Am I a germ obsessed freak for thinking this?

[NotGotAClue1]

To think that it is gross to keep your travel changing mat that has touched the public baby changing surface in your changing bag to contaminate everything else!?

and here am I just changing my babies on the fold down table if there is one (on lap or in pushchair if not) and washing my hands with soap and water after 🤷🏼‍♀️

Microbiologist here…but yep every single thing you touch has potential to contaminate 🤷‍♀️ anti bac wipes are your best bet OP

Yanbu. But you need to know your audience!! On here the Hygiene Freak of the Week award is usually afforded to the poster who not only managed to not shower, but also used the same toothpick to dislodge bits of food from their teeth that they used to dislodge nits from their hair.

It’s a wonder any babies survived before the invention of anti bacterials. FFS, bacteria is everywhere, how are babies supposed to build their immune systems with this obsession for sterilising everything ?

Nice. Telling someone who likely has OCD/ anxieties around germs that they need to get a grip. What a lovely thing to do.

no, YANBU. tbh I would wipe down the changing surface before putting the mat down. or you can put it in a seperate bag inside the changing bag. or wipe it down after use?

I am someone who keeps outside and inside v separate though. I.e. shoes off in porch before I step foot inside, then clothes off and into wash (or hung in my worn once outside cupboard). then hand/face wash, wipe phone. keys, bag put on a table I use for keeping 'outside' things. all shopping gets wiped etc.

however I am on lifelong high dose immunosuppresants and am incredibly vulnerable (think multiple hospital admissions from things most people won't even notice). but babies are also quite vulnerable and public places, especially toilets in this country are often awful.

I felt like this too. I used to put it in a specific pocket in the bag.

Mine had a zip up pouch that I could put it in before putting back into the main bag. Just use a pedal bin liner in the meantime then detox the mat when you get home.

You mean the fold down ones in loos etc? I always used disposables on those, not because of germs (which don't bother me that much) but because I didn't want my kids crop dusted with cocaine.

I stopped worrying about stuff like that when my baby would crawl all over the place inside or outside and then suck her thumb.

Just give it a wipe with an antibac wipe, what kind of things do you think baby arses are harbouring?

I use puppy training pads and just dispose after use but only because every time we took DS nappy off he would wee. Needed something more absorbant than the plastic surface of changing mats! If you're concerned just give the surface a wipe before putting the mat down.

I am however wondering what I should be carrying in changing bag that I would be concerned about getting contaminated

Wipes,hand sanitizer.

I wipe down many things before using them.

Tray tables on planes.
Handles
Light switches

I have OCD though so I did these things long before COVID.

Trolley handles are disgusting but covid is airborne. If you are concerned, you need good quality respirator masks, not paper towel.

I have thoughts like this but am on the edge of OCD (diagnosed) with germs/contamination. I carried Milton anti bac and wipes everywhere when DS was a baby. Hand/toilet cleanliness is quite a big thing for me.