IKEA diaper changing station (US)

*I* like the contour shape, because I feel more comfortable with how
she's laying in there, less risk of rolling over (I tried with a flat
pad, she was rolling too much for my taste)

It's so popular because it works, if they do wee on it, you only have to
prevent it from going off one end and even if the baby is a mess, the
changing pad is relatively easy to clean, absorb as much as poss with a
terry nappy or kitchen roll, then some kind of sanitizer on a paper towel
and well into the corners. The contours do also give some barriers to
rolling, though in toddlerhood, they are not high enough! I wouldn't use
anything else, unless I was purposely using one that folded and was
portable, a flat, but not portable one doesn't make sense to me, unless you
want to wash lots of terry covers!

Anne

I notice that when I change my kids on the floor, I lay them down with
their feet facing me and their heads away from me, rather than sideways as
they would be on a traditional changing table. I don't know why, but
that's just how I've always done it.

yeah, that's why I've never bought a changing table, we had a cot top thingy
that resulted in the child facing feet to you, great! Even when I'm out, I
much prefer it if I can get round the end and if I can't, the whole
experience seems to run less smoothly.

Anne

I think also, while this dresser/table is just the right height if
she's laying sideways, if she's laying feet out - the back of the
table, where her head is - is just a bit out of comfortable reach (I am
short), so that's the issue with dressing her. Altho DH doesn't have
that problem.

have you tried dressing her sat on your knee? I pretty much always do that,
right from fairly small (they need some head control), to whenever I stop
doing it with the 3.5yr old, sometimes he stands, but if he's tired, it's on
the knee! Even with putting clothes back on after a diaper change (which I
on the floor right now with an 18mth old), I then have Ada sit on my knee,
put her legs into trousers or tights then either wriggle them up, or if
she's being obliging she stands, even with a baby that doesn't stand,
gravity seems to aid it that way round compared to on the changing table.

Anne

cjra wrote:


It's about what touches the surface. If you're changing a baby on the
couch, then someone puts their hand ont he couch, if there has been any
leakage onto that couch, the person has now just put it on their hands.
It's very simple infectious disease epi. You don't need to *eat* on the
changing surface, all you need to do is put your hands on it. It's a
very common way to spread diarrheal diseases.

Simple - one person in the family is sick, not washing hands properly
(and people really do not wash hands properly, but kids especially),
hands are on any surface. Whomever touches that same surface now has it
on their hands. Then they pick up a cookie or bread or something they
eat with their hands and there you have it.

I should also add that someone doesn't need to be actively sick. Some
people are carriers, so they never get sick, they just give what they
have to others.

Anne Rogers wrote:
*I* like the contour shape, because I feel more comfortable with how
she's laying in there, less risk of rolling over (I tried with a flat
pad, she was rolling too much for my taste)

It's so popular because it works, if they do wee on it, you only have to
prevent it from going off one end and even if the baby is a mess, the
changing pad is relatively easy to clean, absorb as much as poss with a
terry nappy or kitchen roll, then some kind of sanitizer on a paper towel
and well into the corners.

I didn't think of that but that's definitely true. The diaper (cloth)
catches most of it, but sometimes it shoots off a bit.

The contours do also give some barriers to
rolling, though in toddlerhood, they are not high enough!

Oh yeah. DD is only 6 months, but I still don't use it as the sole
thing keeping her from falling off. It just makes it a little harder
for her to roll, so when I reach over for a wipe or what have you, I'm
not worried. WHen I put a flat pad down, with just her usual squirming
I felt like she was about to fall off the table. Even though I keep a
hand on her at all times mostly, I do have to move my hands to get the
diaper sorted. I'm blocking her, so she won't fall anyway, but the
contours really help!

I wouldn't use
anything else, unless I was purposely using one that folded and was
portable, a flat, but not portable one doesn't make sense to me, unless you
want to wash lots of terry covers!

I use a portable one for, well, when we need to be portable ;-).

Anne Rogers wrote:
I think also, while this dresser/table is just the right height if
she's laying sideways, if she's laying feet out - the back of the
table, where her head is - is just a bit out of comfortable reach (I am
short), so that's the issue with dressing her. Altho DH doesn't have
that problem.

have you tried dressing her sat on your knee? I pretty much always do that,
right from fairly small (they need some head control), to whenever I stop
doing it with the 3.5yr old, sometimes he stands, but if he's tired, it's on
the knee! Even with putting clothes back on after a diaper change (which I
on the floor right now with an 18mth old), I then have Ada sit on my knee,
put her legs into trousers or tights then either wriggle them up, or if
she's being obliging she stands, even with a baby that doesn't stand,
gravity seems to aid it that way round compared to on the changing table.

I do that for jackets, but not really for pulling onesies or shirts
over her head. I guess that could work, but it requires picking her up
and moving to another area to sit down so I can do it. We don't keep a
chair right next to the changing area (which happens to be in our
dining room, but it's not being used as a dining room right now, and is
right next to the 2nd bathroom - yes, that's off the dining room, as
DD's room is currently our storage room during renovations...). In any
case, I'll do that if necessary. I'll do whatever is necessary. But I'd
much rather find a pad that fits comfortably on top of the table I
have, since I otherwise like the table, and go back to our usual way of
changing/dressing.

