Diaper Changing Etiquette

[FnkyGreenMama]

DH and 13 mo DS came back from a neighborhood playground this morning. DH said he had started to change DS' poopy diaper, with no one around, at the park bench (with DS standing on the ground) since there was no washroom available. Some people arrived at the park and he said he got some rude looks - I'm not surprised and told him I didn't think that was a good place to do it. What should he have done? Brought DS home and changed him there? Taken him to a more secluded spot on the field or near the woods?

This just got me thinking about public diaper change etiquette. We haven't really been able to use change tables since DS started crawling so many months ago. I dread public diaper changes because they can be so awkward.

[alegna]

I would use a park bench. I would also use our stroller at the park. The one I try to avoid at all costs is *in* a restaurant. Probably would avoid the middle of a mall in general unless baby was tiny.

-Angela

[joeys_mom]

I have and would use a park bench anytime. I would ignore anyone who tried to give me dirty looks in a public park.

I've had to do emergency changes in much more inappropriate places!!

[kawa kamuri]

you do what you gotta do.

i would never change a poop diaper around other people if there was another, acceptable option - to me going home or trying to find a secluded spot are not options as it is asking a baby to sit in their own waste especially if we're talking a seemingly deserted playground.

people who give me dirty looks or pass judgements against me, well, i don't have very kind words for them.

[Gabes Mommy]

I use a park bench or stroller. The stroller is my preferred, but if I don't have it we'll do a bench. We just try to go quickly.

[VBMama]

Personally, I wouldn't change a older baby/toddler poopy diaper on or near a park bench. I would be okay with going a little ways away from a playground into a field if there was not a restroom, or I would go to my car and then come back - basically, I don't want to handle poopy diapers near where other people might sit or have snacks!

[Gray's Mommy]

With everything that I have seen going on in public parks, changing a diaper (whether or not it was poopy) is no big deal. I normally have a small receiving blanket I keep in my diaper bag for changing the baby or toddler on.

[KweenKrunch]

I probably wouldn't change a poopy diaper on a park bench, but I might on the grass several yards away from people. If I had a car with me, I would most likely change the diaper in the car. I think this gives the baby privacy, keeps the equipment clean, and is generally in good taste.

But...since we don't do diapers, I never have this problem! EC is the best!

[mrs*kewpie*pie]

i think what your dh did was fine.

[Drummer's Wife]

I change a poopy toddler (or 4 yo -yuck-) in the car if it's available, in the stroller, or on the grass away from other people. I do standing up changes when it's only pee, b/c otherwise I can't get them clean enough (and for that, I will do it almost anywhere w/a quickness).

We have been on vacation for the past week and a half, so I feel like I have changed poopy diapers in all sorts of random places. I wouldn't have been opposed to using a park bench, but if there were people walking by, I would have felt a lot more comfortable taking a few steps away and changing the diaper elsewhere.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

yeah i would change a baby on a park bench. i also have changed him on the ground at the playground, in the grass etc. now that he's older (almost 2) he has a more predictable poop routine and often doesn't poop in public.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

ok while i was writing that response, ds was playing next to me and pooped, it was like he knew i was writing about pooping!

[Ruthla]

I wouldn't change a 1yo on a park bench because I'd be too afraid of the toddler wiggling off the bench! I would have changed him on the ground (preferably on grass) rather than the bench, or used the stroller (if I had one with me.)

He might have gotten rude looks because the people arriving were hoping to sit on the bench, but it was occupied. Or maybe they were just shocked to see a man changing a baby (rather than a woman) and were rude/shocked because of that. I wouldn't assume it was the "diaper changing on the bench" that bothered them.

[Michigan Mama]

Some people will be scandalized and grossed out to see a diaper change, no matter where it is happening, so I try not to worry about that too much. I do it as privately as possible, but I would totally use a park bench if needed. I have a changing pad with me always to make it more comfortable and clean, but I don't think you dh did anything wrong. I do changes in the car fairly frequently, sometimes I feel better about that than public restrooms. Those changing tables can creep me out sometimes...

[FnkyGreenMama]

Thanks for all the replies, mamas! I told DH that I take back what I said about it not being ok.

Originally Posted by VBMama

basically, I don't want to handle poopy diapers near where other people might sit or have snacks!

That was my thinking, too.

Originally Posted by tbone_kneegrabber

ok while i was writing that response, ds was playing next to me and pooped, it was like he knew i was writing about pooping!

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I wouldn't change a 1yo on a park bench because I'd be too afraid of the toddler wiggling off the bench! I would have changed him on the ground (preferably on grass) rather than the bench, or used the stroller (if I had one with me.)

He might have gotten rude looks because the people arriving were hoping to sit on the bench, but it was occupied. Or maybe they were just shocked to see a man changing a baby (rather than a woman) and were rude/shocked because of that. I wouldn't assume it was the "diaper changing on the bench" that bothered them.

I'd like to know more about those of you who have babes that are cooperative enough to allow for a stroller diaper change DH didn't (couldn't anyway) put him ON the bench, I think it was more that he was using the bench as a place to put things while DS was standing (probably walking around) during the change.

I didn't think about the other possible reasons for rude looks.

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by kawa kamuri

i would never change a poop diaper around other people if there was another, acceptable option - to me going home or trying to find a secluded spot are not options as it is asking a baby to sit in their own waste especially if we're talking a seemingly deserted playground.

.

:

[Kerr096]

My DD is two- if she has pee, I can change her in the stroller, she never gives me a problem. With poop, if the car was near I would probably go there. I have changed her on the grass, a bench in the middle of the mall. I put down a recieving blanket.

I just draw more attention to myself when someone stopped and said "wow you use cloth diapers? I did not realize people still did that." I have recieved the positive cloth diapers comments or questions as well.

I say do what you have to!