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AIBU?

shopping with baby

90 replies

mlspbrasil · 09/10/2012 19:54

Please tell me if I'm wrong, or if I'm over reacting. I was in the middle of my shopping at Benetton, finishing with the fitting room, I had quite a few items, which i was going to exchange, when Nicolas (my 6-month-old son) really needed a nappy change (one of those situations in which the nappy leaks). I asked the lady if I could use an empty corner to quick change him (on the push chair of course) and she said that she was going to ask the manager. Meanwhile, I touched my baby and found out that the situation was worse than i thought, so I didn't even think twice, I just changed him at the back of the changing room. It took me no longer than 3 minutes to do so, but staff members + the supervisor frowned upon me. What do they expect me to do? To simply leave the shop and change my baby in the street? Or drop all my shopping and rush to the nearest Mac Donald's? I didn't enter the shop to change my baby in the first place, it just happened. I'm a costumer, I was actually going to buy 2 coats and 2 dresses, but they don't give a damn about it, because I'm just one more person in Oxford St. I complained to the manager, but she shrugged her shoulders saying this was against the shop policy. To me this is disgraceful - no common sense, no solidarity.

OP posts:
picnicbasketcase · 09/10/2012 19:56

Considering you weren't in anyone's way and changed him on the pushchair, I don't really see a problem.

Indith · 09/10/2012 20:01

Erm generally one goes to the nearest changing area/public toilet. Same as when you need a shit.

picnicbasketcase · 09/10/2012 20:02

Did they actually say anything or tell you not to change him or just give you nasty looks as you did it?

GoldShip · 09/10/2012 20:03

Why didn't you just wait until the manager had been asked? Where you afraid the answer would be 'no'?

windsurf74 · 09/10/2012 20:06

Could you not have made it to a changing room/toilet? Hmm

How long would you/the baby have had to wait? Surely not long enough to have caused him any major problems. Just it was more convenient for you to change in there? Im guessing it was pretty stinky (from what info you give) pretty ewww in a changing room for the other customers then?!

DrWhoExterminatesMyBrain · 09/10/2012 20:10

I would of left, changing a smelly nappy in a clothing shop changing room is pretty grim, i would of found the nearest changing facility

bumperella · 09/10/2012 20:13

Where did you wash your hands afterwards? Could you not have just changed baby wherever you washed your hands after?

I think it's a bit strange to change a baby somewhere like that. I do think more normal to leave shop and find somewhere more appropriate.

secondseverncrossing · 09/10/2012 20:14

Depends if the nappy leaked with wee or poo?

I've got 2 DC and have never been in a situation where I've had to change their nappy in a changing room - surely you just rush them to the nearest changing room? If the nappy has leaked it's over everything already, so what difference does another 5 mins make?

Unless your DC has some kind of skin condition which means you must change a nappy that very minute YABU.

Bigwheel · 09/10/2012 20:14

Pretty gross to be changing a dirty nappy in a changing room really, I don't think it's fair on the other customsters to have to put up with the smell. However if you were on Oxford street I'm guessing it's pretty hard to find a half decent baby changing place, I might be totally wrong there though.

GoldShip · 09/10/2012 20:14

I can't believe how many times this same topic comes up :o

picnicbasketcase · 09/10/2012 20:15

Oh, I was assuming it was very wet and leaking so needed doing, I didn't realise it was a pooey nappy. In that case I'm not surprised they weren't happy.

secondseverncrossing · 09/10/2012 20:15

"I complained to the manager, but she shrugged her shoulders"

What was the nature of your complaint? That staff frowned at you?

ScaryBOOAlot · 09/10/2012 20:17

Did they not have a changing room or toilet?

TBH if you discover a nappy has leaked, the damage has already been done, so rushing won't fix it.

How would you feel as another customer if you saw someone else changing a nappy randomly in the middle of the shop?

