Baby change in ladies loos: Queue etiquette?

[GlamGiraffe]

Was in a shopping centre today, baby needed changing. Went to the loo area and only baby change was inside the ladies loos. lt is was also a loo cubicle.
Loo queue was huge, nobody with kids.
One change cubicle, maybe 11 other loos.
Do you wait in the line until you come to the front and wait for the baby change cubicle to become free as it's also being used as a loo, or do you go straight to the front and wait for the baby change separately as you can only use that one?

I did that the latter but wasnt sure ( and baby was stinky and having a poonami ) , got a lot of filthy looks from the women in the queue.

Also, after the 'hairy bum-gate' in the mens changing rooms scenario on here, what happens if my husband is alone in the shops now and needs to change the baby, we have established the only baby change us withings the ladies loos? Im not sure he'd be too popular marching in and I'm not sure he'd want to go in. Suggestions?

I’d have waited in the queue, or gone to other toilets if the queue was that bad. My husband always took the baby to “family toilets” like Debenhams, or ones where the baby changing was a separate cubicle rather than in the mens/ladies.

I'd just wait in the queue, as you can change a baby in any loo - it's just the change table makes it easier.

I think it's a really shit (pun intended) situation though, and you should complain to staff. For one thing, the only change station being in the ladies is poor practice. Much better to have a 'change loo' that's accessible to everyone (and is not also doubling as the accessible loo, which is another really silly option).

To answer your question about what your husband does if there's no baby change he can use: complain! And then after that, he needs to carry a rolled-up change mat in his changing bag. I never liked to put it on the loo floor because it's revolting, but with a newborn/small baby you sit on the loo, put the mat across your knees and the baby on the mat. Get out an unholy amount of wipes and open a nappy bag on the floor. Prepare to take a ridiculous amount of time wiping down baby and popping the wipes into the bag. Be aware this too shall pass.

Get out, rise hands, and pretend the lingering stench of baby poo is nothing to do with you.

It does get better as they get older, promise.