Changing tables.

Gingham_Ribbon

http://www.kiddicare.com/invt/coschgeasipeasichanger?N=355

I've seen the above and wondered if anyone has it? I struggled with back problems with my son and have another making an appearance hopefully in February and I want something quite high to change him on this time.

It says there's a bath in it. I wondered what it was like, what the item was made of, if it's easy to clean etc as it's quite expensive and want to be sure before I buy it.

If anyone has another type that they're really pleased with I'd like to know about it too please. (It has to be fairly tall to suit my back.)

bylromarha

Hi GR

This one looks like it has identical features to mine, except mine doesn't have castors.

+ves

• good height for changing baby
• lots of places to put things

-ves

• lifting bath in and out is a pain in the backside as it's v heavy...the drainage tube is prone to leaking...
• you have to change baby on the floor after the bath as there is nowhere to put baby if you use the bath in the changing station
• storage compartments all well and good initially, but when 4 month old fingers start to "discover", you are forever pulling cotton wool and similar items out of their hands while trying to change them
• storage compartments are at a very convenient height for toddler fingers to explore too!
• If you store the bath in the changing station you are very limited in what you can store on the shelf under the bath too (depending on how tall the space is between top shelf and bottom of bath on that model)

hope that helps

looneyleo

Can't really help with this only to say that I found that changing tables are only really useful for the first few months. Once babe starts to move around I became very wary of using them in case babe flipped over and fell off! I have always changed my babies on my knee as they tend not to squirm so much and you can move them about more easily. You might find that it is a better position for your back rather than leaning over a table??? Good luck with it all....

chorlton

We used an Ikea 'Tassa' one which was great - it's a wooden cabinet with a baby changing bit that goes on top - once you are done with nappies you can take the top off and be left with a useful cupboard. Ours was plain wood but we painted it to match the room.

Gingham_Ribbon

Thanks all of you. The heavy bath is a huge negative. The busy fingers is not such a big deal as wherever it goes we'll have that problem from our toddler.

Changing on my knee was difficult as my first son was 10lb 4oz when he was born and longer than my knee but I did adapt quite well when he was older to doing it that way side on. I never found it easy though.

I imagined it wouldn't be in use for long, but it's something, if I find the right one, I'm prepared to invest in for the sake of not ending up with slipped disks etc again. And I can sell it on later too! We've also got everything else covered so shouldn't have any outlay for the first few months. Milk on tap all going well, nappies washed and ready from DS1, clothes all given away but will come back to us before then... And I imagine a couple of relatives would be looking to buy something for the wee one too...

The Ikea one sounds like a look, although it will definitely be used downstairs. I'm hoping I won't be incapacitated like last time, but I couldn't carry DS1 on stairs so I am used to getting on with it without going up to the bedrooms.

Poppy9

I had a slipped disc when DD was a baby (still pops out now). I couldn't use the changing table as she was rolling over at 2 weeks old and I was too nervous to even avert my eyes in case she fell!! I ended up using the storage ottaman in her room. It was perfect height if I was kneeling down and she wasn't too far from the floor. Strangely it didn't hurt my back kneeling. I also couldn't use the baby bath as I couldn't lift it when full and the one that sat over the bath made my back ache from leaning towards it etc. I used my hand basin in the bathroom which was big with a towel around the taps. I wished I had a belfast sink as I can remember my mother using it for my niece.

looneyleo

Gingham Ribbon, you definately change the baby on your knee sideways on...I change my 18 month old this way all the time and it's easy once you get used to it. You can also change it like that anywhere...no waiting for changing tables in public places or having to change on the floor if non available. definately worth mastering when babe is older. good luck!

rio

I had a changing table similar to this, and when my son started to move around I bought a buckle/strap contraption from B&Q which I glued under the middle of the changing table, this enabled me to use it for about a year. Obviously I never left my son alone on it, but it kept him in one place whilst I was sorting out the dirty nappy etc. The straps can be found in the section that has chain links and webbing, that sort of thing in most B&Q stores. I never bothered with the baby bath though, far too cumbersome, I bought a cheap one from Asda about £1.99 and it was brilliant.

Poppy9

looneyleo wrote:

Gingham Ribbon, you definately change the baby on your knee sideways on...I change my 18 month old this way all the time and it's easy once you get used to it. You can also change it like that anywhere...no waiting for changing tables in public places or having to change on the floor if non available. definately worth mastering when babe is older. good luck!

Yes you just keep hold of their ankles with one hand and the other hand does all the work.

Thinking about this reminded me of something else my mother used to do. She used a large wool shawl which she wrapped around herself with the baby in. She was left with two free hands. There were no clips or knots died it was all in the way you wrapped. I just can't remember how to do it, though she taught me how to do it with my dollys when I was younger. I remember her doing it with my neices and nephews when they were babies and it always settled them.

Found a photo here too

WestonDave

Given that you mentioned using it downstairs I doubt whether this will be helpful but it might help someone else!

We didn't have a dedicated changing table - when DS was born we bought a second hand cot bed for him, and bought a cot top changer to go on it. Looks like the last but one item on this page cot top changer. It wasn't that one but looks very similar.

We had the changer at the foot end of his cot, with a Ikea chest of drawers the same height next to it (with all his stuff in) which gives you enough room on the top to put piles of clean nappies, wipes etc - bearing in mind we used reusables most of the time. We then had two cheap stainless steel pedal bins on the floor to the side so when you changed him you could chuck the dirty nappy in one for washing and the paper bits in the other for binning. Because of the foot pedals and the close at hand "gubbins" you could quite easily keep one hand on the baby and reach everything. If we've been away we just take the pad off the changer and use that on a convenient surface in the hotel room etc - that way its still a familiar "routine".

My concern with the initial item would be that you seem to have to keep reaching underneath for things which means taking your eye off the little cherub - which is inevitably when they do something horrible!

In terms of height this meant that everything was about lower chest height for us - both about 5'11. I suppose the downside to that is you have to lift the baby up that high but once he's up its a very comfortable height to work at, and we still use it now with him nearly 2. Yes he has his wriggle moments but you can usually distract him out of that by making faces etc so its more interesting to sit still and play than roll over etc.

To be honest we never took the changer off the cot until DS was old enough and smart enough to work out how to stand up and bang the changer against the wall to attract attention! When he was really small he seemed to like to curl up under it in his sleeping bag as it was that little bit darker under there.

Alleycat

We bought a changing station for dd and only took it down when she was 20 months old. It has been sooo useful and great as I am 5'11" and sat on the floor bending over or on the bed was a right pain. I have never worried about dd rolling off as everything I need to change her has been within arms reach, so one hand on her tummy and one hand reaching for nappies, wipes etc. The one I had has sides that curve up, so its not totally flat. Beanie wants me to go draw with her so will post a link later.