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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask my local mothercare if they could give me a nappy for my soiled dd ?

159 replies

Lilyloo · 28/03/2009 21:23

Basically i got caught out without enough nappies today.
Teething etc lot's of soiled nappys.
I ask at the till if they can provide a nappy and am told no!
I didn't have the £8.99 for a 24 pack but was a bit surprised tbh.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lilyloo · 29/03/2009 13:27

Nametaken i had been to 2 other stores previously , we had been there for an hour or so i would say. I then went into mothercare as i had promised the dc's to look at the toys and bought a birthday card whilst i was in there.

Really!!!

Thankfully there has been a mixed response on here.
I was surprised and still am that a lot of other large , not necessarily 'mothercare' type places do this service and i honestly thought they would.

However i can fully understand how the minority can spoil it for the few and why the store may choose to not give a nappy.

I would definately ask another mum again in the future though!

OP posts:
conniedescending · 29/03/2009 13:34

I think it was entirely reasonable to ask for a nappy in mothercare - I'm suprised they didn't give you one...bad customer service that is.

am more suprised at the number of posters expecting you to explain every little detail of your shopping trip - certainly doesn't sound like the OP was trying it on to get a freebie.

Lizzylou · 29/03/2009 13:39

YANBU, I would have asked (DS2 used to poo 8/9 times a day at one point and there are only so many nappies you can lug around with you), Asda has nappies out in their changing rooms and I am sure I have been in a big Mothercare and seen nappies out to help yourself to. Would make sense for them to offer them, as BOF says.

Anyway, seems we cracked the potty training with DS2 this weekend(finally!)so no more nappies for me

nametaken · 29/03/2009 13:44

OP - I think you've hit the nail on the head. Yes, they should have provided nappies, but, as ever, the minority and spoilt it for the majority.

Hope your dd's better now anyway.

ZZZen · 29/03/2009 13:47

tbh it never crossed my mind to ever ask in a shop for a nappy. I had no idea any shop would hand you one, not even a place like mothercare.

PringlePopper · 29/03/2009 14:01

Back in the years when my children were babies our local Mothercare had a fully equipped baby changing/feeding room and everything you needed was supplied, including nappies. It was a Godsend!

Eve4Walle · 29/03/2009 16:18

It's a shame they said no, Sainsbos and Tescos used to keep them in their baby change facilities but I expect people just took the piss and took loads instead of just using one.

I got caught like that a while back, I didn't have much cash on me, but just enough for a pack of Tesco's Value nappies, so I bought them for use in emergencies (not the bst nappies in the world but they do the job until you get home) and I keep the pack in the boot of the car now.

stroppyknickers · 29/03/2009 16:21

the other day i was out shopping and could have really done with a little jacket or something as i was a bit cold....

belgo · 29/03/2009 16:32

Gosh local children's shops in my town don't even have facilities to change a nappy, or even let a child use a toilet, imagine if I dared ask for nappy.

katiestar · 29/03/2009 19:38

I think they should.All the supermarkets round here provide nappies and wipes free , so why a specialist baby shop doesn't, I really don't know

Sassybeast · 29/03/2009 19:57

YABU.

brimfull · 29/03/2009 20:01

yanbu-I think it would be great PR if they provided you with one.
You'd be starting a thread about how impressed you are with them instead.

nickytwotimes · 29/03/2009 20:02

They have them in Tesco's baby change room, which is nice, but not to be expected.
If you are leaving the house with a child who wears nappies and do not have the organisational skills to make sure you have plenty on you, tough. Asking another parent as suggested above is a bloody good idea though.

differentEggD · 29/03/2009 20:05

ggirl- would you start a thread like that? or would you see it as no more than they should?

FrannyandZooey · 29/03/2009 20:15

I have stolen toilet roll from a pub before
it was a long old time ago, but obviously, not a good thing to do

btw if i was the op i would have asked too, although i am not surprised they said no
i do not think it hurts to ask politely, though

JustKeepSwimming · 29/03/2009 20:17

Well i might not start a thread about it, but would tell my RL friends so they knew where to go if stuck.

And if i saw a thread on good customer service i would add to it.

Nickytwotimes - too harsh re 'organisational skills' (IMVHO) OP has already done 3 nappy changes in the hour or so she was out. LO changed her pooing habits (probably due to teething) after OP had left home.
Would you really take more than 3 nappies for a child for an hour or so's shopping trip? i know i don't.

NeedCoffee · 29/03/2009 20:21

bloody hell, can't believe some of the responses on here.

Definately not unreasonable to ask, and not that unreasonable for them to say no, but i think they could maybe have some set by in case of emergencies, determined by their own discretion.

And theres no way i would leave a child in a dirty nappy, would alwaya prefer paper towels, dd2 gets such bad nappy rash after even 5 minutes in a pooey nappy.

At least you can lok on the bright side, the fresh air probably did lo's bum some good after having lots of loose nappies

nickytwotimes · 29/03/2009 20:29

JKS, yes, too harsh, sorry.
However, I learned the hard way never to leave home with less than 6!

LuckySalem · 29/03/2009 20:33

After this thread have just loaded the boot up with a pack of nappies, spare set of clothes and a pack of wipes.
May even add a spare set of clothes for myself after getting weed on by my auntie's dog yesterday.

bergentulip · 29/03/2009 20:35

Just cos we have children does not make us entitled to freebies.

Hot water - yes.
Nappy / wipes / milk / food - no.

JustKeepSwimming · 29/03/2009 20:36

6?

Ok i'm going to stock car up too, lol

I suppose most of the time i know i'm going to proper baby-friendly places/with other mums but still won't hurt....

noonki · 29/03/2009 20:40

yanbu at all.

Sidge · 29/03/2009 20:42

I am not surprised that Mothercare were less than helpful.

When I was very pregnant with DD1 over 10 years ago I was gobsmacked to discover that the large Mothercare store in our shopping centre didn't even have a customer toilet, just a baby change room consisting of a changing unit and a chair. Not even a sink to wash your hands!

I pointed out to the managaress that it would probably be a good idea to have a loo in a store catering for pregnant women and small children. She just shrugged.

Mothercare are shite IMO.

LuckySalem · 29/03/2009 20:43

Just so you know, Normally I never take more than 2 nappies out with me as DD doesn't go through her nappies very often and I would have asked I also would have been shocked they said no but I wouldn't have thought them unreasonable (once I'd thought it through)

I would also have done towells rather than dirty nappy. That's just nasty.

flowerybeanbag · 29/03/2009 20:48

Our Mothercare doesn't even have babychanging facilities let alone free nappies.

I went in hoping to be able to change DS when he was tiny. I was told I could use the floor of the dressing room in the corner of the shop if I wanted.

Dressing room was about 3 feet square so I was hanging out into the shop at the time.

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