Distressed baby going in to public toilets

[ClaireS17]

Has anyone ever experienced their baby becoming incredibly distressed/scared in a public toilet?

My 5 month old baby boy becomes very upset every time we go to one. It happens if I change him or even if he just accompanies me in while I go. I can’t seem to work out if it’s the lighting, the smells, sounds etc…. But I don’t know how to help him. I’ve tried singing, showing him toys, reassuring him, cuddling him but nothing seems to make any difference. I hate that he gets so upset - he is such a happy little soul and it is so out of character for him to scream like this.

Any suggestions greatly received.

Hand dyers. Mine were probably around 4 before they stopped being terrified of them.

Hand dryers - terrified my DS. He had glue ear.

Yep Hand driers. My almost 3 year old hates them!

That was my initial thought but I went in with him to disabled toilet today and couldn’t hear any yet he still got upset. Unless he has super hearing and can hear some in the distance.

My little girl hated the noise of the driers. They really are loud to sensitive little ears. I wiped my hands on my trousers for a couple of years and used to ask people to hang on a second on using it while we fled if I was washing my hands when they were.

Yes I’ve two of them screaming when we go in one, I cross my legs most of the time.

Cross posted. Lol. She quickly learned to anticipate the bloody driers and screamed in case someone used one.

Definitely hand driers. Something about the pitch I think which small children can hear that adults can’t pick up

Yup, hand dryers. DS1 absolutely howled the first time he heard one, I'd never heard wailing like it before! He's almost three now and it's not much better, to the extent that I hold it up until we get back home unless it's a one toilet space.

Are you using a change mat or similar on the change tables? They can be very cold without.

Hasn’t thought of that - these babies are very clever aren’t they. You don’t realise when they develop from those tiny newborns in to proper little babies. My plan is to keep going in and just trying to just get him used to it. I got stopped in Marks and Spencer’s today as the lady recognised my little on screaming and asked if everything was okay!

I did think about the changing mat - I wondered if it was too hard so I bought a thicker one. The problem I’ve found is now he screams in the toilet even if I don’t change him.

We had the hand driers issue for ages with my eldest, I'd say she was uneasy with them til about age 4.

Yup. DD is 3 and she still freaks out in anticipation of hand dryers!

Unfortunately for me I have a condition similar to IBS so holding it in isn’t an option and I often need to go in a few times!

My DS is the same, but I think it's enclosed spaces. He hates lifts too.

Are your babies freaked out by other noises or is it just hand dryers? Everyone has always commented how good he is around noise - sirens, blenders etc…

I concur: hand dryers. Or maybe it's the smell?

My experience is babies don't get used to things. They just scream louder. I'd try to avoid it for a few more weeks/months instead. At about a year old he'd be able to tell you what exactly is upsetting him or he'd have forgotten about it.

It's the smell / lighting / sounds. Unfamiliar places. My lo was the same & I have UC. They do grow out of it - distraction is everything.

Mine hated the changing tables, even with a mat on. I still don't quite know what it was. Was fine otherwise but as soon as she went on there, freaked out!
2 now and confirm no long-lasting fear of public toilets. They will outgrow it. :)

Haha thanks! Its good to hear from people saying it does pass! Found it hard today. More so because people love to stare at a crying baby!

I'm pretty sure my 5mo doesn't like the lights. There is less screaming and crying in toilets with windows and natural light (this is not an exact science).

I just try to be quick, it's a necessary evil.
Interested to follow for any tips.

Hand dryers.

We had to avoid them for several years. Not 100% sure the 9yr old is ok with hand driers now,

Oh and loo cleaner, anything odd. We went to one in a village hall which had blue loo cleaner in the bowl. That was upsetting...

DD was terrified of hand driers till she was 10! There really must be something awful about them that adults can't hear.

We have a USB chargeable taser thingy for lighting candles, and when you turn it on, DH and I hear a tiny crackly hiss. The kids, on the other hand, will shout 'TASER!' from literally the other end of the house, because they can hear a loud sound from it that we just can't hear.