Changing nappies outside

[SpicyTomatos]

We are new parents with a 10 day old baby. We made our first trip outside yesterday to a cafe for lunch which went fairly well.

I'm keen to go out more, but just wanted to understand what public nappy changing facilities are like. As it is our first baby, I've never previously paid attention to any such facilities. So, how easy is it to find public nappy changing places (for both women and men), and what do you do if you can't find any? For example, I imagine the cafe yesterday simply had one small toilet.

I have bought a travel changing mat, but it is not very big.

We live in London, and don't have a car.

Travel changing mat. Floor. Job done. Some toilets/baby changing facilities can be grim and stinky. Especially in summer when nappy bins are over flowing. Just don't change the baby's nappy on the cafe floor in front of loads of people eating their food. Be thoughtful and discreet. Lots of people aren't... Also if you are going out to a cafe for lunch change the nappy before you go. Unless you then have a poo emergency to deal with you should be able to get lunch done before next nappy change is due.

We just started choosing places on the basis of facilities and family friendliness. So big chains and department generally good eg pizza express, small boutique places often not. As kids get older there are more clues eg lack of high chairs and kids menus basically means they don't want kids there!

Make a note of where your nearest tourist attraction/major station/shopping malls are, their facilities are usually better. NCT do an app for your phone where you can search for and rate change facilities

Most restaurants will have a changing table.
All department stores and national trust places. Boot/back seat of car. In the pram/pushchair if out e.g. In the park. On a park bench if no one around. It's honestly not that bad, tiny babies can be changed anywhere and once they get bigger they need changing less often and things are a bit more predictable!

Big shopping malls are often great. The metrocentre has a mix of communal changing facilities and smaller family rooms with a loo in, which are great when you either have a mess to deal with or as babies get older. They also provide quiet rooms for feeding in, which are fantastic when you have a distractible baby.

Anywhere with one loo has to have an accessible loo, so, for example, the loo in the new Pret a manger in Durham is an accessible loo with a changing table in, too.

We have a pack of incopads from Amazon to use as disposable changing mats if we have to use anywhere a bit grim.

As others have said you get to know where has decent facilities. Department stores and shopping centres are often good.

And stores like M&S, Mother care, Mamas and Papas etc.

Agree with the other posters - you'll end up going to family friendly places because you feel more welcome there, and they will be the places with changing facilities.

Many thanks for all the advice, it is very helpful. I think we just need to get out there and try our local places.

I have downloaded the app which looks good.

Also, the incontinence bed pads seem like a great idea too for the filthy places.

Oh, do the Pampers change mats have any merit?

They are good but no real padding so you do need a plastic padded mat for a baby on tiled floor (though could have pampers mat under that to avoid floor contact). I will never forget having to change dd1 on the floor of the quikfit loo...grim!

You can manage with a thin mat put over a coat or even some plastic bags on the floor. You'll be surprised at how quickly you learn to improvise.

Nowhere grim, though, like in restaurant itself. Or on a park picnic table (I think changing nappies gets so routine that sometimes people don't stop to think). Some people would freak out if you chose their living room over their bathroom, too, even if it's a wet-only nappy.

If you are really stuck you can always put the change mat in the pram carrycot and do a quick change in there - I had to do that a couple of times at wedding receptions with no changing facilities and no quiet areas or side rooms.

Also you may be surprised, many small cafes with a single toilet have a fold down changing table

I would do a change anywhere out of the way, at high speed. So in a park, just on the grass, done and dusted in 30 seconds. Other people would insist on getting out padded mats, liners, three different types of wipe, creams, fastening the nappy three times, fiddling with it, changing a vest if the slightest drop of wee might be on it...

Each to their own. You get used to keeping eyes peeled for potential changing places, which is useful later when keeping track of potential places to take a small child to a toilet.

I'm in London too and it was very rare for me not to find a baby change in the places I went (pubs, cafes, galleries, museums, big shops etc). And parks, plenty of parks. I certainly don't recall ever having to change a nappy on the floor.

Shopping malls
Big supermarkets
Mothercare
Department stores (John Lewis is good IME)
At high speed in the pram!

This changing mat from IKEA is great as it's massive so can cover up and gnarly changing table fully. It's not padded though so more useful for an older baby (Or have a small padded one in the bag too!)

Even if you don't use cloth nappies, it's really useful to have a wetbag in the changing bag for pooey clothes. Cheap eBay ones work fine.

Most places have changing facilities, I'm also in London.

The baby rooms in Westfield Stratford are amazing. They have changing facilities, microwaves, bottle warmers, sofas, private feeding cubicles and mini play areas. Almost worth a visit on their own :) Never seen any changing facilities to top them.

With a teeny tiny baby, surely you can just more or less change in the pram? It only takes a minute. Put a muslin underneath baby's bum to protect pram seat.

It becomes much more challenging when you have a robust 30 month old to contend with!

All you need is a pack of wipes, a nappy, your knee and a rolled up towel! Small rolled up hand towels are softer, more absorbant and cheaper than change pads which i found just dribbled wee back down to baby

IN London also. I often just poped into a park area and changed them in pram carrycot on on mat on grass or bench. Usually easier than having To go in cafe if I wasn't planning to yet.