How long do you use change tables for?

I am trying to decide whether to buy a change table (with combined bath) or a chest of drawers with a change mat on top.

While watching the Lifestyle channel on Foxtel, they featured baby furniture, and mentioned that change tables are used for about 3 years. That really surprised me. Having never had a baby before, I thought a change table would become too small after a period of time.

How long have you used your change table/mat for? And is it easier to change a toddler on the floor when s/he gets bigger and squirms a lot?

Thanks!
Margot.

Hi Margot

with my first 2 children i had a change table with a bath underneath - absolutely hopeless - try bathing a baby then getting them out of the bath and trying to flip the lid of the change table down to put them on to dry - so i gave up the bath and they went straight in the big bath and as it was a small bathroom i just bought a change mat from kmart and used it on the floor it was good for the kiddies as they were safe - couldn't roll off to far but can be a bit of a pain for your back.

with lani i borrowed a wooden change table with i use still (she is only 6 1/2 mths old) it is great but i imagine when she is squirming about rolling over during nappy changes etc it will be time for the mat on the floor for us. my sil uses a change table still for her 2 yr old and she looks big on it but it saves on sil's back.

hth

Thanks Michelle, that's really helpful. I certainly won't be buying a combined bath/change table then!

Margot.

Hi Margot

The longest I ever used a change table for was until 15 months and that was with my youngest, who wasnt as active as the older two. The older two I stopped younger and swapped to changes on the floor. Its hard to keep a wriggly baby still on them! Goodluck.

Jo

HMMM! Change table. I have one but it gets used more as a clothes holder than to change nappies. I don't have a chest of drawers for Jessica so everything sits on top. Although that's a poor excuse cos the same thing happened with jemma and I had a chest of drawers with her.LOL

I think they are good to have, ones with drawers are good for storage space. Maybe I should use mine more often and my back wouldn't be sore all the time. My resolution is to use it after I get the drawers.

I prob wouldn't hink 3 yrs but maye up to 2 yrs.

Cheers Michelle

If I were buying one, I'd go for a chest of drawers with a change mat on top (I assume you mean the shaped foam mats) and I'd add on a raised lip (beading) around the top of the chest to stop things sliding off it when the baby wriggles!
If you are handy, it might be worth adding a raised edge of a few inches to encourage the baby to stay on top of the chest once he/she starts moving.

I was given a change table (MIL's old one) and it was handy being able to wheel it around from room to room, but I would have had more storage space with a chest of drawers.

Kerrie

I just use a mat on the floor, from a safety p.o.v. its great because he can't fall off it.
I used a baby bath for a tiny while but its such a hassle filling and emptying it that I started using the big bath asap.

I used the changetable from birth to when she got toilet trained. Its now used as a bookshelf, display thingy LOL! All Paris' nursery furniture turns into other stuff. her changetable turns into a stand for either a tv or whatever. Her cot into a bed and a sofa. I do like the idea of chancetables with drawers the only thing is I found them hard to change side on with. I prefer to change at the end of the table. I guess you could if you had the space.

*hugs*
Cailin

I love my change table cause it matches the rest of the nursury stuff, and the room just looks so pretty. Which is completely irrelavent of course given it needs to be functional!
Anyway - I have a Sunbury wooden 3 tier table that matches my cot, but if there was a matching chest of drawers with change table on top, I reckon I would have got that as its far more practical.
You can get straps that go around the top layer of a change table so you can strap the little suckers down when they start to wiggle. I saw some funky ones in the bumpto3 catelogue that arrived from coles baby club this month. They are called Gold Bug Safe Change - they are bright colours and look really neat, and cost around $30. I'm not sure how practical straps are though for changes.

In retrospect - I think you are better listening to those that have had babies..... as opposed to me who just hibernates them for longer than they are supposed to be there! ](*,)
Fi

Just a note FI you aren't hibernating it longer than its supposed to be there, pg is 38- 42 weeks long, you just have a different cycle to some!!!!!
Anyway on the subject of changetables I had one the bath under it, and as someone else said its impossible, I ended up using the big bath, or the sink, the changetable is great, but I only use it til they can roll over, and then I use the bed or the floor ( depending on my back!!)

when I was looking at change tables I thought the same of the tables that flip to have the bath underneith, but then I saw one where the bath slides out from underneith and you can have them side by side, seems alot more pactical

Fi - hope bub is not tooo stuborn, no use in over baking lol

We still use ours, but not all the time. Matilda is sometimes too active and we are basically changing her as she's rolling around, and then we move to a towel on the ground quickly LOL. But its been a life saver for me with a bad back... :)

I had one with bath underneath, but only ever used change table in first few days then it became a stacking table... This time I am not bothering as they do take up room & really I changed DD on floor or bed or couch or wherever!

