What is a “baby station”? Well, simply put, a lifesaver. Ok. I’m exaggerating…a little. You probably know that a newborn goes through between 10-14 diapers daily and, sometimes, a few outfits. From experience, we know that you are likely not spending your days in your baby’s nursery. This means you’re going to be doing a lot of back-and-forth to the nursery (which is sometimes on a separate floor of the house). Your baby station is going to be your all-in-one so you can save yourself extra trips to the nursery (especially helpful if you’ve had a c section).
What You Need When Setting Up a Baby Station
I’m sure it goes without saying, but there is no one right way to set up your baby station. We will go over key components and you can adjust to fit your family’s needs.
For Baby
- Changing Area – As we said above, babies go through a lot of diapers daily! Having a set up with diapers, wipes, and a diaper pail/wet bag in the main area you will be with your baby will save you SO many trips to the nursery. Some of our personal favorites are:
- Portable Changing Table
- Ubbi Diaper Pail – hands-down this is our FAVORITE. Why? Because you can use regular garbage bags! No need to buy expensive refills or worry about running out of them.
- Wet Bag – if you’re cloth diapering, these are a MUST. It can also double as an effective, and inexpensive, laundry bag
- Safe Place for Sleep – Remember our blog on Safe Sleep for Babies? That’s a good reference here. A Rock ‘n’ Play, Mamaroo, baby lounger, etc are not safe for sleep because they are not firm and flat. A bassinet or Pack n Play are safe, space conscious options (you can even knock out two aspects of your baby station by getting a portable play yard with the changing area).
- Extra Clothes & Hamper – Include “outfits”/pajamas and undershirts. It is also helpful to have a dedicated spot to put anything that has gotten soiled (again, to save the trip to the nursery or laundry room). This changing table serves multiple purposes in your baby station.
For You
- Snacks (for you!) – High-protein snacks will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Put together a snack caddy that you can restock as needed. Some great, easy options are: Kind bars, That’s It bars, grapes, grape tomatoes, bananas, Justin’s nut butter packets, plain popcorn.
- Water – Whether you are breastfeeding or formula feeding, staying hydrated is essential. Don’t forget to have a water bottle or two on hand (this way you can always have cold water on rotation). We like water bottles with straws because many people tend to drink more when they use a straw. Here are links to our favorite budget-friendly and high-end water bottles.
- A Place to Sit & an End Table – These are pretty self-explanatory. The end table is great because you can put your snacks, water bottle, baby’s bottle, etc on it so they don’t spill. If you’re using a nipple shield or supplemental nursing system, it’s also nice to have a dedicated place to put them down.
Some “Real Life” Set Ups
We asked some members of our Facebook group to share photos of their set up for baby. Here are some of them:
Other Blogs You May Like
Baby Basics: The Bare Minimum You Need When Bringing Home Baby
C-Section Recovery Tips
What to Expect Your First Day Home with Baby