Changing Diapers on a Plane

Not a silly question at all!! we are going on our first flight in a couple weeks and i was wondering the same thing!

If it is a stinky diaper you may not have much of a choice then to use the bathroom. I know I have purchased disposable changing pads from Walmart or Babies R Us for those dirty bathrooms. The poopy diaper smell can sometimes last awhile and with hardly any air flow on the plane it might be a bad idea to change a diaper in your seat. If it is just a wet diaper, you may get away with a quick diaper change in your seat.
Good Luck.

Use the bathroom! Please. I sat behind someone who changed a diaper in her seat recently and it affected everyone for several rows around. It was really offensive. People are way too packed into planes these days for diaper changing, smelly food or even unwashed bodies.

Stacy Sullivan is an editor for arizonamoms.com, pets.azcentral.com and The Republic whose single mom sister is constantly asking for advice as she raises two great kids.

I would also suggest you use the restroom as well. As someone else mentioned, you can buy (and i do) disposable changing table sheets at Target or where ever you prefer to shop.

But i would also like to ask more experienced travelers if there are baby changing tables in the restrooms of the airplanes? I've never really noticed, but i have not been on a plane since my daughter was born and we are traveling by plane in a couple of weeks.

just~me

Use the bathroom if you can, but only certain planes have fold down changing areas in bathrooms. And without it, the bathroom is so small you won't have much luck.

We have flown a lot when our now potty trained toddler was an infant, and it isn't easy doing a diaper change on a plane.

The best places to change a baby on a plane in decending order:
1. In the bathroom if it is possible.
2. In the galley area on the floor if the crew allows it.
3. fold up the arm of the 2 seats you and your husband have and change her across there (put your husband in the aisle for a few minutes).
4. change her on your husband's lap.

In any case, the disposable changing pads are a must ( or a really sturdy non-disposable changing pad, but the disposable ones are a little nicer because if you get some "mess" on the regular one, you have a lingering odor in the close quarters of a plane). Disposable bags to put the stinky diaper in is nice too, especially to the flight crew, who will complain about taking the diaper. Depending on the airline, they may make you throw it out in the bathroom and won't touch it.

There will probably be someone within earshot who will complain about your kid, because airplanes seem to bring out that aspect of people who think that you care what their opinion is on your breeding habits and/or why you're not cloistered away with the child until she turns 18. Just ignore them. The plus side is that if your flight isn't 100% full, the person sharing your row may ask to be moved, and then you've got an empty seat, which is nice with a little one.

Other stuff: bring a bottle for takeoffs and landings, bring a couple of layers of clothes, in case the plane is hot or cold. Bring a favorite blanket and toy and put it all in a tote bag or other bag that has a zipper closure.

Good luck

I made a 13-hour plane ride with my son when he was a baby and figured out something that worked perfectly: I sat on the closed toilet seat and changed the baby on my own lap. It gave me and the baby privacy without offending any of the passengers.

Before I had a child, I sat in the row behind a couple with a baby who changed a dirty diaper in their seats. The smell was so bad that the poor man seated next to me began gagging and then vomited. So between the poo smell and the vomit smell, you can imagine how miserable I was and why I thought it was so important to work something better out for my baby and me.

Karina Bland is raising her 9-year-old son in Tempe with a lot of love, humor and support from her friends and family. A longtime journalist covering child welfare and education issues for The Arizona Republic, she blogs about raising good kids.

I think you have gotten some great advice.

As far as who you travel on really makes no difference, it always depends on who you have as crew members. The crew members really don't want to touch the diaper and will ask you, usually to dispose of it. I highly recommend you bring ziploc bags for this reason. If you are able to change your baby in the galley, use a blanket for the floor - they are quite icky. I would bring a blanket for this reason and then make sure to wrap it in something. You might be able to snag a blanket from the airplane and then make sure you tell the crew so they can make sure no one else uses it.

KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.

Ha ha!! I still have to deal with this with my 1 year old and going places where their bathrooms aren't child friendly and the floors are disgusting. (i.e. Aunt Chiladas not so friendly, but the outside grassy area is). I call this a field dress cause it's hard work, and you have to be creative in where and how you do it. I totally recommend getting either a disposable or a hardy changing pad, and yes bring ziplock bags. If I have to change my daughter on the floor (she's a big girl), then I put down the pad make sure she is covered and holding the new diaper so she doesn't touch ANYTHING. You'd be suprised how well the ziplock will hide the smell of the yucky diaper, and I would recommend putting it in the trash in the plane's bathroom. You can always ask a fight attendant where a good place maybe before the plane takes off or maybe when you get your ticket. A lot of them are probably moms too. Good luck!!

Lisa - Mom to her spunky little Scarlette

I do believe there is some kind of health code, if I remember correctly, and you're not supposed to change a baby's diaper anywhere but in the bathrooms. Other moms have given great advice here.... I might also just ask the airlines what the health code/policy is to be on the safe side. Good luck! I wasn't brave enough to travel by plane until my two older kids were 2 and 3 years old.

