Diaper Change in Restaurant Booth

SAHMfinally

Have you seen this story?

https://www.khou.com/story/news/local/2014/08/09/mom-kicked-out-of-restaurant-after-diaper-change/13817843/

Thoughts? What would you have done?

Skylight21

I've done a diaper change in a booth at a restaurant before and no one said anything.

But places should have change tables, do they not expect families to stay there and eat? But I've seen lots of restaurants that don't have change tables

sleepymonkey

I would've gone to the car to change the diaper.  I have actually done that many times.  I'm amazed at all the places that do not having changing stations around here, with Starbucks being the most surprising one.

BoothBaby

If no changing table was available, I would have done the same thing (changed in the booth). She even used her own changing pad. I find it hard to believe that other customers were apparently that irate about it.

serend

I get that she didn't want to leave her other kids to go to the car, but changing a poop diaper where people eat is pretty gross.

RockiesNugget

I have done this as well at a fast food restaurant that didn't have a changing table available. I was by myself and I had sat in a booth far away from anybody (the restaurant wasn't busy) since I needed to BF LO anyways. It was probably the hottest day of the summer we had and the only reason I had stopped to eat was to cool off and feed/change LO since we would be in the car for a while longer. I used a changing pad and then wiped everything down in the vicinity with a clorox wipe when I finished (so I probably left it cleaner than when I started.)

If the restaurant would have been busier I would have maybe come up with a different plan, but when LO is having a meltdown due to being hot and having a dirty diaper/being hungry and you are on your own you do what is necessary. As for laying a blanket down on the bathroom floor...nope, nope, nope...the bathroom floor was disgusting. And as I said before it was super hot and I even with my car A/C on, LO was hot in his carseat and I was trying to cool us down.

Public places should be required to have a changing station and not just in the women's restroom. I don't know how many time DH and I are out and he goes to change LO and can't because the only changing table is in the women's restroom (because apparently only women can change diapers.) --Sorry for the off topic tangent!

Ltpugs

I've been in that situation before but it never ever crossed my mind to change DS at the table! Umm... Gross! We ran out to the car.

I think changing stations should be required in all restuarant bathrooms. Especially big family restaurants!

fauxvegan

This place is a small, family owned business. I've eaten at another of their locations before and I've never expected them to have changing tables. They're a really sweet family too so she could have asked one of the staff to watch her other two kids while she changed the baby in the car. That's what I would have done. The thought if changing a poopy diaper at a table never even would have crossed my mind. That's just gross. Maybe I'd let a pee diaper slide, but not a poopy one.

RockiesNugget

fauxvegan said:

This place is a small, family owned business. I've eaten at another of their locations before and I've never expected them to have changing tables. They're a really sweet family too so she could have asked one of the staff to watch her other two kids while she changed the baby in the car. That's what I would have done. The thought if changing a poopy diaper at a table never even would have crossed my mind. That's just gross. Maybe I'd let a pee diaper slide, but not a poopy one.

My family goes to a really small family restaurant and while it doesn't have an official changing table in the bathroom. It does have a piece of furniture in each restrooms that is the perfect height/width to change LO.

notkateanymore

Skylight21 said:

I've done a diaper change in a booth at a restaurant before and no one said anything. But places should have change tables, do they not expect families to stay there and eat? But I've seen lots of restaurants that don't have change tables

Thats fucking disgusting.

Skylight21

notkateanymore said:

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Skylight21 said:

I've done a diaper change in a booth at a restaurant before and no one said anything.

But places should have change tables, do they not expect families to stay there and eat? But I've seen lots of restaurants that don't have change tables

Thats fucking disgusting.


You gotta do what you gotta do.
Add: why am I the only one getting flamed here when others have said they've done it also???

bty19

I did at a restaurant when LO was 4 months old. We were on holidays, not near our hotel and walked to a restaurant. I went into the bathroom, there was no change table so put her down next to our table, put her on the floor with a change pad. No poop, just pee... No biggie I don't think.  I suppose I could have put her on the floor of the bathroom but that grossed me out and somehow the floor next to our table seemed better.
 I will add there was about 15 of my closest friends with us, and no one else eating near us. Place was completely empty.

HOWEVER if this were to happen today at almost 8months old, with how nasty stinky LO's poops are - I'd go into the bathroom. Shit's nasty.

serend

themole said:

I read the article... it said people complained of the smell, but it doesn't actually say poopy diaper. Unless I missed it? Are we just assuming poop?

