So, you’re expecting a new addition to your family. First of all, congratulations! This is going to be an extremely tumultuous time and exciting, in the best and worst ways. After the initial shock, excitement, and celebration have fizzled and subsided, you’re left with many things to do. One of the most important things as expecting parents is to prepare the new baby’s nursery.

Preparation of the nursery should be at the top of your priority list, especially if you are going to be first-time parents. This is the nursery where you and the baby will be spending a lot of time during the most formative stages of their life. Not only will the baby be sleeping and napping in this room, but this will be a quiet and safe place for you and your baby to bond.

The nursery is needed for many more reasons other than sleeping and napping. This may be where you feed your baby, change your baby, and play with your baby. The nursery is essentially their first-ever private room for themselves. By spending a lot of time with your newborn in their nursery, they will feel safe and secure with their parents in this space.

However, depending on if your first-time parents or not, you might not have a clue of where to start. That is understandable, finding out you’re expecting can be a whirlwind of emotions and feelings, but it’s best to start somewhere.

Other than choosing a theme for your baby’s nursery, purchasing furniture is the best way to start filling in the room. Your baby is going to require a few essential pieces of furniture, so you need to give yourself the right amount of time to figure out what you need before the baby arrives. Although it seems like there will be enough time before the baby comes, times like these go back quicker than one would expect.

A few essential pieces of furniture that are required in almost every nursery is going to be a crib, some dressers or hutches, and a changing table. Generally, a crib is where your baby will be spending a lot of time during the first months of his/her life because of course, babies sleep a lot. A changing table is also very important for a nursery because it’s the most sanitary and safe way to change your baby’s diaper, which you will also be doing a lot of.

Luckily enough, some furniture stores that specialize in baby furniture, like us at Kids N Cribs, sell crib changing table sets, which make it easier and more cost-effective for parents to purchase furniture all in one go. However, before taking the plunge and purchasing any piece of furniture for your new baby, you need to know what to look for in the furniture to make sure it meets all your requirements as parents. So, let’s break it down for what to look for in a changing table, each component may surprise you.

What’s a Changing Table?

A changing table is a stationary table that is primarily used to change your baby’s diaper. To safely and effectively change your baby’s diaper, it’s best to invest in a high-quality changing table and station. A proper changing table will be the correct shape for your child and supply you with the right compartments and parts to keep all of your supplies within close reach.

Especially if you’re new to changing diapers, it’s best to come prepared with all the necessary supplies that are within proximity, because babies are squirmy creatures.

How Much Storage Do You Need?

Be sure to look for a changing table that is equipped with baskets, drawers, and shelves that can easily store all of your supplies and products such as the diapers themselves, ointments, wipes, powders, and baby toys.

If you decide to change your baby’s diaper in any random room of the house, you may run into the problem of needing a certain product, but not having it on hand. There’s nothing worse than having to run around the house trying to find everything you need while your baby is on the floor diaperless. By having everything all in one place at your changing table, with the correct amount of storage to hold everything, you can easily and quickly change your baby’s diaper. This is especially helpful for babies who are fussy and put up a fight when getting their diaper changed.

Safety Measures You Can’t Ignore

When tending to your baby, especially if you are new to this, you need to provide all the proper safety measures when changing your baby’s diaper. Since changing tables are supposed to be tall enough for the parents to securely get the job done, you’re going to have to place your baby on a table that is high off the ground.

To ensure that your baby doesn’t roll off the table and injure themselves, find a changing table that comes with a safety strap to securely strap your baby onto the table. You can also find changing tables that are equipped with safety rails that keep your squirmy baby from moving around too much.

Additionally, to provide maximum safety and comfort, it’s important to find a changing table that has a changing pad. You don’t want to be laying your baby down on a hard flat surface while you’re changing them. It’s extremely uncomfortable for them and won’t support their head and neck. A contoured changing pad will provide support and comfort for your baby as you change them.

What to Look for In a Changing Table

Now, once you’ve got all of the essential criteria set in stone as to what you and your baby need for a changing table, now’s the time to start looking for one. Preferably, it’s easier and more accessible to look for one online. By shopping online for a baby table, you can easily find multiple changing tables, compare them, and read endless reviews from other parents.

When looking online, you can see all the exact measurements, features, and accommodations that each changing table has. When searching for your perfect changing table, it’s important to keep these key things in mind.

