Changing table necessary for pack and play?

[nontoxic12]

I'm looking at pack and plays for my 6 week old and am a little overwhelmed by the many options. I plan to use the p&p as a safe place for our newborn (and eventually a toddler) in the living room.

I see there are p&p with a bassinet, but also p&p with a bassinet and changing table. I have a very small apartment so am trying to minimize anything that might be I unnecessary.

Did you find the changing table necessary or was it redundant to the bassinet?

 

[tonertee]

@nontoxic12 I love the changing table on my pack and play because I hate changing the baby on the floor and it's so much more ergonomic to change them where I can stand.

 

[lilly45]

@nontoxic12 The changing table on the pack n play is a game changer for us. We use it daily.

 

[godisgood]

@nontoxic12 We have a P&P with bassinet and changing table in our living room downstairs and changing table in nursery upstairs.

We love it. Allows us to keep diapers, wipes, butt paste, and gripe water in one location for baby without worrying about where anything is located.

 

[meglin]

@godisgood We have the same set-up here. I call the pack n play our command center because it’s seriously our central hub for baby. We do 90% of diaper changes here (nursery is upstairs but our bedroom is downstairs so while she’s in the bedside bassinet I come into the living room to change her in the middle of the night) and it serves as her daytime nap spot as well. The changing table piece doesn’t really take up any extra space so if you’re going for the pack n play regardless I’d say definitely get the changing add-on.

 

[dog_nurse]

@godisgood Seconding this set up. We use it multiple times a day, to the extent that the rest of the pack and play has become baby toy storage.

 

[erikacolnick]

@nontoxic12 I thought I’d use it and never did - why? I’m too tall and I had to crouch to do the diaper changes! I’m in my early 30s now and my back just isn’t the same and I’m over 5’8. If you are shorter person I think it would be fine. I purposely bought a tall dresser for baby room to put the change pad too.

 

[smithed64]

@erikacolnick I've been saying they need to make baby furniture for tall parents....

 

[laurie_04021997]

@erikacolnick My husband hates it and has to do this weird crouch squat when using it so he doesn’t hurt his back

 

[hubalachida]

@nontoxic12 I use the changing table on the pack and play all day long. Then I use the one in her room at night. Never changed her anywhere else

 

[cewilder]

@nontoxic12 We just have a basic pack n play with a bassinet level. We change diapers on the changing pad in the nursery. I have never felt we were lacking for anything. We also don’t use the pack n play except for travel (up to 18 months) and now just have it for when friends come over and their kid needs a nap space.

 

[gerranscub]

@nontoxic12 Check the weight limit on the one you are purchasing. Ours only allowed up to 15 pounds for the changing table/bassinet so it really wasn’t even worth it because we hit that weight by 2 months.

 

[pofo2020]

@gerranscub Yeah and if you want to continue using the pack n play you have to store the changing table/bassinet portion somewhere else. We ended up not going with any of the extra portions and thank god we didn’t because we hit the bassinet and changing table weight limit really quick.

 

[inquisitiveyoungone]

@nontoxic12 I've always just used changing pads, I got 6 washable boppy brand ones for $20 and we have two upstairs, two downstairs, and two in the diaper bag. They are super easy to change him wherever we want (usually the couch or floor), easy to wash and easy to carry around. It wouldn't be bad to have one on the pack and play, but if you don't want the extra cost or gear to find a place for, this has worked great for us.

 

[alliah]

@nontoxic12 I don't have a pack and play but I do have a similarly aged baby and a small apartment and I can't see how this would be necessary.

When I need to change my baby's diaper I either bring him to the changing pad in our bedroom or use the diaper bag changing pad to change him in the living room. Even if I didn't want to use the diaper bag to change him in the living room, in a small apartment, you don't have to walk far to get to the "official" changing place, so having another one in the living room seems redundant.

ETA: if it saves you space you could probably also do without the bassinet attachment.

 

[r_annett]

@nontoxic12 I used the keekaroo on a dresser.

 

[davidbb]

@nontoxic12 We never used it and it became really annoying to have another thing to store. We pretty much always preferred to change our daughter on the floor on a mat though, which I know some people find uncomfortable.