Changing Station: It's Diaper Time
Updated: Nov 14, 2018
So, it may seem like a funny topic, but it's taken me a while to really refine my changing station setup so it's the most easy to use system. I want to share, so, you can have your diaper changing area setup from the start. There are many pieces that create this diaper wizardry so bare with me.
1. Let's start with the lamp, TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp to be exact. This is something I wanted, but never got with my first baby, and I finally got around to getting one with baby number two, and it is awesome, let me tell you why. During those first few weeks/months the baby is up at all hours of the night and needs to have a fresh diaper during those dark hours, when the rest of the household is sleeping. So, the lamp comes in handy, because it illuminates the baby's bottom and makes it much easier to clean when you are bleary-eyed and tired in the middle of the night. Second, the lamp can be angled in such a way as to not shine in your little one's eyes, babies are sensitive to bright lights. Third, if you are changing your little one in your bedroom, where your partner also sleeps, it's nice to not turn on too many lights and wake them up. So, this particular lamp has a dimmer that allows you to adjust the brightness, and you can change the color of the light (such as a daylight color or a more cool color), and the neck of the lamp can be bent and manipulated in such a way that you can angle the light more or less on the area you need.
2. Ok, next up, the waterproof pad. I bought a waterproof pad, marketed, I believe, to the elderly for chairs, and I use it on top of my dresser to protect the wood, and create a waterproof area where I can rest the dirty diaper while I clean up baby without worrying about getting anything on the wood, and if baby decides to pee before I can defend myself with a fresh diaper, this is also a barrier that protects the furniture and is easily washable.
3. The wipe warmer by hiccapop. I didn't have one of these till baby number two and I wish I had bought it sooner with my first little one. Babies (and really all people) don't like cold, wet wipes, and as a result scream when their bare skin comes into contact with one. So, this little amazing thing warms the wipes to an acceptable temperature, not too hot, not too cold. And a pro tip is to add about 1/2 cup of water to the wipes when you refill it to achieve the desired moisture level, and thus, not have wipes that are too dry and therefore hard to wipe with.
4. Desitin for butt paste. Inevitably, you will need some kind of butt cream to combat diaper rash. Desitin seems to work best for us. I have tried other butt creams, and find a lot of them have strong smells that a new born infant reacts poorly too, and can result in them having trouble breathing. Desitin has no smell, and does a great job of protecting my little one's sensitive skin. You just have to slather on a pretty thick layer like you're icing a cake. The only draw back to this butt cream is the design of the container. It is the same shape as a tub of icing for a cake, so when you have used most of the butt cream, you have to try and squeeze your hand into this small cup to use the remaining third of the product, and inevitably, get it all over the back of your hand, as well as, the finger you're using to apply the cream. But I still prefer this substance over others to be in contact with my baby's skin.
5. The Keekaroo changing pad. This one is expensive, I wish it wasn't, but I would buy it again and this is why. It's easy to clean, just wipe it down, rinse it off, and dry it, and it's ready to go. It's heavier than other changing pads, so, it doesn't slide around unless you have a bigger, older, little one actively pushing off the dresser with their feet. It looks exactly the same from when I bought it with our first little one, who is now 3 years old. This is how I set it up: I lay a large blanket folded in half on top of it and then a cloth diaper on top of that where the baby's bottom will go. The cloth diaper is more absorbent and absorbs any pee should we have an accident, and the blanket catches any spit up the baby may have while lying down, and prevents it from pooling on the changing pad and soaking your little one's hair. This set up also allows you to quickly chuck the blanket and the cloth diaper in the wash and put fresh ones on as needed.
6. Diapers and extra wipes are stored in the drawers below the changing area, as well as, a cloth diaper insert. I use this to wipe the baby down, after cleaning with the wipes, to remove any excess moisture. You want a dry baby bottom before you apply your butt cream to help prevent diaper rash.
7. Finally, the diaper pail. I use a Diaper Genie and would buy it again if I needed one. You would think you could just chuck the diapers in the regular trash can, but then you would need to constantly take out the trash, so, that your house doesn't smell like a poo. So, the diaper genie contains the smell and the diapers. I still empty it once a day, because a little baby still produces enough diapers to fill it up in 24 hours, and that way I usually keep it from reaching capacity, which can be a conundrum when in the middle of changing a diaper, and you can't shove one more diaper in there. Just trust me.
Alright, I think that's it. I hope this helps you set up your changing area. You got this Momma! Here's a list of the products I described:
Lamp: TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp
#diaper #diaperadvice #parentingadvice #newparent #newmomma #newmom #newdad #changingstation #changingdiaper #diaperchanging #nursery #nurserysetup #momadvice #momhelp #diaperhelp #nurseryhelp #momblog #momblogger #parentingblog #expecting #newbaby #baby #momlife #momlifestyle #wingleader #wingleaderblog #hiccapop #keekaroo #bestbabyproducts #favoritebabyproducts #babyproducts #babyshower #showergift #diapergenie #lamp #bestlamp #desklamp #nurserylamp #taotronics #waterproofpad #wipewarmer #desitin #buttcream #buttpaste #diapercream #changingpad #diaperpail #diapers #pampers #swaddlers