Once you realise you are expectant, on the top of all the excitement there’re millions of thoughts that run through your head and often keeps you awake at night.
Setting up a first nursery is certainly one of them, and at the heart of every nursery is the changing station. This is the single most important space when it comes to taking care of the newborn. Finding the right setup is essential as it can make life a lot easier, while on the other hand the wrong one can cause you a lot of stress.
In this article we discuss the pros and cons of all the popular solutions so that you can find the right one for you
1. Changer – dresser
This is by far one of the most popular solutions.With variety of designs on the market it's fairly easy to find one matching an overall style of the baby's room.
Pros:
- Functional
It makes it easy to keep everything you need at hand and in order
- It can be used for years
As long as you’ll go for the removable changer top you can turn it into a regular chest of drawers that will serve for years to follow.
- It has the right height
In the postpartum period, excessive stooping should be avoided, so this is one of the most important features to take into consideration.
- Plenty of space
This is certainly the esoultion which provides you with most of space for all the babycare necessities, baby clothes would at hand as well.
- It looks great
Many of the pieces have outstanding designs and will add a touch of style to the nursery.
Cons:
- Most expensive
Space and comfort come at a higher price, as this is the regular piece of furniture.
- Sometimes not useful for long
In the case of a changer that does not have a removable changing top, we can quickly be left with a piece of furniture that is only suitable for a certain time and only for the baby's room.
- Little mobility
With this type of changing station, changing has to take place in the same place, which is not always ideal.
2. Hard top changing mat
A solution that has been growing in popularity recently, especially for smaller nursery room with its simplicity to be a deciding factor.
Pros:
- Saves space
Your changing station doesn’t take any more space than the baby cot already does.
- It's cheap
Portable, hard top changing mat combined with hanging diaper organizer is certainly one of the cheapest solutions
- It has the right height
As changing takes place on the top of the baby cot it provides appropriate height for comfortable position
- Quick to assemble and disassemble
All you need to do is to remove the top changing mat
Cons:
- Has to be taken off and put on every time
For safety reasons you can’t leave hard top changing mat on the top of the baby cot while the baby is in it.
- Less functional
With that setup you can only have the most essential items at hand, and it won't be organised that well
3. Changing table
Probably still the most popular solution for the changing station. However for many, this is a solution where the cons often outweigh the pros.
Pros:
- Mobility
No other solution will provide you with that many baby care items to be freely moved around the house.
- Functional
You have everything you need at one place, and well organized.
- Spacious
You can store not only the basic articles for changing but also the whole set of baby care products.
- It has the right height
Just like with the previous options, it provides sufficient height for a comfortable position.
Cons:
- Quickly loses its functionality
Once the toddler outgrows nappies there’s not much function for it.
This is especially true for the plastic tables with storage compartments.
- Bathtub sets are unhygienic and impractical
There have been many reports suggesting that this type of design is both impractical and unhygienic due to cleaning and mould problems.
- They don't look great, especially the plastic ones
Apart from their undoubted practical advantages, they usually doesn't look great and it's hard to match them with room design
- It's hard to get rid of them
Due to it's rather unpleasant associations often it's not easy to give one away, not even for free. If you want to discard them, special collection has to be arranged.
4. Changing on the go - portable changing station
A solution that is not very popular and is most often used by mothers who prioritise space over comfort.
Pros:
- It's cheap
Surely that’s one of the cheapest possible solutions
- Mobility
You can change the baby in every room, and all the essentials are ready to be moved around the house.
- Takes up little space
All of the essentials could be packed in one, portable changing bag or a nappy caddy
Cons:
- Uncomfortable changing position
It will force you into uncomfortable position, which could be even dangerous if you recover from a C-section.
- Not always practical
It’s very possible that something you need might not be at hand, and you’ll have to search for it.
- Not very spacious
Only the most essentials items can fit into a portable bag / caddy
- Difficult to keep tidy
Without the designated changing space it’s hard to keep it all in order
We hope that this small overview will allow you to make an informed decision about which option will work best. If you would like to add anything we haven't thought about, please let us know in the comments section.
