Organizing Your Nursery - The Changing Station

a continuation of my posts on Organizing Your Nursery...

It is estimated that the average kid goes through 7200 diapers! When you do something this frequently, it really pays to have it be organized. For safety's sake, you need to have everything at hand so that you are not tempted to walk away from the baby while they are on the changing table.

It's not necessary to have a formal changing table. A changing pad on top of a low-height dresser with a grippy pad underneath has worked very well for us. I like the idea that we can continue using the dresser well after AB is out of diapers rather than having a specialized piece of furniture that we only use for a few years. We got this sweet dresser on Craig's List for $75.

Whatever your choice, you need to have everything within an arm's length away. This includes diapers and wipes, diaper cream, hand sanitizer, burp cloths, and clothes. It's also handy to have other baby toiletries nearby that you find yourself using on a regular basis.

I like having a shallow floating shelf above the changing table. Make sure to put it high enough that the baby can't reach it while lying on the changing table. On this shelf, I like to keep all my baby toiletries, like nail clippers, snot suckers, thermometer, lotion, hairbrush, any anything else you find yourself using at the changing table. I also like to have a small task light (for those late night changes when you don't want to turn on the overhead light). If you point the light at the wall, it creates a nice diffuse light.


I love the Prince Lionheart Diaper Depot. It holds two stacks of diapers, the Wipes Warmer (or any tub of wipes you choose), and has two side bins for hand sanitizer and diaper cream. I put this on top of a low-height shelf that holds diaper and wipe refills.

For the changing mat itself, it's not necessary to have a changing mat cover unless you live in a cold climate. Instead of specialized changing mat covers, I find that flannel receiving blankets work just as well and are much cheaper.

Next to the changing table you also should have your diaper pail and a small hamper for dirty laundry. It's not necessary for these to be directly within arms reach if you don't have the room, but somewhere within throwing range is helpful.

If you have to concentrate on only one area of your nursery, it should be the changing station. It's definitely the hub of a well-organized nursery!

Related Posts:
Newborn Gear List
Diapering Tips