DesertMom
http://ppdsurvivor.blogspot.com

We traveled lots with my first son when he was an infant on airplanes. I found that it all depends on the airline as to their availability for changing tables. I found on several American Airlines flights that they had pull out changing table in the restroom that were comparable to something you'd find in a dept. store or restaurant - so they were decent. However, whenever we traveled Southwest Airlines unfortunately they do not have any pull out changing tables in their restrooms. So, the only alternative they offered us was to lay out our changing pad just outside the restroom (to the side where other people could not see) fairly close to the galley - but not exactly in the galley on the floor. I know sad isn't it! When it was a stinky diaper I just traveled with a very thick and durable changing pad and had to change him on the floor whenever on Southwest. If it was not stinky I guess you could change him at your seat, but just depends on how comfy you are with that. I always prefer to go to the back of the plane to change the baby (on Southwest) or in the restroom if there is a changing table. Just bring antiseptic wipes and you should be fine! Happy traveling.

LisaMommy is a 38 year old discussion leader for arizonamoms.com from the Paradise Valley/Scottsdale area. Her two boys are ages 8 months and 3 years old.

All our kids have travelled before their first birthday, so it is possible and it can be enjoyable. (2 went to France)

I'd add to your list to have a change of clothes handy. Once my daughter had some kind of mess and all we had was a nightgown to put her in. We actually ended up knowing people on the flight and wondered if they thought it was weird that our child was in a nightgown.

ALso, ask for bulkhead seats at check-in. With those you have extra foot space to change on the floor and no one else can see. With pee diapers I'd just change it on the floor or across the seats or ask the crew if you can use their fold down seat. I'd say the same with poo diapers, just get it changed as quickly and clandestinely as possible, then zip it up tight!

Good luck! Enjoy!

Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.

I'm not sure if the bathroom is big enough to use. I would have my husband stand in the aisle and lay the baby down across both seats. I know you don't want to offend anyone but sometimes you "just gotta do what ya gotta do". Do it, apologize and then forget about it. Besides, if the person sitting next to you has children, they'll understand. OR...wait until THEY go to the bathroom and do it FAST!

Paz

If she's 10 months, you HAVE to use the bathroom. It won't only offend the person next to you, but the whole plane. I would get a disposable changing mat you can put beneath your real one--be aware, the bathrooms are crazy tiny, and you might have to change her on your lap in the bathroom. Good luck. Tough age for travel. Glad your husband will be with you.

Brooke Romney is an unbalanced mom of three young boys who constantly has too much to do, and too little time. She writes the Mom Beat column for The Gilbert Republic.

I've flown many times with babies, as well as had to make quick changes before they invented changing tables in mall & restaurant bathrooms. I got to be an expert putting the baby on my lap and changing him/her that way by just sitting on the stall in the bathroom (and I have to admit, go ahead and yell at me) a couple times I DID change them on my lap while the plane was in flight, but NEVER with a stinky diaper and never if I had someone sitting next to me other than one of my kids! A baby's exposed stinky diaper is nothing anybody else should have to be exposed to!!

Single mom in Mesa to two great kids (8 & 10) and two great adults (18 & 20)

Not a silly question at all - every parent faces this at some point.
I'm not a big fan of changing a diaper out in the open. I personally don't mind seeing other parents do that, but I think people in general don't want to see it.
I've used the dreaded bathroom floor but I carry those disposable pads with me (I think Target and Babies R Us carries them) and cover the floor with them. Also, bring a few extra clothes, and some ziplock baggies for soiled clothes and dirty diapers in case you get a poop explosion.

Susie is a discussion leader in the east valley for arizonamoms.com. She has two sons, ages 7 and 3.

Yes, I would suggest using the bathroom as well. There is no need to make others smell your child's dirty diaper. Yes, if your child is crying, etc...you can not help that. But you can help with the diaper changes and use the bathroom. Take a changing pad, hand sanitizer and enough wipes so that you can give it a good wipe down first. Be curtious of others.

There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!

It might be just me, but I wouldn't be flying with a 10 month old without a seat. When mine were little I always purchased a seat and carried on their car seat. It only took me reading about a flight that went down in Iowa where there were loads of survivors except for the lap children. At 10 months on a long flight you'll have your hands full. Now to the diaper issue. I'm pretty tolarent of most things, but if your gonna change a diaper on the flight it MUST be in the restroom. I have not been on a flight in the last year that hasn't been full and I would not be happy if my seat mates changed a diaper next to me. The restroom is doable, you just have to be organized when you get in there. I have changed many a diapers in there. Good luck and have a safe flight.

They do have changing tables in the bathrooms - sometimes they are just hard to recognize because they have to put them in a tight spot. The last time we flew was on Southwest and they had one above the toilet that folded down - but it wasn't marked very well. The disposable changing pads are great but if you don't have them a few paper towls work well too.

My husband and I have flown Southwest on three trips with our baby (who is now 9 months old). They had changing tables, but the other mom is right that they are small and hard to find. The best thing about Southwest is that if you only purchased 2 seats, there is a good chance that no one will sit between you and your husband, so you will have some extra space. My husband and I always start out sitting in an aisle and window seat, so if the plane really is full, one of us just has to move over when a third passenger arrives. However, we have not had a flight that was truly full yet - they all had at least a couple of extra seats available and one always ended up between us (because people REALLY don't want to sit with a baby). So, if we just had to change a wet diaper, we were able to just do it in the middle seat between us. Of course, if it is a poopy diaper, I think using the restroom and a disposable pad is the only polite/practical option. Good luck!