Changing nappies on airport seats

[KittyCoo]

I don’t have any DCs yet and not planning on ttc for a few years.

I was at a mallorca airport last and the plane was about to board abd a lady changed her around 4/5mth old baby’s dirty nappy on the passenger seats. I told her that was disgusting and people have to sit there to use the bathroom opposite as there was a changing table in there. admittedly there was a big queue but not the point imo.

When I have DCs, I’d never dream of doing that, I’d always use the facilities provided in the vicinity as respect and courteousness to others. I personally believe it’s lazy parenting not to use adequate facilities available!!!

AIBU, that some parents with babies these days think they’re so entitled just like the one I’ve described above ? And AIBU for berating her actions the way I did ?

No she won’t. It sounds like she has standards!

Of course it is. Still emergencies happen. Still I wouldn't have berated her. Perhaps the nappy was leaking badly and it was the choice between waiting and making it worse-or a quick change.

I think a fair few people would be pretty shocked if they knew what lives on public seats

Very well said @Theseventhmagpie

it seems like people lack them abd common sense these days doesn’t it 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m sure when OP does, she’ll make a better parent than those who inflict their precious darlings’ nappy changes on other travellers. I’m guessing that you’re one of them who thinks this is acceptable. It isn’t, it’s vile 🤢🤮

This is the thing. Whatever the mother had done there would be complaints. If she'd waited and done it on the plane then there's be complaints about the smell - leaking mess even - and possibly a wailing baby during take off. Then there would complaints about how long it takes in the tiny plane loo with other people waiting. If she had gone and waited in the queue and told the stewards as you suggested the. someone would be complaining when the flight was delayed or because she was boarding late and causing disruption etc. It's stressful travelling with a baby and youre thinking on your feet in these scenarios. You might not always make the perfect choice, but I doubt it was done without so e embarrassment and stress. I'm sure she was careful to clean up as best she could afterwards.

I won’t go as far as lazy parenting - you’re changing a nappy. Not changing a nappy would be lazy.

I personally wouldn’t do it out in the open, not because of hygiene, judgement or any reason other than I don’t know what wrongun is looking.

This is assuming there's a changing table in the men's loo which there often isn't.
Otherwise you'd be putting a tiny baby on the floor in a mens toilet.
Absolutely no one is going to do that with their baby. You might think it rude to use the seats but if you have a baby there's no way you'll be putting it on the floor in the men's loos.

It's not about standards, it's about having to make parenting decisions under stressful conditions.

If you would opt for potentially missing a flight vs having to quickly change a nappy in public, then that's your choice.

Unless what a parent is doing is dangerous, then you shouldn't judge unless you're perfect yourself.

Did you send your dp to check the mebs toilets for baby changing?

She's about to board a plane. She used a changing mat. Its not ideal but better than a child on a plane with a stinking nappy surely?

Is it common sense to change a baby on the floor of the mens loos?

Didn’t you say it was boarding though? I think she was right to quickly change it rather than board a plane with a baby who has a smelly nappy. Better for the baby and the other passengers. She might have thought she wouldn’t be able to use it until the flight was fully in the air and seat belt signs off.

Personal view is that in that instance, I’d have just used the baby change as soon as I got onto the plane as we all know they don’t move right away anyway. Worst case scenario I’d of changed my baby on their pram out of the way as wouldn’t want anyone seeing her with her nappy off anyway. Not saying anyone is looking, just feels uncomfortable tbh. I hate those European communal baby changes for the same reason. But that’s as a parent of 2 who has done a lot of travelling with them.

Maybe we need an ‘outrage at impromptu nappy changes board’ with all these threads.

OP if you are this sensitive you really shouldn't go around berating others in public.

If I had seen you telling a stressed mom in an airport handling a difficult situation (you said yourself there was a big queue for the toilets, and maybe she was looking after multiple children alone and couldn't wrangle them all into a baby change cubicle in time) that she was disgusting, I'd probably tell you to back off and leave her alone.

