OK, parents, we’ve all been there. We’re out in public enjoying family time, when suddenly we realize… the baby had a diaper (or training pants) blowout.
You can smell it, you can feel it, baby is uncomfortable, and panic seizes your body. Baby needs to be changed STAT, but where is the closest changing table in the middle of this ballgame? (Or movie theater, or zoo?) Truthfully, there is rarely one close by. Argh.
Case in point: Prior to boarding a flight, my baby had an accident and pooed straight through her clothes
She was soiled, she smelled, my plane was taking off in three minutes… and the closest bathroom in the airport was on the other side of the terminal. I completely panicked, and was alone. We would definitely miss our flight if I ran through the terminal to the bathroom to change her. Even worse, I had JUST changed her diaper 15 minutes prior, which is why I didn’t pre-board — but of course, the Judgey McJudgies didn’t know that.
I took a deep breath, crouched down, laid a diaper-changing pad on the floor in the terminal (on carpet, in a corner), and worked furiously to change my screaming baby. I was wiping her bum while sweating profusely.
I FELT other parents thinking, “What a pig that mom is, changing that baby on the floor. Nasty. Tsk tsk.”
In fact, I saw an airport employee cringe at me. I’m positive she did. Well, sorry, it was between a plastic chair or the floor; I thought the floor would give us more privacy.
I changed my baby into fresh clothes, tossed her soiled diaper, wipes, and onesie, and boarded the flight with seconds to spare, feeling so embarrassed. After all, I just changed my baby on an airport floor, in front of at least 35 people.
I will forever wish public venues had more changing tables and bathrooms, not just for babies — but to help out us adults as well
Stores are getting better — thank you, Starbucks, Marshalls, and Target for always having a changing table — but airports, zoos, concert venues, and even amusement parks could benefit from extra bathrooms with tables for parents.
It would sure save parents — and baby — from humiliation
Fine, maybe I am being sensitive and shouldn’t care what other people think if I change my baby in public, on a floor. If the bathrooms were closer to my boarding section — and not three minutes away — I obviously would have changed my daughter there.
Ultimately, I understand my baby takes priority over fuddy-duddy parent shamers. But they just get under your skin, and I never want to come off as unsanitary. It was either that, or walk a smelly, poo-smeared, crying baby down the airplane aisle and change her in the thimble-sized bathroom. (Talk about extra stress.)
Until more public places realize, "OK, maybe we need to construct more bathrooms with baby tables," then parents will continue to do what they need to do to make baby comfortable. Even if it means changing their babies on the floor.
No shame, right?
