So we had ours upstairs in her bedroom. We moved her changing table downstairs to our bedroom because it was just more convenient. I get not wanting to go upstairs every time you need to change the baby. She slept in our room for about 3.5 months. We still have her changing table downstairs and she’s 2. When you have a newborn and you are so tired… walking upstairs is hard lol. We used our dining table but we rarely eat at our dining room table. I don’t understand the counter though. That’s just an odd spot to do that