baby changing rooms

[temmydee]

I am doing a research project on baby changing rooms, and before you ignore this i think you should know that if this project geos well it could possibly mean better changing rooms for parents around my area.

what i would like to know is:

1. What things would you like to see that aren't presently in most baby changing rooms e.g anti-bacterial spray or changeable lining for the baby changing surfaces ect.?
2. There are often chairs or areas provided in most baby changing facilities for mothers to breast feed, do you find this useful?
3. For fathers, do you find it a little embarrasing going into changing rooms, or sometimes are you unable to get to the changing rooms because they are situated in the female toilet?

Sorry, forgot to add a thank you to my initial thread! :)

What is the research for (college, degree, manufacturing company, retail outlet)?

I would like places that provide baby changing to also provide potties and toilet seats and steps for older children.

I also have a mental list of places that do and don't have hand dryers because they freak my 3 yo out and he refuses to use toilets that have them. He would rather wee in the gutter. (It is very difficult to hide a hand dryer by standing in front of it without setting it off).

I don't think I have ever come across a baby changing room that was in the lady's loos. Always seems to be a seperate room.

My babies were not breastfed, and I do like places that have bottle warmers.

Mothercare and John Lewis seem to have the right idea on baby changing rooms.

1. Hooks for hanging bags and things on.

1. No. I would rather bf elsewhere.

Some changing rooms are so gloomy and horrible. Bins near the change mat would be handy rather than half way across the room! I remover going to a mothercare changing room and sitting in some nice chairs to feed - then someone came in and changed their toddlers stinky nappy and I was left sitting in the pong so think this would be better in a separate room. Changing facilities should be somewhere accessible to mums and dad or one in each facility

A toilet! I find the majority of baby changing rooms don't have one, and it can be difficult finding one you can fit a pram/pushchair into. I would second the comment about hand dryers, my daughter also hates these. Paper towels are best.

I think it's always best to have feeding areas separate to changing areas, as a feed can take a while, & hogging the changing facilities for this time can feel a little awkward.

Also, I think there is a need for more changing facilities for public access, i.e. not located in cafés etc.

Personally I wouldn't say that anti-bac sprays and disposable mats were necessary, as most parents carry a mat in their changing bag.

Space!!!!! So many feeding and changing areas are tiny. Our local department store has 3 chairs and 2 spaces to change in it but you can only really get 2 small buggies in there so why not remove one chair??? Having said that they have put in nice soap and some spare nappy sacks.

Agree with PetiteMummy - more areas not in cafes as they can be awkward to get into or in freezing cold disabled toilets.

Separate areas for feeding and changing - hats off John Lewis Bluewater who have achieved this. Their area is lovely.

Not bothered re changing mat or anti bacterial wipe - always used my own as at least I know its clean and warm soapy water is good enough

Space!! A toilet for me/ toddler also very useful. Bin emptied regularly so doesn't smell bad!

John Lewis have got it right - the one nearest to us has a parent and toddler toilet, with a standard toilet and a smaller one, and a standard height sink and a lower one. Plus it's spacious and clean. Failing that, a step for toddlers to stand at the sink makes life so much easier, it's so simple yet hardly anywhere does it! (interestingly all Museum of Wales sites do )

And I never fed dd in a baby changing room - yuck. Feeding areas should be completely seperate.

john lewis parent rooms are so perfect i plan my days out around them!

I also agree about hand dryers, my DS hates them too & ends up doing a lot of al fresco peeing.

thank you all so much! i'm a GCSE student and i'm trying to gather research to get better changing rooms for the shopping mall in romford (some of them are horrible) i'm going to try to get some research, then get a petition going and present it to the manager. :)

I don't like feeding areas in baby change rooms, it implies that feeding should be done in toilets. Good ventilation is nice. A toilet is essential and often lacking, poo is supposed to go down the toilet not in the bin and if you use cloth nappies you have to carry the poo into a separate place to flush or carry around a bag of shit. Little toilets are good, I've only ever seen them in JL. In an ideal world potties would be good but I imagine they would just end up filthy straight away.

breastfeeding in baby change areas is a no-go 99 times out of a 100 as the change areas usually smell! also you dont want to be in there for half an hour and stop others using it if it isnt stinky! change the bins regularly and maybe provide nappy bags to keep the smell down as people seem not to use them...

hand dryers scare little ones out of their minds, paper towels please!

manky old changing mats are horrible. the fixed ones with the blue roll to use to cover them are the best.

flop down changing tables petrify my little girl and we have to do her on the floor instead :(

the only change room i have ever fed in too was in ikea. they have it right! :) clean and nice ambience and comfy chairs.