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Original poster

Just seen the worst nappy change ever :-(

181 replies

Sunfield · 08/11/2008 19:34

Earlier today I took my 3yr old into the changing room in a local precinct, another mum was already there dealing with her young daughter. Her son who must have been at least 4yrs wasnt in a nappy but had obviously just had an accident ! He patiently watched as mum changed his younger sister and I expected her to simply dry him off and change his clothing.

What I didnt expect to see was once she cleaned him up she produced a terry from the changing bag promptly folded it on her knee, grabbed the now nervous 4yr old and despite his obvious distress held him down while the nappy was pinned into place :-(

I've never seen a child so distressed, but from what I could see it was a regular thing after an accident. Mum just ignored any crying or tantrums and before you could blink the nappy was on.

Not a pleasant sight but this mum sure knew how to get a nappy on a wriggler in double quick time !

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Original poster
Sunfield · 16/11/2008 10:24

Ok I guess I did come across as been a tad critical, if the mum was Anonymouseone (which would have been a hell of a co-incindence) then please accept my apologies

I don't expect Anonymouse to disclose her whereabouts nor am I interested but if she is a mum who on that day used a pin fastened terry and used her lap to change the child on then it may well be the same mum.

The nappy was certainly put on in double quick time and the mum certainly knew how to get the job done speedily on a child who wanted nothing to do with it

OP posts:
Queenbebe · 17/11/2008 10:57

I don't get what all the fuss is about. I've changed hundreds of nappies, and watched other people do it, in all sorts of funny places. I've always used terry nappies, and have become very adept at pinning them on with DS over my knee or lap in tight spaces, and often in public places. It does'nt matter the age of the DC, if they need a nappy, they need a nappy, especcially when out and about. If anything, the most worrying thing I witnessed recently in a shopping centre, was a woman sitting on a bench with her moaning DS aged about 3 sitting in a pushchair, when she suddenly lifted him out, unpinned his terry nappy, and pulled up his plastic pants without putting a clean one on, put him back in the pushchair, and off they went! Perhaps she had run out of nappies, but best not to get involved or too upset.

lollipopmother · 17/11/2008 13:27

When i'm putting a nappy on my DD she regularly 'wants nothing to do with it'. Fact is though she needs a nappy so she bloody well gets one. The fact that she is only 9 weeks and the kid you saw was about 4 has nothing to do with it, if they need one they need one whether they like it or not because walking around all day with wee and crap in their pants in far less pleasant than the 30 secs it takes to put on a nappy.

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justaboutshouseiscold · 17/11/2008 13:40

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cheesesarnie · 17/11/2008 13:48

i dont get it?

op what was wrong?the age of child?the fact the mumis good at doing fastfolding nappies on her knee?what?
maybe the mum had no spare pants?

Queenbebe · 17/11/2008 20:14

I think I have seen some nappy changing contests somewhere on the web. Was it YouTube maybe?

Original poster
Sunfield · 17/11/2008 20:19

Yes but Queenbebe I can't imagine you'd put a 4yr old on your knee and put a terry on him in view of others if he struggled

OP posts:
bronze · 17/11/2008 20:20

Could be me. My children are tall and ds is 3.
If I'm out and theres an unexpected accident I would stick them in a nappy as I wouldnt necessarily have anything else.
I could do a nappy in 30 seconds on a wriggling child with my eyes shut I've had enough practice.

breaghsmum · 17/11/2008 21:22

i can totally relate to anonymousone with this one, there were plenty of times during the SIX months my son took to fully train where i was out, he'd had another accident and i had no spare clothes, when i would put a nappy on him, to get us home. id have no qualms about doing that, be it in a friends house, public toilet or baby change facility. it wouldnt bother me who saw. id far rather he had something on to save the last change of clothes he had than him soiling them, the area he was in, possibly me and the car seat. and if the woman semed hurried, then perhaps she was. it is very frustrating to have to change your child six or seven times a day when you know they can ask for the toilet.

cheesesarnie · 18/11/2008 10:08

Sunfield on Mon 17-Nov-08 20:19:00
Yes but Queenbebe I can't imagine you'd put a 4yr old on your knee and put a terry on him in view of others if he struggled

i still dont get why the shock?the age of child,the terry(or nappy in general),the place,or the speed???what was shocking to you?

onepieceoflollipop · 18/11/2008 10:15

btw a mother and baby room is not (imo) a "semi public area" If you are out shopping it is about as private as one can get. What are the alternatives - corner of shop? struggling in a tiny cubicle in the ladies? (impossible with 2 dcs ime).

