Essential Tips for Setting Up an Efficient Diaper Changing Station

During your baby’s first year, you might often feel like you’re on constant ‘diaper duty’. Babies go through 10 or 12 diapers a day on average, so YES, a lot of your time will be devoted to changing and disposing of your baby’s diapers. However, you can make diaper duty smoother and easier by setting up one or more efficient and organized diaper-changing stations around your home. Here’s how you can prepare for those innumerable diaper changes:

1. Designate one or more convenient diaper changing spots
Pick one main diaper changing area in the room in which you and your baby spend the most amount of time, whether it’s your bedroom, living area or nursery. This is where you’ll want to set up your main diaper changing station. For this purpose, you can either shop for an actual diaper changing table or simple re-purpose an old dresser into a changing table.

While this is your main diaper changing area, the trick is to also designate other smaller diaper changing areas throughout your home, so that you don’t have to walk up and down whenever baby needs a diaper change (especially if you have a larger or two-storey home) Each of these areas should also be stocked with diaper-changing essentials so that you have everything you need within arm’s reach during a quick diaper change.

While an actual diaper changing table is quite helpful and practical, many moms find it easier to simply place baby on the bed or floor with a diaper changing pad underneath. This is also great if you don’t have a lot of space for an actual diaper changing table. However, the two main benefits of having a diaper changing table are:

• No bending for Mumma
• A useful storage place for your diaper changing essentials

2. Choose a diaper changing table that’s appropriately-sized, sturdy and has LOTS of storage
As you grow older, there are very few things as exciting as hearing the words ‘more storage space’. And with the tiny new addition to your family, you’re probably going to need lots of it! So, choose a diaper changing table that has a good amount of storage space underneath. These could be open shelves or pull-out drawers, based on whatever works best for you. To make things easier, you can also hang up a diaper organizer on the wall above your changing station so that you can easily grab what you need when you’re changing baby’s diaper.

Pick a table that’s a comfortable height for you and make sure that it’s sturdy, stable and big enough for your wiggly little baby.

You can then layer the table with a thin baby mattress and diaper changing pad to make it cozy and comfortable for your little one. Many parents also prefer having a safety strap that they can adjust around baby to make sure your little one stays in place. However, whether you have a safety strap or not, it’s important to never leave baby unattended while on the changing table, even if it’s just for a few seconds.

3. Stock your diaper changing station with these essentials
Stock up on all the essentials for your changing table and keep a close eye on your supplies so that you don’t fall short of these essentials at any point. While the changing table is a good place to store your main essentials, it’s also good to keep a few of them in every room so that they’re always close by when you need them. Here’s a comprehensive list of diaper changing station essentials. You’ll also need to pack most of these essentials in your nappy bag if you’re going outside with baby.

• DIAPERS

  No prizes for guessing this one. Always make sure you have a few packs of diapers ready. This is one item you don’t want to run out of. To make sure you’re always prepared for a quick diaper change, take the diapers out of the main packaging and place them in a neat stack on the changing table. Follow the same practice in all the other smaller designated diaper changing areas throughout your house. If you’re using cloth diapers, make sure you also have baby-safe diaper pins within reach.

• WIPES

  Stock up on this very-essential item! Softsens Baby Wet Wipes are enriched with natural ingredients and free of colour, alcohol and parabens, making them mild and gentle for your baby’s skin. A great way to make sure that you never run out of these wipes is by subscribing to the Softsens Bundles service, where you can place a standing order for your wipes and get them delivered straight home a regular basis. Find out more here!

• DIAPER RASH CREAM

  Diaper rash can be extremely uncomfortable for your precious baby and can sometimes occur no matter how many precautions you take. Which is why it’s best to protect your baby’s skin with a mild baby diaper rash cream. Softsens Baby Diaper Rash Cream not only heals diaper rash effectively, but also prevents it from occurring. It is so gentle that you can actually use it every time you change your baby’s diaper.

• CHANGING PADS AND COVERS

  A comfortable changing pad is great for many reasons. It keeps baby cozy and it can be placed just about anywhere for a quick diaper change, whether you’re indoors or outdoors. Keep a few water-proof changing pad covers as well in case of any messes.

• BABY POWDER

  A safe, mild & hypoallergenic Baby Powder such as Softsens Baby Powder can actually help reduce rashes and redness caused by friction and excessive moisture. Be sure to first put some in the palm of your hand before dabbing it on the skin and always keep it away from baby’s face.

• FRESH CLOTHES

  Sometimes diaper-changing can be mess-free and sometimes you might be faced with what we call a ‘poop explosion’. In any case, it’s always better to have a clean change of clothes nearby.

• SMALL TOWEL

  If you have a baby boy, placing a tiny towel over their genitals can help prevent an accidental ‘pee shower’ while you’re changing baby.

• TOYS

  It’s great to have a few toys that can distract baby while you’re changing them, especially if your little one is in a fussy mood. Also, if their hands are occupied with toys, there’s less chance of them trying to grab hold of something else, for example, their dirty diaper.

• HAND SANITIZER

  While it is still important to wash your hands with soap when handling your baby, it can be helpful to have this around at times.

• DIAPER PAIL/TRASH CAN

  Have an easy diaper disposal system in place. While you’ll probably find all kinds of fancy odor-containing diaper pails online, a regular trash can with a lid also works just fine. Make sure you have one with a foot-pedal so you can go hands-free.

• FIRST AID AND BABY GROOMING ESSENTIALS

  The changing station is also a great place for storing other essentials. You can place your baby here when you want to cut their nails (good luck), or administer any medicine.

How did you set up your diaper changing station at home? We’d love to know your favourite tips & suggestions!