Shower curtain as changing pad

Another reason to never buy a changing table! From Sarah:

When my first child was born, we had no changing table, or even a changing pad. So I sent my husband to the store for a changing pad, but they were out. Instead, he bought a cheap plastic shower curtain. We cut it up into rectangles about 2x3 feet, and stashed one in the diaper bag, one in the car, one anywhere we could think might ever see a diaper emergency. They fold up tiny, and were way cheaper than some special pad. And now, with 3 kids, I just pull one out when I need one. I even change our infant in her crib, no need for extra furniture taking up valuable space and money.

Comments

[Kristi]

Criminy, what a brilliant idea! Just in case you're not aware of it, cheap vinyl shower curtains are also machine washable. (Just don't put them in the dryer!) I'll be advising all my friends with infants to do this now, sure wish I'd known about it when mine was in diapers!!

[Chief Family Officer]

Great idea, and more environmentally friendly than what happened when my husband went to Target right after our first son was born. He came home with disposable adult changing pads, like they use in the hospital. They're quite large and very handy since they're disposable. I've never used anything else.

[egypt.four]

We used crib mattress pads (the waterproof kind for under the sheet), cut up into smaller pieces. We weren't trying to be clever; we just ended up with a bunch!

[Valerie]

I bought a length of "rubber sheeting" from a fabric store to cut into useful sized pieces. The rubber sheeting is waterproof, coated on both sides with what feels like flannel, wash-able & dry-able, folds reasonably small, and can go under the sheet of a mostly toilet-trained older child

[RookieMom Heather]

This is a fantastic idea. We have a weird shower curtain arrangement where we need 1.5 shower curtains for full coverage so this is an excellent use for that random .5 shower curtain we end up with.

[Heather]

I also used the cut-up shower curtain as a drop clothe for under the highchair when we dined out.

[nanny]

actually, it's not environmentally friendly. "plastic" shower curtains are vinyl or pvc. they are a hazard to the environment and to the body of the wee one you are changing on it. you know that smell a new shower curtain emits? that's pvc off-gassing. not good for you, baby or the planet.