baby. The baby’s uncomfortable and squirming while you’re trying to avoid a mess.
A small distraction toy or pacifier will ease the baby or entertain them for the few minutes you have to keep them on their back.
Nose aspirator
Diaper changes are the perfect time to pamper your little one. You may find that they’re congested, clogged, or just can’t breathe right.
This is when the nose aspirator comes in handy.
The changing station is the perfect place to keep your nose aspirator so that you can easily lay your child down and get aspirating!
Lotion
Keep lotion on hand while you’re changing your baby’s diaper. Baby skin is sensitive, so let’s take care of it.
Make it a habit to lotion your baby whenever you’re at the diaper changing station so that their smooth stays nice and hydrated. You can even make this a lotioning station and take your baby here anytime you need to hydrate their skin.
It’s great to also have this handy for you. Changing lots of diapers means lots of hand-washing. Keep your hands moisturized by having lotion at your baby changing station.
Dim light
You’ll find yourself doing lots of nighttime diaper changes, especially in the early days. Keeping a dim light near the changing station is essential for being able to see while not waking the baby too much.
Lights that stick to the wall or even a lamp with a low-lumen bulb is the perfect lighting you’ll
What should go on top of the changing table?
Your changing table should be kept simple with only a changing pad and a few essentials on top.
Wipes are always a must to keep on top of your changing table since you’ll be using them for every change.
All other essentials can be kept in storage baskets or drawers to prevent your baby from grabbing anything while you’re changing them.
How to organize changing table
Add storage
Your changing table should have some storage available, but to make things easier and more convenient, you can add more storage near it.
Label organization areas
One of the best things I’ve purchased for my house is a label maker. They’re useful all over the house so that everyone knows where to put things back.
This is the exact label maker I use. It’s wireless, rechargeable, and you can make the labels as long as you want. The easy-to-install app has so many features like different fonts, stickers, and text sizes you can choose from.
I use them in my diaper changing station to label where to keep certain things in each drawer and stay as organized as possible.
Laundry basket nearby
What’s the point of having spare clothes nearby in your changing station if you have to put the dirty ones in a different area?
A laundry basket next to your changing table makes it easy to get those messy clothes(you’ll have plenty of them) right where they need to be.
Add shelves
Don’t sleep on using the space above your changing table. There’s so much unused real estate, it’d be a shame to waste it.
Add some floating shelves with decorative baskets to get more storage out of your changing table station.
Drawer dividers
Drawers in your changing table are too large to just fill with diapers, so split them into multiple sections with drawer dividers.
Conclusion
Diaper changing stations are one of the best things to have when you’re introducing a little one into the world. Not only are they a hub for all your diaper changing essentials, they also store all of the little accessories you use for taking care of your baby.
Things like nose aspirators, laundry baskets, and diaper bins have no business in other areas of your house besides the diaper changing station.
Hopefully these items help keep you organized and well-prepared on your diaper changing journey. Now that you know what essentials you’ll need, it’s time to learn How to Change a Diaper in 5 Easy Steps.