changing nappies on public transportation...

how/where do you do it? i mistakenly assumed there would be a changing table on the train we took today and well, there wasn't. do most people just change them on the seat or while holding the baby on your lap? is this considered acceptable?? am i overthinking this entirely?!

It's a pain the the butt. No pun intended. If I had the stroller with me, I set the seat way back and did it there. If not, I tried to use the seat. But if it was just a wet diaper, I usually waited until I got off the train if it wasn't a very long journey. If it was poop, I tried to find a less populated spot and moved as quickly as I could!

If it was poop, I tried to find a less populated spot and moved as quickly as I could!

Poor guy next to you takes a bite of his steak pasty right when you whip that thing off.....

Haven't run into that one but I'd imagine I'd do it in the pram/pushchair rather than putting changing mat on train bathroom floor! 

Poor guy next to you takes a bite of his steak pasty right when you whip that thing off.....

 

sounds like our big mistake was trying to get by with just strapping the baby to us and not bringing the pram! we ended up in the bathroom, with my husband sitting on the toilet and the baby in his lap while i changed her...but it didn't feel like the safest solution (and wouldn't be possible if we weren't both present). i must admit, i had a minor freakout moment where i told my husband something like "omg, there is no way i will ever take the 5 hour train ride to visit your family with the baby / we are moving back to the US asap so we can have a car / i refuse to use public transportation ever again". i got over it, eventually...but i am still wary about that 5 hour train ride to liverpool.  

I've not had the opportunity to experience this but I have seen people changing their babies bottoms on the floor near the doors, between the carriages. That seems like the safest to me, as long as you're not doing it while in station and everyone is trying to walk around you.

I don't think I'd like to change a dirty diaper in the carriage with the other people. It's a bit mean, especially with the spectactular diapers my girls produce.

Most trains will have a baby changing facility, but it won't be on every carriage and generally isn't very well marked.  So, it means walking through carriage after carriage to find it.

Personally, depending on the age of my child I just change them on my knee.  My MIL taught me how to do it the "old fashioned" way.  (Well, it was more me watching, seeing how well DD behaved and then trying it at home.)  Personally, I and the kids prefer it to mats any day.     I'd recommend trying it at home sitting on the floor (legs out in front of you), with baby across your lap (adjust how wide your legs go according to baby's size), as you have more control over how much they wriggle.  Then, gradually move up to sitting on settee etc.  But do remember to put something underneath baby's bum (cue the Muslin squares) when changing.     It's great for changing baby's clothes too.