Oh - and as someone who has worked in a shop before, and does the odd shift now, the whole "The customer is always right" attitude is such bollocks, YABU just for that.

secondseverncrossing · 09/10/2012 20:17

"What do they expect me to do? To simply leave the shop and change my baby in the street? Or drop all my shopping and rush to the nearest Mac Donald's?"

I would have asked them to keep my shopping by for me while I went off to find a changing room for my baby.

It's not that hard. Really.

Fairylea · 09/10/2012 20:17

Wow firstly I'm amazed you managed to take a 6 month old shopping for clothes and trying on clothes in oxford street.... !! My ds is 4 months and the most I've managed without him being grumpy and me being stressed is hastily grabbing wrong sized Tesco gear on the weekly food grab !!!!

Anyway I think Yabu. I probably would have hidden round a corner and done it ina doorway if there was no convenient changing room.

Indith · 09/10/2012 20:18

If it was poo and had leaked badly enough to need changing right away I am slightly in awe of the OP's ability to change it in a pushchair in under 3 mins. Last time ds2 leaked it went full width of his back right up to his shoulders about an inch thick.

MistressIggi · 09/10/2012 20:20

If you're going to do something that lots of people will find objectionable the trick is to a) attract the least attention possible and b) don't give a rat's arse if anyone frowns at you.
If you knew the area well I think going to toilets would be much better, however on Oxford Street I wouldn't have a clue where to go. Ten minutes can be the difference between a pooey nappy and an entirely poo covered baby.

ThreeEdgedSword · 09/10/2012 20:24

I've changed DS in all sorts of random places, wet (not pooey) nappy on the sofa in my local pub was my favourite Smile nobody batted an eyelid, but then they're very laid back...

If he needed changing, he needed changing. I have no problem stripping DS down and changing him in a relatively secluded spot if he needs it. Leaving them in wet and/or pooey nappies can cause all sorts of skin irritation, even if it is only for a few minutes. And that's assuming there's baby changing close by, in Central London. God the nightmares we've had with that...

Yika · 09/10/2012 20:24

Toilets don't always have a baby changing area and can be pretty gross. I would have done the same as you OP. if you have to go wandering off all the time trying to find somewhere 'appropriate' to change a baby you'd never get anything done. The window of opportunity is short enough as it is.

Anonymumous · 09/10/2012 20:26

Ugh, Indith - I really didn't want to know that!!!

ScaryBOOAlot · 09/10/2012 20:28

"Toilets don't always have a baby changing area" - do you not carry a fold up changing mat?

Indith · 09/10/2012 20:29

It really was most impressive Anon Grin.

Even if the nearest public loos didn't have baby chsnge the op has already demonstrated she can change baby on the pushchair and on pushchair in loos with handwashing facilities much better than in shop.

but then some people get potties out in shops too which I don't so we all have different boundries.

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nancy75 · 09/10/2012 20:32

You wouldn't believe the amount of disgusting stuff people leave in changing rooms. In my time I have found pooey nappies, used sanitary towels ( one was stuck to the wall) used tampons, dirty knickers, I could go on...I'm not suggesting that you would have done this op, but you can't blame the staff for not being too keen on you changing the baby.

TidyGOLDDancer · 09/10/2012 20:36

Hmmm. It wasn't particularly nice of you to do this, and I do think there was a better option. You could've asked the staff to hold onto your prospective purchases and taken your DS to the nearest shop with a dedicated changing area. If you have an exploding nappy, a few more minutes is not going to make much of a difference really.

bumperella · 09/10/2012 20:38

If you just change it wherever you are, then you must just end up looking for toilets anyway, to wash your hands? Or do you just not wash your hands after changing nappy? In which case, do you wash after using the toilet yourself? Whats the difference?
Is pretty gross if someone can't be arsed finding somewhere to wash hands after because you're too busy- is a basic courtesy to others.

If you're changing DC whilst he's in the pram anyway, then if the loo you go to doesn't have change facilities then just do it when he's in the pram?

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