Where will we change diapers??

[AliceMay]

I know this is one of those things that I'll try to organize and plan....but we will end up doing something completely different! But I'd love some expert advice!

Here are the details:

We are planning to use prefold diapers with wool covers (perhaps some others....will decide that later)

Currently live in a smallish house, with our (again, smallish) bedroom on main floor. We only have a small bathroom on main floor. 

Room for "baby stuff" is upstairs, unfortunately. Of course the baby will sleep with us but we just needed a place to keep the baby things and clothing. I'm sure it will be a bit of a pain to make the treck up there all the time, but that's how things are. We also have a futon mattress on the floor up there, so maybe we will hang out up there more than we expect. 

Where should I be thinking diaper changing will take place? I imagine the bathroom would be great, but there is just no space in there. Do you NEED to be close to a sink for changing cloth diapers?? Is it crazy to think of setting up a changing station upstairs in the baby's room, or will we totally hate going upstairs all the time? I also know people say it's best to change a baby on a pad on the floor for safety. I'm fine with this but I think my husband would find this hard so I'd like to come up with something that works for him too.

Also should add that in all probability we will be moving a few months after baby is born to a house where all bedrooms are upstairs, AND we'll have a large bathroom, so it's mostly getting set up for the early months I'm concerned about. 

Any advice? Where do you change diapers? Thanks!

[katelove]

I don't think you need to be close to the sink for nappy changes. What are you planning to use for bottom cleaning? If you're going to use commercial wipes or a spray bottle then you wont need a sink to wet the wipes. And then you could either keep a bottle of alcohol handrub where you change nappies or just go to the bathroom to wash your hands afterwards.

I also don't think you *have* to change on the floor for safety. At least not in the first months. All babies are different but most won't be trying to flip themselves off the changing table for a good few months IME.

However, going up the stairs every time could be a problem I imagine. Especially in the first 6 weeks when you need to be taking it easy. Could you keep a day's worth of supplies in a basket and the rest upstairs? Then you need only go up once a day to restock. 

As for where, I guess it depends what space and/or furniture you already have. I'm with your husband on this one, I'd find doing every change on the floor a pain. Is there a bench/dresser/table you could commandeer to put a changing mat on? 

[AliceMay]

Thanks for these thoughts, Kate. I like the idea of a basket with supplies in it downstairs. Clothing and everything will be upstairs, so probably in the day we'll end up going up there to change a fair bit (my husband will be home so I can always send him up with the baby;)) After all, I'm sure this is what many people do having their bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. But at night-time, or maybe just for a quick change at other times, perhaps we can find a spot downstairs to keep a few change supplies. (we will use cloth wipes, and a spray bottle) DH wondered about trying to fit in a place to change the baby in our bedroom but seems to me it makes sense to try and do it in another room at night - I'm sure neither of us will be sleeping much, but at least that way one of us can creep into another room and change baby there, so we don't have to turn all the lights on and everything. Anyway, thanks for your advice. :) 

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

DS sleeps in the bedroom with us, and we have a chest of drawers at the end of our bed with his clothes in it, and a contoured change pad on top of that. The bathroom is down the hall - so I change him in the bedroom and then carry the nappy to the bathroom, where the diaper pail is. I have dry washcloths and a spray bottle and creams at the foot of the bed. The only exception to this is if I take off a nappy that is very poopy (very rare as we part-time EC), at which point I shriek, cover him back up, and change him on the bath mat to contain the yuck to the bathroom.

However, we are in a bungalow, and this is one of the only times that I really love that. I would have a change pad and a basket of nappies downstairs too for daytime changes otherwise. But then.. I'd want to carry the nappy to the diaper pail anyway... so... shrug

[MayasMama88]

Seriously, I changed DD wherever we happened to be at the time, lol! I keep all of her CDs in a big luggage bag (the kind that you can carry on your shoulder, or turn on its side and roll behind you). So all of her diapers go in the main compartment, and then I put all of her extra elastics and wipes in the small front pocket, and then I keep her butt spray and CJ's Butter in a little pocket inside. When she was a newborn, we hung out in the living room a lot, so I kept the bag there, and I'd change her on the floor or the couch, set the diaper folded up on the floor while I got her dressed again, then I'd just pick her up (and usually put her in my ring sling), go to the bathroom (where the diaper bucket was) to deposit the dirty CD and wash my hands. When we were heading upstairs for bedtime, I'd bring a few diapers up with me and set them right next to the bed. That way, when she woke up in the middle of the night, all I had to do was reach down, get a fresh diaper, change her, and I'd have a hanging bag set up over the knob of the closet that I could just toss her dirty diaper(s) into. Super easy, never even had to get out of bed (unless she had a super poopy diaper or something). Personally, once I realized I didn't need an "official" changing space, it made life so much easier!

[AliceMay]

thanks for this - I was just speaking to another mom who was telling me basically the same thing. That she would change diapers wherever she was, and had diapers around the house. Sounds like I could get into that! And especially before we've figured things out or got a routine or whatever, then maybe a system that works might "evolve" instead of me trying to plan something ahead of time. 

[brennan]

I know that for us I really liked having a designated change spot.  We had it in the baby's "room" where we kept her clothes.  However, we lived in a bungalow that was only 1 floor.  My sil lives in a 2 story house, and they keep all of their dd's diapers in a ottoman that has storage in it and change on the living room floor.  They keep none upstairs (but she's also out of the stage that you would need to change at night, she wears a pocket diaper at night).  I would rather keep most of my diapers where I will spend most of my time, which for me is on the same level as the kitchen.

[kimkim]

Honestly you can change them anywhere. Our setup since I don't like to get out of bed at night is a table on wheels next to the bed. On top are the clean Diapers wipes etc. Below is my bucket for dirties. We change on the bed. The first sixmonths she slept on a piece of wool cut to fit inside a flannel pillowcase...which soaked up leaks and doubled as a changing pad (and soaked up my milk leaks at night too). It was helpful for the rare moment she pooped while changing her...only had to wash the case and wool.
On the main floor we just put a foam changing pad on the counter in the bathroom but she's so wiggly now I canchange her on the couch,thefloor, my lap. Honestly once they start pooping on a schedule its no big deal. I keep a pile of clean diapers in the living room and the bathroom and my dirtybin is a foot pedal can lined with a pail liner. So its easy to change her then icarry the wet diaper in the bathroom and put it in the pail. Your setup will evolve with you so don't. Worry about it too much.

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[kimkim]

Also wanted to say being near a sink isn't necessary.in the bedroom I had a thermostat filled with warm water and a small bowl on my bedside table. When I needed it I would put the cloth wipe in the bowl pour some warm water over wring it out and go. On wash day I just carry both buckets down..I use 5 gallon buckets repurposed from the grocery store's recycle area.

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[kimkim]

Ha I'm spacey today. We keep all her clothes in a bookshelf to save room.

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[heatherr30]

Newborns need to be changed somewhere warm.  My DD liked new locations, she gets bored easily.  My DS however took great pleasure in those early weeks in seeing the same things again and again.  He obviously felt better in familiar surrounding and would coo happily to see a recognized place. 

I keep a fold -up mat in the bathroom and the diaper pail right outside the bathroom door in the corner. (we have a tiny bathroom too, but I practice EC so I like to change him near the toilet:) The sink is great for washing a newborns bum, just double check the water temp first.  then you don't need wipes at all!  A newborns skin is so delicate, this is the best way to go for the first few weeks IMO. (although I actually used the changing table for the first few weeks because it had a heater, then moved to the bathroom as DS got fatter.)