Low weight limit on changing tables

[IABURQO]

I've just noticed on a restaurant changing table that it has a weight limit of 11kg / 1 year old. WTF? What is anybody supposed to do with heavier babies and babies over 12 months? They can't all be toilet trained by 1 year and my DS is over 98th centile for height, weight etc so he'll be 11kg by 8 months. I can sort of understand the restaurant fitting it without thinking, but AIBU thinking that this is just not big enough nor strong enough and shouldn't even be sold? I'm also now worrying that I'm going to have to start checking weight limits everywhere, it's in such small writing I'd never noticed before. Also, how do people change bigger kid nappies when out and about apart from parent rooms?

Once mine started walking, even at home I would change nappies when she was stood up, unless it was a poo. Luckily she never pooed when out.

So I have to teach him how to stand really well by 8 months? That's going to be hard.

Sorry missed the 8 months bit. Honestly I don't know, I never really read the restrictions . What about in the pram if your seat lays back?

Yeah, that's pretty gross and risky for a poo nappy, but I guess it'll be the only option. It's also a bit tricky though as it doesn't go totally flat for his bum.

I still use them, I don’t think they’d suddenly break even within a slightly heavier child.

I still change my nearly 3 year old on them. He's about 2.5 stone. He's a bit long but we manage. I've tried changing a poo nappy standing. Not easy!

Never seen one with a limit that low.
There was a rickety one attached to a wall that I used yesterday and the limit was 30kg as I was trying to work out how heavy my 2 year old was.

30kg is around 4.5 stone and he’s nowhere near that.
I reckon he’d be over 11kg tho.

Bring a mat and change on the floor. I always reckoned the floor was cleaned more than the tables.

I had nearly top centile babies, I used the changing tables until they were out of nappies (2-2.5).

Dc3 is walking and around 11kg but does not stand still, and uses mainly cloth nappies which he has to lie down. Saying that he doesn’t lie very still either

ileclerc there's probably a lot of truth in that actually

The changing table can probably handle a lot more than the stated weight. They usually test them with a lot more weight, but put less on itas a maximum to avoid getting sued if something does go wrong and the weight on the table was heavier than stated.

I doubt the weight of an 8 month old baby would break a changing table. If you think that’s bad then imagine changing your disabled child’s incontinence pad on the floor, as the vast majority of places still don’t have adequate disabled facilities.

Just carry on using it. I changed my 22kg 5 year old on a changing table with a 15kg limit. His legs dangled over the end but it was fine.

When my DS was 10 months he was 13.1kg... there was lots of baby equipment we couldn't use/buy while he still needed it (bath seats, some high chairs, changing tables...). I'd probably risk it while out if it seemee sturdy enough and he wasn't too far over the limit, but wouldn't buy anything I needed to use regularly with a low limit.

P.S. He's now 17 months and has slimmed down to 12.64kg. He's still 98th percentile (height too) at that though!

I spoke to the manager, who has passed on multiple complaints to his head office about it and gave me details to complain as he isn't happy they haven't replaced the table. Just sent off my complaint advising them to include it in their corporate risk assessment as it may affect their public liability insurance if people are unwittingly using the table and there's an accident.

I can't imagine how hard it must be with an older disabled child, I'd never even considered that before, there should be sensible changing facilities that can take even an adult 80kg really. Is there any campaign for that which I could support?

offering baby changing and disability changing are two different things. Many places don’t offer baby changing at all, but do have disabled toilets they offer the key to, and technically they haven’t done anything wrong.

I think the point @cadburyegg was making was that the disabled facilities weren't adequate because they have a toilet but no pad changing facility.

No company has to offer baby changing, no, but if it's there and people use it with heavier children than the table is designed for then that's an accident risk.

IABURQO - yes mumoam.co.uk or www.changing-places.org

I had to change my disabled DD on the toilet floor until she was almost 7 but of course many people need these facilities into adulthood. Drop in the ocean for most large companies but few are prepared to provide adequate changing facilities.

I use them for my nearly three year old if he poos when we are out. I have never looked at the weight limits. I would expect there would be a bit of a warning if it was going to collapse, rather than it happening instantly.

My baby weighed that at barely 5 months old (he's going to be OUTRAGEOUSLY tall). I would hope that the limits are just set far lower than the actual tolerances, because there's no way to change a 5 month old standing up!

Thanks @Richlyfruited, I'll do some follow-up.