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serend said:

I get that she didn't want to leave her other kids to go to the car, but changing a poop diaper where people eat is pretty gross.

fauxvegan said:

This place is a small, family owned business. I've eaten at another of their locations before and I've never expected them to have changing tables. They're a really sweet family too so she could have asked one of the staff to watch her other two kids while she changed the baby in the car. That's what I would have done. The thought if changing a poopy diaper at a table never even would have crossed my mind. That's just gross. Maybe I'd let a pee diaper slide, but not a poopy one.

They use them term "dirty diaper", which to me means poo diaper.

thesportsgal

They used the term dirty diaper and said it smelled.  I'm assuming it was poop. 

With that being said, you can't fucking change a poopy diaper in a restaurant where people eat.  Especially since you can't possibly follow proper sanitizing techniques for changing diapers to prevent the spread of diseases through fecal matter.  Daycare centers have 27 steps to change a diaper for this very reason - and look how easily diseases can spread in that environment.

She should have gone out to her car.  And everyone else here who changes poopy diapers where people eat GO OUT TO YOUR CAR! 

greenbeanqueen

Would you change your baby's diaper on your kitchen table? No.
So why would you do it at a restaurant where others are eating. It's gross and unsanitary. Go to your car or change on the bathroom floor. Yeah he probably should have a change table but that doesn't excuse her from her gross action. Yuck!

greenbeanqueen

aileyjuly5 said:

I would definitely exhaust every other option first, but I can't say That I absolutely wouldn't do this.

 Sorry. I would never put my baby on a bathroom floor. :-& Blanket or not that is fucking disgusting.
What if you laid the blanket in a puddle of someone else's pee... 

I've been multiple places where there wasn't a changing table. I've used the car and the counter of the bathroom.

Obviously avoid pee puddles. You can see pee puddles in the floor.

greenbeanqueen

aileyjuly5 said:

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ColeRose said:

aileyjuly5 said:

I would definitely exhaust every other option first, but I can't say That I absolutely wouldn't do this.

 Sorry. I would never put my baby on a bathroom floor. :-& Blanket or not that is fucking disgusting.
What if you laid the blanket in a puddle of someone else's pee... 

I've been multiple places where there wasn't a changing table. I've used the car and the counter of the bathroom.

Dude, you can see puddles of pee on the floor. I actually wiped before laying the blanket down, then put a changing pad on top of it and neither touched the baby again until they were sanitized and washed.

You really think that is more disgusting than changing a poopy diaper in the exact area where people are eating?!?!? Really?

Yes DUDE, really.


Well there are plenty of other options beside the bathroom floor or the booth. The sink counter or the car for example.
If I had my dinner interrupted by the smell of nasty baby poop I would be pissed and complain. Baby poop is rank and can get on stuff. It's so rude that people do this and all of you who do should be ashamed. I'm so glad I don't have to eat with/near you.

thesportsgal

If you really were "exhausting every other option first" then you wouldn't end up changing a baby where people eat because you would have found a better solution by then.

This reminds me of the sense of entitlement from our pregnancy days.  Just because you have a baby doesn't mean that you get to put people at risk for serious health violations.

thesportsgal

aileyjuly5 said:

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ColeRose said:

I mean holy shit, they wipe tables down when people leave but I'm sure they aren't sanitized until the end of the day/night. Can you imagine sitting down and getting poop on your hands/fingernails without realizing it because maybe it is just a small amount, and then eating with those exact hands. 

Tell me how you know that the guy sitting at this booth before you washed his hands after using the bathroom... Unless you're seriously sanitizing your booth seat before you sit, you're probably getting It on your hands anyway.

If you can see fecal matter all over that guy's hands then he should be kicked out too. 

SAHMfinally

aileyjuly5 said:

Tell me how you know that the guy sitting at this booth before you washed his hands after using the bathroom... Unless you're seriously sanitizing your booth seat before you sit, you're probably getting It on your hands anyway.

I will be now!

thesportsgal

aileyjuly5 said:

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thesportsgal said:

aileyjuly5 said:

ColeRose said:

I mean holy shit, they wipe tables down when people leave but I'm sure they aren't sanitized until the end of the day/night. Can you imagine sitting down and getting poop on your hands/fingernails without realizing it because maybe it is just a small amount, and then eating with those exact hands. 

Tell me how you know that the guy sitting at this booth before you washed his hands after using the bathroom... Unless you're seriously sanitizing your booth seat before you sit, you're probably getting It on your hands anyway.

If you can see fecal matter all over that guy's hands then he should be kicked out too. 

But maybe it's just a small amount, like Cole said. 

I'm really not here to argue about this. I've never done it, and don't plan on it. I'm just saying, in my opinion, there are worse thing out there.

You're right.  The real issue here is the pp's who said they've ACTUALLY done it before. 