I have a chest of drawers with the mat on top and it is a great height. Although as DS is 7 weeks old, don't know how long I'll be using it for. Depends on how much he moves around later on down the track. But it is a piece of furniture he'll always have.

Wonder why they sell the change tables with the bath underneath - seems that noone here likes them? Doesn't make sense?

I never had a change table with my kids and won't be bothering this time either. My kids were crawling by 6 months so I'd have been too worried about them falling off. Plus they were both toilet trained by the age of two anyway. (Bragging here!)
I found a change mat on the bed/floor/couch to be practical and portable, however, if you have a bad back probably not the best option.

We have a set of drawers & a change pad on top. The drawers we bought though have an attachment which is like a lip sort of thing to stop the baby rolling off when they are bigger. So it is technically a change table, but converts to drawers afterwards.

Alexzander is only 3 weeks old, so I have no idea how long I'll use it.

We have a change table with a bath underneath it, and I agree that it's difficult to use in terms of getting the baby out and then flipping the top back! We didn't use the bath for very long anyway as Jacob just grew and grew so rapidly that he was too big for it anyway and went into the big bath.

The change table part has straps on it so that he can't fall off it, but I also noticed that it says only to use them until babies are 12 months old.

with joshua I only ever used the mat on the floor, I ued it untill he could walk at 9 mths coz he never wanted to lie down anymore after that..

we have been given a change table with a bath underneath and then a basket type thing under that for nappies etc, so we'll be usign that, not even sure if we'll use the bath as with joshua i used the normal bath and we have one of those cloth seats they can lie back on for the big bath too..

take care
Lesley

Can't remember exactly how long, but probably until DD was about 2yo, possibly longer.

I found it fabulous to be able to change at 'my height' rather than getting down onto the floor. I had a fold up change table I borrowed from my sister, but this time I bought a change table with drawers under it that the top flips over to become a shelf above the drawers so we can keep them in the room 'forever'.

Cheers,

Rachel

Layla,

Maddy was rolling @2 m onths & 16 days & was also crawling early too, so I got her a potty as soon as she could sit & she would watch High Five eating toast sittinmg on her potty & so was toilet trained at about 21 months... (brag brag!) Man i hope this one is as easy to toilet train!!!! I just found the change table so clumsy & akward!

This is my first baby, but I've worked in child care for years, and have changed more than my fair share of nappies :) and most kids wriggle :)

We decided to get a decent (i.e. wooden) changetable. I have a bad back, so changing on the bed or floor is not an option. This is our first bub, and we're planning to have more, so I didn't mind forking out $50 extra for a decent wooden table.

I've used change tables at work that are those portable fold up ones, and I would never waste the money buying one for home. I haven't seen one yet that could withstand more than a couple of months use.

We were given the option of borrowing a change table that a cousin had, however you had to change side on. I can't imagine anything more weird than changing a baby side on... maybe that's just me, and if anyone here changes like that, please let me know :) Because I've never heard of it.

As for babies rolling etc, buy a mat with the raised sides... and you're never supposed to leave a baby on a change mat without at least one hand on their belly anyway... Although this is probably the childcare worker coming out in me :) It's just habit for me now...

The chest of drawers is a great idea, so long as you can either bring it away from the wall to change bubs, or don't mind changing side on :) We would have done that, but have built in drawers already, and just buying the table was cheaper :)

I copped flak from my grandparents about 'wasting money' on buying a change table... but there is no way I wouldn't have one.

i looooove my change table. got it from ikea, is actually a set of drawers with a change table on the top which is hinged, so when you are finnished using it as a change table it folds up into shelving on top of the drawers. is a great idea and wasnt overly pricey. is timber, and is very sturdy and heaps of room on top to put mat and wipes etc. changed my nephew on it on the weekend, and was perfect. is a pic on my website, of it, he loved the leaf too, was squealing & laughing the whole time i was changeing him

I LOVE my change table and I pretty much came from the point of view that I have worked both in child care and disability support and care work, so I know all about good back care, and bending over to cange a baby on a bed is NOT good back care..on the floor is not too bad, but a good change table is great!

