Hanging a shelf above our changing table has been a great help in our house (though it will likely only fit wipes, creams, and other small essentials - not diapers). Just make sure the shelf is high enough to be out of reach of little hands. Then, you could use the top drawer to house diapers and save the other two drawers for clothes.

You could use one of those fabric organizers that drapes over the dresser and has pockets that hang down on both sides. I know I've seen them but I can't remember where.

I used the same dresser as a changing station for my baby. I simply kept diapers and wipes in the top drawer, with smaller items (lotion, diaper cream, aspirator, etc.) in a small bin inside the drawer. The other two drawers were more than ample for onesies and clothes and blankets.

if you don't want to use the drawers, pottery barn sells a fabric pocket wall-hanging for the purpose of stowing changing supplies. I'd personally rather have artwork on the wall.

Since our baby slept in our bedroom for the first 9 months of his life, I turned my long bathroom vanity into the changing station. I have just enough room for the changing pad, diapers, and a narrow basket that contains all of the essentials (wipes, creams, lotion, etc.). I agree that a shelf over the station would work well. You could also use the top drawer of the dresser for diapering essentials.

Top drawer seems most logical. Those diaper hanger things are so ugly. I don't understand why anyone would want to hang diapers on the wall.

I've also heard that a changing table and/or contoured pad is really one of those unnecessary baby items --- you can change your baby on a towel or disposable changing pad on a bed, chair, table, floor, etc.

I'm with sassypiggy, the top drawer is perfect for diapers, etc. The other 2 drawers are plenty of space for clothes.

the top drawer is not a good place because it is difficult to pull the drawer out when you are standing at the dresser changing the baby. shelves with caddies for diapers and ointments, etc. are probably better, and i agree those diaper hangers are extremely ugly

I have a similar set up and use the top drawer for diapers and wipes, middle for creams and spare wipes, diaper genie refills, etc., and bottom for back up changing pad covers. It's been perfect.

I would agree that a changing table that can't be used for much else besides changing babies might not be the best investment, but the changing pad/dresser combo really saves your back. True, you can change your baby anywhere, but it's nice to have everything you need right there and bending over a low bed or the floor is hard on your back after a while. Plus, it saves your carpet/comforter from accidents. My changing pad has seen its share -- I use a plain white terry cloth cover and just bleach the heck out of it...it still looks brand new.

I have a chest about the same size that we use for a changing table. I was able to fit the changing pad, a small diaper caddy, wipes warmer and a small lamp on top. It's tight but it fits. The top drawer we put extra diapers, diaper cream (etc.) and his onesies. The bottom two drawers we used for his other clothing. It really works well.

I am in the same boat. I put a wall-mounted shelf nearby (within my reach, hopefully not within baby's reach or head-bonking distance) and put a diapering essentials organizer on the shelf. I haven't used it yet 'cause the baby isn't here yet, but it looks like it will work (famous last words?!).

I got the shelf from the container store - they have several choices of bracket and shelf materials:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/shelving/wallMountedShelving/completeShelfKits?productId=10016851

I got the organizer from JJ Cole - it comes in 4 colors:
http://www.amazon.com/JJ-Cole-Diaper-Wipes-Caddy/dp/B000SELU52/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1258659845&sr=8-4

Wow, beccatown, bet it's hard to find bras!

A nice floating shelf above the dresser with a row of three attractive baskets to sort and hold the most frequently used diapering items looks good and is handy. It isn't so easy to open a drawer when grappling with changing a baby.

This is what I'm doing with the changing station for our second baby - I've learned things since the first! Also, I'd leave the dresser top bare except for a thin machine-washable diaper pad. The contoured ones are a waste of money and unnecessary... but it is nice to have an open surface at a good height for changing. Don't keep other stuff on the dresser top because in no time flat baby will be grabbing for it, making the whole process more frustrating.

@ patrick: That was awesome. Thanks for literally making me LOL.

Use the top drawer! I had the same set-up for my newborn. Baby clothes are so small so I used about half the top drawer for diapers and creams and such. It worked out great and i didn't need anything else.

And by the way, I did not find it difficult nor inconvenient to open the top drawer breifly to pull out a diaper.

One tip I learned from our pediatrician -- hang a chime from the ceiling above the changing pad (not within reach of baby, of course.) The pediatrician has them above examination table to distract squirmy babies, and I found it worked really well at home too. (We just used one of those ceiling hooks for plants and got a chime at a museum gift shop.)

We used an antique desk with a pad on top. We used the top drawer for ointment and the side storage for diapers. It worked wonderfully. And a dirty clothes hamper fit right under the desk where your legs would go.

I also hung a multi-photo frame with pictures of family members, pets, and nanny at his eye level and our son loved looking at it and over time naming people he recognized.