●Is the table the correct height?

○No parent wants to bend over to change their baby or feel like their baby is placed too high up.

●Is the table constructed well and durable?

○Nothing is worse than spending your money on something like this, to set it up and realize it’s wobbly or cheaply made.

●Will the surfaces be easy to clean and sanitize?

○Changing tables can get messy, given the nature of what they’re for. Make sure all the surfaces are easy to clean and won’t harbor any gross bacteria that could be unsafe for your child.

●Can it convert to other furniture for when the baby grows out of it?

○When the baby’s no longer in need of a changing table, it’s best for your wallet to find a convertible changing table that can be made into a drawer set or other necessary furniture. This way you don’t have to worry about buying other furniture when your baby starts growing up.

Inevitably, your baby will eventually grow out of a changing table, but especially as first-time parents, it can be hard to know when exactly is the time to stop changing your baby on a changing table. It’s recommended that as your child approaches the age of 2, it’s time to retract from using a changing table.

Most baby furniture manufacturers have a certain pound limit or a 2-year-old limit on their changing tables. Make sure to check the weight limit before buying a changing table, as well. That is another great safety tip to look for before making a purchase.

Additionally, look for certain baby furniture sets that could save you time and money. At Kids N Cribs, we supply a great variety of crib changing table sets or individuals of the same furniture.

How To use a Changing Table Safely

Now, once you have narrowed down your search, purchased a crib changing table set, before you put your baby on it for the first time, it’s best to know how to properly use it first. This can help avoid any safety issues before putting your newborn baby onto this table.

Here are a few key things to remember to ensure the overall safety of your child.

1.Don’t leave your baby alone on the changing table, even if they’re properly strapped in using the safety strap. Babies are known for squirming and never-ending movement, so it’s possible that your baby could roll around and fall if left unattended. It’s never safe to assume that the safety rails or safety strap will fully prevent your baby from falling.

2.Always keep all your necessary supplies and products within close reach to you. This can prevent you from having to leave your baby unattended while you quickly go grab something. However, things happen. If you need to grab extra wipes or new diapers, the safest bet is to carry your baby with you while you go grab it.

3.Give your baby a small toy while you change them. This is a good distraction from changes, especially if your baby is being fussy and uncooperative.

4.Always change your baby from the side rather than their feet facing you. You’ll never catch your baby falling from the front or back, but they can roll over on either side. If you are facing your baby’s feet, it will be harder to catch them if they roll over.

Many of these measures are to prevent your baby from falling off the changing table. Although it may seem like a small height, babies are fragile and delicate. Any fall at that height could be dangerous.

Shopping Tips

There are many types of changing tables to choose from and it could potentially become very overwhelming. To make your life a little easier, here are some ultimate shopping tips that can further help you make the right decision.

1.Barrier on all four sides

a.According to industry regulators, the standard for a safe changing table is to have barriers on all four sides of the changing station. Two or three barriers are not enough to keep your baby safe.

2.Durability is Key

a.Make sure your baby changing table is not too narrow because that could cause safety issues, as well. Make sure the durability of the changing table is strong, too. It needs to last a long time under the weight of your growing child.

3.Buy a Convertible Table

a.To save money and time, it’s best to invest in a table that will eventually convert to a different type of furniture like a dresser or set of drawers. Your baby is going to grow faster than you anticipate, so you need to be prepared when they outgrow their changing table.

4.Have Enough Storage

a.Again, it’s important to stress the fact that you need enough storage space to hold your diapers, baby wipes, powders, and creams so you have everything on hand at a moment’s notice.

5.Make Sure it’s Industry Certified

a.Ensure the furniture you buy is industry certified. This is a key way to tell how safe a piece of furniture is. You can rest assured that all of the furniture at Kids N Cribs will be industry certified for extra peace of mind.

Why Kids N Cribs?

At Kids N Cribs, we understand the necessity of buying your baby the best and safest furniture on the market. There is a lot that goes into buying baby furniture and we want to make sure that new or experienced parents have a pleasant experience furnishing their baby’s nursery.

This should be an exciting time for expectant parents, not a time filled with stress and confusion. We will help you every step of the way to find the perfect furniture for your child. Check out our website at kids-n-cribs.com today.