How to Change Your Baby’s Diaper in Public

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ou realize that you need to change the baby's diaper and it can't wait until you get back to the car. But you are shopping at the store with your adorable baby in the shopping cart. You are going to have to change the diaper in the public restroom. Those fold-up diaper changing stations are notoriously out of paper covers. Who knows what sanitary procedures, if any, have been used on that surface. What can you do to protect your baby from contracting germs during a routine diaper change? How can you prevent other patrons from smelling your baby's diaper?

Instructions

If there is a paper cover or pad available, or you carry your own disposable pad, place it on the surface first before beginning the diaper change. If not, use paper towel, or as a last resort overlap several long strips of toilet paper. If you have a reusable changing pad in your diaper bag place that on top of the paper.

2Lay the baby on the now padded changing surface. Remove the baby's outer clothing from the waist down.

3Before you open the used diaper, open a new, fresh diaper and place it in the correct position to put it on the baby, under the old diaper.

4Get a couple of diaper wipes out and ready. Now, open the old diaper. If the baby had a bowel movement use the front portion of the used diaper to wipe as much of the BM, off from the buttocks as possible.

5Wrap the diaper into a ball with the urine or BM on the inside of the ball of course. Set it off to the side.

6Thoroughly clean the baby's genitalia with the wipes. Remember to start in the front and wipe towards the back, especially if the baby is a girl to reduce yeast infections.

7Now put the new diaper, that is already in place, on the baby and fasten both sides. The baby's buttocks never touched the surface. If there was BM, you don't have to worry about wiping down your reusable changing pad or the changing station. Put on the baby's clothes.

Place the used diaper in a sandwich bag, empty bread bag, or empty newspaper plastic sleeve. Tie the bag top into a knot or zip the baggy and throw the diaper away without stinking up the public restroom. If you don't have a bag, wrap it thoroughly in the paper you are disposing of before tossing it in the garbage can.