to expect to use a disabled toilet when I'm out with the pram?

[CT123]

I can't use the ladies when I have my baby with me in the pram. The only thing I can do is wheel him into the disabled toilet with me. But the disabled toilets have special locks on them, which presumably disabled people have special keys for. I appreciate that they want to stop able-bodied people hogging disabled toilets but what else can I do?

I agree with WillSelf in that in a society which considers itself to be 'progressive', then facilities which are commonly used by parents and children should where possible be designed to be 'family friendly'. That is what this is about, really.

There is no reason why this should not be designed to fit comfortably alongside facilities for disabled people. The two are often not mutually exclusive, as people here have pointed out.

As with public transport, it is possible for most people to cope and struggle with facilities that are far from ideal (and many, somewhat oddly imo, pride themselves on their ability to do this) but that doesn't make it right.

Yes there may be limitations of space, especially in smaller and older buildings, but there is certainly no excuse for larger department stores and public buildings not to be designed with this in mind.

peachy- wasn't looking for sympathy, i was just pointing out what some people may be thinking.

Although i would offer my sympathy to mother struggling to use a toilet with a set of twins and a baby i tow. I have empathy for others.

basically facilities can be crap we do what we see to be best, others think we are twats. I don't care, i know i'm not, i'm rather nice really .

So we need to complain and campaign loudly then .

In the meantime, how about offering to watch someone's baby for them next time you're in a public loo and see someone struggling? Just talk to the baby the whole time the mum is in the loo and then they don't need to worry.

I didn't mean that

I am ahrdly MN's meanest poster by a long way!

I just mean when the current world set up means I am often stuck at home unable to leave it because of the boys, I am not going to worry about other people - I might band together with them and complain perhaps if something was to be done, but I am not going to think 'oh yopu poor soul' when the worst that might happen is you might livce my existence for a weekend.

That, sinkingfast, is a practical, affordable and wholly sociable suggestion!

I like positive suggestions rather than moany 'what about meee' whinges in response to a problem, and I will admit that some of my repsonse on this thread has been to tone rather than content.

Only read OP. If they have a baby changing table in YANBU. If they don't YABU and you wheel the pushchair into the ladies. Wait until the very end cubicle is free. Leave the pram blocking the doorway and piddle as fast as you can. Or take baby out of the pushchair, leave pushchair by the sinks and take baby into the cubicle with you.

SGM, you can access the toilets from the food court on the lowest level which you can get to via lift....or at least you used to be able to.

And pushchair-users can take note of whether parent and child facilities are adequate AND whether separate disabled facilities are available and adequate while out and about, and instead of moaning, politely make a complaint to the customer service team.

sinkingfast - that is a rocking idea only I suspect some women will think you're a child snatcher! But I'm going to offer.

Some bloke asked me to mind his DD in her buggy while he went for a wee on the first occasion I ever left the house with my DS. I remember feeling totally panicked because I didn't even know what I was doing with one, let alone two!

Obviously sit baby on your lap whilst you wee if they can't stand up yet.

nappyaddict, if you read through the thread you might see some responses to your ideas.

It is a good idea sinkingfast, I have offered to watch someones baby a couple of times, when they were struggling once they just looked nervous and walked away (I look very nice - honest!), and the other mum said that her lo would be upset if she left him.

The thing is I really don't believe there is a paedodphile on every corner or any of that crap, but when a man on his own offers to watch my lo for me, I'm afraid that I will say no.

If you have more than one child you can sit one on your lap, and have one standing in the cubicle. If you have twins or two very young babies then you would have to leave one or both in the pushchair and leave the door open. Once when I was out with DS I unexpectedly came on when I went to the toilet. Whilst I have no problem going for a quick wee in the end cubicle that no one is likely to see there was no way I was putting a tampon in like that so I had to rush as quickly as possible to the nearest baby changing room (the sort with no toilet else i'd have gone there in the first place) and do it there.

WS - this thread is far too long now to do that!!

sorry I had to lol at seeing nappyaddict on this thread
(no offence I mean the name)

Willself, take your point about different disabilities and the invisibility of some of them, but...

diabetes, and injecting, is nothing that needs to be hidden away.

Do you eat in the toilet?

In which case, why should someone with diabetes inject in one?

How long do you people spend in the loo? Do you really believe that if you leave a child in a pushchair in a ladies loo for a minute or so someone is going to abduct them? The level of paranoia is simply overwhelming. Leave the pram/pushchair outside, go into a cuicle have a wee and come out again. Madness

You're quite right. Perhaps that wasn't a good example. I wasn't suggesting they should. But toilets are one of the few spaces that afford privacy in public.

Oh for god's sake. Read the thread. It's like groundhog day.