How do you manage to go to the toilet with DC when you're out and about?

[Maydream]

Genuinely curious about this. I only really thought about it yesterday whilst in town. My DS is 8 months and I went to change him in Debenhams, which is where I normally go as there isn't many baby changing facilities in the town centre.

Our store has a separate room for baby change which also has a toilet in as well. So if I ever need the loo, I always go there so I can change DS and go to the toilet as well.

However, yesterday the baby facilities were out of order and I needed to go to the toilet. I tried going in the women's but my pushchair has really big wheels and I couldn't get or fit it through the door.

I figured I could have used the disabled but you needed a key and I didn't feel right asking for one because I don't have a disability. In the end I just left early and went home. There isn't anywhere else in the town centre that has a toilet with a baby change in.

Has anyone else found this a bit of a PITA?

[WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes]

Our nearest big shopping centre has a few cubicles that are big enough to get a pushchair in, but if I was anywhere else I just made sure I went before I left home, and didn't drink tea or coffee which always make me want to go more.

[Seriouslyffs]

End loo with pram blocking the loo!

[Maydream]

I'm pregnant at the minute so I feel like I need to go all the time! I've never even thought of this an as issue until yesterday. I need to have a back up plan in place now.

[Seeline]

If there wasn't a special mother/baby one, I used the disabled one. If that wasn't available, then find the most discrete cubicle and put the pushchair across the doorway. By the time you've given birth you have no dignity left anyway This last method is even more fun when you have a fee range toddler and a baby in a pushchair - my toddler used to love making a run for it through the open cubicle door as soon as my bum touched the seat!!

[MargueriteA]

Normally the end loo with the pram blocking the cubicle, if it's not too busy.

If it is busy I've committed the (apparent) cardinal MN sin of asking someone further back in the queue if they wouldn't mind keeping an eye on the pram, if DC was fine.

In your situation I think I would have gone and asked a member of staff what I should do, as the access to the women's loos sounds quite narrow.

Generally most places around us the large toilet is both disabled and baby change in one.

[Maydream]

There's a baby changing facility for the shopping centre on the top floor which has a breastfeeding room/changing tables but no toilets. The only other one in the shopping centre is Debenhams. There are a couple of others outside (Marks and spencer and BHS) but the baby changing is situated in the women's loos and not in the disabled. If there was a baby changing in the disabled I wouldn't mind going in there, but when there isn't I don't feel I should be using the facility.

[logfiresspit]

leave the buggy outside, hold the baby on your knee.
Or, if the buggy fits in the room, but not the cubicle, leave baby there while you wee. Nobody's going to take them.

[Gillian1980]

I've left the pram out by the sinks, taken baby and handbag in with me and sat baby on my knee.

[Xmasbaby11]

Leave baby in buggy in toilet area and go in cubicle if baby happy in buggy. If not, bring him in.

You quickly learn which toilets are best around town. If no other option I'd use disabled. I doubt anyone would argue - if you can't think of a way round it, they wouldn't be able to either.

[Xmasbaby11]

I always think it's bonkers when baby change has no toilet! Bad design.

[Vazder]

huh?

can you not take the baby out of the pram and hold them on your lap while you are weeing?

thats what I did

[katienana]

I use the pram to block the cubicle door. If you need to change a tampon or do a poo it's really awkward to hold a baby as well. I do get that it's not ideal to do those things with the door open but it's quicker if you're not holding a baby and no one will look.

[Footofthestairs]

Buy a Radar key, use the disabled loos. Far easier with prams/buggies and also means you can use the easiest accessible loos when potty training too!

[Vazder]

Don't use the disabled loos

you are not bloody disabled! You have a baby, fgs leave the pram outside.

If you need a poo or a tampon change then wait until you get home. Although I have managed to poo quite successfully while also smiling at baby on knee.

[Maydream]

The pushchair will not even wedge I front of the door to block it. The wheels are too big. So the door would be completely open if I did this. I will try leaving the buggy outside and taking the baby in...although when I have a newborn and just over a one year old this is going to be a lot harder to do.

I don't use the disabled loos unless we're in a restaurant and they have a baby change in them as well. In future if it becomes a problem I'll just hold it and catch the bus home.

[Maydream]

I know someone who left the buggy outside by the sink. She had her buggy nicked!

[Artandco]

Buggy outside. Baby on lap or take baby travel changing mat and put that on floor with baby sitting or laying on that

[JassyRadlett]

Cafes like Costa and Caffe Nero often have looks that are combination baby change and accessible - they are my go to if the sensible baby change + loo ones in the department stores aren't available.

I was in Carluccios the other day, when a lady came in with a child needing the loo. They were very nice about it - apparently it is policy to accommodate anyone with a child who is needing the loo, not sure if it's store or company policy though.

[Maydream]

Jassy- I'll keep a look out for those! Thanks

[NickyEds]

As pp said Costa are ok, so are supermarket toilets in my experience. Strangely enough my local Mothercare is a nightmare, no toilet in the change room and a long toilet with a single loo in it so you'd have to literally pee in front of any passing shoppers if you wedged the door open with the buggy. If I'm stuck there I use the disabled one. One of the main places I shop is at least an hour away from my home (I don't drive), if the one in Costa was out of order I'd use the disabled. No way could I hold it that long. Quite a few places now have disabled/baby change toilets.

[GoldPlatedBacon]

My local John Lewis has a large toilet in the parents room as does another independent department store. I use disabled toilets if needs be but there are plenty of times that ive just wee'd with the door open and pushchair in front

[BertieBotts]

Leave baby in buggy in main part of toilets. Or if no space, leave baby in buggy outside toilets, ask stranger to watch (did this at a train station once).

It's a really vanishingly tiny chance that somebody would happen to be in the toilets who happened to want to steal a baby just at the time you happened to leave them there.

[fabrica]

Buy a Radar key, use the disabled loos. Far easier with prams/buggies and also means you can use the easiest accessible loos when potty training too!

How dare you? Absolutely disgusting behaviour. If you are not disabled you should NOT be using the disabled toilet just because you have nowhere to put your bloody precious whining child!! If you can't use a normal toilet because of your stupid children then bloody well stay at home!!!

[fabrica]

And yeah, if you really can't manage to go for a shopping trip without needing a shit there's probably something wrong with you. Do it at home. Why do you think you're entitled to use a disabled toilet?

[tiggy2610]

I'm not condoning buying a radar key in any way, nor would I use the disabled loos unless they were the joint baby change/accessible toilets but "if you can't use a normal toilet because of your stupid children" is completely unnecessary and out of order. I struggle to use normal loos when our and about with a newborn, after giving birth I didn't have the ability to 'hold it' as well as I do now. I used to have to pee with the door open with the pram blocking the door, especially if DS was asleep. I can assure you that my son is neither stupid nor a whiner, wasn't his fault I needed a wee