I agree with the shelf-above idea for diapers and wipes. As for the other necessities, I hang a vintage fabric shoe organizer (my dad's) off the end of the (Ikea Hermes) dresser... the top row of pockets holds the baby's brush, nail scissors, lotion, etc. and the lower pockets hold her "treasures". This arrangement should work until she's tall enough to reach the top row of pockets. Now that I think about it, you could easily put 3-4 diapers and a small wipe container in the top pockets, but you'd go crazy restocking them all the time.

I have all my stuff on a shelf within my reach and I find it easier. If you use the top drawer of dresser, you might take out your diaper and wipes, undress the baby, and then realize there is a little rash and you need diaper cream, or he has a big boog up his nose and you need the aspirator. Then you would need to root around in the drawer while holding a squirming baby. Having it out in the open makes it easier IMO.

As the original questioner, thanks SO much to all who responded! Love to see photos of what works for everyone if possible.

I think we will investigate the mounted shelf option, but off to the side of the table. Having anything above the baby's head makes me a little leery.

Thanks again,
Courtney

You can only use the changing table for a couple of months and you'll be changing diapers for two years, and changing a baby up there is scary anyway because the baby might roll off. What we found works best is to put a washable rug on the floor in front of the dresser, and change the baby on the floor. The bottom drawer has all the diapers in it, and you can put a wipes warmer in the bottom drawer too and run the cord through the back. We keep all the lotions and Q-tips and nail clippers up in the bathroom cabinet, because they are dangerous and you don't use them that much.

courtney - had the same issue and after many attempts at solutions this is what i use and i love it...
http://prudentbaby.blogspot.com/2009/09/simple-customizable-diaper-shelf.html

We actually have a window sill right next to ours (dresser with a changing pad on top) and I keep diapers in those small fabric ikea boxes and wipes on there, and another small box with other stuff in it. We used to put everything in the dresser but it's easier this way.

patrick (the other one): That was pretty funny. I actually did LOL.

We also use that as a changing table. When we bought it, there were some organizers that IKEA designed to fit within the drawer perfectly. I bought two sets and used all the little organizers in the top drawer. We keep our diapers in the open space that's left after we put the little organizers in: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2898126062_4242345f70_o.jpg

And then I used three of the remaining four large organizers in the second drawer:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/2897282913_daab9fe2a2_o.jpg

We do find that there's enough room with our changing pad on top to leave our box of wipes there, too.

Hope that helps!

Stuff it all in the top drawer. I don't see how it can be hard to open up a drawer. Also, it's not scary to change a diaper on a dresser, and once that baby learns to roll floor or not you likely won't be moving to far away.

What I learned is that my needs changed very quickly: the items I needed at hand with a newborn were different than what I need with a toddler now. I don't need as much stuff, but the diapers are bigger. :) So I'm glad I didn't have precisely-sized pockets. I've reorganized the top drawers a couple of times. And I have the JJ Cole organizer, which I love. It's supposed to function as a caddy, but we just leave it there, holding diapers, wipes, and some smaller ointments, etc.

I second the comment that it's no big deal to change a baby on a dresser. In the same way that you shouldn't walk away from a baby in the bathtub, even for a second, you shouldn't step away from the changing table. Plus, now when I try to change my son on the floor, he's much more likely to try to wiggle away.

Good luck!!

I had a similar size IKEA piece for the changing table but the drawers were too small for diapers - we did the wall mounted shelf off to the side - we got these white laminate shelves and brackets for about $8 from the hardware store.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29084033@N02/3324297629/in/set-72157614736272334/

My solution to this dilemma was to buy one of those ladder shelves from Ikea that leans against the wall, with the lower shelf being thicker than the one above it, and so on up to the skinny top shelf. The ladder shelf stands just to the right of the changing table. Looks nice. I put a lamp & stuffed animal on the top shelf, lotions & etc. and a little square felt bag to hold diapers on the next shelf, the wipes warmer (yes, we use one) on the next shelf along with a box of tissues and then the bottom two shelves hold books & toys. Now that he can walk we've bolted the ladder to the wall. It works great and didn't cost a lot - $99, I believe.

We also had an ikea dresser that we used as a changing table. But we hooked a basket on the side using those 3M hooks with the sticky stuff on the back.

We also converted our double-sink vanity in our bathroom to just one sink (removed the faucet over one sink), then put a piece of plywood over the top of it with the changing pad on top. Works great, and nice to be right next to a sink.

Pics here: http://bennettwilliams.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/nursery-2/

My wife and I are getting the same dresser but the long one to have more surface area and storage for when older.

I got the larger wooden Ikea shelf to hang above the dresser at my change station -- big enough for diapers, spare change pad covers, diaper creme and covers (we cloth diaper). I also have a wooden stool, though a small bedside table would work as well, that holds wipes. You will probably find more sanity when changing by bringing out everything that you need (a diaper/cover, wipe, fresh pants etc.) BEFORE you take off the dirty diaper -- that way everything is within reach.