Yes, really fucking gross but my sister with her first child proceeded to change him on a cafe table a few days after birth while we just sat and stared at her until the cafe staff came over and were like erm no. Some people just have absolutely no clue and are very absorbed in themselves. But you are right, it's grim.
I remember a recent thread where the OP was horrified because a lady told her off for letting her six year old pee in the supermarket car park instead of taking her to the toilet. Some people just genuinely think other people are cool with their child's shit and piss in the way that they obviously are.

@Athreedoorwardrobe @Dartmoorcheffy he went to use the loo a few minutes before the incident, that’s how the conversation came about

@spicetails read the above post.

@newrubylane your post out of everyone’s on here is the most sensible, varied and open minded, so thank you. It sounds like she would’ve been damned if she’s done wfat she’d done, damned if she’d waited in the queue! Although, I wouldn’t mind a flight being delayed due a poonami being help up in the loo!! I’d rather that than laziness of the cabin crew not turning up to work on time!!!

I would never ever change a poo nappy in public usually however in a queue right before a plane I could actually understand as you’re stressed you’ll miss boarding and know if you didn’t do it you wouldn’t get a chance for ages while the plane takes off. Kind of disgusting for other people but I get it and would definitely sympathise with a stressed new mother of a little baby.

To berate her like that is shameful and I hope you look back with embarrassment when you have your own children.

This

But you don’t have kids yet and you don’t understand. I’m waiting for my first to finally come out and join us - I wouldn’t dream of judging a parent who’s probably just trying their best. Because I’m not a parent yet and I don’t understand.

Like other posters have said, maybe there wouldn’t have been time to find the right facilities, change the little one and get back in time to board. That you felt entitled to go and berate her? Christ, that’s just…well, I hope a judgey little madam does the same to you when you’re a parent 😂. Maybe you’ll even look back on this and groan at how you behaved at that point.

A few months ago I was in the library and a woman hastily brought out a travel potty for one of her children and proceeded to let her shit on it. I WAS disgusted, it stank but I didn’t say anything, just hastily moved well away. The woman who was working in the library came over and absolutely tore her to pieces, saying it was awful parenting to allow it and she should be ashamed. Now on the one hand I agreed, there was a toilet, albeit occupied. But the woman was in such a state that I asked if she was ok and she sobbed that she was trying to potty train her twins and had just been caught out. She felt absolutely shite to have been called out like that, the kid was old enough to pick up on it all too, someone having a go at their mum like that while in their mind they were doing what they were supposed to do and get the poo in the potty 🤦🏻‍♀️ the mum was still crying when they left.

so yeah on the face of it, gross, but i ended up feeling really sorry for her. That’s why I’d never do what you did OP and just have a go.

So should she have:

1. missed the plane; or
2. not change the nappy and have that child scream for 45 minutes until you could take seat belts off so she could change his nappy? (My baby never ever slept with a pooey nappy and would have just screamed and screamed at that age).

The men's loo being available is useless. 90% of the time the men do not have a changing table. And even if they do, her DH could he a useless twat that never changes a nappy.

She really had v little choice here.

Come back after you actually give birth.

I’m just back from flying with a baby and I think that changing a poopy nappy around other people and on seats is gross. If it really needed doing out of the baby change facilities then find somewhere quiet and where people aren’t expected to be sitting around. Maybe I’m extra but I also wouldn’t want to strip my baby off in front of everyone in public for his sake either. He’s only tiny but still deserves an amount of dignity. I wouldn’t say anything to her but I would judge.

I agree, it’s totally different before solids

Having the truth pointed out to you isn’t berating.

I suggest you get a thicker skin - you’re going to need it once you become a parent .

That's absolutely pathetic of the mum though. You can't let your kid shit in a potty in a public building that other people use. You just can't. Nobody cares that she's potty training - she has to make sure to carry spare clothes and wait for the toilet to become free and then deal with whatever mess has resulted. Bursting into tears isn't a get out of jail free card - she behaved disgustingly and obviously planned for this and thought it was okay.