Changing nappies in church

[StormGlass]

We went to a christening today.

After the service had finished, and as people were starting to leave the church (quite slowly, as the family group were loitering around the font so guests could take photos if they wanted), one woman changed her little girl's shitty nappy on the end of one of the pews.

I thought this was very bad behaviour.

Okay, shitty nappies need to be changed before too long or the kid could get nappy rash - but the service had finished. People were leaving the church. I've never been in that church before, so no idea what the toilet facilities were like, but surely the mum could have found somewhere outside the church to change the nappy, if it needed doing urgently. Like the well tended grassy verge outside the church, or their car, for instance.

I didn't mention anything, as the family group didn't seem to notice and I didn't want to spoil their day by making a fuss about it. But I'm sort of wondering if I should have said something.

AIBU to think this was unacceptable behaviour? And pretty grim.

Wouldn't bother me at all. The service was over, people were on their way out. I'm a bit confused as to what you thought you would say to her.

We're lucky, we have baby changing facilities in our chapel but I've been to Mass in a few chapels that haven't.

Fay - I'll say it again, would it have been better to change my baby's nappy on the floor of a dirty train toilet instead?

I don't think God gives a shiny one, but it wouldn't even occur to me to think this was an OK thing to do.

Obviously other people's minds work differently. :-/

Raspberry - so I've been doing it wrong for the past 5 months??

Yanbu- she didn't even use a mat or lay a muslin down. That's pretty inconsiderate. Not to mention uncomfortable for her baby on a hard wooden pew (I'm assuming there wasn't a cushion on it or even more YUCK)

For you? probably not. for everyone else in the carriage? definitely.

There's a reason toilets are situated behind closed doors - it's because human shit is not nice. Small human shit is no more palatable.

Can't quite believe this needs explaining.

Don't forget the service was over and people were leaving the church I just cannot see the problem.

What does the fact the church is consecrated got to do with it?

phew glad it's not me your talking about!

But still guilty as charged!

and I'd do it again

I never said that baby shit smelt better. Just this...you really think that changing a young baby's bottom on a DIRTY TRAIN TOILET FLOOR would be better than doing it on the seat next to me? If we'd been in a double seat (we were actually on a table seat) I doubt anyone would have even noticed.

I think I need more wine.

Raspberry this is a bit theological :o Do I think God would be offended? I don't think He gets offended by much in a personal way but I think He does care about respect or lack thereof that people show each other and sacred places because it says a lot about their character. Would He expect that a parent run across a car park in the pouring rain to change a baby's nappy rather than discretely on a pew in an old church with no facilities? Doubt it. Would it not be reasonable though for a parent to use baby changing facilities where provided rather than think, "Can't be bothered, it's only poo and no one's watching"? Necessity and discretion in the first case, laziness and disrespect in the second. Or that's common sense to me anyway!

SarryB doesn't your nappy bag have a mat with it? If so, changing in the loo shouldn't be a problem.

Honestly, baby poo absolutely reeks! Why do people think it's okay to change them in public?

well I am assuming you'd have a travel changing mat, so wouldn't actually be directly on the floor. Do you really think that someone say 1 seat behind or in front wouldn't be able to smell it though? I'd say that's optimistic unless we're talking newborn breast milk poo.

Alconleigh = X-posts!

And my babies poo (breast -fed) smelt vile!

only if the nappy belongs to a baby or small child. adults should nip out to the loo rather than do it in the nave.

there isnt the bloody space in the toilet on a train to lie a baby down and change them even if you wanted to and they are generally fucking minging so even with a mat no i wont lie my baby down on a train toilet floor to change them! i either did it on the seat with a mat or if there was space i went to the space between two carriages and did it there, that is often full of pushchairs/bikes etc tho.

My church going GP friend changed her baby on a pub table where we had not yet finished eating. The pub had a toilet but no changing facilities as such. There was a grass verge nearby, which I would have considered using as it was a dry sunny day. I challenged her, and she just smiled sweetly and said 'it is only poo!'. I was so embarrassed.

I once went to a Church where a Mum put her child on a bright yellow potty in the middle of the service, and not in a quiet corner either. I wasn't offended as such, but thought it a bit strange and unecessary.

So you don't want a baby's dirty nappy next to you but it's ok for someone else to kneel on a sticky, pissy train toilet floor to change it?

You can normally smell the poo before the nappy comes off can't you? You certainly can with my boy! I'd normally even miss him doing a poo if it wasn't for the smell, because he'd happily sit in a dirty nappy for hours and not make a fuss.

And yes, I did use a mat, as I always do, but in my eyes, that's not really that much cleaner, when the floor is actually wet with piss.

(thank you 5madthings I thought I was the only one!)

see chaning a baby in an eating area is gross! i agree with that and i would go to a grass verge or take baby and pushchair outside and change in the pushchair if no facilities.

on a train there is no-where to go.

and at the end of a service if everyone is leaving and there are no facilities i dont see the problem with doing it in the church.

op you say you dont know what the toilets etc were like, maybe there werent any or any change facilities, maybe the parents had asked and been told it was fine to change there?