Felix is a wriggler, but I have hung heaps of stuff over head and have a painting nearby which we talk about and point to the bees while I am changing him. Since I use cloth nappies the underside is great for storage!

I amnot sure I can imagine it being used for more than 2 years, but you never know!

I say get one!

I was given one of those change tables with the bath underneath. I wheeled it up to the kitchen bench and dried and dressed bubs on the bench. The bath is small though so they both grew out of it within 4 weeks!
I used the change table part until they were rolling over then it was onto the floor on a blanket.

I had laybyed the change table with bath underneath and then i thought how dangerous, trying to hold a wet baby and probally using your elbow to flip the lid down to use the change mat!
I saw the one with the slide out from underneath bath and changed my layby over to that one, was a bit dearer but seems a lot more practical to me having it side by side.
Also i have the bath with no plastic raised sections in it so it can be used for a lot longer.
Had the same deeper bath for first son and got to use it for ages as i just bought material insert for when he was little.
With my first i used just a baby bath and a folding change table and hated it! The bath once full is so heavy and had to be left lying on kitchen table till hubby would empty it out, hence why i went with complete change table bath this time.

Good luck deciding :)

With my first 4 I just had a standard fold up change table with the little storage rack underneath and it did the job just fine. Pretty sure I used it until they were around 18 months because I had to move it to the next child's room LOL. This time I got a change table with the bath that slides out and 2 storage shelves underneath. So far I have found it fantastic. Easy to use the bath as it is at a nice height for me and easy to move Jacob over to the mat afterwards. The one I got has a drainage hose so it's also easy to emty into a bucket after the bath without spilling it everywhere.

where would one find the change table with the slide out bath??? I have not ssen them and have been lookimg for a change table for a while.

I bought my slide out bath one at a baby shop, just ring around. The brand i got was Infa, i paid 200 for mine but shop around because i seen the same on cheaper at another baby shop.

I got my change table with the slide out bath at toys r us

i bought a change table that has two shelves, i find it good because i am limited to space with living in the shed. I find it good cause i can just reach down and grab a wipe or nappy or whatever it may be.

Im still using mine and DD is 2. She isnt much of a riggler but i find the sides hold her more in place than on the floor where she could roll to her hearts content, iykwim.

Mines timber as well to match the decor. lol. I find it to be more solid than the plastic ones to. Its no drama to clean either, i have no complaints.

My change table has two shelves and a slide out bath. I got it from a local baby shop. But have seen them around, so like everyone else has said, just ring around. I for mine fro $200 also.

thanks guys, off to shopping i go!

I have one of those fold-up change tables. There is a shelf down the bottom where I keep cloth nappies (for spews and spills) and a basket with powder and creams etc. in it. It's pretty good. My friend changed her 18 month old on it the other day and it wasn't too bad. Once I stop using it, I can just fold it up and store it away until I have another baby or lend it to someone. I bought it off a friend for $50 but I think they are pretty cheap.
Friends that have had babies find that they stop using them once the baby starts rolling over etc. Not only for safety but it's just easier to catch them in the lounge and change the nappy on the floor. Everyone is different though!

We still use our change table and DD is 3 next month!!!! My DH is a SAHD and he prefers to have up high so that he isn't bending over her all the time.

I am nagging him about toilet training though!!! O:)

I have a change table with the bath included. It was a little difficult to get used to at first, but not so bad after our confidence in handling Molly increased. She out-grew it though, so we moved her into the big bath. I use the change table still. A mat on the floor is no good for Molly because she simply can't stay still. Its irritating! She would be all over the room. The change table makes the nappy change fast and effective. She's pretty long for it though, and her feet sometimes hang over the end!

We have a wooden change table with 2 selves underneath and we still use it for Nicholas now (and he's 2.5yrs)

Just had to add that i was talking to a friend who had the bath/changetable combo, and she said she was using the hose that come with it to fill the bath, i told her that is the drainage hose and not used to fill it up, the poor thing had being using it for 7mths, it was taking ages to fill, she has never thought to use a bucket or buy a hose to connect to the tap to fill it.