Changing Diapers in Public?

capricelili · November 2015

I'm curious to know what people do about diaper changes in public. Do you always find a restroom for changing or just where you're at? Is it rude to change your baby say in a bench at the mall or on the ground?

JessicaS0914 · November 2015

At a mall? Gross, no way should you do it on a bench. Every mall I have ever been to has family bathrooms with ample changing tables. Definitely go use them if you're somewhere that has them. I do it in public when there are no viable options for a bathroom with changing table - ie at the park on a blanket. If I'm out somewhere running errands, I'll do it in the car.

Natasha238 · November 2015

I wouldn't....out of respect to others. You never know what someone's stomach can handle (smell or sight). And there is also the risk of other kids seeing baby parts some parents are ready or want to explain to Thier little ones... And the sexual predators out there that may get a rise out of it and take pictures or worse.

If I'm out in public and don't have access to a restroom, I'd use my car for sure.

acoope20 · November 2015

I agree restroom or car.

shelbydd · November 2015

Bathroom or car. I wouldn't change my son on a public bench or somewhere like that.

thinkpink101 · November 2015

This is child #4 for me and I have NEVER changed a diaper "in public". I think that's rude and disgusting. If there's no bathroom with changing facilities I've used my car, or in the case of being in a big city I've ducked into an alley and used my stroller. I had to use the stroller the other day when I was volunteering at my oldest's school and LO had a massive blowout. My car was really far away but I wheeled the stroller outside to a tucked away area and changed him under a blanket I draped over the stroller to provide warmth and coverage.

I took the kids to Smashburger yesterday and there was a family changing their baby on the bench seat, right in the restaurant! I've seen it done ON a table in Friendly's as well. No excuse, both of those places have changing facilities.

eah325 · November 2015

thinkpink101 said:
I took the kids to Smashburger yesterday and there was a family changing their baby on the bench seat, right in the restaurant! I've seen it done ON a table in Friendly's as well. No excuse, both of those places have changing facilities.

Wow! People are SO gross!

KissMeImScottish · November 2015

I've changed my son's diaper in his stroller seat once when we were on a walk and there was literally no where else to do so, but as @thinkpink101 said, I made sure I was tucked in a fairly secluded spot and made sure he was covered mostly by the seat and one of the muslin swaddles I always have on hand. I would never change him outside of a bathroom in a restaurant or mall or other place that provides customer service. However, I have less of an issue with changing him in public if that place is, for example, a park or the beach or something. We live in Hawaii - a lot of what we do is outside and there just isn't a plethora of public changing facilities and I'm not going to run back to my car every time I need to change him. We just make sure we're not in a place that is in close proximity to a ton of people. We've never gotten any dirty looks or anything, as long as we're respectful of our space.

jen83mn · November 2015

I've had to change my baby on a walk before on the grass, but there was no one around and I had my travel changing pad with me to lay him on. If I were in a public place I would find a bathroom or use my car.

chelseajeanene · November 2015

I change in the car or if I'm in a place that has a changing table. I always use my portable changing pad though because the germs freak me out. I wouldn't change him on a public bench, I wouldn't say it's rude but any time I've seen people do it I've been grossed out or bothered by it

Natabear · November 2015

Baby may be too young for his private parts to matter to him, but that doesn't mean you should take off his diaper in public. I'd never change DS out in the open around people. I park the car facing a bush or in a secluded area of the parking lot and change him in the open trunk.

ForeverEverAfter · November 2015

I've done it if I had to, but generally I use a bathroom or car. The other night we were at a theatre with no change table, and only a few inches between sinks on the counter, and I was parked far away with only 10min til curtain. I found a bench around the corner from the main crowd and made it quick.

mill1020 · November 2015

I'll usually do it in the car, and on a blanket or towel. I avoid public restrooms for the diaper changes just because the changing tables there gross me out.

LabPupLuv · November 2015

Definitely either the bathroom or the car. No way would I change in public.

lynnaeschr · November 2015

I have had to change him at a college football game on a table.....our facilities are old and have no changing tables in bathrooms. I just turned my body to block him from people, had DH stand the other way to block him and went super quick. Luckily it was outside of the area you are suppose to stay unless you are leaving so no one was really around. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do....

TabulaRasa25 · November 2015

I basically always find an isolated locale if there is absolutely no option in terms of a bathroom with changing tables, and end up using the car if it's possible to do so. We were at a picnic a few weeks ago with my husband's command, where the facilities did not have anyplace to change indoors, and the cars were parked pretty prohibitively far away, so we set up a makeshift quick changing station pretty far from the group using the changing pad, blocked him for privacy, etc. But no, didn't just whip things out and change him right there on a picnic table. Ick.

I was on Amtrak once when an Amish couple in front of me changed a TODDLER's diaper right there in the seat ahead of me. We're talking, super smelly grown-up poo, not infant breastmilk diaper or pee done really quickly. The stench was unbearable. There aren't a ton of options on a train trip, granted, but still.

TabulaRasa25 · November 2015

Part of the reason I gave up on going to the big rally for the Royals World Series win (we're in Kansas City) a couple of weeks ago was because the line for the shuttle to the parade and rally site was hours-long, and we were in it for about two hours before I realized I'd have nowhere to discreetly change him. So we went back to my husband's work and watched it televised, instead. Given that something like 800,000 people showed up for it, I was glad not to be in that crowd with the little guy, and changing poopy diapers in a crowd was the least of the reasons why.

Yiggle09 · November 2015

I went to the dentist last week and changed my lo on the dental chair! lol I felt so weird about it but they had no other area except the floor that was big enough for my super long infant. The dental tech was super nice about it but he had a full blown melt down so she was very accommodating. I hate big public restrooms because everyone comes by and says stuff about my lo. Ohhh its soo cold dont you have something to cover him blah blah. yeah lady I'm going to cover my poop covered baby while I try to find his poopy body under this said cover instead of cleaning him easy and fast and slightly cold!

babyFearon · November 2015

I try to change my LO in restrooms or or my car, but sometimes they are not accessible. If I have my changing mat, sometimes it happens in public. I'd rather change her quickly then let her sit in a dirty diaper.

AmandaNacora · November 2015

If there are bathrooms with changing tables available then yes use those. But I have been ou and there were no restrooms so I changed her right there on the bench tried to conceal her as best I could (to protect her from the weirdos!) and changed her. Of course I found the most secluded spot I could but you gotta do what you gotta do and I'd rather get looks from people than let my daughter sit in her own shit. The other people will get over it.

AmandaNacora · November 2015

Plus if your LO is a crier like mine when dirty then I'm sure people would rather have you change her than to listen to a crying baby.

TabulaRasa25 · November 2015

I totally agree that if there is no private option (and places that don't have changing stations in restrooms irk me), the semi-pubic change, as quickly and discreetly as possible is preferable to a baby sitting in waste.

I definitely give mad props to establishments that put Koala stations in the men's rooms. When we have been on the road with the baby or are out and about as a family, my husband does A LOT of the diaper changes, and it's really nice when the restrooms accommodate that reality.

tlc11934 · November 2015

I haven't taken DD3 anywhere yet but when DD2 was a baby, we had to change her diaper on an airplane. The airplane bathrooms skeeve me out so bad and there's not enough room for a baby, diaper bag and grown up in there so we changed her on our laps. Granted, it was just a wet diaper. I prefer the car when out!

lolad5 · November 2015

I do it in my car or if I can't find a bathroom with a changing table I'll do it quickly in the infant carrier. That was one time in a secluded area. I don't go to the bathroom in front of others so my baby shouldn't be exposed either.

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