Honestly, this isn't as huge a problem as some seem to think. I don't
want to take 10 different steps to what should be a simple problem - a
new pad the right size. The link Jamie posted initially does have one,
so that actually does solve our problem (without me having to make one
- which given my craft skills, *would* be a huge problem!).

Anne Rogers wrote:
I notice that when I change my kids on the floor, I lay them down with
their feet facing me and their heads away from me, rather than sideways as
they would be on a traditional changing table. I don't know why, but
that's just how I've always done it.

yeah, that's why I've never bought a changing table, we had a cot top thingy
that resulted in the child facing feet to you, great! Even when I'm out, I
much prefer it if I can get round the end and if I can't, the whole
experience seems to run less smoothly.

What's funny is at first DH wanted to change diapers in that position -
feet facing out,and he didn't like the way the 'station' was set up. On
the side of the dresser where he wanted to stand, I put the rack with
diapers. So he had to stand in front and change her sideways. That
direction was just natural for me for some reason (I've changed many
many many diapers before I changed my own kid). Now though, it's also
natural for DH and the other direction is not.

I also just think it's funny that IKEA, being a European brand, makes
things smaller than standard American dressers/changing tables.

cjra wrote:
Does anyone in the US have an IKEA diaper changing table? Do you use
the inflatable IKEA pad or have you found another?

I ask specifically for the US because I've recently learned the
standard US diaper changing table/pad is of course bigger than the
European style. grrrr. I like the contour pad we have now, it just
doesn't fit the new IKEA table we got (DH has this thing about IKEA...I
am not a fan but gave in). We use it the other direction - ie so DD's
feet are facing me when I change her - but I don't like it. In
searching, I can't find a shorter similar style pad available in the US
(the portable folding kind yes, but I'm hoping for a padded, contour
one). I really don't feel like making one. Any thoughts?

We used a smallish, plush rug designed for bathrooms, that had a rubber
backing. It's really soft and cushy and doesn't come off the table as
the little one wiggles around. You can wash them easily when they get
soiled. Plus they were like $5.00 on sale - very inexpensive. We
bought two in different colors and just alternated them. I also bought
matching towels to lay down during poop changes - kept the rugs clean
longer.

-L.

cjra wrote:
Anne Rogers wrote:
I notice that when I change my kids on the floor, I lay them down with
their feet facing me and their heads away from me, rather than sideways as
they would be on a traditional changing table. I don't know why, but
that's just how I've always done it.

yeah, that's why I've never bought a changing table, we had a cot top thingy
that resulted in the child facing feet to you, great! Even when I'm out, I
much prefer it if I can get round the end and if I can't, the whole
experience seems to run less smoothly.

What's funny is at first DH wanted to change diapers in that position -
feet facing out,and he didn't like the way the 'station' was set up. On
the side of the dresser where he wanted to stand, I put the rack with
diapers. So he had to stand in front and change her sideways. That
direction was just natural for me for some reason (I've changed many
many many diapers before I changed my own kid). Now though, it's also
natural for DH and the other direction is not.

I also just think it's funny that IKEA, being a European brand, makes
things smaller than standard American dressers/changing tables.

This is what I'm referring to -
http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger...2-2251_IMG.jpg
The other thing we liked about this table was that we could fold over
the top. Given it's location, that was something we felt was useful
(otherwise it pokes out into the entry to the bathroom). But in the
other orientation, folding requires moving the pad, so less simple.

cjra wrote:
Jeanne wrote:
cjra wrote:
Does anyone in the US have an IKEA diaper changing table? Do you use
the inflatable IKEA pad or have you found another?

I ask specifically for the US because I've recently learned the
standard US diaper changing table/pad is of course bigger than the
European style. grrrr. I like the contour pad we have now, it just
doesn't fit the new IKEA table we got (DH has this thing about IKEA...I
am not a fan but gave in). We use it the other direction - ie so DD's
feet are facing me when I change her - but I don't like it. In
searching, I can't find a shorter similar style pad available in the US
(the portable folding kind yes, but I'm hoping for a padded, contour
one). I really don't feel like making one. Any thoughts?

We had an old IKEA changing table where the child's feet are front. It
was a great table with 3 or 4 baskets for diapers and clothes. I like
the contour pad as well and I used it. Sure it stuck out but the
children were much more comfortable on it.

For some reason, I find it awkward to put the diaper on while in that
direction (feet facing out).

Well, I did find out that the feet facing out position was much more
lethal for baby boys (think spurting fountains). I just got used to
both positions (sideways and feet forward).

I also find it a little harder to get her
dressed on top in that position. Maybe it just takes practice. If we
wait long enough to figure out a new pad, we'll get used to it.

Ah. I think I misunderstood a little. I don't know that I used the
changing table to dress the babies (my memory is shot), I just used it
to change diapers. If I did dress them on the changing table, it was
after they were sitting up.