Aside from a crib, among the gifts that a child will receive on his arrival into the world would be clothes, linens, and other delicate materials. There would be no better place for these special garments than a cupboard that will be exclusively for the baby. This cupboard or dresser can be part of his room, or his parent's room, and if it comes in a beautiful style and material, it can be an aesthetic piece as well.
A nice touch common on dressers these days is the conversion of its top into a changing table for the baby. Infants are delicate creatures that need special care and attention, so changing their diapers or dressing them up should be done with as much safety precautions as possible. A changing table can guarantee a baby's safety while a parent dresses him up lovingly. Placing a changing table over a dresser is a nice practical touch.
Purchasing a baby changing table with a dresser, however, does not mean buying a piece of wooden furniture intended for a baby's use alone. A dresser cum table which is made of attractive and very durable materials can continue to be an ideal cabinet which can stay in a home and in a family's life for years and generations to come.
What to Look for in a Baby Changing Table
There are several common options of changing tables available in the usual shops: the wooden tables with guardrails, units that can fold up, and hinged chest adapters.
A separate changing table is usually lighter than a conventional table, and for practicality reasons, some are not made of wood. The danger of these kinds of tables, even if they have sturdy guardrails, is that they can easily topple over. It places the baby at high risk of an accident if the parents attend to other things even for a minute. A child who is learning to crawl around his room could also risk harming himself by an unfixed rail, which could fall over a child when he nudges the table during playtime. Dressing up the baby would be a little more stressful for the parent if the necessary accessories like diapers, linens, shirts, or pins are stored away from the table, in a different part of the room.
Having a baby changing table on top of a durable wooden dresser would be the solution to these possible concerns. A low dresser can be created of just the right height for the parent to bend over while changing the infant. Since it is attached securely to a heavy piece of furniture, a crawling child will not be able to knock it down or try to grab the rail easily. The solid foundation of wood would also be more adept at keeping the baby safe and secure while he is lying down there. And best of all, every linen or accessory that the baby needs could be stored on the dresser's drawers, so changing time is faster and less confusing for the parent.
It is a good idea to choose a baby changing table cum dresser that is made of good solid wood. Aside from the beauty of natural wood, these pieces of furniture are made to last longer than others. Through time, it can become an investment that returns benefits over and over again.
How the Baby Changing Table Will Transform
So what will happen when the baby does not need a changing table anymore? What will be the case when he starts to wear little shirts and pants (or skirts) instead of diapers and soft mittens? A wooden baby changing table simply transforms into an ordinary dresser. The small clothes within its drawers will gradually be replaced with bigger and bigger ones.
If a child would opt to have use a closet for regular clothes, his old changing table can become his dresser for his personal garments. The bottom drawers can be for items that are rarely used, or taken out only for special occasions. Children also need special hiding places for their found treasures during playtime, and these drawers would be perfect for that purpose. The flat surface, which used to support his weight, can be utilized now to support his pictures, knickknacks, or any other things that he would care to display in his room.
A baby changing table can be customized according to a parent's specifications, so choose to maximize its dimensions by considering the sizes and the numbers of drawers. Albeit it might seem a little too roomy for baby linens and accessories when it will be first acquired and used, it will be better, in the long run, to be able fill it up with bigger clothes one by one, rather than to be wanting of dresser space once the baby grows up into a child and needs more garments.
And just to be certain that the baby changing table can really last long enough to transform into a normal dresser, opt to get one that is made of genuine, solid hardwood. These wood types, like oak, cherry, or maple, are much more resistant to wear and tear, scratches, and gouges over ordinary or artificial wood. They can support varying weights easily because the dressers would be manufactured to support a baby's full weight, plus his clothes and accessories. And beyond their function and strength, these wooden dressers are also handmade and crafted with exquisite designs and attractive finishes. They will truly remain as keepsakes long after a baby grows up.