Fucking disgusting. 

I will disagree with saying there are worse things out there though.  Google the list of diseases that come up from the spread of fecal matter.  It's very serious and why, like I said, day care centers have a rigid process for diaper changes.  When it CAN be prevented, then it should be.

thesportsgal

ColeRose said:

Take away the sanitary aspect of it, how about having some respect for people eating around you? Do you think it is okay for them to smell your child's poop while they are trying to enjoy their food???

Ugh, this.  So gross. 

Caitlinh27

I'm kind of amazed at the amount of times the word "fucking" has been used in a thread about changing dirty diapers.

bty19

They've tested seats in restaurants, dirtiest thing you touch - fecal matter is already on them...what's one diaper change going to do?  

greenbeanqueen

Ok well when your baby's diaper stink makes me gag/vomit I am going to aim at your table/food.

Skylight21

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RockiesNugget

Pee or Poop = Dirty Diaper to me

As I said, I did do this once. It was a strictly pee diaper, but LO was dealing with a major rash from wetness sensitivity and sitting in car seat compounded the issue, so I wanted him out of it sooner than later. There was no body else around me and I was back in a corner. I had everything ready to go and probably had the fastest diaper change ever. Plus, I most likely left the booth cleaner than when I arrived since I used clorox wipes after the change on the booth and table. I changed him while waiting on my food, so I then sat at said table and ate my food and BF LO.

To save on space, many restaurants don't have counters anymore and have gone to pedestal sinks. The floor in the restaurant was really really disgusting with toilet paper and paper towels strewn all over and the floor was grungy. I actually told the manager that it needed to be cleaned, I would not have used that restroom myself it was that dirty.

greenbeanqueen

Skylight21 said:

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? How is this gif relevant?

SAHMfinally

@Skylight21‌ Are you calling me a troll?? I'm not a troll. I've posted here before... And I was genuinely curious what people thought and would do. A lot of people on the article were defending the woman's choice.

Skylight21

@SAHMfinally‌ no I wasn't calling you a troll

thesportsgal

Skylight21 said:

@SAHMfinally‌ no I wasn't calling you a troll

Then who is the troll?? 

ErinO21

Changing a diaper, wet or dirty, at a table/booth is so unsanitary. You never know what could happen during a diaper change. Here is this scenario: You could lay your kid in the seat and then have him spray  pee over the back of the booth (because lets face it, they have no control over where that thing points) and land on a table, that just happened to be cleaned and is waiting to be sat at and won't be cleaned again until those people leave. Or worse, someone is sitting in that booth behind you and your kids piss lands on one of the plates of food.

Yeah, these are pretty unlikely and all the stars would  have to align for it to happen, but it still could happen. So, I would think about that the next time you think its a good idea to change a diaper in a booth.

Skylight21

Might as well get a laugh out of it considering I know you guys don't like me from things I've said in the past.

thesportsgal

Skylight21 said:

Might as well get a laugh out of it considering I know you guys don't like me from things I've said in the past.

JRT512

All of this is just nasty. Has no one heard of disposable changing pads?

Skylight21

prettykitty2012 said:

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Skylight21 said:

Might as well get a laugh out of it considering I know you guys don't like me from things I've said in the past.

@themole ?!?!?!?


What does this person have to do with what I said?

thesportsgal

Sunshine5788 said:

Dont want me changing my kid in your dining area? Get a flipping changing station.

No, YOU should have figured something else out.  Like @prettykitty2012 said what's wrong with using your car seat? 

Skylight21

If there isn't a change station I will usually do it in my car. But when I couldn't get to my car I changed her in the booth. I prefer to use my car rather than a change station in a restroom because the toilets flushing scare my LO and make her scream bloody murder.

thesportsgal

RockiesNugget said:

To save on space, many restaurants don't have counters anymore and have gone to pedestal sinks.

I really can't think of one restaurant I've been to in the last year that had a pedestal sink.  Go to your car. 

74dragonfly

I am honestly amazed that people think it is OK to change a diaper on a restaurant table/booth. use your car, the floor of the bathroom, any place but where other are EATING. would you change a diaper on the table at Thanksgiving dinner? 

and for those all grossed out by the bathroom floor guess what the changing table you fold out from the wall is probably not much cleaner. do you think that gets sanitized often? i doubt it. 

Skylight21

mcncheese said:

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74dragonfly said:

and for those all grossed out by the bathroom floor guess what the changing table you fold out from the wall is probably not much cleaner. do you think that gets sanitized often? i doubt it. 

If ever..... Yuck!!!



They do have disposable pads to put down. Every time I've used them there have been anyway