changing baby in public places

[Brodicea]

Hello all, I'm currently 31 weeks pregnant with my first and pondering several baby-care questions - one in particular is the following:

Last week I met up with a friend and her baby (four months) for lunch, lo and behold baby needs changing but they don't have official baby-change facilities in the restaurant so my friend left to go across the street to a shopping mall to change the baby which of course took ages, and she had to queue etc. But the restaurant was quite nice, and the loos were actually pretty clean and I thought 'why not change the baby on the floor here? Plenty of space, looks clean,' we weren't talking right up against the pedestal, it was a roomy downstairs loo type room. I asked my DH and he said that it was pretty gross to change a baby on the floor of a toilet, and I felt like a right minger!

What would you do oh wise MNers?

Not change the baby on the floor! I would probably change the baby in the pushchair or if it was a long sink unit change baby on there.

I've done it on the floor in clean loos. You get travel changing mats, it's fine. Though I don't know which way this thread will go!

The one thing I don't like, though, is changing babies in the middle of restaurants, shops etc. I've done the odd wip off of a wet, not dirty, nappy in a pub garden but not inside.

travel changing mat and floor or workspace at sink. I wouldn't have left a restaurant to change a baby and would have complained about the lack of facilities

I would change on bathroom floor or on side next to sinks if big enough. You have a travel size changing mat with you anyway so it's not like baby is actually on the floor, and like you say not actually around toilet seat.

It's very unusual they have no space to change anyway

I have changed a nappy in a toilet cubicle many times.

But never on the floor. Though I have sometimes spread a travel change mat on the toilet lid and done it there. Usually I have sat on the closed toilet lid and put the baby on my lap.
Or once they can stand, I use pull up nappies when out, and stand them on the toilet lid, or floor.

I have changed a tiny newborn next to the sinks in toilets.

I ended up changing dd on the floor of Asdas toilets, in the public space as well as couldn't fit in a cubicle. She had pooped and was screaming and I couldn't find the baby changing (which stupidly are not near the toilets but on the other side of the store)

It was fine, the toilets were clean and she was on a travel mat.

Not on floors unless a real emergency....I've nipped out and changed in the car occasionally when in a place with limited facilities.

I have changed a baby on the floor of the ladies' loo many times using a travel change mat.

She'll change as the baby gets older. I did that when ds was that age but as he got older got travel changing mat and now just change him wherever. Within reason of course.

Floor, lap, worktop by the sink (watch out for flailing legs setting off dryers...)

Whatever I put on the floor gets a wash as soon as I get home though.

Travel mat on the floor and once they're older, standing up nappy changes.

I would have sat on the toilet and changed the baby on my lap, its easy enough to do. Carry a clean muslin around to spread out on your lap to safeguard your clothes.

Hmm, thanks all - toilet lid is a good idea, as is lap or sink / workspace and I guess it would have to be considered on a case-by-case basis on the toilets in question. I guess I kind of thought it would be OK, well as long as there is a changing mat on you and you're not in the 'spray zone' plus as he/she won't actually touch the floor in any case although the mat might be dirtied....

I'm a bit clueless (and terrified!) but just thought it seemed such a polava to get baby back in sling, walk across a busy road and have to wait for ages meanwhile baby gets crankier and pooier. On the other hand, I guess we were clueless enough to chose somewhere without facilities! She didn't have a pushchair with her unfortunately.

I would change a baby on public toilet floor mat or not. I regularly change baby in car or buggy/pram no queues!

Little ducks- we don't own a car, and very rarely use pram as sling easier on tube. So all of your options wouldn't be an option to us

If I had to I would do it on a loo floor provided it was spacious and spotless . If the loo wasn't clean enough or roomy enough I would do it in the pram/pushchair in a corner somewhere I once laid dd in the boot of the car to change her !

I have changed my son on a change mat on a toilet floor (which was clean and dry and not yucky) Not ideal but needs must.

I've also changed him on a change mat on the grass verge at the side of a motorway.

Travel change mates are wipe clean, as long as your baby isn't touching the floor and you make sure your mat is clean I don't see the problem. (quick wipe with dettol and mat is fine)

Artanco- agree sling is easier on tube, I suppose I tend to go into central London on tube so there are more toilets and change facilities available. Otherwise outdoor spaces work well, have changed (fast as it gets chilly) on park benches/grass verges/low walls.

I have never perfected the change on lap thing, all my babies have been wriggly but i reckon if you could do that it would help.

Not on the floor but have done on some ledges/shelves on the toilets, always on a changing mat.

have also used the pram, or a pub garden bench...

or out in the hills and walks she actually quite liked the wind in her bits

Toilet floor fine for me. Travelling with DH and DS in developing countries, a clean toilet floor is a blessing, have done much worse. As long as you have a changing mat for them to lie on they are not coming into contact with anything horrible or dangerous, and they certainly won't remember!
I have a great changing mat which is like a fold out thing, has pockets for nappies and wipes and a changing mat in the middle, when DS was little could do it in the space between the sinks in the toilets.

I'm another who would have put used a disposable travel changing mat on the floor and thrown it out afterwards. At 4 months the baby wouldn't have rolled or crawled off, so it is hygienic.

Needs must, so yes I too have changed on clean loo floors, car boot / back seat, park benches etc. TBH in that situation I'd have done it in the restaurant and handed the nappy sack to the manager, might encourage them to fit a fold down changing table and I'm a bit stroppy when my meals are interfered with

Both my DCs were born in Belgium where baby changing facilities are really rare (seem to be getting better now though). Many a time I've had to use travel changing mat and change them on the floor of the ladies, normally in the sink area. Often in nice, family friendly restaurants as well!