Setting Up a Baby Changing Unit

When it comes to changing a newborn baby there are only a few things you really need. A mat, clean nappies, something to clean up your baby with and something to store the dirty nappies in so you can dispose or wash them. There are, however, loads of options and a few things you might want to consider when it comes to buying choices.

To make things easier for us when changing a newborn we have purchased a changing unit which is set up in our bathroom. It has a top layer which snugly fits a changing mat and two storage layers. I really like changing units because they keep everything together nicely. It’s also ideal if you have had a c-section as bending up and down all the time can be quite uncomfortable. Babies should never be left unattended on a changing unit and you should check the age or weight restrictions. In my experience they can usually be used up until 12 months. The changing mat can be moved around the flat if needed, particularly when Baby F is no longer a tiny baby, but as we are on one level I thought keeping everything together in one room would be best. Even in an emergency change situation getting to our bathroom from our living room, bedroom or front door is no distance at all. We also have a changing bag with a portable, folding changing mat too when we are out and about.

Changing a newborn is simple. It’s a case of removing the dirty nappy, cleaning up your baby and getting them clean and fresh. I’m pretty sure you already know that however there are things that you can have in your home that you might not have considered picking up for your newborn baby changing unit. Babies need changing frequently throughout the day so having a changing unit or area in place with all the essentials is going to be helpful. Some parents choose to have disposable or, in some cases, flushable wipes but we have opted to use reusable wipes at home.

Ive talked about making more eco friendly changes and nappies are one way we are doing this. Thanks to Eco by Naty we were sent a few packs of eco friendly nappies, wipes and baby bath products. The nappies we have go up to 13lbs and will be great for those newborn days where we are all trying to get into a bit of a routine and used to the constant changes and feeds. I’ll be reviewing the nappies in full once Baby F is here, hopefully in the next few weeks!

Cloth Nappies

We also have a few cloth nappies which we are really looking forward to trying out so that we can be more eco-friendly and reduce our use of single use plastic as much as possible. We have a set of the TeenyFit STAR Tots Bots all in one nappies which are better sized from birth and babies from 5lb upwards.

Things you will want to keep on your changing unit:

Wipes – this could be cotton wool and water, disposable baby wipes, biodegradable disposable baby wipes or reusable wipes.
Nappies – this could be regular disposable nappies, eco friendly disposable nappies like Eco by Naty or reusable cloth nappies of which there are many different types.
Barrier oil or cream to prevent or get rid of nappy rash. A layer of coconut oil after a clean change can really help rid meconium when changing a newborn too, that stuff can be stubborn to remove! Sudocream or alternatives can help to prevent and soothe nappy rash.
Nappy Bags or Nappy Bucket – Eco by Naty have biodegradable nappy bags and a nappy bucket has a laundry mesh bag so that you can pop the bag of dirty nappies in the wash.
Flushable liners if you’re using cloth nappies. It’s not recommended you actually flush these however and so you may still want nappy disposable nappy bags to be able to get rid of these.

Our Baby Changing Unit Set Up

One of the biggest benefits of a changing unit for us is the extra storage and being able to keep everything together nicely. This is how we have set things up.

At the top – soft squishy changing mat for baby to lie on comfortably whilst having a nappy change. The baby bath can go on here too if you are struggling to bend over the bath.

Second shelf – Everything we need for changing a newborn in those first few weeks including eco friendly disposables as we will use those first, biodegradable wipes and creams. At the other end of the second shelf, closer to the bath is our Childs Farm Baby toiletries.

Third Shelf – Our own toiletries are kept tucked away here as well as all of our clean reusable nappies and liners for when we have finished with the disposables. I will move these up when I need them and we have a nappy bucket and laundry mesh bag ready to use for the dirty nappies too.