Kathyis6incheshigh · 18/11/2008 10:15

PMSL @ the OP thinking the child was 'traumatised' by it.

definition of 'traumatised'.

sunnygirl1412 · 18/11/2008 10:50

Sunfield said:
"I can't believe many would honestly do it to a 4yr old in a semi puplic area like a mother and baby room if the child was distressed by it."

Firstly, a mother and baby room is a semi-PRIVATE area provided for the purpose.

Secondly, the mum in question also needed to change her baby - hence use of the mother and baby room was appropriate.

Thirdly, had she decided not to put the sort out the wet 4-year-old there, where should she have done it? Should she have schlepped off to find the nearest toilet, with the soggy boy having to walk there in wet clothing (which would be uncomfortable and possibly upsetting for him).

Surely she did the logical thing - she found a semi-private area where the facilities for dealing with little children's nappying needs are provided, and made swift and efficient use of those facilities so that both her children were clean and dry, and the family was able to carry on with their shopping.

In the past, my dh has whipped down ds1's trousers on the Underground, and whipped a nappy on because ds1 was about to wet himself - and the nearest toilet would have been far too far away both in time and distance!! He did it as quickly and discreetly as possible, but I bet there were folk on the train who judged him. Btw - ds1 would have been about 3 at the time, and dh also had ds2, who was still in nappies, with him.

Original poster
Sunfield · 18/11/2008 15:59

The point I'm making is if you need to put a nappy on a 4yr old there are ways and means of doing it.

Surely you use a nappy thats easy to put on and do it discretely.

OP posts:
Upwind · 18/11/2008 16:03

Surely in a situation like that where a 4yr old has an accident you use whatever you have to hand? Even if it was one of his sister's terries? It was on "before you could blink" so I am not sure why you imagine the Mum should spend money on other nappies to carry about in case her ds has further accidents.

Or is this really about your snobbishness towards the use of terry nappies?

SoupDragon · 18/11/2008 16:04

judgey Judgey Judgey.

hurtttt · 18/11/2008 16:06

Judgey McJudgepants

Neeerly3 · 18/11/2008 16:24

wot other ways and means would you use Sunfield?

you said she put the terry on very expertly and in the blink of an eye - which nappy would you choose that was quicker than that?

where is more discrete than a mother and baby room?

I really don't understand why this situation was the WORST nappy change ever?

Worst for me would have been, as someone else said, whipping nappy off and putting new one on without wiping....er, whipping nappy off and rubbing offending toddlers nose in it as punishment...er, letting nearly 4 year old walk around in wet clothes without bothering to sort it....

lulumama · 18/11/2008 16:26

you know, i still don;t get this thread.

lollipopmother · 18/11/2008 23:23

Judgey Judgerson!

Queenbebe · 19/11/2008 10:18

I think this thread is getting very silly! It does'nt matter how old the DC is. If they're still in nappies, they're still in nappies, and if the nappy needs changing when you're out and about, then you've got to do it as quickly and efficiently as possible, even if ideal facilities are'nt available. I've changed hundreds of nappies in all manner of places, and I'm not bothered about doing it in public if there's no alternative, or who sees me!

lollipopmother · 19/11/2008 11:55

Yeah, but the kid struggled Queenbebe, and he is four! Ohh the shame, the shock! !

Queenbebe · 19/11/2008 13:26

If he was 14; that's the time I would start worrying!!!

BabyBaby123 · 19/11/2008 14:02

lol at this thread - Sunfield, maybe being caught out bitching might teach you to mind your own business....

SunshinePine · 19/11/2008 17:44

I have a 5yo girl and two boys aged 7 and 9. DD is incontinent so wears nappies anyway but the two boys are fully trained.

If one the the boys had an accident I don't carry spare clothes and would have no second thoughts about taking them into the baby change room and pinning one of their sister's terries on them.
Surely it would be far meaner to make them stay in their wet or soiled pants for the rest of the day, than making them lie on a changing table in a semi-private area for 30 seconds whilst I clean them with some wipes and pin a nappy on them.

I really don't see your problem with the 4yo you saw.